Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-04-05
OLD MEXICO.
Miss Grace Mansfield, of johnson
Creek, Writes CharmingIy of Her
Tour Through Mexico.
From the Atlanta (Ga.) constitutional

Creek, Writes Charmingly of Her
Tour Through Mexico.
From the Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution.
Miss Grace Mansfield, who accom-
panied the Grafton party on it's tour
of Mexico and the south, has written for
The Constitution her first impressions
of the Mexican country. She is na-
tive of Wisconsin and the tropical
scenes were particularly attractive to
her, and her impressions, written in
pleasing style, are decidedly interest
ing. She writes:
"Mexico, save to very few, has
until recently been an almost unknown
country. Among the latest and most
wonderful achievements of American
energy must be counted the construc-
tion and final opening of the Mexican
Central railroad, forming a continu-
Gus line through the heart of the cour-
try from Paso Del Norte to the capital.
The republic is now open for the en-
trance of whomsoever will, ana her
chief cities are conr ected by a con-
tinuous line with the entire railway
system of the United States.
winter and summer the climate is
nearly the same, a region of tropical
latitude and immense elevations.
PLAN trees grow in the plazas, tropical
fruits are usual products tf every
month in the year, and yet, where
wraps are comfortable every evening.
Mountains blue and ethereal with the
haze of the distance are everywhere
before the eye until the senses be-
come accustomed to grandeur and tire
of inaccessible majesty. In the
valleys, villages nestle and mysterious
waters flow. If you are adventurous,
you may climb an elevation of 1000
feet to the top of the Popocatapetl,
and standing amid eternal SHOWS, you
may look down upon the fervid heart
of our common mother. The people
are quaint, primitive, slow and pic
turesque street; scenes afford Us pan
oramic amusement which seems not
to fail in weeks OF association.
1.-The galleries of the capital are
filled with specimens of the old and
new schools, many of which would be
masterpieces in any country. Presi-
dent Diaz, always courteous, and
splendid example of the best Mexican
manhood, accorded us d reception, an
opportunity which all availed them
selves of, and all with one voice de-
clared him leader which great ma
ton might we'll be proud of. Agues
Galleries comes some four hours be-
low Zacatecas, and is reported one of
the attractive places of Mexico.
There are 10000 people here; the
streets wide; climate not too cool, as
places near by of higher elevation,
and the Agues Calientes, from which it
takes it's name. The Oldest and the best
of the baths are reached by street cars
through the Alameda Queretaro will
be found by the visitor to be in pecu-
liar sense worthy Of his inspection.
The streets are narrow, dense and
with SO few windows that they come
near seeming to be long street of
blank walls. This place has lasting
memento in the little barren hill in
the suburbs where Macmillan, Mira
mon and Majea were shot together.
''lt is as lonely spot as any under
the sun, and marked by three stone
slabs, now being covered with a pref
ty chapel. This place saw the end of
a brilliant scheme to strangle an es-
tablished government and plant
European empire on transatlantic
soil.
THE city of Mexico, with it's sur
rounding valley, may be pronounced
one of the loveliest scenes of the civil
lied world. The same scenes, of
course, do not produce the same i'm
pression5 upon every individual, but
[ think it safe to be concluded that
there is no similar scene. No ade-
quate description of it has ever been
written, SO the reader is advised not
to expect one here. All the reading
on the subject fails to give any i'm
preston like that obtained by the first
glance at the reality. The population
of the City of Mexico is estimated at
100000. The city is situated on what
was once the bed of a lake and is one
OF the prettiest capitals of the modern
world. Some of the finest buildings
bend downward in their centers ow-
ing to want of solidity in their foun
dations, and there is not the means of
sufficient sewerage. The streets are
about sixty feet wide and the build
ings are about three or four stories.
This is the city of churches and their
towers assist in making up the gen
eral pleasing view. | can truly say
that one might spend an entire week
walking about the streets and not be
at a loss for entertainment. Ell Pa
lacio del Poder Ejecutiro de la Nacion,
which means in English the national
white house, is the largest building
in the city and was at one time used
by the king of Spain for his viceroys.
The castle of Chapultapec is not only
very beautiful, but of great historic
interest. The West Point of Mexico
adjoins it, Other buildings of inter-
est are the National museum, Conserv-
atory of Music, Academy of San Car