St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-03
Which Occupies a Territory
No Greater Than West
st. Paul. e
Street Car Mules That Would
AstoniSh Tom LoWry'S
Outfit.
Old Women Who Suck Cigar
ettes--Beauty Of Span
iSh MaidenS.

eye for over 200 miles after leaving
Chihuahua, and must satisfy himself
with view Of the long, ragged mount
ain ranges that stretch away to the
horizon Oh either side, circumscribing a
cactus-grown desert, in which nothing
save herds of goats seems able to exist.
Howe yer. as the animals named will
flourish on old boots and tin cans, their
presence is no argument in favor OF the
pastoral virtues of the section.
Once in great while green valley
will flush into view, through which
runs small stream, drained almost
dry by the numerous acequias which
conduct the water off to the barley or
cotton fields: or probably it goes to
nourish the fields of wheat or corn, as
all these crops seem to grow side by
side at any season of the year. And
it is well they do, as immense
numbers Of people are fed from
the yield of very small tracts of ground.
After turning and twisting itself al
most into double boW-knot. our train
at last climbed to the top OF the
mountain, 5000 feet above the sea, and
disclosed to our view, in the valley be-
low, was the snugly-built, purely
MoXlCdli City VI LdCttdCdS.
This city claims nearly LOG, 900 people,
but occupies not more space than West
st. Paul, and has the appearance of be-
ing jammed into a space entirely too
small for its comfort, and is doing its
best to climb up and over the mountains
which surround it on all sides.
All around the town can be seen
hundreds of mines in active operation,
and the hills are literally honey
combed with the different claims, for
SILVER MINING
is the chief industry of the city. Each
claim is marked by white stone monu-
ments, and so thick are they that one is
forcibly reminded of huge cemetery.
More silver is said to be taken out at
Zacetacas than any other camp in the
republic. Some of the best mines are
owned and operated by Americans, who,
as the mines are exceedingly rich and
the ore easily reduced. The ''Zacate-
cano'' is good hotel, and the guest will
necessarily sleep in the cell of some de-
ceased nun, as the house was built and
used for convent years ago.
However. the spirits of the departed
sisters rest in quiet and never disturb
your slumbers, although the sensation
is novel to one acquainted with the
facts.
This like all the Mexican towns, has
street cars. The lines run first and
second-class cars, and the drivers an
nounce their approach by the blast of a
horn at every street crossing and at all
curves, Mules not much larger than
jack rabbits are invariably used as the
motive power. and go at a rate of speed
that would make Tom Lowry's outfit
stare with astonishment. From Zaeate
cas- to Guadalupe is a line four miles
I in length that is worthy of mention.
Six or eight mules are hitched to each
car in going up grade. and they go at a
gallop too; but after arriving at the
summit of the grade the mules are
taken out and the car load of passen-
gers are sent down the incline at a reg
ular toboggan gait for the entire four
miles. A very substantial stone and
iron market house, 300X150 feet, is being
erected at Zacetacas, and its progress
is watched with great interest by the
citizens, who visit it daily in large num-
kind in the city and decided depart
ure from the adobe structures which
surround it. The contractor informed
me that the iron pillars used were
FROM BELGIUM,
but that the machinery was of Amerf-
can manufacture. Like all towns of
Mexico. there is here an elegant cathe-
dral of finely carved stone with nicely
furnished affairs and costly paintings on
the walls, but with rough, uneven floors
and no pews for the. worshipers.
The street scenes in Zecetacas are
more like the shifting views of kaleid-
oscope than anything else. An hour
spent at the plaza during the afternoon
concert revealed much of the manners
and customs of these people. as they
passed before MS like the scenes Of a
panorama. The quaint water-carriers.
with their earthen jars strapped on
their backs ill various ways, passed
back and forth from the fountain. A
gang of poems, under military escort,
with silver bullion, passed up the mar
row street, followed by their brother
carriers-a drove of burros, which are
rather formidable competitors of the
railroads. and who carried such enormous
loads of hay that only their feet were
visible; whilst across the plaza a gang
of military prisoners were busy with the
usual short-handled brooms sweeping
the streets, which they had previously
Sprinkled by hand, as there are no
sprinkling carts in Mexico: on our left
sat several sleepy-looking Mexieans in
the sun. for they never loaf in the shade,
with their fancy serapes drawn closely
around them; whilst On our right we're
two old grandmothers, withered with
age, evidently discussing some choice
morsel of gossip, whilst they energetic
ally sucked their cigarettes, from which
they seemed to extract as much solid
comfort as the full-blown dude with
sharp pointed patent feathers and silk
hat who strutted by them On the prone
nade-the bevy of really beautiful
SPANISH GIRLS
in their gay costumes. followed by the
broad brimmed, silver-bespangled 3 Sc
nors: the almost entire absence of an
American face, for there are only about
twenty in the city; the small bows sell
ing wax tapers, for there are no modern
matches used; the crowd OF thinly clad
poems chewing sugar cane stalks,
which article is OH sale at all fruit
stands; the passing funeral procession
on street cars, the hearse ear being
| fitted up for that purpose, and the
mournerS following in ears chartered
| for the oeeasion-all went to make up as
picturesque a street scene in everyday
lite as one will ever see. All the Mexi-,
cans wear enormous pistols, usually
44-caliber, strapped around them,
| which. however, seem to be worn more
as part of their dress than as weapons
of war, for your correspondent hap
pened to witness one fight In which
both participants were heavily armed.
and, though they pounded each other in
he true Sullivan style, they were
seemed to think of using their pistols.
After leaving Zacaticas our train gradu-
ally descended the mountain side and
we were soon rushing through fertile
valleys and well cultivated farms. The
ranknesS of the vegetation was most no
| ticeable. The little prickly pear which is
INJURED in flower pots in the States,
seems here to assert its Importance as it