The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-30

anQS. Inc maSDluCeu1 NaAA0y VI
Oixaca was granted to Corts z and from
it he derived his title of Marquis OF the
Valley. In the city OF OaXaca Presi-
dent Diaz was born (Which fact is
marked in European fashion by a
plaque on the walls of the house, and
Juarez was born in a little Indian vii
lage near by. The city is the capital
of the State of the same name and has
it's fair share of grand churches and
handsome public buildings with it's
Plaz Is and a z Dcalo. 1t has a pOpula
ton OF thirty thousand. The railroad
descends from seven thousand feet at
Puebla to five thousand feet here.
From Oaxaca it is usual to go out by
stage to the wonderful ruins Of Militia,
twenty five miles off, but as there was
no n else to go that day, l went on
horseback accompanied only by an In
dian nozO or servant. 1t was a de-
lightfuI b-acing ride In this elevated
atmosphere, albeit the sun was rather
try ing for January, seeing that we
"CIO "AJA4lL1 seventeen ONSASSS VI IN
equator, about the latitude of K2ar
toom, Alden, and Bombay, and some
hundreds Of miles further south than
Cairo lin Egypt, Delhi, or Calcutta. A
few miles out, we stepped to see the
big tree of TuIe. While not so tall as
the big trees in the M4riposa or Gala
veras groves in California (5hough
some one has said it took two looks to
see the top it is larger round, and in
fact Is probably the largest tree In the
world, being one hundred and fifty five
feet in circumference, measured at o
height of six feet from the ground 1t
stands in the c~hurchyard of S .nta Ma
ria del Tule. On the east side Of the
tree is O wooden tablet signed by Hum
boldt in 1906 which isnoW partly on II.
grow and imbedded in the tree. Step
ping ct Tlacolula for dinner and IT
other villages to rest and see the GUS
toms and novelties of this far off coun-
try, Militia was reached early enough to
see the wonderful and mysterious
prehistoric ruins before sunset, for
towards the CqIator winter days are
longer and summer days shorter than
with US. NJ n knows when and by
whom these solid granite buildings with
such elaborate carvings were erected.
In the entablature are chiselled hiero
glyphics which might tell the story,
but as at Balshazz lr's feast no enc has
been prompt to deCipher them and the
mystery remains unsolved. No bilin-
quail tablet has been discovered, and
the dead past has gone down to the
dead" The mountains and the valley
and the sky are etill here, as beautiful
and as smiling as on that far away day
when these buildings came forth fresh
from the hands of the builders. What
glorious name were they intended to
hand down to the future ages, what
great deeds to commemorate9 E .rth
and sky make no reply, and the breeze
gently blowing p lsses by and no man
knows whence 1t came or whittier it
goee.
az DlSuG, VIC SAOAAOOb SGhLo u 6AO4A
Gus indeed in the translucent air of
these cloudless skies. Larger and
brighter, apparently nearer and more
numerous than at home, we see among
them new consultations. Far to the
north is still the pole star and a part Of
the Great Bear, while to the southwark
shines the Southern Cross. Here, as
in crossing the Andes, it is said that
those travelling by night will hear the
Indian guides cry out at midnight,
The cross begins to bend" And at
sunrise aud sunset what coloringi in the
sky and on the lonely mountain
tops
"Hues that have words
And speak to ye of Heaven"
Returning to Puebla, a short run on
the railroad brings us to the station of
Santa Ana, whence a tramw8y of six
miles through beautiful woods, well
cultivated fl ids (the hedges on either
side Of the road covered with wild
flowers filling the air with perfume),
and through the quaint little town of
Pablo Apetitlan brings us to Tlaxcala.