CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1899-02-02
THE AMERICAN PARIS
The Capital City Of Mexico, Ricf,
( Fashionable, Elegant, Ancient,
Z Historical and Interesting.

="
of the 100000 people in this re-
i public over ten mill 'ons are of this
class, and it is the every day life of
this lower class the new conner to
Mexico finds the most interesting.
We have been surprised, charmed
and delighted with the City of Mexi-
co-the capital of the republic. 1t
has population of 350,0OO. and an
altitude of 7,349 feet above sea level.
1t required but one day here to make
us believe the saying that the City of
Mexico is more like Paris than any
other American city. The better
classes are rich, fashionable and ex-
elusive. Her PareO and driveways
are fashionable and elegant. Her
stores and residences modern and
magnificent. Her cathedral grand.
Her Chapultepec, national castle, in
teresting to visit and wonderful to
behold, and her Alameda, Plaza Mayor
and lesser plazas are beautiful and
beyond description
do not recommend to other. tour
lists our program for seeing the city,
but for us it has proved quite pleas
ant. The first day was spent in loaf
ing around, resting and in getting ac-
quainted with our hotel and the street
life. The hotel Iturbide was built
123 years ago for nobleman's resi-
dence, was occupied by Emperor Itur-
bide during his short reign about 1921
as his palace, is a magnificent struct-
ure of the old Spanish style and is
now first class hotel on the Euro
pean plan. The principal street in
the city is San Francisco, an extern
sion of which is her famous Pareo,
planned and laid out by Emperor Max
imillan. Judging from the magnif-
cent turnouts and fashionably dressed
men and women. one can easily mag
inc it to be the Fifth avenue of New
York, Chestnut street of Philadelphia
or even of fash
ionable Paris.
A half day can well be spent in the
National Museum, where are gathered
many stone images, idols, gods and
other relics of the Aztecs and other
prehistoric races. The silver service
and other valuables of Maximillian are
interesting to the curious, as are also
the many paintings by artists long
dead. The museum is place one
can spend many hours waen nothing
more important is on haud.
In this land of churches the great
est temple of all is the Cathedral Of
the City of Mexico. Its proportions
are simply immense and its finishings
and furnishings magnificent. Being
built during the years between 1873
. and 1923 it is of ancient model. II
has dozens of rich chapels, any one
of which would be fair sized church
, in Canon. The magnifcence of the
: affair can be partially imagined by the
) cost. which was over $2,OOO,0O0,
f gold. One of the chief attractions,
0 and one that all can appreciate is ar
original painting by the old master,
Murillo.
No one visits Mexico without see
ing Chapultepec, the national castle,
n at once the White House and the
!. West Point of Mexico. Through the
8 courtesy of ambassador Clayton we
: were permitted to go through the
}, summer home of President Diaz. The
Castle of Chapultepec is built on the
top of small mountain of rock, sur
4 rounding which is most beautiful
valley. This place is said to have
been the home of the Montezumas.
The present structure was begun in
u 1888, and every ruler of Mexico since
has added to its size and strength.
The home part of the castle is grand
> and elegant. | know little of the
White House of America, but those
who have seen both, say that in fur
nishings, in abundance of rich carving
, and fine tapestry, and in all of its
elegant appointments, Chapultepec is
, superior to our own Presidents home.
One of the beauty spots of the city
| is the Alameda. 1t is a large, well
, kept park in the centre of the city.
In size it is about as large as eight
blocks in Canon, and is now as green
: and rich with flowers as our park
should be in summer time. Sunday
is a great day in the Alameda. The
national band plays morning and even
ing, and from the crowds that prome-
made through its lovely walks one
would think all the we'll dressed peo-