The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-02-03
Vera Cruz.


!. The city itself, compact and solid,
with q line Of domes and steeples black
ened with time, roofs Of substantial red
tiles, plentiful balconies, and bits Of
wall tinted blue, green: and pink, is
like little Venice. A large crane
hangs out from the end of an iron pier,
and the fancy hooks on to IL at once
the terminus Of the English railway
which Ia to bear ~ away up the extra
ordinary slope from the hot landslide
hexras calientes-to the mysterious in
terror and the capital.
In an existence Of going on four hum
dred years Ven Cruz has arrived at q
population Of seventeen thousand. The
interior view Of the place does not belle
the promise Of The first glimpse. The
churches are Of irregular, picturesque
shapes, with nice bells. The principal
one, in Q little shaded plaza, has O
dome Of colored mosaic tiles, which
shine In the sun--a style we shall
SEQ plenty Of further on. The
principal shops have . well-furnished
air, especially Ia the branches OF gro
ceries and heavy hardware, and the
custom-house square II stuffed to re-
pletion with cotton bales, railroad iron
and miscellaneous goods waiting trans
portation. The principal street is
called De In independents, and leads
to short concrete promenade, bordered
with stone benches and palm trees. It
d early discovered that the Mexican is
very patriotic. He names his streets
altar his battles, % particularly the
Oinco de Mayo, fought ct Pueblo against
tho French, and even has way of Join
ing the names Of his heroes to those Of
cities. Thus Puebla Is Pueblo de lara
goxa, commandant in the same great
battle Of the 9th Of May; and Oaxsca is
0axaca Of President) Juarex.
Grass grows in the joints of the stones
In the minor streets, and open cutters
run in the center. One might be in
some such italian city as Mantua. The
scptlotes OF which travellers have written
sit on long, straight vaterspouts pro-
jesaing from the houses. They arc
large, raven black, digniAed, and aloft
there against the deep blue sky have an
appearance Of carved architectural
ornaments. There are street cleaning
departments elsewhere which are far
lees ornamental, at any rate. Notices
OF bull-fght for the coming Sunday
are posted on the dead walls. A tram
car Of peculiar pattern runs out to the
opsn fields where there is o dancing
place and ball ground. There is q view
In passing Of the cemetery, which should
be leading institution indeed at Vera
Cruz; AID yet when one is on the
ground, - Is apt to be the case, there
are mitigAtions to be found even OF the
terrors Of yellow fever. Pall-bearers in
gloomy weeds are naturally expected to
form Q considerable part Of the popula-
ton. Just as murderers and kidnapers
Of al sorts are expected to abound else
where. But An American resident as
gured me that In four years he had
known but one Of our courfrymen to
die Of the vomito, a. II Is czlled. and
very few TO have Il. It's chief havoc Is
among the poor and badly nour-
iahed Tho American consul, him.
self . physician, and resident Of
twelve yearS standing, Is strenuous In
biz views - to the harm done to the
commercial interests Of both countries
By ignorance and Misrepresentation on
lhe subject. It Il certain that the local
authorities do not regard the disease as
putting those afflicted side
BY side with surgical patients in the
hospital; from which IL seems that II
The case were really looked into, there
may be ~ little need of the annoying
quarantine against yellow fever. at least
Of this variety, Is II 1t were simple ague.