Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-15
TfssPS IN MENECD.
Experiences Of a Philadelphia Mint
Graduate.

tered when a boy and who is now in Durango
Mexico, experimenting the erection of the ma
ehnery of a mInt-al made in this cty-of
which he will take charge when it Is completed,
has written hone some very entertaining letters
descriptive of life amJ ny the Mexicans, from
which we quote the following:
We visited last Friday the Mexican Central
railroad a. far fnshed-36l5 miles from Mex
leo Ii passes out Of the valley II Mexico
through the old cut made 10y Hernandez Marti-
neZ Spanish engineer. in 1910 to 1860 to
drain the valley of Mexico. They first started
to a tunnel. but it caved IN ard killed
15.0O0 men, after hef they started to dig out the
whole affair Over - 600 men lost their lives
during It's construction. as it eaved in very
easily 1t is over u miles long. 200 to 2f0 feet
wide and from 80 TO 3G0 feet deep. Part of the
Old brick work Of the tunnel is yet to be seen.
On THE MEXICAN CENTRAL.
We rode in a box-car with the paymaster who
was TO go along with the line and pay the Icons
as they are called. They are the nearest class
Of Mexicans, aud get 36j5 cents per day. We
had eight men besides ourselves with six Win
c1esters and eight rev0lyers on board. and
everybody en- board kept "A sharp lookout for
the bandits who were expected to attack us, as
We had some $4,000 with us. A year ago the
bandits attacked the train on the road between
Vera Cruz and Mexico. and after killing three
officers and forty soldiers, stole forty thousand
dollars aud robbed the passengers.
EVERYBODY CARRIES REVOLVER
Both in Vera Cruz and the city of Mexico
everybody has his belt of cartridges and shooter
and even gentlemen in full dress never 90 out
without one, which is generally in keeping with
their dress, being either gold or silver mounted.
Everybody knows everybody else is armed. and
Consequently they never. or seldom raise
racket. The city is very clean aud paved with
cobbestones. but the payements are narrow. We
live IN the hotel and eat at the restaurant. We
OF for Ht-a, ..lc I,,,k r.
cents The coffee and chocolate beat ANYTHING
you ever thought OF The waiter has two silver
pots exactly alike. with straight ebony handle
sticking out about two feet One pot has the
coffee and the other the milk He pours out as
much coffee as you wish and then finishes it
with milk. The coffee is thick and as black as
ink 1t has an elegant flavor. and is raised in
the country.
OF the town of Durango the writer gives us
this account:
The town is built entirely of adobe or mud
Dicks dried in the sun. They are about sixteen
inches long. nine inches wide and six inches
thick, and make pretty fair building. The
houses are seldom over one story high, and
have brick or plaster roofs. The walls are plaS-
tered inside and out with fine white plaster
end look very well. and the floors are all brick
Covered with coarse mating Every house has
patio or open place in the middle around
which the rooms are built. This yard is ALWAYS
fuil OF flowers which bloom nearly the wear
round. The better classes have fine trees prin-
eipaiiy orange and plum, and also a
BATH IN THE YARD.
There is river about a mile from the town
from which the water for drinking and cooking
purposes Is brought. The water for washing,
de- is taken out of the streets through which it
runs IN large cutters paved and covered over
with Tagging. The celebrated Iron mountain is
about three-fOnrths of mile from the town and
Is wonderful affair 1t is ABOUT three ourths
OF mile ionS. fourth of mile wide, and S25
1eet high, ami is one solid mass of magnetic iron
ore. Another hill west of the town contains a
vein OF tin which is being worked. The town
mas many fine springs. the water from which
runs into the cutters and is used by the people
In the houses.
Describing trip to the City Of Mexico. Mr..
6chlemm says:
As day came on we caught sight of Orizaba.
with its rose eOlOred summit, and at 8 a. M
struck the foot OF the great plateau and came
To that part OF the railroad which has made it
famous as one of the greatest engineering feats
In the world. As We reached the town of
Orizaba We had q fine view of the mountain.
l3,oOO feet above the level of the ocean. When
the clouds left the upper portion we saw dis
tinctiy the barren belt between the timber and
the snow lines The grades on this line are
tremendous and no end to the tunnels. At
6ota We stopped for the down train which
shortly. as an insect. was seen in the gap above
We watched it as il wound around through the
Ayoyas. over bridges and through tunnels, until
nnaily 1t was 10y our side. At Malrata we came
TO the long grade. which made our fOIIr-
cylinder sixty-hye ton Fairlie engine blow like
volcano We finally got up and at Bora del
Monte We're SSH feet above Vera Cruz In
twenty-five miles We rose 400 feet The
scenery along this part of the line is grand
beyond description. and We frequently looked
down
CHAsMs OVER 2.OOO FEET DEEP.
This line was ten years in construction and
cost s21,OO,OOO- At Esperanto we stopped for
dinner. From this place TO within few miles
OF Mexico the line is almost level and the road
Oh either side is covered as far as one can see
WIN naguey This plant is called the century
plant north, and is known to botanisIs as the
Aguae Americana. 1t is the mainstay of this
country and u source of revenue to the rail-
roads From it the inhabitants make a beer
called pulgue. and rum called takeIla ropes
Clothing, preserves, roofs. etc. The freight on
the Vera Cruz road for puigue alone amounts to
$1,000 per week. At San Juan Testihuacan we
saw two large pyramids built by the Aztecs
Ihey are covered with vegetation, and but for
their regular shape would be mistaken for small
mounds or hillsides.
In n subsequent letter the writer tells us.-I
took trip out into the mountains last week
with MIR. North, Chief engineer of the Alfalfa
Culiacan and Durango railroad to examine tho
tin mines and find route suitable for a railroad
1T took US two days to make fiftv-eipht miles
Is the roads are only lit for goat to climb. The
mules out here are very small but climb like
cats. and person is much safer on one of them
ranch OF General Arsie, a Mexican and were
treated first rate L noticed nine dogs under the
table and in the room while we were eating
This ranch is one of the finest In Mexico II IS
only % miles long and 81 miles wide You NAV
think TINS kind of a yarn, but man In Duran
go named Gayilan owns a ranch in the moun
ta.ns 800 miles square, equal to 57.6OO.OOO
acres This Is larger than the states of Pennsyl-
yania and New Jersey together
The second day out We saw five deer and came
across many bear tracks, and at night heard the
wolves raising racket. / went down into and
examined the tin mines and secuted around the
country one day. The mines are over Q 500 feet
above the Sea, and it takes your wind away
when you move around lively. In coming home
We took the northern route and went over a
pass which was l0, 30 feet high the clouds being
lar below u.s. We came down z. 500 feet i'm three
miles, so you can judge What kind of q road il
was Our guide, an Indian, turned back twice
to find the trail
La some places the trail came to the edge OF
the canons and you could look down over a
thousand feet just like wall We rot off fire.
4aentiy and let the mules slide or tumble down