MEXICO AT THE CENTENNIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 153, 7 April 1876, Page 14

MEXICO AT THE CENTENNIAL.

Undoubtedly one of the most interesting, novel and unique works of art exhibited at the American Centennial will be an architectural plan of the City of Mexico. The dimensions are 330 feet from north to south, and 231 feet from east to west. All the characteristics of the capital will be portrayed with the greatest fidelity, as for instance, the irregularity of the heights of buildings, the color of the frontings, the signs of the business houses, the number of doors, windows, and balconies in each street, the pavements and sidewalks. The model city will be peopled by 60,000 human figures, of good size, made of lead, and adorned exquisitely, representing men in various fashionable national costumes and otherwise, ladies elegantly dressed for the opera, ball, and social party, besides types from the common people. Fruit vendors, ice-cream venders, water carriers, &c, with their fantastic outfits, will be given to life. There will be no less than 1900 coaches, and an^, equal number of other vehicles, besides artillery pieces mounted on' carts. Nearly all the noticeable buildings will be visible — the grand cathedral, the principal Catholic churches, the mint, offices of the railroads, the national library, the School of Fine Arts, the Hotel Iturbio, and others. The national palace, and other notable buildings are not constructed in the plan, but proper steps have been taken to get permission to do so. When included, the work will be complete. When the project was at first broached, nearly two years ago, it was thought that so daring a piece of enterprise could not be completed in time, but the gentleman having it in hand went to work energetically, and will have it ready at the proper date for shipment to Philadelphia. A Mexican writer, speaking of the work, says, satirically, that the distinguished foreigners who believe that the Mexicans still dress in feathers, and shoot with arrows, will be astonished to gaze upon the magnificent toilettes of the ladies, the walking canes of the fashionables, and the love of handsome, picturesque costumes which characterise the descendants of the Aztecs and the Spaniards. — 'San Francisco Chronicle.'