Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-10-10
A LAND OF MYSTERY.


in the republic of Mexico, and on being
interviewed by PILoT reporter has the
following to say
81 told your readers in a former arti.
Gle something about the city of Mexico
The condition of the lower classes OF
the Mexican republic is bad, although
frequent efforts have been made for
their physical and moral improvement,
but strange to say we found very few
of them who could not read and write
the Spanish language, even though
they dwelt in the filthiest of filthy huts,
with hogs, hens, dogs and goats for
bed fellows. Before the Spanish war
the Mexicans didn't like the Yankee or
"Gringo," as they call him, but see
ing how easily Uncle Sam walloped
old Spain the Gringo raised a great
many hundred per cent. in the estima-
tion of the Mexican. On the contrary,
when they found how long it took Eng
land to subdue a handful of Dutch
farmers in South Africa, the English
man dropped several per cent. below
par in the opinion of the ''Greaser. p"
Since the brush with Spain there has
been steady stream of northern and
eastern capital pouring into Mexico,
amounting to millions in the aggregate.
Some of it went into mining property,
some into timber and nill plants, some
into cattle ranches, some into haciendas,
some into rubber, coffee, orange and
lemon plantations, and quite lot of it
blowed into holes in the earth, but
there is undoubtedly untold mineral
wealth in the republic that is yet unde-
veloped In fact they have not yet got
as far as the letter A in regard TO min
eral development. The mountain re-
gions also struck me as the finest graz
ing country ever saw. There is all
kinds of food for stock the year through
No flies or mosquitoes, no blizzards, no
cyclones, and an abundance of the
clearesL kind of mountain water.
In Mexico at one time there was a
very high order of civilization, as is
evidenced by the ruins that meet the
eyes of the traveller. The most interest
ing of these ruins perhaps are those of
Militia, a few miles distant from the city
of Mexico. The archives of the Acropo-
lis of Athens are written and the tale
of Thebes has been told but ancient
history runs not back so far as 10
tell of the builders of the temples &c
Militia, whence they came or where they
departed. The parchments that bore
the builders tracings have mobldered
to ashes in the century of centuries and
the hieroglyphics worn to polished
stone in the drifting sands of passed
eternity till the tale must forever re-
main untold. Yet stand as mute monu-
ments the chiseled columns that call
back the cultured civilization of the
people of those times in whose temples
one walks wondering at their magni-
tude and magnifcence. Calculating,
upon the task that modern
men would tire under, and wondering
how the walls were laid, how their m0-
saics were craven, how the monoliths
were raised, and where their quarries
were; how they were brought hence,
how the massive columns were raised
and how the corner stone was put in
place; afterwards one turns away in
ignorance of it all, and
hopelessly, for there is no history, nor
yet a legend, to fathom the mystery of
it. You will find but little of the history
or legend of Militia from its people of to-
day, who do not even speak the Ian
guage of their neighbors the Mexicans
Spanish is as Greek to them and if
they know anything handed down from
their fathers, they have not told the
secret. They call the place not Militia
but Lyobaa, which in Tzapoteco tongue
means the door of the grave-well
named for here indeed is the grave of
all tradition. On the road leading to
this ancient town is the big tree of Tule,
154 feet in circumference and as a
native says lit takes two looks to see
the top" On the east side of this giant
is tablet with an inscription signed
by Humboldt, the traveller, and was
placed there by him or by his order
1t has been there so long that the bark
has grown over it, almost completely
embodying it in the tree. This section
is a land of mysterious wonders and
there may be yet discovered relics of
the forgotten ages.
1t is to be regretted that from the
wreck of this primitive civilization
some OF the arts peculiar to it were not
saved. The methods of its astronomers
in determining the length of the solar
year; of working and polishing crystal
and other stones; of making delicate
articles of use and ornament of obsid.
ian; of casting figures of gold and of
silver in one piece; of making orna-
ments without the use of solder; of apply
ing to pottery even and transparent
glazes with colors that after remaining
for centuries under the ground are still
fresh and brilliant; of weaving extreme
ly delicate tissues of cotton mixed with
silky feathers or rabbits fur In nearly
every city of Mexico there is an air OF
age.
One Of the most interesting places for
a tourist to visit is the national museum
1t contains fine collection of antiqui-
ties excellently arranged The collec-
ton is constantly being added to, for
the government has decreed that all
antiquities shall be brought to the capi
tai and be placed in the museum
In the museum is the Calendar Stone,
sometimes called the Stone of the Sun.
The stone was used as a calendar and
its craven face is an interesting sight
She Sacrifcial Stone has niche run
ming to its edge and down its side
seemingly for the purpose of catching
the victims blood. The figures on the
rim show the victorious chiefs under
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