Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-02-01
OLD MEXICO.


| months since 1 nave seen tne eVvi
welcome pages from your press room,
and have been requested by some OF
your friends to write yon q letter and
while the pictures Of my pen may not
interest your readers, | have a sort Of
az inspiration to converse with you and
them for O few minutes, this evening.
/ have long joined with you In sing
Ing the praises OF our New Mexico
climate, but tonight l a almost say
you have no climate at all; here we
are nearing the close of January, our
doors stand. open day and night; the
American people are dressed as be-
comes a summer season, and the
natives wear al few clothes as possible
and the little ones, in many cases,
none at and we all seek the shady
side oil The street for comfort during
the sunlight hours.
/ have seen no cold weather since
leaving Ell Paso, December End, 1897,
and have travelled over a wide terri
tory.
Leaving Ell Paso, the Mexican Gen.
trail road runs due south and on the
trip you see all kinds Of country and
Productions, native to u semi-tropical
climate. The first days travel brings
little news or interesting, over sandy
plains, through sand hills and along
barren valleys, skirted by mountains,
rugged and %unfruitful, but gradually
we work our way into the productive
portions of our sister republic and we
enter the cotton belt OF Mexico, where
ranches or haciendas, as they are
called, v the valleys as far as eye
can reach, dotted oil over with the
pure white Of tho opening cotton bulb,
looking like an immense garden OF white
roses. The fields are alive with peones
(slaves) picking the fruits OF the har-
vest. The track in one place runs
through one hacienda for twenty-five
miles. Corn fields of immense demen-
tions are also common, and every
where large irrigatipg bitches are
marked by the beautiful trees along
their course.
Again the mountains greet us on
our southern course, and soon we are
laboring toward the sunniest OF Zaca-
tecas mountains, the summit reached
we drop down again and soon sight
the city of Zacatecas, a city Of $4,000
people, and we'll called the Modern
Jerusalem, for as seen from the tracks
Of the Mexican Central you could
easily believe the picture given US OF
the Holy City was taken from the
sights then before your eyes. Another
interesting fact is that Zacatecas is
said to be the leading mining camp
of the world. This industry has
been carried on there since 1546
and it is said, the present annual out.
put is about SIS, 900, 000-leaving the
city behind, for miles along the valley
IS the train dashes down the mountain,
the sparkle of electric lights and
smelter furnaces, presents a picture OF
thrift and industry not often witnessed
either here or elsewhere. A few hours
more and the beautiful valley of Aguas
jCalientes, is reached, and here we
find corn, wheat and beans growing in
great abundance. Hore too the whole
country IS more productive, the hills
aud valleys dotted every where with
little groves and the uncultivated land
has not the dry barren appearance 50
common to that passed before. The
state capital, city and valley are all OF
the same name. The hot springs, on
the outskirts Of the city, having fur
,ished a reason for its adoption. The
sprlugs supply hot water to three large
bath houses, neal the NJ. G. depot, and
q large number at the springs rs well.
where they are so arranged that tht
spring forms the bath tub and you are
practically in a natural bath house
The city is supported by agriculture
and manufacturing, and one Of ths
largest and best smelling plants OF the
republic is located here.
Here, leave the main line and travel
eastward over the Tampico branct
for a few hours, and you will be wei
, re paid for your journey, for nowhert
else, 10 the same time, can you see the
variety of country, climate and vegeta'
; tion as can be seen on this trip.
San Luis Porosi, is the first city
reached on this trip, and is Que of ths
/, main business centers Of the republic
lis climate is perfect and the city has
the most modern appearance Of any Sc
far visited. The churches, especially
the old ones, are wonderful, the whole
fronts OF several of them are of carved
stone, representing one solid picture,
and it impossible to pass them by
without wondering how so much
, artistic work has been combined with
such MASSIVE architecture, and accom-.
, plished with the appliances and labor
to be found 10 this country. Sd many
years ago, for even now, to judge from
; general results and appearances, The
. labor is unskilled and the appliances
crude 10 the extreme.
Manufacturing is the chief industry
of the city. These are cotton, linen
and flour mills and hand-weaving is
r quite extensively carried Oh there also.
For several hours after leaving San
Lois Potosi, on the eastward way, the
country is mountainous and. rough,
} but after reaching the summit, aud
begin to drop toword the gulf. the pic
ture for hours holds all boholders
speechless. The mountains and val
less are alike wrapped in a perfect sen
of tropical growth. palms. lines.