The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-02-02
BEAUTIFUL MEXICO.
| Mexican Life and Scenery as De-
picted by Eye Witnesses.
Mr.. A. z. FOrSyth's Graphic Account
Of the Trip to the Land Of Perpetual
Simmer.

Of the Trip to the Land Of Perpetual
Simmer.
In complying with your request to
givefto the readers oil your paper a
sketch OF my recent trip through
Mexico, | desire to say right at the
threshold of my article that writing
for the press is not in my profession,
and will therefo ore ask the kind read
ers' indulgence Tor my somewhat
crude and unpoIishtd language. |
shall however ~ here strictly to the
truth and lecord nothing but. what
| saw and the impression got from
my comparatively short stay i'll his
wonderful country.
Leaving River Falls on the 28th
day OF December, 1896, and riding on
the never-tiring iron horse through
the states OF Minnesota, Iowa,
Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New
Mexico and part of Texas, we arrived
at Ell Paso, Texas, on New Years
Day. Here we are on he border Of
Mexico, and as the banks are closed
on this day, we stop over one day
and employ our time in looking the
city over. Next day We went TO the
bank and changed our money. re-
ceiving nearly two dollars Mexican
for one OF our dollars, then boarding
the Mexican Central, which backs
into Ell Paso, we cross the Rio Grande
River and pass into Mexico where
the train stops at Cndad- Juarez,
opposite FL Paso. We got off and
for the first time in my life put my
foot on foreign soil. We were in
formed that we must bring our bag
gage into the Gust ON house to have
it examined by Mexican custom house
officials, who seem to be polite and
not very exactln5. We soon got our
baggage chalked and we boarded the
train and were off.
The Mexican Central Railroad from
Ell Paso to Mexico City, a distance Of
twelve hundred and twenty -four
miles, passes through the center of the
great plains or highlands OF Mexico
at an elevation of from four to over
eight thousand feet above sea level
and within sight Of mountain ranges
nearly all the way. The first tlEee
hundred miles from Ell Paso is not
much different from the last two
hundred miles We passed through III
New Mexico, consisting OF vast, dry,
barren plains, valleys and mountain
ranges, thjnly populate d and adapt ed
only 10 cattle raising and mining.
About two o'clock Sunday morn
ing we arrived at chihuahua (pro-
nounced Chiwawa) the capital Of the
state OF the same name, n city OF
about thirty thousand n,habii ants,
very ptettily located among the high
purple hills. Here we spent Sunday
walking around the city and saw
many things new and queer to us.
The cathedral with it's graceful twin
towers and great dome is plainly
visible from all points III the city,
and while you may admire it's beauti-
ful exterior, it dwindles into nothing
\ r. inf r1-h
battles any description from My pen.
Chihuahua is chiefly a mining town,
furnishing supplies for the mining
districts for hundreds of miles in
every direction. Early Monday morn
ing at three O'Clock we left the hotel
to walk to the station a mile away
to catch the southgoing train. On
reaching the station nearly out OF
breath-fearing we were late we had
hurried-we were informed that the
train had run off the track and was
five hours late. it proved to be over
eight hours late before it had arrived.
We opened the door OF the waiting
room, but an oder and stencll met us
that was killing and made US retreat.
The room WAS filed to overfowing
with Mexicans who were waiting for
the train-the night was quite chilly
and they hudded toeei her like cattle,
sitting and lying en- the floor. The