Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-20
CITY OF MEXICO.
The Public Markets and the Fire Depart
menf OF the Mexican CanitaI

The Public Markets and the Fire DEPART
ment of the Mexican Capital.
The City of Mexico is a beautiful
place, with climate and air that make
one feel as though he could live for
ever. Delicious fruit, beautiful flow
ers and cooling shades are on every
hand. There are two great and ever
present drawbacks to the city: one is
the cookery and food, the other the
most infamous sewerage that ever
touched the nose or turned the stom-
ach of a white man. Their houses are
good and comfortable. because Of the
climate. The Mexican house, great or
small, except cathedrals and now and
then Government building, are built
of adobe. In the climate of Mexico
adobe lasts always, and is dry and
comfortable. In this country it would
last no longer than the first winter.
The market is queer place, it is an
omnium gatherum. Horses, jackasses,
dogs, eats, fowls of all sorts, all mixed
up in one grand wriggling mass. with
dressed and undressed meats and
people. Vegetables, fruits, hay. corn.
etc.-every thing, in fact. that the
country produces, including lint and
vermin collected there. The first i'm
pluse after going through and getting
out of the market is to scratch.
Where water can be obtained the
lands of Mexico are as fertile as the
delta of the Nile. and the yield of
wheat. corn and other grain is almost
beyond belief. They talk of from one
hundred to three hundred fold. One
hundred bushels of wheat TO the acre
is said to be q common yield, and from
two to three crops of corn year. We
saw no such crops harvested, but that
is the sort Of reports we gathered.
The lands and real estate Of
Mexico are in very few hands.
1t is stated that hah the
houses in the City of Mexico belong
to the priests and churches, and nearly
all the balance to q few dozen families.
The wealthy are very rich. the poor
very poor. The lands are held in vast
tracts. One gentleman we met was
said to own fifteen thousand square
miles of land; but such land-miles
upon miles of il utterly barren.
The City of Mexico is said to have q
population of something over three
hundred thousand. Yet it is amply
protected from fire by a single fire.
engine. But what they lack IN firemen
they make up in policemen and SOL
diers. Looking in any direction the
visitor will see policemen and soldiers.
The police are stationed in the middle
of the street, and. unlike our
Metropolitan corps. they can
always be found. The upper class
of Mexican people are highly
cultivated and thoroughly polite and
hospitable. There is probably no coun-
try in the world where. amongst the |
higher class. there is more culture,
more proficiency in music, draw
ing. sculpture, etc., than there is in
Mexico; but il is Emised to this single |
class. 4nd is like a beautiful flower at |
the top Of a decsying bush. If all this
could be turned over, cultivation and |
growth and advancement be started at |
the root, there would be much more |
hope for the betterInent of the people. |
just now Mexico is blessed IN having |
a good. honest, intelligent and wide
awake President. and under his wise |
management and control there is hope |
that the affairs of that country will be |
placed in the way Of improvement and |
development.-Msrico Cor. Indianapolis |
los ~