The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-05-13
The Romantic Capital Of Mexico q
Seen Through American Eyes.

There is scarcely city in either the
Old or New World whose name conjures
up such romantic ideas as does that of
the City of Mexico. The "Venice of
the Aztecs," as writer's delight to call it,
where Montezuma reigned and died,
amid a civilization almost equaling that
of ancient Rome or Athens, with pop
ulation greater at the time of the Span.
ish conquest than that of any known
city, with an Incompatible climate,
lying among mountains grander than
Mont Blanc, and possessed of untold
wealth, cannot fail to be an object of
interest to the tourist who visits it or to
the reader who becomes acquainted
with it at secondhand. Tie student of
history who has gloated over the en-
thralling pages Of Prescott or Robert
son, and whose imagination has been
fired with glowing descriptions of tenn
Piles ruddy with gold and precious
stones, of snow-clad volcanoes, of mys-
tic groves and floating gardens brilliant
with thousand many-hued flowers,
would no doubt receive q rude shock if
he were to visit the present metropolis
of Mexico, expecting to find anything
of this sort; but the intelligent traveller
will find innumerable objects of interest
and beauty. When Cortes entered
Mexico, over three and half centuries
ago, he found city of some three hum
dred thousand inhabitants living in
houses built for the most part upon
piles driven into the bed of Lake Tes-.
coco. To-day the waters of the lake
have SO far receded that the nearest
point is some two miles from the
town. Entertainments are constructed
so that the waters of the lake no longer
inundate the town, but occasionally,
during the rainy season, the streets
are flooded, and it is impossible to have
any cellars under the houses, as there
would be no drainage. The floating
gardens are mere onion beds. The
groves of expresses have been cut
down, and the noble descendants of
Montezuma are represented by drunken
ruf1ians lounging outside a pulquerta, or
corner gin-mill, or by hideously de-
formed beggars who haunt the court
yards of the hotels. What the present
population of Mexico may be no one
here either knows or cares, tut proba-
bly, it is about q quarter of million of
souls. The greater part are nsestizos, or
half-breeds, and the remainder either
Mexicans of Spanish descent or Indians,
while sprinkling of English, French.
Germans and Americans adds some life
to the dullness of the city by their clubs
and balls. The streets are all at right
angles, running north and south, east
and west, and, as the names are
changed every block, it requires life
time to gain an accurate knowledge of
the city. This is to some extent amel-
iorated by 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 Fran
cisco street. But this is rarely done,
and by far the greater number of the
streets have different names. Several
squares and parks ornament different
parts of the city, and the principal
drive is along 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 Ie0calA, as the Indians called
it. Here Cortes found the aborigines
sacrificing human beings, and the house
that he 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.
The wonderful Aztec calendar stone,
weighing some twenty-five tons, and
eleven feet in diameter, is built into the
wall of the cathedral. q mute reminder
of what was once in Mexico.
There is q rather interesting museum
near by. where the great sacrificial
stone and several of the - boss idols
are preserved. The stone is an enor-
nous block of basalt, round and slight
ly 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
fow away. The Mexicans say that To-
600 victims were slaughtered ON this
rock; and, indeed, judging from its
grimy appearance, it il quite likely
Cor. N. r Sssn.
THE portraits Of Buchanan and john
SON will complete the portraits Of Presi-
dents at the White House. MIR. Il. F.
Andrews haa orders to paint them. Tbs