The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-15
STREET CAR FUNERAL
Curious Custom in the Capital
of Mexico.
STREETS FORTY FEET WIDE.
An Old Church Now Used for
a Hotel.

CITY OF Mexico, Feb. 2-The thing which
strikes you most forcibly when you enter
the ca pital Of this republic is its super
abundance of vehicles. If you have not
tied up to a guide book this feature of
the city is surprising. The trains here
back into the station. For miles above
the city the passengers from America
have been nervously anticipating the end
Of the journey, have piled their baggage
about them and looked anxiously out the
car windows Plainly most of them feel
a great burden when the train has &C
tually stopped and they realize no one
will understand them if they call the
Iturbide hotel the Eyeturbeyd instead of
the Eeturbeedee; that there is no Hotel
Jardin, but a Hotel Hordeen, and so forth.
At the depot there is a wonderful tangle
of very heavy Victorias, and closed car
riages, some of them having in the driv-
er's seat, in plain view, a blue flag or a
red flag or yellow fag-all tin and about
the size of your two palms. There are
green street cars-mule power Now the
blue flag means first Glass;" the red
flag second class" and the yellow flag
third Glass; the yellow street car is
first class" the green street car sec
ond class" The street cars claim your
curiosity first They go in groups. In
Wichita, If the Mexican plan were adopt
ed. all Of the cars for North Topeka ave-
nuo would start from the corner Of Main
and Douglas and go to the end of the
road together and come back that way.
All the mules are kept on run. As soon
as a car is filled comfortably, a sign is
hung out in front lettered "carro COM
pleto," which means keep off. The sec
ond class cars follow closely after the
first class ones. Presently you see a
funny little bob-tailed open car with a
cross on top and coffin in the center,
the driver in a Prince Albert and
plug-hat; after that another car filed
with floral wreaths; after car with a
sign reading 'Funebre" filled with men
only. This is a funeral procession. There
are no hearseS here. Women do not at
tend funerals. This sight is very COM
mon. There are always to be seen a
number of cars Enarl1ed "Especial''
(esspeshawD. They are special street
cars. Apparently some are owned by
families. We got on one by mistake to-
day.. 1t was richly upholstered, and al
though we wanted TO get off, the man
who was riding in it would not have it.
Every car has a driver, a conductor and
an inspector who watches the conductor.
When the conductor isn't busy he relieves
ha driu Of "a cly of aply-
ing the mules. Fares vary on different
lines. When street cars were first in
troduced in this city, it was not uncom-
mon for a man on boarding a car to
put up the fare of the ladies on board,
strangers and all, and it sometimes hap
pens yet. 1t is merely gallantry. Mr..
Paul Hudson formerly of Topeka, now
publisher of the Mexican Herald, the great
English daily of the republic, met US at
the station, put Us in a Victoria and
we made the rounds of the hotels for
room. At the ItuTbide met Bishop
]. ]. Hennessey of Wichita, who is with
q large party Of tourists here. I'VE found
q room finally at the Los Guardiola. Ev-
cry block in Mexico almost is a street Of
a different name, just as if every block
on Douglas avenue had a different name
We soon struck an asphalt street upon
which are many of the leading hotels
Here ii was a tangle of buggies. From
wall to wall the street is not over forty
feet wide. and along the main thorough
fare the vehicles flash peil-men. The
swell people of the city for an hour in
the afternoon of each day dash up and
down this avenue. Nothing will persuade
n off
street. They simply will not turn off on
a side street and I fancy there are thou
sands of the rich who were never in a
vehicle in any other avenue, from one
end of the drive to the other. OF course
the equipages are of the finest, the
horses bob-tailed and spirited, and foot
men, from the bronze Indian in high
black felt sombrero to an English turnkey
with side-burns and a rOsetted silk hat,
numerous. Just before this hours outing
the street is moderately full, promptly
on the hour it is jammed, at the end ofthe
hour it quiets down again. This takes
place with the regularity Of clock work.
Inside the equipage are women dressed
more in continental fashion than in ours;
men in high silk hats and Prince Alberts
and young girls in European dress, their
hair flowing down their backs something
in the fashion yong girls are pictured
as wearing their hair in Dickens novels.
You are impressed with the richness Of
this city by the drive to the hotel. The
zarape has largely disappeared and a
scant white duck suit has taken its
place. There is much noise and ali traf-
fic has great speed. Once settled at your
I ct oh Of he fyrf,-
borhood. You realize that you are on the
graves Of two epochs. Three blocks away
IS the site where the temple of the Mon