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61 ______________________________________ Before arriving in Yucatán, Adela traveled to Massachusetts, where she met again with Frederic Ward Putnam of the Peabody Museum at Harvard. From there she sailed to Havana and then to Yucatán, landing at Progresso and traveling to Mérida, the main city of Yucatán. Mérida was not only the capital and center of commerce, it was the center of society in Yucatán—and there was a considerable element of money and culture. Henequen had made several families very wealthy, and the banking and commerce that processed that wealth had enriched other families as well. Northern Yucatán had many baronial haciendas that covered thousands of acres and included towns, ancient ruins, and people in their holdings. These hacendados often had a “house in town,” which was in reality a grand mansion , elaborately furnished and with dozens of servants .The society followed the Spanish tradition of elaborate dress and customs, and there were many concerts, balls, and social visits. To get to Chichén travelers went through Mérida, which must have seemed like the last outpost of civilization to those on their way to the ruins. The trip to Chichén began with a sixhour train ride to Dzitas, which is about twenty miles from Chichén. The train ran every other day. From there passengers took a volan for the final three leagues to the hacienda at Chichén. A volan, which was pulled by mules, was a twowheeled coach, covered but with open sides. Passengers sat on the flat bed of the coach, which was cushioned (if one were lucky) by a mattress or pad. The road to the hacienda was very rough and rocky, and the last part of the trip must have been hard on the passengers. Eventually, Adela arrived at Chichén to do the work Maudslay had requested. Putnam spelled out the situation for Thompson: I suppose by this time you will have seen Miss Breton who was to have left here about two weeks ago for Yucatan. As I wrote you Maudslay was anxious that you should make certain moulds as it would be additional to his work. Miss Chapter Eleven Life Begins at Fifty Miss Breton is here and I gather from what the tourists say who went with her to Uxmal she’s a . . . tartar. —Edward H. Thompson to Frederic Ward Putnam, March ,  62 Chapter Eleven ______________________________________ Breton has, I understand, full notes from Maudslay of what he thinks advisable for you to do; but about this you should use your own judgement. We are not under the slightest obligation to Maudslay, and of course this Museum has not the casts made from Maudslay’s moulds, and we are anxious to get as many casts as possible . So should you do anything which Maudslay wishes to have done, it should be through this Museum. (Putnam to Thompson, Feb. 10, 1900, HUA) Good casts of molds were troublesome to make in hot humid climates and required skill. Casts were one of the few means of reproducing a carved image, and museums sought them out both for their popular appeal and their utility to scholars. Keeping on the good side of Maudslay was clearly politic. Thompson took his cue. Well I fussed around and made arrangements for her to get to Chichen as well and comfortable as possible and she went. I told her before she went that the authorities are now very strict on the matter of working in the ruins and that to make things all right she should have had a permit from the authorities at Mexico to do her class of work among the Yucatan ruins. She stated however that if necessary Maudsley [sic] would have obtained one for her. Of course I had nothing more to say. I only cautioned her to be careful in treating with the Inspector and keep on his right side in order to make things as easy as possible for her. (Thompson to Putnam, Mar. 3, 1900, HUA) Adela, unfortunately, did not follow his suggestion but instead was at her most imperious. Thompson continued: Yesterday I got a letter in which she, after bewailing her lot states that because of some action of hers or because of something she did or tried to do I don’t exactly understand what from her letter, the Inspector has forbidden her to even sketch. This he has a right to do and the Federal authorities have always sustained...

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