Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-19
CUBERNATOaAL EXCURSION.
Scenes and Incidents of the First
Week in Mexico.
TO THE CRY Of THE TRUE CROSS
The Many Beauties OF Country and
Characteristics to the Pictur-
esdue Old Cities-The
Flag Honored.
In Old Mexico.

10 the Editor Of THE BEE: Your in
telllgent c%ompositor dropped two names
from the copy giving the names of the
Mexican tourists which appeared in last
Sundays BEE, viz: William NJ. Leon
ard aud wife of Lincoln, two highly re-
spected and prominent members of our
party. Early Monday morning, De-
ember %, found our entire party en-
route to Guadalupe, three miles north
east OF the Palace plaza, City of Mexico.
Ihis is supposed to be the exact location
OF the visitation of the Lady Guada-
loupe, who stepped from the clouds and
introduced herself to an astonished In
dian sheep herder.
Every town and village has a church
dedicated to 'Our Good Lady" Guada-
loupe. AT the foot of Guadalupe hill
are three churches, one II little above
the other, the largest one on a level
with the plaza. These three churches
betoken the three places where the
virgin appeared to the sheep herder.
Thrice she appeared to this poor Indian
and ordered him to build her a temple.
Not having IL penny the fellow hesitated
to obey, but reported the visitation
to his priest. Following his advice
he again invited a visit by repairing to
the Irysting place, and when the virgin
came, demanded u sign. She ordered
MN to throw his serape-blanket on the
ground and filled it with flowers gath
cred from the barren rocks, where
flowers lac never grown. AS he opened
his blanket, to show her gift to the
nTlnSf- Inl his Hnwnrp 1nl p.,n = - -
most beautiful picture of Madonna
Sweetness, with n boy chcrub in her
arms. The greasy serape, with its por-
trait, apparently woven in the
blanket we saw just over the altar of
the larger temple. A frame of solid
silver encasesit. This miracle appeared
IN the second yearof the Spanish reign,
and Guadalupe became an Indian to
Indians, that they might accept Roman
ism and the plunderers be safe in their
possessions.
We went out on q street car, just
enough of us to fill u first-class car. The
driver ran the mules all the way; this
is the style in Mexico.
BY the by, the street car system in
Mexico is as perfect as can be found
anywhere in America, except that the
motive power is by mules. The cable
and electric motors are unknown.
| was reliably informed that
the entire railway system Of Mexico
belongs to three minor children, and
that it was the best paying investment
of the kind in America.
Everybody in Mexico %patronizes the
street a lines, high, and low, rich and
poor, all ride. .Atbeggar will stand for
hours calling for iclaquos in order to
get money enough to ride a few blocks
on the street cars.
Every line has its first and second
class cas-. The itirst-class charge is
srom ct to 124 cents, fare, according to
the time of day, tanda second-class ct
cents or one medic.
Freight and funeral cars are run over
the same lines.
After stepping from the street cars at
Guadalupe we first took in the sights
OF the plaza which, like all Mexican
plazas at this time of the year, Christ
mas week, was filed with hucksters
country people and traders of every
class and description. The main res
the sidewalk. Women and children
were sitting in the streets and on the
sidewalks making tortillos and baking
them on hot stones. Several Mexican
dishes were being prepared, which
might have been appetizing to the
natives, but which were nauseating to
the members of our party.
We saw and tasted the water of the
wonderful soda springs which gush from
the rocks AT the exact point where
Guadalupe stood when she c~onversed
with the herder. The spring is en-
closed in a solid stone basin, sur
rounded by and covered with an iron
railing. | presume it is so covered to
prevent devOtees from drowning them
selves in this holy water, which to me
tasted exactly like the soda springs Of
Maritou, Colorado.
Near the door of the springs we saw
one OF the most frightful looking beg
gars hat we had seen in Mexico a red
haired specimen of humanity, crippled
freckled and olind, his bushy hair stood
out like .porcuplne quilts; a hideous
looking sight. Our artist took his pho
tograph.
All climbed to the upper church fully
was a grand one and repaid us for our
effort.
We entered the sanctuary of the
Guadaloupe and bought pictures
and other trinkets, which can
be found in every church in
Mexico. These little stores and huck-
ster shops in the s%anctuaries of the
principal churches, within a few feet
OF the kneeling devotees, tend to re-
mind one of the story of Christ scourg-
ing the money changers from the
temple.
After our return to the City of Mexico
the party took carriages ana under the
guidance OF Colonel Corrella Of the
Mexican army visited C~hapultepec.
The drive over the broad boulevard
from the city to Chapultepec, three
miles south west from the plaza,
and thence around the mountain
through the wonderful forests OF cedar
and eucalyptus trees--some OF the for
mer twenty feet in diameter-and many
other beautiful trees, by a winding,
paved and stone walled carriage way to
the main courtyard OF the Chapultepec
palace, was one THAT can never be for
gotten. 10 tl
We were conducted through the pal
ace and private Apartments of Presi-
dent Diaz, who makes this his summer
residence, and who lives in the city
during the winter season, and were
shown the silver plate and wonderful
silver candelabra; the fine vases and
other solid silver vessels originally be-
longing to Maximillian, now bv confis-
cation the property OF the Mexican gov
m Our Marty was seated at the