The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-04-24


life. 1t struck us that a far more even and
satisfactory adjustment could have been
made. without, In the slightest degree, i'm
pairing the chances of the future salvation
of the people.
The cathedral in the city of Puebla, is un-
doubtedly the finest one on this continent
while not as large as the one in the city of
Mexico, it is far more richly decorated.
Our party was accorded a special privilege
and were taken into the choir stalls and
shown the music book used in them; they
are made Of parchment aud are twenty-four
by thlrty-six inches. There are three sets;
each book contains one piece of music; the
notes are three inches long; the books are
all hand painted, and deliberately done; the
books when in use are placed on an elevat-
ed stand in full view of the entire choir,
and the pages are turned by the directors or
leaders. We were taken into the priests
private meeting room, and shown some old
and valuable paintings-works of old mas
tiers. We were also shown seven large
pieces of genuine Gobelin, twenty feet
square. The ladies of the party voted 1t
burning shame that such elegant tapestries
should be hidden away in that manner.
Puebla Is In the heart of the Onyx country
and the display of it in the stores was won
derful.
AT Puebla the party decided to divide for
day, some going to Oaxaca and the balance
to Vera Cruz. Oaxaca is the terminal point
on the railway leading toward the ruins OF
Militia. Had we been able to have added
another day to the length of our trip with
out dscommoding several members of the
party, we should have all gone together to
Militia, but finding that impossible, the
larger party not wishing to be aggravated by
getting so close to the most wonderful ruins
in the world without seeing them, decided
to go down into the tropics at Orizaba and
Vera Cruz. 1t was delightful experience
going down the sides of that wonderful
mountain. In sixteen miles we descended
on very visible pitch and the curves in the
track, sometimes forming verltable horse
shoes and at others long majestic sweeps,
kept us constantly in view Of and fast APP.
preaching vegetation in its rankest form,
peculiar only to the tropics. We saw the
coffee trees in bloom; oranges, lemons,
lines, dates, cocoanuts, and many other
fruits, hanging FROM their trees, and we ate
till we could eat no more. Such oranges,
sweet as honey and OVERLOOKING with juice,
and at price that was simply ridiculous
One could buy bushel of them for fifty
cents, our money. So favorably was the
party impressed with the surroundings of
Orizaba, that another split in the party was
made, some remaining there over night and
the balance going on to Vera Cruz, where
we arrived in time for supper and a turn
about the city in the evening. OF course
the plaza was the interesting feature, with
its band and its promenaders. We had
clothes were in order, aud the promenaders
dressed in white, with their bare heads or
the lightest of head covering, c0ntrasted
strongly with the report of the temperature
that we had that day received from home.
Returning to our hotel we gazed in aston
ishment at our bed room doors. They were
covered with iron gratipgs. Visions of pi-
rates came up before us. Inside we found
the fastenings made of massive hasps and
staples, then we discovered that the doors
had second door in them, upon opening
which the whole mystery vanished and
most perfect, although rather primitive, sys-
tenn of ventilation came to view. We were
simply rats in trap, with the advantage of
the fastening on our side. We slept on
clean, but hard, beds (soft beds in the trop-
les are considered undesirable by reason Of
the uncongenial occupants they usually
abound in), and we slept well. We were
obliged to make an early start northward
and by eight o'clock we were again passing
the huts built of poles and covered with
thatch of straw, that the natives call home.
The return trip while a duplication was
also reverse, and was in consequence new
and enjoyable. We travelled all the morn
ing in sight Of the snow peaks of the three
tallest mountains of Mexico-Popocatep
Iztaccihautl and Orizaba-each nearly 49,
900 feet high, having but one higher On this
continent (Mt Elias, of Alaska). Having
left our special cars at Pueblo and travelling
by special train, we again discover that
travel is universally classified like the car
riages and street cars. The railroads pro-
vide three rates Of. fare and accommodations
accordingly.
Leaving the tropical paradise behind us
we again cross and recross the sandy plain
to Puebla and back to Mexico City. We
were treated to a sight of whirlwinds on
this sandy plain, the whirling wind picking
up the sand and forming columns of it fifty
feet high would march them along over the
plain for hundreds of feet before they bent
and broke The wind finally blew gale
and the sand was picked up and blown
about In such quantities that it was impos-
sble to see the poles at the side Of the
track. To step out of the car and let 1t