Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-07-15
MEXICO CITY
Full Of Interesting siehts-Rnfhonni
P~nyynshop n Uusuue Instftnffou

PnvnshOp n Unique Inststnus0"
I'm all the world ono cannot fnd a
more remarkable capital than Mexican
City" says William Joseph Showalter, In
a communication to the National Geo
graphic society.
Situated In a valley whose moor rs u
mile and a half above the level OF the sea.
and who's borders are surrounded by
towering mountains; located where the
beautiful volcanoes, PopOcatepetl and
IxtaccihuatI, rear their snow-capped heads
above the plain and stand eternal guard
over IT. It's situation is one Of rare beauty
and grandeur. It's climate is mild, the
temperature ranging from 81 to 10 de-
grees. with a mean of 65 degrees. No man
sleeps without a blanket in Mexico City,
nor needs ar overcoat at midday.
'prior to the conquest the lakes Of the
Mexican valley were extensive and the
bargcs of the Aztecs sailed uninterrupt-
eddy from the gates Of Chapultepec to
Ixtapalapa. A large number of canals in
| tersectcd the ancient metropolis of Ten
ochtitlan and connected with the lakes
in the suburbs. making II a sort of new
world Venice.
ain 1907 the celebrated Portuguese en-
gineer Martinez undertook to drain the
valley of Mexico by cutting a canal
: through ~ bF "oINs hoW
ever. wa largely a failure. since 1t drain
ed only one small lake and an unimpor-
tant river. leaving Lakes Tcxcoco and
| Chalco still perpetual menaces to the city.
I'm 1879 a huge drainage canal 70 miles
long was begun. which was completed in
1900, at n cost Of about s.. 1000 American
gold. It's completion removed the danger
of foundations from Mexico City and solv-
ed the problem which occupied the
thoughts and ~engendered the fears Of the
Aztecs as far back as f44e.
Mexico City is the most complete mix
ture Of the ancient and the modern to be
found in the new world. The old city
might date anywhere from the 10th rem
fury. from its appearance. The new city
is ultra modern, and you step from the
10th to the 10Th century by walking across
the street.
The parade ground of Mexico City is
the Avienda de San Francisco. This short
street extends from the Mexican White
House to the Alameda. and is only about
"A feet from curb to curb. Here, at the
approach of twilight, every smart equi-
page in the capital comes. Down the one
side of the street and up the other side
moves the procession at a slow walk
while everybody looks at everybody else.
"As Avicnda de San Francisco unites
the old and the new cities, so does the
Cinco de Mayo fifth of May) unite the
cathedral, stateliest of all the religious
edifces on the continent, with the the
atre. most beautiful of all the Amusement
places in America. The Cinco de Mayo
is the Wall Street of Mexico, and the
buildings which line it are modern ii
every respect.
The Paseo de la Rcforma. ~extendinf
from Chapultepec to the Avienda d.
Juarez, a short avenue connecting the
Paseo with Avienda de San Francisco, /.
one Of the finest driveways OF the world
The city is full of interesting places
Whether it be the cathedral, which rear.
its majestic towers to heaven on tn,
very spot where the sacred temple of tn,
AzteCs stood. and where tens of thou
sands of human beings were sacrificed t,
the sun; whether it be the Hospital d,
Jesus, built on the site where Cortez ant
> Montezuma first met, and supported T.
this day from the revenues of the estat,
. of Cortez; whether it be the Jockey club
. housed in the beautiful House of Tiles
whether it be the bronze equestrian statu,
, of Charles ". of Spain, declared by Hum
T boldt to be second only to the statue o
! Marcus Aurclius at Rome, or whether /
7 be Chapultepec, with its memories of tn,
american triumph in Mexico, there is n
!. place with more attractions from a his
! toric standpoint than Mexico City.
! The national pawn shop is one of tn
i unique institutions of the capital. It wa
founded by Pedro Jose Romero dc Terrc
ros, the owner of the fabulously rich mine
> at Real del Monte. Here none may b
borrowed on chattels at very low rate
D of interest, and everything is pledgec
from a pair of cocks spurs to an automo
( bile and from a silver ring to an iro
{ safe. TIL smallest loan is II cents an
( the largest $4,000.
y From the American standpoint buris
u customs in Mexico are very strange.
grave may be rented in perpetuity or fc
= a term of years. n the latter option
> taken and the rent is not paid prompt
at each recurring period. the bones Of IN
occupant are elected and thrown upon
, great bone pile. These bones from tim
to time are cremated.
"At Mexico City's great city of the dea.
where 10000 people have been burie,
4 there Is a cave which contains hundred
u Of tons of human ashes. The Mexica
n law forbids services al the gray e sine
Il the separation Of church and State und.
Benfto Juarez.'
Y