Morris tribune., 1883-06-27
VERA CRUZ.

The city itself, compact and solid,
with 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 it at once-the ter
minus of the English railway which is to
bear us away up the extraordinary slopes
from the hot landslide tierras calien-
tes-to the mysterious interior and the
capital.
In an existence of going on 400 years,
Vera Cruz has arrived at a population Of
1900. 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 little shaded plaza,
has dome of colored mosaic tiles, which
shine in the SUM- style we shall see
plenty of farther on. The principal
shops have o well-furnished air, espe-
cially in the branches of groceries and
heavy hardware, and the Custom House
square is stuffed to repletion with cotton
bales, railroad iron and miscellaneous
goods waiting transportation. The prin-
cipal street is called De La Indepen-
dencia. and leads to short concrete
promenade bordered with stone benches
and palm trees. It is early discovered
that the Mexican is very patriotic. He
names his streets after his battles, as
particularly the Cinco de Mayo, fought
at Puebla against the French, and even
has way of joining the names of his
heroes to those of cities. Thus Puebla
is Puebla de Zaragoza, commandment 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. One might be in
some such italian city as Mantua. The
zopilotes, of which travellers have writ
ten, sit on long, straight waterspouts
projecting from the houses. They are
large, raven black, dignified, and, aloft
there, against the deep-blue sky, have
an appearance of carved architectural
ornaments. There are street-cleaning
dc partments elsewhere which are far less
ornamental, at any rate. Notices OF a
bull fight for the coming Sunday are
posted on the dead walls. A tram car
of "a peculiar pattern runs out to the
open fields, where there is a dancing
place and ball ground. There is view,
in passing, of the cemetery, which should
be leading institution at Vera Cruz /;
and vet, when one is on the ground, as
is apt to be the case, there are mitiga-
tons to be found even of yellow fever.
Pail bearers in gloomy weeds are natu-
rally expected to form considerable
part of the population, just as murderers
and kidnappers of all sorts are expected
to abound elsewhere. But an American
resident assured me that in four years
he had known but one of our country
men to die of the von1ito, as it is called,
and very few to have it. Its chief havoc
is among the poor and badly nourished.
The American Consul, himself a physi-
clan. and a resident of twelve years
standing. is strenuous in his views as to
the harm done to the commercial inter-
ests of both countries by ignorance and
Misrepresentation on the subject. 1t
is certain that the local authorities do
not regard the disease as contagious,
putting those afflicted side by side with
surgical patients in the hospital; from
which it seems that if the case were re-
ally looked into there may be as little
need of the annoying quarantine against
yellow fever, at least Of this variety, as
if it were simple ague.-W II. Bishop,
in Harper's Magazine.