St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-18
Glorious Haeiendas Through
Which the Traveller May
Pass.
A Land Modernized by Rail-
poads--Ppoducts of Mon
teZuma.
Superb Speetaeles Presented
as the Train Climbs the
Mountains.
Special Letter to the Globe.


months in every year without rest or
rational recreation. Travel among new
and novel scenes furnishes the best rest
which can come to the busy and bust
ness-racked mind; with this character of
rest come renewed yigor and alertness,
keener observation, a broader grasp
and more intelligent application. A
trip to Europe in the summer, or a ram
bile in California or the Southern states
in winter. has been favorite mode of
gaining recuperation of the physi-
cal and mental powers with the
busy men and women of Amer
lea; but now that railroads pene-
trate many sections of this, the old
est-settled section of the New World,
the stream of travel has turned in this
direction. The climate of Mexico beng
equable all the year-being neither UNI
pleasantly hot nor cold-ranging, say
from so deg to IS deg, and seldom the
latter, all through the most desirable
sections, trip hither may profitably be
made at almost any season. The travel
to Mexico this spring is quite large, and
it is composed chiefly of people who
have travelled in other parts of the
world. The scenery along the Mexican
railways is grand in places, picturesque
tremely interesting. Of course the
scenery is varied, as it is in America and
Europe; mountains here and plains
there. Much land still lies waste, and
much is valuelesS for agricultural pur-
poses, but there are many great grazing
farms Tor haciendas); many farms de-
voted to wheat, corn and barley; many
devoted to the culture of sugar cane.
rice and tobacco: many to the raising of
coffee, pineapples, bananas, oranges
and other tropical products; and yet
many, very many broad and beautiful
acres, are devoted to the majestic mag
uey plant, from which juice is drawn
called pulque. This juice, when fresh,
makes a
REFRESHING AND HEALTHFUL DRINK,
and is consumed in quantities almost
astounding. This drink is to the Mex
lean what beer is to the Bavarian; and,
like the BavarIan beer, it does not in
toxicate. A distillation of the Juice is
made, however, called mescal, which |
imagine is first cousin to the whisky in
America known as ''rOt-gut." l do not
know just what effect this fiery drink
has on the average Mexican, for during
my half-month's Sojourn in the repub-
lie | have yet to see my first drunken
native: but am assured that the most
thoroughly -bOttomed, hardest
Shelled. prOOf-against-forty robbery
lightning American soon succumbs to
the superior power of mescal in this
climate. 1t seems to eat away the brain
and make driveling idlOtof the victim.
During my rambles in Mexico | have
met number of intelligent Americans
xUbn baun Travelled nearly the world
over, and they with one accord pro-
nounce this the most interesting and
novel short trip they have ever made;
in other words, they have seen more to
interest, instruct and ainuSe in Mexico,
in the same length of time, than they
have seen in any other part of the
world. The trip can now be made from
the city of st. Paul to the City of Mex
leo, and from this city to all the points of
special interest in the republic, with as
much comfort as to California or Florida,
Pullman car, with but two changes, will
cover the space between the Twin Cities
and the ancient home of COrtez. From
st. Paul to st. Louis, over the Burling
ton road, is one day; from st. Louis,
over the excellently equipped Iron
Mountain and its connections to Laredo,
on the Rio Grande (the dividing line be-
tween the United States and MeXico),is
two days more; and from Laredo to the
capital city of Mexico, over the Mexi-
can National road, is but two days
more. This latter road furnishes the
shortest route by several hundred miles
from st. Paul to this city; and, although
new line, it has q solid roadbed, in
splendid condition and remarkably free
from dust. Its equipment is in every
respect first-class, and its officers do all
in their power to make the traveller sat
home" The road conducts it's own
eating houses and furnishes excellent
meals at the equivalent of from 60 to Is
cents American money, being 81 in Mex
lean currency.
TWILL PAY TO sAUNTER.
But the eXcurSioniSt can do better
than to shoot himself through all this
interesting territory without stopping.
Monterey, most beautifully located
and quaint old city, is 1853 miles south
of the Mexican line. 1t has an elevation
of ZOO feet among the foothills of the
Sierra Madre mountains, and has most
delightful climate. 1t has clean and
well-kept hotel, and near the city are
hot springs, whose virtues are believed
to be quite equal to those of world-re-
nown in Arkansas. This is an exceed
ingly interesting place about which to
spend a few days. Here is presented a
splendid type of the buildings and GUS
toms of 800 years ago. From Monterey
on the scenery is grandly beautiful.
The constantly shifting panorama as
the train climbs upward, winding in
and out through the rocky defiles, pre-
sents scene Kaleidoscope in its lowell
ness. In brief run of sixty-five miles
we arise to an altitude of $500 feet in
ali 70 lid and runioI OF
hilarating as cup of good wine. We
are now in Saltillo, city of 10000 peo-
pie, the capital of the state of Coahuila.
Here excellent meals are served, and
the surroundings are such as to interest
the tourist. During the day we will
pass through immense haciendaS, over
which roam and fatten immense herds
of cattle and goats, and among great
silver mines of untold va lue. Cataro
is another place at which it will pay to
stop and spend several days. The silver
mines are of fabulous richness (some of
the ore asSaying 5000 to the tom, and
have been worked for more than 100
years. Over S3.O00,000 per year has
been taken out of these mines in Sc
ries Of thirty years. Some of them are
tunneled for a mile and half into the
mountains at great cost. Here are
found the ancient customs of the Mexi-
cans in their purity, unaffected by
the progress of modern civilization.
The echo of the roll of a wheeled
vehicle has never been heard in the
streets, and merchandise is transported
on the hacks of the natives on that pa
tent little animal, the narrow-gauge
mule, known here as burro. The scenery
is not eQualed even in renowned Col
Orado.
San TuiS Potoci iS another civ which
the tourist cannot afford to skip. 1t
possesses all of the characteristics of
the old Mexico, but its business men are
anfiua and nraUrac Give Ii has ror11