Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-04-20
LETTER FROM MEXICO.

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of 5000 population. 1t was found
ed by the Spaniards in 1912. twenty
one years after Cortez landed at Vera
Cruz. 1t is 785 miles from Ell Paso
and the route lies along high table
land from 20 to 60 miles wide. This
is sklrted on either side for the whole
distance by mountain ranges which
rise very abruptly from the plain.
which in turn extends out quite level
to the very base of these mountains,
which in places rise very high, one
peak being 1O,2SO feet above the sea
level and 5000 feet above the plain
just about the height of Mt.
Washington above the sea. This Ia
ble-land is called the great Mexican
plateau and may be said to resemble
the deserted bed of some mighty
stream of water, the mountains on
the sides answering to high banks,
apparently of a character to confine
water upon the plain to great
depth. While it has this appearance
from the railway in passing along
the center of the plateau it is not
really so for there are gaps In these
mountains through which several
small streams pass. For a few miles
on either side of these streams the
land is very fertile, some of 1t being
irrigated from the streams and some
productive without irrigation but
most of the land for this whole 7S5
miles, which the reader will notice is
about four times the distance from
Barton to Boston, is too dry for cul-
tivation and fit only for grazing.
Over this vast area, and up also
among the mountains and down their
slopes toward either ocean to the
timber belt, great herds of cattle and
sheep roam at pleasure and during
the rainy season in June, July. Au-
gust and September get very fat.
These mountain ranges which hedge
in the plain fall off gradually but
lrregularly on the east to the Attain
tic and on the west to the Pacific,
and at the height of about three
thousand feet begin to be clothed
with timber, the growth of which
down near the sea is quite luxuriant,
as is every kind of vegetation there.
The mean altitude of this plateau is
about 5000 feet and it is destitute cf
timber except scattering growth of
the cactus tree and thorn bush
which reach about the size of
an apple tree in Vermont. This
long stretch of plain terminates with
the rise that is made at Zacatecas
which is we'll up among the noun
tains, being 8,265 feet above the sea
1t is reached by a succession of
curves and grade something like
that between st. Johnsbury and Dan
vile on the St. j. & L. G.. r. r.
Before striking this heavy grade.
however, there are long reaches OF
straight track, there being 81 miles
in one place without a curve; and
then with only slight curve another
equally long stretch.
Zacatecas is the capital of the
state of the same name and one OF
the great mining centers of the Re
public, the product of its mint being
second only to that of the City OF
Mexico. 1t was the good fortune
of your correspondent to fall in will
party of capitalists and experts, al
of them old miners, who, thougl
they have recently purchased the rcl
old mine, La Nora, are still pros
pecting among other old mines, ant
with them he stopped off to take lool
at those here to be found. The towl
itself is huddled into the smalles
possible space right up among tn,
mountains, the sides of which ar,
dotted with scores of miners shafts
from the mysterious depths of whicl
millions of dollars have been taken
and in the secret chambers of which
as yet unlocked, millions more awai
only happy turn of the key of for
tuner But before speaking OF tn
mines word about the city and tn
strange sights it affords. At th
railway station, some distance from
the hotel, the baggage of the part
consisting of several large and heav,
valises was taken charge of by tn
porter of the Hotel Zacatecano, an,
being bound together by rope th
fellow managed some way to get hi
head under the bulky mass and start
ed on a trot for the hotel. Whe
the party arrived the baggage WACO
was there also. Archimedes wante
only place for his lever to NOV
the world, but the Mexican peo
would probably ask for'a a place fo
his head with him the head is tn
seat and center of all power. Thi
afternoon a strange looking mass
broad but still high and top-heavy
was seen coming down the street a
it came near eighteen cane seat chair
were counted, curiously interlockeo
and beneath this fantastic load trudge
the patient peon, bearing it upon hi
head. The water carrier ais
works with his head. He mus
be one of those spoken of in connee
in ton with the ''hewers of wood" fo
ne he has upon his feet the oriental sar
dals and slung to his head are a ja
IS and pitcher of oriental patterr