Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-13
IN NORTHERN MEXICO.
A VISIT TO CHIHUAHUA AND
DURANGO.
Mining and Other Interests-The
Celebrated Iron Mountain
Hidaigo del Parral
Special Correspondence REcoRD-UNIoN.

| Special Correspondence REcoRD-UNIoN.1
DURANGO Mex. November 3, 1886.
Proceeding southwark from the city of
Chihuahua the railroad runs for fifty miles
through a so-called "grazing country"
where lean sheep and cattle are standing
advertisement that grass is wanted Then
the valley of the San Pedro is reached, and
the eye turns gratefully to green wheat
fields, scanty crops of corn and growing
cotton. Next we pass Santa Rosalia village
and enter the Rio Conchos valley where
most of the cereals are grown which sus-
tain the yerions mining towns of the State.
The Conchos river-one of the most pict-
uresque in Mexico-ruI.s northward and
empties into the Rio Grande near Preside
del Norte Fifty miles south of Santa Ro-
salia lies the rich valley of the Rio Florido,
where much cotton is cultivated. Jimenez
better known by its old Indian name,
| Huajujuiila-is the most important town
| of the section, with population of about
10000. 1t stands upon the left bank of the
Florido, 146 miles southeasterly from Chi
| huahua city, and from this point a branch
! IdilIpdu Is OtSuli, " CDIHeCl VIII IQS Cet-
ebrated Parral district. At present a stage
route of sixty-three miles due-west leads to
HIpALGo DEL PARRAL,
A section which has long been noted for
| it's mineral riches. The town of Parral has
a population of $1,000, and is of CONNER
cial as well as mining importance. Within
a radius of twenty miles are unnumbered
4 historic mines from which millions of dol
| toll ont tt is alc ba
center of supplies for hundreds of miles in
all directions, and is destined to become
the great city of the State, if not the most
important in northern Mexico. 1t was first
populated in 1882 on the discovery of the
mines of FL Cerro de la Cruz, and now q
new tide of immigration has set in, and
the old town is rapidly growing. 1t lies in
the midst of the mountains, at an elevation
of g. 00 feet, in beautiful valley through
which the Rio Parral runs. The traveller
will find good accommodations here, either
in the Hotel de Hidalgo, kept by Ameri-
cans, or in the Mexican Hotel del Co.
mercio.
Perhaps the most favorable place to
choose for residence in Chihuahua-if
one must live in this not very attractive
| State-is little Villa Lerdo 515 miles south
| of Paso del Norte, pretty town at the edge
of the laguna Clake) country, perehed
/ among the hills at hight of four thousand
| feet
And now we find ourselves in the State of
| Durango-the land of alcdrdns (scorpions)
which, numerous everywhere in Mexico at
certain seasons, abound here in unusual
numbers. These pests are commonly about
two inches long, and OF yelIowish-brown
color; but in Durango they are jet black,
and are frequently found four or five inches
| -, 4haxr ,naf
| ally in abandoned mines, where they have
| been breeding undisturbed for centuries
| that the Government now offers reward
| for their destruction, a medic (six cents per
! hundred. The Indians esteem them greatly
as an article of diet, as we relish
CRABS AND OTHER sPIDERY FooD
| (And with about as good reason), first pull
| ing out the sting and then crGnching their
! scalv backs with epicurian relish. Those
who are fond of them need never so hun
cry in Durango, and while in pursuit of the
| favorite moroccan may also realize hand
some sum by saving the worthless part
that contains the sting and claiming the
Government bonus.
1t is an erroneous idea that the sting of
an alcdrdn is deadly. There is not much
choice between the business end of q
yellow jacket big black spider and a
scorpion-neither of which is necessarily
very serious, though all have occasionally
been known to produce fatal results. 1t
/ depends altogether upon the condition of
! the blood and the promptitude with which
remedies are applied. | have been several
! times stung by scorpions, and suffered no
more inconvenience than from an ordinary
] bee-sting; vet have known cases where the
/ patient remained for days in commissions,
/ foaming at the mouth, the stomach bloated
as with dropsy and the injured member
covered with scarlet spots. No one should
travel in this country without big bottle
of ammonia The instant one is bitten or
stung, squeeze out the poison if possible,
saturate the wounded part thoroughly, ap-
ply poultice of mud, and keep it wet with
ammonia The usual practice of pouring
whiskey or nlescal, down the victims
! throat is more injurious than the original
poison, and generally takes longer to re-
cover from.
Though the Mexican Central Railroad
runs straight down through the State OF
Durango, its Capital is yet reached by
diligencid, though branch road is pro-
! jected thereto.
DURANGO CITY
Boasts of 10000 inhabitants and is de-
| lightfully situated at an altitude according
| to Humboldt) of 6,547 feet above the sea.
Besides the Governors Palacio and
other State buildings it contains a Mint,
an assay Office, public library with nearly
six thousand Volumes Literary lnsti-
| tute, theater, casino, hospital, alms-house,
! several good hotels, no end of churches,
| and the usual arena for bull-fghting.
| There are also perfumery works, tobacco
! factory, an iron foundry, satisfactory,
steam -four mill, and a tannery or two in
| the immediate vicinity. Some magnificent
| baths. heated in Natures laboratory, within
the nearby hills, bubble up i'll the center
of the city. Here Catholicism reigns SUI
preme. Scarcely Protestant church can
be found in the whole Republic Except the
few chapels of the missionaries), while
those of the Roman Catholic faith crown
every hilltop and adorn every hamlet.
The Cathedral of Durango-an immense
| affair. 275x300 feet-cost over two millions
of dollars, a sum greater than half the ag-
gregated wealth of that municipality. And
| besides there are a score of churches, all
more or less pretentious, whose bells
are forever clamoring, and through
whose open doors, at any time OF cay
or evening one may always see candles
burning upon the affairs. Priestly power
which was incalculable in the not distant
past-is waning more slowly here than
elsewhere in Mexico. Even yet, when a
! Bishop rides through the streets, the peo-
pie fall upon their knees and remain in
that attitude of devotion as long as his car
rage is in sight Many doff their hats at
the ringing Of the Cathedral bell and none
pass its sacred doors without crossing
themselves devoutly and murmuring their
orisoaes Though Church and State are
hopelessly divorced in this part of the Re-
public, and priests are forbidden by law to
appear on the streets in their religious
robes, in Durango alone they are allowed
by the local officers to walk abroad in their
priestly habits. In this State the
GOVERNMENT LANDS
Are valued at only 4 5 cents per acre
and as Durango includes an area of no.
070 square kilometers, and has q lazy popu-
lation of less than 100000, it is to be
inferred that foreigners may find right
smart chance here as the Texans say
especially as it is far enough from
the frontier to escape the rigorous