Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-01-16

striving to get into so-called ssgood
society,"" and an army of fortune
hunters, who glory in the custom, as
it gives them the rare felicity of a
| full stomach.
There is no stamping out of the
Anglo-Saxon blood the love of feats
of strength and endurance by the hu-
man frame divine-none of the Latin
races have ever cared for these exhi-
bitions as exemplified in their own
proper persons. The combats of the
Roman arena were sustained by cap
tives trained as gladiators, and the
amphitheatres of Spain are crowded
to witness the tortures of wild bulls
by agile picadors and matadors, who
are seldom i'll any danger of injury.
Our piize-fights, baseball matches,
horse-races, boating contests, etc.,
are just now (and very appropriately
| for the season) overshadowed by
pedestrian mania. In nearly every
prominent city of the country walk
ing matches are in progress or in
contemplation, and the strsngest part
of the matter is that large crowds of
respectable people of both sexes are
willing to pay to witness these trials
of physical endurance. When one,
at a distance, reads of the enthusiasm
created by the completion of SO many
laps ON saw-dust track, in a given
time, by professional walkist, won
der creeps in; but if a man will only
turn upon himself the eye OF intro
spection, he will acknowledge that
Gas have above stately the gaudia
certannius has as firm a hold of his
feelings as of those of his country
men at large. Our capitol city has
so far escaped the prevailing rage,
but understand the next week q
walking bout of twenty-seyen hours,
for purse of $3.50, has been arrang-
ed between William Crawford, the
champion pedestrian of the District,
and Miss Mary Marshall, of Chicago,
who has defeated Bertha Won Hillern
on several occasions, and male pc
destrians in various sections of the
country. The only objection have
to these athletic contests by profess
sionals, is that with many of them it
is mere matter of business, and that
often matches are ''thrown" for
satisfactory pecuniary consideration.
The knowledge of this fact takes
away all the delicious glamour that
doubt Of the issue casts over the spir-
it. consider horse-racing the no.
blest sport in the world, but 1--we uldn't
give much to witness dash between
the most noted racers if suspected
the victory had been arranged be-
forehand.
Not since the 4th of March, 1873,
the day Gen. Grant was inaugurated
the second time, have we had such q
spell of cold weather as the one that
has been passing over US during the
last few days. The 4th of March re-
ferred to was only single day of in
tense cold; but everybody who was
here then will never forgetit, nor the
incidents that occurred. Then officers
and men in the procession had their
extremities frozen. The Inaugural
IlOu bdll tOOh E'AdSC Sho1 hiSAe IA u
temporary frame building erected on
Judiciary Square. 1t was impossible
to warm it. Gentlemen danced in
their overcoats and poured copious
draughts of brandy down their throats
to keep warm. The ladies in their
full dress (undress) suffered most
terribly, and there were not few of
them who went to their graves in
consequence. The scenes along the
Avenue during the progress OF the
procession from the White House to
the Capitol were more like some Of
| those we read of on gala days among
the Russians, and the present spell
recalls them with fresh interest, and
if there is any difference, the gaze OF
the thermometer is very decidedly
lower just now, and the same indica-
ton covers a much wider range Of
| this country than it did on the occa-
sion referred to. The whole northern
portion of the continent between the
two oceans is suffering more or less
from the intense cold, blockades of
snow, frozen rivers, and a general in
terruption with travel and river navi-
CATION. AUGUST.