San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-29

five to a hundred years. This noun
tain. / believe, is the second highest
on the American continent, only one
in South America exceeding it in pen
etrating the atmosphere. The peak, of
course, is perpetually covered with
snow and is scarcely ever visitd by a
human. except once in while an
adventurous person makes the ascent.
The crater of this once fiery noun
tain is, l understand, mile in width.
This is said by tradition TO be the
place where COrteZ secured the sui
phur with which TO manufacture gun
powder during his war with the Az
tees.
But | am wandering off my sug-
ject. Back to the cathedral, or shrine,
as it is called. 1t is, as l said before,
one of the most beautiful of Mexican
architectural wonders. 1t is support
ed by subscriptions frob all classes of
people and is probably the richest ed
itice on the American continent. The
railing about the altar, is composed
of no less than twenty-four tons of
silver. This will give you some ac-
curate idea of the extensive richness
of the place.
There is a very pretty story con-
nected with the founding of this place
of worship. 1t is said that in the six
teenth century a poor peasant was
standing ON the top of the mountain
when a vision appeared to him in
which he saw the Virgin Mary. He
was told that he must see the priests
and have shrine erected ON that spot
n, -. h. I.s.A I'm,
pressed with the visionary visit, that
he went to the place again for three
more times, each time witnessing the
same vision and being told to do as
hidden at first. On being told the
fourth time, he impaired the story to
a priest who answered that if he
would bring him evidence of this spir-
itual visitation of the Virgin, he
would cause the structure to be erect
ed. The peasant went to the place
and when the Virgin visited him again
he asked for some token by which he
could convince the priest of the truth
fulness of his statement.
"The Virgin told him to spread down
his roboso, or blanket and she placed
a handful of flowers upon it and in
structed him to take it to the priest.
This he did and when he opened it
out in his Holiness presence, there
was an exquisite likeness of the Vir-
gin herself, thereon. The priest had
the shrine erected and the blanket, or
roboso, which is said to be the. origin
al and genuine one,is in the place now
where is can be seen by visitors. 1t
has been pronounced by persons from
oil ha al hn mo rive
Gus thing ever seen. The likeness is
there very plain and it is evident that
it is neither painted on or woven in
the cloth, and no one has ever yet
been able to explain how it came there
unless through a miracle.
''In the rear of the shrine is the most
beautiful cemetery ever looked upon.
This is where all the notables who
have figured in the history of the re-
public, are inferred | had the ex-
IRENE honor of standing at the foot of
the grave of Santa Anna, the man
who butchered our little band of Tex
ans in the Alamo over there.
THE climate of the country is de-
lightful. The nights are cool and pleas
ant and one can sleep under blankets
at all times, while the days are mod
erately warm. took several Turkish
baths while there just to raise a per-
SEPARATION, so moderate was the clim-
ate. The thermometer in the hottest
days rarely ever registers above SO
and in the coolest weather such a
thing as ice is rarity.
''rhe rainy season in the country
sets in about July 1 and continues
until about the first of October, rarely
ever failing to rain once day during
that period. 1t usually begins raining
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and is
from ten minutes to two hours in dur
alton i was there four weeks and
there were only two days in which it
did not rain.
There are no houses in the republic
of any height and all are either con-
structed of stone or adobe, owing to
the fact that earthquakes are so fire.
quent. These shocks are felt very Of
ten. They are not merely little shocks
as are experienced in this country at
times, but upheavals, giving the
ground a regular sea wave appear
ance, throwing horses down and top
pling men, women and children over.
1T is said that an earthquake shock
is the most peculiar sensation ever ex-
perienced. | have had persons tell
me that a man can live his whole life
over in half a minute during one of
these upheavals. These frequent
shocks are thought to be caused ow-
ing to the nearness of the Popocate-
petl volcano to the city.
Mexico City is a place of about
100000 inhabitants, and one thing
like about it is the bustling and bust
ness-like air presented on the streets.
The residents of the city are all either
the very rich or the very poor, there
being no middle class. The rich
live very .luxuriously, while the poor
live the very reverse.
''To see the rich side of Mexico City
life one should sit in front of the Cafe
de Colon, which is on the principal
fashionable drive, on a Sunday after
noon. There you will witness thou
sands of the most elegant and stylish
turnouts that eyes ever beheld. There
are no wagons. hardly in the city, but
fine carriages are more numerous than
any other place in the world, l be-
Iiaun