San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-09-14
SCENES IN WONDERLAND.
MontemOr las Buried i'm Orange
Groves-Products, improvements,
Personals


Personals.
MoNTEMoRELAs, Sept. 8, 1892.
To the San Antonio Daily LIGHT.
About the middle of last week we
arrived in this romantic city. The
first indication that we saw that we
were approaching it, was that the
train was rushing through sugar
cane, and corn plantations, and groves
of oranges and fruit orchards; while
of from the road could be seen the
smoke stacks of the piloncillo factor.
les. AS soon as the engineer sighted
the depot he blew the whistle; then
heads popped out the windows for the
purpose OF getting q glimpse of the
first tropical city on the line OF the
Gulf road In this wonderland. But
in this they were disappointed, for
the city is hidden from view in groves
of orange trees, aguacates, lemons,
lines, bananas and tropical fruits, so
that the cnurcn steeple alooe could
be seen.
Montemorelas is situated on the
line of the Monterey and Mexican
Gulf railway, distant from Monterey
sixty. two miles,. The depot and hotel
1.-THE passengers get dinner and supper
here) is two story stone building;
the warehouse and dining hall is one
story trimmed with black marble and
tin rooted. This depot is one of the
largest and handsomest railway de-
pots in the republic.
EfAE
plore the city. The first place that
We inquired for was the plaza. This
We soon reached, and to our surprise
we found it was large and more ar
tlstically laid out than we expected.
1t is filled with rose bushes, violets,
orange and ornamental trees.
The plaza is $50 feet square, the
promenade walks are as feet wide and
the outside walks feet There are
walks all through IL and they are
lined with the choicest of rose bushes
and tropical plants, whose sweet odor
perfumes the atmosphere, while in
the middle is q circular paved pavilion
which is surrounded with ornamental
iron and wooden seats for the mu.
sicians. The promenade walks are
paved with tiles, which were manu-.
featured here. There are 40 dou BILE
backed stone seats, 80 ornamental iron
and wood backed seats aud 80 double
stone seats without backs to them.
There are number of ornamental oil
lamps all through and around the
the plaza, and when lit up ct night
they present a pan orsmic scene, when
their light flashes through the orange,
the rose and ornamental trees.
On Thursday and Sunday nights
they have music on the plaza and the
elite of the city go there and prom
enade around 1t, inhale the pure
mountain air and battle in
the odor of the rose until
the clock in the tower strikes twelve.
When the music ceases and all return
to their homes. 1t lie on those occas.
ions that the bellies Of Montemorelas
and there are 3 great many of them,
can be seen at their best.
Several blocks west of the plaza Is
the Alameda, which Is one of the
largest in the Republic. The drive is
about three miles round. 1t is full
Of immense forest trees, some of them
eight feet in diameter and one hum
bred and fifty feet high. There are
oranges, lemons, lines, aguscates
and other tropical fruit trees, plants
and rose bushes in it. There are
several lesser plaZas in the city but
they are allowed to grow up in weeds.
Every garden in the city Is pictur.
esque. They are filled with ali kinds
of rose bushes, ferns, tropical plants,
oranges, lemons, and lime trees
whose sweet odor perfumes the whole
atmosphere. Grapes, peaches, figs
pomegranates, pears. bananas grow
there; the ivy, the rose and the honey
suckle entwine around each other,
and mingle their sweetness with the
mountain cir. The whole scene is
enchanting, and when we inhaIe
their sweetness, we loathe tn leave
them. The principal buildings are
stone, BRICK and adobe, with q good
sprinkling of matched rooted jacals.
On the west side of the plaza is the
Municipal hall, and on the east points
the cathedral whose foundation
was laid over one hundred years ago,
but the walls are not yet up, while
the north and south sides are built
up with stores and residences.
CHURCHES.
There are q mum Der of churches In
the city. The Catholic church is old
and dilspidated and it looks as though
it passed through some stirring
scenes and it should be retired to
make room for q more modern and
imposing one.
The Baptists and the Presby terians
have two handsome stone churches,
tin rooted. They hold services regu-
larry.
SCHOOLS.
They have their public and private
schools Ia the city and throughout
the district.
PRODUCTS.
AS this is strictly an agricultural
country the following cereals and