Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-05-20

TRAVEL BY RAIL.
Formerly, W to within year, the only
mode of travel in this country was by
diligence, mulu-back, or foot now, how.
ever, there is a splendid railroad, man
aged chiefly by the English. and travel
ing is, at present. almost as comfortable,
and nearly as safe as in any part OF the
world. To be sure, the government, or
rather the railroad, sends au entire car
full Of soldiers, armed to the teeth, with
every train, to protect it from the
MOUNTAIN ROBBERS;
but that ouly makes it lively and interest
lug for the travellers, you sec. Now and
then train is stopped, and ottentimes a
band of two or three hundred miscreants
go through" the passengers. taking not
only their money and vaIuables, but near
iy all their clothes this, however, is not
frequent, and although we had many mis-
givlngs on our journey wheu we stopped
at lonely spots, or had rough looking,
araed Mexicans peering into our car
windows. We, Oh the whole, didn't quake
much Of the time. The running trip
from Vera Cruz to the City Of Mexico is
only eighteen hours duration yet the ex-
pences of the road, the guards, ,etc.,are so
great that The fare for each person, with
u single trunk, was twenty,onc dollars
gold.
The train we took was what is called Il
MIXED TRAIN.
u freight train with Que passenger car at
tachcd This we avaied ourselves of in
order to see more leisurely all the little
Indian an1 Mexican towns through which
We passed, and at which our "ailxcd
train" stopped sometimes as much as half
an hour, giving US plenty of time TO van
der about the stations aud see the iuhabi.
tan,s buy their odd fruits, make sketches,
aud prcambuaie generally, which we
could not have douc had We taken the
regular express train. 1t was fearfuly
hot, aud we baked nearly all day; but the
tlip was so interesting that We enjoyed hc
whole of it. We left Vera Cruz at niue
in the morning, and went the first day as
far as the
CITY OF oIizABA,
which is four thousand feet higher up III
the mountains than Vera Cruz, and where
we arrived about seven in the afternoon.
Halt of tho distance the road lay IN hot
dusty plains on the coast. but soon We be-
gan to ascend the more fertile mountains,
aud, passing through miles Of coffee, sug-
ar, banauna plantations. we presently en-
tered the most hourishiDg aud fertile por-
ton Of Mexico, the valley of Orizaba.
AS We approached the city, the Colonel
and (having formed the acquaintance Of
IL civil engineer attached to the road)werc
invited to climb up upon the top Of our
car, and, from that elevated perch on
the rather shaky roof, We flew along
among the beautiful, green plantations,
specked all over with little groups OF work
ing Indians, men, women, babies, donkeys.
cattle, etc. The view was grand. We
W ere shut in and surrounded by giant
mountains, green with trees to their very
tops 1t was just about sunset, and the
church bells Of the many converts and
nonasteries were pcaling away musically
their evening vespers as we wound our way
in toward the station at the further end Of
the little city.
Orizaba is one of the prcttiest and most
Characteristic little cities in the country,
and we had determined to spend three
days there. Proceeding IN miserable
old broken-down carriage to the Hotel
Diigencias (Which was forbidding. cold,
desei ted. gloomy sort Of Il modern two
story house, lately built against the old
hotel, which appeared to have been rather
Il rambling stone stabIe,) we found pretty
comfortable rooms. and, upon going down
to kind Of hall with the kitchen opening
out of it through revolving door, we sat
| 1--WE iouT) at table big enough TO enter
tain the entire troop with which Cortes
first conquered the country. A dim little
lamp just enabled Us 10 see each other
across the great table, and
TWO INDIAN ROBBERS
waited upon us, looking as if they had
just come in from currying the mules and
donkeys that we saw through the open
doors, disputing, with the guant dogs and
tame turkeys, an entrance into our ban.
quoting hall. There was great commo-
ton in the chief corridor of the hotel, in
consequence Of lot Of gamblers" who
had just arrived from Mexico, and who
we're to give ball there that night
wherewith to attract the population tc
! their gaming tables, which were scattered
!, about in the halls. and where there were
thousands Of silver dollars and COLDER