San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-03-11
TO THE SIERRA MADRA AND
BEYOND.
Travels In Wonderland-Above the
ClOuds-Monterey to SaItiIIo.

Clouds-Monterey to SaItino.
To the LIGHT.
SALTHLo, Mex, March 4, 1891
This morning your correspondent got
aboard the Mexican National train at
Monterey bound for wonderland. There
was light norther blowing ut the time
with indications of rain, but as soon as
the train reached the Sierra ESpispa or
Bishop mountain, and rounded Sierra de
la Motre, we .orgot all about the cold, as
the scenery and green fields that the road
run through banished all thoughts of the
norther from us.
The first station that the train stopped
at was Liona. This is one of the suburbs
of Monterey. and is place of considera-
BILE Importance. There are several fac
tories there, but as the train only stopped
a few minutes we didn't have time to see
much of it.
Eight miles from Monterey is situated
the celebrated city Santa Catharine, 2,141
feet above the sea level. There are a
large number of factories in this city all
run by water power. As the city is some
distance from the depot only the church
Steeples, city hall and some of the facto-
rieS could be seen from the cars. There
are in this vicinity considerable corn and
sugar cane grown.
The most attractive point to tourists
between here and Garcia is the mountain
to the left with hole through it. How
that hole came there in unknown to your
correspondent. The reports that we heard
about it are somewhat fiShy, and will not
refer TO them at this time.
Garcia is u miles from Monterey, alti-
tude 2,447 feet. The city is three miles off
TO the right and is built at the foot of
Cave mountain. This cave is said to be
10 in ~ ~
Mammoth cave of Kentucky could be put
in one chamber in it and have room
enough left for dozen more caves OF its
size.
After the train leaves Garcia, it enters
Wonder land, and continues onward and
upward until reaches Rinconado which
is had in the SeirraS, at an altitude of
3.273 feet and SO miles from Monterey.
Rinconaldo is, beyond donbt, the most
romantic place on the Mexican National
railroad. From the train the. travellers
can see for the first time barn jewellers.
Women and children can be seen coming
from their cliff homes in the rockeys,
with earthern water pitchers on their
heads to be filled from the water banks on
the train. Patches of corn feds Of wheat,
oats and barley extend of TO the left of
the road, while along the sacaS, or irrega-
ting bitches, peach trees, pears, apples
ounces and figs are in full bloom. Also
immense cotton wood trees line the water
grasses. There are valuable silver and
lead mines in this vicinity and tons OF the
ore can be seen at the depot awaiting
shipment to the Smelters at Monterey.
But as the train stops but a few minutes,
an extensive description of this lovely
place and cave jewellers cannot be given
at this time.
From Rinconado to Los MuertoS some
of the grandest scenery on the continent
H., hA trn In hn IL
surrounded by mountains which rise per-
pendicularly from the roadbet thousands
of feet, and their Serried peaks looks as ii
they reached the vaulted sky above,
while the stars sparkle as brightly at
midday as they do at night in the plain
below.
At Los Muertos the train crosses the
canyon on a trestle bridge bridge at an
altitude of $3.50 feet and 43 miles from
Monterey. From here to Oio Calientes
the road clingS to and winds around the
mountains until Calientes is reached
when the canyon widenS out and the road
takes its leave of the Rockies.
OjO Caliente is distant from Monterey Is
miles, altitude 4,054 feet. As the sp;ings
are on the opposite side of the common,
and some distance from the road, we can
not say much about them at this time.
The next station above is Santa Maria
altitude 1886 feet and "a miles from Mon
terey. The town Is of the road, ana only
the church steepleS can be seen from the
cars. Four miles above is the city of
Ramos Arispe, which Overlooks Santa
Maria 3l2 feet, or 4,64S feet above sea
level. Ramos AriSpe is an adobe built
town. and presents a very ancient OPP
pearance. 1t is surrounded by fields of
wheat. oats, barley, rye, corn. sugar cane,
magua plants, and orchards. From here to
Satillo the roads are surrounded by fields
of growing grains, fruit trees in bloom
and plantations of the century plant
with many of them now in full bloom.
As the train enters the city it passes
through lovely orchards and picturesque
gardens before it comes to stop at the
depot. The distance by rail from Mon
terey is 6S miles and only about Is miles
in a direct line yet the iron horse had TO
climb 3.3lS feet in that distance, passed
more wonder land than can he
seen in the same distance on the Ameri-
can continent. The train passed through
the clouds, ran above them and entered
the Buena Vista of the Sierra Madre.
Saltillo in bright and warm sun.
In our next letter from here we Will tell
the readers of the the LIGHT what we
saw in this city. EDMOND.