Santa Rosalia.--Mineral Springs.--Chihuahua.--A Peculiar City.--Cathedral.
--Expensive Bells.--Aqueduct.--Alameda.--Hidalgo's Prison and his
Fate.--Eulalia.--A Large State.--A Grand Avenue of Trees.--Local
Artists.--Grotesque Signs.--Influence of Proximity to the United
States.--Native Villages.--Dangerous Sand-Spouts.--Reflections on
Approaching the Frontier.--Pleasant Pictures photographed upon the
Memory.--Juarez, the Border Town of Mexico.--City of El Paso, Texas.
--Railroad Interests.--Crossing the Rio Grande.--Greeted by the Stars
and Stripes.
Santa Rosalia is a quiet, quaint old place, with six or seven thousand
inhabitants; but, being on the direct line of the Mexican Central
Railroad, it is sure to rapidly increase in numbers and in material
prosperity. Though it is now scarcely more than a country village, still
it has its plaza and its alameda, in the former of which a military band
performs two evenings in each week. A couple of small but most valuable
rivers, the Rio Conchos and the Rio Florido, flank the town and afford
excellent means for irrigation, which are improved to the utmost, the
effects of which are clearly visible to the most casual observer, in the
delightful verdure and the promise of teeming crops. The place has a
most equable climate, for which reason many northern invalids suffering
from pulmonary troubles have come hither annually. A few miles west of
Santa Rosalia are mineral springs believed to possess great curative
properties, especially in diseases of a rheumatic type. There are yet no
comfortable accommodations for invalids, but we were told that it was
contemplated to build a moderate cost hotel at this point. The ruins of
the fort captured by the American army on its way to join General Taylor
are seen near Santa Rosalia.
Still pursuing our northward course, bearing a little westerly, over an
immense desert tract so devoid of water that the railway train is
obliged to transport large cisterns on freight cars to supply the
necessary article for the use of its locomotive, we finally reach
Chihuahua,--pronounced Chee-waw-waw,--capital of the state of the same
name. One would think this immediate region must be well watered, as we
cross several rivers while in the state. Among them the Florido, at
Jimenez; the Concho, just north of Santa Rosalia; the San Pedro, at
Ortiz, and the Chubisca, near to the city of Chihuahua. This name is
aboriginal, and signifies "The place where things are made." It was
founded in 1539, and lies upon a wide, open plain at the base of the
Sierra Madre, whose undulating heights are exquisitely outlined in
various hues against the sky, and beneath whose surfaces are hidden rich
veins of iron, copper, and silver. The valley extends towards the north
as far as the eye can reach. It is looking southward that we see the
disordered ranks of the mountain range. When we first came upon the
town, it rested beneath a cloudless sky, bathed in a flood of warm,
bright sunlight. We were told that these are the prevailing conditions
for seven months of the year. This is on the main line of the Mexican
Central Railroad, a thousand miles, more or less, north of the city of
Mexico, and has a population of about eighteen or twenty thousand; but,
like most of the Mexican cities, it once contained a much larger number
of inhabitants than it can boast of to-day. It will be remembered that
the American forces, in the year 1847, advanced upon and took possession
of the city after the battle of Sacramento, which occurred February 28
of that year. This was the force commanded by Colonel Doniphan, and from
here it made the celebrated march southward, forming a junction with the
division of General Taylor.
The city presents a pleasing and thrifty aspect, though most of the
houses are but one story in height and constructed of adobe, with low,
flat roofs, very much like an Egyptian town,--a comparison which is
constantly occurring to us in Mexico. The patios of the better class of
houses are ornamented with flowering plants, and pets of all sorts,
especially birds, are numerous, the favorite species being the
mocking-bird. One patio we noticed full to repletion of tame pigeons,
blue, black, white, and mottled fantails. The state and government
buildings, the mint with its low, square tower, and a few other edifices
are large and handsome structures. In the tower of the mint the patriot
Hidalgo was confined, with three of his comrades, previous to their
execution. They were shot here July 31, 1811. In the Plaza de Armas
there stands a fine monument to the memory of Hidalgo. The cathedral,
the shell of which cost over eight hundred thousand dollars, stands on
one side of the plaza, an area ornamented as usual with beautiful trees
and flowers, together with a large fountain in the centre, about which
are winding paths, and benches whereon to enjoy the shade. This is a
delightful resort in the evening, when the music-loving populace are
regaled with the admirable performance of a Mexican military band three
or four times a week. The cathedral is of the Moorish and Gothic orders
combined, and it has considerable architectural merit, bearing upon its
rather crudely ornamented front thirteen statues, representing San
Francisco and the twelve apostles. The interior was found to contain
some interesting and valuable oil-paintings, though we saw them in an
extremely bad light. The towers of this cathedral are remarkable for a
costly collection of bells, and the interior of the church for a series
of magnificent carvings. One of these bells is pointed out to the
visitor as having been broken by a cannon-ball during the bombardment of
the town by the French in 1866. The other sides of the plaza are
bordered by the state buildings and the best stores of the town.
The gray, crumbling line of an arched stone aqueduct, built long ago to
supply the town with water, forms a picturesque feature of the environs.
There is an admirably kept alameda for public enjoyment, divided by four
rows of ancient cottonwood-trees, some of which are five feet in
diameter. The Rio Chubisca flows through the city. Crops are raised
solely by liberal irrigation; water is the one thing most needed on
this high, flat land. Some of the finest grapes in Mexico are raised in
great abundance here, and are shipped both to the south and across the
border into our own country. A very large share of the republic, with
its volcanic soil, is admirably adapted to this industry. Fifteen miles
from Chihuahua are the rich silver mines of Eulalia. The road thither is
a rough one, but many persons enjoy the excursion, over what at first
sight seems to be a plain of lava, though as there is no volcano
visible, one is a little at fault in divining from whence it came. We
were told finally that it was slag from the workings of the mines at
Eulalia, and that more modern processes of disintegration and
amalgamation might extract good pay in silver from these "tailings," now
spread broadcast for many miles on the surface of the plain. Santa
Eulalia is a rude hamlet lying among the mountains, with a very humble
mining population and a small stone church. There are over two hundred
mines in and about these hills, all of which have been worked more or
less successfully.
This state, by the way, is the largest in the republic, being about the
size of New York and Pennsylvania combined. To be exact, the state is
four hundred and thirty miles long from north to south, and three
hundred, thirty-seven miles wide, It is famous for its many sheep and
cattle ranches, affording, as it does, great advantages for
stock-raising. Large herds are driven over the borders into our own
country every season, and sold to American herdsmen, to be driven still
further north and fattened for the eastern and northern markets. There
is a quaint, oriental aspect about the adobe-built town which would
prove very attractive to an artist's eye. One tree-embowered roadway
attracted our attention, which so strikingly resembled the Beacon Street
Mall in Boston as to call forth remarks to that effect from more than
one of our party. It is known as the Calle de Guadalupe. The deep shadow
of the long gothic arch, formed by the entwined branches, was exquisite
in effect. In the busy portion of the town, groups of Indians, wrapped
in bright-colored blankets, added variety to the scene.
Wood carvings and wax figures from the hands of intelligent native
artists,--for artists they are--come so near to one's ideas of
perfection as to be a surprise. This artistic genius was also observed
among the humbler classes further south, and is by no means confined to
the neighborhood of Chihuahua. After a few moments of watchful
observation of even a stranger, some of these Indians will retire, and
in an almost incredibly brief space of time will return with an
excellent likeness of the individual whom they design to represent, not
merely as regards his ordinary physique, but in facial expression.
Practice has made them quite perfect in this impromptu modeling.
Chihuahua, if we may credit the historians, as well as judge by the
remains, once had a population of two hundred thousand.
A singular and most disagreeable custom was observed here which prevails
in some other Mexican cities: that of placing fantastic signs, painted
in gigantic size, on the outside of shops. These are grotesque
representations of the business carried on within. It would seem as
though the object was to ridicule the proprietor's occupation by the
vulgarity of these signs. Be this as it may, the inevitable half dozen
pulque drinkers lean upon the counter all the while, absorbing the
liquid which brings insensibility. As they drop off one by one, their
places are taken by others, who are promptly supplied by the plethoric
bar-tender. In the plaza peons were offering for sale a very small
species of dog indigenous to this district, tiny creatures, peculiarly
marked and evidently stunted by some artificial means. However, some of
our party were captivated, and became purchasers of the delicate little
tremulous creatures. Considerable building was observed to be in
progress here, not structures of adobe, but fine stone edifices, of an
attractive and modern style of architecture, three stories in height.
One of these was designed for a hotel, and would be an ornament to any
city.
Though Chihuahua is two hundred and twenty-five miles south of the Rio
Grande, still it shows many signs of its proximity to this country. Such
buildings as we have just referred to would not be thought of in middle
or southern Mexico. American fashions in many things are obvious; a
large portion of the population speak English; the faces of the common
people evince more intelligence; and the masses are better clothed than
they are a little further south. We found that free schools were
established and other matters of higher civilization were in progress.
Many of the customs prevailing north of the national boundary line have
been adopted here. The universal burro of Mexico begins to disappear,
and strong, shapely mules and large horses take his place. Beggars are
few and far between.
There is very little of interest to engage the traveler's attention on
the route of the Mexican Central Railroad between Chihuahua and Juarez,
formerly known as Paso del Norte. The country is quite sterile, varied
by occasional long, tedious reaches of cactus and mesquite bushes, or a
few cottonwood-trees wherever a water-course is found. The mesquite
grows to the height of ten or twelve feet. The seeds are contained in a
small pod, and are used by the natives to make a sort of bread which is
sweet to the taste. The wood is extremely hard and heavy. At long
distances apart a native village comes into view, composed of low,
square, adobe cabins. The treeless character of this section of country
is not without a depressing influence, while the want of water is only
too manifest everywhere. Sometimes one sees for hours a fairly good
grazing country, and, where water is available, some cereals are raised.
Corn, wheat, and barley occasionally form broad expanses of delightful
green. Still, only the most primitive means of agriculture are in use,
reminding the observer of the unfulfilled possibilities of the really
capable soil. Where these fertile districts are seen, the results are
brought about by the same irrigating ditches that the aborigines used
more than three hundred years ago. The touch of moisture is like the
enchanter's wand. In California, water is conveyed thirty, forty, and
even fifty miles, by means of ditch and flume; here the sources of
supply are not usually half the first-named distance away. Grapes are
grown, as at Chihuahua, in great abundance, the soil seeming to be
particularly adapted to their cultivation. Many tons of the big purple
fruit are regularly converted into wines of different brands, said to be
fully equal to the product of California.
As the sea has its water-spouts, so the land has its sand-spouts,
whereby the whirlwinds, forming on and sweeping over the barren plains,
gather up the soil and rush circling along with it for miles, sustaining
the mass in the air, two hundred feet or more in height. This phenomenon
was often observed while traveling on the Mexican plateau. Sometimes, as
has already been said, half a dozen were seen at a time. Between
Chihuahua and Juarez they were again observed. The course of these dusty
pillars of sand was generally towards the foothills of the high ranges.
The moment any large obstacle is encountered, as is the case with a
water-spout at sea, they are at once broken and disappear. Any ordinary
cabin or other frail building which is struck by a sand-spout is pretty
sure to be demolished. This might not always follow, as they move with
different degrees of force, some being vastly more powerful than others.
Trees are not infrequently broken and destroyed by them. We were told
that horses and cattle exposed upon the plain were sometimes taken up in
the suction of air caused by their progress, carried a hundred rods or
more, and then dropped to the ground lifeless. Other stories were heard
of the erratic performances of sand-spouts on the Mexican plateau, but
they were of a nature requiring too much credulity for us to repeat them
in these pages.
As one approaches the frontier, a feeling of regret steals over the
traveler that he is hourly leaving behind him a country in which so much
delight has been briefly experienced. That discomforts have been
encountered is very true,--withering heat, dust, fatigue, and
indifferent food, but these quickly fade into mere shadows. Not the
pains, but the pleasures, of such a journey remain indelibly fixed in
the memory. No cunningly painted canvas is so retentive as the active
brain. While we roll over the broad cactus plains, closing the eyes in
thought, a panorama moves before us, depicting vivid tableaux from our
two months' experience in Aztec Land. We listen in imagination at the
sunset hour to distant vesper bells, floating softly over the hills, and
see the bowed heads and folded hands of the peons. Once more we gaze
delighted upon lovely valleys, dark shadowy gorges, far-reaching plains
of cacti and yucca palms, bordered by lofty, snow-tipped mountains; we
see again the exuberant fruitfulness of the tropics, and the loveliness
of the floral kingdom in this land of the sun; once more we stroll
through the dimly lighted aisles of grand cathedrals, listening to the
solemn chant of human voices, and the organ's deep reverberating tones;
or view again the suggestive ruins of a vanished race. Groups of the
native population in many colors, long lines of heavily-laden burros,
dashing caballeros and lovely senoritas, pass in turn before the mind's
eye. Now a grand comprehensive scene comes before us, a view from the
battlements of Chapultepec, from the hill of Guadalupe, or the Pyramid
of Cholula, and, above all, that presented from the towers of the superb
cathedral of Mexico. This is not an enchanting dream, but the exquisite
photography of memory, a store of glowing pictures for future mental
enjoyment. It is such experiences and memories which render us never
less alone than when alone.
Juarez is the northern end of the great railway line, the border town
between Mexico and the United States, where we cross the Rio Grande to
enter the city of El Paso, Texas, a town which promises in due course to
become a grand commercial centre. At the present time the most
remunerative business of the thrifty but ugly looking place, seems to be
that of smuggling, which is carried on with a large degree of enterprise
by the people of both nationalities. This arises from the excessive
duties put on both the necessities and luxuries of life by the Mexican
tariff. Juarez is an old settlement, dating from 1585, and is situated
three thousand eight hundred feet above the sea. It is subject to great
extremes of heat and cold, the thermometer showing 105 deg. Fahr. at times
in July, and 5 deg. below zero in January. Snow falls here occasionally to
the depth of two feet, while the Rio Grande freezes hard enough to bear
heavily laden mule wagons. It is difficult for the place to cast off its
former name, El Paso del Norte (Passage of the North), so called
because of the ford on the river and the pass which nature here
constructed between the mountains. The town extends along the west bank
of the river some three miles, and back from it about one mile. The Rio
Grande water is passable for drinking purposes, and good for general
use, though it is somewhat impregnated with alkali.
Juarez possesses many fine old trees and much attractive verdure. It has
numerous modern and handsome edifices, and the place is sure eventually
to be a large distributing railway centre. The Southern Pacific
Company's line, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the Mexican Central,
and the Texas Pacific railways all diverge from this point. There is an
ancient stone church here which will be sure to interest the stranger,
dark and gloomy within, but full of votive contributions and quaint
belongings, recalling the chapel of Notre Dame de la Garde on the hill
which overlooks Marseilles, where the Mediterranean seamen have
deposited so many marine toys, images, and curiosities.
At Juarez the narrow, shallow Rio Grande, with its bare quicksands, was
once more crossed, and the Texas city of El Paso, shadeless and
verdureless, was reached. Its population is what would be expected in a
frontier town of this region, while an air of crudeness permeates
everything. As the vestibule train which had been our home for the past
two months crossed the iron bridge, and as we came once more on to the
soil of our own country, the American flag on the custom-house station
was dipped three times in acknowledgment of our hearty cheers, and to
welcome the party on its successful return from a long, but delightful
journey through the states of the Mexican republic.
_BOOKS BY MATURIN M. BALLOU._
AZTEC LAND. A New Book. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
This fresh book of travel, while extremely interesting as regards the
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THE NEW ELDORADO. A Summer Journey to Alaska. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
A charming book of travel, full of information concerning our great
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DUE WEST; or, ROUND THE WORLD IN TEN MONTHS. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
It is a book of books on foreign travel, and deserves to be in the hands
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Few persons have traveled so extensively, and no one more profitably,
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_EDITED BY MR. BALLOU._
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The first noticeable thing about "Pearls of Thought" is that the
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A remarkable compilation of brilliant and wise sayings from more than a
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Mr. Ballou displays a broad and thorough knowledge of men of genius in
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*** _For sale by all Booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on receipt of price
by the Publishers_,
_HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY,
4 Park St., Boston; 11 East 17th St., New York._
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| Transcriber's Note: |
| |
| Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the |
| original document have been preserved. |
| |
| Typographical errors corrected in the text: |
| |
| Page 8 Teotihuachan changed to Teotihuacan |
| Page 54 Cohahuila changed to Coahuila |
| Page 58 guage changed to gauge |
| Page 107 manana changed to manana |
| Page 180 earthern changed to earthen |
| Page 188 differents changed to different |
| Page 205 cabalero changed to caballero |
| Page 296 word "is" added after "In growth this" |
| Page 322 Cope changed to Cofre |
| Page 322 Peroto changed to Perote |
| Page 335 Gaudalajara changed to Guadalajara |
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