San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-03
TO THE SIERRA MADRE AND
BEYOND.

DE UNI.
Over the Mexican National Railway
Personal.
ToPo CHICO. Mex, Nov. 20, 1890.
To the DAILY LIGHT:
Tourists coming to Mexico should
know something of The country over
which they will travel before they
enter it In order to let them know
what kind Of q country Mexico IL, is
the mission of this letter.
Fust they should go to San An
tonic, purchase copy OF the LIGHT,
then go 10 The and q N. railroad
Office, purchase ticket for the Gate
City, Lar. do. where they will present
themselves to tie Mex can NaliOnai
railway Office, where they will get a
ticket for Monterey, put them aboard
OF OBe Of their safety express trains
and Ia a few hours they will land
them In tht historic city of Monterey
Forty miles out from Laredo the
tourists will get their first view of the
Sierra Madre, which looms up in
front OF them and presents solid
breastwOrk If rock to impede the
gu rance of the irOil-hOrse.
The first town of Importance is the
City of Lamps zo., Water ly) dis.
titude 1.004 feet, population 5000. The
citv ~ b. autlfully located at the foot
hills Of the Lappazos mountains. aud
c.inunanus u fine view of the surroun-
ding country.
AT the head of the city clear bold
stream of water boils up from tn.
bounds of The earth which supplies
the eli Y with water and the farmers
for Irrigation. AT the springs there
ID . natural basiu of clear water
which Is covered with water-lilies
from which the place derire s its
name, and fish of peculiar color.on
half is white and the other dark
brown. The city has it's plaza, city
hall and some fine eaidences Is is the
place and house OF Central Narsnjo,
north and west of the city large fields
OF corn and sugar cane are in sight,
while twenty miles awayis the Sierra
la Mesa, Or Table mountain. This is
one OF the grandest sights to be seen
among the Sierra Madre The noun
tam as seen from the depot looks TO
be rs level as u table, and is the pro-
perty OF Hon. Patricia Milmo OF Mon
terey. The mountain is estimated to
con tain from two hundred and fifty
to three hundred thousand acres of
land, and well watered with lining
springs. Mr. Milmo has il well
stocked with cattle and horses
There is only one place that the top
can be reached by, and IL is said that
one thousand armed men could keep
out q hundred thousand. 1t has al
ways been place of refuge by revO-
lutiOnists when defeated by the
national troops. South of this Mesa
is the beautiful City of Can.
della which has a popul alton
about 1910. 1t is surrounded by plan
tations of wheat, barley, sugar cane,
corn, magua, groves of oranges, lem
ons, aguacates, pOmegranates, pecans,
and walnuts. South of it is the cele-
brated
CARRESAL MOUNTAINS,
which contain enough iron and cop
per ore in It's virgin state to supply
the world for generations to come
Thew also contain silver and lead;
several mines of the latter ores have
b,,n worked by Philadelphia CAPT
talists.
The road from Lampazos south
passes through a beautiful valley
which is beDnmed In by lofty noun
tains on both sides, while the plains
are dotted by The palms and the tall
blooms OF the century plants which
presents picture of rare beauty
when in bio m in the spring. The
next town Of Importance is the city of
BusTAMENTE,
distance from Laredo LOG miles: alti-
tude LOIS feet; population 5000. The
city is about a mile and a half from
the depot and is one OF the
most romantic places in North
ern Mexico. 1t is built at the
mouth of canyon at the
foot of Lofty mountain. 1t
is an old Indian town and many of
the buildings had neither windows
nor doors in them. and the only way
Of entrance was through an opening
in the roof which was reached by q
ladder that was always kept on the
roo' for that purpose.
The town has its plaza, its ancient
church, market house, and city hall.
The principal crops are sugar cane,
corn, of which they raise three crops
year on the same ground, all kinds
OF vegetables, oranges, aguaeates,
pomegranates, grapes, lemons, pecans
and waluuts. The city is well SUD-
piled by q bold stream of clear, cool
water that comes through the CAP
yon. There Is one flour mill in the