The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-08

good day for business. Here are found
the choicest flowers grown in the val
ley, orchids and roses of all varieties
being abundant and very cheap. Or
chids that sell in the American market
for dollar apiece can be bought for
a few cents, and two or three Mexican
dimes buy all the flowers that one can
conveniently carry.
Along a foul smelling ditch ON the
outskirts of the city l observed Gala
lilies in bloom ON plants growing in a
sort of neglected Way-as we common
ly see wild roses by the wayside at
home. And l am here Temided of an
incident during our stay in Guanajua-
to, while on q street car excursion
through the portion of the city in which
the finest residences are located. Flow
crs were growing in abundance in
many of the front yards and patios.
A well dressed young man standing at
one of the gates, upon hearing the
ladies' remarks or observing their ad-
mirinS glances at the flowers, plucked
the lovely magenta blossoms by the
armful and distributed them to the ex-
cursionists in the several cars. The re-
cipients of the polite young Mexican's
were surprised by the generous act,
But [ am depressing.
MISSION WORK.
Many of our excursion party attend
ed the Sunday morning services at the
Methodist Episcopal mission. They
own and occupy valuable property in
the heart of the city which was for
-
Francisco, and four hundred years ago
was the site of Montezuma's summer
palace. Here are ample quarters for
the various departments of their mis-
sion work--a large auditorium for
church meetings, also a chapel, rooms
for the boys school, the editorial and
publishing work, a book store, the
agents office and three parsonages,
Rev. John w. Butler, d. D., is in
charge of this district, which extends
over a large section adjacent to the
city.
While several of the other evangelical
churches of the United States have had
missionaries in Mexico during the past
quarter of a century, it is a singular
fact that no European has ever been
engaged in the work there. The Ban
lists have a church with over 250 MEM
bers in the city of Mexico, of which
Rev. William Fl. Sloan is pastor. They
have fine chapel and the mission is
one of the most prosperous in the
country, having three out stations at
suburban points. They publish a semi
monthly newspaper, La Luz. The Bap-
lists also have valuable properties at
Zacatecas and Aguascalientes and nave
workers stationed in a dozen or more
other places. There is an Episcopal
church in the city Of Mexico and the
English and American colonies main
tain regular services at this place of
worship. l have heretofore spoken of
the successful missions in Guanajuato.
There are now Protestant CongrGga-
tiOns in nearly all of the twenty EIGHT
states of the republic the whole mum
Der exceeding 600, and new ones are
multiplying throughout the country
The number of such communicates is
reported to be about $4,000, with ad-
herents numbering about $4,000. Con-
nected with these churches are Sunday
schools having an attendance Of some
900 and day schools with 1000 pupils
These results have been largely accom-
plishcd within quarter of a century
|
SUNDAY ADJUSTMENTS.
Many things have tended to make
the Mexican Sunday much like the
continental Sabbath. OF the varied
Sunday attractions in the capital city
the bull rings and other sporting re-
sorts, the public band concerts on the
plazas, the gaieties of the fashionable
promenades and the throng of pleasure
seekers to be seen on the magnificent
boulevard, the PaseO de la Reforma
crowded with carriages all the after
noon, l have heretofore written.
That our sight seeing in the city OF
Mexico would have to be done in a very
| hasty and unsatisfactory manner, ow.
| ing to the limited time at our disposal
| we understood at the outset, and oul
experiences in the other places visited
were much the same. No one would
| think of doing" a city of fifty to sew,
| enty-fiYe thousand population in a few
hours, with 80 many Tarities and points
of interest to be seen as are presented
| in the places at which we halted OF
| the outward journey, and so, even with
our brief stops on the way, we expected
| little more than the birds-eye view
| afforded from our car windows on eth,
cr side of the railroad tracks, hurrledly
| travelling a distance of nearly 1,10t
miles, as we did, from the Rio Grande
over the elevated table lands of tn,
country to the capital of the republic
| There, we were told. we would see al
Mexico as in a nutshell While we saw
much there. and enjoyed it to the ut
most. we confess that we shared thu
feeling expressed by many-after max
ing reasonable allowance for impos
! sibilities. and the disadvantages Incl