San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-18

terey, but man has had to cut his
serpent path for about 65 or 20 miles.
The rear platform is the place to
stand and look backward as well as
forward at the great heights, reveal
ing their heads as the veil of morning
is lifted. Miles and miles off in that
perfect atmosphere we see La Paloma,
the highest point and the last to
show her crest above the clouds.
Streams that even the fiercest sun
cannot kill, fly bubbling down the
rocky lodges, small silver threads,
the veins of life in these arid and
barren precipices. One flowing rivulet
in the valley we cross twenty times
in the windings of the road. There
is little life in these solitu es. The
burro, of course, is where the Mexi-
can is, and we see their patient little
backs laden with barrels from the
mescal distilleries in the mountains,
trudging along the rocky sleeps. We
come occasionally on a half dozen
adObes, where dogs and goats seem to
share the family prosperity and favor;
now and again on a wayside grave,
marked with a wooden cross.
We gradually have assembled to the
plateau on which Saltillo stands, be-
tween 5000 and 5000 fet above the sea
level.
Just as the train pulled into the
station, a dispatch was handed me
from Mr.. Vaughan, assistant general
passenger agent of the Mexican Ma
tional, who had just arrived in Mon.
terey an hour after left, kindly ten
dering me transportation to the City
OF Mexico and return, and L deeply
regretted that was obliged to wire
that would be unable to accept the
courtesy at present. The same re-
markable structures, which are sup
posed to fulfill the mission of hacks,
await the arrivals of the,
trains and each native propri--
etor asserts the peculiar advan-
tages Of his own particular vehicle.
There are no street cars in Saltillo.
We have got to climb these things
or walk, aud as the city Is q SABBATH
days journey from the depot, as AL
Mexican towns are, we simply get
in, swallow the soft white dust and
sand by the peck and look pleasant.
But what q difference In the two
towns. This has the climate and at
mOsphere of an April day In San
Antonio, cool but balmy as the sun
NEST spot of Italy, yet there is ST.
lence, a stagnation of everything
about 1t as though plague or q fire
had swept out suddenly all human
effort or ambition. There are be-.
Salrillo. All is old-old as the ages,
fhn Of
not come near it. There are
beautiful gardens here and there,
luxuriantly tropical, oasis in the fear
full dust, but they are guarded by Is
feet high walls. The chief plaza is
small but q green spot. The old Ca
thedral which was begun in 1745
fronts on the plaza. I cannot de-
scribe 1t for 1 do not know what it is
made of inside or out, and the mar
velous work Of the stone front, do
not know what to call, but it is the
noblest old church / have yet seen.
The great altar is of almost barbaric
magnificence, the gilded carving
reaches the dome from the floor. The
large affairs in the aisles reach almost
to the ceilings. One life-size effigy of
the Savior is almost the counterpart
of the one once saw in the old cathe-
dral in Paso del Norte. 1t is appall-
ing in its realism, the sunken jaws are
bound with linen cloths and so
perfect is every detail of the death of
human flesh, that one shrinks back as
shocked as If suddenly In the pres
cence of human corpse. There are
kneeling figures In the aisles and at
the affairs passing in and out to say
prayer, but the women let their
beads slip occasionally to size up
the visitors. We took the p. m.
train back to Monterey where stop
of only few minutes was made, L
came straight through ON the same
sleeper from Saltillo to Laredo on the
Mexican National. The time being
about II hours. My Mexican Midsum-
mer nights dream is over and long
shall 1 live it over in memory. The
kindly courtesies received can never
die out OF q grateful remembrance.
J.T-