The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-27

|
| hour on the memorable morning of the 10th
of September and that the nation gives it
self up to days OF rejoicing. We not only
| tolerate with patience the internal racket of
crackers and cannon and the tin horns of the
muchachos, but we feel like footing our
selves, with the infant Gabriels, and joining
in the general festivities. The national col
ors are everywhere, floating from every
| hous etop, from cathedral towers and chapel
! Spires from lamp-posts and flag-statfs
twisted and turned among the trees of the
| place, in every conceivable place and
| position. Amid this sea of red, white and
! green we turn with pride to the one sol
itary flag of red, white and blue, waving over
| the American consuPs house, whose stars
were beacon-light to this nation in the
night of their bondage At night during
this faesta all Mexico is illuminated by
millions of candles and myriads of Chinese
lanterns Bands play, balls are given, music
and dancing are the order of the hour and
nobody in all the land has a thought of work
or worry. The illuminated places represent
strange scenes to our unaccustomed eyes.
Imagine the fragrant flowery spaces deco
rated from end to end with red, white and
| green, ablaze with light, and crowded with
happy people, and around the wide outer
promenade living panorama, well worth
| looking at, is constadtly passing. There are
the Substantial citizens of Satillo, with
ladies, young and old, in full evening COS
tune, without hats or wraps the fash
of their diamonds the waving of their
fans and the chatter of their voices in pleas
ant contrast to the silent Aztecs with san
daled feet who, wrapped in their zarapas,
stalk stern and unsmiling among the laugh
| ing crowd like ghosts of murdered Tlaecal-
lans Hundreds of creadas (female servants)
are here in holiday attire, which consists of
, long earrings and flowers in the hair,
though their feet are bare and skirts none too
clean. There are rancheros, also with buck
skin breeches open at the sides to the hip,
disclosing very wide white drawers as guilt
less of contour as a pillow-case, tapping
about their legs and huge pistols and bowie
knives dangling from their belts, while q lib
eral sprinkling of Americans adds the finish
ing touch to the kaleidoscope.
At last the whistle of the cars is heard in
Saltillo the voice which proclaims that old
things must pass away before the advancing
tides of higher civilization. The Mexican
Central railway (the Palmer-Sullivan combi-
nation) is completed to this point from the
Rio Grande, and the celebration of the event
is made part and parcel of this years patri-
otto rejoicing. At the station an impro-
vised depot of canvas and green branches is
profusely decorated with the intermingled
colors of the two countries, and big transpar
encies show the respective eagles-the one
perched on a cactus and holding a snake in
beak and talonS, the other viciously clawing
the olive branch and spears-with a wreath
of laurel twisted a la garrote about both their
necks. The Mexican speeches of welcome to
the railway are characteristic full of ex-
travagant words of courtesy which thinly
disguise threats of what will happen if inno-
vations are attempted, and how the last
drop of their gore will be given if necessary
| to repel monopoly" A grand bali oc-
CURED in Saltillo on the night of the 10th,
| which was attended by the wealth and
fashion of ali the surrounding country.
Within the great hail. which had a firma-
ment and horizon of red white and green
was jam of swallow-tals and sumptuous
! toilets, both Partisan and Mexican and the
| popping of champaign corks in the supper
rooms kept time to the crash of music, two
full bands being in attendance Without,
concourse of spectators hocked the street
for squares (kept from the ballroom doors
! by a squad oil soldiers), who INDUCED in
comments and criticisms with all the gusto
of similar crowds which collect in New York
and Washington when grand receptions are
going on. 1t is noticeable that in this land
of flowers, not one made by mother nature
! is ever seen upon a Mexican woman. They
deck their houses and load themselves with
great quantities of gaudy artifcials, but
quite despise the glorious roses which are in
perpetual bloom, as common here as dande-
lions at home Short dresses are not the
fashion in Mexico for any occasion. In the
streets sloppy trains are worn-just long
enough to serve as public sweepers. At
balls, however cheap and sleasy the dress
material, the train must be of enormous
length, and on no occasion must the wearer
make an attempt TO hold it up, however much
it may be trodden under foot.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.