St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-10
Travellers Disrobe by Candle
Light and Sleep on
Hard Beds.
Brutal and Disgusting Bull
Fights Enjoyed by Natives
and Tourists.
President Diaz Will Study
American Institutions in
the Near Future.

clerk in half-English and half-Spanish,
as the writer registered at Hotel jar
dine in this city few days since, show
ing that our city is identified by our
great winter carnival the world over.
Not only hotel men, but merchants
and business men whom | have met,
have piled me with questions in regard
to our wonderful palace of ice, as soon
as they learned that [ hailed from St.
Paul. The magnitude of that enter
prise as an advertisement for our
city has never been properly APP
preciated by our own people.
The City of Mexico, for political, histor-
zeal and commercial reasons. deserves
the prominent position she holds among
the great cities of the world. The city
proper, which is surrounded by beautl-
full suburbs, contains about 100000 IN
habitants. There are no ten or twelve
story buildings, but a majority OF the
houses are substantial stone structures
of two OF three stories in height. All
the metropolitan ideas are well de-
veloped. No matter what the visitors
creed, he can find his place OF worship
represented, though Of course the Cath
olics, with their 1876 churches, FREEDOM
mate. The gardens, parks and plaZaS
compare favorably with those OF any
city, as do the theaters and opera
houses, while the famous boulevard or
paseo is not surpassed,o or even equated,
by that of any city on this continent, In
the writer's estimation. The art gal
leries, library, public buildings and mu-
scum of all Aztec curlOSitles, will rank
with similar institutions anywhere:
Every foot of ground in and
around the city is historical,
and volumes have been published con-
corning the stormy scenes which have
occurred in this now peaceful and most
beautiful valley of Mexico. The novel
lists have found this most fruitful
field. for i'm the historical incidents and
traditions of the country they find the
sensational material so necessary with
which to pad their books and make
them sell.
However, the manners and customs
of any foreign city of Importance are
generally of more interest to the public
than q rehash of its historical periods.
and the writer trusts his hasty refer
ence to the everyday life of the Mex
lean capital will not be found less so.
On arriving at hotel in Mexico your
name is placed on large bulletin board.
opposite the number of the room to
which you have been assigned, along
with the names of other arrivals, which
scheme shows at a glance who the guests
of the house are, land saves the clerk from
answering many annoying questions.
You pay so much for your room, accord
ing to location, usually So or IS per day
for a good room, and your meals are
extra.
All the chambermaidS are old men
in uniforms, who look more like &. A. r.
veterans; the feathers in your pillows
grew on sheep. for the pillows are
stuffed with wool, and are hard and un-
comfortable. The beds are adapted for
one person, but are clean and well kept.
You must rise by candle light, for the
bed rooms have no gas. Mexican cook
ing is not a success in the writer's opin-
ion: the cooks are too prodigal with
grease, garlic and onions, not to men,
ton chill, which they evidently dislike
TO leave out of any dish. The coffee
and chocolate are generally excellent,
but the butter seems to be cross be-
tween axle grease and Lilnberger cheese,
both in appearance and smell, and
doubtless is a good lubricant, but after
an introduction you will not deem it a
necessary article of food. An old rail-
road conductor, who saw the need OF
such all institution, has opened and is
successfully conducting restaurant on
the American plan. where you can get
good meals cooked in the style you have
been accustomed to.
SERVED BY NEGRO WATERS.
This restaurant is decided in
nevation. asst is the only Americanres-
taurant in the republic. 1t is well pa
troniZed by the MeXicans. as we'll as by
the American element. Your CORE
spondent has found the drinks more
toothsome than the food, but has sur
prised his bourbon-bred stomach with
tequilia, pulque and other equally
strange beverages, while astonishing his
palate with chilli con carne and dishes
of like warmth. The few beggars here
are principally old women and blind
men, who, by common consent. seem to
have that license i'll all countries. In
place of the street beggarS there is the
ever present lottery ticket peddler.
There are said to be about 5000 of them
constantly at work on the streets sell
ing tickets for the daily drawings
They are great nuisance. and should
be suppressed. They seemed to be
omnipresent, but especially swarm
around all public places. You will find
them at yOur hotel when you go out in
the morning and when you return at
night; they besiege you in the billiard
halls, in the parks, Oh the Alemada,
around the theaterS. and even follow
you into the cathedralS, urging you in
the most persistent way to try your
luck. You can loose your money in
fhncn 1nffnrinC QtnnSf
from real Q215 cents( up
You can buy your morning paper here
the night before. The neWSboyS are on
the street by o'clock in the evening
selling 1.-The Times of tomorrow" The
difference in the time is evidently the
cause. and the papers, though SEEM
ingly published ahead of time, are really
nearly a day late. Papers from the
United States are sold here for 121155
cents each, which seems excessive.
since the postage is no more to Mexico
than to any part of America.
The pedestrians turn to the left in
stead of the right, as we do, and new
corners find themselves continually run
ming into tie left-handed travellers.
The policemen of this city. and in fact
all over the republic, are extremely po-
lite, and could give much-needed les
sons to some members of 1.-THE finest"
in America. An officer will walk two
or three blocks with a stranger to show
him the place he seeks, then tip his cap
on parting, and bow with the air of a
past generation in such gentlemanly
way that one is in doubt whether to give
him quarter or invite him to dinner.
The Mexican gentlemen are polite, as
we'll as affectiOnate, to one another or
else they indulge in great deal OF I'M
necessary and hypocritical hugging,
kissing and Misunderstanding when they
welcome friend or bid one farewell.
This display of affection is not confined
to friends who have been long separa-
ted, but is an ordinary form of saluta-
ton. Instead of our formal good
morning. they substitute the double
hand-shake and embrace. Fortunately
nearly all of them ride to and from busi-
ness, or they would never get there, but
spend the day on the way shaking
hands.