Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-12-03
Chihuahga, MericO.
November. q. 1890

room In the columns OF the fKhE 1REsS
for some notes from Chihuahua. How soon
we become accustomed to new scenes and
foreign ways At our first coming was so
filled with the novelty of everything here
that almost wished to write book; now,
must stsdy to put myself in the place of
a stranger ani try TO tell of the things that
no longer impress me. Chihuahua is city
of twenty thousand inhabitanis-an old
city which pr,bably owes it, existence to
the silver mi0t. ia the surrounding noun
tains, as il wa -necied as the site OF city,
regularly laid oh end built. As the story
goes, this was not the situation AT first Sc
ected, but the first work to be done was the
conveyance of water frum a small river, the
Chibusca, hat rises in the neighboring hills.
The aquaduct was completed to this point
when the funds IN low, so, with truly ORR
entail resignation. the situation was accept
ed and the end of the great stone waterway
closed up and the city laid off. The cathe-
lral. a very handsome old building, is dated
1853. We climbed TO the roof OF 1t, most
dangerous attempt, for the stairway of stone
winding, and of Egyptian da' kness IN many
parts. is so worn by the countless feet of two
hundred years, that hollows of ten or twelve
inches lay in wait to send US headlOng on
the party before u. The belfry boasts OF
III - 81 nF m -
size with an ugly break in one side where
4 cannon ball went through in one OF the
many revolutions One of the queer sights
mere is the use made of rope. These bells,
ven the largest. are tied up with ropes,
twisted and caught in every way, showing
great ingenuity aud an utter disregard OF
the amount of time consumed in the pro
cess. | saw yoke of oxen with their horns
lust roped to a piece of wood burros have
their loads. whether of wood milk or bricks,
fastened on in the same way. From the
roof of the cathedral we could survey the
whole city and the country, to the mountains
beyond, for these fiat roofs offer little OBJ
4truction to the view. The country is green,
with trees where they have planted them,
hut the mountains are bare almost to the
base In his rarifed atmosphere their rug
ged sides take on the violet hue so often
seen in pictures, and when the glow OF the
setting sun il over them the effect is-well,
all terms are fiat In the city are houses OF
one story built of large adobe bricks and
plastered. A door, often equal to the pas
sage of the family COACH is in the centre of
the front, with a large window, heavily bar
red each side. These have two doors with
glass that open inward. The walls are a
foot and a-half thick and afford a pleasant
seat in the low windows, where the senior
itas sit behind the grating and receive the
ldmiring gances of the cabAlleros, or gen
tlemen, who dare not speak to them. a
narrow pavement is generally of large slabs
of cut stone, but barely wide enough for
two TO walk abreast. When you reach the
end of the square you realize that this IS
not the land of snow and ice. A descent of
maybe three feet at an angle OF iorty-fve de-
grces would have suited my taste much bet
ter in the days of my girlhood than now
Paved with cobUle stones the ascent and de-
scent are neither safe nor dignitied. Have
we stores? Yes, hundreds OF them. Some
of them very handsome. You can buy a
superb bedstead OF brass with lace and sat
in for draperies the vanity IS sreat and
prices ON pinnacle Some OF the estab-
llshments are kept by Frenchmen who I'M
port directly from their own country. These
are for the wealthy, but all along the streets,
everywhere, door will stand open showing
one shallow room with counter and few
pieces of pottery, basket of bread, some
blttles, contents unknown, and few arm
luls OF wood-sticks rs large as your Wrist
aud two feet long. | priced one man
whole lot he looked at me in amusement
aud SAID four sticks tor a media (6f cents
We see the very poor people coming from
the marke. with their little bits of food al
ready cooked, and few Mexicans ever have
fire. Like the Chinese, they put on more
clothes when they have them. We are just
two days ride from the City of Mexico
Taking the train on Monday morning We
can make the whole distance in a Pullman
car, only stopping for meals, by Wednes
day morning. While we have so many of
the old Eastern fashions here, the very mod
ern ones are brought in almost ludcrous
MISUNDERSTANDING with sandals strapped
to their feet walking through streets lighted
by electricity donkeys with panniers and
barefooted boys driving them along the
track of street cars built in St Louis. BY the
way, our cars all go in one direction. II you
want to 90 south, you take the car going
north aud wait till it goes back to the righ
neighborhood, for nobody i, in hurry
You get all the more ride for your media.
We have a wooden mill, an ice factory, q
St. Louis furniture factory, public schools
and private. What we have not is a pure re-
ligion. The poor are abased as we have new
er seen them. The rich are unoccupied, and
must resort to balls, cock-pits and the bull.
fight for relief from ennui. Here, too, the
best j. in the middle We are to look for he
future scholars, teachers, regenerators OF
Mexico in the great middle class, not too