St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-12-28
cash and CASH PRICES

banana and fig, but they are small
portion of those grown here yet as
the rest are not of the kind that could
he exported, they are little known,
outside of Mexico. These fruits are
very cheap, figs being almost given
away, large percentage not being
picked mt all, for it would not pay to
handle them. There is no machinery
here for drying these figs, nor i'll fact,
use for the figs when dried, but Il fine
busiLess could be done in drying and
shipping to other countries, which Il
Mexican would never do, for | doubt
if they know what IA dried fig is. On
coming from Vera Cruz, the train is
besieged at stations on the line with
venders of fruit. The American
stranger is astonished at being able to
buy IA whole bunch of bananas, just
from the tree, for twenty-five cents ;
same price, with the basket, which
alone would cost that price in the
states. The surrounding country has
no large forests, what there are pro-
ducing only small trees, not fit for
building purposes, and very expensive,
so that all buildings, public and pri-
vate, are built of stone.
The new public buildings and houses
of the richer class of people, are built
of Il stone which is finely carved after
being put up, and takes good finish
but all inside walls and partitions and
roof, as well as the outside walls of all
other buildings, are built of very soft
stone, brought in on the backs of mules
from the country. The whole is given
IL coating of plaster, more like mud
than anything else, which when dry, is
painted in cOlOrs tn suit the owner.
Some of the houses are painted on the
outside in bright cOlors, with figures of
dancers, faces, flowers, etc. Very sell
dom, the roof is covered with tiles, but
being fiat, are not seen from the street.
The houses are all built nearly after
the same plan, having only one en-
trance, large enough to admit coach,
which enters into a court yard, into
which the principal rooms open, while
at one end is IL stone staircase taking
you up to the rooms above. On ac-
count of earthquakes, the majority OF
the buildings are only two stories high,
but many are three, and the more
modern buildings now being erected,
are four. All rooms of the ancient
houses on the ground floor opening on
the street, are barred with fancy iron
gratings, while those built later have
only iron balconies, the same as all
windows in the upper stories, nearly
all of which have awnings of bright
cOlors. In the centre of the city the
houses are built together in the same
manner us our large cities, but out in
the suburbs all the houses have their
garden surrounding the house. some of
them surrounded by a ditch, in which
large quantities of the Gala lily grow
wild. On the business streets, the
lower parts of the houses are occupied
as stores. These used to be, and many
are now, without windows for display
ing goods ; having large door ia
which the people would drive up i'll
! carriages and do their trading from
them. This is the custom now i'll IIa-
vana, but owing to the French and
Germans coming here, who control Il
great trade, this has been changed here
| and now yOu can see as good displays
in the store windows as are to he seen
in any city. The majority of the
houses look alike on the outside, but
inside are furnished and finished ac-
cording to the wealth and taste of the
owner some of them being furnished
in manner which is magnificent, the
style being after the French, with bras,
bedsteads and chairs, and rich furni-
ture generally. Then, as there is {
young lady in nearly every family, they
! help decorate the house with fancy
work, of either painting or embroidery
in which some of them certainly excel
The best houses are not entirely fur
nished without coach and pair o
horses being kept on the ground floor
the coach near the entrance, and tn,
horses in the rear of the court. The
people who are not fortunate enough
to furnish their houses in this manne
have furniture of iron and wood. The,
do not keep their houses in repair, ant
in time they lose their neat appearance
| and do not seem so comfortable to live
i'll. The houses of the Poems are mer,
huts built of mud and straw, som'
small, others quite large, while in th'
country an entire village is often made
of these huts. There are few seen il
the city, however, except on the out
skirts. The people are divided int
two classes, and these classes divided
among themselves, the first, consist
ing of the rich, those in moderate cir
cumstances, and the educated, Will
/ the second class are called Poems
These Poems, although very disagreed
ble to meet on the streets, on accoun
of their dirty appearance, are to for
, eigner the most interesting people i
! the country. They are class of In
dian, yet divided into two classes
many of them being educated, an
seem to have some object in life, AN
, to want to better their condition