Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-03-30

To the truthful observer chihuahua
l. Il very commonplace city, with very
little business activity. with a great
number Of wrinkleG old women. and an
annoyingly small number of young
and pretty ones. The great bulk of
its male population Use blankets in
stead Of coats, and very few are
dressed III the extreme of fashion and
enjoy every luxury. My object is not
to bellttle the city on its inhabitants,
but to describe things as they are.
Credit must be given to the main
plaza, or square, to the cathedral,
and to the public Offices The main
plaza Is Il square about three hun
dred feet long and wide. with paved
walks surrounding and intersecting
it. These walks are lined with trees
and seats. and enclose spaces planted
with semitropical flowers and trees.
y bronze fountain, from which water
flows continually in sufficient guam
tity to supply more than half the
people OF the city, stands in the center
of the square. The cathedral is a mas
sive Old building. with a time-worn
look and an impressive front of
carved stone. surmounted by two
towers. and Ornamented with several
sculptured saints. The construction
of this cathedral, completed in 173S,
is said to have cost S500,000, but a
building of similar style could be
built at Onetifth that sum anywhere
in the United States at the present
day. The public buildings, on the
north side of the main plaza, are one
story III height. with Il broad corridor
and plain pillars in front These
buildings are called imposing"
They appear to be SO in comparison
with the adobe houses of the city.
Chihuahua is picturesguely stu
ated. 1t rises from an arid, treeless
plain, like Damascus in the desert.
The view is bounded on three sides
by detached mountain groups. off
shoots OF the Sierra AIadre, as the
Rocky Mountains are called in this
part of Mexico The climate is. in
deed, lovely. The sunshine even in
january is of rare brightness and
warmth, the sky of a clear crystal |
blue. and the air of unusual lightness.
These climatic characteristics are en-
joyed, in a more or less degree, by all |
places on the Mexican table land, |
,,-l, oh -, Al
city of Mexico.
The surroundings of chihuahua
are barren, but it must be remem-
bered that all mining towns are stu
ated III barren, worthless soils. Chi
huahua is, or rather has been, a min
ing center The Santa Eulalia mines,
fifteen miles from the city, not work
ing at present, are said to have yielded
S250,000,000. A small stream on the
west by means of an aqueduct sup
plies the city fountain with water.
This stream. unworthy of notice in
other localities. is the only supply of
water Ill the neighborhood. The |
mines in the neighborhood of Chi
huahua, from variety of causes, are
nearly all idle. just now, however,
IN unusual activity prevails, notably |
i'll the Santa Eulalia mines. They |
are putting up modern machinery
and reduction works in the place of |
the antiquated machinery of the
past.
To the student of ethnology this
part of Mexico presents an interest
ing field. Here, for over 800 years, a
branch of tine Caucasian race has
lived surrounded by Indians, and
there is to-day AS wide a gap between
the Indian and the white man as there
was over three centuries ago. Late
Apache attacks display fierceness
and the punishments dealt to the say.
ages by the Mexican soldiery display
Il cruelty equal TO anything in the
past. The civilized Indian, however,
dresses and lives like the lower class
Mexican. SO closely do they re-
semble each other that in some cases
it is difficult to tell which is Mexican
and which is Indian. This is due to
the frequency of intermarriage be-
tween both classes and the degener-
acy of the lower-class Mexican, whose
social habits and education are on
level with his Indian neighbor.
In striking contrast with the pow
erty, ignorance and barbarism of the
lower class is the wealth, intelligence
and refinement of the upper class.
Indeed, nothing strikes the observer
more forcibly than the extremes of
Mexican society, one class being at the
very lowest round of the social ladder
and the other at the top round. with
scarcely trace of any intervening
link between them The lower-class
Mexican, with an intellect yelled in
superstition aud Indian traditions, is
an object of pity to more fortunate
people. while the upper-class Mexi-
can, with an advanced education. and
the enjoyment of all the luxuries of
life. is an object of admiration: Why
Mexican society assumes such eX-
tremcs can only be explained by the
peculiar political and church history
of the country. But, saying nothing
of the past, the present favors the
lower-class Mexican, and enables him
to enter the path of civilization on a
level with advanced humanity. Pub
lie schools are being established
throughout the country by liberal
Government whose equal Mexico
never saw; railroads are building:
modern machinery and industries are
being introduced, and still more are
likely to follow. Everything tends to
improve the condition of the lower
class. and torcvive whatever is left of
the dying spirit of old Spanish ways.
-l \. y. Sun.
SINGULAR C0INCIDENCE,- An Austin