Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-17

LETTER FROM MEAlCO.
SAN luis POtOsl-A PICTURESQUE City
| How the People Live-Music, Prone
| nades and Clubs-The Hallway Gem
! ter-The Liquids OF MexicO-The Gil.
| mate, Etc,
| CoRRKsPoSDxNCE OF TIE EVENING star
SAN kUB PoTosI, MEXICO, March 2.
San Luis Potosi, the capital of the state Of the
same name, is . wealthy city Of TO- 600 inhabi-
tants. 1t contains twelve large and interesting
old Spanish churches, famous for their ornamen-
tation and architecture, and the ruins OF con.
vents and monasteries. The public school sys-
TEN fs entirely under the control of the civil
authorities. There are several schools Of design,
| and polytechnium in which the various sciences
are taught. The city Is mostly built of one
storied houses the windows Of which are heavily
barred with iron, to keep out, they say, revolu-
| tionists, thieves and impetuous lovers. The
wealthy or central part of the city is built up OF
| two and three stored houses, many Of which
| are OF large depth and breadth. and are costly
| and most deliberately furnished with uncovered
courtyards, filed with q conservatory of tropi-
| cal vegetation. These courtyards are the play
grounds for the fair senoritas which custom
tends to bring up In dollhouse fashion. The
streets are mostly narrow and paved with cob
blestones The houses are principally built of
stone, but OF adobe on the outskirts Of the city.
The governors palace and the courthouse are
two handsome buildings Of brown stone. They
both face the Plaza de Armes or Plaza de HI
dalgo. The city is blessed with one of the finest
bathing establishments In the world, luxuriously
| appointed and arranged for the most fastidious.
nades, and the lovely afternoons find both
crowded with the elite and beauty of the CITY,
The two beautiful plazas are now in the depth
OF green foliage, and the concentrated perfume
OF great beds OF winter viOlets give an indescri-
Dable charm to the city, rendered more so by the
magnificent band, forty pieces, of the SD regi-
ment, which three times In the week attract the
| far and dark senOritas Each is accompanied
by proper chaperone, and like spirited horse
breathing the morning air, they step out with
elastic grace. conscious Of the beauty Of their
diminutiye hands aud feet and the c0quetry of
the manner In which they throw their rebossos
over their heads and left shoulders It is q dis
puted point about the beauty Of the Mexican
women, but on the whole they enjoy q great
reputation for it, deserving, at least, admira-
ton for the spendor Of their hair and teeth. for
the deep expression Of their black eyes. and for
| their small hands and feet. San Luis possesses
fair number OF refined ladies' with gracious
ana charming forms, with manners 50 noble and
zion one meets them on the streets or in the
ballroom. But little more fresh air and ex-
ercise seem wanting in the complexion and
gait Of many.
! la sOCIEDAD PoTOsINEE
Is the charming club for the ladies. upon which
they depend for much Of their years round of
dancing. This is the principal club in which is
| found the wealth and intelligence Of the city.
the club house is centrally located, of ample d.
mansions and Is luxuriously furnished The
lower part OF the building is devoted to cafes,
| billiards, reading rooms, bath rooms card rooms
and ten-pin alley. These are located on the
sides OF large open courtyard with a grand
staircase leading to the ball and supper rooms
above. The ball room resembles very much the
East room of the White House. deliberately fur
nlshed with smooth hard floor Of mesquite
which is as hard as ebony. The main entrance
to the room is nearly as long, surrounded by
corridors, supported by stone Corinthian col
umns On each side are the sitting and supper
rooms for the ladies and gentlemen, with q
great Quaker chasm" between. To an Ameri-
can this does not seem fair to compel the ladies
to depend upon themselves and to keep them
away from the principal charms of a bali, their
company and conversation. The only oppOrtu-
nifty for this occurs during the slow time of the
| faVOrlte ddnzd and polenaise. This social excu-
SION may make the ladies' more Independent,
put they lose much amusement. They come at
| tended by some chaperOne. usually the mothers,
| who sit around the hall watching with admira-
! ton the grace Of their daughters The main en-
trance to the room is usually filed with chairs
| for the accommodation Of gentlemen not dane
ing. 1t commands full view OF the ball room.
APLACE OF ORDER.
San Luis Potosi is an exceedingly orderly
city. Very little, If any drunkenness is seen
upon the streets With the upper classes such
case fs rarely seen. Drunk or sober even the
| lower classes never forget their pOliteness
| There are no 'hoodlums," and one may travel
all over the city without meeting with an abu-
| sive or insulting word. With the execution of
night patrol there is no regular police. This
night patrol is stationed upon the corners of
| all the streets each placing his lantern In the
middle OF the street whilst he takes position
| In some door way. Throughout the night, at
| each stroke Of the Quarter-hOur, each blows q
shrill whistle, to let all know the night is well.
| This patrol is exceedingly affable and polite for
| the wages they receive-12 cents per night. At
! Christmas they reap quite harvest. like our
newspaper carriers, by bringing around piece
| OF poetry about their hardships while watching
over those in the arms of their beloved. There
| are two regiments of infantry, the Cd and the
| S3d. stationed in this city. They are well
ordered e e, ana trained body Of troops; clean and
| neat In their appearance and equipment The
military aspect of San Luis is not unlike Ger
man military tOwn-the soldiers performing
| most of the public labor of the city. Like all
| large Mexican cities it has well arranged bull
! pen and innumerable cock-pits. These are only
| patronized by the lower classes San Luis is
| to be the future
CENTRAL DISTRIBUTING POINT
! OF the republic. Five railroads are RAPIDLY
building towards 1t. In two years they will be
| finished, placing the city in direct communion
| tiOn with the civilized world. There is an ex-
ceilent opportunity for some enterprising Amer
lean to build handsome hotel on the American
| and European plan. Throughout the republic
among the upper and respectable middle classes
strong feeling of friendship and welcome Is
| manifested towards American progress; but
| among the lower deep feeling of jealousy pre-
| walls. The best hotel now in the city is the San
Fernando, with an excellent table and tolerably
good apartments 1t is kept by Frenchman.
| who came out as one Of the caterers for MAXI
! milan. He spares no pains to give the best the
| markets afford for the small sum of $40 per