The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-08
TRAVEL by RAIL IN MEXICO.
AN Ascent of Nearly 5000 Feet Made in
NJ ,f- Three Hours.

An Ascent of Nearly 5000 Fost Made in
,l. Three Hours.
| The railway from Vera Cruze to the
city Of Mexico 10 Ia many respects one of
the most remarkable pieces Of engineer
ing Of It's kind In tho world. The cost
was very great, taking into account the
cheappess of labor in this country; but o
trip across the mountains should con.
vince tho most skeptical that not much
OF the $27, ,000, 600 that It cost to build
263 miles Of road was misspent. Between
Ori-aba anc Esperanza The rise il nearly
| 5000 feet, and this journey is accomplished
10 three hours. The track winds around
the hillsides, at one moment crossing an
almost b0ttomless chasm and at another
7erting through short tunnel, only to
come out at the other side OF the hill
| with greater heights beyond. The tropi-
cal vegetation ceases; trees and flowers
OF the temperate zc1e appear only TO
make room for pines and MOSES. The
change seems magical. Far down on
the plains that have been left behind,
the traveller can see the sugar cane
swaying In the breeze, while he has to
button his Overcoat close round his neck,
and pull up the windows TO keep out the
keen, frosty mountein air. II is not un-
Usual tn,leayelV " era Cruz with tiiU ther.
imometer ne $50 I'D find IL, elk hours
after, at 160. Tho train stops at little way.
eide station OF the top Of the mountains
to take on wood and water, and dozen. Of
Indian boys and girls Immediately sur.
round the train with the most delicious
fruit: Plantains, sapotis, and pines Of
choice bloom can be bought for mere
sriae, half areal (63 cents) procuring o
1 bdsket.,il. r''
| On leaving EAperanza the railroad
crosses On alkaline plain, where the dust
| is intolerable; and this plain continues
until the city Of Mexico Is reached. The
1 great peak Of Orizaba is now left behind
TO the northeast, and far away in the
| southwest the sharp, snow.clad summit
1 of Popocatepetl, and his companion, L..
taccihuatl, or La Dame Blanche" are
| seen In the rare, clear air. In fact. the
elevation begins to tell upon some of the
passengers, aud general fnttering Of
handkeFchiefs shows that the noses of
some are giving warning Of o tendency to
bleed. K,
The principal production Of this region
OF Mexico is the n,Gguey or agaue Ameri-
| cGFQ, 40 we'll knDwn,i in the States saa the
century plant. It is no e4aggeration to
aay that between Esperanza and Mexico
thara are et least one hundred miles of
| plantations. of this shrub, and every year
the production is becoming grenter.
Hundreds of farms gre givon up to the
cultivation of the nrdgucy, and good
plantation yields net profit of from $685.
900 to 100000 year. ~ gf
The plant ID not ready for use
until after several years. growth, aud
IL il then generally about three 10 four
feet in height. When the time has ar-
rived for extracting the juice, an incis.
ioii Is made near the fSot, in the centre,
and the heart IL cut mt to form @ resef.
voir in which the juic5 OF the leaves COL
lects. This juice il then drawn up by
means Of long dried pumpkin called
Goocon, and is then emptied into sheep
akin. It ID poured on q cove hide
stretched on q frame, the hair being la.
| side. and, there, allowed to ferlnent.
RI fsfi57:aEd u ie again put into sheepskips
And shipped to market under the name
of puiquc. This forms the staple drink oi
Mexico. and, according the rather imper'
feet returns of the ocfroi of the city ol
Mexico the. duty paid on pnlgue alone
aInduntslso between So, 600 and 81, 900 q
| day. It is drank instead OF water. It Il
sngnt'y into1icating' sna 70 the foreign
palate It is insipid, taating like barley
Mn.e: tnas gas soureu. tne n1dgaey ID &c
M meAlco wnac tne Vine 10 TO france, ol
nora % england, ana It has played
prominent pare IN tne history and tradi'
:lvII: VI TUG Co1ut.y. Inc WORD mexico
ls.saia 20 oe derived from the Indian
name OF tne n'qgaey Sgy lnletsl-:ae least The
mos' anolent maXican TRADITIONS givf
: lnia aef,yation. 1neir great god who
TSe.. TSiateen En- ~ .ne ;FvsiIuing name OF
hnl1Elsepoenn, was saiG 70 have 6seu
pom % VIRGIN St the noble raca OF Citli
2aQ 20 nave nag n,s cradle IN the heart
Od q LtSft plant whence his net name o!
nlsclei, aiterward corrupted into Mexitli
When tnsir new city was built by the
! Astees: they, called IL Mexico, after theii
tuteiafy goo. si.,s.yir III
On the alkaline plain beyond Esperan:
.s. sa. the traveller Is suddenly reminded
thst neither life nor property is psotec-
tea as lsts IN less favored climea. A