The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-18
WHAT rs SEENINOLD MEXICO
A Civilization as Old as the PtOlemies,
but q Country of Picturesqueness.
Everyday Sights and Sounds in Mexican Cit
ies-How the People Look and Live
Their Features, Dress and Homes.


visit to the City of Mexico by citizen of Indi
ana would have been very serious matter, and,
TO q prudent man compelled to make the jour
ney, would have involved the prior settlement of
his worldly affairs, and, to all. the thought of
long if lot a final separation from family and
friends. When our armies went to that coun-
cry, forty years ago, to conquer peace that we
ourselves had broken. without cause or provoca-
tion, and without other reason than the extern
sion and perpetuation of slavery. the volunteer
left his home with much the same feeling with
which the crusader left England-that
of finding glory and grave. But
To-day the resident of Indianapolis can
cover the $500 miles between this city and the
City Of Mexico with less discomfort and fatigue
than at that time he could have made the jour
ney to Cincinnati, now so easily accomplished
between supper and bed time. A person desir-
ing to 60 to the City of Mexico can leave In
dianapolis at Monday noon by the Vandalia
road and, connecting at Kansas City with the
Atchison. Topeka G. Santa Fe Railroad to FL
Paso, Tex, thence by the Mexican Central, reach
the City Of Mexico on Sunday morning in time
than 100 churches. Everybody knows of the ex
cellence. comfort and safety of the Vandalia
road. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and
Mexican Central roads are only a
little less so. You have Pullman
cars every foot of the way, and along the At
shison s. Topeka railroad eating-houses at proper
intervals, whore enc can get as good meals as
can be had anywhere Along the Mexican Cen
trail the road is very good. smooth and clean, but
the traveller must be sure to take his rations
with him. The safe rule is, never trust way
side Mexican cook. In the first place, they have
nothing good to cook, and if they had would
spoil it. A good cook would make fortune by
STARTING restaurant in the City of Mexico. If
Charley June was there he would make Decem
Der as pleasant as May, and be a Joy forever" to
the traveller.
do not propose to write history Of Mexico
from ten days visit. For description of the
cathedrals and old buildings. etc. of that coun-
try the guidebooks go fully into detail, and
Illustrate them with pictures and diagrams; but
there are many things that strike the visitor as
novel. however old they may be in fact The first
thing that impresses the visitor from the United
States on entering Mexican city is the houses.
yankee Doodle" could not see the town for the
houses, but the modern Yankee gets to the town
and looks for the houses. Crossing from Ell
PAso, Tex, into Mexico. In and through the city
the Mexican Republic just before the overthrow
Of Maximilas, the traveller the towers of half
p dozen chur Jhes, but fails to see the houses in
which the three or four thousand people of the
city live, because the cottonwood trees that line
the banks of the Rio Grande river grow so tall as
TO hide them. The first place of Importance 60
ing south is Chihuahua. Although a city of %,
900 Inhabitants it is strictly one-story town,
there not being dozen houses in it over one
story high. Chihuahua, like other cities
1NR nSrIc ana Af &hA oAMsv
tion of P0mpeii and Herculaneum. Every
street in every Mexican town or city that have
seen Is both residence and business street:
every house comes flush with the street,
and You enter 1t either on level
with the pavement or by step down
into the house court All the houses worthy
the name are built With quadrilateral sides, in
closing an open court You enter the court
from the street by an open way, which at night
Is closed by door Frequently there is a rear
way. likewise closed at night. The rooms of the
bouses are entered from the interior court, and
this court has projecting into it from the the
tops OF the houses sort OF porch-roof, few
feet in width, to shut off the sun and rain, and
thus afford covered walk in all sorts of
weather. The windows of all the houses
open, as stated, flush with the street,
and are guarded by upright bars
Of iron. giving every window and house the
appearance of Jail. The streets of the city of
chihuahua, like those of other Mexican cities,
sidewalks of about three feet Every town has
plaza, or public square, with fountain in the
center of it. Water is the great necessity of
Mexico; where there is no running stream or
lake there can be no town. In the highlands
wells are unknown; in the valleys-or, rather
what We would call bottom lands-you will see
at one view, hundreds of wells, from ten to
twenty feet deep, with the old fashioned sweep"
Or pole balanced on tall crotch. with a
weight at one end and bucket at the other
and Mexican peon drawing the water and emp
tying the bucket into the irrigating ditch This
method, and the water drawn from mountain
streams and, without being profane the damned
rivers are the sole reliance for water on the
fields, except in the rainy season. Water and
good society are the crying needs of Mexico.
Ben Wade said that was all that was needed in
Tophet
Going south from Ell Paso, 900 miles, the
country is barren and desolate. Nothing grows
on the plains except the cactus and sage
brush. Miles upon miles of cactus trees can be
seen from the car windows-trees three feet in
diameter and fifty feet high, and with spread
Of limbs equal to their height Any one of q
million trees that L saw there. if growing in 3
yard on Pennsylvania. Delaware or Meridian
streets, would attract more attention than our
new State house. Towns in Mexico are as much
alike as box cars, and the description of one de-
scrbes all. The City of Mexico is a beautiful
place. 1t has two and three-story houses, good
water and climate that is unsurpasse
globe. It has fine driveway, thanks
TO Carlotta. And, passing, much, as an Ameri-
can, would despise and abhor foreign empire
on this continent, yet. seeing what Maximillian
and Carlotta did for Mexico, regret that he was
not allowed to leave the country alive. He, or
anyone else, or even all the powers of Europe
were powerless for evil to this country before he
died. His death gave only halo of heroism to
him, who vas merely the puppet DANCING at the
will Of Napoleon Ill Better for the
world, better for Mexico, had he
left that country alive, but in disgrace
But the Mexicans are queer people, they will
shoot Governor or general one year, and in the
next build a monument to his memory on the
spot where he was executed
There is no end of curious things and condi
tions in Mexico. The people plow with the
pronged stick, such as was used in Egypt and
Palestine thousands Of years ago. The cattle are
yoked by horizontal stick. tied with thongs TO