HACIENDA SAN GABRIEL
TAMPICO, MEXICO
February 6, 1903 [Should be March 6, 1903]

ED. SUN-MONITOR:  The Blalock Mexico Colony left camp here this morning for Chamal, leaving what goods they lacked wagons and teams to haul.  A few of us remain to watch camp and nurse old Brothers Byars and Snell, who are improving and will be able to go on when the teams return.  Brothers Byars and Snell overdid themselves unloading stuff at the station.  We have had an excellent opportunity to cultivate patience during the past two weeks.  The weather was the only thing that was a source of serious annoyance.  The railroad officials and custom house inspectors were courteous and conducted the business as rapidly as they could safely and accurately do the work.  None of us had anything like a correct idea of the magnitude of the undertaking.  The many things to be weighed, marked, valued and classified, then reloaded.  It took over three days on the American side of the river and less than one day on the Mexico side.  The camp here is dry and dusty with an abundance of water in the river near by and an irrigation ditch very convenient.  Some of the men have been hunting and killed one wild hog.  The man that shot the dangerous animal was surprised when the heads of seventeen others appeared, and as they did not look scared and showed no sign of any intention of leaving, he left in haste concluding that discretion is the better part of valor, especially since he was alone and had only No. 8 shot.  He returned in the evening with reinforcements, but found the enemy had left the field, leaving their dead companion where he fell.  One squirrel, a few partridges and pheasants and a few catfish were brought to camp.

One of the sons of the U.S. Consul at Victoria, named Storms, went this morning, with a trained tiger dog, to Chamal, and Dr. Porter tells us that he is expecting something.  The tone of his voice and the look with which the doctor made known this item of news is very encouraging.  The colonists are learning very fast and I have good reason to expect great things as they will be well prepared to appreciate the great change in their surroundings.  The contrast will be so great and so sudden from snow, mud and close confinement to sunshine, flowers and everything to please the eye and fill the heart with joy and gladness, and I will not allow myself to doubt but every heart will warm with love and gratitude to the Giver of all good.  To my mind everything is very encouraging and those who come after us will have an easier time and fewer things to annoy, but I doubt whether their gain will, in the end, be found greater than ours, who have been so severely tried on this two weeks’ journey.