Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-27
MOUNTAIN HIGH.
A CITY SET UPON A HILL NINE
THOUSAND FEET ABOVE SEA.
and Assassination a Com
mon Occurrence and Human
Life Very Lightly Regarded.

Life Very Lightly Regarded.
Especial Correspondence of the REeoRD-UNIoN.l
ZAcATEcAs, Mexico, Nov. IS, 1886.
High up among the mountains, in the
very heart of Mexico, this picturesque
mining town has been hidden by the hills
and ministered TO by the valleys for four
Hundred years. Its vile and unexplainable
smells out-scented even the far-famed city
OF Cologne; but in spite of them all. the
clear atmosphere of the altitude lover 5000
feet renders it exceptionally healthy.
There comes time in every autumn, how
ever, when foreigners will do well to de-
part, for during two or three months OF the
year those -" to the manor born " die off
like sheep with typhoid and typhus feyers.
Many reasons are given for this state of
things, not least among them being the
fact that the ancient and populeus
Campos Santos (graveyards) occupy
slightly locations upon the heights
Immediately above the town, and
for 400 years or more all the wells of the
washing downward from their nights,
filtered among the bones of the charnel-
yard. 1t is my opinion that entire absence
of sanitary regulations and lack of proper
drainage, combined with insufficient food
for the poor and no provision whatever for
warming the houses in chilly weather,
have had more to do than the Campo Santo
in assisting the climatic influences natural
everywhere to such elevations in producing
the fevers aforesaid.
A REMARKABLY WELD BUILT CITY
As to public buildings is Zacatecas, having
a Mint, Custom house, Gubernatorial Pal
ace many fine business blocks and hand
some private residences, and some of the
most magnificent churches ON the CONT
nent. Like all Mexican cities, it abounds
in rose-flled plazas and tiowery prone
nades, and has a beautiful alameda, or
grove of elms," along whose shady drives
the aristocracy take daily airings on horse
back or in their clumsy carriages; besides
casinos, opera-house, and other public
places where these music-loving Latins love
to congregate. Being an important mill
tary station there are several fine bands
here, which play every evening in the fash
ionable parks and promenades. Electric
lights illuminate the main plaza and prin-
cipal streets, and horse-car lines connect
with the adjoining village of Guadalupe,
and also run to the Mexican Central depot
mile or more from the center of she town.
1t is impossible to convey with the pen
any idea of Zacatecas' picturesqueness.
First one must be made to realize the
silent solemn, empty country by which it
is reached-through many palmy plain"
like that of Egypt-and the thin, clear
mountain atmosphere, in which remote
objects stand ont sharply defined against
the sky with peculiar distinctness-a sue
cession of pictures in water-color tints, cal
culated to drive an artist crazy with enthu-
siasm. But
THE PASSING CROWDS
Are the greatest charm, and form a study
of never failing interest. The majority of
the Zacatecanoes are dark and Oriental in
type, with bare or sandaled feet and gar
ments as primitive as were the fashions of
Bethlehem in Mary's day There are
women with water jars upon their
shoulders men with enormous wooden
bowls filled with strange tropical fruits,
balanced on their heads, or with huge
hampers upon their backs diminutive
donkeys laden with every conceivable COM
modify; perambulating merchants, with
all manner of things for sale, from hams TO
shoe-strings and from sweetmeats to hair
switches the pottery vender, the street
cook, the water seller-a perpetually shift
ing panorama,
As in all Mexican cities, where the wild
est extremes of wealth and poverty meet,
one sees most of the poor and lowly; for
the higher classes are seldom met out of
doors, except as now and then an aristocrat
rolls by in his carriage. Zacatecas has its
exclusive circle of proud grandees, differing
more distinctively from the street gamins
aforesaid than the residents of New York s
Fifth avenue differ from those of the Five
Points.
1t is only few years since the first hat
or bonnet made its debut in this part of the
world upon a female head, supplemented
by the ordinary walking costumes.in vogue
at the North; and when Betsy and made
our first visit here, clad in the heathenish
apparel of the United States, our appear
ance was singular enough to collect
crowd of open mouthed followers whenever
we ventured out thus attired. Feeling too
much like circus among the bare-headed
populace and the dark-eyed senoras and
senoritas, whose black tresses were draped
with the graceful lace mdntitla, or lightly
swathed in black or blue reboSoS, we tried
the latter style of head-gear ourselves
but that only made matters worse, for
Anglo. Saxon personality will betray itself
the more conspicuously under Indian or
Spanish toggery. But now that the rail-
road has penetrated this delightful Area
dia, its days of simplicity are numbered for
that
EMPTIER OF POCKETS
And generator of strifes and heartburn
ings-the American milliner, accompanied
by dressmakers and drummers, are swarm
ing hitherward.
There are those who assert that the days
of revolution are over in Mexico, and that
the blessed time has arrived " hen swords
shall be beaten into plowshares y yet the
very air is quivering with suppressed ex-
element and everybody is alert with
uneasiness. That you may understand
what is considered a time of peace, let
me relate few recent occurrences. An
actual revolt has not taken place in the
State for several months; but at the least
sign of disturbances in the streets-such as
a runaway horse or the pursuit OF a thief
might cause-eve everybody is Immediately
thrown into a panic, business houses are
closed in the twinkling of an eye, doors are
double-barred and shutters clapped up
with marvellous expedition which could
only have been acquired by frequent prac-
tice.
When a riot actually does take place,
woe to the luckless pedestrian who hap
pens to be caught upon the streets In an
instant, before he has time to realize what