The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-14
in ANCIENT MEXICO
American Mssionarys First Impression of the Beautiful
Land Miss Bumgardner Writes Interesting Letter Home
IA Gale de la Reforma No. 16,
Orizaba, e de Vera Cruz, Mexico.

OflZaDa, n de era Cruz, MEXICO. \
Pachuca is mining town (silver),
built in gulch in the mountains
The streets are narrow. crooked and
dirty, and the native inhabitants are
small of stature, ragged, lousy and
dirty. The houses swarm with people
and many sleep on the streets at night
and beg for living or carry bundles,
etc. 1t is not customary for foreigners
or even Mexicans of the better class to
carry their own parcels. One must
either take the porter along or hire a
'scargadore" no matter if you have
ever so small bundle. The ''carga-
dores" carry everything. For ordin-
airy service we pay twelve cents, for
small small bundles or cents, ac-
cording to distance, ETC., and | think
my trunk cost a quarter in silver. A
"cargadore" picked it up, put it on his
back and walked off with apparent
ease.
1 took a horseback ride up the noun
tain side one morning. The path was
narrow most of the way and very
rocky so that | wondered how the
horses could keep their footing, but
they seldom slipped an inch. Once in
while the road would broaden and
we had gallop. A narrow mountain
stream foamed and boiled along over
the rocks at the foot OF a deep canon
on one side of US while on the other
was solid rock rising so high that we
could not look at it. Very few trees
grow here but the grandeur of the
mountains is sublime. | would always
come back to the thought how insight
ficant we mortals be- We rode to the
top of one mountain peak and turned
for a birdseye view of Pachuca far be-
low US. Away in the distance as far
as the eye could reach, extend the
mountains, their lofty peaks touching
the sky and Outlines above the clouds,
in fact we were above the clouds part
of the time. We rode into one of the
mines and we shown around by the
manager with great courtesy and al
lowed to mount and ride out without
being searched-a rare thing. Then
we visited an English home on the
mountain side, had glass of milk to
refresh us and after couple OF hymns
and prayer turned homeward by
different route. Small farms dot the
mountain side. A little corn is raised,
some barley and the maguey plant
from which pulque is obtained. Oxen
with yokes fastened to the horns are
used to farm with. The women were
washing on the stones in the river be-
low US, and their clothes were spread
out on the grass to dry. They do beau
tiful washing and ironing.
We have just returned from supper
We had chicken with gravy, beefsteak
and potatoes, (they fry their steak, put
it on plate and cover 1t with nice
fried potatoes). roasted sweet potatoes
and tea and bread. We never have
butter, but somehow I don't miss it.
The bread does not seem to require it.
By the way, the bread is good when
you get at it. 1t is baked in round
lOaves about the size of our buns, only
thicker. 1t is raised with a kind of
yeast made of pulque think and baked
very hard; so hard we never know
just what will happen when we break
it. | forgot to mention beans, which
are always served, and fruit. For
breakfast this morning we had steak,
and their steak is always good, eggs.
beans, chocolate and sweet bread or
cakes. For dinner, noodle soup, eggs,
Irish stew, Il guess its Irish at least it
is some kind of a stew composed of
little of everythingl, fish and some
other dish made of potatoes and what
looked like greens, which We did not
taste, and beans. On the whole our
meals are we'll cooked and [ enjoy
them. | can't drink the coffee but the
chocolate is delicious.
got a little ahead of my story by
starting in on that supper. | meant to
tell you little more abont Pachuca
1t is the capital of the state of Hidalgo
and the governors palace is here.
The day / was there was national
feast day and an elaborate celebration
was held in honor of Benito Juarez, a
Mexican hero. long since dead. The
procession marched past our house and
we watched it from the window. 1t
seemed as though everybody was in 1T:
the miners, merchants, tradesmen, gov
ernor, physicians. government employees
soldiers and public schools, each group
carrying banner. also several bands
of music. All kinds of costumes were
to be seen.
The poems or lower classes, wear
trousers and kind OF a Jumper" like
the boys wear to husk corn, made of
white cotton or linen stuff These
Jumpers are loose and tied in front.