Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-03-12
IN MExICO,
On the Route from Vera Cruz 20
the Capital. ~
Cor. San Antonio Exprcss.l

WoNtACAs AA0 AOd0 - July III LuC
mountains, traversing for a time a
very narrow valley called La Joya (the
Jewell, and we'll named it is, tool, and
in the midst of which is snugly en-
sconced the village of Maltrata. In
this little village is found the greatest
abundance of tropical fruits OF all de-
scriptions, and Indian women and girls
swarm upon the train to sell them. A
handsomely made willow basket, hold
ing about half a peck. filed with half
a dozen line oranges topped with other
fruit, is worth, basket and all, one real.
l24 cents. After purchasing one
basket, the senior of our party gave
a bright. eyed Indian girl a quarter
to so after another basket. The
girl was evidently kidnapped and hur-
ried away to the mountain Businesses
by some ogre, for we never saw her
again. At Maltrata the steepest as
cent of the mountain commences, the
ascent averaging l75 feet to the mile
from the point a short distance below,
and at some points being 28 feet. At
Maltrata the visitor is shown a blush
speck on the mountain side over two
thousand feet above him, and is told
this is an iron trestle work on the
line of the road, and from which a
stone could almost be thrown into the
town, but we must travel about
twenty-seven miles to reach the point.
1t seems almost Incredible, but we
soon learn that the report is correct.
Through this valley every available
foot Of soil is utilized, and away down in
deep gorges or high up on the sides of
the mountains are found in the parches
Of ground, often only a few yards, in
cultivation. Sometimes these places
appear almost inaccessible, but wher-
ever there is a chance to raise
a bushcl OF wheat or barley or other
product the opportunity is taken adj
vantage of. This high state of cul
tivation goes far towards making the
scenery around Maltrata the most
charming in the world. The train
begins to mount higher and higher,
shooting up through gorges and tun.
nels, and moving towards every point
of the compassion a distance of a few
miles; gliding along a narrow pathway
at times, with a towering mountain
on Que side and a seemingly bottomless
abyss on the other; burrowing in a
tunnel one instant and the next
pearched at a dizzy height upon a
seemingly frail iron trestle one fanoies
to be little stronger than a spiders
web; plunging along, higher and high
er, until we are riding amidst or above
the clouds in a railway car. When the
weather is clear the scenes in the
valley as the mount is assembled are
perfectly enchanting, as the little
town below disappears and comes in
sight no less than sixteen ditferenttimes
with each succeeding view differ
ent and, if possible, more charming
than its predecessor, until finally we
plunge across a long and very high
iron trestle-work, the blue speck"
pointed out at Maltrata, the town we
left near two hours before is directly
beneath us, and a few minutes there
after we reach the summit, or the
highest altitude on the line, and from
whence we find a complete change of
climate, natural vegetation and all
cultivated products. Filled with
wonder at the beauties seen, and
thrilled With excitement over the
seeming dangers passed, the traveller
fully prepared for the dinner he
gets at Esperanza, on reaching the
summit, and the change of scene and
new features Of Mexico to be un-
i,
In the country traversed there are !
some deer and plenty of small game,
many people making a living by hunt
ing. Fish abound in all the streams.
and in some places are the principal !
diet for the poorer classes. J
The passenger cars on the road !
from Vera Cruz to to the City of
Mexico, owned in great part by an
English company, are the English ,
compartment coaches for first-class,
and Wooden-seated cars, after the
American style, for second class. The /
used until the mountain is !
is the Barline, an American !
invention, constructed especially for /
work, all others having proven /
1t is a double machine. with Z
two smoke stacks and sixteen small .
drive wheels, a most wonderful and 5
powerful piece Of mechanism. No. j
cars are run on the line. I
Each passenger train carries, in the
rear car, a guard of about twenty SOL
diers for protection, and a patrol
guard Of eight or ten men are assem-
bled at each station as the train ar
These troops are furnished by
the government, the railroad furnish
ing only free transportation. An ex-
pensive way to afford protection botA
to the government and the railroad,