Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-06-14

shadow of the mountains. Al It's foot
is a small village ranch, wi irrigat
Ell gardens extending to the waters
edge look restfulFy refreshing. AS
the sun was sinking behind the western
mountains the scene was exquisitely
beautiful. The eastern undulating
line, seen through the lens-like atmos-
phere, laid ba in bold relief every
crevice, rock and verdant projection,
while the prismatic tints of light shim-
mered and played around their SUBMITS
like rainbow crown. The western
rarge formed dark cloud line, which
cast a sombre shadow over all the val
ley.
About eight o'clock in the evening
we arrived at the old city of Chihuahua.
The depot is about a mile from the
town, but as we wished to get moon
light view of the place we walked up.
Every thing seemed exceedingly
Strange. There were the narrow
streets on both sides of which extended
black adobe walls, solid as the exterior
of prison, save, sometimes a grated
window through which we could catch
glimpses Of wealth and luxury within.
Winding about through these narrow
highways, and making all kinds of an
giles we finally reached the Plaza Major
which is the heart of the city. 1t was
warm night, there was hardly a
breeze to stir the dense tropical foliage,
whose fragrance fell with vOluptuous
sweetness on the senses. The old ca
thedral with towers and dome, reach
ing toward the fleecy clouds, grand,
huge, in its ontline, the white arcades
with Moorish architecture, and the long
vista of gray walls, all lay calm and Sc
rene in the mellow moonlight. There
we're people in the Plaza. some saun-
tering leisurply about, others chatting
in rustic seats, and few dreaming be-
meath rose covered bowers. But a
subdued quiet seemed to pervade the
place. The low murmur of voices, the
dripping of fountain, the soft signing
of the foliage and ever and anon a deep
chime from the cathedral bells noting
the lapse of time were all the sounds
we heard.
Those soothing sounds, the oriental
SCIENCES, the witchery of a moonlight
night, spicy sweetness of the air,
touched the soul like the rhythmic chime
of some sweet poem, and it seemed to
us almost like an enchanted city.
Being tired, and knowing that we
would need all our energies, for ex.
ploring the city on the morrow, we re.
turned to the cars where we passed the
night.
Bright and early in the morning
buses and carriages came to take III
up town. Perched on top of bus
with several gentlemen I had a gooc
opportunity of viewing the surround
ings. Presently saw couple of lad
about fourteen years of age carrying {
water cask. A pole ran through the
barrel near one af the heads, and the
boys had, each an end of the pole Oh
his shoulder. Their pants were rolled
above the knees and they had evidentl,
waded into the creek to dip it up.
afterward learned that this a is system O
water-works for some of the poore
classes. We passed an adobe brick.
yard, and here for the first time I say
the process of making adobes. A NOR
tar is made by mixing up the common
soil to the proper consistency, throw
ing in some partly decomposed hay o
bare feet and legs transform shemselve
in to brick-mill, and tramp, tramp
from morning till night, while other
mould the mud into bricks about fiji
teen inches long, six inches wide am
four inches thick. They (the bricks
are then spread out to dry. Thoug
simple in their construction, thes
adobes are as durable as stone. Al
most the entire city is built of them
The residences and nearly all the publ
} buildings are built around an inne
court or placita, as it is called by Span
iards. There is always a large arch
way leading through the outer wall
: into this placita. This little court gen
e ally contains a fountain, some frui
trees and a perfect labyrinth OF flower
of tropical and semi-trOpical varieties
These placitas are surrounded by broa
, arcades, upon which the doors of tn
, buildings open.
We stopped at a hotel and too
, breakfast out on an upper open piazz
where we could look down upon tn
placita. and the beautiful flowers, an
although hot morning, it was coo
. and refreshing there.
for h,nn LOOT On ct ru,u I