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Show LOGAN CITY, JANUARY 1, 1880. FROM MEXICO. We have been permitted to present to our readers the following letter, from Elder Moses Thatcher now in Mexico, to the Presidency of the Cache Valley Stake; and would be pleased to publish other communications from the same sources. Believing that you will be glad to hear from me while in this far off land, residing in the city where once the Montezumas made their home, I devote a few ???? moments while thinking of you, to write to you. On the morning off the 14th inst. We landed, after a six days voyage, at Vera Cruz, "the city of the true cross," and I, for the first time, set my feet upon the soil of Mexico. The sensation experienced by one on finding himself in a foreign country among a people whose habits and language confuse him, are more easily imagined than described. Hence I shall leave the former to you rather than attempt the latter. I was forcibly struck with the quaint appearance of barefooted men driving little scrawny mules, hitched by means of ropes two or three abreast, to ponderous, unwieldy awkward looking drays. The costumes worn by them (the men not the donkeys) was of the simplest kind, consisting of a light sombero (hat), cotton shirt and pants to correspond. Indeed, the excessive heat renders more abundant clothing unnecessary. An addition might certainly add to style but not to comfort. During the fifteen hours we spent there waiting for the night train, the perspiration oozed out of every pore like copious drops of rain. But notwithstanding the heat so oppressively felt on the const at this point, some seventy-five miles in the interior grand old Mount Orizala rises 15,900? feet above, piercing the sky with his perpetually snow and ice clad peak, two thousand feet below which, it is said a person unless warmly clad would find himself snow bound and freezing. Perhaps it was this towering landmark clothed then, as now, in robes of whiteness, which led Cortes to land here and found the city of Vera Cruz A.D. 1519. Among the buildings of note the most remarkable one here is the old fortress, or castle of San Juan Ulila? built by Cortes on an artificial island formed for that purpose and which it is said cost the government of Spapin $15,000,000. The bills for the work when presented to Charles V. caused that monarch to meditatively look out of his window westward. When asked what he was looking at he replied, 'To see the castle rising out of the sea, for at such a cost we should be able to behold it from Spain.' The streets of Vera Cruz are narrow cobble paved and cross at right angles. They are kept clean by vultures, which fairly blacken the tops of the houses and swarm ??? on the domes and spire ??? which, for the size ??? elsewhere in Mexico, also ??? voraciously seize ??? garbage and filth as ??? into the ??? this line of business they have a complete monopoly bearing full away. As the shades of night close down upon this devoted"Christian City" those carrion eaters settle by thousands upon, fairly clouding with their dark plumage the roof, dome, and towering spires of the more lofty cathedrals. Such a sight was a new and novel one, causing thoughts of sadness and sorrow to brood over me; for, I could but think that, as these birds of filth, the lowest of their kind, had perhaps for centuries hovered on the outside of these "heathen temples", so that those of a more dangerous character and at heart, by practice made of a darker hue, had hovered on the inside, fattening by making merchandise of the souls of men. Turning from the folly of man, we walked just outside the eastern limits of the city into a rather nice park, near which we noticed an old church building which was bombarded by Gen. Scott during the war of 1816?, but now undergoing repairs. In the park we behold myriads of glow-worms shining like sparkling jewels radiating from a sea of blue and green. Later we visited a smaller park in the heart of the city. Here we witnessed a ??? animated scene, the place being brilliantly lighted and almost surrounded by boothes [booths] at which cakes, candies, fruits, and toys of almost every kind were being offered for sale; while the everlasting lottery tickets, a staple in Mexico, was being auctioneered in the most approved and energetic manner. Hundreds of people thronged the walks, and reclined upon the comfortable seats. Vera Cruz without double contains a people in their way, much given to pleasure. But I leave it and them while we speed our way 293 miles over one of the finest constructed railroads in the world to the old historic city of Mexico. Of the scenery along this line I must give you some account although I fully realize how very imperfect must be any description which I can give of views so surpassingly grand and lovely. We took train at 11:30 p.m. and of course could form but little idea of the country through which we were passing. We could realize however by the labored snort of the powerful twelve driving wheel Farley engine wrapping us in a continuous shower of sparks, that we were being drawn up, up into the clouds. The chilly night breezes admonishing us that we were fast passing the torrid heat of the coast. As day began to break and tinge the eastern sky with yellow and gold, I gazed from mountain hights [heights] into a fathomless ocean of blue beneath; over which hung fleecy flitting clouds faintly veiling nature in her slumbering beauty. Intervening rose massive mountain peaks whose shadowns kiss the sloping hills covered with a luxurious tropical growth surpassing anything of the kind which I have ever beheld. The train sweeps around lofty peaks threading steep mountain sides, the rushing torrents from which like threads of silver are far below. Then rapidly descends Mallac? Canyon, and curves a complete half circle upon one of the finest iron bridges in the world hundreds of feet beneath which rush the foaming waters. Then ascends the opposite mountain side through tunnels flitting by which one gazes enraptured through a purple bluish haze miles down this gap in nature's grandeur, beholding a scene that at once awes, inspires but defied description. How wonderful, how grandly beautiful, how surpassingly lovely, are the grand towering works of the Creator. How insignificantly small, how vastly inferior, are all the works of man when compared with what one may see of the works of Jehovah, at a single glance, among the cloud capped mountains of Mexico. In the United States we hear much about the Horse-Shoe [Horseshoe] Bend on the line of the Pennsylvania railroad. But for beauty of surroundings or as an exhibition of the skill of man's engineering ability it will bear no comparison with that of Mellac Canyon. Passing over the first divide, the sun rises as upon the wings of the morning breezes; along the western slopes the shadows deepen, while those on the east, brighten and blend as the ever changing shades of the rainbow. Gliding swiftly by moss-covered cathedrals and by an occasional ruin rising out of the soft velvety green of perpetual Spring, we enter the lovely little, mountain girt valley of Orizala. Its quaint ancient looking city nestles among the broad leaf foliage at the base of that grand old mountain height, from which the valley takes its name, that silent sentinel of ages, standing amidt the ever changing beauties of its surroundings, alike indifferent in the beatings of the ocean-bred tempest, or the kisses of the morning light as they are showered upon his ice crowned head; upon which it is believed the foot of man has never trod. Continuing up this valley we pass a large pyramidal earthern mound on each side of the road. We note them as the foot prints of those who have lived ages before. But the length of this communication admonishes me that I must pass by a further description of this enchanting mountain country in order to give you some idea of the table lands down which we descend in entering the valley of Mexico. Reaching Buen del Monte, the highest point on the railroad, we at once begin to traverse what might almost be termed an arid sands waste, forbidding in appearance. The cars, as we now rush down grade, fill with a blowing suffocating sandy dust. The change was so sudden and so great I wondered whether or not it was anything like that which Adam and Eve experienced when driven from the garden of Eden. The fact is, I was greatly disappointed in the country and surroundings through which we were now passing. Short and stunted barley and an occasional hedge of the maguey plant (the same from which the Mexicans derive their national drink of Pulque pronounced "poolka") were about the only signs of vegetation to be seen, except now and then a dwarfed tree on the mountains. For miles in every direction the winding course of canals, now dry, could be traced. At every little station along the line swarms of Indian women, boys, and aged Mexican men were offering their queer contributions of food, into the mystery of the compound of which one shudders at the idea of being initiated. That horrid word "puqal" if I heard it once that day I did 500 times. It is so buried in my memory I fear I shall never forget it. And just think of its being transported on donkeys in the skins of the greasy grunter (pig skins)! Then imagine one of these uncorded at the hind leg and the milky looking juice poured into to drink from the skin of a porker which erhaps for months has absorbed the perspiration of the patient donkey as he carries his heavy load of intoxicants across the sandy plains. Ugh! As we neared the City of Mexico [unreadable line] began to increase. Hundreds and thousands of acres of the maguey plant, much larger than that seen before, stretched as far as the eye could reach, covering the hill sides with a dense green. It was dark when we entered the city, of which I shall not now attempt any description. There are many things connected with it and its surroundings which I think would interest you; and I may write about them hereafter. With a few items more I must close this lengthy communication, the reading of which I fear will weary you. In the City of Mexico the English do the banking; French are the clothiers; Germans deal in cutlery and hardware; the Spaniards in groceries, bread and drinks; while our countrymen furnish the instruments of death, in the shape of breech loaders, bayonets, sabres [sabers] and knives. The Mexicans care less for business , but are much given to politics. The standing army of 10,000 and the police of the city are mostly pure blooded Indians, some of them fine looking and efficient officers. The president of the republic, Porfirio Diaz, is said also to be of pure blood and be from the state of Oaxaca (pronounced O-ah-hack-ah) from whence of late years the most eminent soldiers and statesmen have come. The Indians also do most of the farm labor; indeed they are the workers in the hive of Mexico. The manners of the entire people are exceedingly polite. It is said that society ere is organized on the strictest rules of conventionality. In the mixture of the races the dark are becoming white. How soon they will become "delight??" I know not. Here as elsewhere we find the extremes of wealth and poverty very striking. It is not unusual to meet men bearing the name of the Son and even of the Father, while some of the streets (rather dark ones too), bear the name of the Holy Ghost. On Sunday evenings one can see from 300 to 500 carriages drawn by the most superb horses - indeed magnificent turn outs. I doubt whether New York or Chicago can excel them. With all this and ten thousand more aside from the calls of duty and compassion, "there is no place like home." And there is no people so happy, so blessed and so universally prospered as the Saints in Utah and the surrounding Territories. City of Mexico, Hotel San Carlos, Nov. 24, '9 |