The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-14
THE FIELD OF BUENA VISTA.
Some Further Notes of Trip Into the
Historic Regions Of Old McKee,.
The City of SaltillO. Up in the Mountains
A Chicago Boot Black Stranded, but
Chipper-Battle of Buena Vista.

Correspondence OF the indian ap0fis Journal
SALTILLo Mexico, March, 1SS6-From Mon
terey to this city is about sixty-fve miles, ami
the ride is an uphill job. The railroad is mar
vel of engineering. Tt winds in among the
awful gorges Of the mountains, climbing highe1
and higher until it brings up on the fertile and
well-watered plateau that supports this city Of
10, COO people. Situated on the northward slope
of hill that overlooks this tableland, and
further away, surrounded by peaks that towez
heavenward, the city is slightly one to behold.
It is $500 feet above level and has a climate
delightful all the year through, but especially so
in the summer. It is o clean city, and looks
thrifty. The buildings are well taken care Of,
and the parks and the plaza have been carefully
kept Water is plentiful, and the foliage is as
green as our June verduIe in the North.
We reach here in the evening Having
twisted around so many curves looked up at 50
many beetling cliffs and down at so many fright
full chasms we are dizzy and somewhat weary
of scenery and glad to get off the cars. We hear
boy shout, Free hack to the San Estaban.'
and it sounds like home He proves to be lit
tie urchin from Chicago, who stopped here some
months ago with circus and concluded hs
would go no further. He catches the American
travel and is useful to the hotel man. so he gets
his board and clothes. He would be at home in
he middle of Sahara We get a passabls
we can before bedtime. The markei
place is crowded and not inviting
SO we wander down narrow street to the plaza,
which is we'll paved and lighted. The center ID
laid on. like garden, the Japan tree, green all
the year. overhanging the stone walks and
new fountain splashing unsteady. We cross
over to a well-lighted shop, where we find
crowd listening to the poor Spanish of the wan
dering Jew, who dresses like a Turk and offers
for sale the Syrian curiosities made in Hoboken,
N. j. He is not a novelty to US and we go on
around to the east side of the plaza to see the
grand cathedral It is large and has o won
drously carved facade. The stone is creamy
white, and in the dim light of the piazza lamps, the
front looks like curiously wrought lace work
The air gets chilly, and we go back to the ho-
tel, which is quite spacious one. All the rooms
are on the ground floor, and are front
rooms-that is, they open on an inside
court and is good as another In
the court is fine fountain and beautiful trees,
which attract attention as 60 to our
room. Once inside, the great oak doors locked,
and the light blown out, feeling creeps over US
that we are In q sepulchre, and we question each
other on the probabilities of mold gathering on
resurrected from the tomb we are shut up in,
and which we imagine smells musty. The window
is fast ana we give up the fresh air. So we turn :
in, after getting cold feet walking over the damp
floor, and, strange to say, sleep very WELL
The next day was a fine one, and we made the
most of it. Starting up one OF the streets that
lead to the top of the hill south of the city, we
| came to the barracks of tie cavalry soldiers
the best looking and best dressed we have seen
and stopped to see their guard-mounting. A
firth wa ted wOr n
cellar, with nothing on but hats and cotton
drawers The earth was shoveled into bags,
which were carried off on the shoulders of these
half-naked laborers and emptied We passed
several street fountains; and we noticed that
every courtyard, of which we could catch
glimpses through open doorways had water jets
and hydrants AS we neared the top of the hill
we saw short aqueduct leading across small
ravine. We walked over it, and could hear tho
water rushing under our feet. Beyond, and
nearly at the summit, we found the source OF
all this water supply to be two large
springs, carefully covered by stone buildings.
domeshaped, and, of course dedicated to
some of the overworked saints. The volume of
| water is immense and its quality the purest.
The city authorities have charge of it, but it is
natural and practically a free system of water
works The population is amply supplied, the
gardens are irrigated and the fountains kept
playing from these springs; and we find one man
here, who has lived for years in Hot Springs,
Ark, drinking the waters for dyspepsia and be-
nevlng they are curing MN.
Near these springs is commanding point or
which is an abandoned adobe fort used during
the Mexican war. We clanbered up there and
looked down upon the city and over the wide
plateau. 1t was lovely view to the front, but
back lsouth) of US, it was even more striking,
the mountains converging to narrow pass, in
which we knew the battle of Buena Vista had
been fought years ago. Then and there, as we
sat on an old cannon, it was decided that we
would drive to the battlefield in the afternoon:
W vyo roy1IA ~
the city before dinner time
We came down another street into the small
plaza San Francsco-so called because the
church of that name is on the east side of it
land rested there at the fountain. A plain shafts
rises out of the fountain, and on It'll statue OF
Zaragosa one of Mexico's patriots. On the south
side of this plaza building with only one en-.
trance occupies the whole space, and it attract
ed our attention. We went over to tho guard
and asked him if it were barracks, and If we
might go in. He said it was the Civil College
and that We were welcome to enter. The hum
of the schoolroom was plainly audible, but wa
were surprised to find it coming from students
walking about in the open air of the inner court
studying aloud. A young professor came ia
greet u.s. and my companion, who spoke Spanish.
explained to him that we merely wished to look
in a moment and would not take up his time.
He was SO polite however, and insisted so strong
ly that we could not help being shown around.
He took us into the recitation rooms, the re-
fectory, the dormitory and the natural history
rooms and finally found the professor of English,
who brought out his bright scholar and showed
him off to the envy Of the other boys. He did
speak English quite WE'LL and the old professor
was quite proud of him. There are about 200
students here, $50 of whom live in the building;
the others in the city. The college is under con-
troll of the State of Coahuila of which this is
the capital, and has full corps of professors
and course which, if completed, gives young.
ster quite liberal education.
Adjoining the church of San Francisco, of
which spoke, there is new building in course
of construction. 1t is Baptist church, and il
stands on the site of the convent which was
formerly attached to the Church Of San Fran
cisco This new building, the mission work and
thriving school, within block or two, are under
the charge of Rev. Mr.. Powell and his assist
ants who deserve encouragement and support in
their labors. There is an enforced tolerance of
other forms Of religion than the Catholic in