The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-26
CITY OF MEXICO.
Street Scenes of Interest to All
Strangers.

Strangers.
By day the City of Mexico presents a
very unique appearance, for, from what
ever point Of view chosen, the avenues
are shut in by the serrated mountains
surrounding the whole valley.
The straight wide streets, running in
parallel lines from north to south and
from east to west, make it look modern
enough, but, for all that, the cid white
washed houses, the only architectural
beauties of which are the numerous win
dows with projecting balconies, give the
whole place Superannuated appearance.
These houses are always built in four
blocks, with one or two patioS or spaci-
GUS court-yards. On two sides of this
patio there is generally narrow veranda
or some projecting masonry, which serves
as protection from the rain, and enables
the occupant to reach dry-shod the wide
staircase with high stone steps leading to
the upper rooms.
These rooms, which are mostly paved
with tiles instead of planks, open on to a
gallery running round the court, with a
balustrade at a convenient hight for lean
ing against which balustrade is decked
with numerous pots of flowers and
shrubs. The first story alone is used to
live in, the grOund-tloor being occupied
by shops, magazines, or stables. The
better houses are built of freestone, while
the poorer tenements consist OF a material
known as amvgdaloid, which is a variety
Of porous trap or basaltic rock Of a red
dish color, the blocks being bound to-
gether with cement or sand. Some build
ings have walls of great thickness, three
feet or more.
The foundations Of most of the houses
being laid in water or in marshy flats,
they have no cellars, and are really great
cubes of masonry kept in place by their
own weight.
From the first thing in the morning
the streets are full of traffic; richly
dressed hOrsemen, hired carriages, noisy
carts with unOiled wheels, drawn by
four, SIX or eight mules, troops OF don
keys and mules loaded with all manner
Of packages, jOstie each other in the road
way. Mater-carrlerS or dgU0dOTS, COM
pIetely clad in leather, and wearing a
kind of jockey cap also Of leather, be-
siege the public fountains, carrying two
huge amphor;e, kept in place by straps,
which cross on the head over a palm-leaf
cap with leather visor.
Indian men and women pass to and fro
screaming out in ear-splitting tones the
names of what they have 10 sell, fruits
vegetables, chickens, ETC., carrying every
thing on their backs in wicker-work
baskets. fastened on to their shoulders
like soldiers knapsacks, but supported
by a leather thong passed across the fore
head beneath the broad -brimmed straw
sombrerOs or worn just under the arms
across the chest.
Street boys follow tho passers-by.
breathlessly shouting out the names OF
the daily papers and the numbers Of the
last tickets of the Loteria Nacional, or
National Lottery. You pause an instant,
you give a silver coin, and horror Of hor-
rors, you have been noticed, and you are
Immediately surrounded by twenty beg
gars of all ages, followed by dozens of
NANCY yellow dogs, which appear from
every side, and in piteous tones you are
implored, For the sake of Jesus, Joseph
and Mary, senior, give dole, little dole
Oh, dear little friend LamigUttol, God and
your sweetheart Will reward you. u."-Har-
per's Weekly.