The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-09
MEXICAN PHOTOGRAPHS.
The Troubles of a Christian to Eat and
Drink in the Land of the Cactus.
4 Good Place to Try the Prohibition Move
ment-- Mexican Fruits-President Diaz
and His Goyernment-An Art Exhibit.
Correspondence Of the India napolis Journal.


HOTEL ITURRDE, Cry OF MEXICO, April s.
ITO the traveller the matter of eating and sleep
ing is quite an item. and one is very apt TO form
IN opinion of a country by what he gets to eat,
and how comfortably or uncomfortably he
gleeps Our experience in Mexican hotels has
been quite satisfactory so far as the beds and
sleeping are concerned but in the matter of eat
ing it has been quite the reverse. man takes
his appetite, taste and stomach along with him.
Unfortunately for our party, none Of US speak
moro than one language, and that English.
but sometimes we make up IN
vigor that we have not in variety.
Strange as it may appear, the hotel walters, pro-
prietors and restaurant keepers have likewise
neglected their education and speak only one
language and that Spanish or half Spanish. so
that we fail to connect and the most vigorous
of signs and gesticulations fails to bring any
satisfactory results. Possibly there may be
meals served to suit Hoosier stomach in this
country, but if SO they are still here and undis-
covered by us. Bill Nyes omelet was founded
here and is still in This is glorious coun-
try in which to boom the prohibit:en movement.
Of al the villianous drinks and compounds sold
to the hungry and thirsty traveller, this country
takes the cake A great amount of brandy is
consumed by the wealthy Mexicans but go hot
drink hardly becomes Hooser in latitude of
I9e. These people are hot-blooded. and have,
1t appears, an Unborn desire to get hotter.
Almost every country has beverage of its own.
The citizen of the United States bankers after
whisky, the German for beer, the Frenchman
for wine and the Mexican for pulque Puloue is
product of the maguey plant a variety of the
cactus. and this plant is grown in large quaint
ties III tropical Mexico for the production of the
pulque. liquid is distilled or collected by
nature between the large leaves of the maguey
plant and the native sucks it up with hollow
plant tube ike the stalk of a seed onion, and
blows it out into pig or hog skin bag that ne
rarries on his back. The bag never wears out.
This juice is fermented by heat, and probably
has added some other process that is known to
the natives, and makes white milk like liquid,
of very peculiar taste, a sort of cross between
fetid rainwater and stale beer. This the
natives drink in large quantities. and get
as hilarious on it as if at an Irish
wake We tasted once and quit; the open
and flank movement So we conclude that a
sure way to total abstinence is to try Mexico.
There is one drawback, however. to this solution;
go wherever you will you will find the sign
s'Best's Milwaukee Beer" Beer and pulque
mixed will destroy any people
This country aboundS in fruits. AT every
railroad station and in every market place the
population, or at least the female and youthful
portion of it, hire out to hawk fruits Oranges.
9eNons, pomegranates, bananas, and almost an
endless variety of other fruits, are thrust in
your face with cries that beat those of an angry
parrot. The oranges are peculiarly sweet, and
at first We thought them the most delicious we
had ever tasted but after time the appetite
cioyed on them. They have, Also a sweet lemon,
just the shape color and size of the lemons of
commerce, but very sweet sweeter than the ba-
mana. These too, at first trial. were enjoyed
but after trial or two let them alone.
The food Of the Mexican is largely vegetable;
their meats are neither we'll fatted, we'll killed,
nor well cured and are, therefore, tough and
stringy. Anything to suit the Mexican must be
hot; pepper, chilli and mustard, and all sorts of
hot stuf-anything that Fuckers the mouth
''goes, as the boys say. The wealthy Mexicans
live WELL in fact, are epcures according to their
notions of what is good but we do all think
alike as to what is palatable
The more one sees of this city the better he
likes it. Barring its sewerage and some other
matters it is really beautiful and great city
Having letters of introduction to the President
we called upon His Excellency at the palace,
and had quite long and pleasant interview
with him. 1t Is fortunate for our sister republic
that she has so able and honest an executive
The palace is an somnium gatherum." 1t has
frontage of 600 feet on the main plaza of the city.
and depth of about as much 1t surrounds two
large courts In this building are the executive
offices, the Senate chamber. the House of Repre-
sentatiyes an arsenal, the headquarters of three
regiments OF regulars, the Governor of the city
and district of Mexico proper, the Army, Navy,
Treasury and other departments also Taking
the building altogether it probably has more
business transacted in it, with fewer conven.
fences and less outside attractions, than any cap
ital In the world. The President kindly gave us
a letter to the governor or superintendent of the
castle and school at Chapultepec This was the
summer residence of Montezuma, and subse
quent rulers of the country A part of the cas-
tie is now being elegantly fitted up as the resi-
dence of the President, and in many respects is
far handsomeer than the White House at Wash
ington. If there is anywhere more beautiful
fpot than Chapultepec / have never heard of it.
Here is also the Military Academy of the repub-
lie There are three hundred cadets The
course of study is similar to that at West Point,
and from the evidences of skill exhibited in their
drawing engineering and mechanical devices
and instruments the cadets are certainly at least
the equals of our own. Here. too, we find many
works of art and articles of luxury and virtu
brought into the country by Macmillan and the
unfortunate Carlotta
From Chapultepec we went to the National
Museum and Art Galleries In the Museum be-
sides the sacrifcial stone of the Sun Worshipers
are an almost endless variety of objects of wor-
ship of the Aztecs and Totecs feathered SER
penis, hideous monsters in all shapes and forms.
Many of these things might safely be wor
shipped without idolatry, because they are total
IL unlike anything on the earth. in the heavens
fhDOVes OF III THO waters DonGStn. In the NatiOual
Art Galleries are wealth of grand, magnificent
and most wonderful collections of paintings and
statuary. In no collection of such works have
seen is there such perfect and beautiful
paintings. There works OF Murillo, Raphael
and Guido REM, and several by native artists
that are all we'll worthy of place beside the
finest and most celebrated pictures of ancient or
modern artists. One picture, figure piece.
called The Deluge,' of father mother and
two children and an old man about being sub
YnAroad IA the RISING food is we'll worth a rrin IF
a thousand miles TO see. There are in the schools
of this gallery about one hundred and fifty
young men studying, and from the drawings and
paintings as their easels they give evil
Genee of the very highest degree of talent and
proficiency. 1t is shown on every hand that
amongst this higher class of Mexcans there is a
degree Of intelligence, application, talent and
learning that makes them the peers of the best