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Title
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Lawrence Bruner to Psyche Bruner, 1897, Aug. 10
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Alternative Title
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Lawrence Bruner Letters, 1897
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Date
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1897, Aug. 10
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Creator
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Lawrence Bruner
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Description
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Handwritten 2 page letter from Lawrence Bruner to Psyche, "I first thought that I would write to Aunt Sela..."
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Identifier
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081210-1897-017b
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Transcription
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to tell you everything now. Then too, if I did there would be nothing left for me to tell you when I come home. The poor houses in Mexico are quite good when we some kinds of houses down here that people live in. When I was up near Tucuman and Salta almost to Bolivia I saw some very poor things that people lived in. Four posts stick in the ground, a few sticks laid accross the top, and maybe a little dirt throwed on these to keep them from blowing off, and the house was finished –– too poor for our pigs to live in at home, but down here used by people. Some of the better houses had cactus plants stood up on one or two sides, and others were protected by walls of brush. These were in the country. The houses in the towns and cities are better but more of even these are made with fire-places or chimneys so that they can be warmed. The people, like the animals shiver until the weather becomes warmer. In the country near Tucuman, I saw a number of children and a man standing with their backs humped towards the wind trying to keep warm. There was lots of wood that could have been used for a fire, but it was left undisturbed. They stood like this [sketch of man and children with their backs towards a tree] behind a tree or post while the woman was getting something for them to eat I believe.
I have quite a number of things already to bring along home and will very likely get others to show the customs of the natives of the country.
There are a great many interesting things to be seen aside from the people and I certainly improve every opportunity to observe these. The birds are very interesting and will make a fine collection to bring home for the museum at the university. After awhile the reptiles and insects will begin to leave their winter quarters and I will make collections of them too so that if you don't come down yourself you can see some of the things that live and grow here. The plants too, are peculiar. Nearly everyone whether ree or brush has thorns, and even the seed-pods of many like the sand burr at home are full of stickers. The country is very flat — much flatter than anything even between Lincoln and Denver, and there are great stretches of salt beds and alkali or soda. But very little of the water is fit to drink when we get a little ways from the mountains — the Andes. Even the well water tastes of salt petre and other salts. I can hardly drink it, but have to because I cant drink the coffee they make for it is as black as ink and bitter. Then too it makes me sick when I do. But I can eat almost anything now, even boiled cabbage, turnips, onions, garlic or a mixture of all soaked in dirty fat. I sometimes wish that I had a few of the things that I couldn't eat at home. I know they would taste good to me. I believe I could eat parsnips and codfish now. Of course you needn't tell Mamma about this or she will try to feed me on them when I do (over)
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Rights
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To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
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Is Version Of
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081210-1897-017b.jpg
