Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-07-04
4 Mountain of Hity.

A visitor in Mexico thIs describes the
| Monte Pho, or national pawn shop
| The Monte Pho is one of the Oldest edlhcAS
in the capital, having been built Immediately
| after the conquest tAr the private residence
of Cortez. and Tor generations it was used is
| official headquarters tor the yiccroy. Happily
| for the nineteenth century tourist it has been
spared by the modern hand OF improvement.
Its doors AMI windows staircase5 and CELL
| ugs pAtios aud balconies, are the same AS
| when the naughty hidalgos fitted IN and out,
attired in all the bravery of velvet and lace,
and if its walls could speak they would reveal
| dark secrets planned by cunning brains that
are long since dust.
| The rules and regulations permi; the lenl-
| ing of money on most liberal terms tho
depositor gets about one thir value on
goods deposited. The yearly rate of interest
never goes lower than per cent, not higher
than 12J and the tickets have to be renew
cd every eight months. When the depositOrs
cease to pay the interest on the loan IL
vauced, his pledges, whatever they may be,
are retained in the bank for seven months.
they are then carefully appraised by paid and
expert officials, and are offered for sale at the
appraisers valuation for one month. If at
| the expiration of the month, they remain ul-
1 sold, they are again valued, this time at
| lower figure, and again offered III the sales
rooms on the lower floor. For six months
| this process goes on, when, if still unsold,
the goods aIe offered at public auction and
knocked down to the highest bidder when,
if the goods bring less than the value set
upon them by the appraisers, the latter must
| themselves make mp the deficit to the bank.
| On certain days OF the month certain goo ls
are sold one day for jewels, another Tor
cloths, another for odds and ends. During
| the week of the panic the establishment
pushed business and sold more than under
l Ia
posed of in ten years. 1t is Mmo0S resort
| for tourists. Those curious Yankees, who
here pick up all kinds OF bric-a-bH', curious
and valuable. 1t is necessary to go Fer-
NIT to2Cg through the entire establishment,
especially FOR an inspection Of T." vaults,
which are u veritahle AmliiuS cave, There
are pictures, siyerphte, caudelahfa, Hme-
piece, and bric-a-brac rooms and an la.
mense jewel department, winch -Aows the
richest aud rarest collection, perhaps in the
| world. Pearls, ruli,s, encralds and dli-
mOnds heir-loOms descended from the tlme
| of the Conquest. deposited here at varlous
periods, partly for safety for 1t is the safe
deposit of Mexico, and partly for the consi-
| deration of;hsrd cash. Could this history he
| told it wouIr 'be vastly more dramatic and
interesting tasin any history of Mexico that
has ever been written, concerning time
when loot was q recognized institution and
pillage the boast of the country. 1t Is the
proud boast that during all seasons OF revo-
luton and disaster the Monte Pio has beon
respected church altars might be robbed,
but it's treasure was safe. 1t was only MeNi-
can safety however, all on the surface ; for
during the frequent reigns of terror the
church came to the rescue There was q
subterranean communication with convent
of nuns, and in times of danger the Jewels
were carried by private staircase ont of the
Monte aud placed under the care OF the nuns
OF Santa Brigida
1t is the resort of all, and all are equally
received-the poor peon, with his treasured
serape, or the naughty don, with his family
diamonds The machine works with mar
velous precision, and the order is simply nd
mrable. The salesroom is generally crowd
ed, and it is no humiliation to have little
transaction at the Monte Piedad The deal
ings are strictly confidential, and every one
hes thither when short with the same
ahcrity as we step into n bank in Wall street.
Don Pedro Terreros's portrait holds an
honored place in the building, and his name
is venerated and respected all through Meii-
co. If his soul is not pretty safe it is Nd
thing to contemplate, for all the ~ go a. he
institution for seventy years w'nt 40, Mr es
for its repose.