The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1888-12-22
The National Editorial AssOci.
alton i'm Mexico.

Regrrtfully bidding ndieu to hospitahle
San Antonio, the National Editorial Associa-
ton at y. M. On Saturday, Nov. 9th. board
ed the special train generously placed at tnelf
service hy the International and Great NOR
theru Railroad Co. and at about S:3O p. M.
reached Laredo, on the Rio Grande. the di-
viding line between the United States ana
Mexico Promptly crossing the river to New
Laredo where the wants of the - inner man
were sumptuously provided for ny the atteh-
tive railroad officials, we were taken III charge
by the Mexican National Railroad, which
kindly provided two trains for our use and
sent us on our way rejoicing to the yet dis
taut CITY of Mexico. Stops were made at
Saltllo, for breakfast; at Buena Vista, seven
miles beyond, to view the battlefield where
our own Zachary Taylor defeated Santa An
ma in l847, the American loss being 746 ami
the Mexicans' nearly 5000 at San Luis Po,
tosi and at AcambarO, where the ascent oil
the heaviest grade on the Mexican National
begins, and where it was necessary 10 dlVlde
us in three sectiEns. .
From San Luis Potosi to Aeambaro the ROAD
runs thrTagh a beautiful valley with tower
ing mountains on each side. The soil is rich
and produces wheat, corn, barley, fruits and
| the maguey plant in profusion, but requires
i irrigation North Of these points, between
| Laredo and Monterey, we noticed some hne
sugar cane. From Aeambaro to the Clty OF
Mexico the scenery is of grander descrip-
tor Nothing on the continent can surpass
its overpowering grandeur and stately mag
/ uiicence. Mountains, snoW-clad, 1850 tnelr
tips in tbs clouds deep gorges and preelplees
| yawn threateningly as the train circles by;
valleys teeming with the products OF the trop
les, are spread at our feet in the distance.
The land, the climate. the water, the natural
! advantages cannot be surpassed but the prln
cipal products are the large family of cacti
for which the region is noted. The prlckly
| pear grows to the height of twenty ieet ana
In nich
frequentl, rears its porcupine-ike head TO
greater altitude than the sparse and stunted
timber which is seen only at rare intervals
along the line; the maguey plant, OF which
mescal and patlque are made, here grows TO
monstrous size and reaches its highest per-
fection.
The distance from Laredo to the Mexican
capital, via the "Nacional Mexicano," is s37
miles, and this route is several hundred mlies
shorter than any ether. We completed the
Journey at midnight on Monday, and early
the next morning all we're astlr and eagerly
viewing the strange and novel sights to be
seen on every hand. The City Of Mexico has
a population of 275,OO0 or 100000, composed
principally of full -blooded descendants OF the
old Aztecs TaEse-the lower cfasses-throng
the streets and public places at all hours, the
women and children as well as the men seem
ing to spend most of their time in the streets
and plazas, and putting one in mind, by their
numbers, by their dress, their manners and
their complexion, of the tGsafont OF Naples OF
q section of Canton or Pekin. Many Europe
ans, principally SpaDiards, and fair sprlnk,
ling of Americans, with large percentage OF
mixed Caucasian and native aces, have
their homes here and make u the better
classes of the population. In oul brief expe
riepce with these people-the nilblooded
Mexicans or Indans-we found them kind
obliging, mild-manuered, polite, and fairly M
we'll iisposed to do the right. .>JheJ
| | hay
but they have never had white mans
, chance no, net even an American ne
! gro,s chance. What with the revolutions anC
counter revolutions with which the very
sound of the name of Mexico has beeu asso
ciated for wears, and in which the native
nnre-b -blooded Mexican was always the suffer
! or, no matter which party won; what Will
the centuries of injustice and oppression
which have fallen TO his lot, 1t could not d
expected that his progress would De raplu
3 But. under the enlightened rule OF the bril-
limit statesman who for four years has WELD
!, ed the power of the chief executive office il
j our sister republic, we have strong reason t.
: hone that the condition of these people VIII
{ be vastly mproved-morally, intellectual.
and materialIy-and that they will be glvel
, something like "fighting chance" in the bat
tie of life, which they have fought 81 TAR uil
7 der so many disadvantages
& + On the morning of our arrival we were ten
,iered n reception by the Governor of the Fed
eral district in which the capital is situated
and in the evening, at the National Palace
: we we're received BY the President OF the r.
0 public, Gen. Portrio Diaz: Tho General
n said to be fullbloodel Indian Be that
il NAV. he is certainly handsome and Gu
8 tured gentleman, who wears his high honor
|. with al easy grace, and has demonstrated
! his four years occupancy of the executive
u fee that he is shrewd aud eniightene
statesman. N,
}, Towing to lack of space we must defer u
a iii next week an account of our ramblings
and around the historic Aztec city and OF OF
journey back to Laredo, thence to Corp'
/. Chrisfi Galveston and kallas.l