Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-21

somewhat offensive, become intOlerable,
and no doubt breed malaria and other
sicknesses that should not be known In
a city 30 high above the level Of the sea.
Through many Of the streets excellent
trainways run, and the cOHccssiOHnafrc,
who has a monopoly, is fast becoming
millionaire. II Is amusing 10 see how
easy the driver and conductor take life.
The driver has a comfortable armchair
on the front platform, and the conduc-
tor comes In every few minutes 30 roll
his cigarette and ask a passenger for a
light. Every one smokes, often at times
which in the States would be considered
rather out OF place. For instance, a
waiter viii smoke his cigarette while
serving dinner, and IL he wants 10 use
both bis hands at the same time, will
lay IL down on the corner Of the table or
on any other "cOign Of vantage"
The walters, who are generally Mes
tizOs, are about as bad rs they are made,
stupid, inattentiye, and with q peculiar
lOping gait, something like the trOt Of a
donkey or Mexican pony. At the res
taurants in the city the food is generally
good and well cooked. The cookery IS
French, with few Mexican innovations,
such as the use Of large quantities Of
chillis in many dishes, and the perpet-
ual trijOlcs, or small black beans, with
which every meal invariably ends.
Fish is scarce and rarely good, the
principal one being the Huachinaugo, a
fish with a very thick skin, and rather
tasteless and dry. Now and then Oys-
ters are brought up from the coast;
they are very small, something like
those that grow on she mangrove trees
in Cuba. They are salt, with thick,
rough shells, and the Mexicans eat
them with their knives, rather difficult
proceeding. Meat is fairly good, the
mutton being better than the beef.
The butchers think that a bull fight
considerably improves the flavor Of the
beef, 50 each animal that is
killed i attacked in the usual
tOreador style and dispatched after
a fight of some fifteen minutes
duration with a sword which takes the
place Of a butchers knife in other lands.
The pork is good and much used by the
people; it is cooked in every possible
way, but rarely cured for bacon or
hams. The poultry is not good, and
the game scarce and poor. There is,
however, small dove called the tortela
that makes an excellent salmi, and a
little bird, something larger than the
reed bird, which feeds exclusively upon
the cantareda or Spanish fy, is simply
delicious. Vegetables are plentiful, but
/ inferior in both size and flavor: however,
they can be procured during the greater
Z part Of the year and are very cheap.
Wines, spirits, and other drinks as easily
| procured in the city as in New York,
| but the prices are rather stiff, cham
/ pagne costing Sc a bottle and other
wines in proportion. The Germans, who
are invading Mexico in large numbers,
/ have started several breweries, and the
beverage which is supposed to be 50
good for diplomatic brains is fast be-
coming a fayOritc with the people who
do not drink pulque.
The people engaged in business, such
as bankers and merchants houses,
work from eight in the morning until
twelve, then every one goes to breakfast,
and the offices are closed until three,
when they open for another hour. The
financial business was formerly done by
English houses, but the Germans have
now got almost entire control. Many
Of the shopkeepers are French, particu
larly the jewelry and dry goods houses
and the best clubs are the French anC
German casinos. The women are usual
ly plain, dress very badly, and use al
enormous quantity of paint and powde
upon their faces. Indeed, it is not a
all unusual to see a young girl of twelv
or thirteen years of age with a thicl
coating of paint, and if any adventurou
spirit wishes to set up as an importer il
Mexico, he can not do better than opel
a store for the sale of violet powder
Ladies rarely 90 out of the house in day
time, except to mass in the morning o
to drive in the Paseo in the afternoon
Letter 10 N. Y. Sun.