Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-06-14
>vsrr.rAN rGssErr.. Editor.
Dollar Edition.
A JAUNT TO AND FROM OLD
MEXICO.
Special Correspondence.

ECrlk6 IN via MSAIcoS Is purely oP@IAoh
and Mexican. 1t is here that mud
buildings have complete monopoly,
there being no other kind in the city.
The streets are narrow, crooked and
paved-when paved at all-with cobble
stones, which makes rough walking,
but one prefers it to ankle-deep sand.
We wander 10 the plaza, where few
rude stone seats, and some scrubby
trees seem to be the principal attrac-
ton. OF course we saw the cathedral,
which is said to be Two hundred and
fifty wears old, and, indeed its interior
seems saturated with quiet subdued
tone of antiquity. In some vestry
rooms we saw what was said to be very
1are old paintings, done by the masters,
and brought over from Spain and Italy.
To our unsophisticated optics they
looked dim, misty, aud almost dingy as
they hung on the old paneled walls.
The pictures we're, of course, scriptural
scenes, of Christ, the Apostles, and the
Virgin May. An old churche is the
pride of the average Mexican he dOtes
upon it, he doffs his hat obsequiously,
and expatiates upon its wonders and
it's affe. The ladies of our party es-
pecially, caught this eOntagiOn; they
finally arrived at point where a church
under two hundred and fifty years of
age receives but a passing notice, and
one whose age was less than twO-hun-
dred years was passed by with great
dIdain. Excepting its novelty there
is little in this city to interest the trav-
eler. OF course the old dilapidated am
pitheater where bull fights constituted
the esthetic amusement of the poetic
al (P) Spaniards, aided in narrowing
onp the Imagination to aIsort of intensity.
The semi-tropical plants and fruits
were also new objects Of interest to the
northener. Several ladies procured
beautiful boduets, from the American
Consul's garden.
After the discriminating eyes of the
Spanish Custom House officials had
gazed upon our baggage, and those
worthless had concluded that a little
soiled linen and dry crackers and
cheese hardly constituted articles sub
ect to duty, we passed into the state
of Chihuahua into the country of Old
Mexico.
For about one hundred miles there is
a stretch of monOtonous desert, broken
only by clumps of sage brush, and Oc-
casionally long ranges of sand-dunes
ever shifting with the caprices of the
wind. We run along very rapidly for
the road-bed of the Mexican Central is
solid and smooth. They say, however,
that sometimes they are compelled to
stop and shovel off sand drifts. A clear
sky, and hot sunshine reflected from
white earth, caused condition of tenn
perature rather depressing to physical
energies. We finally begin to see low
line of mountains on either side and
the bed of an inland sea. Vegetation
is becoming better, and it begins to ap-
pear as if stock might live, in fact we
are reaching the northern boundary O.
stock ranches now. There are a grea
many land grants in this country anC
some of them are almost little empires
in themselves. We passed through one
grant eighty-One miles in width, belong
ing to Gov. Tarassas. Upon this trac
he has $4,000 head of cattle. He has
large number of ranchmen to look af
ter them, who live in little adobe vii
lagos, sometimes as high as $50 in on
town.
There are no places of any impOrtanc
between Paso del Norte and chihuahua
being simply flag stations or shute
where cattle are loaded upon freigh
cars. Gallego, one of these flag stations
is where General Crook, a few days ago
disembarked with his troops to pursu
the Apaches who infest the mountain
We see off to the west.
The monotony of the landscape
now broken by an extensive growth G
soap plant and mesquit brush. Tn
former is a stumpy sort of a plant, tn
root of which is used for soap; and tn
latter strongly resembles short locus
brush, from the roots of which thew dis
till liquor called mescarel. This bey
erage is used to produce a gloriou
Mexican drunk, and for that purpose
fully equal to fOrty-rod whisky. As !
has been shown that from saw-dust ca.
be manufactured an Intoxicating bever
age, and, as it is known fact that
man can expand his lungs and lnhal
oxygen enough for inebriating purposes
1t would rather seem that old natur
j. somewhat anti-prohibitory in he