The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-23
Continued from last aceek }
THE LAND OF THE MONDAY
SUN-MEXICO IN MID WINTER.
(Fr1m Arena for NayD
BY JUSTICE WALTER CLARK. LII D

b1 JOo1ACH AAAA lam IL -
On a bright January morning, seem
ing, however, like June in this land Of
eternal summer, I left for Vera Cruz
intending to 90 down % that city by
the sea" over the Mexican railroad
(commoaly called the Queens Own
because built with British money!. and
return by the I~ntesoceanic, for there
ere two railroads between the Capitel
and its seaport. Passing out between
the lake and the hill and church of
GdafeIOupe, the railroad presents
scenes Of interest at every turn. At
San Juan Teotinuacan are the two ia
NOUS pyramids Of the sun and moon
The former. two hundred and sixteen
feet high, Is half as large as the great
Cneops Of Egypt. Between the two
pyramids is a causeway called the
Street of the Dead, visible from the
cars. At O5umba we pass the field Of
the battle between Cote and the Mex
leans, fought July s, 1920, during his
retreat after the defeat Of Noche
Triste. We pass through thousands
plant which would be called In this
county century plants" out Of which
the pulque is made. Il is planted ten
feet apart and always with mathemati-
cal regularity and each plant is i'll line
eight diff rent ways At Salt p C all
four Of the great peaks, with their
snowy SUBMITS, are IN view-OTizaba
far to the cast. and nearer Maiin z.
and the two great peaks OF the Valley
of Mexico which We are Ieaving behind
us. a few miles beyond Apiz3co we
reach the highest point on the line,
s 333 feet, and at Esperarza We are at
the edge OF the great central table lands
and begin to descend toward the Terra
CaIiente or tropical ~loWlands Of the
coast. Toe only use Of steam now is
to hold back the train which descends
for many miles By the force CT gravity.
The scenery on both these roads lii
passing from the tabIelands Of Central
Mexico down to the Terra CaiIeEUe is
grand beyond description. Above the
little village Of Maitrata, the train
crawIs around the side Of an almost
perpendicular prec pice twenty five
hundred feet above the village into
which we could almost toss an orange,
and the churches and hcusas look like
toy houses, and the people like pigmies.
and the track by many a devious turn
and twist passes then yer twelve
miles before We gst down to the village.
Take the scenery along the two roads
as they descend, aud l have s3en moth
ing to equal it N the Highiand5of Scot
land, IN tee S"Iss Alps, or In Cajitor
MIA. 1t Is we'll worth 9 trip here to see
this alone. For instance, I stopped
over II afternoon in January 81 the
little town of Orr ,ba, nearly naif way
down the mountains. From n win
dow of my room | could see the grand
summit Of Orizaoa, over eight thou
Sand { ct high, the TALES peak on this
contineas-and q full hall mile higher
than Mont B aE", the highest point ID
Euroo8-his head covered with SHOWS
that never melt, while around ms the
roses were booming and the atrawter
rias wcr4 rIpeGilg II the open air. and
the little children we're playing bare
fo0ved II tue streets; and far away to
the right stretched out 81 our FEY the
vast plain Of = fertile Terra C~2lienIe,
where the sugar cane Was green, and
the corr Jassa!jng. and the mango trees
aud banares were swaying IL the
breeze down to where eighty mike away
aud five thousand feet below Us could
be seen the shore line of the Gulf, the
white houses Of Vera Crcz, and the
big ocean steamers resting like ducks
on the water and seemingly, even in
this clear air, not much lager. So
looked Italy with her faral eitt of
beauty" as she lay smiling at the feet
Of her mountains when Goth and Van.
dal geZ-d down upon her and when
Hannibal and Napoleon poured down
their troops like Alpine torrents from
the mountain passes. The healthfui
ness Of O.izaba is perfect, and long
centuries ego it was q health resort. 1t
was a favorive resideace Of Msximil
ian.
II is strange that Americans should
go to Europe when here close at hand
and without the discomfort Of ocean
travel IS Tar more magnificent scenery.
Travel cff7rs more novelty here in
every way than in the beaten pathways
Of GarmaDV md Franco and Inc ev.