Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-29

r. ~ y ! - LIZ y 10
CRY oF MExTno. March u. IS-4.
The last spike on the great Mexiosp
Central Railroad w..s driven a fex dsys
ago. and tins cisy has s-een i-ound Nth
b inds - steel 20 the Unit-d States. Bat
little denous,ra;ion IN the Wy Of cele
bra'ino this notable event, has yet taken
place. IRE SIS Of July is the time pro
posed to have q grand iol itication, and
the heads Of each government will inset
10 hearty congratulations. The run
from ChihBahga - TINS city - one Of
about eight hundred miles, through A
diversified ooGnisy. much Of full Of pc
culiar interest, sometimes on the plains
ard sometimes amidst mountain gorges
and grand scenery. Tho railroad goes
through some Of the finest grazing land
IN the world. Cattle are slick and fat.
Much Of the range ia unoccupied, await
ing the coming Of that wave Of an ire
-IsfItle energy that IL sweeping over
every nook and corner Of vacant do
main.
Arriving at this the oldest cit il North
America and the metropolis If Nexico.
the Traveller - most forcibly struck viii
the surrounding scenery. he clty j.
situated On a PLAIN surrounded mnSii :
by mountains seven thousand feet above
The Gee level. Doubtless /! was q sur
prise ~ CorteZ VII, II he emerged frun
the mountain gorge with his army, and
looked for the irst time down upon this
the empire city of not only Mexico, but
| the New World. magnificent lake,
| with islands floating on its sparkling
bOsOrn extending for miles away, TEN
pies, palaces and grand works OF art
| adorned the vast capital spread out be
| fore him. the sight of which no douof
| fed the flame of desire 10 conquer IN the
| bosom Of that daring man. The city
with its =, lendId buildings, almost
eouatleas throDgs Of citizens, and tie
beauty Of its surroundings, was III feU
months laid waste uefore the furious
army Of CorteZ, urged on by the spirit
| of bigotry and longing for great
achievements. A great change has Ia
ken place since that day. The present
city IL built upon the ruins Of the old
Aztec capital, but il not SO grand nj
that WAS. The present population Il
abou. :,uO.0OG, composed of a remnant
Of the old AZtec population, Mexicans
spaniaras, Germans. Englishneu and Z
| Americans, prop"rtionately speaking
The climate il fine, similar to that %
Southern CaliforA,. The temperature
varies but little through the year from
60 to 20 degrees. There ia Il consider
able rainfall during the summer sea
son. The city Ii land out IN parable
lines, with intersectlng streets at rlgh
angles. Canals from the lake are cut
so m to intersect most Of the streets
The beautiful twin lakes lie east of th,
city, and the driveway out Is lined witt
the palm aud eucalyptus trees. VIVA
are called floating islands are covered
| with beautiful gardens, where larg'
quantities of vegetables are raised. Tht
valley surrounding the city contains
nuch fertile land. Orchards, groves
and beautiful surroundings, spread on
for miles, meet the eye a. one look
out toward the blue mountains, which
rise up apparently TO meet the clea
sky. The housetOps are mostly fiat
and some of the people have garden
thereon. from whence one can look on
over the vast CITY, watch the eOrgeou
sunsets and take in the magnificen
surroundings while famed by the COO
evening breezes.
There are some fine buildings her
worthy of notice. The Cathedral, Con
ven, of st. Francis. ths Treasury, hss
pitals. the School of Mines and tn
University are the most conspicuous
Scientific and philosophical instltut on,
l al al ,l lima, 4 d,
are Of a better class than one would ~
pect to find. Once the city had II sui
stantial wall around 1t. hut II has falle
down excepting here and there an oil
ancient gateway still stands ~ mont
ment of an age long since gone. Som
yet have, In good state of preservs
ton. stucco decorations Just as the
were left many years ago by the built
era. The remains of an old aquedut
stretch out across the valley toward til
castle of Chapultepec. Ii was an exteI
sive work of immense value. Its deca
IL evidence that the people of Mexic
have degenerated more or less fror
that state of energy and taste for big
architectural design to which the al
cient inhabitants had attained. Th
aqueduct rests on immense arches suI
ported by heavy masonry. Through
the clear water from Chapultopec flow
into the CITY.
In social point of view Mexico
city of refinement. Many Of tn
homes OF the better classes locate
around the public square or plaza hav
finely decorated facades facing tn
street. end their houses are well ful
nished with modern conveniences an
o stl, furniture. Their carriages q
eoupes are of a mach heavier bull
than those of the United States, an
are drawn by fine. handsome horse
that even the nabobs of New lor
might be proud To own. Among tn
higher classes the rules OF society Al
very strict. No lady will walk th
streets or make calls in person in an
store or shop, but sits in her carriag
in front of the door and makes b.
wants known through her servant; III
clerks Garry out the goods To her. thi
she may select what she wants. 4 =,
norita IL not allowed To make calls {
receive friends uiaccompanied 10y b,
attendant. The whites, IN they al
called, constitute the principal porto
of the upper classes. They are cslle
oreoles. and are tho direct descendan
Of the Spanlards. The progeny of Il
Hispano- Indian claim To belong to ii
white classes. and chiefly follow d
military profession and hold NEST {
the offices under the Government. III
Indian and Aztec races are the on
who raise the agricultural product
There il q class called the Mestiz,
who are the descendants Of the diffe
ent grades and classes; they are Of n
shades of color, and many of them a
reduced to u state Of misery aud So
vitude.
The established religion IL Roma
Catholic; any other is barely tolerate
The church liz controlled by one arc
bishop, twelve bishops and host
clergy, many of whom are of inferi,
distinction. suited To the character
the inferior classes. Every city or lar,
town in Mexico IL full of chnrche
menasteries, converts and schools II
wealth of the church is simply immens
which tn maintain requires n heavy {,
both nv State and Church To be impos,
upon the citizens Of Mexico.
, Us. +.
, As a blood purifier DR.. HESIrY's DN
. DILLON Toxic has no equal. "a
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