The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1904-04-21
ANCIENT INNS OF MEXICO.
Country Htstslries Of Centuries Ago
Where Creature Comforts Were
Provided for Travellers.

II II said that the first inn which Mex
leo City possessed was opened toward
the end of 1925 or beginning OF 1876 by
Pedro Hernandez Paniagua, declares
Modern Mexico. 1t may be remarked
that the last cognomen of this gentle
man (Anglice, Bread and Water IS not
exactly suggestive of sumptuous rare
The municipal records OF Mexico CITY
show that at meeting OF the city coun-
ell. held on December 1, 1925. the Pc
tition of Paniagua to open meson was
taken into consideration. At the meet
ing in question were present Diego do
Ordaz, alcalde mayor, Leonel de CerVan-
tes ian ancestor Of the present Cervan-
ties family acting as alcalde ordlnario'
and Antonio Carvajal, Gonzalo Mega,
and Juan de la Tore, regidores.
Their worships were graciousiy
pleased to accede to Paniaguas pett-
ton, authorizing him to entertain
strangers, and to sell them wine, bread
and meat" provided she shall observe
the tariff of prices to be fixed for the
articles which he may SELL. Where the
inn which the paternal authorities al
lowed Paniagua to establish was sit
uated is not exactly known, bat it is be-
lieyed to have been either IL Mesones
or Balvanera streets, which contain
some of the Oldest establishments OF
this kind in the city. In the meeting OF
the city council held on January >, l5zo.
the city fathers solemnly deliberated on
the prices which Paniagua was to be al
lowed to charge 'for meat. bread and
wine The tariff, which was to hold
good for all other inns to be established.
authorized Paniagua to charge each
guest one tomin of gold (about 80 centsl
for dinner or supper. to consist OF roast
or boiled meat, bread and water. II a
guest called for wine, oil, vinegar or
cheese, the innkeeper was entitled TO
charge 80 per cent In excess OF tneir
value in the open market. The charge
for q bed was to be one real (1z1s
cents). In like manner the price OF Ieed
for horses was vigorously fixed TINS
tariff was to be posted In conspicuous
place in the inn SO that all guests
might see 1t. The overcharging OF
guests was to be punished, the first and
second times with fines, but the innkeep-
er who offended three times was to re-
ceive 100 lashes in public!"
Rut before Paniagua established his
inn in Mexico more than LOO mad
already been opened in the country.
Francisco de Aguilar had opened the
Meson of st. John at Vera Cruz. On July
26. 1872, Juan de Ia Tore was author
lied to establish . meson In the state
of Michoacan, between Tajimaroa ana
Ixlahuaca. On October 10 OF the same
year. Francisco Aguilar was authorized
to establish a country inn between Me-
dellin and Vera Cruz, on condition o. ms
mending the road and bridges between
the site OF his inn and Jalapa. Near the
last named city q soldier. nicknamed
Lencero. opened an inn which Is men
toned by Bernal Diaz. and which still
exists.
The country inns also had their tar
iffs-for q turkey hen, reals OF gold;
for . turkey cock, 6 reals OF gold; Tor
rabbit. 2 reals: for four pounds of pork
or yenison, 4 reals, etc. 1t was further
provided that NO charge should be made
to the guest for water or salt. for lights
or fires, and that nothing should be sold
without being weighed or measured
under penalty Of fine OF 100 pesos In
gold, of which one-third was to be fol
the crown, one-third for the denouncel
; and one-third for the judge sentencing
, the delinquent, hardly an incentive tf
impartiality, one would think.
But the railways, that have WORKED
so many changes, are killing. or have
. killed. the country inns. and in tn
;. towns and cities the establishment O
more or less modern hotels Is havint
the same result