The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-05-19
THE CITY OF MONTEZUMA.
Mexico's Romantic Capital Seen Through
American Eyes.

American Eyes.
A letter from tbe city of Mexico to
the New York Sun says: What the
present population of Mexico may be no
one here either knows or cares, but
probably it is about quarter of a mil
lion of souls. The greater part are
mestizos or half breeds, and the re-
mainder either Mexicans of Spanish de-
scent or Indians, while a sprinkling OF
English, French, Germans and Ameri-
cans adds some life to the dullness OF
the city by their clubs and balls. Thu
streets are all at ri ght angles, running
north and south, east and west, and, as
the names are changed every block, it
requires lifetime to gain an accurate
knowledge of the city. This is to some
extent ameliorated D. habit of using
the same name for blocks in the same
street, but adding first, second or third.
So there is First, Second, and Third
San Francisco street. But this is rarely
done, and by far the greater number Ut
the streets have different names. Sev-
eral squares and parks ornament differ
ent parts of the city, and the principal
drive is along q fine road, with charm
ing view of the fine hill on which the
ancient castle of Chapultepec stands.
In almost the center of the town is
the Plaza Mayor, or great square, and
here it is that the famous cathedral is
to be found. The cathedral stands
upon the site of the great Aztec temple,
dedicated to the god Huitzilopostli,
which was built in the form of pyra-
mid, or teocalli, as the Indians called
it. Here CortCz found the aborigines
sacrificing human beings, and the house
that be occupied before Montezuma's
death is close by. The cathedral stands
back from the street, so that its impos-
ing dimensions at once strike the eye,
and in the open space in front are
numerous stalls for the sale Of religious
pamphlets, rosaries and other holy
wares, mixed up with old book and
music stalls and huge piles of bird
cages. containing countless cardinal,
knocking and other birds. In Mexico
the mixtur.' of the superstitious and IT.
religious elements is often exceedingly
grotesque. One often sees native pros
trating himself before the shrine of his
pet saint and rolling q cigarette Mt the
same time, or an Indian woman groan-
ing in prayer and clasping q bottle of
pulque in either hand. A good instance
of this is to be seen on the outside of the
cathedral, where the advertisements
and prize lists of the lotteries are stuck
on the doors! Yet the slightest dis
respect shown by stranger would be
Immediately resented, and Americans
are generally advised not to enter the
churches lest something should make
them laugh. The wonderful Aztec
calendar stone, weighing some twenty
five tons, and eleven feet in diameter, is
built in the wall of the cathedral, a
mute reminder of what was once in
Mexico.
There is rather interesting museum
near by, where the great sacrificial stone
and several of The boss" idols are pre-
served. The stone is an enormous block
of basalt, round and slightly raised in
the middle. This convex shape was
necessary, for the victim was laid on
his back on the stone, and when his
breast bone was split the body would
naturally open and allow the priest to
pull out the heart at once. In the very
center of this dissecting table is round
hole of about six inches in diameter and
three inches in depth, from which cut
ting leads out to allow the blood to flow
away. The Mexicans say that $4,000
victims were slaughtered on this rock
and, indeed, judging from it's grimy ap-
pearance, it is quite likely
The suburbs of Mexico are not by any
means beautiful, always of course ex-
cepting the rock and grove of Chapulte-
pee. Just where the houses end stands
the statue oil Charles w., the King OF
Spain, whose legs were so strong that
he could squeeze a horse until it was
breathless. Luckily he is notrepresented
in this act, and the sculptor has sue
ceeded in making one of the best eques-
trian statues in the. world. From this
point there is q straight drive called the
Calzada de la Reforma, leading to Cha
pultepec, which looks at the distance
not unlike Windsor castle when viewed
from the other end of the famous Long
walk. Here in the afternoons all Mex
leo turns out to drive in carriages or to
ride on horseback. The carriages here
are almost all made in Paris, and are,
with the exception Of few Victories,
altogether closed. Thereason given for
this is that there is rainy season OF
three months, and consequently during
the other nine months of the year the
inhabitants are obliged to use carriages
only good for wet weather. AS it is
impossible to see into these carriages
when they are in motion, they are drawn
up in lines every now and then so that
the occupants can have good view o
their friends as they pass. The eques.
train part of the promenaders is divided
into two classes, those in English and
those in Mexican saddles. 1t would be
considered very bad form for person
riding in en- English saddle to dress in
the Mexican style, but when mounted on
a Mexican horse and in Mexican sad
die the proper dress is the leather
trousers, jacket and sombrero. The
Mexican "swell" " is as particular about
the number of buttons down the out
side of his trousers, the size Of his SOM
brero, and the hang of his sword as an
English fox hunter is about the cut OF
his cords or the spotlessness of his
boots. Many ladies also ride. but they
generally 20 out early in the morning
when there are no carriages in the
Paseo. Half way between the statue of
Charles Nv. and Chapultepec there is a
scircle," in the middle of which a
statue has been erected to christopher
Columbus, and here the view of the
two volcanoes, with the rays of the set
ting sun tinting their snow-clad sum-
mits with a delicate rose color, is re-
markably fine. A row OF trees has
been planted at either side of this drive,
and they are quickly growing up; at
present there is no shade and grea
deal of dust, for the watering-cart has
not yet reached Mexico. However,
men carry some water in buckets and
sprilkle it over the dust, which is gen.
orally about six inches in depth, but the
results are scarcely satisfactory.
AS rule the streets are clean, but
badly paved, and before the rainy sea-
son sets in the sewers are opened at
every corner and emptied During this
operation the smells, which are always
somewhat offensive. become intoler-
able. and no doubt breed malaria and
other sicknesses that should not be
known in city so high above the level
of the sea. Through many of the streets
excellent tramways run, and the con.
cessionnaire. who has a monopoly, is
fast becoming millionaire. 1t is
amusing to see how easy the driver and
conductor take life. The driver has a
comfortable armchair on the front plat
form, and the conductor comes in every
few minutes to roll his cigarette and ask
Il passenger for a light. Every one
smokes, often at times which in the
States would be considered rather out OF
place. For instance. 4 waiter will