Guadalajara

“ The Mexican seems to relish constant uproar, and if Guadalajara is ever to be the open-air health resort for frayed nerves and weakened lungs it aspires to, there must come a diligent suppression of unnecessary noises. As the evening gathering evaporates, leaving the plaza sprinkled with a few dreamy mortals and scattered policemen eating the lunch their wives bring and share with them, pandemonium seems to be released from its confinement. ”

“ This is a really handsome community, with fine public buildings; and it forms a centre of Mexican civilisation and education of which its inhabitants are proud: not without sufficient reason. The people of Guadalajara love to term their city the "The Queen of the West," for the city lies upon the Pacific watershed, although the Western Sierra Madre intervenes between her and the great ocean. The population of Guadalajara numbers rather more than 101,000, and the city is famed for its public monuments and institutions, religious and secular. ”

“ There are several woolen and cotton manufactories in Guadalajara.
Opinions are divided as to whether this city or Puebla should rank next to Mexico in wealth and commercial importance.
Guadalajara lies in a fertile region. The cereals, fruits, and vegetables grow in abundance. Some farms are said to yield as much as forty bushels of Indian corn to the acre.
The following table of distances will be found useful;
An excursion may be made to the Lake of Chapala, about 40 miles distant. This lake is the largest in Mexico, having an area of 415 square miles. (See p. 30.) ”

“ Avé purissima! the waking hours by day, and sleepless ones by night, that Spanish maidens have caused me! "I'm not a lover now," but still, I derived great consolation in admiring these sweet donçellas; and fearing a relapse to former maladies, I shook hands with the Padre, buckled on spurs and sabre, and as the cathedral bell was tolling ten, I was leaving Guadalajara, with its blaze of lights and beauty, behind me. ”

“ PLAZA OF QUADALAJARA. The city of Guadalajara, 150 leagues from Mexico, the capital of Jalisco, is situated upon an extensive plain. Its handsome streets are airy, and many of the houses well built. There are fourteen squares, twelve fountains, and a number of convents and churches, the principal of which is the magnificent Cathedral, whose towers were injured by an earthquake in 1818. An Alameda is beautifully laid out with irregular alleys, planted with trees, interspersed with flowers, while, in the centre, a fountain throws up a constant stream of excellent water. ”

“ At full gallop we rode into the town of Tequilla: considerably fatigued, for I had not slept in forty hours, excepting perhaps now and then a brief cat-nap in the saddle—of a second or two duration—wherein one may dream of years of adventure. However, I determined to hold on twelve leagues beyond, to Guadalajara. It was daylight, and I found Tequilla quite a large place: with picturesque church, clusters of fine trees, all snugly posed in a bowl-like valley—fertile and well watered, with extensive plantations of the argave extending far as the eye could compass, over the neighboring country. ”

“ As night descended we began to pant upward through low hills, wooded, but free from the rocks and boulders of a mining region, and in the first darkness drew up at Guadalajara, second city of Mexico. It is a place that adorns the earth. Jalisco State, of which this is the capital, has been called the Andalusia of Mexico, and the city is indeed a Seville of the West, though lacking in her spontaneity of life, for this cruder people is much more tempered with a constant fear of betraying their crudeness and in consequence much weighed down by "propriety." ”

“ A few of them still remained in Guadalajara, drifting from the saloon to the restaurant, and from the restaurant to the Plaza, relics of a former generation, standing for a different order of things, absolutely idle, living God knew how, happy with their cigarette, their guitar, their glass of mescal, and their siesta. The centenarian remembered Fremont and Governor Alvarado, and the bandit Jesus Tejeda, and the days when Los Muertos was a Spanish grant, a veritable principality, leagues in extent, and when there was never a fence from Visalia to Fresno. ”

“ We turned back to Guadalajara more dead than alive.
"What followed is scarce worth relating. We strove to make another stand, brought down forty-three cannons from San Blas, and fortified ourselves at the bridge of Calderon; but all in vain! The angel of death had marked us for his prey; Guanaxato had quenched our courage; we were no longer the same men. At one moment there seemed still a chance of victory and revenge. Our Indians, who fought like tigers, although without order or discipline, made a desperate charge upon Calleja's army. ”

“ The schools also are good, and it has an engineering and medical college and two industrial schools, one for boys and one for girls. The city was founded in 1541 by Nuño de Guzman. It has a climate far surpassing that of Los Angeles, and, if it were only known, it would become a great centre of tourist travel. Now that the line is built to Manzanillo on the Pacific coast, it is easy to reach Guadalajara from any of the Pacific coast ports in the United States or Canada. Close to Guadalajara are the falls of Juanacatlan, called the Niagara of Mexico (575 feet long and 400 feet high) . ”

“ Ordinarily alcaldes in some, and perhaps all the towns, were elected yearly, requiring, in the larger places at least, confirmation by the president.
Guadalajara, the capital of Nueva Galicia, the cathedral city, the seat of the audiencia, and the place where the royal treasury was kept, swarmed with officials, and he was a humble Spaniard indeed, who filled no public position. It is not necessary to enter more fully into the details of the municipal machinery or the somewhat intricate relations of the different branches of power in this much governed city. ”

“ Calleja entered Guadalajara on the 21st of January. His reception was similar to that of Hidalgo a few weeks before. With wonderful facility these people could be royalists or revolutionists as occasion demanded. In their principles they were governed greatly by the weather. ”

“ Unlike the irresolute and bewildered masses, often guided by ridiculous notions of liberty and equality, these well-drilled pupils of the master could interpret the slightest wink of superior policy, and knew their duty even in so far as to impress upon the duller brains of subordinates and civilians of prominence the prudence of following example, and that promptly. The result was an overwhelming indorsement of the new plan of Guadalajara, couched in the most earnest and even supplicating terms. Santa Anna felt moved by such devotion, such popular tribute to his greatness ”

“ The great Cathedral of Guadalajara is one of the most beautiful and costly temples of worship on the Continent; ranking in Mexico only second to those of Puebla and the City in point of wealth, and for beauty for in advance of the latter. ”

“ The principal city of this State is Guadalajara, a go-ahead community with modern ideas regarding sanitation and education. Some of its streets and suburbs are remarkable for their architecture, and many of its residences are striking in their individuality and outward beauty. There is a most efficient system of police, who, by the way, have a very moderate stipend—about 15s. per week. The inhabitants are pleasure-loving, and innocent amusements of all kinds are greatly in vogue. Club-life is extremely popular ”

“ The capital is Guadalajara, and other important towns with their populations in 1900 (unless otherwise stated) are: Zapotlanejo (20,275) , 21 m. E. by N. of Guadalajara; Ciudad Guzmán (17,374 in 1895) , 60 m. N.E. of Colima; Lagos (14,716 in 1895) , a mining town 100 m. E.N.E. of Guadalajara on the Mexican Central railway; Tamazula (8783 in 1895) ; Sayula (7883) ; Autlán (7715) ; Teocaltiche (8881) ; Ameca (7212 in 1895) , in a fertile agricultural region on the western slopes of the sierras; Cocula (7090 in 1895) ”

“ No animal larger than a rabbit can get through such a fence, and it is equally impervious to a man unless armed with a hatchet.
Señor Sanchez left the train at a station about forty miles east of Guadalajara. The youths named a day when they would visit him, and then continued their journey to the city.
For what they saw and did in Guadalajara we will refer to Fred's note-book:
"It is a handsome city," said the youth, "and we are not surprised to learn that it is considered next to Mexico in importance. ”

“ Guadalajara and San Luis Potosí presented the most formidable opposition. In the latter province Santa Anna with his troops [13] had established a protectorate to be maintained until the federation of states should be constituted; but the energetic resistance of the authorities, supported by General Armijo with the force placed under his command, soon compelled Santa Anna to abandon his plan, and report himself in Mexico to answer for his conduct. [14] In Guadalajara the case was quite different; the cry for a federation was a mere pretext, the agitators' real aim being Iturbide's recall. ”

“ Outside the city limits are a number of factories, Guadalajara being the chief centre for wool and cotton industries. Puebla, nestled among the cloud-capped summits overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, ranks next to the capital in size and importance. From this situation, seven thousand feet above the sea, is a magnificent outlook. The climate is unsurpassed even in this land of perpetual spring. Puebla is connected by a branch road with the railway from Vera Cruz to the capital. ”

“ All the houses in Guadalajara, and in fact in the greater part of Mexico except in some of the foreign colonies, are built in continuous blocks. The front windows on the streets have iron bars covering them, and they all have double front doors ”

“ Guadalajara is bounded on the West, with Xalisco; on the South and South-West, with New Spain; and on the North, with Zacatecas. It is a Countrey exceeding pleasant, and rich in all kind of Commodities, but especially in its Mines of Silver. It is well water’d with the River Barania, which runneth through the midst of it, and with divers other Streams: yielding abundantly both Wheat, Maiz, and some other Grain. In a word, there is nothing said of the properties of New Gallicia in general, either for Soil, Climate, or People, but is peculiarly verifi’d of this Province. ”

“ The castes were most numerous in Guadalajara, Puebla, the north-east provinces, and the mining regions, and the whites mustered in force along the same parallels, where mining and stock-raising presented opportunity for enrichment, and predominated in Nuevo Leon and Sonora. Indeed the sparsely settled north was occupied chiefly by Spaniards and half-breeds, although they assisted to swell the central group of Guanajuato, Puebla, and Mexico, which greatly exceeded the rest in population. ”

“ The Lake of Chapala, lies about fifteen leagues from the city of Guadalajara, and forms a basin among the mountains of 36 to 40 leagues in length by 5 to 8 in breadth. Its usual depth is about six and a half fathoms. Its scenery is remarkably beautiful, and it supplies the neighborhood plentifully with fish and water-fowl.
Jalisco is divided into eight Cantons or Departments:—Guadalajara, Lagos, La Barca, Sayula, Etzatlan, Autlan, Tepic and Colotlan;—containing 8 large cities and towns, 318 small villages, 387 haciendas or plantations, and 2,534 ranchos or farms. ”

“ In seeking a pair of shoes I was sent to a quarter of the town where for an hour every open door gave forth its leather odor, and the wall outside was lined with leather articles. There is no mooted question about shop-made shoes. Every workman sits in front of his door with his kit of tools on the sidewalk and works and waits for custom, and if he does shoddy work it is done under your gaze. All the rope and hemp dealers and workers in sisal are grouped in like manner, and the far-famed Guadalajara pottery can be found all in one square. Guadalajara is the home of the chocolate industry. ”

“ At this time Brigadier Roque Abarca governed in Guadalajara, holding the three-fold office of comandante, president of the audiencia, and intendente. As soon as he received intelligence of the grito de Dolores, he took measures to exclude revolution from his province ”

“ The city is in the Antemarac valley near the Rio Grande de Santiago, 5092 ft. above sea-level. Its climate is dry, mild and healthy, though subject to sudden changes. The city is well built, with straight and well-paved streets, numerous plazas, public gardens and shady promenades. Its public services include tramways and electric lighting, the Juanacatlán falls of the Rio Grande near the city furnishing the electric power. Guadalajara is an episcopal see, and its cathedral, built between 1571 and 1618, is one of the largest and most elaborately decorated churches in Mexico. ”

“ To find the artist of Mexico, of Guadalajara, of San Pedro, you must walk two squares east on the street that leads from the southeast corner of the plaza, turn down to the right half a square till you come to a little tumble-down adobe house on the left. The latchstring is on the outside and you are always welcome. ”

“ He likewise omits almost all the towns on the road to Guadalajara, and the rivers are very erroneously laid down; that over which the Bridge of Calderon is thrown being entirely left out, and the Rio Grande brought close to Guadalajara, which it does not approach within six leagues. The boundary line between the two States lies, in reality, between Aguas Calientes and La Villita. The first part of the road is level; the last two leagues hilly; the town itself is situated in a barranca, as are most of those on the way to Guadalajara ”