Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-22
Dome Department.
AMERICAN LETTERS, NUMBER 7.

everywhere else, seasons vary. The opin-
ion is advanced that there is much more
rain since the railroads. The general fact
seems to be that the winter is rainy sea-
son. That, too, is true here, 800 miles
farther south. Thermometer this morn
ing stands at 49o. Except for cooking,
Mexicans make no provisions for fires.
They suffer and die.
Fortunately, an Englishman keeps this
hotel, and though he has no bedrooms
with fires, he has put up stoves in the Of
flee, dining-room, and parlors, running
the pipes through the windows into the
street for the want of chimneys.
This country, the meanest so far as its
people are concerned of any on the face
of the earth that | know, is blessed with
a high protective tariff; so that small SO
to So stoves cost S12 to Sl4; a 50 shirt,
So, etc.
San Antonio is a well-built city, a
healthy and growing one and good
place to shop at, for it has most excellent
|
country that we passed through before
reaching San Antonio continues to the
Rio Grande.
LAREDO. change cars for Mexco"-so
sang the conductor in loud voice as we
reached Laredo The Mexican train stood
alongside of the depot, transfers were
made, and after we crossed the river the
custom house officers were on hand to
examine baggage. Then came a night
ride of $50 miles to this place. The first
so is through continuation of the prairie
country. The last 100 is valley with
low, distant mountains on each side, that
at spots appeared quite near. The high
est of these, so far, is the one called Sad
dle-back, directly east of this place, and
is 600 feet above the sea. One might
think here that the mountains run east
and west. But they are, in fact, the main
range, the Sierra Madre, and go south
now with serried columns. The nearer
ones are bare, with the marks of streams
upon their sides. The higher have some
trees, pine and oak, although they look
as if all rock as indeed they are nearly.
They are notched and Jagged enough, and
arise so abruptly that one might imagine
them the blade of case knife. A clear
stream springs from among them and
goes to the sea.
We are stopping at one of Sancho Pan
gas castles, and are not surprised that he
considered them such. 1t is the castle of
the Cooling Doves, named from the pig
cons that are cooling all the day in its
court. The court is covered above by the
blue dome of heaven, only it isn't very
blue today. The castle is three stories,
laid out with great regularity, and has a
good deal of good looks. Its rooms all
open on the court dining-roOm as well as
kitchen on lower floor; parlor on the sec
ond. There are balconies to second and
third floors; below every window is iron
ed. The Englishman who keeps it came
to America in 1868, lived in New England
first, then in Texas, and here since last
summer. The hotel is spoken of as per-
haps the best kept in Mexico.
have described the mountains and the
castle con dmOre, but my zeal ends when
come to the city and its people. OF the
city there is the stone part, inhabited by
the Spanish element, and across the river
in the valley is another city of huts,
built of adobe and matched. Here live the
Montezumas pure and and simple, with
their pigs, poultry and asses; counted
thirteen asses crossing the river with
packs of wood upon their backs. They
were very small asses, but would as
soon have been either one of them as a
Montezuma. Indeed, they showed good
deal more energy if not good looks.
Every Montezuma has a wigwam on his
shoulder, in the shape of blanket, and
wears a hat with stiff brim. The blank
cts are of all shapes and all qualities,
but most of them ragged and dirty, cor
responding with the other apparel. Mrs.
come in platoons. Not single prepos-
sessing person have seen among thou
sands. Why, the hares on California
ranch are as far aheadsof an Aztec as a
full equipped planet is of an oil lamp.
The rabbit will show more promise in
one Jump than the whole tribe of Aztacs
in year. When one sees these poor
creatures listlessly gazing and moving
about he can easily understand that
small band of Europeans would put my
riads of them to flight about as easily as
they would so many ants. But here they
are, the only one of the original races of
North America that remain in any num-
bers, living protest of the worthlessness
from which they came. Better thou
sand times the negro, especially consider
ing the education he has had, So much
for my first impression of this race. Its
history | may try to look into at another
time.
come now to certain products that