Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
TIE CITY OF zAcArEcAs.

| Travelled from chihuahua to FAC
atecas, distance of SCI miles, with
a Mexican lawyer whose home was
in the latter city. His face was dark,
plainly showing his Indian ancestry,
but he was a big, scholarly man, well
versed in the common as well as the
civil law; and he spoke English
nearly as good as l did, which he
assured me he had learned in the
schools Of his native city. He favor
ably impressed me, and if | were
writing a book on Mexico l would
devote awhole chapter to his part Of
the country.
Night was just falling on Zaca-
tecas when we came in from the
north on this bit Of the Orient, cling
ing like an eagle with outstretched
wings to its sloping mountain val
ley. had been told that this city
is more like Jerusalem, and the
country roundabout more like Pal
estine, than any other in all the
Americas; and as soon as saw it |
resolved to do my best to reproduce
its picture in the columns Of The
Democrat. The photographer, the
electrotyper and the printer have all
been urged to do their best, yet the
result attained is but dim and i'm
perfect shadow Of the original. While
the picture shows the Aat-topped
stone houses, the treeless landscape
and one of the bald, round hills, it
does not show the terraced streets,
the public plaza, the city fountain
with steps into which deep hollows
are worn by many feet and the
dripping water of centuries, nor the
hundred other things which tell Of
the spirit Of older days and carry
with them an aura that is not to be
forgotten. Zacatecas is city of
about $1,000 inhabitants; it is 5000
feet above the sea level, and its mines
of precious metals are immensely
rich. They have been worked for
more than $50 years, and on July
LIST, 1918, it was estimated that their
output up to that time had reached
the enormous total Of $667, 343,2l9
And since then they have steadily
produced great quantities OF ore. 1t
would be singular indeed if in such
a city there was not refinement as
we'll as wealth. In saying this | do
not mean to have it understood that
all, or even majority, are the pos
SCISSORS ofwealth and luxuries, because
Zacatecas has many poor and needy
people as well as those who are the
owners Of extensive libraries,
beautiful paintings and expensive
works Of art.
Zacatecas has seen the civilization
Of Spain sweep down upon it, pene-
trate into it's furtllerest limits,
grow, ripen and become sere and
yellow; it has seen the Mexican
Central railroad, which is operated
by Americans, come winding up
through the brown hills and go on
past its white walls and latticed
windows; and now it is getting
glimpses of our Northern civlliza-
ton, as train-loads Of tourists from
this country go rolling past its gates
| was told the brusque and uncere-
monious ways Of the Americans were
sadly at variance with what the upper
classes of Zacatecas considered good
manners, and it was my misfortune
or good fortune, know not which,
to witness an incident which must
have rudely Jared upon their sense
Of the proprieties. Among the
passengers in the Pullman car that
brought us to Zacatecas, were the
wife and two grown daughters of a
prominent American business man.
The young women had with them
electric hand lamps, which they play
fully used, without giving any Of
Tense, on their fellow passengers. AS
the train was slowing up ] noticed a
score or more Of carriages near the