The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-02
THE LAND OF THE MONDAY
SUN--MEXICO IN MID WINTER.
Fr0m Arena for Apri!)
BY JUSTICE WALTER CLARK. IL, D

ECFSAA-T NV SL4SNNLL~A A'f~-0-1~-H 49,
it is compacily built aud like Gil NH
can towns II is without suburbs and
covers not more than one fourth the
8 Of an American town Of the
eem9 population. Water is compare
lively scarce article IN Z .Gatec3s. The
fountains in the plaza are always
throngo& with people with their water
Jars, sud as early as 4 4 NJ. women
end men ot the poorer classes are at
the fountain filling j RS with water
which they sell to later arrivals at a
centavo One cenD tDr fcu~ gallons the
qr.antity a Jar holds. The schools and
the markets the latter with their
many varieties of fruit unknown ia
our country, are very interesting
Many Of the vendors, spreading down
@ shawl on tha pavement. divide their
articles i0to sundry little piles, eaca OF
which is sold for ut cent. Iheae
sometimes consist Of cooked articles
and many a passerby gets s msal for
that sum-.
Mills are very rare in this country,
aud passing along the streets, through
the open door tue mother Of the family,
or a young girl, a often be seen pre-
pairing the family meal. Com having
been first soaked in a weak lye las in
our s ughern States It Is prepared for
big homioy') is placed on a hA5 stone
o7er which 6 stone two inches IN d.
orooFo~ o,,5 vorH, Pr, ron ;roEoS Iorp ie
rapidly rolled by the hands Of the
woman who is kneeling on the floor.
The sofGend C0ru is soon reduced to a
kind Of coarse paste, and is fl stteucd
BY baud into very thin waters which
are Immediately baked. These are the
"tortillas,' which the fri les" Gin
Bostonese, baked baans') constitute
the staple diet Of the masses.
Some of the tortill8s are laid out for
diohes and plates on which to place the
beans. Another t0rtlllR is twisted into
g spoon, and when the beans have been
eaten, then the epoons, dishes, and
platesare eaten, aud wipiug their hands
on a torsiIia that is left, that is eaten
also. Taus the meal is over, the table
Cleared aud no dishes or table cloth to
wash.
From lcateca9 we roll south ward,
descending slowly bu5 steadily, and
in forty miles drop down fifteen hun
dred feet. Though il il January, the
temperature is that Of our June, the
trees are green eni the flowers in
bloom, and the crops OF ali kinds are
growing, To the right and left are
icf5y ranges Of mountains, With Ioftier
peaks arising here and there. Away to
the eas5 like a mirror ID az emerald
fr2m5 shines Lake PeverDRldi:Io. The
railroad runs through the middle Of
the great plain which extends hun
Crcda Otmiles southwark, and we come
upon town after town as it we're una
ware, for there is no succession OF
houses becoming more and more fire.
frequent till tue town is reached, Is
with US. The towns ere ccm2actly
built, aud extensions of town limits
are mad3 by building q new house jIsg
Beyond the 4 last built, AID not a
lnlie or two out, leaving the interven
ing space to be fl led in with other
houses at leisure thereafter. Tnen, too,
a town IS generally a mile or go from
the station, with which it is connec
ted by a street car line, bat wherever
you 6 the town there you will see
Church spires or domes rising fer ab57e
everything else.
At Aguas Calientes ('hot waters'J
We come to a grear health resort.
The baths are very cheap and much
frequented. On one side through a
canal flows the eurplus water from the
springs, which Is used gratis for bath
ing by those unabie to pay the small
charge Of the bath establishment and
by the RasheFWOmen. There is @ hand
scme ''elemeda" Or park and ''paseo,"
az the grand avenue of these own is
called. The country around is very
fertile and highly cultivated, a
branch railroad runs to Tampico via
San Luis PJ5osi, and on this road a few
miles out at Salinas are the subterre
mean salt lake and the vast salt depos-
its from which thousands Of tons Of
salt are shipped yearly. Several miles
OF side tracks are required TO reach the
watts and warehouses. The works sup
port a town Of five thousand people.
R9sumiag cur }urney southwark over
the Mexican Central We pass large
plantations Of the meguey plant, and
increasing quantities of the cactus
plant, Of which q new species begins