Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-02-17
WHOLE NO. 11O5.
Vera Cruz.

vera Cruz. .,:
The city itself, compact and solid.
with q line of domes and steeples
blackened with time. roofs of substan-
tial 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 is to bear us away up
the extraordinary slopes from the hot
lands-the tierras calientes--to the mys-
terious interior and the capital.
In an existence of going on four
hundred years, Vera Cruz has arrived
at a population of seventeen thousand.
The interior view Of the place does not
belle the promise of the first glimpse.
The churches are of irregular, pictnr-
esque shapes, with nice bells. The
principal one, in little shaded plaza.
has q dome of colored mosaic tiles.
which. shine in the sun-s style We
shall see plenty Of farther on. The
principal shops have . well-furnished
air. especially in the branches Of gro
ceries and heavy hardware, and the
custom-house square is stuffed to re-
pletion with cotton bales. railroad iron,
and miscellaneous goods waiting trans
portation. The principal street il
called De Ia Independence, and leads
to short concrete promenade bordered
with stone benches and pslm.trees. Il
is early discovered that the Mexican is
very patriotic. He names his streets
after his battles, as particularly the
Cinco de Mayo, fought at Puebls
against the French, and even has .
way of joining the names of his heroes
to those of cities. Thus Puebla 10
Puebla de Zargozs, commsndsnt in the
same great battle of the 9Th of May;
and Oaxaca is Oaxaca of (President)
Juarez. .,.
Grass grows in the joints of the
stones in the minor streets, and open
cutters run in the center. Ono might
be in some such italian city - Mantus.
The zopilotes of which travellers have
written sit on long, straight water,
spouts projecting from the houses. =
They are large, raven black, dignifsd.
and aloft there against the deep blue
sky have an appearance Of carved
architectural ornaments. There are
street-cleaning departments elsewhere
which are far less ornamental, 1T any
rate. Notices. Of Q bull.fight for tho
coming Sunday are posted on the dead
walls. A tram-car Of . peculiar pattern
runs out to the open fields, whore there
is dancing place and ball ground.
There is view, in passing. Of the GEM
etery, which should be a,.ading insti-
tuition indeed at Vera Cruz; and yet
when one is on the ground. ss is apt to
be the case. there are mitigstions to
be found even OF the terrors Of yellow
fever. Pall.bears in gloomy weeds are
naturally expected to form considera.
BILE part Of the population. just ~
murderers and kidnapers Of all sorts are
expected to abound elsewhere. Bot an
American resident assured me that in
four years he had known, but, one Of
our countrymen to die Of the pomito. e
it is called. and very few to have it.
Its chief havoc is among the poor and
badly nourished. The American Con-
sui, himtelf physician. and . resident
of twelve years standing. II strenuous
in his views as 10 the harm done to the
commercial interests Of both countries
by ignorance and Misrepresentation On
the subject. Il is certain that the To-
cal authorities do not regard the dis.
ease as contagious, putting those
afflicted side by side with surgical
patients in the hospital; from which il
seems that il the case were really
looked into. there may be as little need
Of the annoying quarantine sgains,
yellow fever, ct least OF this variety, -
il it were simple ague.-[W. Fl. Bishop,
in Harper's Ma gazine for January.
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