The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-01-13
HENDERSON, N. c., THURSDAY, JANUARY ID, 1898.

highest perfection, some specimens at
tanning a height of 8 feet, and their
grateful odor is diffused at night fall
over the city.
We visit the Topo Chico hot springs
few miles from the city and TO
which runs a line of cars. This is
quite resort for persons suffering
from rheumatics and like troubles
Beautiful grounds and good buildings,
Amarican investments, are bringing
them into notice.
In the heart Of the city is an i'll,
mense spring coming from the ground,
which is walled in as it leaves It's
source to depth of about feet
and width of 40 feet, thus forming
a river from its very beginning. Along
its banks are hundreds of washer
women using the corrugated surface of
the stones for wash boards, while in
its cool clear waters numbers of men,
women and children indiscriminate!y
(without bathing suits) are disporting
in its refreshing depths, only 10 get
cool, for the average Mexican only
uses water for drinking apparently.
Though SO near to civilization these
people are far behind the Americans
Think of people using wooden plows,
tying the yoke to the oxens' horns,
using raw hides for making cart bodies,
or for tying on their tires. | only
mention these because they are con
spicuous to an American.
The Americans have introduced
street cars and railroads, and electric
lights. Indeed, nothing is doing or
has done more for Mexico than Amer
ican capital. The Mexican soldier is
quite numerous if not impressive, the
blowing of horns and daily parades are
a military feature.
The laboring classes wear sl,.
with thick sole attached u the foot
with pieces of rawhide. You'll say
this is no shoe at all and SO it is not
The donkey which is a very small,
poor ugly mule is used largely in trans
portation. The immense loads thes.
poor things carry is simply wonderful.
Imagine two baskets 3 or feet square
and nearly as long and high as the
donkey, swung across their backs and
filled with vegetables, &c, while the
rider, a Mexican with his broad SOM
brero or hat, sits on the rump in such
a position that one can with d lfficuity
tell to which the tail is attached. The
complacency of the rider and pride
is manifest in his demeanor. It's no
uncommon thing, to see, apparently
half cord of wood swung acros, one
of these animals backs.
A good joke is told on railroad
agent in Texas. A New Yorker bought
two Of these animals in Monterey. The
natives call them "burros." When
the bill of lading reached Texarkana
the R.R. man thinking the shipper
had misspelled the word "bureau'
corrected the orthography. All went
we'll till the end of the line was reach
ed, when it was discovered that some
thing was wrong. So tho agent noted
on the bill, bureaus short, over two
jacks"
The railroad, Mexican National,
from Laredo to the City of Mexico is
a narrow gauge and makes about as
good time as any of our broad gauges,
has three classes of cars for passengers;
the first and second about like ours,
while in the 3rd class on either side
and centre of the coach longitudinally
run concave, Slated seats the entire
length of the car. These the Mexicans
usually occupy, for they are about half
first class fare. They allow less than
forty pounds of baggage to each pas
senger, and many were the impreca
tions uttered against what one poor
victim termed "highway robbery,'' for
said he "any decent mans trunk, emp
ty, would weigh that