Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-03-26
TRAVEL BY RAIL IN MEXICO.
An Ascent of Nearly Five Thou
sand Feet in Three Hours.

railway from Vera Cruz to the city of
Mexico is in many respects one of the
most remarkable pieces Of engineer
ing of its kind in the world. The cost
was very great, taking into account
the cheapness of labor in this country;
but a trip across the mountains should
be sufficient to convince the skeptical
that not much of the $27, 000, 600 that
it cost to build 263 miles of road was
misspent. Between 0rizaba and Espe-
rama the rise is nearly 5000 feet, and
this journey is accomplished in three
hours. The track winds round
the hillsides, at one moment cross
ing an almost bottomless chasm and
at another darting through a short
tunnel, only to come out at the other
side of the hill with greater heights
beyond. The tropical vegetation
ceases trees and flowers of the tenn
perate zone appear only to make room
for pines and moses. The chance
seems magical. Far down on the
plains that have been left behind, the
traveller can see the sugar cane sway
ing in the breeze, while he has to but
ton his overcoat close round his neck,
and pull up the windows to keep out
the keen, frosty mountain air. 1t is
not unusual to leave Vera Cruz with
the thermometer at So and find it,
six hours after, at 160. The train stops
at a little wayside station at the top of
the mountains to take on wood and
water, and dozens of Indian boys and
girls Immediately surround the train
with the most delicious fruit. Plan
tains, sapotis, and pines of choice
bloom can be bought for a mere triae,
half real (l64 cents) procuring a bas-
ketful.
On leaving Esperanza the railroad
crosses an alkaline plain, where the
dust is intolerable; and this plain con-
tinues until the city of Mexico is
reached. The great peak of Orizaba.
is now left behind to the northeast,
and far away in the southwest the
sharp, snow-clad summit of Popocate-
petl, and his companion, Iztaccihuatl,
or LA Dame Blanche" are seen in
the rare, clear air. In fact, the ele-
walton begins to tell upon some of the
passengers, and a general futtering of
handkerchiefs shows that the noses Of
some are giving warning of a tendency
to bleed.
The principal production of this
region of Mexico is the naguey or
agave Americana, so we'll known in
the states as the century plant. 1t is
no eX%aggeration to say that between
Esperanza and Mexico there are at
least one hundred miles of plantations
Of this shrub, and every year the pro-
duction is becoming greater. Hun
dreds ct farms are given up to the
cultivation of the maguey, and a good
plantation yields a net profit of from
$4,000 to 100000 a year. The plant
is not ready for use until after several
years growth, and it is then generally
about three to four feet in height.
When the time has arrived for ex-
tracing the juice, an incision is made
near the foot, in the centre, and the
heart Is cut out to form
a reservoir in which the Juice
Of the leaves collects. This Juice is
then drawn up by means of a long
dried pumpkin called acocotl, and is
then emptied into a sheepskin. 1t is
poured on a cows hide stretched on a
frame, the hair being inside, and there
allowed to ferment. Afterward it is
again put into sheepskins and shipped
to market, named pulque. This
forms the staple drink ofMexico, and,
according to the rather imperfect re-
turns Of the octroi of the city of Mex
leo, the duty paid on pulque alone
amounts to between $1,000 and $1,000
a day. 1t is drank instead of water.
1t is slightly intoxicating, and to the
foreign palate it is insipid, tasting
like barley water that has soured. The
maguey is to Mexico what the vine is
to France, or hops TO England, and it
has played a prominent part in the
history and traditions of the country.
The word Mexico is said to be de-
rived from the Indian name of the
maguey (metl)-at least the most an
cient Mexican traditions give this
derivation. Their great god, who re
lolced in the high sounding name of
HuitZilopoehli, was said to have been
born Of a virgin of the noble race of
Citli, and to have had his cradle in
the heart Of a metl plant; whence his
pet name of Mecitli, afterward COR
rupted into Mexitli. When their new
city was built by the Aztecs. they
called it Mexico, after their tutelary
god.
On the alkaline plain beyond Es-
peranza the traveller is suddenly re.
minded that neither life nor proper Y
is protected as it is in less favored
climes. A guard Of sixteen soldiers
IN the rear car of the train seems at
first to be used merely in order to en-
ploy those worthless during the short
space OF time that intervenes between
revolutions, and a group of very rap-
ged cavalry, in dirty linen blouses and
toeless boots, at every station, does
not remove this impression. But as
the train stops at a little station. sew
eral women dressed in black, accom-
panied by young men with black bands
round their white sombreros. enter
the train. That is their farm that
lies under yonder hill, not half a mile
from the railroad, and a few days ago
bandits attacked their home andkilled
two OF the family. This is no isolated
case. At the present moment, there
are two young Americans in Mexico
who are much more interesting to the
natives han Grant or Sheridan.
These young men, scarcely twenty
years OF age, were travelling lately on a
diligence, when they were attacked by
banditti, one OF whom seized the
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