The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-03-02
The LAND OF THE AZTECS.
A Pen Picture of the Mexican Capital
Street Nomenclature, Stores. Etc.

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this city, which, with it's magnificent
diadem of mountains, stands crowned
the queen of the Western continent.
Look on every side and you will see
only different aspect of the same
grand panorama, with not one item
that is low and commonplace, but all
planned on the same gigantic scale.
At the end of almost every street there
is vision of mountain and cloud,
with sunlight tracing its magic figures
upon them, and even in the most
squalid parts of the city you have only
to look little beyond and the eye is
sure to rest upon some lovely embodi-
ment of nature. The plan of the city
is worthy of the great conqueror who
laid it out and who seems to have left
the impress of his iron character upon
its solid edificies. AS Prescott says:
1.-THE massive grandeur of the few
buildings that remain of the primi-
tive period and the general magnifi-
cence and symmetry of its plan attest
the farsighted policy of it's founder,
which looked beyond the present to
the wants of coming generations" 1t
is built in the form of square, the
principal streets radiating from the
Zocalo or Plaza de Armas, and so regu-
larly do they run that the eye can
follow their course almost to the eN-
IRENE limits of the city. There are
very few winding ways and narrow,
dingy looking alleys, and even the I'M
slightest quarters are redeemed from
ugliness by certain air of pictures
queness. which is heightened by the
romantic and historical associations
connected with nearly every spot
The main objection to he streets is
the narrowness of the sidewalks on
many of them only two persons can
comfortably walk abreast, and in order
to avoid the press of the crowd, one is
often obliged to step out into the street
and trot along with the burras.
There is another respect in which
the streets might be improved, anc
that is in regard to their nomencla
ture. Each block bears separate
name, and as they are all selected a
random, to remember them is tasl
too great for an ordinary memory
For instance, when you have once fixet
in your mind that a certain dry good
store in Gale de San Francisco, if you
wish to recollect the position of mil
linery establishment a few steps fur
Their on the next block, you must asso
ciate it with the new title of Gale d
Plateras, and so on, until it is mira
Gle if you do not end by forgetting tn
position of your own dwelling. Speak
ing of stores reminds us of another DC
culiarity, which is that the great ma
jority of shops, instead of bearing tn
names of their owners, are adorne
with fancy appellations, some of ther
more romantic than appropriate. /
pulqueria, or pulque shop, for example
reioices in the title of the Sun of May,
a grocery store bears the announcement
that "The Sun Shines for ALL" Will
the principal dry goods emporium
known by the double designation c
the Surprise and Spring" Sue
names as the "Rupublic," progress,
DESTINY" etc, are met with on ever
hand, while you may stumble across
butcher shop devoted to providence,
bakery to the "Holy Spirit" or
dulceria to the "IIope of Mary"
We must confess feeling of disal
pointment in regard to the gener;
appearance of the stores. for they al
exceedingly small and cramped, tn
largest being but pigmies compare
with such mammoth establishments &
those of New Orleans. The window
display tempting wares arranged wit
great skill and taste, particularly in Oh
l line of jewelry and silk, but everythin
seems to be on a diminutive scale, an
we have been puzzling our brains
know why the MeXicans should insi.
upon calling their city the Paris {
l America, for it must require a vivi
imagination or a magnifying glass {
great power to detect in the one-storie
l box-like buildings devoted to merchal
disc, any resemblance to the magnit
cent stores in that fashion center ,
the world.
}. 1t is a relief to turn from thes
! haunts of traffic, and to let your ey,
rest upon the abodes of men, fl
Mexican dwellings have charact'
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