The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-04-24
,trike the face or hands was decidedly un-

strike the face or hands was decidedly UNI
pleasant
Leaving the City of Mexico we started on
the return trip and reached Queretaro early
Sunday morning, March LIST. We visited
the place of the execution of Macmillan
and listened to the band in the plaza, APP
plaudlng the rendition of 'Hail Columbia"
and were Immediately surrounded by a
crowd of natives curious to find out what
such an unusual demonstration meant; good
natured, but odorous to such an extent as to
cause us to repress our patriotic sentiments
thereafter. We had heard so much of the
opals for which Queretaro was noted that
we almost expected to pick them up on the
streets. We found that the natives had
tain opals, as well as eyesight; and even
then you were liable to get glass instead.
To buy opals In Queretaro 1t would be well
to take few lessons in opals in advance.
TIE market Of Queretaro is the finest we
saw while away. 1t is a substantial brick
structure, open on all sides and as clean as
any market can be. The stalls are ar
ranged in open squares and the goods are
well displayed. Usually in the markets of
Mexico, mats are thrown on the ground and
the goods laid on them, with the attendant
squatting in the dirt at their side. We
found in this market the banana known as
the thumb" 1t is certainly the finest
favored banana that grows, and simply
melts in the mouth. We left Queretaro and
its opal vendors late in the afternoon, and as
the train pulled out the last of the stock
was held up for our inspection with the sun
light glinting upon them, leaving impress
sions of rainbows and queretaros confusedly
mixed in our minds. We arrived at lrapu-
alto before dark, and of course at once did
our duty by investing in fresh strawberries,
an article that it is the pride of the place to
boast of, producing from their outdoor
rles are long. whitish-red looking affair,
and without any real good flavor. The top
layer is of good size, but the native needs
no lessons in putting up fruit for sale, for
the balance are unfit to eat The evening
market, with its lights from resinOus wood
splints, had novel and weird appearance.
We purchased some very fine tomatoes, list
ened to the inevitable band on the plaza,
and passed the night in our cars at the sta
ton, waking up in the morning to find our
cars surrounded by the hungriest looking
lot of beggars it has been my fortune to see.
We pulled out of the depot to the tune of
that well known cry una centavo."
AT Guadalajara is located the famous pot
teries for which the republic is noted. The
visit OF the party to them was both instruc-
tive and interesting. Most everyone Sc
cured specimen pieces at prices so low that
we felt almost ashamed of ourselves. The
party were conducted through the works by
the chief designer, which made it all the
more interesting. The works were those of
"Haries" and are located in suburb of the
city called San Pedro.
AT Guanajuato we visited the mint and
saw pesos being rolled out by the yard.
We visited the $780, 900 theatre built by the
corporations; also the prison, in which we
were given an Illustration of how crime is
looked after. A bank cashier occupies
quarters in it and has for six years past who
has never been even brought to trial. He
was placed there because his bank failed.
We mounted the patient burro and climbed
the hill to the Pantheon, the burial ground
of the city. In 1t you can secure place to
put your dead for five years. after which the
place is emptied and again sold. The COM
mon method of interment there is to dig
deep grave in which the bodies are laid
three deep, without collins, and with but
light layer of dirt between them. When
the ground has all been gone over, they
commence back, throwing out the bones and
stacking them up in an underground pas
sage way known as the Catacombs. Occas-
ionally they come across body that has be-
come mummified and that they stand up
against the wall. We all went down, but
some did not care to remain any longer than
was necessary. Guanajuata is a mining
town and holds out the greatest inducements