Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-20
ABOUT OLD MEXICO
Story as Told in Diary Of Mrs. W
H. Fetzer.
AN OTTUMWA WOMAN'S TRIP SOUTH
Interesting Account OF Places Visited
BY Her and the Impressions Re-
ceived of the Country, Its Inhabi-
-tants and Their Customs.

ceived of the Country, Its nhabi-
-tants and Their Customs.
Mrs. w. H. Fetzer of this city, who
recently returned from Mexico, where
she accompanied her husband on a
business trip this spring, kept sort
OF diary on the trip and has kindly
consented to let the Courier publish
1t in full. 1t gives woman's view of
Mexico and of the journeys there and
will be of interest to the people of Of
tumwa.
The article is as follows:
We left Chicago Tuesday evening, April
IL at ~ O'Clock on the Santa Fe railroad
ing, and In thirty minutes were aboard the
| through sleeper for Mexico City. We were
| fortunate In having a very congenial lot of
eash We haa two LADIES' 69E
from Chicago, DR.. Force and his son from
Minneapolis. Mr., McKittrldge, of New
York, son;in-law of General Shafter: NJ. II.
Lev Lewis and wife, of Don Rios, Vera Cruz,
Just returning. from visit to Kansas City;
Mrs. Fullenwider wife of lieutenant in
ee gnts9 states Tes navy with the
second morning out we had Il pretty view
OF Pixies Peak, ninety miles away, and
spRsh PEAKS w re BY al covered With
delightful ride up the heavy mountain
grade with two locomotives; passed
through the Ration tunnel, and had our
| breakfast at Ration station the other
side; then down the mountain-side to Las
| Vegas where we got dinner. Passengers
all so hungry, If necessary, to eat at Las
Vegas, which is kept on the Harvey sys-
TEN, and one gets dinner fit for queen
In the finest railroad dining room in the
country. We arrived at Albuquerque ut
$50 p m. ana after n splendid supper we
had three hours before our train for Mexico
lett, and our party simply took in the town
| oy electric light, and at II o'clock we went
to our sleeper and retired for the night.
| when we got up in the morning, we were
going down the valleye of the Rio Grande
and In about two hours We're at Ell Paso
Tor breakfast. Just before we came to the
station two Mexican customs officers en-
tered our car and went through our grips.
After short stay at FL Paso the Mexican
| Central train backed across the river and
fastened on our sleeper and took us over to
Juarez, where our trunks We're unloaded
and we had to open them and have them
inspected. A Mexican woman examined
| mine and treated me very nicely.
San Francisco, widow, who had Travelled
all over the world: also n Mr.. Spare, of
| PENNSYLVANIA, engaged in mining in Mexico.
He and Mr.. Fetzer We're the. only two on
| the car who could talk any Spanish. We
got away from JaureZ ut noon; that after
noon and night We're hot and dusty, but
after we left Torreon. where we had
breakfast the next morning we We're going
up the mountain all day, and at six O'Clock
we were at Iacetecas. over 5000 feet In
| the air, and the air and scenery We're de-
liShtful. The next morning we had break
fast at Rio San Juan in u most beautiful
valley. and after we left 1t we We're more
than an hour winding our way up the
mountain side before We We're out of sight
of 1t. From here on to the City of Mexico
the trip was enjoyed by us all. We arriv-
cd at Mexico at 1880 a. m. on time, after
spending five nights and four days on tho
journey. Here our party divided-not like
ly to meet again, and 1t was sad parting
to us all.
We stopped at the Iturbde hotel: 12e
years old. 1t is the oldest and largest no.
tel in the City: has five patios. and we got
room No. 101 on the fourth floor on the
first patio, and We're very nicely situated.
4 Just now the city is all tom up putting in
sewers, waterworks and asphalt streets
Il The step from modern American city to
| the Mexican one is a strange feeling. Mr..
Fetzer at once got permit to see the in
side of the Castle of .Chapuitcpec; fcarin'
j President Diaz and his family might any
day return to 1t from their city house, and
then one cannot get into it.
Mr.. Fetzer's former acquaintance In Mex
leo City gave me many advantages. l have
met many American women who have
treated me very nicely, gone with me many
places; some of them talk Spanish. Three
of them gave lunches for me at Their
houses. also had luncheon just before
II came away with the family of Judge
Alarcon. one of thu judges of the supreme
Z
style The judge talks English some say
he learned 1t all from Mr.. FetZer-but his
wife, two daughters and three sons speak
Spanish and French only, They are love
/ ly family, very kind and courteous, and his
daughters are fine performers on the piano
They had some friends invited who could
speak both Spanish and English. and we
had a. very nice time, indeed, ] was SC
sorry for Mrs. Alarcon who seemed to be 9
nice, motherly Indy. and l know the situa
ton was embarrassing for her:
t1N !, Liant al tptn CIV
car system, by which one can go to al
points of interest within twenty miles, ant
in this way | have visited them all..Tlal
pom and San Angel at the base of til,
mountains, the battletieds of Cherubusct
and Moline del Rey to see the old Spanish
homes in the famous old suburbs of Cogon
con Colonia luzcoal and Stzapotzalco. the
famous gambling resort and fashionabl.
suburb of Tacuhagn. and many others.
have been to the National Museum. Sal
Carlos gallery of Fine arts. the National Ii
brary. the great cathedral, Guadalupe
church and Panteon, San Fernando. Pante
on and the tonbs of Juarez and most o.
; Monte Pirdar and many other places. Thu
famous thieves market the tourists talk 81
much about is burned and Mr.. Fetzer il
glad of 1t.
/ enjoyed my trip TO Mexico and my vis
there very much indeed while there arr
many unpleasant sights, to sec and tn
difficulty of getting food adapted to on
, taste and digestion is serious matter
, vet. it is n good thing to see other coun
tries and learn how the people live, besides
the pleasure and instruction one gets, ant
, the lasting impression 1t makes on one
mind. | believe it makes lis think all TIN
more of our homes and country. am Yer!
glad to have had the opportunity to maxi
the visit under such favorable crcum
stances. If | never return. ] will AWAY
remember the pleasures of the trip; til
very agreeable associations, the 0ricnta
appearance OF the old city that is fast he
coming modernized; the odd ways and Gus
toms of its people; how happy so many o
them can be on so little: how very kin,
and courteous they all We're to me, and TIL
old lturbide hotel-my quarters thcrc-th
many happy hours ! spent with callers. Il
well MS the many kindnesses l receives
from the Administrator down to the POI
: teros will always he a pleasure to loo
hack upon, but am glad to be HON
+ again.
: Grand Master l.. ]. Baker, of tn
grand lodge of Iowa, Ancient Free an,
r Accepted Masons, of this city, has sen
out circular making announcement
, of the changes which have been mad
in the Masonic code. These include
provision creating a board of gran,
lodge trustees, to consist of thre
!, members, who shall hold for term O
sly years TINS SacuriuP a cootin,lou