The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-13
M Z X / G. 9

Cisdereyta Jimenez ANA KS S"froun0-
iass-A Home for Cousa mptives -Exnmina-
lion of the Remains OF Three PADRES
Their Histories-Hishiy Interesting sketch
CADEREyTA, Oct. g. 1868.
peinC one OF a commission lately summoned by
the city authorities OF this place, to say whether or
not the public health would be endangered by OPEN
ing and clearing the vaults OF the old Campo Santo
and the appropriation of the grounds TO streets and
building uses, my observations as TO the state and
condition OF the human remains exposed to view
and examination may be OF interest to science. or
Of curious interest at least to readers lat home,n
who know about as little OF Mexico and the man
ners and customs OF the people, and the genius OF
the country, even the hither side OF the Sierra
Aadre, as they do Of the state OF the remains
OF one forty years inferred. 1t will hardly
he travelling out OF the record, therefore, the
lawyers say, TO give BIRDS eye view OF the physi-
cal geography Of this whereabouts jurisdiction OF
Cadereyta, and to say something OF the chronological
characteristics OF the people, the mock of burial,
climate, &C., for these concerned In the question
OF the duration OF human remains after interment
here.
Cadereyta, the second town OF Nuevo Leon, Is
city OF some nine ten thousand inhabitants and
the rural district under its Jurisdiction (some forty
miles sQuare) contains about as many more. 1t Is
SAID to be one Of the prettiest little towns In all
Mexico, the houses being built Of stone, pastered
and WhiteWashed, on streets crossing at right
angles 1t Is thirty miles east OF Monterey, the
Matamor0s road, on the south bank OF the CadereyR
river, escOnced In vast plain under shelter Of
tnnumerable orange groves, in the midst Of culti-
waited gardens rendered productive by irrigation.
IT has grand plaza In the centre, with orange trees
on Its four Sides and is ornamented with doric
column some seventy-ive feet high in the centre,
and gorietas imitation marble sofas on all sides
under the orange trees. The church. with its lofty
tower and chime Of bells fronts the plaza on the
east, and the j1zgado or court house on the west,
the invarable style throughout the republi,. The
Plaza de T0r0s, amphitheatre for bull fights, is
ono block south Of the public square and win seat
cOmmOdiOusly five or six thousand spectators. 1t
has larger circumference than Castle Garden, OF
New York, think, and is built of stone-large
blocks OF hewn stone. It is mostly unoccupied
cept during the last half OF the month OF August an
nually, when the hestas, feasts fairs. are cele-
bratcd at Cadereyta. Then every one comes and
pitches his tent here and opens shop sell and
merchandise and manufactures in the mornings 60
TO bull fights In the afternoons, and panOramas,
theatres, balls and circuses and lofty tumbings and
al other amusements In the evenings. Every square
rod OF ground the public plaza Is rented out for
the time OF the feasts for about ten dollars rod,
which goes INTO the city Golfers, ana every tenant
puts up such tent as he pleases, always fronting in
line, SO that the whole plaza is city OF shops OF
goodies to eat and drink and pretties 10 buy and
wear and in the rear OF each shop Is Kitchen for
the family to cook, eat and sleep in. Here are to be
found congregated adventures from the Rio Graude
and every town on this side and many from the
other SIDE and from all the cities and towns for
many leagues In the interior. The mode OF travelling
Is simple and costs family almost nothing. A cart
and mule, with q bag Of corn and metate to mash
II on, constitute the outfit the mule grazing OF
nights Yes they must take along their earthen pot
to boil the corn in and the earthen comal gridlIe
to bake the tortillas cakes on and little coffee
an earthen cazuela porringer to drink out Of and
last though not least, bag Of sun dried meat in
scraps In this manner they come from hundreds OF
miles to our annual fairs without costing them cent
on the road, and live in the Kitchen part OF The tent
during the fair without any expense other than to
keep up the supply OF corn ana c0lee, and per-
haps adding fri0les or beans to their daily bill OF
fare-a national dish with Mexican, as potatoes are
with Irlshman Their sales, therefore, are clear
gain, as II made at home for II costs no more to live
here and en- route than at home. Their lodging costs
nothing sheepskn with the fleece it is the bed
and a calico bag stuffed with wool the pillow They
sleep in their clothes and need other cover All
this, Of course must he understood descriptive Of
the lower classes The rich are very aristocratic
and como in fine coaches, with their train OF SER
wants and outriders and retaners that would have
swell mob appearance II done in the United
States. But tins Is necessary in Mexico
for security, inasmuch as highway robbenes
are often perpetrated. II not sleepy the ball, with
music at the public expense, affords all who like TO
dance better than to sleep amusement till morning.
These balls not very select tits tue they in
tended for the recreation OF the working classes.
And what is creditable to tho social regulations OF
chi 10 te M ~ ci CT clo cf
females here Where one has lapsed she Is treated
In the spirit with which Jesus OF Nazareth said,
'Neither do condemn thee; let him who is without
sin cast the first stone;" aud OF such OF the
hard working servant girls who COOK, and wash and
iron. and DO good work in good families and mix in
these balls. And portion Of this the lowest class in
Mexico, manage TO recover position by getting mar
ried and raise families-sodiers for the republic.
have known several such instances in this city dur
ing the six years OF my residence here.
Thus for two weeks there is continual round OF
enjoyment, night and day, in which this simple
minded, primitive people engage with zest and an
enthusiasm betokening a cormorant capacity for
such delights. Nor there ever Tire least disturb.
ance at these shows and sports from rowdyism or
drunkenness. l have yet to see the first
instance OF 1t, and my observations have
been critical. Occasionally, ct the bull fights
a barbed bull upses his torincntor and
cores him and his war steed most unmcrclfnly. II
not fatally, but the sensation soon passes of and
his place Is supplied by another more expert
peted1or, or fighter, who soon plants his straight
two-edged sword up to the hit in the root OF lis
neck on his right side, penetrating the heart, ana
the toro drops Then goes up the applause OF the
Dirds hurrahs OF the thousands OF voices OF men,
women and children, each strained to It's breaking
pitch.
But the soul OF these feasts is gambling. During
the time OF the feasts II is licensed every bodv ut
liberty TO gamble az much as he peases, and this
being the besetting sin OF the naton--thc love or
Rain-every protested player or amateur seized with
the contagious mania, who raise dollar ad-
ventures 10 in this royal road TO fortune II he has 1t
not In hand he hypothecates his incoming credits
his corn crop, his sugar crop, hs tobacco crop his
oxen, his carts, his mules, his goats his fat herd OF
swine, or, II In humber circumstances, his blankets
his finger rings his brcastpin, Nc: anything he NAV
have 10 pawn on which nc can raise dollar. All
through the shops on the plaza you win sec the men
and bows gambling in every conceivable manner in
which chance throw can be gotten UP. from Mica.