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 in