Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-05-01
A TRIP TO OLD MEXICO
While Recuperatins From Typhoid Fever. Mr. A. Baker
Writes Interesting Description Of His Recent Trip
the City Of Mexico for Public Opinion Readers. 4 4

Come with me this morning and let
us take a trip to beautiful C1er-
navaca, seventy five miles south Of
the city of Mexico. We make the
ascent until 10000 feet elevation is
reached. Looking back is the great
valley of Mexico, looking ahead is
Cuernavaca. We must drop 5000 feet
in this distance of twenty-five miles.
See the great sugar plantations.
First We see the city from one side Of
our train, then from the other; we
are making the descent The entire
mountain in Cortez time had a
teeming population; every acre is in.
closed by stone walls. What have
they raised; there is no soil. nothing
but solid gravel. At each stop crowds
of beggars surround the train. We are
at the depot; it is two miles to the
city a mule car is waiting, the elec.
trio current is turned on the mules,
and don't they go. The car sways !;
it is a wonder how they can make
such speed.
We are at the plaza. Our hotel, the
Moralus, is just adjoining. This
hotel was built by one of Cortez
officers 1893 years ago. AS you enter
the patio with its tropical plants is
very attractive. We are assigned
rooms the room occupied was large
enough to play game of ball in.
The tile in the floor were worn
through from their long use. Look
out of this door opening out on the
street, and as you look over the tiled
roofs with the purple mogambelias
hanging far over the tops. you cannot
help but exclaim, beautiful Cuerna-
vaca! This city has 49, 600 inhabi-
tants. 1t was the summer home OF
Cortez and Maximilian. Dinner is
ready: the dining room, with its mis-
sion furniture is very attractive. Be
seated put a quarter at your side
for the waiter while waiting try some
of this fruit piled on the stand in the
center of the table; take some of this
green pear shaped fruit; the pulp is
about one third of an inch thick, the
rest pit chop it up, cover it well with
olive oil, pour on vinegar. pat on
sugar, taste it; would pumpkin not
be as tasty? We eat the dressing and
leave the so-called fruit. Try some of
this egg-shaped, so-called fruit. You
break the she'll; it is all large seeds !:
it tastes like medicated May apple.
I have ordered ice tea and take large
lemon, squeeze the jnice into it; my
tea is spoiled. it is sweet lemon.
might continue this almost indefi-
nitely as they have great variety Of
so. called fruit, but would not trade
our apples for them all. Our dinner
is over; it has been disappointing
from the frst appearance.
The market is across the street. let
us visit it. In every city we find
them about after the same plan. We
step in, follow round the butcher
stalls, look at the meat Do you like
lean meat? l saw nothing else in any
market I visited. Take trip round
farther, where they are serving lureh,
beans in a soupy state; but tortillas
and baked squash were the substan-
tials. Let us go farther in where the
peasants have brought in their truck
to sell. Here is one with hen
hitched to chair. two eggs are in
another place, little piles ON the
ground. beans. radish pods. yellow
tomatoes. very nearly, blue husk to-
matoes. very good potatoes not much
larger than marbles. about a quart in
pile. The vendor is picking the life
out of q child's head. this is a pastime
in all public places. She does not
stop to notice us. We pass along ;
look at the sugar in cakes that looks
as though nodded in plant starting
pot that had the earth thick in it.
We saw no sugar even as white ~
that we have eaten in Louisiana. cal
led their Oren kettle. Look at these
dried short ribs; do they not look like
q dogs bone, they are as dry as a
stock fish. Dried in the open air
without salt, but look close, they have
q crop Of life ON the outside.
Let us leave the market and take a
walk up to Cortez' palace. built 400
years ago. We enter the yard filed
with tropical ver.lure. pass through
the large rooms. 1T is now used for
a state house for this state.) We 20
on the roof and look down in this
court. Who are all these rough look
ing fellows at work. Convicts? Yes.
Look down the valley, there is Cortez
sugar plantation, still producing
sugar. A little to the right is che
bungalo of Maximilian. Let us &c
over yonder to where that sign il
, seen at the other end of the street.
The sign "Jardin de Ia Borda' il
! named for rich miner Of that name.