San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-23
GOING FOR HOT WATER.
A LIGHT" CORRESPONDENT
SHAKES THE LAREDO SAND
FROM HIS BUSTER.
Is Now Doing the Mexican City of
Monterey and Sampling TOpO
Chico Water.
MONTEREY, Mex, July q, 1891

MONTEREY. Mex, July q, 1891.
To the San Antonio LIGHT:l
We take the train at Nuevo Laredo
and ride through the night, famed
by the cool breezes, brings us to Mon
terey at a. m. Daylight is soon
dawning and with it the first street
car of the Zero Carel Urbano,n
which brings us to the thickly settled
part of this lovely city. After hasty
breakfast, We repair in company with
Mr.. w. s. Morrison, fellow traveller,
to view the town. The public market
is the first point of note seen, q mas
sive stone structure, two stories high,
and, as . market house 1t would be
credit to any city, covering as 1t does
a whole square; the upper structure
resting entirely upon columns and
arches. Around the former are built
the stands for the vending of
all kinds of merchandise as
well as meats and vegetables.
The sidewalks around on all
four sides are occupied by peddlers
and vendors; they all call themselves
merchants, and every Imaginable ar
ticle, the names of which would fill
small dictionary, and the vocabulary
used in crying out their wares in
trade ranges from, the pure Castilian
to the pslaver of the half breed In
dian. The meat displayed, whether
beef, mutton, goat or game, does not
have the appetizing appearance that
it has in the markets east of the Rio
Gran de, and as butchers, our Aztec
neighbors are not success, judged of
course, from our standpoint. Living
is high here, and as an example, will
state that bushel of Irish potatoes
sold today at six dollars and fifty
cents, being about five dollars of
American money. All other vegeta-
bles proportionately dear.
We paid a visit to Topo Chico hot
springs On the same day. There we
r scognized the smiling countenance OF
conrad Zuschlag, OF your city. When
told about the report in one of your
dailies of his severe illness, he said:
at is all q mistake; l will soon be
able to go back to San Antonio,
for these springs have done wonders
for me-" Mr.. Jenuhl, another visitor
from your city, is the constant com
pauion of Mr.. Zus chlag, and he also
Is full of praises tor "TopO." There
are in all some forty or fifty visitors
to the springs, of whom about fifteen
are residents of the Alamo city. The
springs are brought within an easy
reach trom this city by the street
railway. Col. Jules A. Randle is the
able presiding genius. Topo Chico is
quite village, and contains within
a radius OF one half a mile at least
fifteen hundred inhabitants, mostly
all MeXicans, except probably fifty
Americans. The tank from which
the baths are supplied is a huge
structure measuring twenty five by
fifty feet in length and breadth and
fourteen feet deep; the water is not
merely tepid but hot, though by the
time 1t reaches the drinking appara-
tus becomes just palatable, in which
condition 1T also comes to the baths.
In front of the large and commodious
bath house are separate waiting
rooms for ladies and gentlemen,
office, ante rooms to the baths etc.
There is the whole day adense shade
under large and well developed UNI
brella china trees, where invalids
and visitors can while away the
time of leisure. Across the street is q
fine and well cared park with CORES
uonding shade trees, fountain, tame
deer and seats for rest. The settle
ment of Topo boasts of a.comfor BILE
hotel, a pavilion, n ten-pin alley,
drug store and quite a number of re-
tail establishments supplying the daily
wants of the population. Your scribe
is under obligations for information to
DR.. w. A. Dold, practicing physician
who makes a daily visit to the springs
and to Mr.. Christopher Hoke, the
gentleman in direct charge of the in
stitution.
We paid visit to the ruins of the
old Bishops palace which stands on
an eminence west of the town, and
from which old Gen. Taylor made his
final and successful attack. The out
lines of the quickly torn up fort with
two four inch smooth bore iron
guns are still there. The
Ex-palace, is much dilapidated aud
unroofed, except the grand dome Gu.
pola with some fine sculpture work
still in good condition.
Simon Fest, Jr. of San Antonio was
here and has purchased q lot at the
Springs which is now being occupied
for barroom. Mr.. Leonardo CARA,
also of San Antonio and the owner of
q lot is now here to complete the le-
gal papers on the same. Mr.. John w.
Turner of the Turner house, but also
engaged in mining, is keeping a first
class resort for Americans on the
European style. G. w. HUH of HUH
and Son is a visitor here. Your cor
respondent met Mr.. Edwardo Bremen
engaged in wholesale aud retail drug
business. We knew the gentleman
on the lower Rio Grande during the
Macmillan regime, and this was our