Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-01-05
THE LAND OF MEscAL.

the majority Of the party, to attend
the Presidents inaugural ball,
the bull fights, etc, and to make
the trip to Vera Cruz. We give be
low an interesting report Of these
festivities from the Southern Lum-
bermen, by the representative of
that paper. 1t will be quite as in
teresting to our readers as anything
we could prepare:
1--WE began to regard Mexico as
country OF contrasts and curiosities.
We noticed wooden plows and tele-
phones; caravans of burros and
elegantly equipped railroads; a
number of the ugliest wretches and
also the most beautiful women we
ever saw; depravity and poverty
right next to refinement and wealth.
They have no happy middle class as
with us. Large and elegant gambling
parlors rival the fine cathedrals in
same neighborhoods.
1.-THE ladies frequently cultivate
mustaches and smoke cigarettes.
Men are seen with 500 hats and 5000
saddles. They Offset this extravagance
by never using pipe nor chewing
tobacco.
"They have scarcity ofwood, but a
proiusion of cacti. Cactus plants are
used for hedges and fences. This
species is like our night-blooming
cereus, aud grows ten feet high.
Another kind, which we call prickly
pear, is ted to stock, and that species
which we term century plant"
supplies all their other wants. From
this last, which they term 'meguey
plant is obtained a cider called
'pulque,' of which 100000 quarts are
used every day in the City of Mexico
alone. 1t is brought to the saloons in
raw hides. They distill this 'pulque'
and make 'meScal,' kind ofbrandy
which tastes like combination OF
turpentine and alcohol. 1t produces
very superior state of intoXication
The fiber of this same meguey plant
is used in making rope, cloth, shoes
brushes, etc. a field of cactus plant:
is picturesque, puncturesque, anC
profitable. We have no one article
which benefits us as much as theil
D cactus.
: "But the "Tutors of our nation
: must return, so the Tennessee dele
gates escorted their brother editors t.
, the station and started them back t
"The land of the free" etc.
Give of us remained and wert
, well repaid. We had invitations t,
e President Diaz's third inaugural ball
which we had accepted for the follow
t ing Sunday. 1t was held in the oil
e custom-house. The immense cour
: was canopied over and used as
= dancing department. An orchestr
+ and band alternated in furnishin,
t enhancing strains. Seventy-fiv
Thousand dollars was used in enter
tanning five thousand guests. TIL
=, most beautiful women in the worl
:, were there, and modestly dressed
y An air of decorum and gentleness
:, such as we seldom see, pervaded tn
# evening. TWAS elegance itself, an
% any description would mar it. TIL
&, inaugural festivities extended owe
q three days, crowded with receptions
parades, pyrotechnic displays, etc
but through it all there was not
n single cheer. We are made of di
o ferent stuff. The only time we sa'
It an enthusiastic Mexican was at
d bull-fight. The best class do NJ
+" attend, SO Judge the best class al
re never enthusiastic. l saw five bull
70 in two hours kill ten horses, an
ID greatly endanger the lives of tn
p men who enraged them. Sometim,
a. they, too, are killed. 1t is barbara,
ID custom, and description would onl
be equalled by an account Of our ow
pugilistic affairs.
~ From the City of Mexico we wei
" to Vera Cruz Ui0 an English bui
:: - road, with apartment cars, runnir
- over 263 miles of track on steel slice
- ers and steel cross-ties. Even Il
telegraph poles are made of meta
=. This road burns English compress(
:" coal. The value of wood must sure
~ be appreciated in a country where
:, is so scarce. When will we do this
II At Vera Cruz we learned that o.
Nv country receives nearly five times Il
bulk Of exports from Mexico whit
IT, all other countries combined receiv
in while we ship into their country b