Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-02-09
THROUGH MEXICO.
/. ee,cHr LETTER or THE LAND OF
FLOWERS AND PLENTY.
,... Mexico-Mnny sights TO DO Soon
summer Flowers and Vegetables
I'm January--Thcatres, Bull
rights, &c.
,vro,, . .nocis, Dispatch cerrespondencc.I

| fFrom special Dispescn oorfo'popoencc'i
| C,ry or MEXICO, January %, 1890.
Joome here for one thing for the balmy
| az tbat had been told me was OF that am
b;sns variety, even though within the
tropics. produced by the altitude OF THESE
| MEXICAN mountains. nave not peen qis-
appointed; it is all / had been leu 70 pc
di or than in ali the days Of this winter at
P;cbmond-the snow on the volcanoes OF
Toj,,ca Popocatapetl, and Ixtacclhuatl.
W. frst was passed en- route and came
~, the others within another hours ride
and at the end of my journey. m
And what wonderful Journey Inc
| FIGHT from the James TO the Mlsslssippl AZ !
ST. Louis took almost as little time as IL
would to tell about 1t.
OVER THE BORDER.
After st. Louis the directitn. was almost
dne south along the banks OF the dreat
river. through the famous lron-hlountain
region of Missouri. through Arkansas,
co,n;no into Texas at Texarkana,. then
sonthwesterlv through the State and that
Arnerican- Mexican city of San Antonio.
| Here | saw the first evidence OF my ap..
nroach TO the Egypt of the New World I"
| IN the broad sombreros and tinseiled trou-
GERS of the men and the bright-colored
yebosos and tapolos of tho women and in the
restaurant signs " Fonda" and ChiH con
| Cdrne"
After another hundred miles / caughtthe
first view Of the hills OF Mexico, ana ere
the sun had dropped behind them nau q
crossed the "Grand River OF the North,
as the Mexicans are pleased TO call the no
Grande. at Laredo, and was in foreign
country-in Mexico.
IN THE LAND OF MoNTA2UMAs.
r.z..rj, huofla of New Laredo
taken up by examination of baggage by
custom officers exchanging American
money for Mexican dollars, and taking sup
per. we started the climb Of the attitudes
for which the country is famous.
Monterey and it's Hot SPRINGS of Topo
Chico. passed in the night, and then saw
my first sunrise in Mexico. Behold, II
shons upon orange-groves and gardens OF
bananas, and | was on good terms with my
Journey. will visit the important cliies
of Mexico and tell you of them in another
letter. | could only catch glimpses OF
these az we ran along the suburbs OF sal
tillo, San Luis Potosi. San Miguel de Al
Iende. Celaya, Toluca, and ever go many OF
the uuaintest villages in the world.
FRUITS, FLOWERS, AND VEGETABLES.
Ihsve been here week to-day, and have
seen enough TO make book-but don't be
alarmed, / am not going to inflict one. |
have seen in the markets every imaginable
fruit and flower that ripens or blooms
under tropic sun and all the vegetables
that come to us In July-c0rn. peas, beans,
and cantaloupes and watermelons that
seemed strange in a January market. As
TO flowers. they are on every hucksters
stand. but the special fower-market Is IN q
glass pavilion by the side Of the great Ga
fhedral, where they are sold at less than
orr midsummer pTices-a corsage bouquet
of the finest roses for real (l213 cents or
n beautiful basket as big as bushel for
half a dollar, and sweet violets for o Taco
(about three cents)-this in January days,
when our quck-fading hot-house roses are
priced for dollars for single roses.
There are flowers everywhere IN the
parks and gardens. and my window looks
INTO a patio that is filed with them. and as
Iwalk through the streets and peer through
the iron-grated doorways Of the residences
that seem to be gloomy enough without,
find more flowers in the court or patio, that
exists in every Mexican house, pdttOs that
seem little patches Of Paradise, let down,
perhaps, to entice US to get there IL we
can.
MEXICAN AMUsEMENTs.
I have been to the theatre and to the
opera TO hear Patti, to the circus-aye. and
to the bull-fght. To this latter amuse-
Inent " us shlu tuc hlutIiCdn SoOS o.iN
/ have been once, and fully agree with the
other Americans.
A Spanish audience is enthusiastic, or
the reverse as the nature of the perform
anco warrants. but critical wlthal, ana not
ayerse to the expression of opinion IN vo-
ciferous braces, or shouts of disapproval-
or if it is o bad bulLhght q don't know that
there are any good ones) chairs. canes, or
other missiles that may be at hand are
| init N MaxlCHn
amusement patrons expect and demand
that the advertised programme be carried
| out to the letter. A story IS told or pres
| digatateur who announced on the bills 10
perform the decapitatiOn act. When the
| time come the apparatus was out OF order.
| The audience demanded that the feat DO
performed, and appealed TO the President
| (every performance has president. who Is
| q State or municipal oficer) who decidedln
| favor of the audience The actor was IN
! despair, but he he never lost his head-he
asked for a little time, which was granted,
| and the trick was performed amid the
widest applause. / will reserve my story
Of the bull-hght for my next letter.
| SIGHTS TO SIZE.
There Is much to see in this great city.
I am going, going, all the time, and yet
every day brings some new place TO 90 TO,
and | can't say when my visit will be
brought TO an end, certainly not till have
thoroughly done the city. l have driven
on the Pasco de Ia Reforma and seen more
elegant equipages than on any other one
drive in the country. Have been TO the
Castle Of Chapultepec. the White House y
of Mexico, as well as its West Point, y
the presidential summer residence, and
the National Military Academy. Have
been down the Vlea Canal IN native gon
dola to the Floating Gardens, and to Santa
Anita, the Coney Island of Mexico City, tc
| Guadaloupe, the Cathedral. and the scores
of old and Interesting churches, and &c
| 1acubaya, the Mexican Monte Carlo, and
last of all to the cemeteries. Each OF
these would take letter to tell about, and
l must desist.
JOYS TO CONE.
After this week I 90 down for day Il
Amecameca to get nearer view OF til,
great volcanoes OF Popocatapetl and lxtac
cihuatl; then TO Puebla, Jalapa, and Vera
Cruz; and on my journey home Will ylsl'
the City of Morelia and the beautiful LAKE
region of Patzcuaro. must say here thai
travelling In Mexico has all the luxurle:
that we have at home. Pullman cars rur
everywhere; and while the hotels do moi
offer the same bill of fare as ours. enjoy
the new and novel dishes that are served
In every way my journey has been most
delightful one, and one that would mo-
now, since my experiences, forego the
pleasures of for any consideration.
would rather write my friends TO come
to me here than to risk a return before the
possibility of March blizzard has passed
II they viii come, let 1t be with only lighl