The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-18

carry whatever can be heaped or tied upon him.
All the wood that is burned In
the towns and cities, the most nc .s Of
ground and cut into lengths Of about eighteen
inches is carried to market on the backs of the
burros, as is also hay. milk-anything and every.
thing. The burro Is the express wagon and
dray of Mexico. Occasionally and only occa-
sionally, will a cart or rough wagon,
none of which, however, have particle of iron
in their construction. The wheels cut out of
solid wood, and the frame work is held together
by wooden pins or ropes When a considerable
journey is to be taken they carry an
extra axle, because, as they never grease
them they wear out in short order. It is said
that one can hear the squeaking Of the INCREASED
wheels of cart train five miles. One OF the
strangest anomalies to be found in Mexico is
that they use little or no iron in their domestic
economies, yet every town Of three or four thou
sand people and upward that saw had
street-car line, with T rails, running first and
second class cars, their frst-class cars and their
roads equal, if not superior, to the street rail
road of Indianapolis, and much cleaner.
From what one can see of the people, in going
through the country. Judge that fully so per
cent. OF the inhabitants Of Mexico are Indians;
by that is meant descendants of the aborigines
of Spanish and Indians, 10 per cent traders,
merchants and nondescrpts, and the other 10
per cent. are the ruling class-generals colonies,
landowners, mine-owners and priests-in short.
the wealthy men, the mon who make and I'M
make Presidents, governments and revolutions
The desire, If not the normal condition Of quite
per cent of the last three named classes,
is one of constant revolution OF erup-
tion Another characteristic of the mass Of
the people is the clearly defined Indian features,
with tropical shade that gives them very dark
color. They are, as rule. darker than the av-
erage man of color, or negro In the States. The
eye, however, is clearer, and the hair remark
ably coarse and straight.
The city Of Mexico is a beautiful place. with
climate and air that make one feel as though he
could live forever Delicious fruit, beautiful
flowers and cooling shades are on every hand.
There are two great and ever-present drawbacks
to the, city, one. is the cookery and
the ,hs the onad ,ha
or turned the stomach Of white man. Their
houses are good and comfortable, because of the
climate. The Mexican house, great or small. ex-
cept cathedrals and now and then government
building are built Of abode. 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 cats, fowls of all Sorts the ever
present nursing mother, all mixed up in one
grand wriggllng mass. with dressed and undressed
meats and people Vegetables fruits, hav, corn,
etc.-everything, in fact, that the country pro-
duces. including lint and vermin collected there.
The first impulse after going through and get
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 100 to
300 fold One hundred bushels of wheat to the
acre is said to be 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 Mex
leo are in very few hands 1t is stated that half
the houses in the City of Mexico belong
Tn a nria md md ar1u all fha
balance to few dozen families. The wealthy
are very rich, the poor very poor The lands
are held in vast tracts One gentleman we met
was sal, said to- to own ., 1900 square miles
miles of it utterly barren. Two great
drawbacks to Mexican progress are the exactions
of the churches and the exemption of these
vast estates from taxation, there being no land
tax.
Tho City of Mexico is said to have a popula-
amply protected from fire by a sin
gle fre-engine But what they lack
in firemen they make up in policemen and sol
diers. Looking in any direction the visitor will
toned i'll 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 hos
world where, amongst the higher class, there is
more culture, more proficiency in music, draw
ing, sculpture, painting. ETC., than there is
in Mexico but it Is limited to
this single class, and is like
beautiful flower at the top of decaying 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 better
ment of the people. Just now Mexico is blessed
in having a good, honest intelligent and wide
awake President, and under his wise manage
ment and control there is hope that the affairs
of that country will be placed In the way of inn
provement and development. J. G. N.