The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-09-07
THROUGH TIE WEST.
,~D INCIDENTS OF THE
sCtN .cFoUGIA EDITORS TRIP.

ga" Ias+ letter telling of the trip of the
NJ! aditols was concluded just as
GeolS ,.o,rsion parry reached Ell Paso,
the eAT We reached there 20 p. m. latter
Lex Ia days and nights steady iraVei.
tW Tb u" hoard of trade took the party in
,d dnr and carried us to the elegant par
cnSio 81 the Franklin club. After the for
lolT itv of an introduction was gone
many ,b With. the mayor made an address
toGInome. The welcome, like the
Ol Wv was warm, but the iced cham
pagHi' paso is situated in the extreme
~ IS TEXAS on the Rio Grande river,
T WIS the junction of several railroads;
anu - +own has twelve or fifteen thousand
l Ie and is supported by the rail
lnn una ond mining industries contiguous
IV" uo+n in old Mexico, Texas and New
W SIorie The city is as cosmopolitan as
Me-, non will find anywhere. Anything
s s1' the Mexican Indian to the English
Nv =, french Lord is found there. The la
u IlrorS are almost entirely the native
Tn the afternoon, in company with sew
o.ai other Georgians, l crossed the Rio
9 G~ande into the Republic of Mexico, and
o;stad the old town of Juarez, which is
fvnical Mexican city of $4,000 inhabi-
tonts The streets are narrow, usually
tanr, % 10 30 feet wide, the houses are
a al one.story high and built of mud or
",'ndried brick. The walls are usually
from three toIfve feet thick, and the roof
ia made nv putting small poles across the
main beams and then plastered over from
Evolve to sixteen inches with mud. 1t
rarely ever rains, and the roof is
more to keep out the heat of the sun
than to carry off water. On TIE inside
thew are usually finished nicely with
mastering, the same as we use. The
bouses are called "adobes," and IN that
climate are preferred to. any other
Americans going there adopt it as the
best house they can build.
The natives are an indOlent set of peo-
ple, and very treacherous. They hate all
titizens of the United States and the
sight of "blue coat soldier boy is
almost more than they can bear. But
thew have to "grin and endure it," for
the "blue coats are numerous on the bor-
der. A great many Mexicans can speak
English, but they won't converse with
YOU in that language. They insist upon
all communication being put in their own
language, consequently l had no very
extended conversation with any of the
subjects of our sister republic.
The Mexicans are exceedingly jealous
of Americans, and resent any disrespect,
whatever, at their hands.
In the quainG old city of Juarez is an
adobe church said to have been built by
Ponce DeLeon more than 800 years ago.
The walls are four feet thick, and the doors
4 and inside fnishings exhibit marks of the
centuries that have passed. 1t has no
seats-the worship being done in kneel-
ing posture. Ia many places the floor is
nearly worn through from constant use.
The ceiling is of heavy beams of fir with
4 the bark taken off. At the ends of the
beams which are about three feet apart,
are large braces of triangular shape set
\ lin the wall. These braces are gorgeous
ly carved, and present an appearance that
y shows that the church was intended as a
thing of surprising beauty when built.
An old Mexican woman guards at the
door, and permits strangers to en- er only
upon the observance of the ancient rites
and customs of the church. Any con-
duct which seems to Reinforcement meets
with prompt disapproval The altar is
htted up in the ancient Catholic style,
with paintings that are perhaps three
centuries old, but are still bright and
hfe-llke. TO the right of the main build
Ing Is wing built in the same manner
as the church. This wing is divided into
apartments used for different purposes.
Near the centre is a dark room, more
IKE cave than anything else, which is
approached by a narrow passage through
several 0tner apartments. A special
4 guard IL kept over this sacred place, and
you are expected to approach it in awe
anu reverence. 1t is considered a high
privilege to be admitted to this place,
e gu'a small sum of money dropped into
tle hand OF the old Mexican guard proved
sle open sesame to the mysterious room,
anu We We're admitted. The place is
ni%ue sacred because of the crucifix that
- AepV the G. They believe and claim
Wv TutV IL Is The body of the original Christ
'S'S ABOUT five feet long and is on cross
"a ioUno timber which appears in it's nat
IT, nI3' S'aVe' The body is surely interesting.
m ~ qoeSn t appear to be of wood, stone or
n ora 1t looks precisely like | imagine
6a human body would look if dried. The
n%n Vi Tue head is quite natural, and the
t HoT Ll OF thorns is real. The blood from
t tho hands feet, side and forehead has
j irt appearance of being actual blood
b r,vo, IN fact, it has so many signs of
s" "n@h'Iy that an observer is almost per
I"at 70 believe it real human body.
n yisi frGIner place of much interest that l
h was '' ", "nlle IN the old town of Juarez
is "0 mexican prison. The prison
na3oe building. The entrance into tbe
damod Is through lattice gate built of
a J lannC strips of timber. You enter into
WIKI rye yard in the shape of a circle.
the ~ mo no cover or top to it. In this ward
dav f tino are permitted to stay in the
cir g c'lne' The cells are built around the