The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-04-06
LETTER PROM mExrco.
Special correspondence
City OF MEXICO, !
March, 1882.

Special correspondence
City OF MEXICO,
March, 1882.
To the Editors of the STATESMAN
Since my arrival here four weeks
ago the temperature has not chang
ed over ten degrees, and is now IS
degrees Fahrenheit. Have not yet
had an unkind word or look from
a Mexican, am forced to class them
as the kindest people in the world.
The police records show fifteen or
twenty arrests daily, and half of
these are for making noise, and not
for fighting. Have not seen a fight
or quarrel, and have been on the
streets fifteen hours daily. The city
is very densely populated. and an
official claims last years census at
$4,000. There is au opening here
for a delivery wogon system as well
as many other branches for small
capital. Not a delivery wagon is
noticed in the whole city, and the
men who carry goods on their backs
are paid we'll, as are all servants do
ing petty items of labor. The
amount of poverty here is indies
cribable, but they do not seem to
suffer, and grow fat from the use of
pulke, the best tonic i'll the world,
being food at the same time.
The hospitality OF the people
when they are started has no limit.
Your reporter dined at the same
place five days in succession, and
was reproached for not accepting an
invitation for the sixth day.
Postal changes are made according
to distance, but bill to come before
congress converting on the 25th will
probably correct their errors, to
some. | would estimate that the
town of Manor does larger postal
business than the City of Mexico, for
it seems that very few over one hun
dred letters are received or mailed
here daily, each letter received be-
ing numbered and posted on bulle-
tins, stating where from, method of
transportation of each. If you want
postal cards you are told to come
just before a steamer leaves Vera
Cruz, as they sell at no other time.
Many Of the daily papers in the
city are adding English depart
ments to their papers. The Ameri-
can people are not coming to the
City of Mexico rapidly, except as
tourists. Ii is estimated that among
foreigners here French are the most
numerous, German next and of
Americans only about 400 persons.
All funerals are now conducted here
OH an economical plan by street cars,
hearse car taking the lead, while
one or two chartered cars for mourn
ers following at speed of prob
ably ten miles perhour. Among
the poor collins containing the dead
are often seen on the streets on the
heads of two men, one at each end.
Some sidewalks are as wide as thir-
ty feet, but many are not more than
five, and as there is no system about
taking the right, half of the people
take The street instead of the side
walks.
Gen. Palmer, of the Palmer Sulli-
van road, is here. Mr.. w. w. O'Dwy-
er, correspondent of the " Y. Iri.
6URe, and formerly Horace Greelev's
private secretary, Is here. Mr.. APP
pleby, formerly president of the
frontier telegraph to Brentwood, is
now manager of the submarine tele-
graph, extended TO this city. Mrs.
A. Carr, of San Antonio and q rela-
tive of Mrs. p. Thompson OF your
city, is visiting her friends and rela-
tives here. j,