The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-07-22
The cITYof MLApA
A Town That Has oesuNsd ne Fen q
Poet aud HIslorian.


Poet and Historian.
INerieo Two Rrpib,isi
Among tho most elevated peaks fl
Nexican territory rises tie Cofip
(Tfunkj Of Refoie, on q colossal vail
irownel BY theStar mountain. GritGya,
which from . height Of nearly Il, 600
Feet looks calmly out over The dark. blue
waves Of the exiclil gclf.
AZ tle feet Of the ore dc Perote &
the beautiful city Of Jalapa. Justly
called the garden Of The republic, where
brilliant birds sing their lltan:es and
bright Lowers wave nnceasintiy their
beriumed censers. All the eXnierancs
Of the tropics surrounds Jalapa. The
forests Of lemons, oranges and mADgoes
rea b out toward every point IN the
horio on, and the air Is heavy with their
perfume TALL graceful reeds rock in
the breath OF winds which Watt lazily
up from tho torrid coast. Und0r the
shadow OF plunlains grow tho coffee
plants. The tobacco leaves surcharce
the atmosphere with their strong, pecn.
iier scent and recall the legend Of the
discovery Of tobacco across tho gulf in
fncatan centuries ago. The vanilla
bean. with its precious extract and vol.
atilo oil, grows INTENDED, It's delicate
aroma 10 I in the empowering odors
from thousand open chaice5 Of fruit
and flower.
Tho bamboo sugar cane reaches au
extraordinary height under the hot sky
that bends above the canton OF lalapa.
The reed.like water grass, carr, ing It's
nutritious iroightagO Of rice, grows as
rapidly rs among the torrld marshes Of
India aud China. The golden croWuso OF
rofn wave for miles along tfs Sides of
these Mexican Andes, and valuable dye
IND gum woods and scores OF medicinal
plants arc found aronnd Jalapa.
Among the latter Is ialap the famous
cathartic, first impO ted from this tropi.
cal town in 40, Tut now comparatively
rare in that vicinity.
Tiny torrents, struck from the granite
mountains by some invisible Moses,
ripple over tho pebbly payements OF
jHlapa, and, breaking into cascades, 20
singing over bOds Of marble TO lose
themselves in rushing rivers | nder a
sky OF amethyst is tbeetornal snow that
caps Ori.aya: the hardy pines lower
down; the deep. dark forcs s, tho wealth
o. tropical vegetation; every compile ion
of vegetable grOwth-arctic, temperate
and tropic-on the ste pes that slope
from the summit to the sea.
Tho town of Jalapa is 4, 900 feet above
sea level, and seventy miles fro y Vera
ruz This mountain city is celebrated
for the magni cenee Of its scenery, tho
beaut Of its women and the sweetness
Of its flowers. Ii has about 10000 in.
habitantS. The chipichipi. or light driz.
cling rain, that often falls on Jalapa, is
about tho only drawback to the tourist.
Jalapa WIS q town when corte. hrst
climbed the great mountains that en-.
circle the City Of Mexico. 1t was called
Halapa, ami near by is tho town of Re.
roe where the American prisoners were
confined in 1877.
There are few towns in Mexico so hap.
PLY situated. At good height above
the sea coast, 1t is on tho edge Of the
plateau behind which towers the sum.
init of Macultepec, and while it over.
looks the rich lowlands Of tho TERRA
Caliente-HOt Lands 1t escapes their
baneful yapors. The town lost much of
It's Importance as a commercial entrepot
y the opening of the Meyic railway
via ORR ava from Vera Cruz to the City
Of Me leo, but is now connected by
trdmway with tho former Among tho
stone buildings of this town stands the
old franciscan monastery, bu'ltin 500,
aud looming up fore er among the fra.
grant groves OF ia apa like ghost to
guard thjs nnralisn