The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1896-02-14
AVtNEr TO NI,NlGO
Some of he Things TO be Seen In the
Land Of the Grea>ers


me- on my tour and d few observations
on the Republic OF Mexico, /, viii give
me- gr-a, pleasure to give you a short
description Of the same
FIRST, we must realise that a very poor
description can be given of "A Republic
like TINS in snch short visit, and
remember that Il space of two or three
weeks in the United States or par: of 1t
would hardly suffice 20 give much Of an
idea OF The different industries, wealth
and SO forth,
In entering the Republic by Eagle
I Pass. Texas, it is like entering house
through the kitchen COR to get into The
drawing room. Leaving Eagle Pass we
ascend a very steep grade, gradually
getting higher and higher into region
OF barren rocks and sage brush, and so
we cont;nne for the first seven or eight
hundred miles, the only living person we
see being solitary indian trudylng
along 10 some distant h'tle market town
loaded down like burro with a stack of
pottery, brush or vegetables.
The first place Of any interest that we
arrive at is Zaratecas. Here the mining
industry is in full force, and it i for
lorn and dirty place indeed, and every
thing has disgusting APPEARANCE to the
traveller From here on, however, things
begin to brighten considerably, and We
strike more fertile valleys and plains Of
the Republic.
/ Aguascaleates, celebrated for its hot
springs ana baths, Leon, a great manu-
its opals and Tor being the scene OF the
fnal conflict between the Emperor Maxi
milan ane the Liberal troors, and where
the former was shot, and Tula, where
are the ruins Of many old Aztec and
Totec temples, and which was once the
sea, ot tie Tol,ec Capital, are all places
Of brighter appearance and of deep IN
terest 10 the traveller.
In addition, the population begins to
have cleaner appearance and have
more the appearance OF our Americans
in their ways of living and dress These
places are all noted IN the history Of the
/ Republic as having been the scenes Of
many struggles and conflicts for liberty,
and during the invasion Of ancient
Mexico by the Spanlard Cortez. Tula
was the scene of a great victory by the
Spaniards oyer The Aztec population of
the then Empire.
On January 23rd we arrived at the
City OF Mexico OF course, all your
readers will know that this is the Metro
polls OF the Republic, and where every
thing has the appearance Of wealth, ard
a mingling Of all na,lonalities Here
the French and the English especially
have great possessions and are very
prominent IN mining and stock raising
and other industries. By the way
wheat is here selling at $1.50 per bushel
and corn at ST %, Mexican money. This
city is beautifully laid out and kept
scrupulously clean, and has an English
speaking population uf about 1000 or
5000 souls, which constitute the princi-
pal foreign colony. The Plazas. com
pairing with our American parks, foun-
talns, large stores, large system Of street
car railways, arcades, beautiful man
sions, palaces and it's historical
"reminiscences, are all Of great inter st to
the visitor. trip to Mexico would be
very incomplete if one did not visit the
tropics by the Mexican Railway, which
was commced in 1857. Our tran was
taken as far as Esperanza, and there we
took another train to descend the noun
tains. On January 28ih. i, was bright,
beautiful morning, when we commenced
our journey down the mountain. The
grade here is from to I per cent and the
valley lies some 1900 feet below these
plains, and probably it is at this place,
that person, in the opinion Of people
who have travelled over all the world,
gets the finest and most enchanting view
that is to be obtained anywhere on the
Continent Of North America. Looking
down the dizzy heights into the valley
below. one sees nothing but a great
haaving. curling bank OF clouds, for all
the world like the sea in storm. We
pass immense preclp!ces, deep gorges and
enormous ravlnes, one place which is