The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1895-09-27

MILAN paid the penalty of his am-
bition. Towns with populations rang
ing from 10000 to over 100000 occur
at intervals with haciendas scattered
between. One cannot but help note the
difference 10 the way of construction
between the south and the northern and
the Yankee. Acequias, streams and
arroyas are bridged with solid masonry
and we miss the roar of the train as it
passes smoothly and silently oyer them.
Nearing the Valley of Mexico we en-
countered the big drainage canal CON-
meneed when the Spanlards conquered
Mexico and pushed undoubtedly for
many years with an army of men by
the slow and tortious methods and i'm
plements then in vogue. Through the
depos guards with uniforms pace
alongside the trains to prevent the ma
tives from entering. Beggars, young,
old, crippled and occasionally healthy
looking are w present. Peddlers OF
Strawberries, lines and every variety
of native fruit candy and CONNECTIONS,
baskets, willow ware and trinkets be-
siege the trains. In the vicinity of
QueretarO, where the principal opals
are mined, opal peddlers have the field
and you can GET choice opals for twenty
cents each. To deal with these ped
oilers who first ask one, two or more
dollars or three " four times what
they will take, is to wait till the con-
ductor has sung out "vamos," then they
beat themselves down and will take
anything offered and run after the
train to complete a deal. One fellow
threw his pack of merchandise away,
jumped on the train and went till he
could safely get off to make a deal.
The castle of Chapultepec and the
stone aeequia are so much matters OF
history that they Will hardly be profit
able to touch. The castle is no wonder,
but the mountain on which 1t stands
is in point of location. 1t is an oblong
butte rlsingin a level fertile valley and
occupies a very commanding position.
The acequla is a system Of arches built
of brick, or terra Gotta, and stone and
has stood the wear of ages.
In regard to climate this country is
much colder than New Mexico, and an
overcoat was needed and generally
used on the 10th in the City of Mex
leo. Food is plenty and passible at
first class hotels restaurants. Meat of
three or four varities; chicken every
where. Chickens cost about six or
eight cents apiece; bread in rolls hard
and dark cOlOred, biscuit passibly fair.
Coffee and cakes, nuts or fruit replace
the American pie, but the coffee al
| ways comes after the meal is finished.
The butter is one thing that is below
the average. Wine cheap and good.
at Aguas Calientes, to which place
l have been assigned to start a new
branch office, there is a population of
about forty-fYe thousand and the
Philadelphia Smelling company, of
Pueblo, have completed and have now
in part operation what will be one of
the largest smelling plants in the
world. 1t is a quaint old Mexican
town with its towers and minarets
built of solid masory. The principal
streets are paved with cobble stones
Houses are one and two stories high
seldom three. The windows open like
doors and generlly have heavy iron
grating with shutters that are from
two to four inches thick and some Of
them so old, worn and quantity ironet
that they would make the hunter.
after the ancient" envious for posses
sion. G. H. LAIDLAW