The Republican., 1897-04-08
PEN PICTURES
Across the Border Into Mexico,

Across the Border Into Mexico.
The merciful hand of Providence
has bestowed on the Mexicans mag
niticent land abounding in resources
of all kinds-a land that none ought
to be poor, and where misery ought to
be unkuown-a land whose products
and riches of every kind are abundant
and as varied as they are rich. 1t is a
country endowed to profusion with
every gift that man can desire or envy;
all the metals from gold to lead; every
sort of climate; from perpetual snow
to tropical heat, and of inconceivable
fertility.
A strange blending of the old and
the new is the Mexico of to-day. The
Spanish MOOresque civilization of the
sixteenth century, side by side with
the energy and progress of the nine
teenth. Far more picturesque is the
old than the new. The grand cathe-
drals hOary with age, the narrow
streets, the quaint construction of the
buildings, with the walls as thick as
those of a fortress, the universal bal
cOny and closely barred window, the
curious costumes; in a word, the utter
strangeness of it all goes to make it
difficult for one to comprehend that
we have at our very doors land more
picturesque than Switzerland, more
interesting from its mOmantic and
varied history than Spain or Egypt,
and richer far in agricultural and
mineral possibilities than any country
of which we know This is Mexico as
we are gradually becoming to under
stand it. Under a wise and liberal
administration, such as the present,
which has shown its grasp of the stu
alton by the construction of net
work of railroads connecting its var
ious parts with a common centre, we
may hope that this country, so album
dainty blessed by Nature, is now en-
tering into an era of prosperity which
will bring it to the front rank among
the powerful nations of the earth
The advance is rapid, for the Mexican
appreciates a good idea.
Mexico has been called the land of
the "tortilla" or the corn flapiack.
MeXicans might retaliate and call this
the land of the cud and fill Uncle
Sans one cheek with tobacco and the
other with chewing gum. We could
well Danish chewing tobacco and gum.
but Mexico could not spare the tortilla
and tamale. Without the tortilla
there would have been no Mexicans.
For national emblem an eagle as
tride the priclly cactus, with a snake
in his mouth, is very pretty but only
a stuffed eagle could stand on such
pins and needles. Mexico is not
snake country and | would suggest
that the tortilla be placed in the
eagles month instead OF the snake.
'"Tamales and tortillas' were the only
bits of Mexican or Spanish | could
speak when first entered this mag
niticent republic. [ now pride my
self on my vocabulary showing such
all comprehensive words as Pop0cate-
petl, IXtaccihuated, Orizaba, Chapul-
tepec, Guadalupe, Pedregal, Gilman
pas, etc. | might mention many
others, running the list down to Guam
tos, reals, donde esta, etc, but the
nrfa ,l I,n + +l,r+
live longest i'll my memory are those
in the first list | might have added
:'gracias" among the first, as the pO-
liteness of these exceedingly kind
hearted and gracious people make
ones stay among them very pleasant
used as we are to the gruff abruptness
found in the states.
| have seen a good deal of Mexico,
yet | hesitate to- write up''this charm
ing land with its 1900, 600 of inhabi-
tants. should not care to undertake
such a task of my own country. Who
could do this and not fill a guide book
and even then miss the mark? Jan
vier attempted to write up Mexico.
The book was written ten years ago
and now needs revision, as Mexico
has on ten-mile boots and can not be
found at the old stand, but further
up the main street, with plate glass
front, electric lights, elevators, and
big pay roll
Mexico is all right, thanks to the low
price Of silver, which has turned CAPT
tai from mining to agriculture and
manufacturing, and thanks to the
great Diaz and liberal party, and to
our own Americans, who have built
her railroads and are rushing her with
capital. But after all is said there is
only one and great cause Of MeXico's
prosperity, that is her cheap labor
her Drawn and muscle, her Indian and
mixed blood population. OfmiXed or
infltercd blood the republic numbers
some 10000 0G0 OF full blooded In
dianS there are probably another