The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-07
IN THE MEXICAN. CAPITAL.
ODD STREET SCENES AND INCIDENTS
IN THE CITY or MEXICO.

The Unique Appearance or the city
Curious Houses-carriages and Carts.
Water Carriers and street venders-
Peculiar Actions-The Beggars.
By day the town of Mexico presents
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 IL look modern
enough; but, for all that, the old 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 spa
cious courtyards. On two sides of this
patio there Is generally narrow veranda
or some projecting masonry, which serves
as protection from the rain, and en-
ables the occupant TO reach dry-sbod 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 gallery
running around the court, with balus-
trade at a convenient height for leaning
against, which balustrade Is decked with
numerous pots of flowers and shrubs.
The first story alone is used to live in,
the ground floor being occupied by
shops, magazines or stables. The better
houses are built of freestone, while the
poorer tenements consist OF material
know as amygdaloid, which is a variety
of porous trap or basaltc 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, says Harper's.
The foundations OF most of the houses
being laid in water, or in marshy fats,
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 donkeys
and mules loaded with all manner of
packages, jostle each other in the road
way. Water carriers or aguadors, COM
pletely clad in leather, and wearing
kind of jockey cap, also Of leather, be-
siege the public fountains, carrying two
huge amphorae, kept in place by straps,
which cross on the head over 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 to 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 leather thong, pa,ssed across the fore
head, beneath the broad brimmed straw
sombreros, or worn just under the arm
across the chest.
Street. boys follow the 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 silver coin-horror OF horrors,
you have been noticed, and you are inn
mediately surrounded by twenty beggars
of all ages, followed by dozens OF NANCY
yellow dogs, which appear from every
side, and in piteous tones you are i'm
plored, "For the sake of Joseph and
Mary, senior, give a dole, little dole.
Oh, dear little friend (amiguito), God and
sweetheart will reward you!'