St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-22

another time.
Monday afternoon was spent in ex-
amining Tula, where it is claimed the
Toltecs had their capital back in the gen.
erations before the Aztecs came and the
sharp sword of Cortez brought death
and destruction to this country and
Spanish domination and religion. Ev-
erything in the way of ruins worth see
ing has been removed to the museum in
the city of Mexico, but few of the
courageous ones of the party can say
that they stood on the spot where a
people dwelt who were instructed in
agriculture and the mechanic arts
when our English ancestors were saw
ages.
Tuesday morning, March 30, we are
speeding towards the capital of the
republic which is only so miles away.
Here we leave the good car Antwerp
which has been our home for IL days
and nights and sojourn at Hotel Itur-
bide for two weeks, and from which
daily excursions will be made to points
of interest.
AS the train approached the city of
Mexico Tuesday morning, March 30,
every eye was strained to catch a
glimpse of the volcanic .Popocatapetl,
the 15,0O0-feet-high mountain of the
early school books, and the monarch
of the continent, until a higher one
was found in Alaska. But neither this
mountain with the stammering name
nor Ixtaccihuatl 1.-THE white wOman)
$1,000 feet high, deigned to show their
heads of perpetual snow through the
hazy atmosphere, and only the nearer
and lesser peaks were visible.
The city of Mexico is built on aplain
as level as a floor which is some 40
miles long by 80 miles broad. AL
though at an elevation of over 1000
feet above the sea, where the stranger
soon tires in it's thin air, yet this plain
is begirt by mountains around its en-
tire ellipse. The city has a population
estimated at 100000, or about that of
Boston. Two or three of it's streets
are we'll paved and lighted with gas
and electricity; the rest are poorly
paved and poorly lighted. The prin-
cipal streets are wider than are usu-
ally found in Mexican cities, and like
the streets of other cities visited in
this republic are kept very much
cleaner than are city streets in tile
States. The parks are ample, well
laid out, delightful for resort and are
much used. The people look very
different from those seen in some of
the northern cities. The highcOlored
blanket, sandal, and wild appearance
has largely disappeared and the Amer
lean look and dress have taken their
places. The street scenes are not so
peculiar either, and one could almost
imagine himself in Pittsburgh or st.
Louis. Good stores line the best
streets, fine carriages roll by and SUI
perb saddle horses, and graceful riders
are everywhere seen. While there
are many things exceedingly foreign at
which to wonder if not admire, yet
they seem tame after visiting a dozen
places like those described in previous
letters.
All these Spanish cities seem to be
laid out on the same plan-the streets
crossing each other at right angles and
terminating in the public common or
plaza. The plaza always has a church
or cathedral on one side of it, fOun-
tain in the centre, and in the case of
this the capitol city, the government
buildings, one or two fine statues, etc.
The largest cathedral on the continent
stands OH the north side of PLAZA
Mayor. Its length is said to be 426
feet, width 200 feet and us feet to the
dome, with two towers rising much
higher. It's outside is impressive, its
vast interior bewildering. Although
its rich Ornamentation is dusty and
furnished and there are certain signs
of di1apidatiOn and Ihave-seen better
days iexpressiOn, it is still called the
most, imposing structure of the kind on
the continent. Rare paintings adorn
the walls and the amount of gold and
silver and rich carving which it con-
tains is fabulous in amount.
From the tower of the cathedral a
fine view of the city and it's surround
ings is obtained. The houses of the
city are built in blocks, enclosing a
square or court open to the heavens,
and are entered through an archway
into this court which is usually wide
enough to drive a carriage. The
roofs of the houses are all fiat, and the
better class always live up one or two
occupied by the servants and for sta
bles. The court is frequently Orna-
mented with a fountain, flowers, and
choice plants, and as the great doors
of the archway are usually wide open
during the day, view of these courts
can be had in passing along the streets.
All the social, family and hotel life is
within these courts. There is no
chance in Mexico for the Boston drum
mer to sit on the hotel piazza and stare
honest girls out of countenance as they
pass on the streets, for here there are
no verandas or piazzas on the streets.
All that can be seen is what is within
the court, all street life being out of
sight.