The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-07-06
THE VALLEY OF MEXICO.
Gazing at a World of SplendOr--The
Maguey Plant.-s'Pulque."
joaquin Miller, in Chicago Times.

Jodquln puiiltr, IN SnlcaSO lines.
The City OF Mexico is under our feet,
and it seems to he in the center OF a SEQ.
You can aefpe the long lanes OF trees
reaching from the mountains in many
places 10 the walls Of the city. But the
VALLEY of Mexico, as seen from the sur.
rounding mountains, still seems 20 he,
Tor the most part, vast body OF water.
To right and left, and oil around you,
here and al over the low, fertile bills,
you behold one unbroken sea OF green.
This is the maguey plant. We call it the
century plant at home. II is rank and
responsive grower, and disdains nursing.
1t will fasten TO an old fence, fashioned
OF loose stones, and flourish there better
than in Geld 1t is certainly The clean
est and heallhiest plant in the world. =
Its sturdy, stiff leaves, here where 1t
grows TO perfection, are in some cases as
large as man, and as war-like. The
end of each thick, healthy, and clean
green leaf is armed with q spear that
would split fsnce-rsil
In the heart of this green, healthy
plant, that stretches away in vast rolling
fields or either side OF US for ten or
twenty miles, the Mexican digs ahole,
he selects the largest in the field, and
has perhaps one hundred plants tapped
at the came time Three times a day be
comes with pump and pumps out the
liquid into pig-skin, carried on his
back. 1t is sort Of "sugar-makin2"
business, only they do not boil down
the water. They put it in barrels or
tubs, and after three day s take it to town,
where it is said, $4,000 gallons per day
is consumed! have tried to drink this
"pulque," both at the shops and at the
table, but it Is impossible to stand the
vile smell of it after it has fermented
and been tumbled about for days on the
backs Of men or mules in pigskin Of a
former generation.
But look out beyond the green sea Of
century plants. Look away beyond the
great lake, the flower gardens, far away
and above the grand and eternal noun
tains of snow that lie glesming and
fast in the setting sun. Was there
ever such world OF splendor to look
upon befoief Sand only to think"
ssys an eminent American, who comes
from another car aud stands at my side,
II have lived fifty years within six days.
journey of all this and never saw it be-
tore. will come every year of my life
now" Words, sentiment, all utterance.
seems like an impertinence here. Old
hattie fields, the rise and fall OF this fac
ton or that state or nation--they all are
below US now. These sublime noun
taius. what have they cared, or concern
ed themselves for all that man has done
in their majestic presence?
II We could only partake little Of
their awful stability and sternness and
unchanged truth!
Here Montezuma stood, for bc loved
this spot, and in bis simple faith seemed
TO see the footsteps OF his god on yon.
der mountains with the first hurst of
morning Here Cortez stood, and in
his religious bigotry planned to place a
colossal cross on those eternal banks Of
snow. And here stood the old Amer
lean soldier. glass in hand, contempla-
ting the road by which he was to cross
those shallow lakes and plant the first
strange flsg on the walls of Montezuma
tina, bad been planted. there for more
than three hundred years. What ecenes
What surroundings! What traditions
What prophecies! No wonder that the
enchanted Spaniard, when, be fret set
foot here, named the spot st. Angel!