The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-18
Mexico City in 1913
BY Frank G. Carpenter.
Copyright. 1913. by Frank G.. Car
penter.)

MEXICO CITY.
When I started across the boundary
[ was armed that / too my life in
my hands. and that l would always
be in danger of the Mexican bullets
+ replied that l would at any rate
escape the American automobile ana
tina all the bullets of Mexico cOuld
not equal the danger Of crossing the
street In New York or Chicago. I find
that 1 have jumped out OF the frying
pan into the fire. Mexico City SwarmS
with automobiles and they go at such
speed that they would be held up on
any country road in the United States.
Here no speed limit whatever is OBJ
served, aud even the taxicabs race
each other on tho chief business
streets. LimouSines go at fifty miles
an hour over the asphalt OF the PaseO
de la Eeforma, and In the Avenida
de San Francisco, the Broadway and
Fifth avenu of this town. the motor
cars fairly bump each other as they
fly this way and hi The same Is
true of all kinds OF traffic. The motor
drays make thirty miles an hour and
there are hundreds OF motorcycles
which go 80 fast that their wheels
seem solid disks. l LAY never seen
anything like it. and my heartbeats.
as 1 have tried to keep out of their
way, have worn my throat to a fraz-
ale.
Not Dead Vet.
I had expected to find Mexico City
q "deader." / thought the revolution
would have squeezed the life out OK
business, and thai the people and
prices would be on h down grade.
L find il quite the reverse. The
troubles which have been going on
over the country have scared the rich
haciendados into renting or buying
rrnnorfv an TIM ~ rVftol OnA thoU hova
come here until conditions are stable.
They are good money spenders,; and
the opera house Is now filled every
night. find the streets thronged
with people and the stores filled with
goods bearing cost marks as high or
higher than those Of the States. I
ind new buildings going up on the
outskirts and construction OF n kind
OF other on the chief business streets.
Just below the Alameda a national
theater which Is to cost high into
the millions is almost complete. and
on h Plaza de Ia R~epublica stands
the great steel skeleton Of the IAgis-
lative Palace. which. il it is ever COM
pleted, will cost something like six
million dollars.
Built OF a Swamp.
! say, if it is ever completed. The
building promises to be too heavy for
its foundation, and it is slowly sinking
into the great bed Of ooze Upon which
this city stands. The same is true OF
the National Theater. the new post
Office, n OF other great buildings
which are slowly and gradually goinc
down into the OOZe. Within the past
Few years a drainage system has beer
introduced, but this has taken of
the subsoil water which aided in up
holding the principal buildings, ant
they are now said to be more stable
during the rainy season when tn,
ground is we'll soaked.
The Mexico of today is founded OIL
the site OF the ancient capital of tn
MontezumaS, and l am told that Their,
has been 81 city right here since
hundred years before Columbus dis
covered America The capital of Mon
tezuna was a town of islands an
mainland cut up by canals 1t ha'
hundreds Of bridges. and it's 10, 90
houses, made of red porous stone
skirted the canals and had cemen
sidewalks, lining the waterways, jus
as has the Venice Of today.
After the conquest. when the Span
iards built their capital, they did nc
go to the highlands. but chose tn
same site that formed the Aztec me
tropolis. The only difference is tia
they have filled up the canals an
drained a large part of the lakes, an
they have now buildings covering
space which is many times large
than that Of the ancient city. I'll
Mexico City Of the present cover
about twenty square miles. 1t has
population Of more than half q mi
lion. and including it's outskirts. {
n federal district, it is more tina
twice the size OF the city Of Wash
ington.
1t is a well-lighted city, having 9
500 arc lamps, and so many car lin,
that II put end to end they won
reach all the way from New York
Boston.
Owing to the swampy foundatfe
there are no Skyscrapers, and the ma
business blocks are OF three and 70,
stories There is not the broken 81
line of our American cities, and Il
town looks more like one of the o
world han OF the new.
Mexico from the Cathedral TOwc,