Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-05-24
q MEXICAN JOURNEY,
Wido-Awakc Yankee Adrift In tho Fax.
End of the Middle Ages.

End of the Middle Ages.
There is q sixteenth century flavor
about Mexico that disposes to an apol-
ogetic mood the traveller who travels
in that country behind q locomotive
Notwithstanding the changes wrought
during the past half century, and still
more notably during the past half
dozen years, Mexico still is pervadcd
by so generous and so gracious flavor
of antiquity. that steam traction there
seems as incongruous as the conduct
of express business by pack-mules
would seem here. III owever, the dis.
position to apologize is lessened by an
attempt to travel on the high roads by
diligencja; and il is reduced to min.
imum by even a very short journey
along the by-paths of the country on
horseback with a luggage-train of
mules. This latter experience amaz-
ingly increases ones respect for such Of
ones ancestors as went upon crusades.
And, after all. the traveller who is thus
retrojected into the sixteenth century,
along with such an eminently nine
teenth. century environment as Pull
man car, appreciates more keenly the
sharpness of the change than if. for the
time being, he underworld to conform
his actions to his newly-acquired
standard of antiquity.
As we stood on the platform of the
Colonia station. in the City of Mexico.
waiting to have our luggage weighed.
and saw dozen pilgrims bound for
the shrine of Los Remedies filing intos
third-class car, am sure that we got
more satisfaction from the knowledge
that we were to travel by rail in com.
pany with Medieval Survival. than
we should, had we been travelling on
horse back, and so had overhauled those
same pilgrims on the road. Some
how, a third-class pilgrim struck as
as good. And as the train pulled out
from the station / felt curious thrill
the like of which certainly did not
feel in walking over it-as saw to
the right the causeway along which
the Spaniards retreated on the Dismal
Night; and then, still through the win.
dow of nineteenth century railway
car, the very tree beneath which. that
July night three hundred and sixty
eight years ago. Cories sat down and
wept because of his defeat As we
passed through the little town of
Tacuba-its low. fiat-roofcd Moorish
houses grouped around its great
church-we saw a train of pack mules
halted until our steam pack-train
should pass. On the highway that we
ran parallel with were many Moorish
looking fgures-men in muslin shirts
and trousers, with blankets hanS:ino
from theii. shoulders; women Stroud.
ed in pale-bue rebosos which hung
down in graceful folds, a,,d in a de.
lightfui combination If color, over
their pale pink skirs. Now and then
we would see little roadside chapel,
before the open door Of which a
group of wayfari'ig men and women
had stopped 10 pray; and in passing
which those who were too indolent TO
kneel did not fail 10 remove their
great straw hats, reverently, while
they crossed themselves. In short
we found ourselves back in the age
OF Cervanies-a paunchy little man
whom we saw riding along upon an
ambling as. the TANKS whereof he
pounded in desultory fashion with
his heels, we wold have sworn was
Sanch himsef-and every thing but
ourselves and our railroad train
seemed to be a round three hundred
years old. Later. it is true, the
sharp edge Of al. this wore of little;
but it never VIII lily was lost. Through
out this particular j 'urney, and only
little less keenly in others which
followed it in subsequent years, our
feeling was that Of being happily
adrift in the fag-end of the Middle
Ages. with palpaby picturesque sur
roundings. and enveloped in. an at
mOsphere subtly saturated With
rom ance. Cor NJ y Post