San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-03-17
TRAVELS IN WONDERLAND,
SALTILLO, THE BUENA VISTA OF
THE SIERRA MADRE.
Grand Scenery -HeaIthfui Climate
-Fruit-Flowers-Churches-
Schools.


-Fruit-FIowers-C
Schools.
70 THE LIGHrl.
HOTEL ToMAsIBHI, March 10, 81.
Saltillo is the capital of the state OF
Coahuila, and is situated at the foot OF
Buena Vista, at an altitude of $3.50 feet
above the Gulf of Mexico. The city is
irregularly laid out, but very picturesque
many of the streets are broad and well
paved with cobble stones. There are
large number of plazas and two Alamedas.
The scenery from the brow OF Buena
Vista is one of the grandest of this won
derland. Looking north from the old
forts of Buena Vista, which overlooks the
city, the pla ins of Saltillo extends as far
as the eye can re ach. In the distance the
train on the Mexican National road is
seen coming up the valley from Monterey
while lower down white clouds skirt the
base of the montains. whose surried peaks
are Illuminated by the rising sun. The
whole scenery is grand, sublime, and 1t
has TO bee seen TO be appreciated
The city is surrounded by mountains
which lap each other in their struggle to
reach the vaulted sky. They surround
the city on the east and on the west, on
the north and the south, to the right and
the left, above and below, and sometimes
they are covered with snow. Thus 1t will
be seen that the city is well protected by
the Sierra Madre from the billiards that
come down from the Rocky mountains
and sweep across the middle and north
western states. from the Rocky noun
tains to the Atlantic ocean. NOrthers
and wind storms are unknown in SaltillC'
and vicinity. 1t is truly a favored city
and appropriately named the wonder
land of the Sierra Madre. The climate of
Saltillo cannot be surpassed in the known
world. The air is bracing and invigorat-
ing. 1t is never stormy, while the air is
dry and pure. 1t is noted for its equable
climate and the happy effect it has in
eradicating, without the aid of medicine,
the following diseases: Asthma and other
lung troubles, ghout and rheumatism.
chronic malarial poisoning, general de-
bility and nervous proStration.
The average thermometerica marking
for three years, including winter and
summer, taken morning, noon and night,
was about 20, extremes about 80 in winter
and % in summer. These latter were only
| exceptional and rarely occurs here.
DR.. r. IL. l.. Bib, who has resided in
| this city since 1882, informed your cores
| pendent, that he took the temperature
| for three years morning noon and night
| and that the average was 20 deg. rarely
| going about so or down TO 30 deg.
There is no city on the continent that
| has better supply of sparkling cold
| water than SaltillO. The water that
| supplies the city comes from the brow OF
Buena Vista, about 400 feet above the
Main plaza and supplies all the fountains.
parks, paZas. gardens and many of tho
| private dwellings and public hall, and for
| irigatng the Valley below. There are
| over three hundred springs in the city
| limit.
As the city is built at the foot of Buena
Vista, has gradual descent to the valley
below, IL can have the best sewerage SyS
| TEN of any city on the continent.
The city is noted for the quantity and
| quality of its fruits and vegetables. We
| saw cauliflOwers in the market this week
| that tipped the scales at twelve pounds.
| All kinds of vegetables grow to perfection
| in the city. We saw strawberries on the
| market that were as large as plumS. They
| raise two crops year. For raising grapes
| it cannot be surpassed anywhere on the
| American continent. This is the home OF
the apple, ounce, pear, peach, Domegran-
| ate, cherries, figs, g0oSeberrles, currents.
etc. The lemon, orange and banana are
| grown also.
The most prolific plant that grows here
! Is the maguay or centery plant. They
| attain anl immense size and who n matured
| they diStill from them mescal, pulki ana
| beer, while they make rope and bagging
| from the fibre and paper from the
! pulp.
The celery grows in this section without
any cultivation. We have seen it grow
ing wild along the irTigating bitches, and
the atmosphere for miles around was per-
fumed with OdOr from them. But as the
natives don't know the value of them
they have not paid any attention to its
cultiva ton.
Saltillo is noted for its great variety of
roses and rare flowers. For ten months
in the year the atmosphere is perfumed
the order OF the rose. Every garden and
court yard is full of them and presents Il
scene OF surprising beauty. II the lady
readers of the LIGHT would pay this city
u visit, they would learn how TO cultivate
the rose and beautify their homes. Tho
Mexican ladies arc experts in that bust
ness.
The city is well supplied with churches
The Catholics have nVe. The Cathedral
is one of the largest in the republic, and
was at one time the richest. The alters,
| (there are several of them are most c!ab-
orately carved and gilt with beaten gold.
Over &, 100000 OF that metal was used ia
gliding them. The doom and yauited
seedlings is also gilt with gold. The front
is deliberately carved and presents an i'm
posing appearance.
The BaptistS and PreSbytcrianS have two
handsome church buildings. The Mctho
dists have church organization but uo~
church building to worship in.
There are ten public free schools in the
city, five for girls and five for boys, with
an average 1890 pupils, with three teach
Crs 10 each school. There are Is private
schools. in eight Of which they teach
English.
The COligio de o PUriSima is conducted
by the sisters of charity. They have 70
pupils 20 day -boarderS and a school ont