The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-26
IN OLD MEXICO.
Interesting observation of Charles
Dudley Warner.

Dudley Warner.
New orleans Picayunc.
Charles Dudley Warner, author. travel
er, newspapcrman. whose fame extends
over two continents wherever books are
read Is registered at the Grunowald.
lilo is returning from several weeks
soiourn, for recreation sake in Mexico,
and will larry in the city, to which he has
devoted a ilattcrlng share of his august
attention, for about week. New orleans
is not new to Mr. Warner, though possibly
he has seen things here III way so en-
tirely original and picturesque that they
had never before occurred to the oldest
inhabitaut. And for his former visits. both
literature and New orleans are richer.
To representatives of the morning papers
MIR. Warner accorded quite lengthy chat
last night. an after dinner chat. as IL
were, Tor lie bad just emerged from the
dining SALON when met by the newspaper
men,
There is in such a conversation with this
eminent and genial man OF letters much OF
tho intcrest-thc peculiar intorest--attach-
ing TO all he writes. He brings one SO close
he IS talking about as clearly as does the
mental eye of the talker
His chat was devoted to telling something
OF what he had seen In Mexico. Two
strangely incongruous statements We're
made by the author In the course OF his
advertisements that might not be un-
dcrstood by any one who could not see
interest and relaxation from his point of
view. He said that he had boon away sim
ply for recreation and relaxation. and then
he went on to tell where he had bten for
relaxation and rest-inio portions OF Mex
leo where all the common cDnvenieuces OF
oven the country village tavern are lack
ing! Yet there is not the slightest doubt
in the listeners mind that 1t is genuine
rest to man who can tell of the things
he has seen with the interest that the dio-
tinsu!shed author does There can be no
rest and relaxation maniicstly, thinks tho
| listener. greater than tx derived in an
occupation so teoming with interest
1t Will be remembered that MIR. Warner
has in the past written good deal about
| MeNico-ln fact some of the greatest 1T
erature of its kind yet contributed on the
| country.
His last trip took him as far MS Militia.
! and lie visited the ruins of p0lanqu and
| though Mr. Warner is possibly too thor
ough a man ever to devote serious attcn-
tion to writing scientifically of the past
clNll"elloH iu!Vut'u III lhdt st'ol, lNANlhb
| That to the specialist, yet II
was evident that his mind
1 years TO possess the secrets held
! in the ruins overgrCwn with tropical lux
urlance. He is convinced that 4 very ad-
vanced civilization must hive existed
here. and some of the inHidentals, the relics
found ahuut theae marvellous rtins. are to
lis mind particularly significant For in
stance, he secured q number Of little cnrv-
ed heads presenting the faces OF persons.
They are wrought ~ clay pottery ana II
stone, and thcy show a very parceptible
degree of art appreciation. The curion'
FONT ~ interest about these b'tB is thai
they present phyBlognomios entirely diff
loront from those of modern races ana, in
deed. bear no resemblance to those o
known anclents. He described some o
tho faces thus preserved. number O
them had the arched, typically llebrai
nose, and yet none of the other distinctly
characteristics OF the Jewish aEysiognomy
still others represented the Etbiopl2i
mouth with the protrusiou of lips, am
there are still others in which the eye
have the accentuatel oriental trait of th'
Chinese eyes. Mr. Warner is OF opinion
that these conceptions could not have peer
simply the vasaries OF fancy which hat
never behed human TO suggest them
The suggestion must have come iron
something in actual experience.
Some OF the remaining walls OF th'
structures once inhabited show that thes
Inhabitants must have been to certain
extent poss, ssed of the art instinct To-
the drawing Is very fair. There are no owl
dences that these people who have passh'
away, leaving no record of themselves pu
the ruins showing that they once existed
| ever possessed the art OF communicative
thought by written speech, though they
doubtless dia so by pictorial representa-
tons. and some of Tho remaining trace
now seen were undoubtedly the pretoria
representations Of stories. fables. beliefs
etc.
ruins are of very great antiquity If moi
antDdating the Christi era, at least eA
| tending back within a very Few celiulle
of the period. OF course, the process pS
which this civilization passed away, NJ
lowing natures luXurlant tropical fohaee
10 threaten even the ruins Of their great
ness with extinction. Is matter to whicl
he has not devoted much speculation. INA
ruins no. so old by several thousand cen
| turics as some of the antiquity OF ERypt
should not be preserved any peuer' u
,agily cxplainable BY the difference III I'M
, r,snectiye climatic conditions. In the ar!
atmcsnbere Of Eeypt wood is found 20 hay'
remained In a perfect state of preservation
, | for 1000 yoars where as in the region
the palanuui and Militia ruins the hoaVeA
haye the habit OF opening their iioonshVU
once a year and pouring down Po'loc
sheet OF water and this In itself " sever
wearing process MI. Warner Is ovnVlhce'
mat AT Militia. the extreme point OF ms 'our
here must have once existed CITY as N'h
az New York City is today. There are
abundant evidences of advanced o'Ylilz-
alton. $50, m ,,s ,,,,
one OF the things he learned ON ms irll
has quite nonplussod him in relation, 10
INC question. VINO were these people ~
the state of Tabasco friend oil ms whli, ,
hunting In the forest for certain narh
woods. found a large circular stone SOM
inches In thickness. smooth ON the Top am
br,,tom aud all around It's edges IL cary
,mgs of heads. wearing Grecian helmets
with flowing crcsts. As In the case OF th'
,scce OF course these helmets are NOT
oc,lon Of Imagination but must have peer
a,,ga,stcd by the sight OF defensive arinol
ned n those days. and resembling that o
the Greeks .,, daa
~ very interesting matter of his PERSONA
Observations In this tayori,e nook OF re-
lsxatlon. he told something OF the govern
'"cut ~ INC republic Of Mexico Mt Warner
raid ,bat president Diaz Is beyond que staoi
one Of the greatest men Of the age, ~ II
simply astonishing to note the firm' al
nest miraculous manner In which he is
| ilNn' 49, forward inst randi