CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1899-02-09
cUERNAvAcA
The Gem Of Mexican Towns--The
Delight Of the Tourist, and
Health Resort Of the
World.

j -~~~
mile Of this ride is interesting. Leav-
ing Mexico City we pass through
many quaint old suburban towns, by
Lolino del Ray and near Chapultepec,
through numerous orchards and farms,
all green and blooming in January.
Then we slowly climb the rocky, lava
sides of Ajusco and after many short
turns and steep grades we reach the
summit, 1896 feet high.
From point of wonderful railroad
engineering the pass does not equal
Marshall Pass of Colorado, but the
views from either side are grander in
many ways, and more interesting to
the history loving tourist Going up
the view is grand. There before us
lays the broad, rich valley Of Mexico
supporting as it does nearly a million
people. There is the city and the
many neighboring villages. You can
distinguish Chapultepec and many of
the ancient temples Beyond are
the lakes, and still further beyond
towering thousands of feet above the
surrounding mountains are the fam
GUS old volcanoes. Popocatepeu and
Ixtaccihuatl, both white and shining
as they always are with their per-
petual SHOWS. Gen. Lew Wallace de-
scribes in his mastery way this very
scene in his Fair God, : as it looked
$50 years ago. and there is little
change.
The view going downthe other side is
grand. First We pass through forests
of green trees and howers common
to ~ in spring time, then We come
out on the mountains edge and before
US and almost at our feet is the mag
nihcent panorama of the valley of
Cusrnavaca. This part of the country
is nearly tropical and the valley is
rich in sugar cane, rice and coffee
plantations, and the banana and tropi-
cal palms are as common as apple
trees are with US. When We first
distinguish Cuernavaca nestled at the
foot Of the mountain far below us it
is only seventeen miles away, though
by the circuitous route the railroad
must take the distance is about 80
miles. Every curve in the road
seems to take Us by an old village,
church or hacienda built hundreds of
years before the United States thought
Of independence
At the foot of the mountains is the
gem Of all Mexican towns -Cuerns-
vaca- Long before the pale face
conquerors interferred with the hap
piness of the original Americans, Cuer-
navaca was the chief city of the val
ley. Its old Indian name was Quanh-
hahuac, which we are told means
where the eagle rests" and every
body has rested who has come here
since. Cortez. the famous conquerer,
passed by this way on his first trip
to the capital city and stopped here
to rest before paying his respects to
Montezuma. In later years after fix
ing up things with the Aztec rulers
to his own kings entire satifaction,
Cortez spent much of his time here in
Cuernavaca, where he built famous
palace, acquired an immense hacienda
and accumulated much other property.
Cortez was great fellow to acquire
things those days, and there seems to
have been little worth having that
did not bear his name. But with all
his bad habits Mr.. Cortez had elegent
taste in selecting place to rest.
Nearly three hundred and fifty
years after Cortez did the town of
Cuernavaca, another foreign ruler of
Mexico found in the congenial cline
and tropical surroundings Of this
quiet little burgh, the elements of
rest and Emperor Macmillan came
and built him . winter cottage here.
1t Is sometimes whispered about that
Mr.. Maxmillinn fonnA othor rh,rr,.