The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-02-27
AWAY DOWN In MEXICO.
Scenes Witnessed in Trip from San
Antonio to the City of
San Luis.
The Sale OF Two Haciendas for One
Million Two Hundred Thou
sand Dollars.

From an Occasional Correspondents
SAN LUIS PoTosi, Mexico, February 8, 1883.
-Cedrai is a mining town of some importance.
It's population fluctuates between Maletmala
and Catorce, according to how the miners in
the mountain of Catorce produce ores. AT
present only two large smelling works are in
operation. They are those.of La Luz and La
Purissima. The country about this town
produces large crops of corn and oats, which
always find a ready market. Grapes grow
we'll and all sorts of vegetables are grown in
the gardens, the best among them being the
caulifower, which grows here to an enormous
size and is Of an excellent quality. saw one
that was two feet in diameter.
At the hotel l was told that they
charge 81 for each bed, and the same
price for each meal, or in other words So per
day for the most miserable accommodations
in the world. II one OF our poor and good
German bakers would settle in this town and
keep decent house he would soon realize
fortune.
Having letters from friend, myself.and
friends stopped at the private house Of Mr..
Murging, gentleman belonging to the best
families Of the country, who entertained us in
a most agreeable manner.
OBSTINATE MULES.
Leaving Cedral at a. m, when we ought
to have left at 4, we found our stage hitched
to six mules which capered about so that at
the distance OF about two miles from Cedral
the driver gave it up, and actually sent back
to Cedral for gentle mules, leaving us poor
passengers by the roadside to await our fate
We were delayed at least four hours. Finally
we proceeded on our journey. In passing the
mining city of Maletmala noticed that il had
improved very much in the last few years. At
La Parita we took poor Mexican dinner at
the hacienda of Soils, for which, however, we
paid only 37H cents per person. Then,
crossing the mountain Of Catorce, which, at
this point, has dwindled down to the heighth
of low hill, we reached the hacienda of
Laguna Secco, much celebrated in former
times for the large numbers of horses raised
on it. The present owners have enclosed the
whole estate with rock walls and continue
stockraising.
A MINING TOWN.
After travelling 60 leagues we reached the
town of Charcas, in the State of San Luis
Potosi. This is an old mining town. The
silver mines situated in its neighborhood
were worked by the Aztecs before the conquest.
At present the only mines that are worked are
worked by the patio or cold amalgamation
process. They produce monthly about 20
silver varas or about $24 600. This town at
one time was evidently wealthy. Your cor
respondent visited the principal church, which
is that OF San Francisco, formerly part of
convent of the same name, the buildings of
which have, since the expulsion of the monks,
been put to good public use, such as schools
for boys and girls, etc. The church is beau
tiful, but what particularly attracted my atten-
ton is the fine collection of paintings within
it. At this place fell some time last century
an arolte which the good old monks
placed as a. corner stone near the
church sidewalk. Marshal Bazaine,
while commanding the French troops
of occupation in Mexico had it carried away,
probably to France, to the great discomfort OF
the population, who never had thought it
worth anything before. Your correspondent
saw it and was told at the time that it was
supposed to weigh several hundred tons.
OTHER SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Charcas is a pretty and healthy place. The
stage hotel is pretty fair. For supper, bed,
and coffee in the morning, we were charged
S2 per person. Mescal beer is very m can,
but good French brandy can be had for So
per bottle. Having had fair nights rest we
proceeded at4 a. m. on our journey over a
pretty rough road, arriving at the city of
Benado, place Of 10000 inhabitants, about
daylight. Passing that pretty Indian town of
Montezuma we continued on to little place
called Mesonsito, where we took breakfast,
for which we paid cents each.
We passed the beautiful hacienda OF Boeds,
the property of Mr.. +. Farids, and went up a
sandy pass to the beautiful plain in which the
city of San Luis is situated. Unfortunately
rains about this portion of Mexico have not
been abundant, crops have been bad and the
country looks dry. We reached the city of
San Luis at about p. M, and stopped at the
San Luis hotel, by far the best the traveller
will find between San Antonio and this point.
Lately the haciendas of Esperitu Santos and
San Tiburcio have been sold for 81, 200, 900.
They are well adapted to stock raising and
partly to agriculture, but have no mines and
no flower plants.
What attracted my attention most was to
see fodder stacked in trees at heighth from
the ground varying between 10 to IS feet.
San Luis Potosi had much improved since
my last visit. CHAPPARAL.
To Sunset Passengers.
Passengers going west on the Sunset route