Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-06-14
ROAMING In MEXICO
STRANGE SIGHTS AND PICTURESQUE
FIGURES TO BE SEEN.
The First Morning in the City of Mexico.
The Water Carrier and H1ilkman-The
Women's Costumes-An American from
Omaha and His Sudden Decline.

Omaha and His Sudden Decline.
If Jules Verne had taken trip to the city
Of Mexico and other cities in Mexico which
have never been disturbed by the dust and
noise of our Nineteenth century locomotives,
he need never have taken his celebrated trip
to the moon to see strange phases of life Or
he might have called Mexico his moon and
written the wonderful tales without in the
least fatiguing his imagination.
The first morning in Mexico is full Of
wonders. Where were the open sewers reek
ing with filth? Where were the death deal
ing odors and black funeral street cars which
we supposed were to be seen hurrying after
every car filled with the living2 The streets
were clean and well swept the air most sweet
and exhilarating, and over all, breathing its
benediction into every narrow street, was the
glorious, ever constant sunlight.
STREET SCENES IN THE CAPITAL.
Strange sights greeted one at every turn.
Down the street passed vender of fruits.
On his head was large fat tray fringed
around the edges with leaves and filled high
with yellow musk melons, while on either
hand was balanced smaller tray, one con-
tanning apricots and the other prickly pears.
This last named fruit looks like small bcets
The picturesque engraving which all have
seen of the eastern water carrier has in Mex
leo its living counterpart, bent half double
under the large jar of water on his back,
which is suspended by straps passing over his
shoulders and forehead. He trots all day
from house to house, measuring the water
out in a pitcher which he carries in his hand,
and selling for centavo pitcherful. He is
barefooted or has simply piece of leather
strapped to the soles of his feet: his white
drawers are rolled up to his knees, and over
his white shirt he wears short leather or
cloth jacket. Altogether, he furnishes one of
the most picturesque objects in Mexico.
The milkman. too, has dress all his own
The outer seam of his brown pantaloons is
left open from the ankle of his bare foot to
the knee, disclosing fullness of snowy white
cloth. The women wear the chenlise as their
only waist a bright embroidered petticoat,
and the inevitable scarf like rebosos with its
graceful fringe, seems a suitable dress for
this climate One cannot help wishing that
these characteristics of dress might be re-
tained, but the lower classes will surely fol-
low the lead of the higher castes, who already
have adopted all the French absurdities, and
only black lace mantilla now and then
serves to remind one of their Spanish origin.
The only exaggeration Of the Spanish sort
of dress which we saw was one evening when
there came into our hotel most elaborately
dressed man. His buckskin trousers and
jacket We're embroidered heavily in silver,
his cambria rufles were immaculate, and on
either side of his felt hat was large silver
bulls head with diamond eyes as large as
hazel nuts. Diamonds sparkled from his
bosom and hands, and we supposed he must
be grandee of high estate What was our
amusement to learn he was an American
from Omaha trying to ''out Herod Herod" in
grandeur if not in cruelty.
Now listen to the tale of woe" In SUBJ
dued looking person coming north week or
SO later we recognize the gay Lothario He
sat quietly in his seat, with dropping lines
about his entire personality. His suit of dark
clothes was rusty; his hat was bereft of the
bulls heads and no diamonds sparkled any,
where. At Ell Paso silver mounted Mexican
saddle, the only relic of his past grandeur,
was found in his trunk, and he was marched
off to the custom house, but not before the
glimpse we obtained Of the interior of the
trunk revealed two soiled calico shirts
NO RAILROADS WANTED
But to return to the street scenes of Mexico
Wagons there are none, or at least very few,
and everything to be moved is carried on
the backs of man or beast. One morning we
saw moving along piles of lumber, each pile
carried along by four legs. SO we supposed
that somewhere in the midst little bu1ro
was hidden. 1t is said that each one can
carry 300 pounds. Trotting as steadily as
horses, and closely following the animated
lumber yard, came five poems, each with a
sewing machine strapped to his back, and vet
the Archbishop of Hong Kong, whom we
met travelling through Mexico, attended BY
Chinese convert priest, a good man who
mas spent thirty years as a missionary in
China, told us that he was sorry to see rail-
roads building in Mexico He declined to
state his reasons
The street sprinkling in Mexico is all done
from watering pot held in the hand, and
what is done at all is we'll done A few years
ago an enterprising man from our country IA
Chicago man. of course tried to introduce
watering carts, but the poems rose in BODY
and drove the invader out.
Ihere are many private carriagesin Mexico
which are imported from the United States,
and we saw many fine horses. These all
looked very natural, but the drivers and foot
men would call from our polite newsboys
many 'hi. hi" and afford them much
amusement. Sitting on the box, their shawl.
like serapes of bright colors drawn around
their shoulders and their heads covered with
the hat of the country-a felt hat the crown OF
which resembles very tall beehive and the
broad brim profusely decorated with silver
braid-the Mexican Jehu is tremendous
fellow, and can be seen any afternoon in all
his glory driving the fairest senoritas along
the Paseo, the fashionable drive which lie!
between the city and Chapultepec, the site
upon which stood the summer home of Mon
tezuma
Here one afternoon we came to the mos,
beautiful spot we had ever seen. The hill ii
surrounded by grove Of giant cypress trees
through which the road winds around ant
up until the castle on the summit is reached
These trees, covered with Spanish moss ar,
the only survivors of all their kind which
once covered the whole Mexican valley. Theil
branches droop pathetically as though the,
were still dreaming Of their lost companion
and mourning over the sorrowsof their Azte
friends, who, no doubt, loved them dearly
Cor. Chicago Journal
Her Parents Shocked Her,