Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-06-24
A Great Railroad.

Undoubtedly one Of the greatest railroads
on earth, ''for the size Of it." is the magniH-
cent English road running between the City Of
Mexico and Vera Cruz. Though but 263 miles
long the expense OF building was over $50, :
100000, and from start to finish it is perfect
road; not mile on any Of our best American
railway systems is more perfectly ballasted
and equipped than each mile Of this wonder
full railroad. 1t is built for greater portion
of the way along the route taken by Cortez in
his invasion from Vera Cruz, and one reason
for the enormous cost Of construction is found
In the fact that the company was compelled by
the Mexican government to build the first one
hundred miles from the City OF Mexico toward
the coast-thus compelling the transportation
Of all the material, including the steel rails
from Vera Cruz, over the mountains to the
city. The work was done right, however, re-
gardess OF expense--and though the greater
part Of the way Is over seemingly impossible
mountains, through detiles and along the most
awful chasms and precipices, you do not feel
In the least uneasy, not for a moment The
track is so smooth and everything about the
track and train so evidently complete and per-
feet that the most tmid Of the ladies soon
forget all fears and abandon themselves to
the delightful intoxication Of the ride. Can
you imagine anything more delightful than to
roll along serenely through the gfandest
mountain and tropical scenery in the world,
no effort, no care, every sense keenly alive to
the enjoyment of the occasionl
A brief outline of the trip may be interest
ing. Leaving the City of Mexico at o'clock
Of perfect morning (morning, noon and
night are nearly always perfect in Mexico) the
train rapidly carries you above the beautiful
Valley Of Mexico and by gradual ascent
through miles and miles OF pulque plantations
until at noon Esperanto, the dinner station, Is
reached. In a few moments now we shall be
enjoying the grandest, most vondrous views
on the globe. For the past two hours we
have been riding in plain view Of the great
mountain Malinche and here on our left, close
at hand, is Orlzaba, in my opinion the most
magnificent mountain of North America. Pop
ocatapetl is trife higher, but grand old ORR
zaba stands up before, distinct and alone,
sharply defined against q perfect sky, its
white summit snow-clad always, seventeen
thousand four hundred feet high. am, IS
my friends will attest, enthusiastic on the
subject Of mountains; have gloried In the
magnifcence Of the Rockies and the ragged
grandeur or the Sierras, and am familiar with
the White, the Green, the Allegheny, and all
the great mountains Of our own country, but
surroundings considered there are none to
compare with old Orizaba We leave Esper-
ANA, and here we are, l would swear, from
all appearances, on the d. 81 r. G.. road cross
ing the Rockies The ferna, all vegetation,
the rocks, everything the same, and, whew
we arc in cloud. Out of the mist, . swing
around the mountain side and there bursts
upon our vision the Ioyeliest view our eyes
have ever seen. We are now in an altitude Of
about 1900 feet, and then about 4, 900 feet be-
low is the happy valley of Rassilas-but they
call 1t In Mexico the Maltrata. Almost di-
rectly below US lays, under the highest state
of cultivation, vegetation rank and luIurisnt,
q town with cathedral in the center, alto
gether making view more lovely than the
imagination can conceiye-and we are almost
in the region Of snow-on our left Greenland,
below, on our right, the Tropics. In few
hours we have descended and pass ed through
the valley, down through the city OF Orizaba
into and through the Metloc, through Cordo-
ba and the surrounding coffee plantations,
we are in the terrid caliente (hot lands) rum
ming through dense tropical jungle. The
shades of evening are falling and it is getting
to be very warm and sultry; whenever the
train stops, as 1t occasionally does for mo-
ment, the odor Of a thousand varieties of aow-
ers is so rank, so pungent, that to our tired
system it is almost sckeuing. The heat Is al
most sitting, but looking up just as the sun
is setting we behold Orizaba, our King OF
Mountains, standing sentinel, clearly defined
against the tinted western sky, snow-clad,
cold; we settle back lazily, work our palm
leaves and are glad when at eight O'Clock we
pull into Vera Cruz. We were in the seventh
heaven of enjoyment at Malhata, but for sew
en- hours thereafter the Journey has been one
grand realization-a constant succession of
surprises and an ever-changing panorama Of
delights-which it is utterly futile to attempt
to describe. We can only say that to visit
Mexico without going on this wonderful road
could be infinitely worse than to drop Rome
from Italy or Paris from France.