Washington sentinel., 1899-09-16

Zacatecas IS called " Jerusalem
OF Mexico" from its strong re
semolance to that sacred cIty.
Conspicuous from all points is the
rugged eminence known as LA
Buia, owing to the outline OF ITS
crest, like a bu7alo's back. On
the very tiptop IS a shrine, the
church oil Los Remedies, estab-
llshsd IN I7aS. To reach il, one
must take an arduous climb; yet
many penltential sinners have
clambered up TO It on hands and
knees, and still do so. The first
parish church was erected IN 1859;
and the cathedral was begun IN
I6Iz, out not entirely completed
for more than a century later. Its
front is elaborately carved, and has
life size statues OF Christ and the
Apostles in the inches between
the columns. 1t once contained
font OF solid silver worth
loo, 900 dolls. and many other
adoruments, before the conhSca-
ton OF church property.
The snabbV street cars that are
almost the only means Of getting
about the city, for there are but
few vehicles OF any ption IN
ZAcstecas, are drawn by three
mules haTnessed abreast. AT the
street crossings the driver blows
an unearthly olast from a horn
that will bring TO your mind the
most obstrsperous FISH vender with
whom you were ever acquainted
in the cities OF the UnI;ed States.
All over Mexico yoI Will ind this
weird sound as an accompaniment
to the tTamways. Sturdy should
cred men wearing leather aprons
act IN lieu of baggage wag Ons,
bearing the heaviest trunks and
everything else imaginable on
their backs to and from the raIl-
way station, ne ,rly a mile distant.
InnumeTable street hucksTers and
petty traders squat on the Curbs,
beside a STAND OF dukceS Cthe
name under which all sorts Of con-
fections are classed), mysterious,
vari- coloTed drinks, small slices Of
AAlGlOAA l0l q AEDkdNOt VI AlAE AAl
ierent kinds oil Mexican bread
'panadero," others 60 up and
down the street with trays OF iruIt
on their head, loudly proclaImIng
what they have { sell. The en-
llVsning sound OF the hand organ
is heard, grinding forth the same
old tunes that years ago were
u I'y.z,
There IS a beautiful, shaded A a.
media a quarter of a mile long,
where a b7nd PLAYS every Sunday,
and then one sees the people out
parading up and down, or occupy
log the iron seats that align the
boardwalks. All classes are rep.
resented, from the tatteTed beggar
who produces d cigarette from
beneath his rags iust a. YOU are
gong to beStow a few centavOs"
on him, to the attractive young
women IN elaborate Costumes OF
modern stole, and the handsome
cabaleros pranCing on their finely
enn'nned steeds-hut IN Z lcatecas
poverty IS paramount. The Hotel
Z4catenO IS a building that would
delight the eye Of an artist, an old
Augustinran convent, with walls
three feet thick, and immense keys
to the locks that are placed on the
doors upside down and turn the
wrong way, according TO American
ideas. The double row OF b0rtaLsS
around the large patio Is thor
oughly graceful IN outline. filling
one anew with a sense OF the beauty
Of the arch. Connected with It IS
church now used by the PTesby
terians, containing much fne carv-
ing IN stone and marble, executed
800 years aFo
Aguascalientes, the future great
mining cen re oi the country, is
but three hours ride BY train from
ZIcatecas, has 40, 900 inhabitants,
and IS surrounded by a fine agri
cultural district. There are per-
haps SO Americans IN Aguascal-
ientes. One Of the worlds largest
smelters IS located here, winch
gives employ nent u number Of
skilled American woTkmen and
1890 natives. There IS great diff.
Guilty IN handling native workmen.
There are numerous SAINTS days,
and one American Is worth at least
three MexIcans. More than one
million dollars worth OF ore IS
purchased every m nth for this
smelteT, and coke IS bought by the
shipload. the latter coming from
Alabama. Coal cannot be usec;
coke makes a hotter fire. The
refractory ores come from all parts
OF Mexico, and copper from as far
as Arizona. 1t is brought in long
train loads and dumped at the
upper end OF the works. The gold
and silver ore, alter being sampled,
is mixed according to ITS needs
with iron, llca and lime, for hux-
ing, and the composition IS placed
in a pit. Alter this Il goes to tur.
naces, in a lead bath, where the
sulphur IN the mass Is burned off
The lead sinks to the bottom, ear
TyIng the silver and gold with It,
and the ghter. valueless contents
OF the furnace the slag-drAln,
of above, and is carried away in a
molten condition and emptled out.
The lead, silver and gold pour out
from a lower aperture and are
converted into bars which are sen
TO New York Tor REIN ement. Sep
arate furnaces are provided for
copper ore. The red hot steam
that issues from these is composed
Of copper, sulphur and iron, and is
conveyed IN huge kettle shaped !