Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-29
THE CITY OF MEXICO.
THE PEOPLE AND CUSTOMS AS SEEN
THROUGH VIRGINIA GLASSES.
Our Ncighbors Across The Rio 'rs"de--
The Trade which the United states
DO Not Gct--Thc National beve-
rare-The weather-Personai.
pOrrespondcnce Of the Richmond pispatcn'I
Cry OF MEXICO, August 20. 1889.

srn hemisphere with the exception Of its
neicbbor on the north. To begin with
their most prominent and striking cha
racteristic one should mention courtesy.
Somebody has said that "politeness
costs nothing" and here we can readily
believe the statement, for from the hum
blest peon TO the highest officials the
most perfect pohteness chsracteuzes al
their actions. After a residence here OF
five months, in which time | have been
brought in contact with people OF almost
every grade Of society, | have yet 10
meet the second one who was IN the
rlichtest degree discourteouS And, 10
the credit Of tho natives, be IT known
that the one individual-wh IL the e&-
exception that proves the rule-was
"greaser.
THE MEXICAN.
On business they are sharp traders,
uuick 20 see bargain, and among the
lower classes are not at all scrupulous as
10 how they hoodwink the "grngo.
They dress well-indced few cities OF It's
ropulation can boast of more dudes than
old Mexico-and are great sticklers for
.stvle." The fashions, hike the MILL
merry. all come direct from Paris. The
Mexican, whether you meet HIM at
the Plaza del 7Orrcos or in the social
circle, is Il jolly. good fellow, and gene
rous TO the highest degree as long as
YOU rub him the right way. But they
will not brook an insult. and the deadly
siiletto Is an ever-present instrument IN
the hands Of ,Sc7,Ors, as well as Heno-
yifaS. TO avenge real or imaginary IN
suit. 1t is amusing to watch trade be-
tween one Of the strect-vendorS-they
deal in everything-and foreigner
The seller always asks about four tunes
what he expects TO get, and 1t Is usually
safe TO make to make your offers ia the
same proportion. Thepeople OF Mexico
are great theatre-gocrs, and good show
of whatever kind usually draws full
house. Their playwrights are a molly
terror, however, and they periodically
butcher our old friend William Shaks-
peare most outrageously. just now
version of "Around the World IN Lightly
Day" that Jules Verne would never
recognize IS having big run.
A TRADE LOST TO rs.
ID is a lamentable fact that perhaps
four fiiths Of the trade of this great
country is with Europe. Germany,
France. and England, in the order they
are placed, furnish most of the goods
used in Mexico. When we remember
that three railroads now connect the two
republics the fact is more surprising. II
should not be so, and the manufac-
tuners and wholesalers of the States
would find it very profitable to look after
tins trade. We see few agricultural
implements and occasional lots OF pinch
beck jewelry and Yankee notions, but
almost everything else comes from
across the waters. | was glad to see a
few months back that a representative OF
the Bonsack cigarette was here
and had established an agency. Al
Zen a Ginter's cigarettes are also sold IN
the larger cities OF the republic.
THE NATIONAL DRINK.
A little space may perhaps be profta-
blv devoted to the national beverage of
this country. which to many OF your
readers is hardly known by name.
Pulque is the fermented juice Of the Ma
guey plant. In appearance 1t ls like
cocoanut-milk, but thicker and richer
looking. II tastes like, well, take "a lit
lie sweet milk, good deal of soda, a
little sourkrout, and some salt, shake
well, and you have fair idea OF It,
That is the first taste, the grand .fRdlc,
q few seconds after you have it down
and It's staying qualities are immense
Is the above combination with the addi-
tion Of the united flavor of coal-oil.
rose-water, and tar. This is, as the Mexi-
can says, the uif'mO adiOS-a kind Of
farewell gastric climax, as il were.
THE EFFECT OF PULQUE-DRINEING.
When YOU take it for the first time
YOU will remember il. Yourdreams will
be of pulque-if you don't get in jail
before you get to sleep. Both IN taste
and effect it sticketh closer than a
brother, and the head that it produces
ncxt morning is said to be beyond de-
scnption But after you "get used to
il" it is said to be a most delightful
drink, and its henlthful qualities cannot
be questioned Ii is first wonderful
nervine. No disease of the liver or
kidneys, say the doctors, can exist among
the deyotees of pulque. Brights and
kindred diseases are unknown among the
bibulous pulqueites.
AN ASTONISHING BUSINESS.
The amount of il consumed in the
country cannot be estimated. From q
station not quite 100 miles from the city
1--WE have the authority of the superin-
tendent Of the railroad for saying the
freight ON pulque alone to the City OF
Mexico averages nearly $1,000 daily.
They bring one very long train contain
ing nothing else. Everybody loves II
and everybody drinks it. For tt0kC
zone and half cents You get glass
holding about pint. The process Of
makingit is a simple one. Assoon astht
plant is matured a circular incision II
made at the base of the plant where al
the branches sprout. The piece cut Il
then raised and there Is cavity like &
large bowl filed with the clear Juice
1t is extracted with a syphone and placed
in large watts TO ferment. The pulque
farms are exceedingly profitable, and the
process o. manufacturing it goes on the
whole year around.
PLEASANT WEATHER.
While you OF Richmond have beer
sweltering and finding It hard TO keeI
on seersucker garments, in this valley
down below the Tropic OF Capricorn We
are revealing in the most delightful fore
moons and going out in closely-buttoned
overcoats after nightfalL The rainy sea
son was little late setting in this year
but has been getting in its work prett.
regularly for several weeks now. The
mornings are bright and delightful, bu
usually "the clouds gather, the heavens
open, and the waters descend about
in the afternoon and cease not till from
7:30 to 9o'olock according to the humol
of the weather clerk. The mean TEN
perature in the city for the month o.
July was 63.30
orr SPEAKER.
Hon. John G. Carlisle, Speaker OF tht
House OF Representative, has been il
fhe city. the guest Of Minister RYAN, fOl