r field. Where a trunk line
of railroad a thousand miles or more is demanded, as in the instance of
the Mexican Central, they are sure to be found at the front, with
capital, executive ability, and the energy which commands success. The
surveys for the Mexican railroads demanding the very best ability were
made by Americans, the locomotive drivers are nearly all Americans, and
more than half the conductors upon the regular railway trains are
Americans. The infusion of American spirit among the Mexican people is
perhaps slow, but it is none the less sure and steady.

Each sort of business has its distinctive emblem. The butcher always
hangs out a crimson banner. In some portions of the town there are
painted caricatures on the fronts of certain places to designate their
special business. For instance, in front of a pulque shop is found a
laughable figure of a man with a ponderous stomach, drinking his
favorite tipple. At another, which is the popular drinking resort of the
bull-fighters, is represented a scene where a picadore is being tossed
high in air from the horns of an infuriated bull, and so on. The names
of some of the streets of the capital show how the Roman Catholic Church
has tried to impress itself upon the attention of the populace even in
the titles of large thoroughfares. Thus we have the Crown of Thorns
Street, the Holy Ghost Bridge, Mother of Sorrows Street, Blood of
Christ Street, Holy Ghost Street, Street of the Sacred Heart, and the
like. Protestants of influence have protested against this use of names,
and changes therein have been seriously considered by the local
government. As previously explained, some of these streets have been so
named because there were churches bearing these titles situated in them.

Friday, the 28th of March, the day of Viernes de Dolores, was a floral
festal occasion in and about the city of Mexico. The origin of this
observance we did not exactly understand, except that it is an old
Indian custom, which is carefully honored by all classes, and a very
beautiful one it most certainly is. For several days previous to that
devoted to the exhibition, preparations were made for it by the erection
of frames, tents, canvas roofing, and the like, in the centre of the
alameda and over its approaches. At sunrise on the day designated, the
people resorted in crowds to the broad and beautiful paths, roadways,
and circles of the delightful old park, to find pyramids of flowers
elegan