Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-01-20

round faced, Jolly looking man about
forty wears old. II had seen him at
home l should have SAID he was ven-
der of plaster images or perhaps an Or
gan grinder. lie wore ordinary sheep
skin clothes and skull cap. around
which was row OF beads, and his
beard was of weeks growth. AS he
passed down the center OF the car, two
or three fellows arose and embraced
him. by which we concluded he was the
village Padre. lie got a seat next to
one OF our Americans. Texas doctov,
who Immediately bounced him tor
conversation, but soon found that his
new friend knew not single word OF
English, but the doctor then struck Hun
OH Latin and the two carried on an nni-
mated conversation until we reached
the CITY, when we learned that our
friend of the skull cap was none other
than the Archbishop OF Monterey. once
an important state functiOnary, now,
thanks TO wiser policy, only private
citizen with no more rights than the
poorest Indian.
The present Archbishop was the pri-
vate secretary to the pope. and when
the pope came to the papal throne, he
appointed him to fill the vacancy here,
certainly at that time y place OF mag
nificent 5anlshment.
10 be dumped out Of train in ior-
eign country, among people whose
color, dress, language and ever, tblng
about you IS new and strange produces
strange feeling assure you. Dozens OF
Mexican hackmen bawled at the top OF
their voices in n wonderful jarg"n
which none OF US understood. No
white man was IL be seen, j. e, no Amer.
(greenhOrns, as the Mexicans call ny
stood in utter bewilierment. Ii We
spoke English to auyoue they laughed
aud shook their head. The women and
children drew back from US as il We
we're beasts. of prey, while they stared
us out of countenance. We finally held
cided 10 try Hotel de lturbide, going
more on the name of the great man
after whom it WAS named than any other
| thing. We drove q bargain. tor here
you have to make bargain for all you
have done, with coclero to take US
| 10 the hotel at dos reales. or two bits
head.
The Mexican backs are marvels OF big
" heels cracked leather, ,rawhide strings
and general nastiness. The team is
either pair OF small ponies or smaller
mules, skinned. scared and driven TO
death. To pass the army OF public
hacks before the eyes Of u Missouri liv-
cry man, would make him smile il he
were having his legs ampu;ated.
/ nt~ Assty nvx, hn
streets in an old Mexican city tor the
frat time he fancies he is in dream.
That he has been reading some book
OF by gone days and thinks the scenes
over in his sleep. You enter the mar
row streets which look dreary and lone.
some; here you meet u woman with .
shawl over her head, carving n jar
of water, and then comes q dozen
donkeys loaded with wood, hay. fodder.
dry hides. fresh meat and lazy men.
Everything is now strange, old, and you
think the world has revolved backward
TO bible days by some mysterious agen-
cy and carried you with it.
1t was dusk when we reached the ho-
tel. Like all other houses here it Is built
around hollow square, with the rooms
opening upon the court yard. Around
the yard runs corridor supported upon
huge stone pillars on great arches OF the
same. They look as if they W were erected
with some eye to use on the day Of judg-
ment. In the center of the court yard
grow beautiful vines, flowers and trop-
ical fruits, such AZ the orange, banans,
planta etc., etc.
We register our names and 60 in to
supper. Tho goat dinner at ihe station
} t>., rvfrvn lsok TD,
The ladies had been fasting since they
crossed the Rio Grande, aud built high
hopes on what they were 10 enjoy at 8
''first class hotel," but on going to the
table two very dark Mexican walters
who could not speak single word o
English, made their appearance. Theu
:. the fun began. They pointed and CAB
bled, and the Americans did the same
Spanish had been "a dead language" Il
US slnce school days but an empty stom
3 ach had wonderful tendency to revive
il, and after making the greasers smile
: at our lingo, few times, supper came
! on and to our horror 1t was goat-nolh
ing but goat IN all varieties-strong e
9 musky goats. Tho vacant places were
}: filed up with garlic. beans, blact
bread, and goat milk. This is fire
!, class hotel, and We shall have to pa,
81 so per day.
lam wonderfully disgusted, aud hav'
halt q mind to start for the Rio Grand,
in the morning. My sleeping room i
:, 80 feet long. 20 feet wide. with tw'
windows and door. The window
q have no glass in them. but close shutter
on the inside. like mill doors. and eacl
has % ire II bars an iuch thick. Th
p ceiling Is % feet high, and the floor
made of cement. as hard az lime stone
! The walls are three feet thick, aud ,h'
door is three inches thick. One thinl
is certain, l am proof against burglar
and revolutions. and shall sleep soundll
= If can keep down the ghosts 0f mur
. dered Billy goats. T..
!. There are two bridal parties with Us
). from Chicago, out sight seeing. and
8 really hope all this goat business may
y not have its influence upon generation
y yet unborn" j. M. V.
n |