Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-04-14
TRIP TO MEXICO.
What BlackfoOt Lady Saw m The Land
OF The Monteznmas.

visited an American vessel, after
which we rowed over to San Juan de
Eulna, prison built out in the Gulf
of Mexico. We arrived about the
time the prisoners were taking their
evening meal, and watched them re
ceive their rations of beans, coffee and
bread as they were handed to them by
guards. The prisoners with tin pan,
cup and spoon, march from their cells
by the guards in couples, and as they
approach they are handed their meals
after which they return to their cells
and remain until the next meal hour
arrives. Their life is dreary and
monotonous and their punishment
could hardly be worse.
The trip to Vera Cruz is delightful,
if for nothing but the scenery, which
is as fine as any in the world. I'M
agine passing through forests of trees,
over green mountains, thousands of
feet high, looking down upon lovely
little villages so evenly laid out that
they appear painted; and then rolling
down over some grand plain, where
the oranges, bananas, coffee, pine APP
Piles, lenas and coeoanuts can be seen
growing, and heavy perfume of soft
sea air making it seem as if you were
verify in another world from the one
in which only sage brush plains fill
the landscape.
The people of Mexico with whom
we became acquainted we found very
polite and attentive. We would not
advise our American young gentleman
friends to even think of matrlmony
while in Mexico-they would surely
commit suicide while dreaming of
their lady love; for the most he could
ever do during the courtship would |
be to gaze at her from the balcony of |
her parents home, and make love to
her by signs from the street. He
cannot visit the house until he has
received her parents consent to an
engagement which is only after long
"balcony courtship," even then, he can
not see his promised wife alone. If |
he should meet her ON the street he
must pass her with slight salutation |
unless she has with her a chaperone.
in which case he may presume (?) to
walk short distance with them. This
kind of courtship is all right for the
Spanish people, if they like it; but WE
prefer something more realistic. An
American visiting Mexico finds
its history wonderfully attractive, and
all we ever read or studied about the
country returns to our mind and seems
doubly interesting.
1t is said that Cortez after landing
in Mexico followed the flight of an
eagle which carried in its beak and
talons huge serpent, that it directed
its course toward the City of Mexico
and finally lit on cactus. The Next
can court of arms bears this insignia
The following notes are from histori-
cal impressions gathered in coversa-
ton with Mexicans, and give slight
idea of the turbulent career of the
Mexican nation.
In 1919, the Spanish, under Cortez,
invaded Mexico, for the purpose of
extending the dominions of Spain,
conquer and christainize the country.
For nearly 300 years the church and
country were one. Between 1920 and
1885 circulating medium was OBJ
tanned by hammering pieces of silver
of proper weight into mutable shape
and stamping thereon the arms of the
bishop of the diocese or governor of
the province. Under the viceroy
Velasquez the mint was established
in 1885 and crude systematic coin
age then appeared and supplanted the
other. These coins had the arms of
the King of Spain on one side and
the arms of the Pope on the other.
In 1916 the Pope's arms were drop
ped and the year of coinage was put
on for the first time. Soon after the
beginning of the nineteenth century
the Mexicans agitated an independent
and universal form of government;
separating the church and state, and
war followed lasting ten years. In
1920 John 0'Donohue was appointed
viceroy, but on reaching Mexico saw
the kings cause was hopeless and in
1921 effected a settlement whereby
some semblances of connection with
Spain were preserved. The govern
ment of Mexico was left to council
of five of which ODonohue was the
head. In 1922 O'Donuhue died and
Iturbide, one of the five, proclaimed
himself "By the grace of Providence
constitutional emperor of Mexico" and
the coins of that year were thus in
scribed, and adorned with his head
and bust. In 1923 Zuloago ousted
Iturbide and established the Republic
which lasted until 1868. The coun-
try was at this time in great confu-
sion and in debt to all the powers of
EurOnp who sent ambassadors de-