The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-23
In a Mexican Market.

Behind the Palace, south of the long
pile of buildings occupied by the Presi-
dent of Mexico and his troops, is now
the principal market of the city. 1t is
inclosed by high stone walls, and there
are entrances through four gates
leading from as many streets. The
outer portion of this inclosed square is
occupied by shops and projecting "pi-
azzas," beneath which are exposed fol
sale the different products and manu-.
features of Mexico; and the central
portion is occupied by natives, squatted
beneath the shade of squares of mat
tings stretched over frameworks, and
each square supported by a single pole
like huge umbrella.
Several zinc roofs, supported upon
stone pillars, give shelter to crowded
stalls and cover every variety of mer-
chandise from squash seed to wooden
spoon. The entire inclosure is densely
packed with human beings, especially in
the morning, when the purchases are
mostly made. The men and women
that do business here bring their entire
families with them, and for the day live
here as at home; there is no possible
function of indoor life that is not here
exhibited with unblushing indelicacy.
The markets are divided, in a way, into
the various portions devoted to fruit.
vegetables and articles for household
use. Upon mats spread on the stone
pavement each vender spreads his or
her stock in trade regardless of the space
necessary TO the customer in threading
his way through the miscellaneous as
semblage. One finds little piles of pep
pers, eggs, tomatoes, etc., skillfully ar
ranged in way calculated to arrest the
footsteps of the passer-bY, and cause
him to curse the owner of them. 1t is
all the same to the sellers whether you
step on the goods or not; if you do, you
must pay the bill for damages; if you
don't, you at least will see them and
possibly purchase.
In going through this market one
Sunday morning, iotted down the diff
ferent varieties of fruits and vegetables
as saw them on the margin of a news
paper: and here is the list, Transcribed
as it ran on there: First, after passing
the dealers in fried meats, who were
constantly dishing out scraps of pork
and shreds of beef sizzling in fat, to dirty
Ieperos in sombreros and serapes sta
toned at the gate, you encounter the
fruit stalls and the vegetable stands.
There are lines, fragrant as any grown
In West India gardens, but without their
plumpness and flavor they perfume the
air in the immediate vicinity, despite the
sewage odor and the Haunting of vile
garments that smell to heaven. Close
BY are pears-hear are two zones
brought close together, but these pears
are not equal to those of Northern chimes
-cherries-peculiar to the country
shaddocks, mangoes, bananas, plan
tains, oranges-all from the tie1raS CO.
yienteS, or hot lands, whence also come
the cocoanuts and pineapples that lie in
heaps on the pavement; the last are
very dear, approaching prices in New
York, owing to the great expense OF
transportation over 200 miles of railroad;
babies-not from the tterraS catientes-
who keep decidedly cool and comforta.
BILE, whether lying kicking on their moth
ers' mats or peering from the Te6o@dS
in which they are confined to their
mothers backs; melons, peaches, wood
en- bowls, buckets, mats, babies; poul-
try, babies; lettuce, babies, crockery,
babies at the breast; tomatoes, peppers,
babies on the half shell (of a calabash);
beans, radishes, potatoes, babies with
out rag on them; onions, leeks, cab
bage, corn, babies with nothing on them
but rags; peas, carrots, beets, squashes,
babies prospecting for nourishment;
" hen-fruit, =" artichokes, babies lean and
emaciated; birds, brats, children, pump
kin-seeds, babies fat as post office coz
tract; Indians, with great coops of chick
ems on their backs, leading babies by
the hand; jackasses, with great pan
niers of vegetables or charcoal, with
babies as browning curiosities; crockery
vendors with huge crates of earthen jars
and pots, every one of which may con
tain baby. In fact, there are here the
products of every zone and cline, all
the productions, including babies, Of
mother earth.-Cor. NeO York Tribune.
Euronean tours will soon becona