(1894) Mexico? Si, Senor!

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES

MEXICO? SI,

SENOR.

BY

THOS.

L.

"Space there Therefore

is

ROGERS.

for all to travel, the world so wide."

is

Wilhelm Meister

REVISED EDITION.

BOSTON 1894.

8

Copyrighted,

1894,

BY

Mexican Central Railway

Co.,

Limited.

ENGRAVED AND PRINTED AT COLLINS TRESS, BOSTON.

V

MEXICO

?

SI,

SENOR.

CAUTION.

^O

avoid disappointment, too to

much

!

This book

don't expect

not intended

is

be a History of Mexico.

not contain even

knows about

all

that country

he does not know would large volumes.

Its

It

does

the writer

that

and what

;

fill

purpose

is

several to call

some of the places and things in Mexico that are both worth seeing and worth going to see. The towns mentioned lying north of the city of Mexico are on the Mexican Central Railway, the main line of which runs through attention to

the centre of the country 1,224 miles, from Juarez, the border city

on the Rio Grande, opposite El Paso, Texas,

One branch

the capital with Tampico, the only

Mexico. the

main

good harbor on the Gulf of

Another division reaches out 161 miles westward from line

country, and

Two

to the capital.

or division of the road, 415 miles in length, connects

to

will,

other branches

and Pachuca,

Guadalajara,

the second largest city in the

one of these days, be extended serv^e

to the Pacific.

the two great mining cities, Guanajuato

This great central thoroughfare

railway of the Republic, and the only line

connecting the city of Mexico with the

the principal

of standard gauge

United

Mexican Central Railway Company operates,

162297

is

at

States.

the

The

present

and the

time, 1,846 miles of road, passing through eleven states

Federal District, and

serving

contain over 6,000,000 people,

offers the best

line

;

its

more than

and

which

states

half the population of

whole management

Whoever makes

respect.

towns,

In road-bed, bridges, and equipment

the whole country. line

cities,

is first-class in

the trip to and from

this

every

Mexico over

this

only will see a large part of the country, and learn a vast its people and their institutions. and towns mentioned here lying beyond the

.'imount about

The

cities

capital,

south or east or west, are reached by the National, the Mexican, the Interoceanic, or the Valley railways, or by the street car lines

from the

city.

From among we have esting

the

selected for

and

many excursions made and places visited comment only those which are most inter-

inviting to the average tourist

aim to say about those only is

fond of

travel,

who has

just

enough

and

;

it

has been our

to convince

any one who

a desire to see this beautiful country

and the picturesque people who hve

in

it,

referred to are, of themselves alone, worth a

that the few scenes

much

longer journey

and a much greater expenditure of time, money, and trouble than they

cost.

writer claims to be only a " looker-on " in

The

Mexico

;

but as

he looked on in twenty of the twenty-nine political divisions,

more than half of the towns of the country having a five thousand each, and as he looked last on the capital, Nov. 8, 1892, he may safely claim that he has seen something of Mexico as it is to-day.

and

in

population of over

A

second caution

be out of place.

To

like

unto the

It is this

:

—

first,

and yet unlike

avoid disappointment, don't expect too

pression has gone abroad that the traveller in

little.

it,

may The

not

im-

Mexico cannot

enough to eat. Doubtless many of the natives of the country do not have four, or even three " square meals " a day,

get

but

the

reason

is

not a lack of plenty in the country.

The

average tourist keeps to the line or spends his time in the large

money enough

towns, and no one with

worry at

all

to

pay

meals need

for

about lack of satisfactory provision for his wants.

Along the Central road the eating places compare favorably with those along the railroads west of the Missouri River, and the

management

rapidly improving them.

is

along the line

and

;

that they have

So

much

and towns,

as for the cities

it

for

comfort

may be

said

been slandered by those who expected too much,

and so were, of course, disappointed.

The wonder

taking

is,

all

things into account, that the traveller can fare so well, for so little

money,

And,

in

Mexico.

speak Spanish?

Well, no matter, the Mexicans will speak

You speak your there's any money in it.

you.

But

let

me

You'll have lots

Keep

say this

a dangerous thing";

guage

is

it

for

cool

;

meaning if of fun watching them

be patient

stead of words, and you'll be surprised to see

is

don't

English, and they'll get your

interpret your remarks.

along.

You

worry about the language.

don't

further,

a

is

;

how

not a case where " a

little

use signs inwell you'll get little

learning

knowledge of the Spanish

Ian

a very valuable thing in Mexico for the traveller fron^

the States, but even that

is

not indispensable.

MEMORANDUM. Things

to take

Time, patience, money.

:

Things to leave

:

Hurry, worry, work.

be that you shall heed the above cautions, and provide your journey " as per memorandum," you cannot fail to have

If so for

a

good time

in

Mexico.

Si,

Sefior

!

I.

"

Home-keeping youth have ever homely

Two

^ROBABLY,

wits."

Gi'ntle7nen of Verona.

if

people knew that Mex-

is the finest

ico

summer

resort

on

the continent, they would go there in July as they

"Summer

now do

in January."

Mexico!

resort!

I

never heard of such an idea " " I presume you never did, !

my

'"

friend, but

in July, August,

-^

it is

a fact that

and September,

our hottest months, the temper-

Mexico

ature of the city of lightful,

and so

plateau.

is

is

de-

that of the whole

Summer

is

the best time

to visit the country, leaving out of

account the places on the coast."

"You

surprise

very

country is " Elevation.

far

'

eternal

it

happen?

That

south."

That word

above the ocean doesn't

me, Major, but how does tells

the

level six, seven, eight

story.

When you

thousand

feet,

'

get

south

seem to count for much. You know that many of the snow peaks are in the vicinity of the equator. Alti'

tude beats latitude, every time."

" Well, you have given I

am under

me a new idea, and in good time, for my boys a trip abroad tliis summer,

contract to give

them three months in Mexico." my friend, and I will re-enforce your suggestion, for I am going there myself; and if you will put them I in my charge, I shall be delighted to have their company. I

think "

suggest to

I'll

You

can't

do

better,

love those boys."

"That

settles

then.

it,

They

mean it. Major? " "Never was more serious in my

you

with you.

trip

Do

really

" I'm delighted to hear you say to

and they often

love you too,

have wished that they could go on some

life."

so.

It

seems almost too good

When

be true that they can have such a chance, and at once. "

do you go?

" In a few days say a week from to-day." " Good that will give us time to get them ready. ;

What about

;

They want

clothes? "

Oh

no, not light

that kind of a

tile, I

outfit I

we wear

all

"

in the

any one wearing

shed mine the next day and wore a Derby in

Mexico are

just

such clothes

Boston in the spring and autumn.

in

round?

arrived

I

!

hat, but as I didn't see

No, summer clothes

ever after.

suppose, light

and no straw hats

;

once with a straw

capital

as

summer

a

seldom an evening when a

overcoat

light

never a night when a blanket

is

is

There

is

not needed, and

and even

not comfortable,

necessary in Mexico."

"The "

my

No

if

you are

in

any hurry."

In the land of inanana, to which we are going,

friend, there

that law

"

boys can be ready in two days, hurry.

is

even here

a law against haste, and

I

would not

Why, Major, I believe you have become a real Mexican American doctrine. You know our creed is hustle

that isn't

or get

'

left.'

" Yes, the

violate

in this land of rush."

I

"

know

it,

but

lots of hustlers get left too.

happy medium, the golden mean,

that

I

believe in

wise worldly old

Horace praised so much

;

ple of this lovely land of

They have given an

or two.

to the question of

In

"That also

that

all this restless

From

afifirmative

Longfellow

'Do you not know

it is

and I think the peoMexico know a thing

:

—

what

world

is

answer

best

is

rest

"

turmoil and from worry?

'

is good poetry, and I don't know but good philosophy, Major but it won't ;

work here." lAU/

^tUl

" It ought to work, at least in the

and I

"

y

I

am

I

wish

going where I

going myself

it

will

could go with you. will

summer,

work."

But next to

be the thought that the boys

are having such a fine time, and the pleasure

them and you 'tell when you return. I must rush them of their good fortune for of hearing

about

us

all

off

now and

this

it'

tell

Columbian

year."

"

My

shall

good fortune

enjoy their

too,

company

if

as

you please.

much

I

they

as

can enjoy the excursion." This

conversation,

at

tween Major Teller and

the

Algonquin,

be-

Mr. New-

his friend,

ton, resulted in the formation of a party for

a

summer

consisted

tour through

of

the

The

Mexico.

party

Major and the two boys,

Howard and Gardner.

The Major

told

the

boys that he was not willing to be the only titled

one of the party, and that

poses of this trip or campaign,

Howard should be little

corporal.

for the

pur-

you

like,

if

a captain, and Gardner a

and pleasures of the "glorious

After recovery from the duties

Fourth," the party started from Boston, July

There

is

no better preparation

own

a long journey in one's

for

8,

Happily such a journey

country.

a necessity for the great majority of Americans

To

Mexico.

those

from the Atlantic of the beauty

1S92.

a trip in a foreign land than

who wish

is

to visit

who make, for the first time, the excursion Rio Grande every hour is a revelation

to the

and of the greatness of the best country in the who make the trip for the hundredth time, it

world.

To

will still

be a revelation of the surprising growth and prosperity

those

who live under the Stars and Stripes. " Westward the course of empire takes its way," said the good

of the people

How

and wise Bishop Berkeley.

who

words cannot

true a prophet he was, only he

What " the West " means Can language convey to a blind man what can know.

follows that course tell.

"color" means, or to a deaf man the meaning of music ? No more can the pen of the most " ready writer" adequately deGive

scribe our country.

each valley a volume,

to

a shelf, and to our land a whole library in

and yet the half would not be

told.

know

for

it,

and see

often,

it

too,

each State

to

way of description,

One must

see

rapid growth

its

new and another West every ten years. America astonishes the world. To the world

it

or not

makes

it

practically a

States

is

America, and

is

it

the United

the duty as well as the pleasure of

every citizen of our great Republic to see and to study, all,

his

own

country.

class teacher.

The

Consider

school on wheels

for

a

moment what

economy a our country can be made

raphy, in history, in political miles across

nothing

else

in

the world equal

way of education. said

:

—

"

to

it

trip

to

for

is

of

first-

a lesson in geogof three thousand

convey.

There

is

pleasure or profit in

Well did Covvper understand

How much

first

the only

a dunce that hath been sent to

this

roam

Excels a dunce that hath been kept at home."

when he

The journey from Boston was the boys, structive

pied

full

of never-ceasing interest to

and everywhere the evidences of progress were both and entertaining, and the Major's time was very

As Mexico

answering their numerous questions.

in

objective point, however,

we will omit

fully

in-

occu-

is

their

the details of this part of the

journey and consider the party to have at length arrived at El Paso. "

we

One more

'

be

will

"and manana, and

river to cross,' " said the Corporal exultantly,

and

the land of pretty soon, by

in

by,

poco-iioiipoy

" Yes, the land of sunshine and adobe and burros," added the Captain.

"Right, both of you," said more.

It will

own

through our

You

country.

selves the question.

much own?

Major; "

the

be the greater wonder

Why

is

Why

older than our country, what she

Why

is,

made "

is

have a thousand years done so

said

the

meant when he

am one

little

And

for her,

our

and why

hundred, years

Major, but th's kind of study "

Captain.

I

said, 'Travel

to

A

is

is

just

don't quite see what a fool's paradise.'

to

my

Emerson

J'erhaps

of the fun

me

thus far."

" I've learned more

knew

before, to say nothing

we have had while

I

ever

learning."

conversation was interrupted

by an exclamation from

the Corporal, " There's El Paso, I see the

smoke of

a factory

" It must be the silver factory then," said the Major, " that the smelting works.

more

I

me, too," added the Corporal.

about the United States than

The

07ie

so

is

like

of the fools, but, certainly, this trip has been a perfect

paradise for

"

Mexico, which

worthy of careful study." vacation,

It is

journey

this

United States the greatest nation on the globe?

the

liking,"

and much

that,

for

and not more

have three hundred, we might almost say

(piestion

is

each constantly ask your-

will

so?

this

it

you

to

tired than

Yes, here

when we

left

we

are, safe

home."

" !

is

and sound, and no

"

I

feel as fresh as

"And

a daisy," said the Corporal.

all right,

too,"

added the Captain.

about something to eat? " asked the Major.

How

"

am

I

" Not hungry," said both boys.

How

day.

restaurant

minutes

comforting

"

We

fared sumptuously every

was," said the Captain, " to have the

man come round and

yet.'

say,

'

Don't hurry, you have ten

"

"And how

nice," said the Corporal, " to have one of the girls

'Have a

say,

it

little

more chicken?' or 'Will you have

hot

"

cakes? " Yes, that '

nice," said the Captain

is

;

"

I

wish

we may

find

it

Mexican Central." " You'll find it so," answered the Major, "or as nearly so as You'll have no occasion to complain, circumstances will allow. You'll find plenty to eat and always half an hour I am quite sure.

as nice along the

for

meals."

"

And

here

El Paso," exclaimed the Captain, " and here

is

and now rageth the dog

star."

" Let him rage," replied the Major, as the party stepped into " This is the middle of July, and it is his time to the station. rage.

He

to bet that

We'll start

won't have us but one day at most, and it is

leave

not as hot in Kl Paso to-day as

our

to-morrow

baggage here,

for the capital

for

from

this

it

I is

am

station

of the Montezumas."

willing

in Boston.

we

shall

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E

B

R

A

S

K

n

d

II.

'Thou

art not for the fashion of these times."

As VoH Like 'The old order changeth, yielding place

to

It.

new."

Tlu Passing of Arthur.

TANDING

on the bridge over the

Grande, the south,

the

said

his

to

Rio

towards

pointing

Major,

companions,

"

Yonder is the land of wonders tomorrow we shall enter it, a land which ;

excites the admiration of every visitor

of

intelligence.

so mysterious,

and

ing,

its

are so vast

Its

its

and forward. and reveals

know

spirit

to

him

is

history

future

thoughtful

mind

that the

One

both backward

sees here a giant

which rouses him from a sleep of centuries

same time what he did not seem

at the

before, namely, that he

is

indeed a giant.

No

to

country in

the world, perhaps, has greater natural resources, the raw terial

is

so promis-

possibilities for the

has the widest range

touched by a

past

present

ma-

of wealth, than Mexico, but until recently those resources

have not been available.

Now

the railroads have brought the

mountains and the valleys into communication with the world,

and Mexico has a marvellous as tourists.

We may

future.

be called

are not on any particular business. in search of entertainment,

and we 14

We

are to look at

Mexico

sentimental travellers, for

We shall

we

are simply sight- seers surely find

it,

if

we

You boys

keep our eyes open.

will

be Howard and Gardner,

beg pardon, the Captain and Corporal in 'Wonderland.' You will wonder at what you see and at what you don't see. or,

A

walk of half a mile- from

strange will

scenes

as

this

bridge will reveal to you as

you would find

in

introduce you into what will seem

so different from our

own

Cairo or

Calcutta.

It

almost another world,

are the customs, the costumes, and

the characteristics of the people even here

on the border

line."

And this is the Rio Grande " exclaimed name sounds bigger than the river looks."

the Corporal.

"The

"

!

" Well,

I

must

really apologize for the

he expected company to-day.

think

You remember

as

we came along we

a stream, but just here river

and besides, that

streams in

the

far

West.

and then take a

year,

no

It

will

In

siesta,

so

fact,

many of

tear'

to

it

the in

these

part of

the

But the

speak.

You have seen

lost.

don't

sample.

happen so once

They go 'on a a

I

fair

saw, in certain places, quite

the fashion with

is

rest,

Rio Grande never gets

is

mostly out of sight.

seems to be upside down.

a while,

if

is

it

Rio Grande.

This

above, and

you should go below here a hundred miles you would see

how

way through opposing rocks, and defied Should you it on its way to the sea. see the result of the battle at the cafion you would think it worthy of the name of grande,' and of its other title, bravo.' "And how about El Paso? That means 'the pass,' I supit

has tunnelled

its

the everlasting hills to stop

'

'

pose," like

said

the Captain.

" I

don't see anything that looks

a pass here."

" No, you cannot, but the place

is

properly named, for

all that.

You must remember that you are here on the backbone of the continent. Our ascent has been so gradual that we hardly knew we were climbing up day and night for the last thousand miles of our journey. But we are 3,712 feet above sea level now, and we are also at the iowest point in the Rocky Mountain range for 2,000 miles.

Go in any direction IS

from here and you must climb up

This town seems to be the centre of a great star with shining

hill.

Look

iron rays, each about 1,200 miles long.

you

will find

at your

El Paso to be about 1,200 miles

map and

from the city of

Mexico on the south, and very nearly the same distance from Kansas City on the north. New Orleans on the east, and San Francisco on the west. It seems to be a kind of cross-roads town, but it is a lively one. It is a typical frontier and railroad

BRIDGE OVER RIO GRANDE.

town.

The rough element which dominated

it

has disappeared or has been suppressed, and see, a clean, well-kept

town, of which

its

a

few years ago

now

people

it is,

may

as

you

justly

be

proud." " for

Here comes a Mexico.

go in to "

visit

Look out

It's

car,"

exclaimed the Captain.

" All aboard

a bobtail car, not a very stylish rig for us to

our sister Republic." for the

mule when the

bell rings," said the

Cor-

poral.

"The this

mule, the faithful mule," said the Major,

country owes to this abused servant

!

"how much

His praises have never

been properly sung, nor have his virtues been fairly recorded. His vices have been heralded over the world by a vicious and venal press, the function of which seems to be to let the evil 16

which

men (and

that 'the

good

a soul as the to

is

mules) do oft interred

live after

lamented Josh

late

them, and

Billings said,

see

to

Even

with their bones.'

'If

to it

so genial

T was

goin'

attend the funeral of a mule, I'd stand in front of him.'

Now, to

that

its

is

degree of civilization without the much-

maligned mule and these comely

and

I'll

This country couldn't have been brought

too bad.

present high

You

his little brother the burro.

creatures better before you get back

venture

you

that

of them

think

will

will

to

know

Boston,

kindly

ever

after."

As they entered the driver

"

is

Captain remarked, "

car, the

smoking, and so

is

the conductor

Why

the

!

" !

replied the Major, " and so are the passengers." word," whispered the Corporal, " there is a woman

Of course,"

"Upon my smoking

Isn't that

too.

odd

" Perhaps so to you,

my

"

?

boy, but you won't notice a All over

thing like that after a while. nearly everybody smokes. didn't smoke,

I

never saw but one Mexican who

he had anything to smoke, and he was on a

if

He

steamboat on Lake Chapala.

him " Perhaps he was

which

little

Mexico, everybody or

I offered

afraid that

"Well, he didn't

try

it.

wasn't a good one. Major."

it

He

museum some

He'll be put in a

positively declined a cigar

" !

was a

curiosity, sure

of these days.

enough.

Why, the Mexi-

cans smoke everywhere, in the cars, in the theatres, in the stores, in

the schoolhouses, everywhere except in the churches.

the cigarette

the article in universal use.

is

I

But

never saw a

Mexican smoking a pipe, nor did I ever know of one who acquired Give the the distinctively American habit of chewing tobacco. Mexican

his due." " Tiene usted, seiior, algo que pague derecho." " No, seiior, nada."

"Adios, seiior

"What was

" !

all that,

Major?" 17

my

"That's the customs officer of the Mexican Republic,

boy

;

"

we've passed " Short work, wasn't !

"Yes,

it ?

"

•

beauty of having nothing; that

that's the

nothing

is,

dutiable."

he?" more politeness to the acre than there remember we're in Mexico now "Polite, wasn't

"Yes, very

in this country

there's

;

—

any dozen

to

is

—

more and more impressed with that flict the longer you stay in Mexico, and most deeply impressed when you recross the river on your way home. In all your intercourse with these people, from highest to lowest, you'll find them like the two old worthies of acres north or east of the Rio Grande.

whom

written,

it is

In

'

A

—

all

they did you might discern with ease

willing

That certainly ought let

it

You'll be

mind and

be

to

a desire to please.'

set

down

to

their credit,

and so

be recorded."

As they stepped out of the car in Juarez, the Captain exclaimed, " Well, I hope that driver has tired himself out with he has slapping and punching and pounding that poor mule tired me out anyhow." ;

" Oh,

that's

nothing

The mule doesn't

!

care,

and the driver wouldn't think he was driving that.

the

'

Do you know you

matter of

'

flags.

emblem of

The

now.

probably,

he didn't do

are no longer under the protection of

Red, White, and Blue

and Green

if

'

You

?

are under the 'Red, White,

sister republics dress nearly alike in the

Both wear

stripes,

and the eagle

is

the national

each."

"Well, the American

flag

is

good enough

for

me," said the

Corporal.

" Right, good enough for anybody, and long

But our Mexican neighbors enthuse over their i8

may

flag

she wave.

and national

emblems more than we do, and Their heritage,

let us

applaud their patriotism.

like ours, has cost blood,

and no people on the

globe excel the Mexicans in devotion to their country."

"A

great city this is," exclaimed the Corporal with a smile

which revealed

his

"No, not great; but

still

it

is

thought better than his words. isn't exactly great, it is

it

We

a cuidad.

have some

hardly a small one,

cities

in the States,

you know, that are not beauties, that have neither the grace of age nor the

name

of a president.

There

Jones City,

is

for in-

stance."

"Well, where "

My

is

the city,

anyhow?"

dear boy, in Mexico a city requires only two things, a

church and a plaza.

In the States

still

less

required, a

is

saloon and a cross-road station constitute a city. several

'

cities,'

in f^t, vi'hich consisted only of

a signboard with a

name on

of a city yet to be. deal more. fine

stores,

Here

That signboard

it.

Well, there

is

more than

have seen

I

two posts and is

a prophecy

that here, a great

are several streets devoted to business,

some

new customs building, and a big lottery What more do you want? But you are in the

a large

establishment.

'land of by and by,' the land of 'some time,' and of 'take easy.'

Don't be impatient.

bright days, and surprise you as well as themselves.

they have already begun

;

in the last ten years than in

1880.

I'll

give you a

little

it

They'll get there one of these

You

see

been more growth here the two hundred years previous to

there has

modern

history now.

In 1865

this

Wher-

place was the actual capital of the Republic of Mexico.

ever Benito Juarez, the I'resident, was, there was the capital,

and he was here the French. his cabinet

for nearly

y\t last

a year, keeping out of the hands of

the foreigners were beaten, and Juarez and

resumed business

three times elected President,

in the city of

and died

Mexico.

He

was pure Indian, a grand specimen of the old Aztec race. was a great man, and the Mexican people honor 19

his

name

was

He He

in office in 1872.

as

we

OLD CUSTOM HOUSE.

do that of Washington. In 1888 a statute was erected here memory, and the name of Paso del Norte was changed

his

Juarez in his honor. arrived

and

is

As

at work.

I

growing more

like its

;

to

have said, the idea of progress has See that fine new custom house,

you should have seen the old one going on everywhere

to

!

and you see improvements

slowly, perhaps, but

neighbor over the river."

NEW CUSTOM

20

HOUSE.

steadily Juarez

is

"Really," said the Captain, "there the

'

and

comfortable look flat

and

them shows

that they

" Yes, that

is

true

the

best

for

such a

through Mexico, in every house, howit

may

find signs of a love for the beautiful.

look outside, you will

Poverty alone prevents

the people, as a whole, from having the prettiest

Mexicans are fond of music and

The

eye, but an

attractive to the

that they are

ever poor or however forbidding

nable.

in

can be made very charming within." all

;

something pleasing

is

These adobe houses, low

of the place.

roofed, cannot be very

inspection of climate,

'

party went across the

little

homes imagi-

iiowers."

plaza into the famous old

church of Guadalupe. " Here, boys," said the Major, " you see one of the great institutions of

Mexico, the plaza.

not very attractive to provide

plaza

is

This

is

only a

one, and

little

but in the larger towns great care

is

taken

a pretty place of recreation for the people.

The

;

the property of everybody

a Mexican town that

;

not w^illed

is

it is

in.

about the only thing in

As you see

here, the

parish church and the government buildings in every town are

found on the plaza.

This church building,

notable principally for

its

age.

A

made

of adobe,

is

mission was founded here in

1662, and has been maintained ever since.

The house

has very

few ornaments, and gives evidence of the poverty of the parish.

Some

fine carving

up the heavy simple. let

roof,

can be seen on the great beams which hold but the

Well, boys, this

is

altar and the pulpit are severely enough of the seventeenth century,

us get into the glorious nineteenth, that suits

A

them to handsome a

me

better."

Mexican Central Railway. It is structure of a single story, and of cool, gray color, built, after the Mexican style, around an open court or palio. Plats of grass, palm trees, plants, and flowers give the patio the appearance of a park, and abundance of water short walk brought

keeps is

it

always fresh and cool.

used by the

officials

the station of the

The north end

of the building

of the division, and the south end

is

devoted

waiting-rooms, restaurant,

to

Entrance

rooms.

Happy

is

express

and baggage

made from

to all the offices is

the

patio.

he who hath his place of business looking out upon

such a refreshing scene. "Iiis like an oasis

"Isn't this fine?" exclaimed the Captain.

How

in a desert.

seen "

This

!

I

is

delightful a contrast to

what we have

just

a better plaza than that in front of the church."

should say so," said the Corporal

my

superintendent myself, and have

" I'd like to be division

office here."

II II rr I

"^

li^iJMlMlU^

;

I

i

V•^- '^Jj-if 2aSk!-':--ii:

"

I

know of anything

don't the

seems

just perfect,

the

finer than this, for its purpose, in

United States or Mexico," said the Major.

either

company.

but then,

it's

only a sample of the style of

'Everything mi/s/he

A

as possible, stations, restaurants, shops,

the

company

" It

i,' is its

motto.

As

fast

and houses belonging

to

are being brought to the high standard of which

completed specimen.

is only one of several large Over there you see the great freight-houses. See what extensive yards, and what a convention of cars there must be a thousand here at times."

this is a

buildings of the

company

This

here.

;

"Well," said sure enough.

the Captain, "this

Here

is

is

the sign of the

the nineteenth century,

power

that

can transform

Mexico by teaching her her own power and

assisting her to

develop her great resources." "

am proud

I

the Major

of the enterprise of our

" but for that,

;

century longer before

now do

own

country," said

Mexico might have had

she could

the United States has

to wait a

shake off her lethargy, but

shown her what

do and how

to

to

it."

"Good

the

for

United

States,"

exclaimed

Corporal.

the

" Let's go back to that best of countries."

"Yes, we must go

once," said the Major, "

some matters

attend

to

money,

for

"And

at

in

El

Paso.

for

we have

to

There's the matter of

one thing."

there's the

matter of dinner,

for another,"

said the

Captain. " Dinner and dinero both important,"

added

the Corporal, as

they boarded the bobtail car for the United States. " Let's attend to the dinero

before

we

first,

the bank

may be

closed

finish dinner," said the Captain.

"All right," replied the Major, "and here comes Uncle Sam's collector of customs, but the Treasury

Department won't get

anything out of us this time."

"Any goods?" asked

the collector.

" Nothing, sir," answered the Major.

"Passed again," he added, that fellow took I

met him.

I

fifty

had a parcel

photographs, which

I

"but

as the collector left the car;

me pretty in my hand

cents from

had bought

in

quickly the

last

containing a

that

curio

time

dozen

store.

He

game and brought it down. "'What did they cost?' he asked. " 'Two dollars,' I answered.

scented the

"'Fifty cents duty,' he remarked, and the car stopped while

he waited for

"'I thmk

me I'll

to settle.

return them, for the seller did not

were dutiable.' 23

tell

me

they

" '

All right,

you can do

that,

but you must pay the

duty

fiist.'

" Have I crossed the line ? I asked. "'You have crossed the Rubicon,' said '

'

collector of the

United States customs,

the scholarly deputy

at El Paso, Texas.

PATIO OV STATION.

"

I

paid, and as

I

question of the ages,

rode, the

Caesar pause at the Rubicon

seemed

? '

to

'

Why

did

have been solved at

There must have been a customs collector there, who said I (to Great Caesar's ghost him up for tribute. myself as I supposed). The driver must have understood

last.

held

!

'

'

for he turned and said, 'Si, Seilor.' " If the Rubicon wasn't more of a river than

me,

said the Corporal, " Caesar probably paused prise at seeing

no water.

now, and not wet

its fuse,

this Rio Grande," on account of sur-

A Roman candle could wade this river Roman soldier wouldn't wet his

and a

ankles."

24

"

My

it

you that the

boy, I've told

river

is

taking a rest just

do better the next time you come to see it." Arriving at the bank, exchange of funds was soon made, and was greatly in favor of American money.

now, and

will

" That's good," said the Captain, " that will

make

travel in

Mexico cheap enough." " Yes,

I

believe that there

is

no country

world where the

in the

can get so much of so good quality

money as in Why, see how many more Mexican dollars we have than we had American dollars to trade "Good, that'll make opals cheap too, won't it?" exclaimed traveller

for his

Mexico.

!

"Si, Senor."

the Corporal.

For the convenience of passengers the Mexican Central is

backed over

fore the

to the

Ample time

time of departure for Mexico.

examination of baggage and for supper

Examination by the Mexican passenger

the

He

feels

train

Santa F^ station in El Paso an hour be-

like

officials

is

is

made

thanking them

for

the

allowed in Juarez.

for

so

politely that

their

attentions.

happy to see them paste on his trunk the pretty little label marked, " Reconocido por la Aduana de Ciudad Juarez," and to see the baggageman put it into his car. A visit to the " despacho de boletos " (that is the new name for ticket office) soon fixes one for the journey so far as passage and is

equally

Pullman

affairs

are

concerned.

And

then supper, your

first

Visions of chik con came and tortillas flit Mexico through the mind only to vanish as you enter the restaurant on

meal

in

!

the south side of that pretty patio, already referred to.

Behold

no Mexican man, woman, or f/uuhacho, but a manager and

Kingdom, and a bill of fare Union depot at Kansas City,

waiters from the Flowery

the one you saw in the

"That was out, "

"

a good supper," said the Captain, as the party

good enough

Now

let

that equals

for

us go out

you ever have seen one

came

anybody."

and look over the just like it."

25

train.

I

don't think

"

How

"

They have

does

it

from our trains? " asked the Corporal.

differ

first,

second, and third class cars in Mexico.

Pullman makes another, we might say super is

in

England.

builders of the

it

The

class, just as it

The government, when it arranged with the roads, made provision for the poor of the country.

Travel in second and third class cars

"Well,

first

is

very cheap."

"I should want

ought to be," said the Corporal.

be paid for riding in

this third-class

to

Seats only lengthwise,

car.

'"fe

£C^Zt^''iS^^^SSSfBSS-?^'

AT HOME WEDNESnAYS.

side, and two, back mere benches "

one on each car,

to back,

down

the middle of the

!

"True," replied the Major, "but even they must be easier

on than the poor burro, especially if one must travel some hundreds of miles. You ought to have a ride in a Mexican diiigencia, say for twelve or twenty-four hours. You'd to ride

think this a palace in comparison with that."

"

The second

Captain

more

;

too,

class

looks

comfortable

" and the first-class coach

is

enough,"

first

class,

said

and a

having chairs for the comfort of passengers." 26

the little

"

Vamonos

did you hear that, Corporal?"

.'

What does that mean?" "That means practically 'all aboard.' "And so we are really off! " exclaimed "

'

My

"It

will

native land, adieu, adieu,

cannot always stay with you, stay with you.'"

I

be dark pretty soon," said the Corporal, as the train

"and

started,

Chihuahua

at

we

Not so bad we could go,

as

might be, but

it

features of

interesting

map, so that you I

will

would be a

it

thing

fine

go,

'

through

stations,

and

we

parts of the line which

those

you'd

;

here and

better

study

not have to remark,

*

your folder and

Mr. Speaker, where

"

at?'

Returning from a "

What does Grande?" " It

country between

the

too bad."

as

pass over in the night

was

is

some trains in our country However, I'll tell you about the

by daylight.' the

see

can't

That

all.

" if

the Captain.

tells

the

us that

visit

folder

it is

to a neighbor,

you,

tell

the

Major inquired, Rio

ye pilgrims from the

225 miles to Chihuahua, and that we get

breakfast there."

"That

folder

It says

truth.

is

a Truthful James, but

nothing of what

hua, except that

'it

is

is

it

doesn't

tell

all

the

between Juarez and Chihua-

a fine stock-raising country,' "

replied

the Captain. " Well, a folder would have to be a book, and a large one too, if it

were required

tions

on

to tell

only speak of sections region.

But

much about

the country between sta-

long line of nearly two thousand miles.

this

I

;

and

can add a

this section is chiefly

little

to that

It

can

a stock-raising

morsel of information,

I

think.

" In general, between here and Chihuahua the country like that

through which we passed the 27

last

is

much

day of our journey

to

El Paso

it is

;

about 'the same thing continued

No

miles from the border. plain, but is,

it

needs water

land

is

Grass

barley.

for four

hundred

Where water

to bring out its capacity.

there you will find growing fields of corn,

and

'

richer than this ill-looking

beans, wheat,

flax,

abundant, and large herds of cattle and

is

horses are raised for the market.

" Now, more in detail.

which

calls

The

Ojo Caliente, there

station,

begin to climb a

zuma, and on

hill,

summit

its

Samalayuca, at the next

little

is

station out

to attract

on the side of which is

is

We

attention.

the station Monte-

Gallego, the highest point between

A

and Chihuahua.

Juarez

is

At San Jos^, and

first

no comment.

for

curious-looking

named

mountain,

Montezuma's Chair,

is

but

in sight for hours,

we recede from it as we go down the hill on the other

y

M

side to La-

There

gun a. (iallego,

an

is

from

view

extensive

where we are

seventeen hundred feet "

above the Rio Grande valley and fifty-four hundred feet above the

The country

sea.

shows

TIIKKK I.riTLK BROTHERS.

fertility

Not

farther north.

under the

and the

be

in

to see

Chihuahua

some way

blossom

away

like a

is

is

its

noted.

garden.

green

is

The

of

evidence of water,

reservoirs from a spring in the

some of the great herds

irrigated,

signs

appear

than

a hacienda in a beautiful grove

sight of living

railroad supplies

Here we begin state of

far

The

hills.

more

for

hill.

which the

Could the great plain about here this soil

28

sterile-looking is

region

deep and very

would

fertile,

and,

like

most of the land of Mexico, would

We now

even three crops a year.

which

a delight to look upon.

is

it

Laguna, indicates that there

enough there

is

is

produce two and

easily

descend

to a great plain,

The name

of the station,

a lake somewhere near

and sure Oaks (Laguna de En-

the Lake of Evergreen

;

body of water which is sometimes, but not always, long and three miles wide. This is a paradise Of course, such a bonanza as a for birds and for cattle. lake in a country like this would be appreciated and approcinillas), a

miles

fifteen

priated.

" Looking across the lake, you see great white walls shining

among

out from

They remind one of

the trees.

a fortification,

but they are the walls of one of the most famous haciendas of

That

Mexico.

is

the place of business, as

headquarters of the

M

tiller,

the

great

of Chihuahua, and

They

state.

are

head of

thousand

country, for

Don

said

cattle

hacienda' means, the

Don Enrique

Luis Terrasas, ex-governor of

have more

to

on

'

belonging to

estate

their

than

properties,

more than eighty miles along the

seventy- five

and the whole track, belorjgs to

them."

Dons they are, to be sure," said the Captain, " but them is a German, he would be a baron, at home,

"

of

if I

one sup-

pose." "

No

doubt, but he

know

that the last

man?

"

" Ridiculous

!

"

" Well, perhaps viceroys, I

don't

is

a

for

Don

By the way, did you

here.

an

Irish-

exclaimed the Captain. it is,

but his name, as

Juan O'Donoju.

know

"Good

is

Spanish viceroy of Mexico was

it

If that isn't

appears in the

list

of

John O'Donohue, then

Spanish, Irish, or English."

old

Don O'Donohue," exclaimed

"If there were any chance

for

an

office

now

O'Donohues might come here, but the United be good enough for them." 29

in

the

Corporal

Mexico, more

States

seems

to

Well, on

descending

we till

go, across this great cattle country

we come

to

seen and more trees too

an hour we are

at

;

;

gradually

Sauz (willow), where more water

is

thence on past Sacramento, and in

Chihuahua.

which we pass over during our

This first

30

is

the story of the country

night in Mexico.

CHIHUAHUA.

III.

" I'll not march through Coventry with them,

that's flat."

A'iitg Ilenry

F

I I I I I

V^

y

w

^HERE

it is," exclaimed the Captain in the morning, " the great church of Chihuahua,

of which it is

have seen so many pictures, and

I

a picture

Yes,

purple gray,

itself."

a beauty

is

it

has

picture

the

hills

;

to

flat-roofed

brown

plain

;

dome and

right

after

real

beauty

is

you have seen

beauties, you

As the

city

left,

spread

the

dark,

out on a

foreground, the green

plaza

these, with the great

the

;

two high, graceful

combine

to

towers

make

what makes so lasting an impression all

a

once seen, can never be Novelty may add to its charm,

which,

forgotten. its

and

houses

rising against the sky,

picture

and what a setting

;

In the background the

!

in the

foliage of the

but

IV.

;

for

the great landscape views of this land of

remember this as one of the finest of them all. is built upon an elevated plain, it can be seen

long time before the station

is

reached 31

;

and

a

as the train does

come

not

within a mile of the town, the

look at this charming picture,

passenger has a long

which grows

beauty as

in

the

distance lessens.

The

train stops at the north side of the

for breakfast

and

for

change of engines.

colony of operatives of the company. great importance, both to

The

and

large

south,

ler finds

At

a large

to

passengers.

its

a good breakfast

on the

and a good supper on the way north, that the

travel-

ready here on

It

arrival.

equipment, which indicate that line

in

is

great machine shops and a round-house of

this point are

on the

is

really a village of

It is

centred in the restaurant, a

is

offered.

is

company, with locomotives,

the

there

broad veranda, where a duplicate

inviting building with

of the meal at Juarez

way

river

company and

the

chief interest of the traveller

Chubiscar

little

Here

the

operating

and material

cars, this

is

for

repair of

one of the busiest points

department.

The

hospital

for

Near here also is a flourishing iron works, a Mexican enterprise, which is doing a great business. Native as well as imported iron is manufactured, and the works supply the Mexican Central road with a large amount employes

is

a first-class establishment.

of material.

The passenger there connection

station

is

made

is

on the south side of the At

ride of a mile along the river.

the

first

river

;

from

with the city by street car or carriage .the station

the boys saw for

time a considerable group of genuine unqualified Mex-

icans.

"Good poral, as

gracious

who

!

are

all

these people?" asked the Cor-

he stepped out of the car

" are they

;

all

going to take

the train?"

" Well, hardly,

The are

rest '

my

boy, perhaps a dozen of

have come to see them off and

the reception committee.'

A

railroad in

be run without them, so they seem to think. the typical

crowd

that

you

will

32

see

them

are going.

These Mexico couldn't They constitute

to see us arrive.

at

every stopping place

between here and the that

men

the

all

Study them a

capital.

little.

Notice

are dressed in white coarse cotton, wear the

broadbrim sugar-loaf sombrero of straw, and

wrap themselves, even

summer,

in

in a shawl

(caWed a za rape). Nothat the

tice

are dressed in

women all

the

colors of the rainbow,

and are partly wrapped

up

in a

dark colored

cotton scarf or shawl

(called a re bo so).

From

border to

the

the coast, the costume

of the natives

same.

is

Notice

that nearly

the

RECEPriON COMMITTEE.

also

of them,

all

women

as well as

men, are barefoot or

have only sandals on their feet." " Not pretty are they?" said the Captain.

" No, but picturesque, eh?

"To

an

"Oh,

artist

that

is

Comfortable

"

perhaps, but not to me."

rank heresy, Captain." quarters

were

found

day was spent looking about

at

the

hotel,

very enterprising

this

and

the

Mexican

town.

" This "

is

something

What handsome stone

like

a

city,"

buildings

exclaimed the Corporal.

" !

"Yes, no town in the United States of twice the population

many fine buildings." None have any such church as

can show so "

this," said the Captain, as

he

pointed to the so-called cathedral which they had admired from a distance in the morning.

zz

" No, no

under

country has

our

city in

a silver

mine

This church of San Francisco was

tribute.

to

put they

built,

from a tax on the product of the famous Santa Eulalia mine.

say,

Corporal, figure up twenty-five cents a fathers

$800,000

how much

mine produced

that

pound on

if

the tax of

bullion gave the

silver

its

for the building of their

church.

good

Silver

was

worth more then than now, but reckon on a dollar an ounce and sixteen ounces to the pound."

"

Some

other time, Major.

I

am

not figuring now, but look-

ing at the figures on the church."

"Any

time

will do,

my

boy, but don't forget

fine figures of the twelve apostles

how much

these

and of the good San Francisco

owe to their rich sister, Santa Eulalia. These are as fine specimens of stone carving as you will see in many a day. They are not foreign, but the work of native artists." "Is this a very old church. Major?" "A little more than a hundred years old. You can remember its

age, perhaps,

same year

that

by recalling the the

fact that

Constitution

it

of the

was completed the

United States was

adopted, in 1789."

mint was

Next, the

Hospital Real.

Hidalgo and

The

visited.

Historically

it

is

his associates, leaders in the

were imprisoned, and from here taken tion,

which

is

"Who was "He was a

now marked by priest,

war

for

to the

for

here

independence,

place of execu-

monument."

the story of his

and a good one. He was likewise a soldier, Here he died, but we will hear later on, when we reach the spot where he

later career. life

did the work which

What

a

once the

Hidalgo?" asked the Corporal.

at least in his

"

building was

an interesting place,

made

a fine idea this

his is

name immortal."

of having long rows of colonnades

;

they give such a pretty appearance to the street, and furnish

such refreshing shade

have

!

And what

" !

34

pretty

colors

the houses

" Yes, they call the colonnades portales; they are a characterfeature of

istic

Mexican

And

cities.

then the stone benches,

with their high backs, here and there along the highway and

through the parks

Could anything be more considerate on

!

the part of the city fathers

more acceptable

or

to the

people?"

The

great aqueduct which

spans the valley on arches of

tion

serves it

and

A

all

served

two is

visitors.

It

purpose to-day as

its

has

than

stone

excites the admira-

it

for

hundred

more years,

in perfect condition.

walk

through

the

Ala-

meda, or park of sycamores, brings the visitor to the San-

Chapel of Guada-

tuario or

lupe, a beautiful

which and

is

church

in

a statue of Loyola

in the

many

are seen

;

suburbs beyond of the finest

'

1 he Alameda,

houses and gardens in the vicinity. part of the city,

is

in the

upper

kept in better shape than the other, and

people of a better class resort to

it

to enjoy the

shade of

its

way to the new baths. "Well, where is the wonderful Chihuahua dog?" in(|uired the Corporal; "I haven't seen one since I've been here." "Go ask the winds or the women, my boy. I can't tell you. For my part, I never want to see one again, do you? " "No, but I'd like to know how they raise them." "A good many are raised, I think, as the darky raises chickens, by hand but the dog business is a little dull now, they say splendid trees, or pass through

it

on

their

:

;

35

plenty of orders, but not goods enough. a large business in other kinds of goods.

But Chihuahua does great centre

It is the

mountains, and

of trade with the rich mining districts in the

abandoned mines are reopened or new ones discovered, This is a very large volume of trade must increase. state, and as we go south to-morrow I will give you some

as old

the

further

about

facts

Let's go to the hotel

it.

home to our friends." The reception committee was

at

now and

write

the station again in the

morning, apparently as eager to see our party leave as they had

been anxious

them arrive. more picturesque than they did yesterday,

to see

" Don't they look

Captain?" "Well, a it

now.

little.

I like

How

so content.

" That's

it

can acquire a liking

I

them

in a

way

like children

exactly

them

seem

if I

haven't

and

so intent

!

Mexican people of the lower

the whole

;

They

class are simply children.

for

already, they "

are a constant study to visitors,

and they'll be a constant surprise to you. "This morning," said the Major, as they "fixed" themselves for the journey, " we ride through some of the great estates of You saw some small farms on the Mexico, called haciendas.

way

here,

night

;

and

I told

to-day you

you of a few extensive establishments

will see

some

smelting works of the famous Santa Eulalia

away

is

a great hacienda, comprising

fine land,

Henry

we would

him

call

whom I On

in English.

an adobe palace 200 feet long and 125 feet wide.

and

pillars are

the far

more than 60,000 acres of

belonging to the gentleman of

Miller,

last

Yonder is mine, and not

for yourselves.

spoke

Mr.

;

that estate

The

of cut stone finely carved by natives.

is

gates It

has

and a patio within that is as large A the plaza of some towns, and much more attractive.

beautiful towers at the angles as

yearly crop of 75,000 bushels of wheat

corn

is

pretty

good business

and of 25,000 bushels of

for a single farm, isn't it?

36

A

little

PARISH CHURCH, ClllULAHLA.

Yep

on are two more haciendas, one of 60,000 acres and

farther

another of 120,000 acres, so they say."

" Major, please on,"

carried

figures just

"

It

More estate mills,

estate

is

a

tell

said

us exactly what a hacienda

the

Corporal, evidently

the

in

mentioned. little

world by

definitely, the

made up

itself,

and not a very

term 'hacienda'

of numerous parts,

spoken of as

the

hacienda

is

used

as,

little

one

;

you

either.

to signify a great

for instance, ranches,

The headquarters

mines, forests, and plantations. is

and how

is

interested

will see

of the

some of the

we go along. Here is the residence of the owner or of the adminis trador, and, near by, the homes of many of the laborers. Here are the great storehouses for grain, and corrals for horses and cattle. Here also are the church and the school, and the hospital for the families who live and labor on the estate. The store which supplies the families is here The also, and often factories form a part of the hacienda.

fort-like

buildings as

whole establishment the

is

a relic of the feudal system, under which

weak and the poor engaged

and these,

to serve the strong

in turn, agreed to exercise a paternal

authority over their servants.

teenth century, but

is

The system belongs

out of place now.

with progress or liberty."

37

16221)7

It is

and

rich,

and protective to

the

fif-

not consistent

"Does "Yes,

Mexico?"

prevail in

it

may

I

say

does prevail,

it

land in this country that

is

for,

fit

vation or for use in any way,

is

for the greater part of the

or can be

owned

made

for, culti-

fit

in great tracts

by a few

families or individuals."

"I can

see, easily

enough," said the Captain, "what the

effect

of that must be." " Think of one estate of a million and a half acres

of two hundred and for

hope of

fifty

thousand, and so on.

stability in the

United States

is

!

another

The ground

the fact that, while

some large estates, there are more than four million small farms owned and worked by the families that live on them. Mexico must make it at least possible for one million of its " people to own 'forty acres and a cow.' there are

"And

a mule."

"Yes, and a mule,

"The hacienda no

progress

named this

in

for the

road

runs

or,

anyhow, a burro."

business

practically, slavery,

is,

Here we

it.

are

at

and there

Horcasitas, a

gentleman who owns an estate through which for

more than twenty-five

Yonder

miles.

another hacienda of about forty thousand acres, a

owned by

"What " This

is

one,

is this.

flows into the Conchos, a

little

Major?"

the San Pedro, and

it

we cross a handsome bridge here. The next also named for a great hacienda of 150,000 acres.

us

station

is

little

a banking firm." river

is

east of

is

station

;

Las Delicias.

About 10,000 acres are under the plow on

this

estate."

" It

seems

doesn't look like very good to

"That cactus

if

this soil

land, Major.

The

cactus

be the chief product." is

the native weed.

you don't give

it

Of

course, the land will

something

water and seed and a

little

tonish you."

38

else

labor,

to do.

and the

grow

Give any of result will as-

Here we that stream

are in sight of the

now

for thirty miles.

which have been made

canals

convey the water

to

through the this \

^

region

It

to

is

and All

fields.

usually very

fertile

and

productive.

has been very dry for

two

now

run up

Notice along here, the great

|m ^

but you see that even

We

Conchos River.

years

now through

Northern

Mexico,

everything

has

and

suffered,

the valley isn't without crops.

region raises barley, corn, and wheat, and also cotton to

The some

extent.

And here is Santa Rosalia. name and her famous

her

stopping

see this town

joins

is

a place

worth

And you

a bit of paradise.

do

unfortunate has blessed

This

Its little plaza is

at.

of two rivers

Many an springs.

has the luxury here the Flori-

;

Conchos, which

the

we crossed a few minutes since, and we shall cross the Florido below the dinner

just

station,

Jimenez.

The is

or

village of Santa Rosalia

not so pretty as fragrant

so

These smell

like

as

name,

its its

springs.

sulphur;

but

they are four miles away, and don't smell to Santa Rosalia.

There springs

are

which

six

boil

of

up

these

RANCHERO.

from

and the waters are very The waters are led through ditches into adobe bath-

under a yellowish sulphur-colored hot.

39

hill,

houses, where the victim or the visitor for pleasure can parboil

himself for health

or

power of these waters be visited

Rosalia will

half that

if

true,

is

matism and the gout.

Accommodations

fun.

for

invalids, but

for

suitable

it

can't be

by thousands of

are not yet

of the

told

is

curative

long before Santa

from rheu-

sufferers

Let the enterprising hotel

man

take

notice.

And now minds one,

Lerma "

our course

The

Florido.

about

for

is,

valley of this stream

in the extent of

its

is

up the Rio

miles,

fifty

extremely

fertile

cultivation, of the

;

it

re-

valley of the

in Jalisco.

Do

"

see that team," exclaimed the Corporal. "

What

is

the

man doing?

"Plowing. piece of

'by "

wood shod

fours.'

Why

See the yoke, only a beam

Primitive, isn't it?

And

tied to the animals' horns.

with iron.

the plow

simply a V-shaped Sometimes the oxen are driven !

"

don't

they get American

plows and

do

their

work

right?" asked the Captain. " Qiiien sabe ! Our plows have been tried here, but the Mexi-

cans at once perpetrated an off

one of the handles

!

*

improvement

'

But modern implements are

the country.

on them.

Costumbre del pais,

—

fast

it

is

They cut way of

the

taking the place

of the old." Well, here

we

new dining-room,

When we come

but just

car" on a side-track.

Jimenez

is

Here we meet the up train back, we 11 see a splendid

are at Jimenez.

and we get dinner.

now "

dinner

a point of great importance.

population, in a rich agricultural district. great silver country of which Parral line

connects

try west,

this station

is

ready in the dining-

Plenty of everything and good service.

is

It is a city

of 9,000

Fifty miles west

the centre.

A daily

is

the

stage-

with Parral, and parties from the coun-

even from the Pacific coast, come to Jimenez to take

the train.

40

"Jimminy

How

what a name.

!

across such a

name

as

they

did the

gave

this

company ever come asked the

station?"

Corporal,

" That It

is

a

good name.

sounds better than

Hidalgo's associates,

down

the track a

an

curiosity,

The other part of

It

is

the at

you please.

if

name

of one of

Walk

Chihuahua.

way, and you can see a great natural

This

is

only a piece of the

it

mysterious

weighs about twenty tons

and the much greater

part,

is

!

somewhere

the region west of us."

"What to

it,

Hemanez,

it

who was executed

little

aerolite.

Call looks.

from another sphere, but

visitor

in

it

is

examine ''Is

it

it,

anyhow?" asked

the Corporal, as he proceeded

it.

stone, or iron, or copper, or

what?" asked the Cap-

tain.

"

On

metal

;

the outside

within

it

it

looks like copper, having the color of that

appears to be pure iron.

cold chisel the metal looks like steel.

appearance of the segment of a sphere. sounds

like

a bell.

It

is

On

cutting with a

The whole piece

a wonderful thing; where

from who can tell?" 41

has the

Strike the edge, it

and

it

came

"This looks

as

if

had been fused or melted," said the

it

Captain.

" It certainly does, but alas

What

*

anvils rang,

we do twt know

!

what hammers

beat,

In what a forge or what a heat.' If

it

could only

"The

mining

very extensive

Mojada

is

and some

the

to

Escalon

States.

some is

to

San Luis Potosi

one of the youngest,

same time one of the heaviest

the

at

stations

The Mexican Northern road connects here

line.

and

'

is

it

are annually shipped to other points,

but

A new

Escalon.

has been opened in the Sierra

district

some seventy-five miles northThere are veritable mountains of ore worked at home, and thousands of tons

point.

some of

;

!

in the state of Coahuila,

east of this

there

story

tell its

station of importance

next

on the

with

the

Central."

"What in

we in?" asked the Captain. We are 420 miles from

state are

"Still in

Chihuahua

!

Juarez,

and

still

Chihuahua." " Great state,

isn't

it

How

!

large

is

it?

"

" About 90,000 square miles, an area larger than that of

New

England, about as large as

of the

leave

it

Hudson in a

it

;

the largest of the states of Mexico

is

is

thing, however,

is

observable

till

Durango.

color which the

;

we

Nothing of

A

we reach Lerdo.

the sulphur mountain east of us

see the stripes of

all

that part of our country east

few minutes and cross into

special interest

You can

all

curious

at Conejos.

mineral has given

the mountain.

" Another curious thing, which you will understand by refer-

ence to your that

is,

profile

a pocket, a

map,

is

this

whole region.

valley, or a basin,

outlet.

The

valley of

places

of the

kind

in

Mexico the

is

a bolson,

another, and there are several

country.

42

It is

without a proper natural

This

is

the Bolson

de

You

Mapimi.

hundred region

notice

will

that

we

shall

have descended eight

between Jimenez and Lerdo. This great depressed east of us, and is known in general as the Laguna

feet

is

country."

"Laguna means

lake,

does it?"

"Yes, a shallow lake or pond, or swamp only, as In rainy seasons such a region

times.

this is

seasons water remains only in the lowest places, so

gunas vary in like

Many

size.

the Nazas, which

unless

stop there,

we

shall cross, flow into

there are

these

some of them quite

streams,

some-

flooded, but in dry

is

this bolson

underground passages

la-

large,

for

and their

discharge." " Is

"

a

it

Very

fertile

fertile.

section of country? It

is

the

great

"

country of Mexico.

cotton

Forty thousand bales of cotton are shipped over

every year

from

Lerdo.

It is

said that the

the

Central

Mexican cotton

plants continue to bear profitable crops from four to six years

without replanting and without cotton

is

product

a perennial,

is

the States. oil mills

larger,

it is

fertilizers.

Practically,

and not an annual plant

;

not of so fine a quality as that grown in

As might be expected, there are cotton

here."

"I suppose

here,

but while the

the business will increase?"

43

mills

and

"Yes, it will, without doubt. The government is actively at work adjusting the matter of water rights, and other questions of engineering, about which the people of the states of Durango

and Coahuila have had differences, and on account of which the full development of their section has been greatly retarded. Mexico must look to this Laguna country for its supply of native cotton

some day, be a very much larger acreage under cultiLerdo is a flourishing city, with a population of about Looking to the 10,000, and presents an attractive appearance. future, Lerdo has the brightest prospects for growth. The elevation of the city is almost exactly that of El Paso, and there

will,

vation.

Lerdo, on account of

who

its

superb climate,

the resort of

is

many

find the high plateau too cold for them."

A

ride of five

kilometres brings us to another very impor-

tant station, Torreon.

This

is

a

meal

plentiful supply of

station.

good

Here the passenger

quality.

The

ager looks after the establishment, and

find

will

inevitable Chinese is

a

man-

extremely attentive to

his guests.

At Torreon the Mexican International road crosses the CenIt

tral.

has just been extended (November, 1892) to the city of

Durango, and now another great state and greater region on the west

is

put in quick communication with the world.

From

the

mines on the International, great quantities of coal are brought to the Central for distribution in the interior of

ever goes to the the

A

from Torreon, more

Central

Torreon

is

goes over

than seven hundred miles.

not a thing of beauty, but

it

is

a place of business.

large flour mill, the shops of the International road,

natural requirements of such a junction-point it

Who-

Mexico.

capital via the Eagle Pass route

combine

and the to

make

an active, thriving town.

An

hour from Torreon brings us to Picardias, a station of con-

siderable importance, from which connection

three times a

week with

the city of Durango.

44

is

made by

stage

''Think of a ride of 150 miles in a Mexican diligence, Cap-

how would you

tain,

"

can think of

I

rather think

"Well

that?"

like

much worse one

should like

I

let us

wait

till

some other

a better section to explore than

Now

than

things

Major.

that,

I

anyhow."

trip

time.

suppose we can find

I

this, say,

down

in

Oaxaca."

that the railroad reaches Durango, probably the occupa-

tion of Picardias

is

gone, so

And now we come than

station

This

to Jimulco.

appears to be.

it

concerned.

far as stage line is

Here

is

is

a more important

the headquarters of the

operating department for one of the divisions of the

commodious

station house, large

and other buildings necessary of great activity.

colony

at

Of

line.

A

round-house, machine shops

to the service give

course, there

Jimulco an

air

must be quite a railroad

such a point.

Night shuts out the view now, and we begin our ascent from

we have been running for the last 150 miles. we rise only about 2,800 feet The country on all sides appears to be in the next 200 miles. a vast plain fringed with hills, but as we rise the view widens, and we appreciate the fact that we are climbing, climbing, every the basin in which

The ascent

is

gradual, however, for

minute to a higher

A

us.

There are signs of

level.

great part of the section

is

under

the peculiar features of this inclined plane the

soil,

Can

it

fertility all

cultivation. is

this

region

is

as rich as that

New Jersey.

garden of the two

great cities in the States, that "dumb-bell suburb" as Dr.

of

New York and

calls

it,

that,

but evidently

But the color

!

it is

that

is

Park no more than of

Philadelphia?

wonder

this region.

Holmes

Well, hardly as rich as

good farming land (when the

of

the red color of

reminding one of the brick-colored clay of

be that

about

One

it

has water).

of the great Yellowstone

Mr. Church

is

on record

"Mexico is superior to Italy in landscape effects." The plain which we are here leaving behind, as seen from the summit to which we rise, charms beyond expression when

as saying that

45

lighted

The most

by the afternoon sun.

artist to transfer its color to

On we which,

up and up

go,

though imaginary,

heard about.

has

schoolgirl

At "

one o'clock.

one

o'clock in

five

until

we reach

Durango

morning

we

reach

and

Gutierrez,

half

at

Between these last-named

Fresnillo.

state

past

we

"

the pretty station with the pretty name, Caiiitas. five

line

line

Zacatecas since

state of

the

a

schoolboy and

every

the

the

in

fails.

that

Passing

Camacho, we have been

at

night,

all is

attempt of the

skilful

canvas utterly

are

at

At half past are

six

due

at

that myste-

stations lies

which we have read about, but never have seen, the

rious line

Tropic of Cancer.

When

the

Major reminded the boys of

this

fact,

they said

they must get up to see that line anyway. "

We

don't cross a tropic every day, and

ing disrespect to geography

we

if

we should be show-

didn't turn out to meet

it,"

said the Captain.

"Yes, for the

three

so,"

that's

added the Corporal, "but I'd

disrespect.

have a kick

to

like

and a half degree thing that used

get up, by

"So be

bother

care

that twenty-

me

Let's

so.

means."

all

it,"

to

don't

I

at

said the Major, "we'll

ask 'the gentleman from Missouri

'

to

make wake

sure of a call.

I'll

us up."

"Porter!" " "Yes, sah!

"Please

call

us three about twenty minutes before

we want

the Tropic of Cancer,

to

we

get to

be up when we get to the

torrid zone."

"Torrid zone

!

No

" What, are you sure

" Never heard of

The boys had

it,

such station, sah." ?

"

sah.

"

to laugh at the look

on Pete's

face.

Evidently

he thought he knew the names of stations, but in order to Justify his

statement he drew out a time table, and read

46

:

—

"Jimuico, Camacho, Pacheco, Fresnillo sir

no Cancer

;

there,

Here's Canitas; maybe that's what you mean, sah."

!

"Oh,

no, this train goes past Cancer, or

informed," said the Major, very positively

make a row." " Maybe it's on

"

;

have been mis-

I

and

have been,

if I

I'll

changed cars

disturbed.

little

the other road, sah,

at Torreon, the

Say

*'

it

and you ought

to

have

supper station," said the porter, a

again, sah, please

;

don't get on to

I

the Spanish very well."

"Tropico de Cancer," soberly

said the Major.

No

" Sorry, sah, but you're on de wrong train, suah. station

on

dis yer road

;

no Topico, no

" Well, porter, you are not to blame

Zacatecas anyhow, and can go back,

maybe

it

is

on the International

;

such

torrid zone."

am

if

we

if

necessary, from there

are.

I

going to

but please wake us at half

past five."

"Yes, sah, suah."

"Good

joke,

wasn't it?" said the Corporal,

when Pete had

gone.

"Pretty good," said the Captain; "'no such station, sah'; you're too bad to play so on the gentleman of the bedchamber.

confidence in himself,

He'll lose

all

remember

the stations along the line."

" Oh,

well, he'll

remember

this

if

he can't

trust himself to

one next time.

Listen."

A

dialogue was

it."

(Silence.)

Pete's voice was heard in the smoking-room.

going on between the conductor and porter. Porter:

"Jess

like

"Got

Conductor:

"Why,

a time

that

"What

is

see

it?"

Was he awake?

I

tole

him no such

"

" Certain." "

Less

Major with the two boys wants

Topico de Cancer. "

table?

mine."

Did he say Topico?" 47

station."

to

be called

at

He

" That's what he said. he's

been

tole

said this train

" Well, you didn't understand him he's

been over

"

Maybe he

go past

that, or

wrong."

this

he knows what he's about,

;

road before."

all the same pium crazy or I'm out but he gets off at Zacatecas. I'll wake him up at five o'clock, and let him hunt for it." All was soon quiet in the car, and nothing further disturbed our party till five o'clock, when Pete remarked to the Major, " Time to get up if you want to get up at five o'clock." " Pete, you know I said half past five, but no matter. Found that

has, but

he nebber seen no Cancer

he's

;

;

station yet

"No,

?

some mistake some-

boss,

We

how.

"

are gone past Caiiitas

that's the nearest I

can make out

to your Cancer."

"All

Pete,

right,

The

enough.

place

that's I

mean

near is

be-

tween Gutierrez and Fresnillo." " Flag station, maybe, Major I

reckon," said Pete,

The

still

;

puzzled,

express trains don't stop there

and

party was soon ready to see

was Pete, on the

ment could Pete

sly.

he went.

off

all

there was to see, and so

Gutierrez was passed.

No

sign of

move-

detect, except a languid looking out of the

window, but soon the Major

said, "

Come

on, boys, let's go out

on the platform." Pete had business that way too. thing.

same

Some

other crank,

He

must know about

some day, might

strike

this

him about the

place.

The Captain spoke they bothered

me

up, " That tropic and the other one,

at school."

48

how

"There's two of 'em," said Pete "That's so," joined

half degree business was

"

to himself.

Corporal

in the

what

I

Must be curves," thought

" that twenty-three and a

;

never could understand." Pete, " twenty-three

degree, no such curbs on this yer road.

mostly

This

is

and a

half

a straight road

eighteen degrees enough for any road."

;

" 'Twas a puzzler to me, too," said the Major.

"And "

to me, too, suah's

it is

How

remember

I

it

you born," said Pete to himself.

— imaginary

from the equator, and

half degrees

is

line

twenty-three and a

the northern boundary of

the torrid zone."

"What's

that he's sayin'," thought Pete, " International line

twenty-three and a half degrees from Zacatecas, and north of

Oh, he's

Torreon. Torreoft."

ing for

And

some

away

off suah,

off,

and he ought

to got off at

Pete retired, satisfied that the party was hunt-

station

on the International, certainly not on the

Central.

" Well, boys,

it

must be

just

about here, anywhere about

here."

"There is Mendoza, 740 miles from EI Paso, and you have been a few minutes already in the torrid zone," said the Major. "This

my "

is

anything but torrid," shivered the Captain; "I want

And

overcoat."

And

I

want mine

the Corporal added, too.

I

—

can imagine the

imagine any heat, I am cold." " Well, elevation has something to do with faith of

your early days.

appetite for a

Let's go in

now

;

line,

this

but

shock

can't

I

to the

we've got up an

good breakfast, which we are sure

to get at Calera,

not far away." " Why, look here. Major, it's an hour and more to breakfast, we haven't come to Fresnillo yet." "No, but we've passed Tropico, and we'll spend part of here the hour talking about that and other imaginary things ;

you are

in the torrid zone, in July, 1892, shivering

49

and

calling

your overcoats

for

Not a

there? before

it is

feet higher

in the

bit

warmer.

nothing imaginary about

there's it,

The

a cold fact.

it is

When we

up

get

that, is

be colder

air will

to Zacatecas, a thousand

than we are now, you'll easily imagine that you are

edge of the

especially

:

of

frigid or at least of a

up and

the zephyrs are

if

very intemperate zone,

stirring, as

they usually are

there.

"Fresnillo

!

here we are at an old mining town, and a place

Nothing new about

of 20,000 inhabitants, they say.

but the railroad and

its

commodious

buildings.

think so far back, Captain?

It dates

There

near here in that year, and the town sprung up.

Chance

from here to Durango.

a hundred and eighty miles

"No,

for

is

a stage

another excursion of

" !

" Calera

thank you," said the Captain.

I

sixty

is

from 1554. Can you There was a famous mine discovered

years older than Plymouth Rock.

line

this place,

Fresnillo

as far as I

is

care to go, at least before breakfast."

"We'll have a good appetite, anyhow,"

"The

porter says that

we

shall get

said" the

Corporal.

a fine breakfast there

;

that's

the best thing I've heard to-day."

"You

certainly will," replied the Major.

"I never have heard

came

of a poor meal at Calera since the present administration in.

I

am

quite ready myself to pay

my morning

vows to the

"

generous Lady of Calera, bless her Yankee heart " An hour passed on, the Turk awoke." This Turk was the !

Corporal

hour

who was quick

an

for breakfast."

The

party's great expectations were

good breakfast was looked the

little

to catch the porter's "Calera, half

uniform

for, as

testimony of

all

more than

who mentioned

prise,

because no one had

a first-class

bill

of fare at a

little

to

doubt

the hostess, but

the breakfast was better than had been expected.

thought to find

A

realized.

there was no occasion

It

was a

sur-

American cooking and

railroad station

on the

hills

in

the heart of Mexico, seven hundred and sixty-seven miles from

50

the border.

The meal was

number

surprise

one, and the build-

number

ing in which they found such satisfaction was surprise

Nothing so

two.

had been seen since they

fine

New

station at Juarez.

the beautiful

left

were the house and the furniture, clean

and bright was everything about the establishment, from kitchen to parlor.

"That

is

something

home

to write

"

he came out of the dining-room.

what

"Let me see what you This

is

folks will hardly believe

them."

I shall tell

something

about," said the Captain, as

The

else.

write," said the Corporal,

know you won't

I

write

"and

that might

all

I'll

be

say

said.

splendid."

" Yes, people in the States have been kept from coming to

Mexico by the cry of for the better.

I

nothing to

'

good enough now.

sented, but certainly they are ideal restaurant,

and represents the standard

dent of the road along the

line,

But things are changing

eat.'

don't think they ever were so bad as repre-

working

is

and

it

to bring the

won't be long before

This

which the

to

is

an

presi-

whole meal service have duplicates

he'll

of Calera."

From

Among

the platform

to

is

the industries of

be seen a group

Mexico the

manufacture of vessels from

We

of pottery

third in importance

Almost every

clay.

kilns.

the

is

village has a

and qualities of work as Here in the state of Zacatecas the ware is red, hard baked, and glazed inside. As they started again the Major said,

potter.

we

shall see the various styles

visit different sections.

" Eighteen miles to '

Mountains

mountain along

it,

to

Zacatecas

of us,

lefc

in front of us, exactly in

we must climb

" Well, I feel as

if I

We

can

all

ride

;

and a climb to

front

all

the

right of us,'

of us

;

we

way.

and

a

can't slide

right over it."

could walk to Zacatecas

help push the train up," said the "

!

mountains

our horse

is

51

little

if

necessary, or

Corporal.

a good one, and he won't get

But he has got good work to do.

stalled.

miles the grade

is

For nine or ten

not severe, but then comes 'a tug of war'

This morning's ride shows us the

for nine miles.

first

bold scenery and high grade mountain engineering we

really

come

to

Mexico."

in

The party went

From

to the rear platform.

there they could

see the vast red plain, over and up which they had been climbing

night, spread

all

The view was a " This

is

out and illuminated by the morning sun.

revelation of grandeur and beauty.

a royal ride," said the Captain. " This is worth coming to see.

" Grand," said the Corporal.

This beats the breakfast."

"These curves beat any on tain, "

and they are rather

the Pennsylvania," said the Cap-

mule shoes

than horseshoes." " Yes, and sometimes double at that," said the Corporal.

"What

grade

is this,

'

Major?

"

" About one and a half per cent, " Well, what is that a mile ? " " Figure

hundred

"That " That feet

;

it

out,

my

boy

the rise

I

think."

is,

say, a foot

and a

half in a

feet of track." is

is

just

about eighty feet a mile."

about

it

;

a steep climb, eh

" Sure

;

'

enough.

we

in ten miles "

rise

about eight hundred

?

What

are

those

white

monuments on

the

mountains?" " They are mine boundaries."

sides of the

"And these walled establishments?" " They are the reduction or hoisting works of various mines.

We

are

now

in

one of the great silver-producing regions of the

world."

As the party were gathering up leaving the train at Zacatecas, Pete

their traps, preparatory to

came up and

"Sorry yo was tole wrong, boss, but

Torreon to-morrow mornins:." 52

said,

—

you can get back

to

" Thanks, Pete,

you.

" Mighty

little,

"Ever study " Neber did, " Well, that

we don't go back, we

Did you ever go

I'll

to school,

Pete?

are

all

right

and

so are

"

boss."

the

map?

Geography?"

boss, for a fac', only the railroad

send you a book that

we were looking

for.

Good

will tell

by."

53

map."

you about the place

IV.

Has this fellow no feeling of Custom hath made it in him

his business?

a property of easiness."

Hamlet.

sample ZACATECAS The surrounding a

is

hills

be

of

full

silver.

was begun here it

It is

in

mining town.

are supposed to said that mining

15 16,

and

farther,

estimated that a product of

is

fully

I

hundred million

eight

taken place like

we were about

fifteen

out

already.

there

;

it,

is

dollars has It

is

a

been

curious

but one other in Mexico

the city of Guanajuato, which

shall visit later on.

In 1886 there

thousand miners at work in and about these

hills.

"Where

is

along the

"So

the city?" asked the Captain, as the party stood at

"

the station.

I

see only a few straggling huts in the valley and

hillside.

it is

;

I

thought

this

was a large place."

walk down the track with

something that

will surprise

me

a few rods, you'll see

you."

As they walked, they met a score of men packing bags upon Four small sacks or two large ones loaded the little animals with all they could carry. They also met a the backs of burros.

group of soldiers escorting and guarding a motley crowd of bearing water in casks suspended on

poles.

men

The men were

prisoners bringing the daily water supply from a tank above the track.

On

the hillside was a novel sight.

54

A

group of

men was

seated around a

little fire,

and two or three

women were

provid-

ing for the group what, by courtesy, we'll call a breakfast.

burros were

little

nosing about while

What they could

their loads.

find to eat did not

'I'he

waiting

for

appear to the

was a wood-pile, and such wood

Farther on

party.

they were

crooked

!

as a ram's horn.

"What

that

is

man doing?" asked

the

Captain, "that one

under the three poles?"

"Oh, he is weighing wood You see he doesn't want to load donkey too heavily, and besides, he sells wood by weight. See the donkey below the pile there, partly loaded, and see that !

the

boy on the lower side bracing up the animal

donkey would

the

down

the

roll

And

hill.

over and

f\

;

but for the boy,

^

that hut

a dug-out, thatched with a few

branches and parts

How

of old bags. is

summer

that for a

residence?" "

Look

jor, I

am

here.

cold.

Ma-

How

the wind blows !"

"We

now more than

are

eight thousand feet high,

overcoats are needed for comfort.

move about

lively to

those poor creatures

keep warm.

when suddenly he

said, "

Now

a

little

farther, the

to sundry sights along the

attention

and our we must

cotton?"

Major

calling

upper side of the

Hills

on every

ings rise in terraces

up the steep

There seems

hopper

side, the low, flat-roofed, square builddeclivities,

having the ap-

pearance of blocks fastened to an inclined plane. !

their track,

turn and look at the city."

lay the houses of Zacatecas, as grain lies in the

of a mill.

crowded

on,

But what do you think of

who have on only

They walked on a few rods

There

Even with them

to

be no room 55

And how

for growth, unless

it

be up the mountains, or down the one valley towards the plain of Guadalupe.

"That "

a beautiful sight, and no mistake," exclaimed the

is

And

Captain.

How

chimed

the Corporal

in,

have seen of Oriental towns "

like the pictures I

!

" Yes, everybody remarks the likeness to the cities of Pales-

This flat-roof

tine.

came here from eight

"

of house

style

Spain, where

is

of Moorish origin, and

Moors held dominion

the

for

hundred years."

What

that high one above the a curious shaped mountain " It looks like a buffalo with his the Captain. !

town," said

back up."

"That

is

the

name

How

would you

That

is

of

like

to

the

it,

'

what a good many

penance and get absolution

Spanish for buffalo.

Bufa,' the

on your knees? do chapel away up there, called

climb up that

trail

people have done, going to

in that

Los Remedios." "I'll

be good," replied the boy.

"Well, now

and look up a " Shall

we

let's

"Please,

don't want to."

I

to the station, get our

hand baggage,

hotel."

take a carriage

" W^e might,

dozen

go back

we could

if

carriages,

?

"

find one, but

I

never saw a

public or private, in this city.

That

half-

is

one

curious thing about the town, the absence of vehicles, excepting carts

place.

and ore wagons.

The burro

is

the

We'll take

street car,

it

runs

that

barouche from

through the town, to the foot of the Bufa." " This seems quite American," said the

boarded the

the

Corporal,

for this

station

as

he

car.

" 'Tis American,

made

in

New

York, you observe."

" But this isn't American," said the Captain, as the car went flying

had

down

the

hill

to gallop or get

the driver

smoked.

as fast as mules can run.

The

run over.

About half-way of the 56

The

little

animals

car did the driving, and trij)

a conductor got

and handed each passenger a

took the fare

on,

which the corner was torn, that

No one

The Captain read on

collects the tickets.

preserved

as

evidence

of a

ticket,

from

might not be used again.

it

the

to

visit

city,

which he

his,

"

Compania

Zacatecana de Tranvias, 6 Centavos."

Now

"

about a hotel,

look at the cards which were put

let's

mto our hands on arrival this morning," said the Major. " Here they are. Ah, Hotel Central, el mas elegante y mejor amueblado de la ciudad. Camas de Resorte,' etc. The most elegant and the best furnished in the city, and spring beds That sounds well, but listen to this : Hotel Zacatecano, el mas grande, hermoso y sano de la ciudad.' The largest most beautiful, and healthiest in the '

!

'

city.

'

Magnifica situacion

situation.

'

Puede

'

—

fine

alojar,' etc.

Its

ample and elegant rooms

will

accommodate any number may be desired. That is

that

hotel for us,"

said

and he added, "You these very for us that

"

convent

A

will

--"-^~

find

'

to night.

Boys, you'll have the pleasure of sleeping

That's something

convent, you don't

mean

new

a nunnery?

for you,

part of the old establishment

is

Part

of

eh?"

"

" Oh, no, and not even a convent now.

once the Augustinian convent.

The

The is

it

building was

the hotel,

is

and

a Protestant church."

car came, passing through a narrow, crooked street, into

a large square, where one of the most curious sights in ico

-_^

-

same words on the Zacatecano letter paper. Lucky the house can accommodate un numero consider-

able de pasajeros.' in a

the

Major

the

presented.

The boys could

express their surprise, and so were silent.

could be read in their faces. " Boys, what

The Major

do you think of that? 57

all

Mex-

not find words with which to

"

But

said,

their

feelings

They both exclaimed,

" Well that beats

ever saw.

all I

Let's

get off and watch them." " No, we'll

come back

traps at the hotel.

That

we have got

as soon as is

Rebecca

:

of our

rid

Isaac and

the sight of Zacatecas.

at the fountain are

not a circumstance to these

'

poor creatures scooping up water." " Well

Do

should

I

say

not.

look at those jars."

The cano

party found the Zacate-

to

be

grande,

viiiy

if

not

mas grande, everything about it was large. Each of the two stories

fine

all

patio

is

customary

is

in

Mexican houses, the a

little

park or flower

The lower

garden.

devoted

twenty

at least

is

As

feet high.

story

is

to business matters,

the upper story to dormitories

and dining-room.

The IJj

the

main

and

little

to the Cathedral.

Can we

thedral?

from

them up the

street to the pretty

plaza,

"

excursion

first

hotel took

get into the Ca-

It

is

a

beautiful

All

daylong

building."

'Oh,

yes,

and

you'll

the old and young,

kneeling and coming out. outer door

;

fiml

many people

men and women and

almost every

Hats

off as

man on

in,

soon as you approach the

the street takes off his hat as

he passes the door of any church."

58

there.

children, are going

''Beautiful!" said the

Captain in a whisper.

"The

white

and gold make a pleasing combination. The statues are parI want to see that solid silver font, which is ticularly good. said to be worth a hundred thousand dollars." " You'll have to wait a good while before you see that.

gone where the

It's

of the apostles went

silver statues

Napoleon once found in a church." Where is that?" asked the Captain. "Napoleon said, 'What are these men standing here for? Melt them up, and make them do as their Master did, "go that

"

about doing good."

'

You'll learn

,.

about the confiscation of church property by and by, and then you'll

know what became

Come

of the silver font.

on. Captain."

Crossing the to look at the

street,

The

the building.

they turned

imposing front of material

is

brownstone, and the carvings are very

fine.

There are few more

attractive

towers in Mexico than the three of this church, one square, one tall

and

graceful,

and one a

mosque-like dome. " Things here are old in the

matter of churches," said the Major, in

1612. " Yes,

the real

It

grew

slowly,

'This building was begun

and was not completed

till

1752."

know," said the Captain, " these great buildings are Cologne Cathedral, I have read, recentury plants. I

quired more than six hundred years for completion." " Well, we'll see the best

church up the

and leave the

hill is fine too,

rest,

boys.

the church of San Jos6

59

;

That old but

if

we

go into half the churches

towns we

in the

visit,

we

have no

shall

time left for the other things." " Let's go to that fountain now," said the Corporal

" that beats

;

anything I ever saw." " Very well, notice the odd things along the streets as we go.

The

streets present a

the people of

burden

largely

the world,

I

view of every-day

Mexico have ;

and

if

You

it.

as the majority of

life

see that

will

it

a

is

life

of

they were not the most patient people in

should think

life itself

would be a great burden."

"I noticed," said the Captain,

..

" that

^^

i

everybody

carrying something boxes,

bricks,

everything

seems

to

hay,

fruit,

water,

carried on the head

is

Although in the

or back.

be

babies, bags,

;

should say this

is

the

city, I

country

fiiick

;

every building has been packed up

on somebody's shouhiersy " That reminds

me

of what a

Boston lady wrote from here about

some good

lessons that the Ameri-

cans might take from the Mexicans.

She

;,.

':

~

reboso,

or scarf,

hips.'

a

the

long little

back and neck

their

is

fold

little

of the

creature from

well,

way of babies,

nurse's

mouth

and throwing the

on the bearer's shoulder, instead of her arms and

Well, I thought,

would our babies carriage,

with

wound around

to hips, supporting the

child's weight

'There

says,

holding the dear, dark

like

how do

it,

these babies like

and what

is

and did the dear woman think

Well, hardly.

must

tote their babies along carry

them

arms

free to carry their

;

Mexico

Mothers who

thus, so as to leave the

in fact, to get the

60

and now

that nurses in

carry babies on their shoulders?

wares

it,

the matter with a baby

young ones out

n

But

of the way.

is

it

a fact that

on your back or head than

men

I

it

The contractor who the great

is

your arms.

building the Baptist church, and

The Mexican

laborer loaded the vehicle, it

into the building

him how

it,

and, as he found

to

wheel

that way, he

continued to wheel

back to the

the laborers

at

it

;

!

and then put it on his The American showed

it

easier to take the load

but what do you think

dumping the load he put the wheelbarrow on it

built

he introduced the wheelbarrow here.

head and carried

carried

who

market yonder, told me, while you were looking

that train of burros, that

after

easier to carry a weight

is

These people, the mean, can hardly learn that any other way is possible. in

brick-pile.

who worked on

The same

the railroad."

6i

his

!

head and

thing was true of

"

I

know

should think they would

What

"

Captain.

better than that," said the

" Quien sabe! Captain.

go about their work mostly

They don't seem to think. They dumb, driven cattle.'

like Longfellow's

*

They are as patient and as tough as oxen." "Ah, there it is, there's the fountain," exclaimed

"What

it is

I've stood

a sight.

and watched them

said the Major, " so eager

at a time,"

close to the basin

and

you'll see

why

and

for

an hour

Come up

active.

they have to almost

heads to get the water, and why

their

one of

the Corporal.

a sight!"

" Yes,

on

"

did they think the wheel was for?

it

stand

takes so long to

fill

their jars."

From

the centre of a stone basin, about twenty feet in diameter,

rises a fountain

water

;

into the reservoir,

ready to catch

is

flowing by half a dozen small streams

around which are constantly

the

fifty

or sixty people

drop that comes within reach.

first

The

water never attains a depth of half an inch in the reservoir,

except in the night. before the visitor

is

What accumulates then As the

up.

short people have a hard time to get any

across the wall and scoop

mostly used

is

for transportation

One member

;

dips

away

quite high, to

balance

The implement

mouths are the most common

they are carried on the shoulder.

Whole

jar.

will

gossips with the third

have

all

up what they can.

recent times, the large square

displaced the

;

carried is

a piece of gourd or a piece of tin slightly bent.

Jars of red clay with large

in

is all

wall of the basin

dip

families

awhile, a

oil

seem

commerce have

cans of to

come

the

first

looks on.

It

takes hours to

lively, that

is,

when

holds the fill

to the fountain.

second holds the baby and

neighbors, while a third looks

awhile,

articles

However,

baby,

a can or a jar

on; then the

and the second

when

business

is

the walls are crowded with the dippers.

"Well," said the Captain, after the party had gazed on the It is scene long enough, " that is certainly worth coming to see. an Oriental scene, and

I

do not wonder 62

that visitors are struck

by the resemblance of things here tine,

to those in

Morocco, Pales-

and the Orient generally."

"Now

let

down

us go

Guadalupe, and

to

think, the prettiest chapel in all Mexico.

miles

down grade by

gravity,

course, by mule power. tiful valley,

and

Down went like a

runaway

far

the

We

many people

see, as

We

and a return

have a ride of

six

up grade

of

ride,

get out of this ravine into a beau-

away from 'the madding crowd.'

little train,

train.

But

it

looking and acting for

" all

the world

kept the track and soon delivered

its

)i:^^©«^i*'i£l?^

passengers,

first

and second

class, right

side

up and

in

good

order, in Guadalupe.

Passing through the plaza and then through a

found a large number of worshippers.

rounded by

high altar

is

itself,

as there

is

behind

it

sur-

a great

showing a multitude such as we may suppose

rounded the three crosses

The chapel building, but

in

where they

large statues of the chief actors in the crucifixion,

and seems to stand on Calvary painting

The

park

little

front of the church, the party entered the building,

is it is

the

gem

sur-

in Judaea.

of the establishment.

It is

not an old

beyond description.

The

inlaid floor

beautiful

63

of different colored woods

frescos

the gorgeous decorations of the altar,

;

and

displaying silk and gold

on walls and dome,

—

silver all

and onyx trimmings

combine

to

make a most

the

;

pleas-

ing impression on the eye.

"Who pays

for these costly altars?"

people seem too poor to do

it

You

!

asked the Captain.

"The

say this cost half a million

dollars?"

"Ah, you know 'mony a puckle maks a muckle' centavos will country,

make

a peso.

this chapel, like

new and

world something

for giving the

in the

pretty,

and

for refrain-

(and spoiling) some beautiful old thing.

ought to go to the orphanage here," added the Major,

"but we have not time enough. is

and enough

;

many others

Let us be thankful to her

the gift of a lady of wealth.

is

ing from 'improving'

We

But

It

occupies an old convent, and

one of the most interesting places in Mexico.

in utility to

Here are about

They run a bakery which

me

to

supplies their

own

make

the

establishment and some other public institutions for

seems

three hundred orphan boys being taken care of and

taught useful trades.

cloth

It

be ahead of the famous Hospicio of Guadalajara.

their

own

clothes,

;

they

and they do most of the public

That is a practical charity." "Indeed it is," said the Captain; "I'd like to go through their building and see them at work. Don't you think that they are making a better use of the old convent than the old monks did?"

printing of the city.

"Well, 'comparisons are odorous,' you know, Captain. say, we're glad the

Let us

orphans have a home, and that the good old

padres builded better than they thought."

"Vamonos Six

!

a Zacatecas."

mules seem to have enough

to

do

to get the train

up

to

the starting point in Zacatecas, but they get there in time.

Rising early the

next

morning the party went

to the great

market, one of the finest institutions of the kind in the RepubHc. It is

an immense iron structure, recently erected,

64

for

two pur-

and the upper

trade,

Whoever

and

at her best, for the

Everything you can think sale

chile, charcoal

;

devoted to

market places of Mexico misses half

There, as nowhere

the fun of the trip.

floor is

music and dancing on occasion.

floor to

to visit the

fails

his best,

The ground

and recreation.

poses, trade

of,

else,

women tortillas,

beans and brooms, nuts and narancas,

is

at

are in the majority.

from a pepper

and chickens,

the native

to a pig,

is

on

tomalcs and turkeys,

fruits

and

roots, sandals,

and sweets, and almost every namable thing you can think of

is

for sale or

trade.

In the market place you

always

find a lively

scene,

will

and one

worth going to see.

Back and

the Zacatecano for coffee

to

and thence

rolls,

was the

look at the into hill,

to the

programme now.

station,

Another

fountain scene, a glance

open doors of the hovels called houses, a

and they are there

paid a

visit to

the old

ride

up the long

half an hour before train time.

pantheon or cemetery,

just

They

across the

track near the station.

"There

is

something old over there, boys, but

see something new," said the Major,

" "

I

think you'll

on the way.

What can there be new there? " asked the Captain. It was new to me to see human bones kicked around

in a

graveyard."

how came the bones there? " "Well, that is the new thing I was telling you of. At home we buy lots in cemeteries, and expect that when we lie down in them we shall not be disturbed. Here, space for burial is bought by many people for a period only, say of five years. When the time expires, the occupant of that space must make room for another tenant. If friends come to receive the "

What

!

remains of the late lamented, well and good 65

;

but

if

not, said

remains are subject to eviction, and hence these bones of the

human anatomy which " Well, Major,

and

I

think

I

"Good," I

want

are often seen in these enclosures."

take your word for

to see

that view of the city."

them load

"But we must look

We

freight-house. visit

Let us walk down the

we can do, donkey with wood again."

said the Corporal, "that's the best thing that

at this fine

station, too.

but there's a lot of business done there.

A

see the tombs,

I

it.

don't care to see any more.

and get

track again

and

I'll

It

can see the city as we go along

to the freight- house gave the

great variety and quantity of the

not large,

is

Let us look into the in the train."

boys some idea of the

merchandise

by a

required

great city like Zacate-

which

cas,

tures

manufac-

very

and

little

buys almost everything

uses.

it

It

also

gave them an

idea

of

the

ucts

of

the sur-

prod-

rounding

region,

which are

brought

A

in for shipment.

isn't

freight-house

very pretty, but like

any plain schoolma'm

know

In

before.

it

can

tell

you a whole

Mexico "pictures"

senger stations, but pesos

are

are coined across

lot that

you didn't

plenty at the

the

track

pas-

at

the

freight-houses.

The descent Zacatecas Calera.

the city

if

is,

The lies,

of the mountain to the plain on the south possible,

train runs

more

of

exhilarating than the ascent from

round the rim of the basin

in

which

passes in a few minutes from the station eastward

over one of the great mines, under the walls of a reduction works,

66

and turns the point of the mountain. its

course

resumes

is

its

along the

due west

other

side

when a

vine

a busy spot.

is

ravine,

this

where

it

course south for a moment, and then runs east again

turned,

till

In

"patio process"

is

it

point of another

the

straight course

You can look

of ores.

Along the side of

head of a great

to the

mountain

taken to the plain.

is

This

is

ra-

are several works for the treatment

directly

in operation.

down into the yards where the From these two turning points

of the mountain fine views of the city and of the valley leading

down

You

Guadalupe are obtained.

to

see across the valley

the litde train on its runaway tti[) U) the suburban city, and you notice also the numerous reduction works and mills along the valley.

After a six-mile run, and station

of Guadalupe

a descent of five hundred feet, the

reached.

is

In a straight line

more than three miles from Zacatecas wouldn't be station

is

so

picturesque,

even

it

is

charming.

churches, with their towers and tiled nates the landscape. city

How

different

is

not

The The

were possible. it.

The group of graceful domes and minarets, domithis

and

from the close

under the mountains which we have 67

it

but a straight line

about a mile west of the town, and high above

view across the valley

crowded

if

;

just left

!

As

eye can reach to the south and east, the valley glows

far as the

Away beyond Guadalupe,

with green and gold. little

the east, a

in

lake glistens like a mirror in an emerald frame.

On

Pevernaldillo.

its

farther shore,

among

It is

Lake

the trees, can be

seen the walls and chimneys of a large pottery, which supports the

town of Ojo Caliente, and which supplies the

little

many

the fountains in Zacatecas, and at jars for water, five is

miles

largely

and other wares

we continue our under

at

For twenty-

household use.

for

women

other places, with their

ride across this beautiful valley, which

cultivation.

At Soledad we are lakes,

in the immediate vicinity of salt and soda which give employment to many men, and considerable

business

to

In the forty miles from

the road.

have dropped some

fifteen

hundred

feet,

Zacatecas

we

and now we have almost

a straight and level line to Aguas Calientes.

We miles.

keep now

On

in a fertile

and cultivated country

either side of the train

and others farther away as well as groves

;

we

beyond, are

see haciendas, fields

many

of corn and grain,

Around us are the

and orchards.

for

some near

hills,

every-

now brown, now purple. Passing Rincon, Pabellon, and Las Animas, we come to Chicalote, where we cross a little stream which rejoices in the strong name of Rio where the

hills,

Brazos Santiago.

now

blue,

This Chicalote

68

is

not a large or an important

station, as

you

will observe,

but

it

is

the point of departure of

trains for that divisTampico branch from the main line ion, however, are made up at Aguas Calientes, nine miles south Soon on our right we see the campanil of the of Chicalote. parish church, the domes and towers of other churches, and in a few minutes we arrive at Agnas Calientes, one of the most

the

charming

;

cities in

Mexico.

69

"

But whate'er smacked of noyance or unrest

Was

far, far off expell'd

from

this delicious nest."

Castle of Indolence.

T

the Station there

always great activity.

is

the usual reception committee, three there at once,

— the

till

one

the

Hustle and bustle, and

are

from Mexico, the train

train

Tampico, and

from

Besides trains

all

from

El

Paso.

over in half an hour,

next day at the same time

when

the trains

from the border, the coast, and the capi-

meet here

tal

again.

" Aguas Calientes

is

a busy place," ex-

claimed the Captain.

"Is

always like this?" asked

it

"

Corporal.

Why

Look

market day.

men

at those

their feather-work, their cotton

napkins, their mosaic and hair-work, candies, and well,

the

this is like a fair or

a

with

and linen

fruits,

and,

no end of things."

" Yes, this

is

their chance,

and they make the most of

it.

Let's

get out of the crowd."

"Dinner

is

" All right,

ready, Major,

we always

let's

go

in."

get a good meal here.

prietor looks after things,

and

we'll find things

A French

pro-

good enough

for

anybody." After a satisfactory dinner, the party took a look about the station before going to the city,

which

70

is

a mile off to the west.

They saw a

commodious building with convenient

large

Up

restaurant, waiting

and baggage rooms.

large freight-houses

and the shops and buildings

housing the motive-power.

Across a

offices,

the track were the for repairing

and

plaza were several fine

little

houses which the company had just completed for the use of their agents or employees.

It

was evident, from the amount of

company

property here, that the

regards this as one of the most

important points on the

line.

Here also is a fine The hospital service of

the Central

hospital for the employes of the is

most

efficiently

road.

equipped.

Besides the buildings here and at Chihuahua, there are others at

Tampico,

at Guadalajara,

Mexico.

of

These

and

at the city

establishments are

supported by contributions and by

as-

sessments upon the wages of employees.

When

men

the

they have

it

free,

require hospital

service

and have the best

treat

ment that medical science can provide. As the junction point of the Tampico division it, of necessity, has more business and requires the ser\ices of a larger

number

of

men

than

any station we have seen, excepting the terminal point, Juarez.

A

stroll

from the southern end of the station brought them

to

the old paseo of the town, through which street cars run from the railroad east a mile to the famous springs, and west a mile to the plaza of the city.

'YVx?,

paseo or-alameda

is

an avenue, not

paved, however, shaded by immense trees, which form by their limbs and foliage a continuous green arch.

On one

side of this avenue

is

the ditch

or narrow

canal

through which flows the water from the springs, and which affords the average citizen, male

and female, old and young, the use of

a laundry and a bath-house free of price.

"

How

different

" Like another world

this

from Zacatecas

" !

71

!

"

said

the

Captain.

" Yes, and a beautiful world too," said the Corporal. " Very different and very beautiful," added the " Plain

instead

your overcoat here.

Water, and

on your head to scoop

it

plenty, but gives

drinking.

Here

is

where the

plenty of

it.

No

;

shed

standing

Generous old Lady Nature not

up.

only gives

Major.

comfort instead of cold

of mountain,

hot for washing

it

free

Mexican

and cold

for

citizen disports him-

under the cuttonwood and chaparral the whole family, too, does the same thing, and neither native nor visitor makes any one afraid." self

;

" Well,

let's go and try the waters ourselves is the bath-house away?" asked the Corporal. " No, right here close to the station. The old baths are at the eastern end of this avenue, but a short walk will bring us to the Banos Chicos, the newest and finest baths of the place." ;

far

" I

Come on

then," said the Captain, " what are

should like to know,

"Can we ''

'

down

we here

for,

not to go in swimming?"

have a swim, a

Certainly,

much,

if

real

swim?" asked

you'll see as fine a

at the big rock,'

pool as

the Corporal.

one you and a great deal warmer." 72

the

like so

" What a pretty building the

orange-trees

" This

may

!

the

is

We

want.

Down

!

See the bright green plants, and

Why, this is a park palms, bananas, Where are we at?" asked the Corporal. place, here we can get any kind of a bath we

flowers.

brilliant

;

want a swim, of course."

the long corridor from one court to another, past the

little cells

where shower and tub baths are supplied, they came

to the great pool in

which half an hour of luxury was enjoyed,

and from which they came out feehng after its

"

morning

Now

for the hotel

" The Plaza Hotel

can plan, so

far as

and you are made All the

flowers.

you

is

and a look

at the city,"

said the Major.

kept by an American and on the Amer-

circumstances to feel at

home

will allow.

as soon as

rooms open upon a beautiful patio

The

table

is

good,

you enter the house.

filled

with plants and

If the great membrillo-tree in the corner

will see

The

as chipper as a sparrow

flutter in a fountain.

is

in blossom,

something very handsome and very rare."

and the taste displayed in winding and variety of plants makes it very attractive to visitors as well as to the residents. Around the square are fine buildings the parish church on one side, the plaza

is

well kept,

walks, artistic grouping of flowers,

;

73

government palace on another, the hotel and

and

on the

fine stores

Two

kept clean.

cheap rides

The

fourth.

The

visitor

is

third,

and are

has a choice of twelve

The garden

churches and of three bathing establishments.

San Marcos

on a

cars provide the people with

lines of street

to the suburbs.

stores

are wide

streets

like a section of the

Alameda

of

Mexico, and sur-

in

passes that beautiful park in the display of flowers. It

was very fortunate

feast day, for

for the visitors that they

were here on a

gave them an opportunity to see more people

it

from the surrounding coun-

and

try,

to

them

see

to

better advantage than or-

dinary circumstances would offer.

It

was the day of

NuestraSeiiora de

whom

cion, to

church

is

la

Asun-

the largest

The

dedicated.

building was decked with

A

flags

from ground to

tip

of the beautiful campanile.

was

Business

suspended,

and everybody was out

for

a holiday.

The -^

bells, i-

i1

* 4>iBJ4|

'* .

>*Wt-a»!Wbi««ii

^ culiarity' of

Corporal was es-

pecially interested

all

in

the

which were ringing

Each

day.

ringer of

Mexico, which any keen observer

its

bell

own.

had a

A

pe-

will notice, is that

bells are not rung by ropes, but are tumbled over and over by hand. Above the bells are blocks which afford a leverage, and which about balance the bell. The ringer, pulling at the top, easily turns the bell over, and once revolving he keeps it Another thing noticeable here is, bells are not hung in going.

74

Each one goes it alone, and the effect on the ear when more bells are going as they please, and are not

chimes.

a half-dozen or in unison with

The

each other to

start with, is

not the most agree-

seem to be on a race and keep at it till they are exhausted, when new ringers give them a rest but the bells, the bells they get and give no rest. able.

ringers

;

!

"

want another swim," said the Captain.

I

" Let's go to the

other bath-house, the old one."

much

" VVe can't spend too

We

must look around

worth coming to see.

this

The

my

of our time in the water,

place, there

is

much

governor's palace

is

to

see

boy.

that

is

something very

and the market is very entertaining. We must give more time to land than to water, even in Aguas Calientes.

beautiful,

"By the way, how nicely

see

the stone in the walls

is

dressed.

No such

work

can be done in adobe.

"This town

is

remarkable for the fine display

of carved stone in its street ar-

chitecture.

" tiful

Down

the

new

faseo, or boulevard, to the river

and there

drive,

Not every town

in

is

a

little

Mexico can have such a

places of recreation as

this.

After that

Church of San Diego and see those mosaic

We

ought to go to

jail

a beau-

variety of parks

we must look

old

"

is

park there devoted to picnics.

floors

into

and the

of wood.

too."

To jail I've heard that Mexican jails are terrible places." " The people here are particularly proud of their jail. It !

75

is

really a fine thing for a jail

and not much time "Well, Major,

to

do

isn't this

" Not for us, Captain. " We'll do what we can that other swim,

" Lead on, *'

I

O

think this

— in

it

when we

Mexico. Oh, there's

in

so

;

vamanos

the land of It

may be

manana?"

that for the natives."

this afternoon,

and then take time

for

leave for the station in the morning."

Spartacus, to church or is

lots to do,

" !

follow thee."

jail, I'll

rushing things," said the Corporal.

After supper the party went to the plaza and listened to the

This was the boys'

music.

entertainment.

"

The Captain

How

is

One

this? I don't see

and the

"Yes,

them

thing impressed

as

for

and

rather

men and women

walking or sitting

The gentlemen go one way around

the

ladies the other."

that's the

way

here.

The custom

of the country, in

parts the same, doesn't allow of the mingling of the

youth in public or

in private, as

anything approaching together here, you

same

made

seats, bright lights,

inquired,

or talking together. park,

experience of the evening use

Fine music, comfortable

pleasant promenades.

odd.

first

they were delighted with the provision

of a plaza;

it.

If

all

maidens and

they mingle in our country, nor

you see a lady and gentleman

may conclude

that they are

members of

the

soon to become such.

As to talk, there is a language of the eye which is widely spoken on these promenades. That they may see and be seen, they promenade in family, or are

opposite directions."

" That wouldn't suit me," said the Corporal.

"Nor me," added " Well,

it

the Captain.

has to suit the Mexican, and he has to suit himself

to the traditions

and

social laws of the land.

see an interesting sight

— a young man

Some time

you'll

'playing the bear,' and

then you'll think he has hard lines sure."

"What

in the world

alone and in public?

is

bear?

that, playing the

That must be fun 76

" !

Does he play

" Yes, he

suppose

it

be seen

to

has to play

is

fun, or

it

be appreciated.

of Mexico,

and

alone

(juite

he wouldn't play

Remind me

in

public,

and

I

The game must

it.

show it to you in .the city some day when we are ram-

I'll

of

it

bling there."

After breakfast they took another stroll through the famous

garden of San Marcos, made another thus completed their exploration of

were enthusiastic in

visit

their exclamations

almost undefinable charm of the city and

"It

is

to

the market, and

The boys

Aguas Calientes.

upon the its

certain but

suburbs.

quite dull, just now," said the Major.

"To

see

it

at

we want to be here between the 20th of April and the loth of May. That is the great fiesta of the year, and that period also includes the Mexican fourth of July. St. Mark is the patron saint of these people, and for two weeks they celebrate his virtues, although they do not closely imitate them. Turkeys are ripe at that season, and thousands of them are picked by the pious pilgrims to la fiesta de San best,

its

Marcos."

Leaving the hotel

in

ample time, they soon arrived

at the

Banos Grandes, or big baths, at the east end of the Alameda.

The

car

stops

on the edge of a

shore of which are several

large

enclose perhaps twenty separate

large pool, on the adobe bath-houses.

farther

These and

baths, of different sizes

Each one has a name, usually that a swimming bath, and so chose the St. John the Baptist, and found a pool twelve feet square, open to the sun. In this pool they splashed and swam to their hearts' content, and in half an hour the party were ready to return. They then walked around the pond and saw a dozen woraen washing clothes on flat stones, and hanging them on the bushes in degrees of temperature. of

some

The boys wanted one properly named for

saint.

the sun to dry.

"Is that warm water?" asked the Captain. 77

GARDEN OF SAN MARCOS. "Certainly, buildings,

and

it

is

the

spring water

;

flows out into this pool

it ;

comes up from

that

inside it

the

flows to

town through the canal which passes under the track close by In the bath named San Ramon the water is the station. 78

hottest, five

being about ninety-six degrees.

In the canal

it is

sixty-

degrees or less."

As they walked along the canal they saw scores of men, The Major saluted women, and children getting a free bath. everybody with the buenos dias, and the salute was cordially returned in every case.

The boys could

the only language worth talking there

looking to the

all

the way,

;

say nothing in Spanish,

but they kept up a

and made sundry remarks

to

lively

each other and

Major.

"Don't these people object

to visitors?"

"No, they don't care a centavo who sees them. In t'.ct, hic^ rather like American visitors, for no one of them would pass these

little

chocolate muchachos without dropping a few centavos

chubby hands." There was, of course, a remarkable absence of clothes and conventionalities, but everything about the bathing business was into their

conducted modestly and with as much regard 79

to the proprieties

as circumstances

would

There was,

allow.

nothing more

really,

there to shock a delicate sense than one will see at any fashion-

able bathing beach in the States.

On

account of ihtfieshi there were more people than usual

Of

enjoying the luxury of the canal. practicable because

the canal

course swimming

narrow

is

;

is

not

but sitting baths are

taken by wholesale along the entire length of the bath-tub, from the pool

ing

is

to the railroad station.

Not only nor

the canal used by the people

:

chiefly for bath-

the great laundry of the

it is

city.

Every day

in the year

scores and sometimes hun-

dreds of lianks to

women come do

to its

their washing.

The bushes afford a ready clothes line,

and by the time

the lavandera has taken her

own ^ dried

bath, her washing

is

and bleached.

"I wish we could stay here longer," said the Captain, "this is the finest

place

I've seen."

"So do nicer.

I

said the Corporal.

I,"

would

Resuming

like to stay a

the

"There

journey southward,

are

anything

we continue through

region very similar to that about Aguas Calientes. better part of Mexico.

be

can't

week."

We

Cultivated fields abound, and everywhere

proofs of fertility and industry.

Haciendas are more

quently to be seen, and the green fringes on the landscape the story of streams. state of Jalisco,

the church

is

fretell

In an hour and a quarter we enter the

and soon see on the

erable town, a mile or two graceful towers

a

are in the

distant.

and dome of a church.

the Candelaria.

80

right of the train a consid-

Above the town

The town

is

rise

the

Encarnacion,

We now come

to the longest

It crosses the

line.

Encarnacion. long,

and

is

and highest bridge on the whole

barranca through which runs the

The bridge

is

one hundred and

little

river

seven hundred and thirty-five feet fifty feet

above the stream.

Look-

down into the gorge on the left side of the train, we see how people manage in this country to secure and conduct water to their towns and fields. A fine piece of stone-work makes a reservoir of the river, and the water is led off in ditches. One ing

bridge has been carried away by this innocent-looking stream.

J/mH^

but the present structure seems

able to defy the utmost mis-

chief or malice of the flood.

Beyond the town, on the the

Campo

Santo, with

its

hillside,

we

see the city of the dead,

white walls and chapel.

The

railroad

beyond the bridge, about a mile from the town. A tramway connects the city and the station, passing through San Pedro, a suburb. The dome of the church of San Pedro is very

station

is

imposing,

far

surpassing that of the parish church of Encar-

Within the next two hours we pass a number of large haciendias and see numerous artificial lakes, or presas, which

nacion.

store the water for irrigating the lands.

A

quaint station

that of Santa Maria,

is

of Santa Barbara, below which

and immediately descend

Salas,

of importance.

This

and not

less so that

we climb a sharp grade

to

Los

next station

to Lagos, the

a thriving city of twenty thousand

is

population and the centre of trade for a very rich agricultural

The

district.

building, a

station

ture of adobe,

and the

handsome two-story strucshow that the people

freight- house

of this much-laughed-at place are

not

slow in

business

the

either of shipments or of con-

sumption.

There are numerous

stories

about the people of Lagos, which, like

that wit

in other

It

is

to

be

men."

said that there

is

show them

if true,

the great Falstaff, " not only witty, but the cause

somewhat

an inscription on the bridge which

is

"This bridge was

Lagos," and that some one making it read, "This bridge was built in Lagos to walk under and not over." That is nearly as bad as a notice by the government in Oaxaca which announces a fine on any one " crossing on the reads,

added

bridge

to

built in

that inscription

when

the stream

is

not too high to ford."

Again, they say, that the council of twelve

meeting

in the hall

was

where was a bench on which

all

to

hold a

should

sit.

him on the bench. When the other six came, there was no room for them. It was decided to stretch the bench. Each man put his hat on his head and the twelve men pulled on the bench, six at each Then they all sat down, for the bench was now long end. enough for them all. Six came,

This plaza,

is

at

children

and each put

his hat beside

a current legend in

Lagos, a hole was fell

into

it.

The

Mexico dug,

:

and

In some work on the left

unfilled

;

several

council held a session, and ordered

82

was

It

it filled.

another hole lo

there was

1

farther

dirt

dug near by

was ordered

that

and

;

filled.

a hole, as dangerous as the

still

away from the

By

plaza.

It

lo

first,

filled

but

but of course

hole was

last

Thus was the dangerous hole moved from

!

there was

!

was

a series of fillings the succes-

were annihilated, and the

sive holes

town

Now

!

by

filled,

away out of the plaza of

Lagos. Again,

was reported that grass was growing on the roof of

it

The

a public building.

removed. that

But how?

council resolved that the grass must be After serious deliberation

it

was ordered

an incline be made, and a cow driven up to eat the grass

Thus

from the roof!

will

some unkind inventor of

fairy tales

slander the good people of Lagos.

Lagos has had a hard time within the diligences which used to connect with

last

The

few years.

the railroad the great

of Guadalajara, two hundred and ten miles on the west,

cities

and San Luis Potosi, one hundred and

fifty

miles

on the

east,

have been remanded to the realms of "innocuous desuetude"

by the railroad

Thus Lagos

And

which now has branches

itself,

much of

lost

its

Many

were

lives

property was destroyed streams, Lagos

lives

still

;

of the valley.

the

lost

then,

in

fact is

is

beautiful.

It

fresh,

and dog proof, almost is

first

pre-

time the traveller from the north its

resemblance

makes a pretty fence, needs no It and grows ready barbed. bullet proof.

to the

paint, is

hog

Picturesque to a degree

this organo, and musical to muchacho become who attempts to climb tlie

an avenue between hedges of

a degree does the

The view here

reader a faint conception of the charm

For the

always

and a vast amount of

flourishes.

meets the organ-cactus, so called from pipes of an organ.

cities.

station.

but in spite of slander and of raging

and

The scenery about Lagos sented will give

both

by the diastrous flood

again, the city suffered enormously

of 1888.

to

importance as a passenger

fence.

83

The Hotel de Mexico.

Janvier,

Diligencias

is

who seems

to

worth while to stop at solely for the

He

this

said to

be one of the best

know them

pretty

little

sake of benefiting by

all,

town

Don

says, " It

in all

quite

is

a day or two,

for

Pedro's culinary

skill.

a Gascon, an old soldier, and a cook of noble parts."

is

Twenty miles south of Lagos we enter the state of Guanajuato valley, we soon arrive at Leon, a large and flourishing city, noted for its manufactures, delightfully sit;

descending lower into the

midst of

uated in the

gardens on the banks of the Rio Turbio.

The people seem the

of

to

believe,

old

tanner,

"after

you

and done

Leon with that

have all,

said

there

is

nothing like leather."

Here leather is made and here leather is turned into shoes, sandals,

and saddles. Leon

revels in the rcboso

and

the

za-

scintillates

rape.

The

in

rcboso

is

the

woman's wrap, the universal wrap of

universal or

woman

in

Mexico.

The common cotton shawl

blue or brown, that you see on the rcboso.

The

better

class wears a black

scarf kind, called a fapalo;

made

common

or scarf, generally

class

women,

The zarape tant piece of

garment of the is it.

the

and the lady of high degree, one

of fine wool or lace, called the mantil/a, which

ing, finishing

is

garment of the same

seiiorita

is

the fetch-

of song and story.

the man's wardrobe, or at least the most impor-

This

is

likewise

84

a

scarf or shawl.

Nothing

seems

to delight the

male Mexican

like

"a

bit of color," unless

and accordingly this indispensable garment, to have value in his eyes, must rival Joseph's coat as to colors. The gayer it is the better it suits the wearer. We would it

be two or three

bits,

call

the zarape a blanket perhaps, and so

day

it is

When

a cloak.

his great

the average

sombrero and within

it is by night, but by Mexican man gets under

his zat-ape, there isn't

much

to

be

seen of the man.

Leon annually makes thousands and thousands of zarapes and rebosos, and also great quantities of soap, cutlery, and com-

mon

crockery.

It

used to be counted the second city in the

Republic, but by the latest returns

it

the sixth in population.

is

mayor and a dozen smaller parks. Cathedral of Leon is a handsome building, begun in The has two very high towers (finished It has aisles, but no I 746. patroness Leon is Our Lady of Light, whose The of in 1878). Cathedral. The city government solemnly swore image is in the It has, of course, a plaza

allegiance to her,

May

That does not seem very long ago, does

the act Dec. 20, 1851. it?

It is

known, however, that there was a Spanish town here

before 1550, so the town

young

and Pope Pius IX. approved

23, 1840,

even

old,

is

if

Our Lady of Light

is

as patroness.

The people all Leon has every appearance of thriftiness. seem to be busy, and their houses, many of them of stone, show

Much

the results of profitable labor.

of the manufacturing

is

done at home. The old-fashioned hand loom is a more frequent article of furniture than the piano, and its operation is constant.

The people take their music The main plaza here is like attractive than that of

by the

city hall

on one

on the other three plazas in Leon.

sides.

The paseo

the plaza and at the theatre.

that of

The

many. side,

in

all

large towns, but

square enclosing

it is

more

formed

and rows of colonnades or portales There are is

also eight or ten smaller

part of the highway to Silao, but

such another you can scarcely find in Mexico. 85

It is a

cause-

way paved with a reddish stone, shaded by triple rows of great trees, and bordered by hedges of orange-trees. Fancy a promenade through such an aisle, on the sides of which are displayed at the same moment the green leaf, the white blossom, and the yellow

fruit

Then it.

the theatre at

It is

Leon

1

that surprises everybody

worth stopping over to

see.

It is

than the famous Teatro Nacional of the capital. writes of

it

:

"A

fine edifice of stone,

who

visits

even more beautiful

A

lady thus

with a great open vestibule

rOKTAI.E^ AT Ar.I'AS CAI.IENTES.

sixty feet square as entrance, filled with flower beds, a fountain

in the centre, galleries

and domed with

by four separate

glass, into

flights

which opened the wide

of broad stone steps.

Behind

every group of eight seats a latticed door gave egress to the gallery

on each of the four

stories,

so that no possible

could produce more than a momentary result."

86

panic

The

city

is

a mile or more away from the station, and no one,

without going to

dome and

it,

would imagine that surrounding the great

lofty towers of the

which boasts of more than

Cathedral in sight there was a town

five

hundred

streets,

more than two Leon

hundred blocks, and more than eight thousand houses. is

a lion in a pretty cage, well fed and happy.

The Mexican Central runs a local daily train to and from Leon and Guanajuato and the city of Mexico. The people of these two large cities, and of all stations below Leon, enjoy therefore the luxury of two passenger trains a day, while those

above have to be content with one.

•A^^-'-

VI. "Tricks he hath

"Asleep

in

him which gentlemen have." Airs Well That Ends

in the lap of legends old."

The Eve of

ILAO

is

eller

as

Agnes.

a supper station for

it is

south-bound and a breakfast station

for

north-bound

This statement indicates that the remaining

trains.

distance

(two hundred and thirty-eight miles) be-

tween Silao and the capital night

Si.

certainly a place of importance to every trav-

on the Central road,

night.

IVell.

Whoever goes over loses some very fine

is

passed over in the

this part

of the line by

The boys did

scenery.

not wish to miss anything interesting, and both said at once, " Let us stop over at Silao,

and take the

rest

of the trip by daylight."

"We station

will

do

"The

restaurant in the

for lodging there are

two good hotels

so," replied the Major.

is first-class,

near the station.

and

No

danger now

after

'

the headquarters of the dreaded banditti,

headquarters of the

means extensive

dark in

Silao.'

by day and of silence by night.

a place of sunshine

'

army of

civilization,'

it

is

now

It is

Once

a division

and, of course, this

and other buildings perThere must necessarily be quite a colony of railroad people here, and there shops, round-house,

taining to the operating department of the road.

is

or

always quite a colony of people in search of rest, recreation, health.

The

climate

of Silao

88

is

equable

and

delightful.

Many who fort, come

find the

capital too high or too anything for

to

which

Silao,

and therefore

lower,

five

hundred

comfeet

reUef and a radical change from

affords

drained

in a poorly

life

two thousand

is

an elevation of more than seven

city, at

thousand feet."

From

branch road runs to the great mining

Silao a

Guanajuato, capital of the

The

principal business

of Silao

is

this state

The

in

Instances of a crop one hundred times

this country,

was valued

uncommon.

not

among

Humboldt says that Mexican The crop of 1880, in

the best in the world.

was valued

at

at $18,000,000, while the

You

$113,000,000.

The bread of Mexico is not the wheaten tortilla made from meal and without yeast.

" Oh, the

"There

women lay

shaped paste flat

"

it

women

on a

to

loaf,

You have read about

tell. '

is

but the

the 'two

in Palestine two thousand years ago.

They

grind in Mexico to-day.

soften corn

stone called a vietdte, and with another stone,

like a rolling-pin, they grind the

is

corn to a paste.

This

patted into thin cakes, and baked quickly on another

stone or metal plate."

And what about Mexican *

" Oh., frijoles of

flat

crop

us about that. Major."

tell

;

much

grinding at the mill

Just so the

and

tortilla

isn't

corn

see the proportion; corn

king. thin

as well as

it

is

forty times the seed.

the seed are

of wheat.

or wheat, and

sown between November and January April and May. Its yield is from fifteen to

grain

and harvested

is

is trigo,

of Guanajuato produces large quantities of

silver.

wheat

grinding

the

Next to maize the greatest crop of Mexico of

city

state.

the

:

common

potatoes,'

Major? "

They form the principal food They grow with the corn, being

they are beans. people.

planted between the rows, and the value of the crop in 1880

was about $9,000,000

The

old

that

it

bill

;

half that of the

corn crop, you see.

of fare of the poor of Mexico

is

the

was a thousand years ago, and pcobably 89

will

same to-day be a thou-

sand years hence. soft

and

the year.

and

Frijoles

beans and red pepper,

chile,

day

hot, reaching the spot, twice a If corn

"I should

is

day in

sure, every

king, beans are close to the throne."

think, Major, that

it

must be hard work

to grind at

such a mill as you describe," said the Captain. " It is hard work, my boy. Talk about the old wash-board, that

meant scrub and scrub, but such a mill

to run

;

mean

that doesn't

and yet these women

takes

it

down on

their

on the ground, and keep going from morning till night. But

knees, or crouch the mill

the work

will get

flat

then they don't have

"How

is

"Why,

you'll see

many

dishes to wash."

that?"

when you observe how

tortillas and frijoles. They spread the beans on the corn

they eat their

cake, holding

the

cake as a

plate.

They double up another cake for a scoop, and with this they shovel the beans into their mouths when the beans are gone they eat the plate and ;

the scoop, and there are no dishes to

wash

!

"That's a good scheme," exclaimed " I wonder how that Corporal

the

;

would work

"Not the Captain. joles in Silao?

"You can

get

in

style

Boston?" enough about

"Can we

fri-

"

them anywhere and everywhere

you can get anything

said

it,"

get tortillas and

in

Mexico,

if

never struck but one place where they could not be had," said the Major ; " that was way down in

Lower

California.

at

We

all.

asked for corn, for beans, for eggs, and

for 'anything in the world

was,

*

No

I

'

to eat,

and

all

the reply

hay, senor' (there are none, sir).

90

And

we could

it

was a

get

fact.

The poor people had not of food in their

No

Hotel de

a single mouthful

hovel,

which we named

We

had a good supply

Hay.

We

of provender with us.

them one left them for

Sfjuare meal, stuff

gave

and

enough

when we You've

another

departed.

struck 'poverty ranch' sure enoucrh vh'^n v

^v

can't find there tortillas

and

frijoles."

There

nothing very re-

is

markable

at Silao, but a col-

lection of fifteen thousand

Mexicans

is

sure to be picturesque

glories in that

number.

and entertaining, and

The churches

are

Silao

not extraordinary,

but the Santiago displays one of the prettiest spires in Mexico,

and

the

Cristo.

church of Vera Cruz contains a very ancient Santo life size, and is said to date " from is

This figure

91

before the

Moorish conquest of Spain."

image (of pith or whatever material

European

On

itself is

If

it

a fact, that

is

made

The town of

Mexico.

article in

1553, and so

it is

of) is the oldest

dates from

Silao

no mushroom growth.

the arrival of the branch train from Guanajuato and the local

from Leon, the party bade adieu to Silao and resumed the jour-

ney southward, passing through more of the same rich section which they had seen the day before. fact,

whole

the

run of

hundred

a

In miles

through the state of Guanajuato from above

Leon to below Celaya nowned Bajio region.

is

made

It is

in

the

re-

a vast T-shaped

depression or wide low plain (not exactly a valley),

noted

,

and

and

delightful

than

six thou-

for its fertility

Its elevation is less it

has always been a favorite

region the

residence.

for

most densely

tion of the

It

is

settled sec-

whole country.

Senor Barcena, author of a "History of the Jalisco,"

State

of

and of other im-

portant statistical works, says in

"

Mexicana

Republicaiia

The

Bajio

is

:

an extensive

and rich region, where every year I

section

many

crops

are

raised

of

cereals.

enormous In

this

crops requiring irrigation are also raised, since

there is an ample supply of water even in the dry season, coming from the reservoirs on the plantations. Besides this,

subterranean water irrigation.

To

is

found at

this are

little

depth, and this facilitates

due the many vegetable gardens and

orchards of Leon and Salamanca."

92

o o Si <

Through such a

most productive

region, the

does the Mexican Central run

and we may say

for

in the RepubUc, more than a hundred miles,

for

more than two hundred, since

the Guadalajara

branch covers one arm of the T.

These general remarks

will apply, therefore, to the lands

seen

on either side of the track between Leon and Quer^taro.

It

only remains to describe the various towns along the line.

Twenty miles below we come to Irapuato,

passing numerous haciendas,

Silao, after

the famous "strawberry station" of the

country, from which point the Guadalajara branch starts for the beautiful

"Lake Region"

dente, as

its

about

of

away

terminal city

fourteen

from

the

of Mexico and for

The town

thousand.

station,

La

Perla del Occi-

Irapuato has a population

called.

is

and the

is

about

unless

tourist,

the plaza, can see nothing of Irapuato, but a few church

He

vent towers.

won't see

court of the convent

is

plaza or alaineda

little

much

worth going

else,

and so

is

mile

goes

to

and con-

he does go;

if-

to see,

Here

itself.

a

he

but the

the pretty

is

nook

the prettiest litde

imaginable, and such a queer conjunction of the antique and the

The

modern.

antique

is

represented by the church and by the

curious (in such a place) machinery for elevating water.

Fancy

an old-fashioned "crotch and pole " well-sweep

Public

Garden is

You have

!

it

in the

alameda

represented by the charming

the

artistic

flower beds margined

at Irapuato.

zocolo, or

little

in the

The modern

music stand, and

and banked with

different

colored pebbles laid in mosaics.

Most of but there

the people are out in the strawberry-beds probably,

will

be enough there

tributing centavos.

some

One can

respects.

of irrigation, the delicious fresas

are to be reales

for

One results

to

make

will find that

it

it

lively for

is

you

see hereabout the old Egyptian style

of which are seen in the baskets of

(strawberries), which

every day in

the

and so cheap too a heaping basket of strawberries in March, had

at

in dis-

a peculiar place in

Irapuato

station,

93

!

year

Dos say, or

in

December

the

seller,

Somelimes, but even

And do you

!

though the it

is

is,

is

it,

tlie

buyer

basket and

there

said, that

there

if

believe

offer

all

beat

a quarter

more basket than

is

down

will

for

berries;

the basket ought to be nearly worth that

money.

Between the

trains

the people about the station spend their

time in sorting and "deaconing" the

fruit.

That word "deacon-

ing" as applied, means "putting the best on top," as they say a certain

good man did with

his

apples up in

New Hampshire

(some more slander, no doubt, on the good man), but these people do as

I

have said

;

I

have seen them at

The

it.

baskets

IKAI'l'ATO STATKIN.

offered

sometimes show

such operations

is

trickery.

gets his bargain as low as possible. fine berries

bought

The consequence

that the buyer expects to

for a real,

I

and even

have seen for a

of a few

be cheated, and so fine baskets of

dime.

Thirteen miles below the strawberry station we come to what

may be called the "straw hat" name for a busy place of about 94

station,

Salamanca; a pretty

fifteen

thousand inhabitants.

Everywhere along the way

hither,

and

about the

all

cultivated fields

and

and white clay

also sells large quantities of leather

;

city, are

Salamanca exports kaolin

lovely gardens.

goods

but

;

commerce is the straw sombrero so univermen, women, and children of the lower class worn by

her chief article of sally

throughout the country.

Not being a junction tive or

interesting

point,

places,

and being

so near other

Salamanca

majority of tourists, but there

is

more

attrac-

skipped by the great

something worth seeing there.

is

The avenues- between cactus hedges are fine, and the gardens beautiful. The Church of San Augustin shows on its altars some of the finest specimens of wood carving in Mexico. But don't buy your sombrero

till

you get

to the city of

"way up

You'll see a really fine article there, a really

Mexico.

" piece of

head gear, large every way, wide brimmed, high crowned, with cord and tassel of silver or gold, costing fifty

A This

and even

to three

hundred

dollars

all

the

way from

five

to

!

short ride brings us to Celaya, a city of 25,000 people. is

the great

"candy" town of Mexico.

Huyler would be

nowhere, in Celaya.

His sweets are no more dear

nor more sweet to the

lips

to the sweet-toothed

seiiorita.

of the average

girl

to the heart

than those of Celaya

Indeed, some people, who have

sampled the candies of many countries, say that the dukes of Celaya are " the best in the world."

made from

sugar and milk.

in

The Celaya dulces are we shall find some made

sweet potatoes, in San Luis Potosi a cactus

from white

and

In Puebla

Vera

C'ruz a squash candy.

For

my

part

I

diilce,

must say

that

Mexican candies, "a little more than a little is by much too much." To look in on the many didcerias one would think that a majority of the population is in the candy business, and in fact But Celaya is a busy town, so it is, either as maker or buyer. here are something like Leon it has bleacheries and factories made large quantities of soap, and of cotton and woollen goods, of

;

and of the

;

reboso.

95

If railroad facilities count for anything, this ought to

very important

Celaya

city, for the

become

a

National crosses the Central here.

the commercial centre of a rich agricultural district,

is

The people of

particularly of the valley of the Laja.

good roads

are evidently aware of the importance of

They have

Celaya.

built

to

town

this

and from

and maintained a long and expensive lowlands, which at certain

causeway across the surrounding

seasons of the year would be almost impassable without

causeway. it is

If not as impressive as the

quite as important in

its

this

aqueduct at Quer^taro,

own way.

Celaya was founded in 1570 by a company of Biscayans, consisting of " sixteen married men with their wives and children,

and seventeen young bachelors."

They chose a

pretty site for

and the king, Philip IV., made it a 1655, while the town of Guanajuato had

by

their town,

city

order in

to wait until

1

The Celayans

741 for the honor.

will

not

let this fact

royal

be

for-

gotten.

The Church

of

Our Lady of Carmen,

in Celaya,

is

the master-

piece of the Michael Angelo of Mexico, Eduardo Tresguerras,

who was a an

native

and

architect, sculptor,

some of

his

lifelong resident of this city.

and

most celebrated

wide, and 69 feet high.

from 1803), but

it is

tractive, of all the

in

painter.

He

is 220 feet long, 55 feet not an old church (dating only

frescos,

It is

one of the

finest,

some think the most atOther churches

church buildings in Mexico.

Celaya also have specimens of Tresguerras's work.

splendid altars of the San chapels, are the

was

This church, containing

The

Francisco group of churches and

and also those of the church of the Tercer Orden, work of his hand. The tower of San Augustin, which

excites the admiration of

all visitors, is

a

monument

to his skill,

and the beautiful chapel of Dolores he built for his own tomb. Whoever wishes to see the best specimens of native architecture, sculpture, and painting must go work of Eduardo Tresguerras.

to

Celaya and study the

96

i

Shortly

leaving

after

we

Celaya,

pass out of the state of

Guanajuato and enter Quer(§taro, one of the smaller divisions of the Republic, but a state that has

made

about half as large as Massachusetts, and

a lot of history. is

It is

about as ])rominently

connected with the great events of Mexico as the old Bay State is

with those of the United States.

In Aztec tradition the people

of this region were spoken of as noted for their valor and for their fidelity to their vows. it

and defended

it

They had

a goodly land

;

they loved

in

the olden time and no

less in later times.

We

shall learn

some-

thing about their his-

tory in our visit to their capital,

bears the same

which name

as the state.

" Quer^taro

is

one

of the most interesting cities

"

of Mexico."

How

so

?

" asked

Captain. "It doesn't seem to be a the

very energetic town."

"Energetic

!" re-

plied the Major, "that

word in

is

hardly

Mexico.

and

also

known

This place has

not a

little

much

of history connected with

it,

This 'beautiful valley could not

of mystery.

any one who wished to have a nice place to live in. an atmosphere as near peifection the year round as can be found anywhere. Nature could do no more for any region than she has done for this, except to furnish plenty of water on the

fail

to attract

Here

spot.

is

That

lack,

however, could be supplied by the people, and

97

accordingly Quer^taro has been a local habitation, and has had a

name beyond

the records of man.

It is said

have

to

been

founded by the Otomites in 1400, and upon their chosen site has grown what you see, and much that has disappeared in the course of five centuries.

"Cn: It is

curi n;s tradi.ion belongs to

a kind of David and Goliath

of the

Horatii and the Curatii

;

early

tl-:e

affair,

and

day of

it

has also

features of the famous story of Constantine's march. states that a native cacique,

town.

this

or perhaps nearer that

some of the

The

tradition

by name Fernando de Tapia, had a

vocation to go and convert these people to Christianity.

organized

an army and took along with his soldiers

He

several

whom he was sure to secure. " Coming to Queretaro he proposed to the people that they

priests to baptize the converts

should select champions to meet an equal

number

by himself, and promise to abide by the 98

results

to

be chosen

of the

fight

between these champions.

If

worship of their Aztec idols

Fernando should withdraw found It

was

it

;

literally

should gain the

if

the people's

champions won,

and leave Quert^taro

The

fight

raged

all

as he

day.

a hand-to-hand conflict, for the contestants were,

by arrangement, less there

;

his forces

was the agreement.

this

men

Fernando's

submit to baptism and abandon the

victory, the people should

were

can draw blood

to use only their '

garments rolled

;

hands and

their feet.

in blood,' for cuffs

the people cheered their

Doubt-

and kicks

champions by

shouts,

t--"=^S.-.:-<

I t

r-i

e.

k

-4

-

LAW

'

I

jtV*"*^

and

one made

flowers.

The

ill.

hCHool,.

unfortunate inmates must be counted fortunate in such surroundings.

How much

better off are they than their

very poor neighbors across the

which

will strike the visitor.

of the city, say from

poor are huddled together in is

!

And

Let him go

here

is

a contrast

from the beautiful part

the great plaza, across

the river

to the

Here

the John of God). of the dreariness streets, unpaved

suburb called San Juan de Dios

which

river

thousands of

(St.

nowhere relieved by a park or plaza containing shade or 231

An open

flowers.

square without ornament

Such houses

place they have.

and always without good for covering, in abject

hundreds,

if

air

;

for

homes

the breathing

all

is

often with no window,

!

with the ground for a bed and rags

poverty here

or

live,

not thousands, of the families

many who make up the

rather exist,

ninety-five thousand population of the " Pearl of the

Mexico. as well as

Dios.

" of

West

The visitor who is to see Mexican life among the poor among the rich must make a flying trip to San Juan de

Having seen the

worst, one may, perhaps, forget

A

seeing the best.

trip to

The

delight.

it

San Pedro

ride

is

is

in

a

along the

ancient calzada under great trees that

must have been kissed by the

sun for a hundred years and per-

haps

for

two or three times

Paved streets, handsome residences, fine stores, beautiful gardens, and happy faces will greet you at San Pedro. as long.

This

is

the favorite suburb of

Here the wealthy Here the famous GuadalaThe visitor who wants the genuine Guadalajara.

people have their out-of-town homes. jara pottery w-are

is

made.

ware at decent prices should buy have to pay double If

its

here,

it

where he may or may not get the

and not

real article,

at the capital,

and

will

certainly

worth.

you want to see yourself as others see you, get a bust of

yourself at San Pedro.

You can do

in clay," in fact, sculptors, dwell in

it

thus

:

Two

San Pedro

;

native " artists

they are father

and son, named Panduro. them, and they

will

them, one at least

Anybody can tell you where to find mould you to the life. Or, if you will send for will wait on you at your hotel, and in due lime

return you a statuette of yourself daintily done in clay.

232

It is

said that the

Panduros are

to

be sent

to the

Columbian Fair by

the state of Jalisco.

Days may be spent pleasantly

in this beautiful city

days in exploring the grand surroundings.

A

visit to

and other the famous

The Lerma or Santiago River way from the plateau to a lower level, and has made an enormous caiion, the perpendicular sides of which are two thousand feet high. At the top of the chasm you are in a temperate climate at the bottom you get a taste of the " torrid " temperature, which must be felt to be appreciated. Nowhere else in Mexico, and probably nowhere else in the world,

barranca should not be omitted. has here cut

its

;

can so satisfactory an excursion be made so easily ride from the city brings

one

;

two hours'

to the barranca, but the visitor

should devote the whole day to the excursion to this region of the

banana and the palm.

,1

IN

THE BARRANCA.

233

XVII. Which

have earned with the sweat of

I

my

brows."

Don

\UANAJUATO,

the

Qiiixoti.

of Mexico, with

fifth city

a population of fifty-three thousand,

from

you

miles

;

ing village

The locomotive

Silao.

take

built to

is

flat- roofed

to be at a discount in

Everything in the vicinity

The road up

stay.

Marfil to the city

only

a Moorish-look-

is

low, square,

adobe seems

;

and about Guanajuato. seems

Marfil

rest.

composed of

stone houses

will

suburb Marfil, eleven

the

to

there you take a street car, and

[;^|gEr the mules do the ••

lies

mountain ravine fourteen miles east

in a

the ravine from

a wonderful piece of engineering,

Heavy

which took eighty-five years to complete.

good roads, and Guanajuato has both. of the mines and the supplies for their

loads require

operation

The make

yield this

one of the most important stations

for busi-

ness on the line.

Guanajuato

is

one of those terraced places where

it

would be

convenient for people to have one leg shorter than the

The

residents

must be both climbers and creepers.

and crooks and crannies yards on the Rhine.

been found or made. sand dollars Compailia

to

make

is bui't,

It

!

reminds one of those

The wonder It is

is

it

hillside vine-

much

level space has

cost one

hundred thou-

that so

said that

other.

Such nooks

the lot on which the costly church of the

which

is

one of the

234

finest

churches in Mexico.

The

had hard times here

Jesuits

spent some

they

;

twenty

years in completing this church, and two years afterward were

In the Compaiiia are some beautiful

expelled from the country.

and on the fagade several superior

paintings,

There little

of

seems

it

hands of the

to get into the

traditions about

There are

washing pigs

have accumulated by a wallow

in the rich

Won't

Exceedingly Mexican

is

The streets Where so many

The

buyers?

sellers

people.

which they

mud-puddles

silver stick to

Guanajuato.

burros and bargains everywhere. are the

common

for the silver

not try some of the children?

who

statues.

plenty of silver in these overhanging mountains, but

is

!

Why

them? are a sight;

are sellers,

themselves are,

of course,

buyers of other goods than their own, and the slippery centavo

makes the

One

lively trade of the street.

thing that will attract attention in Guanajuato

gated stone used in

have

all

many

of the finest buildings.

is

It

the varie-

seems

to

the colors of

the rainbow, but green

There

prevails.

immense

is

an

theatre, four

stories in height, built

of this stone near the

The

Alameda. walls

had

look as

great

they

if

frescoed.

been

This theatre

is

be the largest

said to

in

North

America, certainly

it is

the largest in Mexico, L-

and when

it is

completed

of the continent. interesting.

A

it

will

Immense

grotto like caves, the roofs of which are

supported by columns, have been the stone.

Men

be one of the notable buildings above the city is most

visit to the quarries

made

there by the extraction of

transport the product of these quarries on their

235

backs

down

The main above the

mountain-side, through

the

ladders to the

workmen on

plaza

streets,

is

the

and up

streets,

the walls.

a small but very pretty triangular park raised

surrounded by

fine stores

on two

sides,

and on

the third side by the parish

church.

The

chief resort of

the people, however,

is

in the

park called La Presa, near the

upper reservoir

there are the

;

music stand and the promenade, and there

the oddest

is

place of recreation in this

odd

country. Historically

Alh6ndiga

the

de Granaditas, known now

"The

Castle,"

as

the most in-

is

teresting building in the city. It

was once an " Exchange,"

as

its

it

is

name

indicates, but

a federal

dalgo captured fight for

prison. it

fort.

Hi-

early in his

independence.

companions were so they

now

few,

His

and

could not hold the

Later in the conflict

the heads of the four leaders

^/^ f

^^^^^^^^^H

were brought here from Chi-

^^^^^^^H

huahua and exposed on the corners

warning

to traitors.

The

of

the

castle

on the spot where the royalist tried to disgrace him. Mexican Republic is Hidalgo's true monument.

statue

The

as

a

republican has honored Hidalgo with a

history of Guanajuato

is

a series of surprises.

was founded on account of a surprise away back

236

The

in 1548.

The city

The

traditional

mule got away, and

found, as well as the mule.

of surprises

new

;

as exploration

is

It

still

up, silver was

discoveries of rich minerals are being

made,

constantly going on, and this district, which has

been worked almost continuously years,

hunting him

in

has grown by a constant increase

more than three hundred

for

the country every

startles

now and then

may be ahead

new

with a

and

rich strike.

it is

estimated that that district has yielded one thousand million

Zacatecas

and

dollars in gold

behind.

silver

of Guanajuato a

but Guanajuato cannot be very

;

The annual output now

is

about

the present yield had been the average

six million dollars.

for three

the result would be eighteen hundred millions.

some idea of the wealth of Mexico calls the fact that since the

silver

in its

hundred

far

If

years,

But one can get

mountains when he

re-

conquest, Mexican mines of gold and

have yielded four thousand million dollars, or about three

eighths of the total yield of the globe during that period.

now about

are turning out

of Guanajuato

is

hundred million

the way, for

it

fifty

millions annually,

and

They

this state

supplying one eighth of that product.

said that the Valenciana

eight

little,

It

is

mine alone has produced more than That

dollars.

is

good mine

a

has a convenient stone stairway to

to visit,

its

by

treasure

house.

" There are a great

many

reduction works here," observed the

Captain.

"Yes, more than

fifty,"

extraction used here process, but

now

is

said the

the

same

much

of

"The method

Major.

of

as that at Pachuca, the patio

a large quantity of ore

treatment in smelters;

"What

is

is

shipped away

for

goes to San Luis Potosi."

it

inside those high walls over there?" asked the Cor-

poral, pointing to the north.

" That

is the cemetery of the city, the patiieon, as they call it About ten acres of ground are enclosed by walls, perhaps ten feet high. Bodies are deposited in chambers such as you

here.

see in the vaults ia our cemeteries

;

237

I

told

you about that

in

Zaca-

where we saw some bones on the ground. Here there is an immense sub-cemetery where the bones are placed at the expiration of the chamber leases. By a winding stairway you descend tecas,

into this great charnel-house,

long, twenty feet wide,

which

is

nearly nine hundred feet

and more than twenty

piled

up

either

at

Ursula in Cologne " That

all to

left

is

this storehouse, indiscriminately

beats

It

church of

the

of

skulls are

and St.

pieces."

where the bones of the eleven thousand virgins

is

it?"

isn't

end of

reference to ownership.

without

The

feet high.

room is arched and well lighted, and contains all that more than thirty thousand good Mexicans. Bones and

"I remember;

said the Captain.

those

relics

are,

are

nicely arranged along the walls behind glass."

" Yes, but these are thrown in as they come. to

Don't you wish

"

go over there, Corporal?

" No, I'd rather go to a bull fight." " But

room

I

haven't told you

There are mummies

all yet.

twenty or thirty of them.

too,

They

in the

are worth going to

see."

"Well, thank you, " Neither

"Do

do

I,"

I don't care to see

them."

added the Captain.

look at that

man

he

with a water jar as long as

exclaimed the Corporal. "That is a new " Yes, styles differ. You'll see another style

is,"

thing."

jars is

made

San Luis. this

long

The one

of leather. '

The

He in

in

you have seen are mostly earthenware, but

Guanajuato

hills

are so steep, and the streets are so narrow,

can't carry earthen jars

;

curious articles.

maybe

We

that's the

'

reason for the shape of these

must happen round by a fountain where a

regiment of these aguadores

"Where does

on a wheelbarrow

is

in line waiting to

fill

the water that supplies the city

asked the Captain.

238

up."

come from ?

"

"

From

springs in the mountain range

The supply

above.

demand, but a series of dams across the ravine forms reservoirs, and the storage system here constitutes the most remarkable water works in Mexico." is

not equal to

Many

are

Guanajuato

the

and interesting things

strange

most impressive

;

of the

gineering artificial

the

lakes,

city.

all

Nowhere

in

and about

perhaps the wonderful en-

else

can one see terraces of

supplied by mountain streams and supported by

enormous retaining

Over great stone dams these lakes

walls.

one another

discharge their waters into

cascades

of

in a series

of beautiful

along these walls and overlooking these resevoirs are

;

some of the cosiest and costliest houses of the city. Vines and flowers conceal the work of man, and nature makes situated

this

marvel of

utility

"I should want

to

a masterpiece of beauty.

be on the mountain or out of town

if

a

break occurred in one of these walls," said the Captain. " Breaks disasters

and the

have occurred

here from floods. latest

was

;

there

at least

One

is

in 1885, in the night,

property was destroyed and

many

lives

239

have been

terrible

recc^rded of the year 1760,

when

were

a vast

lost."

amount of

The hill

return to Marfil was quickly made, the trip being

On

a wonderful road that

what sharp curves, what

ravine, streets

What

the way.

all

bridges,

solid

is

down

through the

and what dusty

!

the

way back

Major gave the boys an account

to Silao the

of the martyr and patriot Hidalgo.

tle

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was parish priest of Dolores, a litplace near Guanajuato. He was the leading spirit in the effort

to liberate

Mexico from Spanish

His plans were discovered

rule.

before he was ready to strike, but he decided to defy the oppressors with

what forces he could

As news of

raise.

his

dis-

covery was brought to him about eleven o'clock at night, he had but one way of rousing the people.

The church

bells of

Dolores

were rung, and the alarmed populace rushed to the plaza, where Hidalgo, with a musket in one hand and a torch in the other, met them, told them of the proposed movement and cried, " Long live

our mother, most holy Guadalupe, long

death to bad government."

pendence.

This

what

is

live

America, and

This was the declaration of indeis

called

"The

Grilo," and

is

the

watchword with which the President of the Republic begins the annual festivities of the Mexican Fourth of July. These words he repeats from the balcony of the palace in the capital to

national

the thousands assembled to hear

them

at

eleven o'clock at night,

on the 15th of September, the anniversary of the very hour when Hidalgo uttered them

The

first

at

Dolores in 1810.

blow was struck

ers besieged the

castle

at

Guanajuato.

and captured the

He

city.

and

his follow-

He moved

on

with his followers, daily increasing in numbers by arrivals from

every part of the country, and defeated the viceroy's army in several battles. rebels, as

In January, 181

leaders, Jimenez, Allende,

reach the United States.

May

:

1,

the royal forces defeated the

the patriots were called, and

in July they

and Aldama,

Hidalgo, with the other

fled

northward, hoping to

They were betrayed and captured

were executed

240

at

Chihuahua.

in

Their heads

were brought

to

Guanajuato and exposed on the Alhundiga de

Granaditas, or Castle, which they had captured a few months be-

Although Hidalgo was

fore.

slain, the

cause for which he died

found defenders and friends by thousands.

welcomed Hidalgo's Yturbide accomplished the work Later, an 1 in 182 Spain acknowledged menced, 1 priest

and brave

Mexico.

patriot,

The remains

Morelos, another

fate for liberty's sake.

that

Hidalgo com-

the independence of

of the patriots were taken with the high-

est honors to the great Cathedral in the capital, where they

rest

beneath the most costly

altar

church of Mexico," the Altar of the Kings.

241

now

of that " holy metropolitan

liHiBB

i

W" ^

tllMiik^

XVIII. '

Then you have an immense

pleasure to come."

High

Life

Below

Stairs.

" In lands of palm, of orange blossom,

Of

olive, aloe,

and maize and vine." T/ie

are

now going

European

first

Daisy.

to the very spot

where the

on the

American

foot

set

continent," said the Major, as the train

Aguas CaUentes

for

Tampico.

left

"Americus

Vespucius landed at Tampico in 1497, and made a report of his visit, which is very interesting reading."

"Where can we

find it?" asked the

Captain.

"In Fiske's "s^'

l^i^'^ WtSC-T^

^

America.'

history, 'Discovery of

Tampico was

called Lariab.

Americus

at that tells

time

about

a big g-une dinner that he had there,

which

clearly

shows that the region was then, as now, the para-

dise of the sportsman.

you young

a good one for

Having seen where Cortes landed

be interesting

stood the

is

discoverers to devote to a tour of exploration in this

ancient region. will

This Columbian year

in

15 19,

it

to stand where, thirty-two years before him,

man whose name

the

New World

242

bears."

18 cr

o t rr h«

The Tampico main

on the

train runs north nine miles

line to Chicalote station,

where the division

branches off to the northeast.

For an hour we

continue in the same

fertile

country that surrounds

the city of Aguas Calientes, and then begin to rise to a region in

which we see no wheat or corn, but

ride for miles through fields of

We

maguey.

pass

number of unimportant stations with pretty names (San Gil, San Marcos, La Honda), but The Captain with little else to attract attention. a

closely, as his ques-

was observing the landscape tions clearly showed.

" I

How

this country.

is

notice that

are no such large

Does

Pachuca.

Major,

is

it

poor land

?

maguey is very small. There plants as we saw on the way to

all this

that

indicate that the soil isn't

them?"

able to produce

" No, not exactly that, although this region

may

There are numerous kinds

not be as rich as that.

of maguey, you know, just as there are various

kinds of the cactus.

This

come upon

which

this plant,

and not the pulque plant product

is

remember distillation,

is

the

;

first

time we have

the mescal maguey,

is it

is

smaller

and its You

not secured in the same manner. that

I

told

you mescal was produced by

while pulque was obtained by fermen-

tation of the natural sap of the plant."

"Is that a hacienda over there?" asked the Corporal.

"Yes, a mescal hacienda.

eh? that

It is

sounds better

what

tablishments

Rather pretty name,

than 'whiskey

still,'

There are very extensive no moonshining about here,

it

is.

—

Mexico."

243

but esin

'

i

"Is

that another? " asked the Captain, pointing to a walled en-

closure in the distance.

"No coming

mescal about that," replied the Mexican

to

works of Pefion Blanco I'lanco,

and

this

is

" Great country

are now-

Those are the great

Syracuse. or,

"We

the Major.

salt

Las Salinas del Pefion

in Spanish,

Salinas station." this," said the

Captain

;

"

it

has on hand silver

mountains, sulphur mines with automatic openings, onyx mines, hot springs, and here a salt mine

" !

mmmmsam "

Not exactly a mine, though

than most tent

is

mines

are.

We

it

is

worth more to

have here a great

salt

owners

its

lake

;

its

ex-

unknown."

" Why, that doesn't seem to be a very

large

lake," said the

Captain, pointing to a large pond, near the train.

" Oh, that

and

isn't

the salt lake

overlies the salt one,

two-story lake country, story cave

if

;

which

that is

is

a

you please, and

between here and Tampico." 244

little

fresh-water lake,

a few feet below. you'll

come

This

is

a

to a two-

"I should

think

ground into the " So

it

would

You

lake.

see

some of the

if it

from above.

We

over.

weren't for a water-tight roof over, the

salt

A

But

fresh

mud

looks in the patio

for a large i)art of the licks

it

Just east of us

is

year there

up soon

is

we

no

is

fresh-

rainy season

after the

nearly eight thou-

are

the highest point

and only two stations on the main

ion,

that

;

roof of that material prevents percolation

are in a valley here, but

sand feet high.

run

the Corporal.

that

The sun

water lake here. is

the

how green

clay.

wouM

water

through

the

salt lake," said

on

this divis-

Zacatecas and Leiia,

line,

are higher."

"How

do they get the

salt

out of the water?" asked the

Corporal. "

They

don't,"

answered the Captain

;

" they get the water

out of the salt."

" That

is

chemistry for you," said the Major.

the business.

Evaporation

sun doesn't work

one of the steam

"Where does

fast

enough, steam

salt factories all this salt

;

is

made

use

;

sun does

but as the

You

of.

see

go to?

"

asked the Corporal.

The mines

use an enormous quan-

one of the chief materials of the patio process of ore sepa-

ration

is salt,

works,

and the consumption

for

This subterranean lake, with

great.

is

domestic purposes the

sun

for a

is

very

reduction

a big bonanza."

"I see mules

at

" Yes, the mule

Mexico

;

work.

The mules

work over there is

not always

;

what are they doing?

buckets dip the

silent, for

are

salt

sometimes he

pumping

is

sings,

but always at

the water into the vats.

water and empty

to the evaporating vats.

"noria," and

"

a silent partner in almost every business in

big wheels with their great leather buckets.

it

The

yonder."

" It goes aU over Mexico. tity

"

the process chiefly used

is

it

See the

Those revolving

into troughs

The pumping apparatus

which carry is

called a

quite an ingenious affair, almost as primitive as

the well sweeps of Irapuato."

245

"

What a

looks like a in

it is

!

" said the Corporal.

a factory, a reduction works,

and

"

a residence

It

all

one."

"It in

great establishment fort,

and more too;

that,

is all

it

a mint; not quite as fine

is

appearance as the park-like property

which we saw

at

You

that mill.

Hercules mill

at the

Queretaro, but as a money-maker see the raw material

can discount

cheap, the machinery

is

cheap and cheaply run, and the market

^

it

is

without

you've

limit.

'

and done

said

is

After all,

there's nothing like salt,' say

the

men

of Salinas."

" What

is

the use of those

walls?" asked the Captain

"and filled

that ditch about

water?

with

;

them Why,

look at the towers and the places

guards,

for

and a

drawbridge over the moat

What, warder ho,

let

the

portcullis fall." ••

(

n no use

at all

now

;

a fence would answer

of protection, but there was a time "

How long

" About

when

has the lake been worked, Major?

fifty

years.

From

it

"

a small beginning the establishment

has grown to these great dimensions. idea of the size of

present needs

all

things were different."

You can

without making a tour over

scarcely get an

There are

it.

miles of railroad track on the property serving the various storehouses, and connecting

This

is

one of the great

everlastingly

on

salt.

them with the road and the freight stations of the line

The whole town

;

station.

salt,

salt,

of five thousand people lives

salt."

"Who " It

is

owns this concern?" asked the Corporal. owned by a family or estate, but it is said

of the owners has lived here for years.

There

is

that not

one

within those

massive walls a buiUling which In

the palace in the capital. regal residence, for

charms the

even

and fountains blend

early days

abandoned

in its

The

visitor.

finer, in

is

its

many it

state

enough

for these

their attractions,

people as long as

salt

hall of their castle at Salinas

There are no other

and

is

it

miles

is

seems

to

but Paris

is

if

good

The

deserted."

we reach San

stations of importance until

we run

for the

next

not without interest to a thoughtful traveller.

We

come upon new plants, of

and

would seem as

;

supplies the pesos.

Luis Potosi, but the country through which fifty

surprises

it

great patios are parks in which flowers

any one might be contented and happy there banquet

respects, than

must have been a

vegetation, or at least

upon a profuseness of

which we have seen but scattered specimens.

This

be the home of the yucca, and certainly the fantastic

prickly pear or nopal, which forms part of the national coat of

arms, finds here

its

most congenial climate and

soil.

After a very comfortable night the party took an ante-breakfast stroll

to the

and

The

street scenes

characteristic, but

portation of water tract

the

They went

about San Luis Potosi.

Alameda.

the

past the Cathedral

were novel

^^

trans-

seemed

to at-

attention of the boys

more than anything else did. " Look at that curious old wheelbarrow !" exclaimed the Corporal.

"What is it loaded with?" "And what kind of a team do you tain.

call

"

that?" said the Cap-

Where

is

the

other

steer?" "

Not a one-horse team,

said the Major. is

that saying of

is it?

"

" But what do you want of another steer?

Goldsmith?

what two generally do

is

'

He

a benefactor to his race.'

2-17

What

wlio can make one aninnal do I

believe he

spoke of blades of for

two when one

grass, but the principle

answer, but

will

Mexican

differ in

cities.

and here you see two other

:

use

Both these

odd.

Curious traps

styles oji wheels.

Look

1

No

the same.

Styles among water-carriers you You saw the style in Guanajuato,

establishments are water-carts.

know

is

looks

it

the

at

simply round

;

!

The

closely.

no spokes

have

wheels

things

they are

pieces of plank.

It

must take some muscle and much push

wheelbarrow."

to propel that

"This

is

promenade,"

a beautiful

said the Captain, as they reached the

Alameda. " Fine,

and a

gift

no, not exactly a

forced loan.

It

of the church

gift,

used

;

but a kind of to

be the

pri-

vate garden of the monks, the rec-

reation

place for the pious people

connected with the church and convent here.

But one day the govern-

ment concluded for

the poor people,

give us IIIUAI,c;()

"

MONUMENT.

You mean,

a

that

little

this,'

and

it

"

Do you

and they gave

after considerable confiscation," said the "

"

Why,

and

was, sure enough.

for

it,

after

It left its

marks

Captain

:

it?

in every town." "

recognize that handsome building over yonder?

that

is

Mexican Central

the

right in the city too, as at

many

good

said, 'Brethren,

persuasion."

" that reformation was quite a revolution, wasn't " Yes,

what was good

the pious priests was

finer railroad stations than that

" No, you don't.

I

station

!

Guadalajara.

It

is

You

a beautv, don't see

anywhere."

think such a building must have an edu-

cative influence in such a place as this.

It

teaches the people,

TUNNELS

IN

TAMASOPD CANON.

who never have seen any but walls, that

these massive adobe and stone

grace can go with strength, and beauty with

Part of the day was spent in a

visit to

utility."

the great works of the

Compaiiia Metalurgica Mexicana, an American enterprise, and the largest smelting plant in the country.

This of

an institution

is

'

immense importance

both

to

the

Republic

and the railroads reach-

ing San Luis Potosi. These works and those Monterey were but established,

at

recently

and

their

pros-

great

perity will perhaps lead to the building of other

plants

in

Mexico, but

certainly to the enlarge-

ment of these already in

operation

as

occa-

sion requires.

There are many in

Potosi.

The

ment palace tive in

fine

San Luis

buildings

govern-

is

attrac-

appearance

;

the

some fine stone work on its towers. There are Cathedral shows

characteristic paintings

ClirKCII

OK C.rADAI.UPE.

of high quality in the

church of El Carmen.

Much

can be seen

in

a given time at San

Luis by taking a street car or carriage to the church of Guadalupe, as the visitor thus takes in the Paseo, the fountains, the

249

jail,

and the market on the way, and reaches something worth end of

eoingr to see at the

The

his ride.

old church has a clock

which was given by the king of Spain.

On

the entrance to this beautiful sanctuary are these comfort-

ing and inspiring words

—

:

AQUI

QUE PIDE

EI,

RECIT3E

EL QUE BUSCA HALLA

AL "

Here who asks

it is

ABRE

']OCA SE LE

QUI'".

who

receives,

seeks finds, to him

who knocks

opened."

San Luis has a population of 63,500, and is the fourth city in It has always been a very busy and flourishing the Republic. place, holding the

same

relation

fertile

district,

produce.

The

eastern

to

that Guadalajara

The surrounding country

is

a very

and San Luis furnishes a ready market

for its

holds to western Mexico.

rapid growth of and the display of enterprise in

San Luis have given

it

the right to be called "the Chicago of

Mexico." " Thirty-seven

San

miles from

station, which takes

its

we come

Luis

name from a

Peotillos

to

great hacienda about three

miles north of the track," said the Major as they resumed the journey.

" This hacienda

one of the famous establishments

is

of this region of colossal estates.

It

is

said to have about six

thousand dependants." " "

Did you ever visit the hacienda, Major?" I did, and a gay time I had too."

" Tell us about it please," said the boys. " With pleasure, but words cannot describe the courtesy and cordiality with there.

which one who

The owners

in

is

properly introduced

is

received

San Luis had telephoned the adminis-

trador to have carriages at

the station.

administrador himself with two

Our party consisted of only

light

We

found

there the

coaches and an escort.

two, a gentleman from Virginia

250

and

Each of us coiikl ha\c had a coach with driver and we preferred to go together; so we rode with our Half an hour host, and the other carriage went back empty. brought us to the main entrance to the enclosure of the hacienda. Grouped together here were a chapel, storehouses, corrals, and lastly, an immense residence which, by its great length and its high veranda, reminded me of the front of Congress Hall in myself.

outriders, but

This residence, or course, was the chief ob-

Saratoga Springs. ject of our visit.

Passing through the grand entrance we came

into a great patio, in

which was a

fine stone fountain

and

variety of semi-tropical fruits

and a great

After refreshment

flowers.

of various but delicious kinds in the salon, a great

room hand-

somely furnished with French furniture and embellished by paintings,

" sive

we were shown over

From

the tower above the

view over the whole region.

main entrance we had an extenWe could see, on the south, our

train waiting for us at the station

;

on the

east, the great fields of

maguey, from which the main product of the hacienda

on the west, an Indian

village,

fine

the premises.

is

obtained

;

a curious collection of thatched

huts, or jacalcs, as they are called, in

which many of the peons

lived.

"

A

curious but pathetic scene w-as witnessed

down from the poor

the tower.

Some two hundred

dependants of the hacienda.

the expense of the estate.

people are fed here daily

at

have been two bad years

in this region

sufficient rain,

United

when we came

This was the distribution of rations to

;

that

is,

There

years without

and corn has been imported, much of it from the A procession was formed,

States, to feed these people.

and each one passing the distributor received a

ladleful

of

cooked corn and beans, a kind of succotash. The line of appliThe child hardly as cants included both sexes and all ages. tall

as the great earthen jar

which steamed with hot

rations,

was preceded or followed hy the tottering old man or shrivelled old

woman, and

all

were in rags. 251

" It was an interesting, but a sad and touching

which showed the other hacienda

shady

side, the

side, if

sight

;

one

you please, of the

This estate has expended more than 56o,ooo

life.

the past two years for the support of

haciendados have their

hard times

'

'

dependants.

its

in

Verily

as well as their luxurious

seasons."

At the next

station, Villar,

San Luis, and now begin

San Ysidro

for us.

We

spreading at

to

we

are thirteen

hundred

feet

below

descend more rapidly through the

Past Cerritos and two or three small stations,

valley.

we rush on

to

a good

Cardenas, where

notice that, below Villar, into a vast plain,

last

we

meal

be ready

will

are in a verdant belt,

where green has taken the

brown in the landwe noticed on our ride same reason. The side of the

place of gray, and brightness has supplanted

Such a change has occurred

scape.

into Real del

Monte, and

100

125

ISO

for the

17S

200

226

as

250

276

300

32S

350

MO U5 UUes

375

PROFILE MAP OF TAMPICO DIVISION.

which faces the gulf receives moisture, while the other

valley

side does not.

Hence

fresh

A

and

fruitful,

and on the same thing; one side comparatively dry and barren.

in all these lateral valleys

intervening sloping plains

we

find the

the other side

reference to your profile of the line will give you the clearest

idea of our progress to the sea

going plains.

down

stairs,

and

These plains or

level.

You

that each step

is

will see that

table lands of different levels

through passes and caiions.

252

we

are

one of these sloping

we reach

[

I

I

The is

pass through which

The

the San Ysidro.

(some of

we

down

are going

two and one half per cent), but

it is

to the next step

you an idea of the grade

profile will give

it

can convey no

The taste of eighway down the San Jose feast of them which we

conception of the crookedness of the road. teen degree curves which we get on the

mountains shall

is

good preparation

a

have farther on

for the

and the scenery too

;

a vast improvement

is

we have had since we left Aguas Calientes. We are reminded of the "Notch" in New Hampshire. " Curious names along here," said the Captain, looking on the map " this one is pretty. La Joya, the jewel." "How about this one, El Gato, the Tom-cat?" said the Major. on any

that

;

Cerritos

the

is

most important

The country about

Cardenas.

Large towns are

very extensive.

and south of

On

Cerritos.

station

here

between San Luis and

is

very

a

little

at

the north

is

fertile

and the

valley

distance both north

El Maiz in the centre of

a great grain region, and on the south the city of Rio Verde, on the river of the fruit

"

By the way. Corporal, what would you think of a smoked

orange? "

same name, the business centre of a remarkable

country.

"

asked the Major.

A smoked

orange

" Neither did

I,

Verde people smoke

"Why?"

!

I

never heard of such a thing."

anywhere

else,

but they say that the Rio

their oranges as

we smoke hams."

asked the Captain; "I should think

it

would

spoil

their flavor."

"Well,

I

suppose they know what

they

are

about.

They

claim that smoking them keeps them fresh."

A

run of about

fifty

miles, passing the unimportant stations

San Bartolo and Las Tablas, brings us six-hour run from San

to

Cardenas, the end of the

Luis Potosi, in which

we have dropped

nearly twenty-two hundred feet.

Cardenas gets a

is

an important station

good meal.

Quaint

little

for

place

253

the passenger

;

here he

Cardenas

;

most of

this

it lies

is

" under the

hill "

below the

a large storehouse, or hacienda,

governor of the state of San

Near the

station. if

track there

you please, belonging

Corn

Luis Potosi.

to the

the chief

is

product of the region.

There

is

a rich agricultural district south of this point watered

bv the Rio Verde, which runs

for

many -

miles nearly parallel with

the road at a distance

of,

perhaps, fifteen miles.

The

house

station

Cardenas

a

is

fine

stantial building,

i^

makes a

that

at

sub-

and one

wonderfiil

contrast with the prevail-

ing architecture of the natives.

Cardenas we

Leaving

stream and pass

skirt the

immediately through

a

great cut which leads us to the

green western side

of another valley

named

Canoas,

From Cardenas we must get down four thousand feet, and we must be about

it

;////!'

maiiana about

proi.to,

no

We

be-

it.

gin in the cut and BAMBOO.

canoe, as

The

soil

fields

it

is

.

What

named.

of the bottom

is

fantastic

which

tell

sides

,,

this

down

cup or

the valley has

red and evidently rich, for you see great

of corn and wheat, and along the

press trees

,

we go mto

little

you of another change,

of climate as well as of vegetation.

2$4

stream great cy-

this

time a change

But the sides of the cup

!

they are high mountains, which do not slope off gradually into a plain as those

do which we have seen along our journey.

These

mountains seem to have been pushed up through the edges of the valley, and their peaked points are directly above us.

Here and there are strange formations of rock, some of them projecting into the valley from the sides of the mountains, some of them standing quite alone. Near the Canoas station is one of these formations which will attract special attention.

appearance of an

immense

It

has the

turreted castle wall.

This valley of Canoas has an elevation of about three thousand

hundred

six

spot.

Some

feet,

and a most genial climate.

It

an ideal

is

of the officials of the road say that they had

than in any other place they

rather live in this valley

know

much of in

Mexico. Just as

The we

we

Canoas we begin a long toboggan

leave

steep decline begins at a

feel the

moment we

plunge the

slide.

bridge near the station

little

pass that point.

The

slide

is

twenty-eight miles long, extending from Canoas to Rascon.

It

takes about two hours and a half to

traveller

would forgive the

make

management There

hours to this section of road.

if is

it

the

trip,

but the

would allow

five

no more delightful

scenery on any railroad line in the world than that which greets the eye in the few hours spent between Cardenas and Rascon.

The charming

valley of

trail.

The

is

quickly succeeded

of Tamasopo —

yawning gulf or gorge tortuous

Canoas

plain

is

by the

the straight line by the

succeeded by precipitous mountains

sloping a thousand feet below us to the stream, and a thousand feet

above us toward the sky.

Clinging to the sides of these

mountains the road parallels the river, piercing points with tunnels.

mous

retaining walls.

It

is

supported in

Across the

gUstens like a thread of

silver, rise

little

can get a

numerous sharp places by enor-

stream, which far below

the mountains which are the

counterparts of these on whose sides

We

many

we

are smoothly sliding.

somewhat adequate idea of what man has achieved 255

here over nature by imagining sary to render

it

as easy

and

mountain-sides as we find

it

how

great a work would be neces-

as safe for us to ride along those to ride along these.

ocular demonstration to contradict us, it

we should

Had we

not

say at once that

could not be done.

The

peculiar

charm of

the verdure of the

this

grand cafion of the Tamasopo

mountains

from base to summit.

is

In the

Toltec gorge and in the grand canon of the Arkansas in Colo-

rado we are awed by the masses of bare rock which tower above us or

us, but here we seem to be floating along on The moisture which comes from the sea supplies

yawn below

the tree-tops.

the vegetation of the caiion with ample and constant

Ills

l;r^N'

means of

!

growth, and the mountains are arrayed in green, even though the plains

above may enjoy no rain

sense of grandeur

is

for

months

at a

time.

The

not wanting, but the sense of beauty sur-

When one comes at last in the mind of the observer. on the height above the mouth of the cafion, and to look down upon the great valley spread out at his feet, shining in its gorgeous mantle of tropical hues and stretching away to passes

it

to stand

256

,i,

>\i,i()

KKL ai;ra

hi.

l

Ar.Ai,i,i:i