1893 
El Chico 
(Hidalgo) 
Above El Chico the crests of the hills are ornamented by some 
strange huge columns and spurs 0 f porphyry that rise in boldly jutting 
spurs 100 to 260 feet sheer above the surrounding land and form a most 
remarkable series of natural monuments that remind me of the sandstone 
spurs of the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. The top of this curious 
mountain group is a rolling and broken tableland at about 9500 feet 
elevation and covered with a varied growth of pines, firs, and Ion- 
juniper thickets with a few small park-like grassy openings. 
Nothing of special interest was taken here and on the 26th of 
March we returned to Pachuca. 
While in El Chico, which is a small mining town, I saw several small 
pack trains loaded with silver bullion start out for Pachuca. They were 
all attended by several heavily armed guards,- a proceeding quite 
necessary from the fact that this region has been one of the most notor¬ 
ious robber roosts of Mexico* but, the efforts of the recent governors 
have been exerted with the aid of the n ley fuga" so successfully that 
the roads are becoming pretty safe. 
While working about El Chico I had a chance to note the manner in 
W <( . 4 * ** 
* 
which the wood-cutting is governed here. The forest is on the commun¬ 
ity land and a license is given certain persons who cut the wood and 
deliver it at the mining works. A part of the returns as tax goes into 
the municipal treasury,- the cutters getting a stipulated price for the 
delivered wood. The trees which are to be cut are designated by xaonter- 
os or overseers of the forest and no small trees are allowed cut. Z saw 
some of the wives and children of the poorer woodcutters packing single 
heavy oak sticks for 2 miles down the mountain to the woodpile at the 
mining works in town. The sticks were oarried in a loop of cord with 
a strap about the forehead. By suoh work as this, the family oombined 
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