News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-03-08
From Monterey, M exico.

perry sidewalks, away from the mu'
steal jingle of sleigh bells and thu
song of the chickadee, away from The
wintrv blast and driving snow; let II
wander away down south through sew
eraI degrees of latitude. down into
the land of summer eternal, the lant
of the cactus and palm, the orange
tree and century plant: down across
the Rio Grande into Old Mexico
where you can get a glimpse of green
fields and fruit laden trees into the
country of the patient hnrr0 and DARK
skinned Mexican. Leave your over
coat behind. Here you can wear YOU
summer clothes and stroll around coat
less if YOU desire. We are hasking
in a perfect midsummer day, with the
., thermometer 1t 10 in the shade
while III at the North are likely hud'
died around the stove, running up
coal bill and wondering where the
mercury is gone. Here, mosquitoes
even, have n CHARGE TO come up and
present their bill, and butterflies fut-
ter through the air. But don't get
into your head the insane idea that
Mexico is an earthly paradise. Every
country has its drawbacks. and The
particular drawback here, as we'll as
one which lies near my heart, is the
.sgrub" question. 1t is a settled and
undisputed fact that Mexican GRUB
is not what it should be. Now the
flesh of a William goat is not inclined
TO tenderness, but what it lacks il
tenderness it makes up in smell,
kind of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
smell ''tortillas" are wholesome hut
rather tasteless ; ''toma'e," are made
of meal, red pepper and meat in about
equal parts, rolled and cooked III q
corn husk they are decidedly hot
esting. "Chile-con-carne" is the eli
max of Mexican cookery-half chile,
pepper and meat, and half something
else of a doubtful nature. 1t feels
like a miniature purgatory Siding down
YOUR esOphdguS. One of the boys
took oath that he found claws in his,
anil we at once struck of and present
| ed him with an embossed leather med
III in the name of science for valuable
| discoveries. Calves brains rare and
we'll done are served in all styles.
Butter is never seen. though there is
| said o be one man near here who
makes an inferior quality that he re-
tails at eighty cents per pound; but
ter is Injurious at that price. This IS
quite a deal on the eating question. L
could 90 further, but will forbear.
On entering the Republic from the
Rio Grande at Laredo, Tex, you en-
counter for the first hundred miles
along the Mexican National railroad
a dreary and desolate looking plain
covered with cactus plantss, musquite
and other small bush from horizon to
horizon meets the eye. You see no
living thing unless it be an occasional
cyote or jack-rabbit, and even then
all you can see of them is an indistinct
blur, for they a surely get the great
est move on them of anything in the
animal kingdom. After this plain is
crossed, and as you near Lampazos,
the mountains come in view, spring.
ing up in front and on both sides,
looking as though they would prevent
further progress. Hour by hour as
you climb the mountains the scenery
becomes more and more enchanting.
until we reach FL Puerto, or the en-
trance to the plains of Montery, at
at an altitude of over 1000 feet.
From there on you are between two
rsnqes of mountains and the scenery
is of enhancing beauty. Owing to the
clearness of the atmosphere YOU will
likely get nicely fooled on distances,
and the mountains which look three
or four miles away YOU would find tc
be eight or ten. Nearing Monterey,
the first mountain that attracts the
eye is the Sierra de Ia SiIla. or Saddle
Mountain, whose crest resembles a
saddle, horn and all complete; ther
the main chain of the Sierra Madre
then the Bishops mountain with its
grand old palace now in ruins Their
you skirt the base of Topo Chico and
you are at Monterey, between the 24tl
and 25th degrees of north Latitude
and nearly ECO miles from the do
mains of Uncle ) am. Situated as il
is on a beautiful plain surrounded by
mountains grander than the white
hills of New Hampshire, it is a mos
beautiful place, with a population oil
$4,000; and such 4 ciLv-a city o.
solid stone and adobe. Her streets
are narrow and her architecture is bor-
rowed by the Spanish from the Moors.
whence it dates back TO Ham and
Shcm. Quaint as it is, it yet possess.
es a weiid charm for every one who
is so fortunate as TO be found within
her walls. To the south of the city
runs the Rio San Juan, and from this
pure mountain stream she derives her
water supply. On one of the hills to
the west, overlooking the city, stands
the famous Bishop palace, command
ing the city and the wagon road to
SaltiIlo. 1t was this citadel and the
Black Fort situated on the plain north
of the city that proved such an obsta-
Gle to Gen. Taylor and his command
in September, ls47. With a friend I
made a recent visit to the palace. 1t
was a bright pleasant morning when
we struck out, determined TO ''hoof
it," We wandered away down the
road between hedges of towering
Spanish daggers and cactus. Occa-
sionally we would meet a native
perched on his load of orr and Offer
ing inducements to his oxen to pro-
ceed in the shape of many "caram-
has" and liberal use OF the prod, and
more than occasional as we passed the
~"haciendas" would droves of Mexican
ours snap and bark around oar heels,
and vigorous applications of stones
were necessary to make them keep
their distance. After going some
three miles out of the way, we ar
rived at the foot of the hill and COM
menced the ascent. Here we peeled
off our coats, for although it was mid
winter, old Sol was making his pres
ence known and We were rerspiring.
All the way up the hill were remind
ers Of a difference of opinion, in the
form of breast works, grape-shot,
cannon balls and cannon Icing in all
ways as they fell in mi" At last
we were at the palace, " rather the
ruins. We found it deserted, save by
two guards and a woman. The wo-
man had one of the guards heads in
her lap and seemed deeply engaged