stack 
 
 Annex 
 
 F 
 
 1215 
 
 M325 
 
 >[{ . ^pjp v 
 
 vCi 
 
 • kDexieo 
 
 /lappati 
 
 inam, ffiejjepvy C Co. 
 ;.6o Jtate Jh., %°fpn. 
 
 
 y^k^^f 
 
 .-^^^i:: 
 
 ;^^^-' 
 
 ^Sf^'^
 
 A TRIP 
 
 CITY OF MEXICO, 
 
 JOSE AIAEGATI 
 
 "J(W7i tempiis agit res." 
 
 Published by 
 PUTNAM, MESSERYY & CO. 
 
 Bankers, 
 
 60 State Street, Boston". 
 
 1885.
 
 Copyright, 1885, by Putnam, Messervy & Co. 
 (Rights of Translation Reserved.) 
 
 Frank Wood, Printer, Boston.
 
 stack 
 Annex 
 
 F 
 
 IS 15 
 PREFACE. 
 
 It has often been suggested to me to give in print 
 some account of the Mexican Central Excursion. 
 Feeling that this was a grand opportunity for a skilful 
 pen upon an interesting subject, and that the requisite 
 talent for the purpose was not lacking in our party, I 
 was reluctant to undertake the work, until suflScient 
 time had elapsed to satisfy me, at least, that unless I 
 took it upon myself it might remain unwritten, and for- 
 ever lost, except to the memory of a few of those who, 
 like myself, participated in it. 
 
 This story, which must of necessity be in the form 
 of a diary of events, is made up largely from private 
 memoranda which were made day after day, with the 
 sole object of refreshing the memory, when relating an 
 account of the journey upon my return home. In 
 rewi'iting my diary, however, I have made use of all 
 the material I could gather, and from whatever source, 
 * which could be woven into my story, to make it as 
 complete a record of that delightful excursion as pos-
 
 4: PREFACE. 
 
 sible. Some of the speeches herein quoted were trans- 
 lated from Mexican papers, and I believe them to be 
 authentic reports of what was really said at the time. 
 For much of the interesting matter and valuable infor- 
 mation which is here given, I am indebted to individual 
 members of the part}^ 
 
 If I have succeeded in weaving together the daily 
 events of that journey in such a manner as to make it 
 interesting, as well as authentic, and at the same time 
 have afforded my travelling companions any pleasure, 
 I shall feel fully repaid for the labor of preparing this 
 little memento.
 
 A COMPLETE List of the Party. 
 
 D. Alden . 
 
 Chas. C. Blodgett . 
 
 E. W. CON^^ERSE 
 
 Thomas Dana . 
 Jacob Edwards 
 W. P. Ellison . 
 Thos. G. Frothingham 
 Frederic R. Guernsey 
 A. B. Lawrie . 
 Frank jSIorison . 
 A. S. March 
 Thos. Nickerson 
 Mrs. Thos. Nickerson 
 R. M. Pulsifer . 
 L. G. Pratt 
 Chas. W. Pierce 
 A. A. Pope . 
 
 Alex. H. Rice . 
 
 AVm. Rotch . 
 
 Arthur Rotch . 
 
 Alden Speare . 
 
 Arthur Sew all 
 
 S. S. Sleeper . 
 
 Geo. B. Wilbur 
 
 A. D. Weld 
 
 Jos6 Margati . 
 
 Frank Jones 
 
 Levi Z. Leiter . 
 
 Clarence P. Dresser 
 
 Chas. S. Smith . 
 
 Augusta, Me. 
 Boston, Mass. 
 
 Salem t Mass. 
 
 Portsmouth, N. H. 
 
 Chicago, III. 
 (( (< 
 
 Neiv York, N. Y.
 
 ALL RAIL EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 Mexico is now brought under the influence of the 
 
 progr essive nineteenth-century spirit ot Her sj ster 
 repu blic, through the construction of railways connec t- 
 in g the principal cities of the two countries. Places 
 that a few years ago were practically as remote as the 
 two hemispheres, are now only a few hours apart by 
 rail transportation. 
 
 A party consisting of about twenty-five well-known 
 gentlemen, capitali sts, — som e o f wb nm fwe^ rljr^/^t'^rs r^f 
 the newly c ompleted Mexican Central Railroarl, and 
 most of them largely interested in it< — left Boston on 
 th e evening of the 28th of April, 1884, for an excu r- 
 sion to the City of Mexico, where a banquet, in h onor 
 of the completion of the railroad, had been tendered to 
 the party by members of the citv governme nt. 
 
 'ine tourists occupied two new Pullman sleeping- 
 cars — the Aguaa Calientes and the Aragon — said to 
 have been built specially for the use of the Mexican 
 Central Railroad. They were alike in every respect, 
 very handsome, and well provided with everything 
 necessary to insure the comfort of their occupants 
 during a long journey.
 
 8 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 The journey was made without the slightest incon- 
 venience to any of the party, and without the occur- 
 rence of a single disagreeable incident — thanks to the 
 very efficient management of a member of the board 
 of directors of the Mexican Central Railroad who 
 piloted the party through. 
 
 The route chosen for the excursion was via Fitch- 
 burg Railroad through the tunnel ; New York, West 
 Shore, and Buffalo ; Great Western Division Grand 
 Trunk ; Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy ; Hannibal 
 and St. Jo. ; Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe ; and 
 Mexican Central Railroad. 
 
 Notwithstanding the oft-circulated reports of annoy- 
 ances of a belligerent nature, to which all travellers to 
 Mexico may be subjected, few, if any, of the excursion- 
 ists had provided themselves with arms for defence ; 
 and throughout the journey no arms were necessary 
 for that purpose. Whether the party had received 
 timely warning from reading the Denver Bepublican, 
 or no, they, one and all, had provided themselves in- 
 stead with a determination not to grumble under any 
 circumstances ; for it is a well-kuown fact that one 
 grumbler or fault-finder can, and often does, destroy 
 the pleasure of a whole party, while one jolly, good- 
 natured, and always pleasant man binds all the party 
 to him with bonds of friendship that are not soon 
 broken or forgotten. 
 
 There was no dining-car attached to the train, 
 excepting at rare intervals along the route ; but the 
 Buffet cars, which we occupied, were both well provided 
 with everything needful to furnish their occupants with
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 9 
 
 a light repast whenever, on the journey, it was not jdos- 
 sible to find a convenient station to stop at for a good 
 square meal. 
 
 On Tuesda}^ the 29th of April, the party took break- 
 fast at the station in Syracuse, N. Y. ; after which they 
 were entertained by the Hon. ex-Governor of Massa- 
 chusetts, a very estimable member of the party, with a 
 vivid and interesting account of the battle of " Bull- 
 run," which he had the rare opportunity to witness, 
 and with other entertaining anecdotes. The view from 
 the car windows offered nothing of any particular inter- 
 est here, after viewing the extensive salt-works at Syr- 
 acuse, excepting the four distinct tracks of the New 
 York Central Railroad, which run about parallel with 
 theNew York, West Shore, and Buffalo, its competitor, 
 and which was visible for a long distance of the way. 
 
 Suspension bridge was reached at about 4 p. m. At 
 this point a dining-car was attached to the train, which 
 furnished a substantial dinner to all who desired it, 
 avoiding the necessity of stopping extra time at the 
 station for this purpose, which they were anxious not 
 to do, in view of the fact that the train was already 
 some hours behind time. 
 
 At 11.15 p. M. the larger part of the party had 
 quietly retired to their respective compartments to rest, 
 when the train stopped, and without any jarring or the 
 least commotion, the cars were put aboard of the ferry, 
 and taken across to Port Huron. A practical illustra- 
 tion of the swiftness of time when in pleasing com- 
 pany, was this night experienced by three of the gentle- 
 men of this party when they suddenly became aware
 
 10 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 that it was already past midnight, so well had they 
 been entertained with a graphic description of Egypt, 
 and its wonderful pyramids, by one of their number, a 
 prominent dry-goods merchant from New York. 
 
 Wednesday, April 30th. The excursionists were 
 called at 7.15 a. m., shortly after passing Lansing, the 
 capital of Michigan, that they might have time to pre- 
 pare for breakfast, which awaited the arrival of the 
 train at Battle Creek. This place was reached at 
 8 o'clock, at least six hours late. After breakfast, 
 for which ample time was allowed, the train proceeded 
 on its course to Chicago, where we arrived at about 
 2.30 r. M. We were so much behind time that we 
 could only remain one hour at this place instead of 
 four hours, as originally planned. 
 
 Two gentlemen, Mr. Charles W. Pierce, of Boston, 
 who is largely interested in railroads, and Mr. Levi Z. 
 Leiter, a former member of the house of Field, Leiter 
 & Co., of Chicago, a director in the Mexican Central 
 Railroad, and a very successful merchant, joined the 
 party at this point. It was designed that our two cars 
 should connect here with the regular train leaving Chi- 
 cago daily at 12.15 p. m. for Kansas City; but as we 
 arrived too late to do this, an arrangement was made 
 for a special train, consisting of the dining-car Denver, 
 and a baggage-car, in addition to the Aragon and 
 Aguas Calientes ; and at 3.50 p. m., well provided 
 with motive power, we left Chicago for Kansas City at 
 a rapid rate, making only such stops as were necessary 
 to allow our powerful iron steed time to drink. It was
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 11 
 
 frequently reported during that evening, that we were 
 going at the rate of sixty miles an hour ; and as several 
 of the gentlemen were experienced railroad-men, there 
 is no occasion to doubt their report. The fact is, to the 
 inexperienced this might seem a moderate estimate of 
 the speed, judging by the rapidity with which we 
 passed objects in the immediate vicinity. 
 
 After leaving Chicago an excellent dinner, consist- 
 ing of soup, boiled salmon, roasts, vegetables, salad, 
 game, fruit, pastry, ices, and delicious coffee was fur- 
 nished in the dining-car Denver. This was indeed 
 a delightful way to travel, and one calculated to spoil 
 us for any ordinary mode of travelling ever after : in- 
 deed, it seemed almost incredible ; here we were being 
 sumptuously fed, in luxurious apartments, and all the 
 while moving rapidly, without the least inconvenience 
 or anxiety to ourselves. 
 
 Thursday, May 1st. We passed during the night 
 the regular train, which left Chicago nearly four hours 
 in advance of ours, and have arrived ahead of that 
 train a half -hour or more. The dining-car Denver 
 again was called into requisition this morning, and 
 it furnished an excellent breakfast. We reached Kan- 
 sas City at 8.30 a. m., and, although it was raining 
 quite hard at the time, several of the gentlemen im- 
 proved the opportunity by taking carriages and riding 
 about the principal parts of the city for an hour. 
 
 Kansas City, though in Missouri, is the trade-centre 
 of the great State whose name it bears. It is the prin- 
 cipal eastern terminus of the Atchison, Topeka, and
 
 12 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 Santa Fe Railroad, the largest city between St. Louis 
 and San Francisco, and the greatest railroad centre in 
 the West ; population nearly one hundred thousand. It 
 is situated on a bend of the Missouri River, where the 
 stream swings round from a southerly course toward 
 the Mississippi, and is the nearest point on the river to 
 the great Southwest, of which it is the principal com- 
 mercial metropolis. This led to its becoming, half a 
 century ago, the most prominent post in the Santa Fe 
 overland trade. Outfitting for the Mexican War, in 
 1846, was largely done in Kansas City, and this point 
 was also the principal outfitting station for the Califor- 
 nia migration in 1849. In 1872, the national depres- 
 sion then prevailing was felt, and there was little 
 growth till 1876, when business began to revive ; and 
 since then there has been a most wonderful develop- 
 ment, the population increasing from 35,000 to what it 
 is at the present time — 100,000. 
 
 Kansas City is the largest depot for agricultural im- 
 plements in the world. Here, also, manufactures 
 flourish, and consist of such branches as smelting 
 works, rolling-mills, foundries, piano manufactories, 
 glucose works, chemical works, stove works, carriage 
 works, shoe manufactories, breweries, flouring mills, 
 paint manufactories, marble and granite works, brick 
 manufactories, type foundries, and scores of other 
 manufacturing industries, giving employment to thou- 
 sands of men and millions of capital. It has a board 
 of trade, which, as an organization, has contributed 
 largely to the prosperity of the city. Business is mainly 
 in the hands of young men, whose enterprise and am-
 
 EXCUKSION TO MEXICO. 13 
 
 bition have made Kansas City one of the most prosper- 
 ous and flourishing cities on the continent ; schools are 
 excellent ; the daily press compares favorably with that 
 of any other city of the same size in the Union ; nearly 
 all religious denominations are here represented, and 
 the general health of the population is above the aver- 
 age. 
 
 The railway station seems to be a centre, whence 
 trains for San Francisco, Mexico, New Orleans, and 
 other distant points radiate daily. It had the appear- 
 ance of being a very busy place, but there was no con- 
 fusion, and no one seemed to be in any great hurrj^, 
 and trains moved in and out upon a perfect labyrinth 
 of rails without the least disturbance. Mr. A. A. Rob- 
 inson, the able manager of the Atchison, Topeka, and 
 Santa Fe Railroad, was at the station, attending per- 
 sonally to the wants of our party. 
 
 Mr. Alden Speare, of Boston, a gentleman who has 
 for a long time been connected with the Atchison road 
 as one of its managing directors, joined the party at 
 Kansas City. He occupied a room in Car 99 of the 
 Atchison Railroad, which was here attached to the rear 
 of the train. This was a managing director's car, and 
 it was an elegant affair. The two ends were designed 
 for observation, with long windows of large-sized plate- 
 glass reaching nearly to the floor, and furnished with a 
 dining-table in the centre, a lounge, chairs, a desk, 
 and closets. The middle portion of the car was 
 divided into three bedi'ooms, excepting a narrow pas- 
 sage on one side. Each room was furnished with 
 double bed, washstand, water-closet, and every conven-
 
 14 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 ience that might be looked for in any well-conducted 
 hotel, and the entire car was finished in walnut. An 
 excellent opportunity was here given for observation 
 from the rear of this car — a privilege which was freely 
 offered, and gratefully indulged in by all the members 
 of the party ; and the view from those rear windows as 
 the train sped along was indeed magnificent. 
 
 And now, with the train increased by this Car 99, — the 
 comforts of w^hich were shared by others of the party, 
 with its principal occupant previously referred to, — and 
 with the addition, also, of one other gentlemen, Mr. 
 Clarence P. Dresser, of Chicago, who is connected with 
 the Chicago Eye as a special correspondent, we left 
 Kansas City at about 10.20 a. m., to continue our 
 route. 
 
 Soon after leaving, and becoming fairly settled in 
 one's section for a journey, the enormous distance 
 covered by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe be- 
 comes a matter for reflection. It has an interesting 
 history. It was definitely projected and persistently 
 built through a howling wilderness — a result few men 
 of that day would have been bold enough to prophesy. 
 It now extends from Kansas City to the port of Guay- 
 mas, on the western coast of Mexico, and to El Paso, 
 where its track is continuous with that of the Mexican 
 Central, which is, in effect, the extension of its line un- 
 broken to the City of Mexico. Its line extends across 
 the farms and orchards of Eastern Kansas, traverses 
 the Arkansas Valley for nearly four hundred miles, 
 crosses the southeastern corner of Colorado, passes 
 over the entire length of New Mexico from north to
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 15 
 
 south, and finally places its passengers beyond the 
 southern boundary of the United States, and upon for- 
 eign soil. A gentleman of our party who has long 
 been connected with this vast enterprise remembers 
 when, fifteen years ago, all this Western country, 
 which now is so productive, was useless and unavail- 
 able. Through its whole extent there was not a 
 soul to be found, and there was not while the line was 
 being built. Lands which were as productive then as 
 they are to-day could not be sold, for the simple reason 
 that purchasers had no way of marketing their prod- 
 ucts except by the slow and expensive ox-team. 
 And now look at the enormous change that has taken 
 place in so short a time through the agency of this 
 road ! Look at the large increase of population, and 
 the immensity of the crops that are produced annually, 
 and will any one question the propriety of the land 
 grant? In 1870 Kansas did not raise enough wheat to 
 feed its own population of 365,000, and the bulk of its 
 territory was not worth pre-emption at $1.25 an acre. 
 To-day 1,000,000 people in Kansas hold their agricul- 
 tural lands at twenty-five times their value in 1870 
 (land that was not worth pre-emption now being 
 wanted at $30 and $40 an acre), and raise one eleventh 
 of the wheat crop of the United States and one eighth 
 of the corn crop. The United States Agricultural 
 Bureau estimates the Kansas wheat crop this year at 
 from 48,000,000 to 50,000,000.bushels, and the corn 
 crop at the enormous figures of 250,000,000 bushels. 
 We are now moving again rapidly toward Topeka, 
 our next stopping-place, and where we are expected to
 
 16 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 dine. In the meantime let us enter the train, in imas- 
 ination, that we may see who the gentlemen are that 
 compose the party, and that are to be our companions 
 for the next three weeks ; and that we may also form 
 some idea of the manner in which they pass away the 
 time on a long trip like this, particularly as there are 
 no ladies present to enliven conversation with their 
 pure and characteristic humor, or to draw the tribute 
 of pleasantry which is due them from the sterner sex. 
 We will begin by entering the first Buffet car, the 
 Aragon, and going through a narrow passage, richly 
 ornamented with mirrors, we find a small drawing-room 
 at our right, which is occupied by two young men ; one 
 of whom, a special correspondent of the Boston Her- 
 ald^ is engaged in preparing a dispatch to be forwarded 
 to Boston by wire from Topeka, or the next telegraph 
 station we may chance to stop at. This dispatch will 
 appear in the evening edition of that enterprising news- 
 paper this very day. It is to him that our families 
 and friends are indebted for information concerning 
 the progress of this excursion, which is given twice 
 each day through the columns of the Herald. The 
 other of these occupants appears to be surrounded 
 with maps and consular reports, evidently obtaining 
 information of some sort with relation to Mexico. He 
 is a Spanish gentleman, long since naturalized in the 
 United States ; he hopes to assist in ascertaining the 
 opportunities offered for the introduction of American 
 textile fabrics into Mexico. We will not disturb these 
 gentlemen by entering the room, but turning aside, we 
 find ourselves at the foot of a passageway through the
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 17 
 
 centre of the car. Immediately upon our right sits a 
 gentleman whose animated glance attracts our atten- 
 tion. He is the president of the largest bicycle firm in 
 the world, a man of wealth, and largely interested in 
 the Mexican and other roads. During the war he 
 served with much gallantry, and was colonel of a 
 Massachusetts regiment. The ex-Mayor of Newton 
 sits at our left, engaged in friendly conversation with 
 his townsman, the well-known agent in Boston for the 
 sale of a celebrated foreign thread. Further, toward 
 the centre of the car, we notice four gentlemen intent 
 upon a game of whist, which is well under way. One of 
 those facing us is a wealthy Boston gentleman, long 
 experienced in the dry-goods trade, treasurer of various 
 manufacturing corporations in the State of Maine, and 
 a director in the Mexican Central road ; he is playing 
 with the gentleman from New York, the representative 
 of the Arkwright Club, for his partner. Their oppo- 
 nents are the Hon. ex-Member of Congress from New 
 Hampshire, who has large real estate and railroad in- 
 terests — a wealthy brewer ; and his partner is one of 
 the largest capitalists in Boston, a gentleman who has 
 long been engaged in the wholesale grocery business, 
 and is interested in many of the best railroads in the 
 country. At the remote end of this parlor we find the 
 wealthy Boston merchant who was one of the pioneers 
 of trade beyond the Mississippi, than whom, probably, 
 no member of the party has had a more adventurous 
 career, having made many journeys among the Indian- 
 traders of the far "West during his early life. There 
 are also two others, one of whom is a capitalist of
 
 18 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 Newton, Mass., formerly in the grocery business, and 
 now largely interested in the Mexican Central, the 
 Atchison, and other railroads ; the other, the younger 
 of them, whose clear, ringing voice may be heard all 
 over the car, is one of the wealthiest and most success- 
 ful merchants of Chicago, and a director in the Mex- 
 ican Central. 
 
 We now proceed out of this car through a narrow 
 passage similar to the one by which we entered, except 
 that we pass at our left the little room where Tom pre- 
 pares a variety of things well calculated to refresh the 
 inner man, and also the smoking-room. Stopping here, 
 for a moment only, to greet two young men from Chi- 
 cago, the representatives of leading newspapers in the 
 United States, we .cross over the platform into the car 
 Aguas Calientes. 
 
 This, as already stated elsewhere, is similar to the 
 Aragon in design and finish. We find the drawing- 
 room occupied by a gentleman, a civil engineer by pro- 
 fession, and a man of large wealth. He is also a 
 director in the Mexican Central road, and it is to him 
 that we are indebted for all the care and management 
 of this excursion. Seated with him is his cousin, a 
 Boston architect, who has built some of the costliest 
 houses at the " Hub." It is to be hoped that the pub- 
 lic will some day be permitted to see his valuable col- 
 lection of sketches along the route. Entering the par- 
 lor, we must not omit to pay our respects to the Hon. 
 ex-Governor of Massachusetts, whom we discover 
 seated and reading immediately upon our right. The 
 one sitting opposite to the Governor is a gentleman
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 19 
 
 practising as an attorney in Boston, who was for two 
 years a director in the Mexican Central road, and is 
 still largely interested in it. Here, also, is a whist party 
 engaged in by well-known gentlemen. One of those fac- 
 ing us is the publisher of the Boston Daily Herald^ 
 which has a very large circulation : he is an ex-director 
 in the Mexican Central road, and a capitalist largely 
 interested in railways and other enterprises. The other 
 gentleman has a large ship-building interest in Bath, 
 Maine ; he is president of the Eastern, and a direc- 
 tor of the Mexican Central road. Their respective 
 partners at this game are both wealthy capitalists of 
 Boston, who are interested in various leading railroads. 
 One of these is senior member of a large grocery firm, 
 and the other, who from the color of his hair might be 
 taken for a much older person, is member of an old- 
 established mercantile shipping-house. The venerable 
 member of this party who sits at the farther end of the 
 parlor is a wealthy gentleman of Augusta, Maine ; he 
 is a director in the Eastern, and largely interested in 
 other roads. One other, sitting opposite, is also a 
 capitalist, and member of a Boston firm doing business 
 with Smyrna. 
 
 We have only time enough to pass hastily through 
 the Atchison car (No. 99), which we find almost de- 
 serted, the few occupants having retired to their rooms 
 to prepare for dinner, as we are now very near Topeka, 
 the capital of Kansas. 
 
 Our train arrived at Topeka at one o'clock p. m., 
 and allowed us twenty minutes for dinner, which 
 awaited us at the station. This is a beautiful citv of
 
 20 EXCUKSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 about 25,000 iuhabitauts ; it is one of the most popu- 
 lous iu the State, and for several years has been grow- 
 ing very rapidly. The general offices and shops of the 
 Santa Fe road are located here. Cars and engines and 
 complete trains are manufactured in this place. Mem- 
 bers of a late editorial convention were carried on an 
 excursion by a train, every part of which was manu- 
 factured in these shops. Topeka is a city of wide 
 streets, beautiful public buildings, and fine residences. 
 The Kansas State capitol will be, when completed, one 
 of the finest in the Union. The Public Library Associ- 
 ation has erected a beautiful structure for its use on 
 the capitol grounds, the money, $25,000, having been 
 donated by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe and the 
 Union Pacific railroads. Real estate is active and prices 
 reasonable ; indeed, Topeka is enjoying a " boom," and, 
 as becomes the capital of the most prosperous State in 
 the Union, is herself prosperous. To-pe-ka is an Indian 
 name, meaning " a good potato patch," — and it is a 
 good one. 
 
 We are already becoming accustomed to keep an eye 
 alwa^^s upon our portable residences, lest they should 
 get away from us, for they stop and start again without 
 giving much warning ; so that an absent-minded person 
 might easily get left at some station, and find it impos- 
 sible to join us again, except upon our return trip — for 
 we are moving at a rapid rate, and making no unneces- 
 sary stops. But, of course, nothing of this sort is 
 likely to happen, for the party are in the habit of keep- 
 ing always together whenever we get out of the cars ; 
 and it is little enough to ask of each one to be sure 
 and get on when the train starts.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 21 
 
 The ti-ain left Topeka at 1.30 p. m., and contin- 
 ued its course, stopping at Burlingame, Osage City, 
 Emporia, and other important cities along the route, 
 reaching Newton at 7 p. m. Here an opportunity was 
 given for supper. Newton is an incorporated city, sit- 
 uated about two hundred and one miles from Kansas 
 City, and is the county-seat of Harvey County. It is 
 one of the most flourishing towns in the Ai'kansas 
 Valley ; it contains a population of nearly four thou- 
 sand, and is rapidly growing ; it is well provided with 
 churches of various denominations ; it has a graded 
 public school, four banks, five good hotels, and two 
 weekly newspapers. The southwest corner of Harvey 
 County just touches the Arkansas River. This is one 
 of the principal wheat counties of the State, averaging 
 twenty-six bushels per acre. A splendid new station 
 has just been erected here at a cost of 830,000. 
 
 Friday^ May 2d. We have now passed out of the 
 State of Kansas, which we entered yesterday morning, 
 and have entered Colorado. We can now feast our 
 eyes upon its vast plains, and form some conception of 
 the immensity of the West. There is at times no limit 
 to our view, excepting only the limit of our own vision. 
 The landscape is a monotonous plain, relieved only by 
 the low, blue line of distant mountains on the west, 
 with the snowy crests of the Spanish peaks as the most 
 prominent feature. Well has Joaquin Miller said : — 
 
 " Colorado, rare Colorado ! Yonder she rests; her 
 head of gold pillowed on the Rocky Mountains, her 
 breast a shield of silver, her feet in the brown grass.
 
 22 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 the boundless plains for a play-ground. She is set on 
 a hill before the world. The air is very clear, that you 
 may see her well. She is as naked as a new-born 
 babe ; naked, but not ashamed." 
 
 Probably owing to the early season of the year, the 
 plains are now almost barren ; little else than brush and 
 very short grass is now visible upon^the earth's surface 
 for miles around ; and when we see, now and again, large 
 herds of cattle and horses, we cannot help wondering 
 how these poor creatures manage to sustain life at this 
 season of the year. 
 
 We reached La Junta at 8.15 a. m., and here we were 
 invited to alight and partake of breakfast, which we 
 gladly did. No hesitation was ever felt by any one 
 about leaving the car, with our things all within easy 
 reach of any who might be disposed to appropriate 
 them ; for our attentive and efficient porters were 
 always on hand, guarding the doors during our absence. 
 The dining-rooms were in a separate building, a little 
 way from the station, and connected with it by a plank 
 walk. La Junta is 571 miles from Kansas City, and 
 it is the junction of the Colorado and the New Mexico 
 lines of the Atchison road. It is a railroad town, with 
 a population of about 1,000. 
 
 We found it covered with snow, which was now 
 falling quite fast ; and as we proceed, our course gradu- 
 ally ascending upon a very steeply graded road, we find 
 the ground completely covered with snow. There are 
 several small stations along the route, but few of them 
 have reached the importance of a post-office. Probably 
 the herders who ride over these plains do not devote
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 23" 
 
 much time to opening the morning mail. Among other 
 places we passed the city of Trinidad, which lies at 
 the foot of Raton Mountains, 652 miles from Kansas 
 City. This is the county-seat of Las Animas County, 
 and was one of the most important between Santa Fe 
 and the Missouri River in the days of the Old Santa 
 Fe Trail. Trinidad is the first typical Mexican town 
 met with on the southern route across the continent, 
 and, with its mixture of wooden, brick, and adobe 
 houses, is always an ob ject of interest to trairellers on 
 a first journey to the ^and of the burro. \ K 
 
 Morley, at the foot of Raton Pass, is the home of 
 about sixty people, employed by the railroad company. 
 Here another powerful engine is added, and the train 
 begins to climb up the mountain on one of the best 
 pieces of railroad-track in America. The grade is 185 
 feet to the mile. The ascent is attended with many 
 charming views, not in the least marred by the name 
 which attaches to the pass — "Devil's Canon." The 
 view afforded from the pass of the Spanish peaks, as 
 they rise across the plains, nearly 100 miles to the 
 north, affords an excellent illustration of the vast 
 reach of vision which is possible in these mountain 
 heights. The wagon-road, the same Old Santa Fe 
 Trail, sticks to us, and runs close beside the track ; and 
 it is not diflScult to imagine the old-fashioned way of 
 crossing the mountains, for down there on t*he right is 
 " Uncle Dick Wootton's " great square house — an old 
 stage station. This was " Uncle Dick's" Thermopylae ; 
 he kept the pass like a Spartan, and collected toll like 
 the enterprising Yankee that he was. Five miles
 
 24 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 farther up the mountain, at an elevation of 7,688 feet, 
 the train suddenly plunges into a tunnel nearly half a 
 mile long, running under the crest of the Raton range. 
 The light of Colorado quickly vanishes, and that which 
 flashes upon us again in a few minutes is the warm 
 brightness of sunny New Mexico, — for we have crossed 
 the border while going through the tunnel. But 
 stranger things than that have happened in tunnels. 
 
 The party dined at Raton, which lies at the foot of 
 Raton M<|untains, 675 miles from Kansas City. It has 
 a beautiful site, and is so sheltered by the mountains 
 that the cold is never severe, while its high altitude 
 (6,688 feet) gives it a delightful summer temperature. 
 The principal business here is coal-mining. It is esti- 
 mated that there are 800,000 acres of coal-land in this 
 (Colfax) County. 
 
 After dinner the train proceeded to Las Vegas, 
 snow following us all the way, and we arrived at this 
 place at about 6.30 p. m. With a population of 9,000, 
 Las Vegas is one of the principal cities of New Mex- 
 ico ; it is situated 789 miles from Kansas Cit}^ There 
 are two towns, the old and the new ; the old town is 
 built of adobe, and was one of the important stations 
 of the Old Santa Fe Trail, as the new town is an im- 
 portant station of the new. The Mexican population 
 includes some of the wealthiest and most noted fami- 
 lies in the Territory — families who have taken a lead- 
 ing part in all that has been done here for several geu- 
 ations. An enterprising class of people from the 
 States has settled in the new town, and the society of 
 Las Vegas is such as may be found in any Eastern city.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 25 
 
 A Catholic college, a female seminary, Las Vegas 
 Academy, and good private and public schools, do 
 credit to the city. Las Vegas is centrally located with 
 respect to the finest and most extensive stock ranges 
 in New Mexico, and the cattle and sheep interests are 
 very important. The meaning of Las Vegas is the 
 meadows^ and a view of the landscape shows the place 
 to have been appropriately named. 
 
 The famous Las Vegas Hot Springs are situated 
 some six miles from the city, with which they are con- 
 nected by a branch of the Atchison, running four 
 ti'ains each way daily between the Springs and the city. 
 The climate is almost perfect ; and situated at an alti- 
 tude of 6,767 feet, the place of itself is an excellent 
 resort for the sick. But the crowning glory is the 
 water of the Springs, which is similar to that of the 
 hot springs of Arkansas, and is possessed of great 
 medicinal qualities. 
 
 Saturday^ May 3d. A pleasant, sunny day is before 
 us ; the snow has disappeared, excepting only what 
 may be seen here and there upon the mountain peaks, 
 apparently not many miles away. The earth has 
 assumed a reddish tint. All the little hills or ridges 
 that we pass by seem to be composed of red sand or 
 gravel, with little or no signs of vegetation. One of 
 the places we stopped at this morning is called Socorro, 
 and is one of the principal mining towns of the Terri- 
 tory, with a population of about 5,000. There is at 
 this place, also, a new and old town. The old took its 
 name from the story that " once upon a time," when a
 
 26 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 revolution was in progress, a party of Santa Fe Span- 
 ish fugitives received help here from their country- 
 men at El Paso. Hence the name, which means 
 " succor." 
 
 We reached San Marcial at 8.15 a. m., and time was 
 here given the excursionists for breakfast. The battle 
 of Valverde, named after a little Mexican village 
 across the Rio Grande, was fought here between the 
 Confederate troops under General Sibley and the 
 Union troops under General Canby, in 1862. San 
 Marcial is 1,021 miles from Kansas City. 
 
 It was at this station that we were fortunate enough 
 to fall in with the scout, author, and poet, Captain J. 
 W. Crawford, familiarly known as Captain Jack. The 
 Captain is a modest, but original and versatile poet, 
 and is entitled to a wider reputation than he has yet 
 attained. In a chat about the war of the rebellion, it 
 appeared that Captain Jack was a member of Colonel 
 Pope's regiment at the storming of Fort Hell, and upon 
 arriving in Mexico, the Colonel (who was one of our 
 party) received a pleasant letter from the scout, enclos- 
 ing the following impromptu poetical tribute to his 
 former comrade and commander : — 
 
 ACROSTIC. 
 
 Albert, here I wish you gladness, 
 Always sunshine on your trail ; 
 
 Pleasure banish care and sadness. 
 Onward drive your flowing sail. 
 
 Peace be yours where'er you go, 
 
 E'en through strange old Mexico.
 
 EXCUKSION TO MEXICO. 27 
 
 KEMIXISCEXCE. 
 
 Comrade of the loyal legiou, 
 
 We have met iu hotter region, 
 
 Hell! — " Fort Hell," I mean — when fighting 
 
 For our flag, our country righting; — 
 
 You commanding, I obeying. 
 
 With my comrades ever staying. 
 
 Till that piece of rebel shell 
 
 Sent me limping from Fort Hell. 
 
 Here it was our gallant Potter 
 Fell amidst tlie fearful slaughter, — 
 Fell to rise again, God bless him ! 
 See his loving ones caress him ! 
 See his country's flag and ours 
 Floating high o'er freedom's towers — 
 Ours that day — a fearful tussle, 
 Won by Heaven and Yankee muscle. 
 
 Peace! good-will! a happy land, 
 
 Fraternity on every hand ; 
 
 Charity, the soldier's boon, 
 
 Loyalty in perfect tune, 
 
 North and South and East and West — 
 
 All in unison are blessed. 
 
 J. W. Ceawfoed. 
 
 Formerly 4Sth Pa. V. V., late Chief of Scouts, U. S. Army. 
 
 The Kio Grande turns to the west side of the road 
 at San Marcial, and shortly after leaving the station, 
 we went over a fine bridge of the Atchison, Topeka, 
 and Santa Fe Railroad, which was still in process of 
 construction. Through the courtesy of Mr. Speare, 
 the managing director of the Atchison, a magnificent 
 view was now afforded from the rear window of (No. 
 99) the last car on the train. The country is some-
 
 28 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 what irregular here, and the reddish tint of the hills or 
 ridges upon either side of the road, would seem to in- 
 dicate that the earth was impregnated with mineral 
 substances. 
 
 We reached Rincon at noon, and remained here a 
 little less than an hour. This place is the junction of 
 the El Paso branch of the Atchison road, which runs 
 down the Rio Grande, crossing into Texas when 
 within eighteen miles of El Paso. The excursionists 
 had a good opportunity at Rincon to explore the inte- 
 rior of some of the houses, shops, billiard-hall, and a 
 " hotel," all built of adobe, and ranged on one side of 
 the road opposite the station. 
 
 The train reached Las Cruces at 2.30 p. m. This is 
 the principal town between Rincon and El Paso ; it has 
 a population of 3,000. The town is very prettily situ- 
 ated at the foot of a very beautiful range of mountains, 
 one of which is named Organ Mountain, from its pecul- 
 iar peaks of irregular heights, not unlike the pipes of 
 an organ. The valley of the Rio Grande here has the 
 appearance of being but a sandy, sage-brush barren ; 
 but we are informed that irrigation makes it the best of 
 soil for fruit-growing, and more particularly for 
 grapes. 
 
 Two hours' longer ride brings us now to El Paso, 
 Texas, the terminus of the Atchison, Topeka, and 
 Santa Fe Railroad — or, that is to say, the terminus of 
 this branch of that road. The population of El Paso 
 is about 3,500, and the city is growing very rapidly ; a 
 large retail and wholesale trade is done here ; there are 
 hotels, banks, and a street railway running across the
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 29 
 
 Rio Grande to the old town of Paso del Norte. The 
 Atchison road connects here in its own depot with the 
 Mexican Ce ntral Raih-oad. . 
 
 There being ample time at onr disposal, we left the 
 cars and walked through the city, visiting the principal 
 shops, many of them of great extent, and carrying 
 lines of goods which would do credit to the largest 
 concerns at home. Vast quantities of goods of Amer- 
 ican manufacture are received here and sent across the 
 Rio Grande by mule trains at isolated points along the 
 river. The contraband trade with Mexico is said to 
 be enormous. 
 
 The tourists took passage in the street-cars, and 
 went across the river to Paso del Norte, the " gateway 
 of Mexico," which, though brought into prominence by 
 its railway connections, is still the typical Mexican 
 town. This we find a very different place from t^e^ 
 bustling Yankee town on the American side — a quaint 
 adobe town, embowered with verdure, threaded by irri- 
 gatiug ditches, filled with picturesque figures in colored 
 serapes^ in every way foreign to the eye. This is 
 nominally the northern terminus of the Mexican Cen- 
 tral Railroad, though the ti'ains of that road now cross 
 the Rio Grande, and connect with those of the Atchison, 
 Topeka, and Santa Fe, in a union depot. At Paso dei^ 
 Norte are some of the most important buildings of the 
 Mexican Central Railway. There is a large adobe sta- 
 tion, with offices, built in the Mexican fashion, with an 
 interior court ; and there is also a large and well-fur- 
 nished hospital for sick and disabled employees of the 
 company. This building attracted much attention,
 
 30 EXOUKSIOX TO MEXICO. 
 
 and was warmly commended by the party. The res- 
 taurant in the station gave us also evidence of its good 
 management. Here the Mexican customs officers sub- 
 mit the passengers to the usual annoyance of examin- 
 ing baggage ; but, thanks to the influence of Mr. 
 Mackenzie, the superintendent of the road, we were 
 subjected to little or no inconvenience by this ordeal. 
 Having exchanged money at the station, we again 
 resumed our journey. 
 
 Sunday^ May 4th. A night-run across the desert 
 lands between Paso del Norte and Chihuahua, brought 
 our train to the first considerable Mexican city. As 
 approached by the railroad, Chihuahua presents a pic- 
 turesque appearance. Across the plain, in the clear 
 atmosphere of the Mexican morning, rose, above the 
 white and brown walls of the city, the twin towers of 
 its noble cathedral. It was Sunday morning, and the 
 entire party visited the cathedral to witness morning 
 mass. The shops were all open, and were driving a 
 flourishing business. In the plaza under the trees were 
 gathered fruit-venders, loafers, and idling Americans. 
 Women looking like figures from the Orient, were fill- 
 ing their brown water- jars from the fountain in the 
 centre of the plaza. All was life and animation. 
 
 The city of Chihuahua was founded in 1604, and is 
 the capital of the State of Chihuahua. It is 225 miles 
 from El Paso, and has an altitude of 4,600 feet. Nearly 
 all the houses are of adobe, — although the public build- 
 ings and some of the dwellings are of stone, — and are 
 built in the usual Mexican style, around a square or
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 31 
 
 court called a X)lactita. The city is supplied with 
 water from the river Churiscar, ten miles distant, by 
 means of an aqueduct built by the Spanish between the 
 years 1717 and 1720. It is built of stone and cement, 
 a large part being built upon great arches of masonry, 
 and is in a perfect state of preservation. The princi- 
 pal domestic articles of commerce are coffee, sugar, 
 rice, cocoa, spices, hats, shoes, cassimeres, blankets, 
 and serapes. The principal trade of the city is with 
 the mining towns to the west. The population is offi- 
 cially stated at 20,000. The streets are cleanly, and 
 good order and thorough police organization is pre- 
 served. It is said that the Cathedral of Chihuahua 
 was commenced in the year 1738 and finished in 1849, 
 at a cost of 8750,000 — the proceeds of a special tax on 
 the products of the Santa Eulalia silver mine, which is 
 situated about fifty miles from the city. A clock, 
 illuminated at night, ornaments its dome, and its facade 
 is embellished with life-size statues of the Saviour and 
 the twelve apostles. In one of its towers is a bell 
 which was pierced by a cannon-ball at the time of Maxi- 
 milian's invasion, in 1866. The Government mint was 
 formerly a church, and from its tower, where he had 
 been confined, the patriot Hidalgo was taken to execu- 
 tion ^July 30. l^TTTon the spot now markedl3y a simple 
 monument of white s tone . 
 
 Leaving Chihuahua, Sunday afternoon, the train 
 sped southward through a country which was very 
 interesting. Barren stretches of plain, on which the 
 various plants of the cactus family assumed weird 
 and grotesque shapes, were succeeded by fertile val-
 
 32 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 Ie3's, where there was every evidence of great agricult- 
 ural wealth aud development. Stops were made at 
 Santa Rosalia, Lerdo, and other stations between Chi- 
 huahua and Zacatecas. At Lerdo, in the Laguna 
 County, the party were surprised at the richness of the 
 region. This is a prosperous town of 10,000 inhabit- 
 ants, and the emporium of the cotton district, which 
 now yields 30,000 bales a year, all of which goes south 
 for consumption. The soil and climate are so favor- 
 able that the plants need renewal only every fourth or 
 [fifth year, and with improved machinery and presses, 
 greater areas would be brought under culture, and the 
 ratio of production largely increased. It is safe to 
 "predict that Lerdo will, in time, become the greater 
 shipping-point for the road than even Zacatecas, at 
 which it is expected that the freight receipts will soon 
 amount to $50,000 per month. 
 
 The clearness of the atmosphere on these tablelands 
 is wonderful. Mountains one hundred miles away seem 
 not more than twenty miles distant. The sky had a 
 loftier look than with us at home ; the very breath of 
 life was in the air, which was invigorating in the ex- 
 treme. Before reaching Zacatecas, the train passed 
 for miles on miles across a vast plain under cultivation. 
 For many square miles on either hand stretched this 
 enormous plain of rich-toned red earth. The artist 
 of the party declared that no brush could hope to put 
 on canvas the rich, deep tones of this wonderful red 
 plain, on which the sun shone down in full splendor. 
 The blending of the blue of the sky with the rich hue 
 of the great plain, was suggestive of new harmonies
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 33 
 
 of color. The view was closed in, in the remote dis- 
 tance, by purple mountains, whose tops were bathed in 
 sunshine. 
 
 To reach the mountain city of Zacatecas from the 
 plain, the road must needs climb a great many hundred 
 feet ; and the manner in which .eng;ineerino^ skill has 
 here conquered the topographical obstacles, elicited the 
 warm praise ot veter an tourists.^ Here may be found 
 a series of " horseshoe curves," which are more won- 
 derful even than the famous ones on the Pennsylvania 
 Central. Our ti'ain climbed the mountain in the late 
 hours of a glorious afternoon. At the summit there 
 was a superb panorama disclosed from the platfornij. 
 of the observation-car. The view seemed like a peen 
 into illimitable space. The setting sun gilded the tops 
 of great mountains eighty miles away — mountains 
 rolling up on the far-off horizon like the billows of 
 ocean. No wonder that Mr. Church says that Mexico 
 is superior to Italy in landscape effects. Members of 
 the party who had spent years abroad could not find 
 words adequate to express their wonder and admiration. 
 " I would give 81 0,00 to the artist who could pain t the 
 view for me^ " exclaimed one of them. 
 
 From the mountain-top the train descended, in many 
 long, sweeping curves, to the mountain valley, where 
 the mining city of Zacatecas is nestled amid its huge, 
 brown hills. It was the " Cinco de Mayo" (5th of 
 May), the Mexican Fourth of Jul}^, and all Zacatecas 
 was out in holiday attire. Several people had assem- 
 bled to witness the arrival of the splendid train, and 
 the Spanish vocabulary was liberally drawn upon to
 
 34 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 find terms fit to express the popular approval of the 
 luxurious cars of the Americans. Many of the lead- 
 ing citizens and their wives and daughters were admit- 
 ted to the train, and shown the wonders of the pretty 
 buffets, with elegant inlaid panels and sleeping-berths. 
 All night long crowds of wide-eyed peons clustered 
 about the train. They were there at dusk, and moru- 
 ino; liorht showed no diminution of their number. 
 
 In the evening the party took dinner at the Hotel 
 Zacatecano — a large stone structure, two stories in 
 height, and built in the prevailing style of the country, 
 with an interior court. The building was formerly a 
 convent, but had been confiscated by the Government. 
 After dinner the party walked to the plaza ' ' El Jar- 
 din," and were received at the palace by Don Juan 
 Carnales, the acting Governor of the State of Zacate- 
 cas. The plaza was thronged with people — a wonder- 
 fully sober and polite crowd of men, women, and chil- 
 dren. There was not a drunken man in the vast 
 assembly ; not a loud word was heard ; and the visiting 
 Americans were t reated with mar ked courtesy. The 
 ptezawas like a dream of the Arabian JNights." Thou- 
 sands of Chinese lanterns hung from the trees, or were 
 festooned on cords. Several electric lights threw their 
 greater wealth of illumination upon the throng ; bands 
 of music were discoursing a fine programme from a 
 raised platform in the centre ; and the picturesque cos- 
 tumes of the Mexican common people, full of color, 
 accentuated with scarlet and crimson, helped make up 
 a scene such as few of our Am ei'ican ey es had before 
 seen.. This was indeed a rare treat from the balcony
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 35 
 
 of the palace, as we stood listening to the music for a 
 few moments. 
 
 The great acqueduct of Zacatecas, the Pompeiian 
 decoration of the exterior of man}^ of the houses, and 
 the convent-crowned mountain-top, were ti'ansf erred to 
 the sketch-book of the special artist of the party. The 
 city is distinctively a mining town. From the huge, 
 denuded hills have been dug hundreds of millions of 
 silver dollars. This region must afford much business 
 to the road. The freight-house at Zacatecas was 
 crowded with goods and agricultural products, received 
 on the Sunday before the national holiday, and out- 
 side stood a train of packed freight cars. In the 
 freight house the party inspected tiers of cotton-bales,, 
 the oval-shaped bales of "native wool, and the packages 
 of tobacco of Mexican growth. Zacatecas requires 
 two car-loads of sugar per week, which come up from 
 the City of Mexico — a sugar of native production and 
 refining. Freight is increasing steadily at this point. 
 No one can help seeing the business in plain sight. 
 The local merchants are g lad enough to have ex- 
 changed the slow hurro for the lightning express, com- [vjO*^ 
 paratively speaking, of the freight-trains. The great 
 need^of all the region is water ; and with the perfection 
 of great and extensive systems of irrigation, the coun- 
 try will blossom as the rose. 
 
 Tuesday, May 6th. Starting down the road in the 
 morning, the train descended a sharp grade to another 
 vast, red plain, also under cultivation. Several forti- 
 fied haciendas were passed, and there was enough of
 
 36 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 interest to keep the eyes of the party strained for 
 hours. It was a panorama of novelty and strange 
 beauty. The train stopped at some of the stations 
 along, and the tourists were afforded the opportunity 
 to purchase delicious oranges, strawberries, pineapples, 
 bananas, and other tropical fruits, from native venders 
 who gathered at the station upon the approach of the 
 train. 
 
 We rolled into Aguas Calientes at about noon. 
 Mexico has a popular and growing summer resort at 
 Aguas Calientes, 375 miles from the City of Mexico, in 
 the mountains. The place is as high as the top of 
 Mt. Washington, and the air cool and bracing. This 
 is a lovely city of about 30,000 people, which lies on a 
 plain, far across which may be discerned its graceful 
 towers. The city of "hot waters," which its name 
 implies, has been famous for centuries. Its thermal 
 springs were places of resort for the subjects of the 
 Montezumas — centuries before Boston was founded, 
 or Columbus had crossed the ocean to open the way 
 for bold Cortez. There are two first-class bathing- 
 establishments near the railway station, to which the 
 hot water is led through canals from the distant 
 springs. By the time the baths are reached the water 
 has become tepid, and pleasant for bathing. A single 
 bath costs twenty cents, and a swimming-bath in pools 
 filled by an overflowing stream costs twenty-five cents. 
 Clean towels and soap are furnished by the polite 
 attendants. Many of the excursionists tried the vir- 
 tues of the famous waters, and were greatly refreshed 
 thereby. The bathing-establishments are clean and 
 atti'active with their gardens and flowers.
 
 EXCUKSION TO MEXICO. 37 
 
 A short stop was made here, and the entire party 
 visited the city proper, a short distance from the sta- 
 tion. The bells in the church-towers clanged out the 
 hour of noon as the party arrived* at the plaza in front 
 of the City Hall ; and immediately after, two trump- 
 eters, clad in a fatigue uniform of white, emerged from 
 the edifice, and added to the volume of sound which 
 filled the vibrating air. The Plaza de Armas was 
 thronged with idle people in white, and wearing broad- 
 brimmed sombreros. The waters laved the basins of 
 the fountains, the air was full of the rich perfume of 
 the oleander-trees, while dark-eyed maidens in white 
 muslins and mantillas glided along the walks, accom- 
 panied by their mammas or duenas. The Paseo, a 
 lovely garden of large extent, was next visited. It is 
 one of the most beautiful gardens in all Mexico. 
 Shrill-voiced tropical birds sang in the branches of the 
 lofty trees, while children chattered in musical Castil- 
 ian below. The tourists were delighted with fair 
 Aguas Calientes, the Saratoga of Mexico, and left 
 regretfully. 
 
 Bey ond Aguas Calientes the train sped on through a 
 country dotte d with ha cienclas, until the great bridge 
 of Encarnacion was reached. This fine iron structure 
 is over 1,000 feet in length, and 135 feet above the 
 stream below. It was built in England, and is a sub- 
 stantial specimen of bridge- work. The train was 
 stopped after crossing the bridge, and a portion of the 
 party descended to the foot of the embankment, to get 
 a clearer notion of the immensity of the structure. 
 
 The next stop of importance was at Lagos, a beau-
 
 38 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 tiful town, surrounded by lakes, or lagos, from which 
 it derives its name. The land in the vicinity of the 
 place is under a high state of cultivation. The station 
 is of adobe, two stories in height — a creditable building. 
 The freight-house was visited, and the party had a 
 chance to witness the unloading of a train of ox- 
 wagons, which had brought in several hundred sacks 
 of salt to send off by rail. Diminutive peons would 
 take 300-pound sacks on their shoulders and tote them 
 to the cars, going up a sharp incline with firm step. 
 
 Another long stop was made at Leon, the second 
 city as to population in the country. Leon contains 
 120,000 souls, and in its immediate suburbs are 50,000 
 more. It is engaged in the manufacture of leather, 
 cotton and woollen goods, saddlery (for which the 
 place is famous), hats, cloth, boots, shoes, and cutlery, 
 and is surrounded by cultivated valleys. One cannot 
 fail to be impressed with the size of Leon, for it is 
 crowded with people, the streets are thronged with 
 peons, and there is every evidence of a great indus- 
 trial centre. 
 
 The party reached the centre of the city by means 
 of street-cars, riding through a long. Oriental-looking 
 street with houses of adobe built upon each side of the 
 road ; and they visited the fruit market, where a large 
 assortment of fruit could be seen, and with some varie- 
 ties of which our tourists became acquainted for the 
 first time. They also visited the theatre, which is one 
 of the finest in the country, only second to the Teatro 
 Nacional of the metropolis itself, and is, if anything, 
 more beautiful. The churches of Leon are large, and
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO- 39 
 
 very imposing iu appearance. There are a large num- 
 ber of extensive dry-goods stores ; also groceries, 
 cigar, and wine-shops in abundance — the same gen- 
 eral appearance everywhere. One-story buildings pre- 
 dominate ; and dark-skinned people, men, women, and 
 children, congregate about the low doorways, 
 
 Silao, with its domes and spires, was the next place 
 of stoppage. Here the train was side-tracked for the 
 night. Silao is a pretty city of 30,000 inhabitants. It 
 has large flouring-mills, and is the junction point of 
 the branch line to Guanajuato, a city of 75,000 people, 
 mainly devoted to mining interests, and which is the 
 capital of the State of Guanajuato. 
 
 Wednesday, May 7th. An early start was made 
 this morning upon the branch road, to visit the richest 
 mining city in Mexico. Guanajuato is pronounced by 
 old travellers to be unique. Situated in a mountain 
 gorge, its drab houses of adobe perched on the steep 
 sides of the hills, it afforded to the artistic eye a great 
 many attractions. You cannot conceive of a more 
 curious old town. It has noble churches, a fine plaza, 
 and a handsome market, though not so grand as the 
 domed market of Leon ; but in the Guanajuato market 
 you see ancient Mexico^ The vend ei's sit in TurkishI 
 Fashion on the ground, with their wares spread out! 
 arou nd them, and it is a| pla ce of animation.! ' 
 
 The public school system ot Mexico, tostered by the 
 national Government, will soon raise, in a sensible 
 manner, the level of popular intelligence. Education 
 for all is the policy of the Government. In the per-
 
 40 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 paratory schools, where pupils are too poor to remain 
 in school unassisted, the national Government comes 
 to their relief, and by pecuniary assistance to the par- 
 ents, enables the boy to get an education. The good 
 manners of the school-children of Mexico merit com- 
 mendation. ' ' ^Trbam ty^' is a school study asmuch 
 as arithmetic or spelling. There is a regular school- 
 boolT^hich treats of such topics as respect to one's 
 elders and superiors, the etiquette of the home and the 
 street. Thus carefully trained at an age when disci- 
 pline is most required, the Mexican youth grows up 
 with good manners and courteous habits. It was in- 
 deed a pleasing sight, the exquisite manners of the 
 youngest children in the primary school of Guanajuato, 
 which we visited. Youngsters of four and five received 
 foreign visitors, clad in a garb which to them must 
 have appeared quite outlandish, without a murmur of 
 laughter, and with all the aplomb of cosmopolites. 
 Children in Mexico are kept in wholesome subjection 
 to their elders. Corporal punishment is the rule, but 
 parental discipline is tempered by that kindly familiar- 
 ity with the children of the household which is charac- 
 teristic of Latin nations. Babies are wonderfully 
 numerous here. The quaint little brown faces of the 
 black-eyed infants of the lower classes peep at you 
 everywhere on the streets from out the folds of the 
 mother's rebozos. The Mexican baby of the lower 
 classes is out of doors a large part of its life. Some of 
 them are hungry-looking little pinched bodies, so 
 meagre as to excite your pity, yet are never heard cry- 
 ing. Perhaps this is an Aztec characteristic.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 41 
 
 The tourist in Mexico should not omit to visit Guan- 
 ajuato. Its massive, fortified reduction works, its 
 grand bits of masonry in the way of bridges ^ its asp ect 
 of a ntiquity, and its Oriental c haracter, will char m th e 
 lover of the pictures que. OTtfe^ 
 """K^urning now to Silao, a sumptuous " table d'hote" 
 dinner, such as only the French know how to pre- 
 pare, was provided for the party at the station by the 
 little Frenchman who has charge of the restaurant. 
 The abundance and variety of the " menu " is beyond 
 ordinary ability to describe. 
 
 Coming down the road a stop was made at Celaya, 
 where the duke (sweatmeats) venders swarmed about 
 the train, and the excursionists bought sweets, and ate 
 of mangoes and mamayas to their hearts' content. 
 Celaya has a population of 30,000, has extensive cot- 
 ton and woollen mills and bleacheries. We were hei-e^ 
 informed of the wrecking of the train which passed us 
 last night — a compliment which was undoubtedly in- 
 tended for us ; and we learned that the desperadoes who 
 attempted to wreck the train were being hunted. Three 
 of them have already been caught, and immediately 
 execut ed, and the Government will do all that is p os"- 
 sible to quellthe_mob^ Every man caught doing any 
 lawless act against this road will, upon proof of guilt, 
 be immediately shot. They are reported to be a band 
 of robbers. They derailed simply the eugine, and shot 
 at the engineer, but succeeded in injuring only one 
 man, a Mexican, who carried a great deal of money 
 with him. A portion of the wreck was still upon one 
 side of the track when we passed the spot at 5.30 p. m. i 
 
 J
 
 42 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 A very brief stop was made at Queretero — a city 
 containing a great many churches and 36,000 inhab- 
 itants, and where bigotry is intrenched still. It is a 
 lovely city indeed, with a noble aqueduct, some of 
 the arches of which are ninety feet in height. Three 
 crosses mark the spot on the small hill north of the 
 city where the Archduke Maximillian and Generals 
 Miramon and Mejia were shot, June 19, 1867. Here 
 is situated also the famous Hercules Cotton Mill, where 
 1,400 people are employed. Shortly after leaving 
 Queretero, a fine bird's-eye view was afforded from 
 the car windows of the mill buildings, boarding-houses, 
 and the grounds surrounding them, as we passed on. 
 The wealth of the rich Rubio family came out of this 
 mill, which has its little standing army, and has re- 
 sisted several revolutions. At night the train stopped 
 at San Juan del Rio. This city has a population of 
 18,000, and is active and enterprising. 
 
 Thursday^ May 8th. The train left San Juan del 
 Rio at a very early hour in the morning. As the 
 train climbs the low mountains to the south, we have 
 a lovely view of the valley, of the distant mountains, 
 and the great haciendas scattered along the plains at 
 their feet. Upward through the broken and pictur- 
 esque country, across the broad plain of Cazadero, 
 and over the summit at Marquez, the train goes down 
 in the Tula Valley, amid timber, and foliage, and evi- 
 dences of approach to the tropics. Tula is full of 
 interest for the student of antiquities, and has many 
 relics of the Toltec civilization. It is a growing city 
 of about 10,000 inhabitants.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 43 
 
 As the train passed down into the famous valley of 
 Mexico, the farms or plantations increased in number ; 
 the country grew more thickly populated ; the purple 
 mountains, which bound the valley of Mexico, shut in 
 the horizon ; and over all swelled the blue vault of the 
 everlasting firmament. The valley of Mexico has been 
 the theme of poet and historian ; its beauties have 
 never been exaggerated ; it has been the theatre of 
 the bravest deeds of men of arms, the scene of great 
 acts, and of romantic exploits. Here nature matches 
 the grandeur of history. The stage is ample for the 
 grandest representations of human passion or courage. 
 
 The train sped around a curve, and entered the city 
 of Mexico by the side of the " Tajo de Nochistcmgo" 
 the cut or trench, four miles in length, 30 to 160 feet 
 deep, and from 200 to 300 feet wide, which was built 
 in 1607, in order to save the city from inundation. 
 There are no less than six lakes : Chalco and Xochi- 
 milco, the southernmost, whose levels are ten feet 
 above that of Texcoco, the largest and nearest, but 
 six feet below the pavement of the city at ordinary 
 stages of the water ; San Christobal, a small lake 
 north of Texcoco, and Xaltocan, and Zumpango in 
 the northern end of the valley, at an elevation of 
 twenty-five feet above the city ; and until this trench 
 was made, which was originally made in the shape of 
 a tunnel, the city was constantly threatened with inun- 
 dation. 
 
 The towers of the great cathedral are now pointed 
 out to us, and very soon we are in Mexico, a city 
 which for grandeur of site has few rivals. The party
 
 44 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 was met at the station by Mr. Robinson, the general 
 manager of the road, Mr. Lawrie of Boston, Mr. 
 Camacho of Mexico, both directors of the road, and 
 a delegation of the leading citizens. Mr. Camacho 
 kindly placed his residence at the service of the visit- 
 ors, and they were conveyed there in private carriages 
 which were in waiting. The party spent the afternoon 
 quietly resting, after their long, continuous ride. 
 
 The City of Mexico was a seat of art, science, and 
 commerce, long before the Spanish Conquerors reached 
 the shores of the New World. It lies in latitude 19^ 26' 
 north of the equator, and at an elevation above the sea 
 of 7,450 feet. The temperature ranges between 65 
 and 85^, varying little with the seasons ; the mornings 
 and nights are cool, while at midday it is invariably 
 hot. The climate is strictly temperate, and the peri- 
 odical alternations of rain and drought occur with regu- 
 larity. The rainy season extends from June to Nov- 
 ember, and is the most delightful period of the year. 
 Early in June all nature seems to look expectantly for 
 the approaching shower, and dry, brown hills have been 
 known to turn green in a single night ; the beds of 
 water-courses, which for months have remained per- 
 fectly dry, in a few days are transformed into chan- 
 nels of furious streams. The city is built on a part 
 of the old bed of Lake Texcoco, and if not favorably 
 located, science and art have done much to make it 
 a beautiful city ; and there seems to be a disposition 
 among the authorities to make their nation's capital 
 compare favorably with the capitals of other countries. 
 
 To a stranger, everything within the gates of this
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 45 
 
 ancieut city seems curious and interesting : the man- 
 ners, customs, dress, and the peculiar habits of the 
 people afford an interesting and entertaining study. 
 Since the advent of the railroad, however, the tele- 
 graph and the telephone — three of the most active 
 agents of modern civilization — the city has progressed 
 remarkably, many improvements being introduced, 
 such as gas-works, water- works, sewerage, street- 
 cars, and the electric light, by which some of the 
 principal sti*eets and plazas are illuminated. 
 
 Speaking of the telephone, courtesy of intercourse 
 must be preserved even between invisible communi- 
 cants. The peremptory American method of calling 
 '' Hello ! hello ! Give me 1235," etc. would never do 
 in the polished Castilian tongue, and the unseeming 
 vexatiousness and petulance which the telephone seems 
 to provoke in Saxon words, is never allowed to obtain 
 utterance here. The regular response from the central 
 office to a telephone call is " Jia«f?e usted!'' which is 
 equivalent to "At your command!" Then prelimi- 
 naries are gone through something as follows : " Good- 
 morning, Seiiorita ; how do you do?" "Very well, I 
 thank you ; what service may I render you?" " Will 
 you kindly do me the favor of enabling me to speak 
 with Don So-and-So, No. 857?" " With much pleas- 
 ure," etc., etc. ; and when the connection is made, the 
 usual polite introductories are gone through before 
 proceeding to the business in hand. 
 
 It is said that recent investigations show more 
 clearly that the City of Mexico at the time of the 
 Spanish conquest was situated on a small island fifteen 
 
 -^AOtt
 
 4G EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 miles west of the present city, and connected with the 
 main-land by large causewa3^s, composed of stones-aud 
 earth, through the lake. The circuit of the city meas- 
 ured nine miles. Monstrous dykes kept the water out, 
 canals were common, and business was largel}^ conduc- 
 ted with the aid of boats. The markets were supplied 
 with the greatest variety of goods that could be found 
 in any market of the world at that period. When 
 Cortez entered Tenochtitlan he was amazed at the 
 mammoth temples, great markets, and the evidences 
 of civilization that were found on all sides. So much 
 for the early history of the city. 
 
 The principal street of Mexico, on or near which are 
 its largest hotels, its finest stores and restaurants, and 
 some of its richest private dwellings, is Calle de San 
 Francisco. In San Francisco Street are to be found 
 some of the most richly stocked stores in Mexico, where, 
 despite the almost prohibitory duties on foreign goods, 
 articles from every land on earth are accumulated. 
 Half way down the street is the principal hotel, where 
 some of the tourists found accommodations. As it 
 was once the palace of the Emperor Iturbide, after 
 whom it is named, it should have something stately 
 about it ; and so it has. There is a high, sculptured \1 
 d oorway of an Aztec touch^lu^TIesign, thOuglTTrnt in I 
 the details, and long, grotesque water-s pouts project 
 i nfo the stre et. Within is a large, arcaded court, from 
 which open cafe and billiard-room — the leading resort 
 of the golden youth of the town. The office is a dark 
 little box of a place, with two serious functionaries, 
 who seem to receive the visitor only with suspicion.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 47 
 
 The gorgeous and affable hotel clerk of northern lati- 
 tude is unknown here. In the rear are more courts, 
 not arcaded, and around all of these the rooms are 
 ranged in several stories. 
 
 We soon discover that Mexico is not a gay city. 
 There are no crowds on the sidewalks, no eating of 
 ices in public. By nine or ten o'clock the people seem 
 to have retired, perhaps to be up betimes in the morn- 
 ing, for the work of the day. A military band plays 
 three evenings in the week ; but even these concerts, 
 excepting on Sundays, are so sparsely attended that 
 the men seem discoursing the music for their own 
 amusement. 
 
 One never tires of the street-scenes in this city, y 
 They combine the commonplace, the pathetic, and the! 
 ludicrous; while in the eyes of strangers, the novel I 
 o vershadows everything else.| ^ The peasant's gait is 
 quick, and all his movements active. Short in stat- 
 ure and thick-set, he will, and often does, carry a 
 burden of three hundred pounds, and go off with it at 
 a jog-trot. There are no drays. Three men, and 
 sometimes two, will carry a piano a dozen squares. 
 In truth, the ordinary Mexican seems undaunted by 
 tasks that would be undertaken by no other man. A 
 crate of vegetables or fruit may be discerned jogging 
 rapidly up some steep road, so huge that the bearer is 
 quite invisible. 
 
 On the first evening, we went in company to the 
 French Opera, where a very fair representation was 
 given of William Tell, to a very small but select audi- 
 ence. Returning from the Opera, we brought up at
 
 48 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 the first corner before a lantern on the ground, exactly 
 in the centre of the intersecting streets. " What is 
 that for?" was the natural inquiry. "That lantern? 
 Oh, that is a policeman's lantern. It shows that he 
 is in his place. Yes," looking around, " there he is, 
 behind that lamp-post. If he stirs so much as to 
 walk up to the middle of the block, he must take his 
 light with him ; roundsmen are always on the watch, 
 and if lantern or man is gone there is trouble." Fur- 
 ther observation showed that this explanation was cor- 
 rect. Every corner had its lantern exactly in the cen- 
 tre, and every lantern its policeman. Standing in the 
 middle of the roadway a long line of lights appeared, 
 stretching away to the four quarters of the compass. 
 The streets of Mexico cross each other exactly at right 
 angles, though each square has its individual name. 
 The main thoroughfare, from the plaza to the Ala- 
 meda, has as many names as blocks in the third of a 
 mile between the Iturbide Hotel and the plaza, and 
 doubtless as large a number off in the other direction. 
 
 The question is often asked " if the language of 
 Mexico is identical with the Castilian." We answer 
 in the affirmative. Of course there are some slight 
 differences in pronunciation, etc., but no more than 
 exists between the English and American languages. 
 For instance : in England they call a railroad-car a 
 " carriage," the engineer a " driver," the fireman a 
 " stoker," the brakeman a " guard," the switch a 
 " shunt," the track a " line," the baggage, " luggage ;" 
 and yet the English and the Americans are supposed 
 to speak the same language.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 49 
 
 Friday^ May 9th. The visiting Directors of the 
 Mexican Central Raih'oad and their friends spent 
 this day, not according to any settled programme, 
 but much as their fancy dictated. Until almost one 
 o'clock most of the gentlemen remained in the parlor 
 at Mr. Camacho's, and received distinguished visitors. 
 Among those who called upon them are Gen. Porfirio 
 Diaz, Thomas Braniff, Leandro Fernandez, Director of 
 the Asti'onomical Observatory, and many other distin- 
 guished officials. In the afternoon a number of the 
 gentleman took carriages, drove over various parts of 
 the city, and visited Chapoltepec. 
 
 Towards the west, on the heights of Tacubaya and 
 the plains of Tacuba, where the air is fresh and pure 
 and the situation elevated, the city spreads, and grows 
 more beautiful every day. Here reside many of the 
 wealthy ; and here on the summit of this peak is Cha- 
 poltepec, surrounded by a grove of magnificent trees — 
 hoary cedars and cypresses draped with Spanish moss. 
 Chapoltepec is historic ground ; it was built and forti- 
 fied by the first Montezuma, whose gardens stretched 
 for miles around the base of the hill, was occupied by 
 Cortez and by Maximilian, and was captured by the 
 Americans, in 1847. Here are secret under-ground 
 passages used by the old Aztecs, and later by the Span- 
 iards ; and here is the military school, where three 
 hundred young men are at present being fitted for a 
 military career. Here, too, in the old part of the 
 sti'ucture, workmen are engaged in preparing it as a 
 summer palace for the-President. 
 
 The view from Chapoltepec is magnificent ; embrac-
 
 50 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 ing the city and valley of Mexico, Popocatapetl and his 
 bride Iztaccihuatl, and the Paseo de la Reforma, a 
 boulevard two miles long from Chapoltepec to the city, 
 built by Maximilian, and bordered by a double row of 
 trees — Eucalyptus and ash. This is the fashionable 
 drive of the city ; and here the Mexican dandy is 
 a conspicuous figure, with his heavy spurs and 
 richly embroidered saddle, his trousers and sombrero 
 glistening with silver, and the cutlass and revolver 
 absolutely indispensable to complete the display. At 
 the entrance of the Paseo is an equestrian statue of 
 Charles IV. of Spain — one of the largest and finest 
 bronze casts in the world. Other statues are to be 
 placed at intervals along the boulevard ; that of Colum- 
 bus, which is already finished, is good work. 
 
 Messrs. Camacho and Fernandez accompanied the 
 party to the National Palace, and escorted them 
 through it. The senate chamber, the various recep- 
 tion-rooms, the observatory, and different departments, 
 were all visited, and excited much interest. A visit 
 was also paid to the Chamber of Deputies. The Mex- 
 ican President and the military commandant of this 
 district reside in the city palace. Its most magnifi- 
 cent room is the Sala de Embajadores (Embassadors 
 Hall), which is 310 by 30 feet, with a throne at the end 
 for the President and his cabinet. The walls are hung 
 with full-length portraits, by Mexican artists, of 
 Hidalgo, Morelos, and other heroes of the War of 
 Independence. There is also a large painting of the 
 battle of Puebla, which took place May 5, 1862, and 
 portraits of Juarez, Diaz, and of our own Washington.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 51 
 
 Messrs. Lawrie and Wilbur, Directors of the Mexi- 
 can Central, who had been in the city some days in 
 advance of the party, General-Manager Robinson and 
 Superintendent Mackenzie, accompanied various mem- 
 bers of the party on their trips about the city. Quite 
 a number called upon United States Minister Morgan. 
 
 Saturday^ May 10th. By daylight, with all its 
 right colors upon it, and its normal stir of life going 
 on, the famous capital is a very different place from 
 what it is in the night. The visitor with an eye for 
 the picturesque is charmed by a delicious feast of nov- 
 elties, makes discoveries on every hand, and has the 
 pleasure of testing the value of his own unaided con- 
 clusions. By little and little, misapprehensions are 
 shaken off. After the first moment of disappoint- 
 ment we like it better, and in the end it takes a power- 
 ful hold. 
 
 A short walk from Hotel Iturbide brings us to the 
 grand central plaza, in which events of such moment 
 have been transacted. To actually sit down upon a 
 bench in the midst of it, and gaze comfortably about — 
 can it be possible? The imposing cathedral marks 
 the spot where once stood the pyramid of the Aztec 
 war god ; and, as if to complete the triumph of the 
 Cross, the fo undations were laid with the broken im- 
 ag es of the Aztec gods. These stones would hp nnk^p- 
 deep with all the blood of various sorts that has been 
 
 spilled upon them. But it is narct to conjure up im- 
 ages of despera te conflicts, though here have been so 
 m any, in this bright sun shine, with the multitude of 
 prett y^ noble sights. 
 
 f^\
 
 52 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 The cathedral, like most of the earlier architecture, 
 is in the Renaissance style, somewhat inclined to the 
 vagaries of rococo. It is saved from finicality, however, 
 by its great size and massiveness, except in respect to 
 the terminations of its towers, which are in the shape 
 of immense bells. Adjoining, and forming a part of 
 it, is a parish church, in a rich, dark red volcanic stone, 
 ornamented with carvings. What a painting it would 
 make on one of the perfect moonlight nights which 
 bring out every line of the sculpture softly, and show 
 the whole like a lovely vision. A magnificent view is 
 afforded, from the cathedral towers, of the mountains 
 and surrounding country. The cathedral was com- 
 pleted in 1G67, at a cost of $1,762,000, and the towers 
 were finished in 1791, at an additional cost of 
 $194,000. 
 
 The interior decorations, paintings, furniture, and 
 the services, are artistic in character. They were ^iui; 
 ^ported from Europe j and transported by wagons to 
 distances varying from one hundred to six hundred 
 miles, and at a great expense. The high altar, as well 
 as the stalls of the choir, are beautifully carved, the 
 former being gilded. Various notices invoking pater- 
 nosters or aves for the repose of the souls of departed 
 friends, or soliciting alms for certain purposes, are 
 printed on paper of several colors, and posted on the 
 main door of the church. The vestments worn by the 
 priesthood while celebrating high mass are very costly, 
 and consist of silken robes heavily embroidered with 
 gold and silver thread. 
 
 Cemented into the wall on the west side of the Ca-
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 53 
 
 theclral is the Aztec calendar-stone, the most remark- 
 able piece of sculpture yet disinterred. It consists of 
 a dark porphyry, and in its original dimensions, as 
 taken from the quarry, is computed to have weighed 
 nearly fifty tons. It was transported from the moun- 
 tains beyond Lake Chalco, over a broken country in- 
 tersected by water-courses and canals. The fact that 
 so enormous a fragment of porphyry could be thus 
 safely carried for leagues, in the face of such obsta- 
 cles, and without the aid of cattle, — for the Aztecs 
 had no animals of draught, — su^ggeststous no mean 
 ideas of their mechanical skill, and impl ies aTTeo-ree of 
 cultiv ation little inferior to that demanded for t he 
 geo metrical and astronomical science displayed i n the 
 inscrip tion on this very stone. 
 
 Sculptured images were so numerous, that a new 
 cellar can hardly be dug, or foundation laid, without 
 turning up some of the mouldering, relics of barbaric 
 art. ^ But they are little heeded, and, if not wantonly 
 
 "Broke 
 
 )roken into pieces at once, are usually worked into the 
 rising wall or supports of the new edifice. Two cele- 
 brated bas-reliefs of the last Montezuma and his 
 father, cut in the solid rock, in the beautiful groves of 
 Chapoltepec, were deliberately destroyed, as late as 
 the last century, by order of the Government. The 
 monuments of the barbarian meet with as little respect 
 I from civilized man, as those of the civilized man from 
 the barbarian\ 
 
 One day, when first in Mexico, Cortez ascended to 
 the top of the teocalli and Montezuma, taking him 
 by the hand, pointed out to him the various parts of
 
 54 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 the city. lu like manner, let us ascend the cathedral 
 tower and look over the self-same valley, from nearly 
 the same height and point of view occupied by the 
 Spanish conqueror and the Aztec emperor. Elevated 
 at this height above the plaza, of nearly one hundred 
 and eighty feet, the din of the city reaches our ears — 
 the hum of myriad voices, the patter of thousands. of 
 feet, and the rattle of coach- wheels over the pave- 
 ments. Directly beneath us is the great square, with 
 the smaller one, the zocalo, or pleasure garden, in its 
 centre. The latter is a green spot in this desert of 
 stone, its tall trees, shading marble walks, statues, 
 fountains, and flowers, beautifully disposed about a 
 central kiosk used as a music-stand. The flower mar- 
 ket, occupying a small iron building of graceful archi- 
 tecture, is held here, and a small octangular structure 
 is the despatching office of the street railways, which, 
 radiating in every direction, reaches every desirable 
 suburb. 
 
 The tramcars in Mexico are all drawn by mules, and 
 when outside the city boundary the mules go at a fierce 
 gallop to their destination, the fare-collectors leaping 
 on board at a given point of the route. When as- 
 cending a hill no third mule is added, but, on the con- 
 trary, a horseman, waiting the arrival of the car at the 
 foot, urges the mules with whip and voice up the hill 
 with their burden. The conductors are smartly clad in 
 linen jackets and sombreros of gray felt, and are pro- 
 vided with a horn, which they sound at street-crossings, 
 or as a signal to the driver to pull up. There are first 
 and second class ca rs, the second class being us ed by 
 the Indians, and are often overcrowded.
 
 EXCUKSION TO MEXICO. 55 
 
 Entering one of the first-class cars at the plaza, we 
 went at a full gallop past adobe houses and j'^ylqi'-erias, 
 the snow-capped giant Popocatapetl lifting his white 
 head to the azure, on the right, and soon we reached 
 Guadalupe, which is about three miles east of the city 
 of Mexico. Through the avenue of trees the little 
 church on the hill Tepeyac, erected where the Virgin 
 is said to have appeared to the peasant Juan Diego, in 
 1531, and the cathedral at its foot, with its flat facade 
 flanked by low towers, were both visible in the dis- 
 tance. The cars came to a standstill in front of the 
 cathedral. This at one time was very rich in gold and 
 silver ornaments, the offerings of the faithful ; but 
 many of these were confiscated and coined into money, 
 by order of President Juarez, in 1860, and have since 
 been replaced by inferior metal. There are, however, 
 at this cathedral some rare statues — exquisite wood 
 carvings representing apostles and saints, so life-like, 
 that good authority pronounced them unexcelled by 
 anything of the kind to be found in the cathedrals of 
 Europe. 
 
 There is here, also, a sulphur spring, which is said to 
 cure everything. The legend says that this spring of 
 sulphur hydrogen gushed forth from a spot touched by 
 one of the Virgin's feet. Faithful pilgrims coming 
 here from a long distance, are often seen carrying 
 back in bottles some of the water for future use. 
 
 The Jockey Club had invited members of the party 
 to visit the School of Mines, the San Carlos Academy 
 of Art, and the National Museum. They were accom- 
 panied by Mr. Thomas Moran, representing his step-
 
 56 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 father, Mr. Sebastian Camacho, and he was unth'ing in 
 his efforts to promote the entertainment of his Ameri- 
 can friends. Among the other gentlemen who, on the 
 part of the Government or in their private capacity 
 accompanied the party to the public buildings referred 
 to, were Messrs. Velasco and Fernandez, of the De- 
 partment of Public Works ; Francisco de Garay, Fran- 
 cisco Soni, and Eugenic Barreiro of the City Council ; 
 and Mariano Barcena, of the Meteorological Observa- 
 tory. 
 
 In the court-yard of the Academy of Fine Arts of 
 San Carlos, our tourists were shown the carven sacri- 
 ficial stone — a huge block of jasper, with its upper sur- 
 face somewhat convex. On this the prisoner was 
 stretched. Five priests secured his head and his 
 limbs ; while the sixth, clad in a scarlet mantle, — em- 
 blematic of his bloody office, — dexterously opened the 
 breast of the wretched victim with a sharp razor of 
 itztU^ — a volcanic substance, hard as flint, — and in- 
 serting his hand in the wound, tore out the palpitating 
 heart. The minister of death, first holding this up 
 toward the sun, an object of worship throughout Ana- 
 huac, cast it at the feet of the deity to whom the tem- 
 ple was devoted, while the multitudes below prostrated 
 themselves in humble adoration. 
 
 In the afternoon, some members of the party went 
 with Mr. Thomas Moran to the School for the Blind, 
 where a musical entertainment was given in compli- 
 ment to them. 
 
 A banquet was given in the evening by the City 
 Council to the President and Directors of the Mexican
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 57 
 
 Central Railway, at which about one hundi-ed and fifty 
 guests were present. The entrance to the municipal 
 palace and the historic hall of the City Council was 
 profusely decorated, and thickly strewn for the occa- 
 sion, with flowers and evergreens. The banquet-hall 
 was also splendidly d ecorated with flowers and ban - 
 ners, an d illuminated by electric lights. The fra- 
 graffce^f rose-leaves filled the air. The tables were 
 lavishly adorned with the finest products of the floral 
 world, and the banquet was luxurious in the extreme, 
 including as it did all the rarities of the season, with 
 wines of the finest vintage. The building, as well as 
 the plaza in front, was lighted by electric lights, and 
 presented a very fine effect. A fine orchestra de- 
 lighted the ear with exquisite music, which was only 
 interrupted, when necessary, to listen to the numerous 
 toasts and speeches which were animated and eloquent. 
 The banquet was presided over by Senor Guillermo 
 Valle, the President of the City Council. On his right 
 sat ex-President Diaz, and on his left Mr. William 
 • Rotch, of Boston. Senor Valle made a speech con- 
 gratulating the country on the completion of the road. 
 He spoke substantially as follows : — 
 
 " The happy conclusion of the iron road between the 
 capital of Mexico and the Northern frontier, has brought 
 into intimate contact two neighboring Republics, the 
 mutual interests of which would by this means acquire 
 prodigious increase. This great work of progress and 
 civilization demands from the Mexican people vivid 
 expressions of their appreciation. For this reason the 
 Citv Council voted to give this banquet to celebrate
 
 58 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 the memorable event, and to offer a friendly testimony 
 to Mr. Nickerson, to whose enterprising spirit we owe 
 the completion of this great highway, and to his distin- 
 guished companions. Finally, I hope for great felicity 
 for Mexico and for the United States, in the develop- 
 ment of commerce and industry," 
 
 Much regret was expressed at the absence of Mr. 
 Nickerson, who was prevented by illness from attend- 
 ing the banquet. A speech prepared by him for the 
 occasion was read by Mr. William Rotch, and imme- 
 diately after, a translation in Spanish of the same 
 speech was read by Senor Sebastian Camacho, the 
 Manaoing Director of the Mexican Central Road. 
 
 The speech was substantially as follows : — 
 
 Honorable City Council of the City of Mexico : 
 
 " "We are gathered here, by your invitation, to cele- 
 brate the conclusion of the Trunk Line of the Mexican 
 Central Railroad Company, which unites the cit}^ of 
 Mexico with the United States. 
 
 " It is exactly one year to a day, since I visited this 
 city, and I then promised that, if possible, by the 5th 
 of May just passed, the two extremes of our Trunk 
 Line would be completed and united. At that time 
 one end of the road was at Encarnacion, 323 miles 
 north of this city, and the other at Reforma, 358 miles 
 south of Paso del Norte — a total of 681 miles ; and it 
 gives me immense pleasure to say to you at this ban- 
 quet, that the hopes which I then expressed have been 
 more than realized by the completion, on the 8th of 
 last March, of the 531 miles necessary to finish this 
 great international line.
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 59 
 
 "lu the name of the Company, it gives me pleasure to 
 acknowledge that the President of the Republic, the 
 Secretai-y of Public Works, and all the distinguished 
 gentlemen who constitute the Government with whom 
 we have maintained constant relations, and who have 
 invariably insisted that we should build a solid and 
 secure road, have furnished us with all the facilities in 
 their power to enable us to accomplish the great work. 
 And now I feel happy at being able to congratulate 
 this grand Republic, and this historical city, so noted 
 for the many objects of interest that are treasured 
 within its borders, for the happy termination of more 
 than three years of assiduous labor which has resulted 
 in the opening of a new field for enterprise and activ- 
 ity. How true it is that ' Peace hath her victories, no 
 less renowned than war.* 
 
 ''The victory has not been gained without struggle, 
 for it has required the united efforts of the Directors 
 of the Company and of the representatives of this 
 Government, and also of the Managing Directors of the 
 Company resident in Mexico, in order to conduct the 
 grand enterprise to a successful issue. 
 
 " I should not forget, in this hour of triumph, the in- 
 defatigable labors of our deceased, but never-to-be for- 
 gotten friend, Ramon G. Guzman, who lent his incom- 
 parable aid to this Company, and whose death is to all 
 of us the loss of a very dear friend and untiring co- 
 worker. 
 
 "Our road is now open, and in condition to undertake 
 the ti'affic of the country which is tributary to the line ; 
 and I have not the • least doubt that, within a short
 
 60 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 time, the Company will be able to adapt itself to the 
 wants of the people. It is now in its infancy, and to 
 obtain the best results for the country, as well as for 
 the road, it will need the protection and support of 
 this Government, and of the people ; and I am con- 
 vinced that it will be cheerfully granted in the future, 
 as in the past. 
 
 " In behalf of my country and of this Company, I give 
 you hearty thanks for the generous and cordial recep- 
 tion which you have given to your brothers from the 
 North, on this, their visit to this country ; and I enter- 
 tain the hope that the iron bands which now embrace 
 both countries will establish friendship, and make it 
 more intimate ; that it will enable the people to know 
 each other better, and unite them with indissoluble ties 
 like brothers, seeking the progress and development of 
 the two Republics in knowledge, civilization, and pros- 
 perity." 
 
 A member of the party from Boston, in the name gf 
 his companions, was called upon, and proposed the 
 following toast in Spanish : — 
 
 " General Porfirio Diaz, the illustrious protector of 
 the Central Railroad, who, like Washington, is first in 
 the hearts of his countrymen." 
 
 President Diaz was very much moved, and immedi- 
 ately arose to reply, saying : — 
 
 "It is indeed a great honor that has just been con- 
 ferred upon me, by placing my own personalty by the 
 side of that of Washington, a man, whose genius and 
 whose virtues have merited and still merit the respect,
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 61 
 
 not only of all American citizens, but that of all 
 enlightened nations. I feel compelled, therefore, to 
 acknowledge my gratitude to the author of the toast, 
 for the good-will thereby manifested. Referring to the 
 Central Road, I did not hesitate, while discharging my 
 duties as President of the Republic, to grant the Com- 
 pany the concessions it has required ; for I was per- 
 suaded the grantee possessed the decisive elements nec- 
 essary to carry out the enterprise to a successful issue. 
 I acted under this impression, expecting that time 
 would confirm my calculations. The work now accom- 
 plished has demonstrated that I was not mistaken, and 
 I think it is time now to cancel the promise, so to speak. 
 I have listened with emotion to the words expressed 
 in Mr. Nickerson's discourse concerning the labors of 
 the late Mr. Ramon G. Guzman ; and for my part I 
 desire to honor the memory of that indefatigable Mex- 
 ican who toiled so assiduously to urge the construction 
 of the Central Road, and to endow his country with 
 important material improvements." 
 
 The remarks of General Diaz were most enthusiasti- 
 cally applauded. They were afterwards given in Eng- 
 lish by General Frisbie, who has been a resident of 
 Mexico for several years, and is familiar with the Span- 
 ish language. 
 
 Ex-Gov. Rice made a happy speech, comparing the 
 luxury of journeying in Pullman cars with the former 
 modes of travel, and proclaiming the consummation 
 of Humboldt's prediction that the table-lands of Mex- 
 ico would become the great thoroughfare from the 
 North to the South.
 
 62 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 Then arose the illustrious Mexican patriot, Mon- 
 signor Eulogio Gillow, who spoke in remarkably good 
 English as follows : — 
 
 ''''Gentlemen: When I reflect on the great work 
 that has been done, when I see our two great coun- 
 ti'ies at last united by one of the most powerful ties 
 that link human interests, I cannot but thank Provi- 
 dence for allowing, in the midst of so many difficul- 
 ties, such a vast undertaking to be accomplished. 
 Mexico, for her material and social welfare, required 
 to be in closer communication with the rest of the 
 world, and the North American Republic needed a 
 more intimate intercourse with her Southern neighbor. 
 
 " The task being now completed, the glorious future 
 lies before us. Let our mutual efforts remain united ; 
 let intelligence and manly energy continue to overrule 
 our actions ; so that the vast resources of the two 
 counti'ies may be profitable to both, and the surplus 
 extend itself to the whole known world. The North, 
 with her mechanical skill and inventions, will help 
 Me xico" wonderfully to develop her mineral and agri- 
 cultural wealth, and combinedDroduction on a vast 
 sc ale will, undoubtedly, bring about on this immense 
 continent a commercial power in soroe future ^clay of 
 such mag nitude, that it is not easy^to foretell what 
 will be its financial and political mtluence ! Above 
 all, gentlemen, the connection of the two countries 
 will bring in contact and friendly relationship two 
 nations that differ by their language, customs, and re- 
 ligion. May time unite them in one spirit — that of
 
 EXCUKSION TO MEXICO. 63 
 
 combined, progressive, and social interests ; and in a 
 higher point of moral view — that of a most perfect 
 Christian charity." 
 
 One of the pleasant featnres of the banquet was the 
 toast which Mr. Francisco Bermudez, Editor of the 
 Siglo XIX., proposed to the "Press of America." 
 After paying a glowing tribute to the effective work 
 which the newspapers of the United States had done 
 to place Mexico properly before the world, he closed 
 by citing, as a bright example of the press, the Boston 
 Herald, which, with courage, intelligence, and ability, 
 had ever stood by the best interests of Mexico. As 
 Mr. Pulsifer, one of its proprietors, was present, he 
 proposed a toast " to the Boston Herald, and Mr. R. 
 M. Pulsifer, its publisher." This was most enthusi- 
 astically received. Mr. Pulsifer arose, and in a few 
 words responded most pleasantly to the compliment 
 paid his paper. 
 
 Eloquent and enthusiastic speeches were also made 
 by Messrs. Prida, Camacho, Moran, and Friesbie in 
 English, and by Messrs. Parra, Valle, and others in 
 Spanish, until about midnight, when the guests left 
 the municipal palace, and retired to their hotels. The 
 lights were now extinguished, but the soft rays of the 
 moon were much more in harmony with our feelings, 
 and made a fitting close to the evening's entertain- 
 ment. 
 
 Simday, May 11th. Immediately after breakfast 
 the party went, by invitation, to visit the house of the
 
 64 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 late Mr. Guzman, who was a director in the Mexican 
 Central road. The house is very near the hotel. We 
 were cordially received by young Mr. Guzman, who 
 proceeded at once to show us the varied attractions of 
 the house. It is a large stone building, occupying a 
 space about one hundred and twenty feet square, built 
 in the usual Mexican style, with a patio in the centre. 
 In the lower part are located the stable, carriage-room, 
 and bathing conveniences. Over these were a succes- 
 sion of parlors, library, billiard, smoking, dining, and 
 sleeping rooms, all ranged around the open court in the 
 centre, and all connected with one another. A large 
 corridor overlooking the patio^ and running all around 
 it, with tile floor, and ornamented with all kinds of 
 flowering plants, served the double purpose of indoor 
 garden and a means of access to all the rooms in the 
 house. The various rooms were very elegantly fur- 
 nished, and most of them contained furniture imported 
 from Paris. 
 
 In the forenoon a number attended the Union Prot- 
 estant Church, where they listened to a sermon preached 
 by the Rev. Dr. F. A. Noble, of the Union Park Con- 
 gregational Church, Chicago. Others went to the Prot- 
 estant Episcopal Church, where the service was read in 
 Spanish by a Mexican clergyman. A visit was also 
 paid to the Cathedral. 
 
 Several of the party went down the canal in boats, 
 and inspected the floating gardens — chinampas, as they 
 were called by the Aztecs. These had their origin in 
 the detached masses of earth, which, loosening from 
 the shores, were still held together by the fibrous roots
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 65 
 
 with which they were penetrated. The primitive Az- 
 tecs, in theii' poverty of land, availed themselves of 
 the hint thus afforded by nature. They constructed 
 rafts of reeds, rushes, and other fibrous materials, 
 which, tightly knit together, formed a sufficient basis 
 for the sediment that they drew up from the bottom 
 of the lake. Gradually islands were formed, two or 
 three hundred feet in length and three or four feet in 
 depth, with a rich, stimulated soil, on which the eco- 
 nomical Indian raised his vegetables and flowers for 
 the markets. Some of these chinampas were even firm 
 enough to allow the growth of small trees, and to 
 sustain a hut for the residence of the person who 
 had charge of it ; who, with a long pole resting on 
 the bottom of the shallow basin, could change the 
 position of his little territory at pleasure, which, with 
 its rich freight of vegetable stores, was seen moving 
 like some enchanted island over the water. 
 
 At two o'clock a special car, on the line leading to 
 the Peralvillo Race-course, conveyed a large part of the 
 American visitors to the grounds, where a special pro- 
 gramme had been prepared for them by the Jockey 
 Club. The day was a beautiful one, and the grounds 
 presented a very attractive appearance. There was a 
 large attendance, and the many brightly-dressed ladies 
 who were present added to the effect of the scene. 
 
 Going to a race on Sunday was not just in accord- 
 ance with the fixed principles of most of the gentlemen 
 from New England, but they consoled themselves with 
 the reflection that when in Mexico they were Mexicans ; 
 and therefore, as the races seemed to atti'act the better
 
 66 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 class of Mexicans, they concluded to lay aside their 
 scruples and be present for the once. The races were 
 flat, excepting the steeple-chase. There were from 
 four to six entries in each race. 
 
 After the race, which excited much applause, came 
 what was a decided novelty to the visitors. About 
 five hundred yards of the race-track in front of the 
 grand stand was fenced in. Six or eight horsemen 
 with lassoes took their position inside this enclosure, 
 and near to where a gate opened into it from a small 
 yard which contained a number of bulls. These ani- 
 mals were let into the race-course one by one, and then 
 a pair of horsemen, with loud shouts, would run after 
 the frightened beasts, which would invariably rush 
 into another small yard at the farther end. The horse- 
 men would clutch frantically for the tail of the bull, 
 and throw the creature down by a sudden twist. This 
 sport attracted attention for about an hour ; then a 
 number of wild horses were let loose on the race-track, 
 and the men with the lassoes demonstrated how expertly 
 they could capture the animals. It was six o'clock 
 when the party returned to the Cafe Anglais for sup- 
 per. 
 
 Notwithstanding the scruples above alluded to, there 
 was no lack of expressions of regret on the part of 
 others, that they did not improve perhaps their only 
 opportunity to witness a Mexican bull-fight ; for there 
 was a bull-fight that same afternoon at Huizachal, a 
 small town a few miles only from Mexico, with which 
 it is connected by street-cars. Two gentlemen only 
 of the party were by fortunate circumstances enabled
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 67 
 
 to see this. So much has already been written upon 
 this peculiar sport of the Spaniards, that we abstain 
 from giving a full account of the fight. We cannot, 
 however, refrain from saying that, admitting the 
 numerous objections to the brutal tendencies exhibited 
 thi'oughout the different stages of the game, there was, 
 nevertheless, much to admire in the hardihood and 
 agility which was displayed by the men, from begin- 
 ning to end, with so much ease and grace that the 
 spectator forgets the peril, and is sensible only of the 
 amusement. Bull-fights, or funcion de toros, usually 
 take place on Sunday afternoons. They are forbidden 
 by law within the city limits of Mexico. 
 
 Monday^ May 12th. Another banquet was this day 
 given at the Trivoli Garden of San Cosme, by Minis- 
 ter Pacheco, of the Department of Public "Works 
 (fomento), which was equally charming. The Garden, 
 situated on the outskirts of the capital, is one of those 
 earthly paradises which the favorable climate of Mex- 
 ico permits man to establish. At this banquet were 
 gathered many of the most illustinous men of the repub- 
 lic. President Nickerson sat by the side of General 
 Diaz, opposite whom was General Pacheco, shot all to 
 pieces in the war with the French. This old hero is 
 minus an arm and a leg, and is maimed and crippled 
 in a manner to have daunted any less intrepid spirit. 
 He has been a warm friend of the new railway enter- 
 prise here, and has the confidence of the Americaus to 
 a marked extent. 
 
 Among other distinguished Mexicans were Gov.
 
 Q8 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 Torres, of Sonora ; Senor Guillermo Valle, president of 
 the City Government ; Senator Rubio ; Mr. James 
 Sullivan, of the Mexican National Railway ; Francisco 
 Bermudez, the Nestor of the Mexican Press, and a 
 publicist who has always been a strong friend of Amer- 
 ican enterprises here ; Editor Torres, of the famous 
 Monitor Republicano, the fearless critic of men in high 
 station. In all, some fifty of the leading men of the 
 capital were present. General Manager D. B. Rob- 
 inson, of the Central Road, who has great reputation 
 here for ability and railway generalship, was also pres- 
 ent. The speeches were full of friendly sentiment 
 toward the Central Road and the other American en- 
 terprises of like nature on Mexican soil. 
 
 The banqueting-hall was profusely decorated with 
 flowers ; and during the festivities music was furnished 
 by two of the most famous military bands of the 
 country, and national airs of Mexico and the United 
 States were sweetly blended. General Pacheco was 
 the first who arose to speak. He recited the difficul- 
 ties under which Mexico has labored since her inde- 
 pendence until the advent of General Diaz, to whom 
 is due the honor of initiating the new era in the 
 country. He praised the faith which had impelled the 
 Boston capitalists to invest their money here. He re- 
 ferred to the past as a guarantee for the future protec- 
 tion which the Government would afford the railway. 
 He concluded by proposing the health of President 
 Nickerson and his companions. He was warmly 
 applauded. General John B. Frisbie read the English 
 translation of General Pacheco's remarks, after which
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 69 
 
 President Nickerson arose. He was received with 
 great applause, at the conclusion of which he said that 
 he had prepared a few remarks for the occasion, but 
 the state of his health prevented his presenting them. 
 He had therefore entrusted the delivery of the same to 
 Mr. William Rotch, who accordingly arose and read 
 the following : — 
 
 *' To the Honorable General Carlos Pacheco, Minister 
 of Public Works, and Gentlemen : — 
 
 *' We are assembled here to-day, upon your very kind 
 invitation, to congratulate each other upon the happy 
 completion of the main line of the Company, which 
 now unites our two republics. It gives me great 
 pleasure to recognize the honorable gentleman who 
 presides at this banquet, as an officer of his Govern- 
 ment, who, while always making it his first duty to 
 be faithful and loyal to his country, has shown a 
 readiness at all times to render to this Company all 
 possible aid in the prosecution of its work. 
 
 " Allow me, esteemed sir, to thank 3^ou personally for 
 all the aid and encouragement you have so kindly ex- 
 tended to this Company in the past. While congratu- 
 lating ourselves upon our past work, let us look a little 
 into the future of the country and the railway. In this 
 connection, pardon me for alluding to the violent at- 
 tacks which have been recently made upon the prop- 
 erty by lawless men. 
 
 " While the Company is responsible for the safety of 
 its passengers, it is powerless to protect itself from the 
 attacks of such men, and we can only appeal to the
 
 70 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 laws of Mexico, without doubt that eveiT effort will be 
 made to guard and protect our road and its patrons. 
 However, even this dark cloud, which has greatly dis- 
 turbed our General Manager, has its silver lining. 
 
 "It is worthy of note, that for the past three years 
 the correspondents of the press of Mexico, the United 
 States, and Europe have written many articles upon 
 the resources of this great country — your mines, agri- 
 culture, and manufactures of every kind ; but to my 
 mind they have overlooked the great value of your 
 abundant labor. In looking over your couutiy, we 
 are astonished at the millions of hardy laboring-men 
 in your midst — men of vigor and strength, inured to 
 hardships from their birth, patient in their labor, who 
 form one of the most efficient sources to which you 
 must look for the development of your country. Of 
 what value are mines and other resources without the 
 hand of labor to develop and make them serviceable 
 to the country and the world? In this vast number of 
 laborers we find the silver lining to the cloud. To-day 
 some of them think they see in the railway an enemy 
 to their interests, but they will soon come to realize in 
 it a friend and benefactor to themselves and their fam- 
 ilies. 
 /^^ ' ' Mexico now has the three elements of success : her 
 I own natural resources, the necessary labor for their 
 1 full development, and the railway to transport her 
 j products to the markets of the world ; and when 
 M?hese elements have found their proper relations, 
 there remains no obstruction in the path of her prog- 
 ress and prosperity. Allow me to thank you for the
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 71 
 
 very kind and agreeable reception you have extended 
 to our people at this time, and assure you that we shall 
 take to our homes the most agreeable recollections of 
 this occasion." 
 
 Mr. Sebastian Camacho read the translation in Span- 
 ish of the above. Then arose Mr. Louis Mendez, who 
 made a few remarks. He traced the history of rail- 
 roads in Mexico, and congratulated the Government 
 upon having so energetic and public-spirited a man 
 as General Pacheco in the Department of Public 
 Works. 
 
 Mr. Gonzalo A. Esteva made a very eloquent speech. 
 He welcomed the visiting party, and said that the hos- 
 pitality of Mexicans would always prompt them to 
 welcome such distinguished visitors ; yet when they 
 remembered the magnificent receptions given General 
 Diaz in the United States last year, it afforded all 
 Mexicans pleasure to, in part, reciprocate those court- 
 esies. He closed by proposing a toast to "the Pres- 
 ident of the United States," which was enthusiasti- 
 cally received. 
 
 Mr. F. R. Guernsey, of the Boston Herald^ responded 
 to a toast, "The Press," using the " Castilian " as a 
 means of expressing himself. He said: "I am but 
 an humble servant of the Press, which, like the loco- 
 motive, is a powerful agent of civilization. We of 
 the United States of the North have enjoyed every 
 moment of our stay here, in the land whose earlier 
 history is embodied in the romantic pages of Prescott. 
 In conclusion, I beg to offer you the sentiment. Viva
 
 72 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 the republic of Mexico, the hero Pacheco, and the 
 great statesman, — the Washington of his country, the 
 illustrious warrior, — General Porfirio Diaz." 
 
 Mr. Sebastian Camacho spoke eloquently. He said 
 that in celebrating the completion of the Trunk Line 
 which unites Mexico with the United States, he would 
 devote above all a few words to the memory of Mr. 
 Ramon G. Guzman, who contributed so largely to the 
 successful completion of the Mexican Central Railway. 
 After paying a glowing tribute to Mr. Guzman's mem- 
 ory, he did full justice to the American capitalists who 
 had invested their money in the great enterprise, and 
 to the Mexican Government, which has co-operated so 
 generously in the great work. 
 
 An informal meeting was this afternoon held at the 
 house of Mr. Camacho, and the party decided to start 
 on their return trip, Wednesday next. May 14th, at 3 
 p. M. The Directors of the Central Railway sent out 
 invitations to the members of the City Government 
 and other distinguished gentlemen of the city to come 
 and inspect the Pullman Buffet cars, which brought 
 the excursionists from Boston to the city of Mexico, 
 and which represent those which are attached to each 
 regular train between this city and Paso del Norte. 
 
 In the evening the visitors called on General and 
 Mrs. Diaz, and they were cordially received. Ex- 
 Gov. Rice made a few remarks in his happy style, 
 and, in behalf of President Nickerson, thanked Gen- 
 eral Diaz for his many services to the road, and 
 assured him of the high esteem in which he was held 
 by the American people. General Diaz, in eloquent
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 73 
 
 terms, acknowledged his pleasure, and gave assurances 
 that the Government would do everything in its power 
 to assist the road, and prevent recurrences of the 
 attacks which have been recently made on the road 
 by bandits. 
 
 Tuesday, May 13th. The tourists spent this day as 
 their fancy dictated. Some called upon United States 
 Minister Morgan. A number took dinner in the sub- 
 urbs, by special invitation. Others went in quest of 
 feather-work and silver jewelry, for which Mexico has 
 been noted from time immemorial. Prescott, speaking 
 of the mechanical arts of the Aztecs at the time of the 
 conquest, says : " They cast, also, vessels of gold and 
 silver, carving them with their metallic chisels in a 
 very delicate manner. Some of the silver vases were 
 so large that a man could not encircle them with his 
 arms. They imitated very nicely the figures of ani- 
 mals, and, what was extraordinary, could mix the 
 metals in such a manner that the feathers of a bird, or 
 the scales of a fish, should be alternately of gold and 
 silver. The Spanish goldsmiths admitted their superi- 
 ority over themselves in these ingenious works." 
 " They could also enamel and make birds and animals, 
 with movable wings and limbs, in a most curious 
 fashion," says Herrera. 
 
 Referring to feather- work, Prescott says: " But the 
 art in which the Aztecs most delighted was their plum- 
 age, or feather-work. With this they would produce 
 all the effect of a beautiful mosaic. The gorgeous 
 plumage of the ti'opical birds, especially of the parrot
 
 ^ 
 
 74 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 tribe, afforded every variety of color ; and the fine 
 down of the humming-bird, which revelled in swarms 
 among the honey-suckle bowers of Mexico, supplied 
 them with soft, aerial tints that gave an exquisite finish 
 to the picture. The feathers, pasted on a fine cotton 
 web, were wrought into dresses for the wealthy, hang- 
 ings for apartments, and ornaments for the temples. 
 No one of the American fabrics excited such admira- 
 tion in Europe, whither numerous specimens were sent 
 by the Conquerors." 
 
 Another extensive industry of Mexico is furnished 
 by the maguey plant (Agave Americana). Prescott 
 says in relation to this: "The miracle of nature was 
 the great Mexican aloe, or maguey, whose clustering 
 pyramids of flowers, towering above their dark coro- 
 nals of leaves, were seen sprinkled over many a broad 
 acre of the tableland. Its bruised leaves afforded a 
 paste from which paper was manufactured ; its juice 
 was fermented into an intoxicating beverage, pulque, 
 of which the natives to . this day are excessively fond ; 
 its leaves further supplied an impenetrable thatch for 
 the more humble dwellings ; thread, of which coarse 
 stuffs were made, and strong cords, were drawn from 
 its tough and twisted fibres ; pins and needles were 
 made of the thorns at the extremity of the leaves ; and 
 the root, when properly cooked, was converted into a 
 palatable and nutritious food. The maguey, in short, 
 was meat, drink, clothing, and writing-materials for 
 the Aztecs ! Surely, never did n ature enclo se in so 
 compact a form so many of the elements of human 
 comfort ana civilization ! " ^
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 75 
 
 Pulque is the fermented sap, as we have seen, and 
 is extracted from the heart of the plant. A single 
 maguey plant, when it is fit for milking, will yield over 
 a gallon of sap per day for about three months. It is 
 of a milk-white appearance. It has a sourish taste, 
 and just a suspicion of spirituous flavor. The taste 
 for it is an acquired one. It is wholesome, and many 
 people drink it for the sake of their health, but the 
 great majority imbibe it solely for the sake of the 
 pulque. The abundance of juice that may be extracted 
 from a single plant is so much the more astonishing as 
 the maguey plantations are in the most arid ground, 
 and frequently on banks of rocks hardly covered with 
 soil. Humboldt says the cultivation of the maguey has 
 real advantage over the cultivation of maize, grain, 
 and potatoes. The plant, with firm and vigorous 
 leaves, is neither affected by drought nor by heat, nor 
 by occasional severe frosts, which destroy the less 
 hardy crops. One has to be very careful when going 
 into a maguey field, on account of the scimitar-blade- 
 shaped leaves of the plant, which stand in some por- 
 tions of the ground as high as ten and fifteen feet, with 
 baj^onet-like thorns confronting one on all sides. 
 
 Wednesday^ May 14th. The following announce- 
 ment, which we find this morning in several of the 
 newspapers of the city, and in various languages, will 
 at least show that the interests of the "Arkwright 
 Club " have not been neglected during the short time 
 we have been permitted to remain in this metropolis : — 
 
 "An association of American manufacturers, repre-
 
 76 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 senting the leading textile interests of the United 
 States, were invited by the officers of the Mexican 
 Central Railroad, on the occasion of the completion of 
 that road to the Mexican capital, to send a representa- 
 tion of their products, with a view to further promoting 
 commercial intercourse between the two republics. In 
 accordance with this invitation, samples of such prod- 
 ucts are placed on exhibition for one month in the 
 warehouse of Messrs. Watson, Phillips & Co., No. 10 
 Calle de Don Juan Manuel, where all information 
 respecting them will be cheerfully given. Any citizens, 
 and especially merchants and dealers, are cordially 
 invited to inspect these goods, in the belief that careful 
 examination will convince all parties that the progress 
 made by American manufacturers has not been excelled 
 by European producers of similar articles." 
 
 This morning, leave-taking calls were made on 
 President Gonzalez and General Pacheco. After din- 
 ner the party returned to the station, and found their 
 Buffet cars waiting to take them home. Fortunately 
 it was not necessary to destroy the means for retreat 
 by following the example of Cortez, who, for fear that 
 on any occasion of disgust or disappointment the men 
 might falter in purpose, get possession of the vessels 
 and abandon the enterprise, came to the daring res- 
 olution to destroy the fleet without the knowledge of 
 his army. This was not our experience. On the con- 
 trary, the same cars that carrird us to Mexico, with 
 their respective porters, who now gi'eeted us like old 
 friends, were there ready to take us back to Boston. 
 
 The resources of the Buffet cars were very severely
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 77 
 
 taxed for an hour before leaviDg the station, during 
 the informal reception which was tendered to our Mex- 
 can friends ; but they were fully able to supply every 
 demand. At 3.30 p. m. we bade farewell to our 
 friends, and quietly rolled out of the station, bound 
 towards home. Our party is now increased by the 
 addition of Mr. and Mrs. President Nickerson, Mr. 
 Lawrie, Mr. Wilbur — both Directors in the Mexican 
 Central Railroad, — General Manager Robinson, Mr. 
 Thomas Moran, and Mr. Charles C. Blodgett. 
 
 Mexican crowds afford a curiously interesting study 
 for American visitors. The first thing that strikes one 
 is the absence of jostling, and the regard for the rights 
 of every one by every one. There is no loud or bois- 
 terous talk. Women may walk the most densely 
 crowded streets of the city with greater certainty of 
 immunity from insult, than in Boston or New York. 
 A deferential courtesy is the rule here. The com- 
 monest peons lift their hats to one another. Whatever ,, 
 infirmities of temper or character the Mexican people u<^ 
 may possess,! their street-manners ar e a model for us. j O '*^'\\; 
 
 It is commonly asserted that the lower classes of the /t?** 
 Mexican people are not honest ; that they will commit 
 theft at every opportunity. But the Americans long 
 res ident here say that they find theii^ s^fy;^ .|]t {=^ ^ yaifhfnl 
 to their trust. That the peon of the street is likely to 
 walk bit witn any stray article which may come in his 
 way, is true ; but we must bear in mind that these poor 
 people labor under extraordinary temptations. They 
 are bitterly poor, and the smallest trifle looks very 
 large to men and women who subsist on ten cents a
 
 78 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 day. The peon class must, nevertheless, be the bulwark 
 of Mexico. Industrious, temperate, working uncom- 
 plainingly at the most menial and hardest task, cheer- 
 ful, kindly to one another, the despised peon will yet 
 become the foundation of the future great nation. 
 
 Cafe life is a feature of the metropolis. The restau- 
 rants are decorated with mirrors in the French style, 
 and the food is both good and cheap. Good table 
 board is provided at several places at one dollar per 
 day. The bread commonly eaten is a little, elongated, 
 hard-crusted biscuit, apt to be a trifle sour within. 
 The water is bad ; the wine universally good, and often 
 superior. The meats are fairly good, and a small but 
 well-cooked beefsteak can be obtained for twenty-five 
 cents. The coffee, w^hich is of native growth, is pala- 
 table. As regards the chocolate which is largely drunk 
 here, it would be hard to speak in sufficient terms of 
 commendation. With a bun, called ''pan dulce," and 
 a cup of chocolate, the Mexican gentleman makes a 
 comfortable " desayuno,'' or first meal at his cafe. A 
 cup of chocolate, a pari didce, and an excellent omelet, 
 costs just thirty-seven and one-half cents. Rents are 
 high in Mexico, but food is cheap. The abundance of 
 fruit is a feature of the Mexican table. Every one eats 
 a great quantity of fruit — oranges, mangoes, melons, 
 apricots, peaches, bananas, etc. Sweets of every pos- 
 sible flavor are universally eaten. Many of the dulces 
 made by the peons are sold under their straw-canopied 
 stands ; and they are not only sold very cheap, but are 
 also delicious. 
 
 The city of Mexico cannot be hastily "done," and
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 79 
 
 therefore this cursory sketch can only give a faint idea. 
 It abounds in surprises, and cultivated and travelled 
 Americans long resident here are continually finding 
 new places of interest for exploration and investiga- 
 tion. Mexico is very old, and it has not yet becom e 
 modernized . Although this capital has a distinctly 
 metropolitan air, it still has a flavor of antiquity about 
 it, and is as full of romance as some of the most noted 
 places of Europe. Manners and customs, language, 
 architecture, street-scenes — all are full of | n ovelty.] 
 The visitor feels as if he were a participant in some 
 operatic scene, so utterly foreign is everything: streets 
 thronged with picturesque figures in brightly colored 
 serapes; water-carriers, with their jars lashed to their 
 heads ; soldiers ; bands of music ; houses built as strong 
 as castles ; mountains looming up at the end of every 
 street ; and over all, dominating all, the twin volcanoes, 
 crowned with never-melting snow, gilded by the 
 morning sun, and tinted with rosy pink at evening 
 — this is the city of Mexico. 
 
 There is probably no man in Mexico who grasps 
 mor e intelligently the great problems which confron t 
 his n ation, than does General Diaz., Cherishing a pro- 
 found desire to receive the applause of foreign nations 
 by aiding the rise of his country m the scale of civiliza- 
 tioiTTTionorably ambitious, proud of his nationality, 
 firm as a ruler, and just in the application of the law, 
 he may be truly said to be the ^^ hope of Me xico." ^e 
 hUb-, by hiarriage into one of the old governing families 
 of the country, secured the alliance of a powerful class ; 
 but at the same time he has retained the sympathy of
 
 80 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 the common people from whom he sprang. He is the 
 most popular man in Mexico. He is not faultless, but 
 he lives up to the light of his knowledge, and has the 
 iron hand under the velvet glove which is needed to 
 manage the helm of the Mexican ship of State. 
 
 General Diaz discerns the vast social revolution 
 which has been started in his country. He sees clearly 
 what the new railways mean ; he knows that they mean 
 the intercourse of Mexicans with men of Northern civ- 
 ilizations, comparisons of institutions, the introduction 
 of new methods in the arts, the quickening of the aspi- 
 rations of the lower classes for education, and a pres- 
 sure of modern ideas on the higher classes too powerful 
 to be resisted. The adjustment of the masses of the 
 Mexican people to the new condition of things will nat- 
 urally and inevitably be attended with some friction. 
 We must be patient with Mexico, but the result may 
 be looked for with confidence. A certain section of 
 the American press is inclined to treat our sister nation 
 Nvith undeserved contempt. Her local disturbances are 
 grossly exaggerated ; her public men are given no 
 credit for a particle of disinterestedness ; and epithets 
 are employed in a manner which must irritate a proud- 
 spirited people. 
 
 The safety of the new regime in Mexico lies in the 
 elevation of the lower classes. The people desire 
 peace to continue. They have already had a taste 
 of the delights of tranquility, and they want no more 
 wars. With four more years of peace under the ad- 
 ministration of General Diaz, we may hope never 
 asain to hear of revolution in Mexico.
 
 r 
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO, 81 
 
 The Mexican people have grasped the abstract idea | J 
 of liberty, but they have not yet secured the practical I ^ 
 realization of popular freedom. That realization will \ ^ 
 come. Education and the railways will develop a I t 
 middle class ; the poverty of the masses will be amelio- 1 | 
 rated ; popular elections will be something more than \ 
 a form ; a true system of local representation in con- 9 
 gress will be obtained ; the army will cease to be the (f\ 
 chief power in the State ; and Mexico will become in a 
 reality a republic. The patience of friendly and sym- a 
 pathizing nations will, before this result is attained, 
 be often tried, perhaps ; but no true American can help 
 entertaining a profound sympathy for a sister nation 
 working out for herself the great problem of self-gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 These were some of the reflections which forced 
 themselves upon the mind of each one of the party 
 as he resumed the inactive state, once more, as a pas- 
 senger in one or the other of the Buffet cars, while 
 leaving the old city of Mexico for home. 
 
 Thursday, May loth. The train stopped at San 
 Juan del Rio for the night, and started again early 
 this morning, reaching Queretaro at about 8.30 a. m. 
 An opportunity was now given the party to visit the 
 famous Hercules Mills. Don Cayetano Rubio, the 
 present manager of this vast establishment, himself 
 met us at the station, which was very near the mill- 
 grounds, and accompanied the vistors through the 
 factory. 
 
 This factory was begun in 1840 by Senor Rubio, the
 
 82 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 father of the present incumbent. The cost of building 
 it, together with the grounds, was $4,000,000. It is 
 a sort of citadel. Enclosed by a high wall provided 
 with port-holes, occupying several acres, and giving 
 employment to 1,400 operatives, it forms a manufac- 
 turing town of itself. The Rubio family live here, and 
 their apartments adjoin a beautiful garden laid out 
 with artificial ponds and ornamented with statues. 
 The buildings are of stone, and the machinery has 
 been imported principally from England. Both steam 
 and water power are used, and it has one of the larg- 
 est overshot wheels in the world, being fifty feet in 
 diameter. They keep a small "army" of forty sol- 
 diers, who are provided with muskets and howitzers. 
 Thus far the owners have defended their property 
 successfully against the insurgents during several rev- 
 olutions. 
 
 A short ride in the street-cars brought us to the city 
 of Queretaro, about two miles farther, and where our 
 train had gone to wait for us. An amusing incident is 
 related by a gentleman who recently returned from 
 Queretaro. Calling upon a resident, who owned a 
 most pronouncedly Scotch name, he addressed him in 
 English. The reply came in Spanish: "For three 
 generations my ancestors have lived here, and I 
 cannot speak a word of English. I will call my 
 sons : they speak English well, for I sent them to 
 the mother country to learn it." 
 
 The journey home from this point was made as 
 quickly as possible, there being some in our party who 
 were a little indisposed, and therefore were anxious to
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 83 
 
 reach their homes. The places we stopped at were 
 principally the same that were visited on our way to 
 Mexico ; so there is little if anything new or interest- 
 ing to relate about them. General-Manager Robinson 
 did his best to get the party off the Mexican Central 
 Road as quickly as possible, making the last 720 miles 
 in twenty-four hours. We reached Paso del Norte on 
 the morning of Saturday, May 17th. Four gentlemen 
 of the party, Messrs. Alden, Pierce, Jones, and 
 Sewall, left us at this point, and went to California for 
 a little trip before returning home. 
 
 Now bidding farewell to General-Manager Robinson, 
 who goes back to Mexico, we cross the Rio Grande to 
 El Paso, where our baggage has to go through the 
 usual formalities with officials of "Uncle Sam's" 
 dominions ; and, as some of the party remarked " We 
 are once more in God's country." Whether this be 
 true or no, there is one thing sure, we are no longer 
 foreigners. 
 
 A few remarks in relation to the Mexican Central 
 Road will not be inappropriate ere we close this jour- 
 nal. The survey made of the road was careful and 
 impartial. A number of the party were capitalists, 
 with no interest in the securities of the Company, and 
 they all concur in one opinion : that the Central's enor- 
 mous length of road is destined in the near future to 
 be a first-class piece of railway property. Every one 
 expressed admiration at the solidity of the road's con- 
 struction, its smoothness and skilful engineering 
 achievements, whereby many great difficulties have 
 been overcome. The bridges, which are of u'on, are
 
 84 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 of the latest approved pattern. What is of more im- 
 mediate interest is, that the natives are using the trains 
 freely. We continually noted the fulness of the trains 
 that we passed along the entire length of the road. 
 The wealthy Mexicans are taking eagerly to the luxu- 
 rious Pullmans, and not infrequently hire a whole car 
 for themselves and families. The railway has given a 
 powerful impulse to visiting between cities formerly 
 many days' distance from one another. There is no 
 reason to doubt the large use of the passenger equip- 
 ment of the Company. 
 
 In regard to derailments, most of the reports tele- 
 graphed to the United States in relation to them have 
 been wildly sensational and exaggerated. However, 
 they do not seem to interfere with the increase of 
 tourists from the United States. An agent of the 
 Rock Island Road says that he has arranged for an 
 excursion party of one hundred rich Mexicans and 
 their families to come to this country over the Central. 
 They will visit Niagara Falls, New York, Philadelphia, 
 and Washington, returning over the Central ; and sim- 
 ilar excursions will undoubtedly follow thereafter. 
 
 The higher class of the Central's officials appear to 
 be endeavoring to forward the Company's interests. 
 The financial crisis in Mexico necessarily interferes 
 with the movement of business, but in the face of all 
 this the freight traffic is increasing. The road-carriers, 
 who used to do the work of transportation, and have 
 been displaced by the railroad, are now largely 
 engaged in developing the freight business between the 
 railroad and points from twenty to one hundred miles
 
 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 85 
 
 on either side. The owners of estates are increasing 
 their acreage. They are said to be selling off their 
 mules, and shipping their products by rail. On the 
 expiration of existing contracts with mule-freighters 
 to the city of Mexico, other owners of large estates 
 will transfer their freights to the Central. With the 
 completion of the side lines to Tampico and Guadala- 
 jara, there is no danger in hazarding the prediction 
 that the Central's business will be largely increased. 
 Cattle shipments are steadily increasing on the Central, 
 it being found that cattle lose less in weight when 
 going to the city of Mexico by rail. There is, there- 
 fore, no doubt of the steady growth of the, herding 
 interests in the Mexican tablelands, and a correspond- 
 ing augmentation of freight receipts of the Central. 
 The leading articles of freight on the road, at present, 
 are cattle, coal, cotton, tobacco, dry goods, sugar, 
 and mining supplies. Arrangements are now making 
 for the bringing of coal from America to the large 
 interior cities of Mexico, which are beginning to real- 
 ize the advantages of using coal in place of the costly 
 wood or charcoal which they have hitherto used as a 
 household cooking-fuel. 
 
 The Mexican Central Railway Company has a road 
 which is creditable in construction. By a series of 
 remarkable engineering gymnastics it climbs the moun- 
 tains of Zacatecas, and the notched rim of the Valley 
 of Mexico. The contortions of the railway line in 
 reaching Zacatecas add very much to the interest of 
 the tourist. " Horse-shoes,'^ as bends of that form are 
 usually called, are not only common, but in some in-
 
 86 EXCURSION TO MEXICO- 
 
 stances doubled ; but with these exceptions the Mex- 
 ican Central Road seems, strangely enough in so moun- 
 tainous a country, to traverse a vast plateau. The 
 business of the road is steadily increasing, and the rich 
 land-owners through whose extensive estates the rail- 
 road runs are among the staunchest friends of the 
 enterprise. 
 
 There is now but little more to add to this already 
 too lengthy diary. Leaving El Paso on the forenoon 
 of Saturday, May 17th, and making the usual stops, 
 we reached Kansas City, the terminus of the Atchison 
 Road, on the afternoon of Monday, the 19th. The 
 train was detained only a little, on account of the Rio 
 Grande, which was very much more fierce now than it 
 was when we went over it before ; the beds of water- 
 courses, which before were perfectly dry, were now 
 channels of furious streams, causing some wash-outs, 
 and it required a careful running of the train. The 
 little time that we had at Kansas City was improved 
 by nearly every one of the party in riding about the 
 various places of interest in this enterprising city. 
 
 Tuesday^ May 20th. Those who were fortunate 
 enough to awake early, found plenty upon which to 
 feast their eyes, for a few moments at least, while 
 crossing the Mississippi River, at about 5.30 a. m. We 
 arrived at Chicago in the afternoon, and the party 
 were given an opportunity to view this grand city. A 
 large number of the tourists went to visit Pullman, the 
 unique little town which has been built up by the Pull- 
 man Palace Car Company.
 
 EXCUBSION TO MEXICO. 87 
 
 Several of the party left us at Chicago, and the re- 
 mainder reached their homes on the morning of Thurs- 
 day, May 22d, having accomplished the journey to the 
 city of Mexico and back in less than twenty-four 
 days, including six days spent in the old historic city 
 of Mexico, the mother of Western civilization. 
 
 In conclusion : Mexico is now accessible as she has! 
 never been before, and abandoning all ancient antago- 1 
 nisms of race and customs, she invites every comer I 
 from the United States, the land of her ideals, askingl 
 for no passports and making no inquiries. The coun- 
 try has heretofore presented many obstacles to even 
 the adventurous American traveller ; it has been fenced 
 in by rocky barriers, mountain chains, and immense 
 distances more impassable than any sea, by lack of 
 information concerning it, and by all differences of 
 race, language, and custom. It was, moreover, the^^ 
 l and of countless revolutions and polit ical uncertainties. *V 
 wliPVP thP hnnrlit or highway robber held triumphant f 
 sway. Thi s has all been so far changed sinop thp o 
 
 co mpletion of the >rpvipn.n Cpntml Rnilrnflflj that fhp /M 
 
 requisites now of a most delightful journey are merely ^ 
 a through ticket and return, and a berth in a Buffet -- 
 car. 
 
 The country is delightful, and undoubtedly repays 
 a visit. Of tropical latitude, but of immense eleva- 
 tion, the climate remains the same through winter and 
 summer. Tropical fruits are the usual products of 
 every month in the year. The inner man may be sur- 
 prised here with strange beverages, and the palate be 
 accustomed to dishes hitherto unknown.
 
 88 EXCURSION TO MEXICO. 
 
 Every Mexican, of every grade and class, will be 
 found to be a courteous man. Ask a Mexican gentle- 
 man a question on the street, and he will shake hands 
 with you on parting. People whom you never saw 
 before, and will in all probability never see again, will 
 willingly show you every attention, simply because you 
 are a stranger. There are thifeves, and some very 
 ingenious and inveterate ones ; but, is there a country 
 on the globe that is free from them ? 
 
 Americans are, in certain things, the most inconsid- 
 erately impatient of all people. When we go to Mex- 
 ico, which is one of the ) slowest co un tries on earth j^ we 
 shall have a much better time if we do not try to reform 
 the country. We should avoid the impatient "gesture, 
 the disgusted look, and the pushing demeanor which 
 accomplishes nothing, and bear in mind that we are in 
 the land of manana and liiego. Since we must wait, 
 more or less, we may as well be patient and philosoph- 
 ical about it.
 
 t
 
 University of California 
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 
 
 Return this material to the library 
 
 from which it was borrowed.
 
 w 
 
 A 000 195 292 8