The Osceola times., 1884-05-24

Correspondence Of the Globe-Democrat.
Most Americans have only vague ideas
about Mexican life. According no apol
ogy can be needed for trivial matters
The average traveller explores only the
surface of things, and information about
the externals Of the civilization of the
country-the every day concerns of ex
istence-is most eagerly sought for by
those intending to journey this way
Let US therefore assume that we arrive
at the capital, as we undoubtedly shall
by some one of the railways. We are tC
20 to q hotel, and, in the course of the
next few days "do" the town. We art
then to visit other cities, acquiring as We
20 what information about the country
and its inhabitants is easily accessible
Having already, we will suppose, seer
several provincial towns, we can insti
tute comparisons from time to time, and
thus get rather broad view the coun'
try as whole. We must bear in mind
at the outset that this is not barbarous
region. 1t contains cities as well built
as any in the United States, and in these
cities we find all the necessaries and
many of the comforts of life.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE LUGGAGE.
Stepping from the train, then, we pass
through q carefully guarded gateway out
of the station and, perhaps, through a
broad yard, into the region of carriages
and other vehicles. There are more
hacks here than one will find in front of
railway station in an American city,
and vociferous, but somewhat obsequi-
GUS, hackmen. The baggage and passen-
ger transfer business is not well man
aged. If one in the States chooses to
employ neither the patrician carriage
nor the plebian street-car, he may take
the middle-class omnibus, turning over
his trunk check to an agent who will
appear in the train before reaching the
station, buying at the same time bus
ticket. He finds the vehicle for himself
at the door, while the luggage reaches
the hotel or residence by another con-
veyance but little behind him. There
is no such convenient arrangement in
any one of the dozen Mexican cities
which have visited. AT Chihuahua
there is an omnibus line. Here in Mex
leo an express company, with an office
under the Iturbide Hotel, makes some
feeble effort to get orders for the deliv-
cry of baggage for passengers on incom-
ing trains, after the American fashion,
but it has no omnibuses for human
freight. Elsewhere there is neither con.
venience. The traveller must, therefore,
employ coachman or take to the tram
way. Possibly combined omnibus and
baggage transfer line would not pay.
There are cheap carriages-if one knows
how to find Them. For strangers. how
ever, especially those not up in Span
ish, the American device would be of
use.
PoRTERos.
The omnibus system wanting, the
tourist will yield to the solicitations of
a coachman, who will take the trunk on
board for a consideration; or he may
hire porter to deliver the load. There
are porters, regularly licensed and mum.
bered, who may be trusted, provided
one makes note of the number. This
Is inscribed on a circular metallic disk
suspended conspicuously on the person.
These fellows are enormously strong.
A friend vouches for fishy story. He
processes to have seen one of them carry
from a cart into warehouse on his back
cask weighing $50 pounds. Employ
portero to deliver your luggage. take the
street car yourself, and the chances are
that he will reach the destination before
you do. But beware of any man or boy
without the official seal. A ragged,
dirty crowd of poems swarms at every
stopping place, anxious TO grab your
grip-sack or your shawl strap, uttering
a jaryon of poor Spanish and worse En-
elish and French. and bound TO get
medic or a real by hook er by crook. II
you employ one of these ganiins never
let him yet out of your sight. The safest
course is to manage your bundles for
yourself. The dishonesty of the individ-
ual members of the crowd may be as
sumed. Their assurance is sublime. In
a city up north ! saw two racamuffins
follow party of strangers mile from
the station to the botel-the latter all
unconscious that the attention was
meant for them and then coolly send
in a bill for 25 cents for sevices rendered.
THE STREET CARS.
five have no inpediments we will
take to the traTnway, Tue street car
lines In this city radiate in every direc-
from the csBtral plaza. Tnps are infrs.
nuelk say on0e II half N boar, not Of |