St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-15

posite side of the city is the Bufs
(mountain) on the top of which stands
an old monastery, now used as an aims
house. The train was hardly at a
standstill before it was surrounded by
a troop of peons,-men, women and
children-bearing fruit or food for sale,
and lot of beggars catching up and
devOuring the scraps thrown out from
the hotel cars. This troop increased
in numbers as long as the train re-
mained-24 hours-and it took two
policemen with lanterns to guard it
during the night.
This civilization (a) is said to be not
unlike that of Southern Europe, and
the groups of men and women in high
cOlored dress, wandering about or
squatted on the hillside, with the ever
present red, blue. or yellow blanket
wrapped around them, presents one of
the strangest and most weird scenes a
New Highlander ever gazed upon.
When the train first reached Zaceta-
cas- some of the party visited the old
cemetery close at hand where an ele-
CANT view of the city and surroundings
is obtained. This burying place is in
most dilapidated condition. One
singular feature is that its occupants
are buried for certain period-perhaps
five years-fOr a stipulated price. If a
second payment is not forthcoming
the bones are dug up and put IN
common receptacle and the lot rented
to another party! By this unusual
arrangement pile of skulls and other
human bones in one corner of the en-
closure is one of the most impressive
features of this cemetery.
From the station the city of Zaceta-
cas- is reached by a mule-car line of a
mile or more at q very steep down
grade. Three mules harnessed abreast
are chased down this incline, and
when the cars are loaded by 25 people
each, as on this occasion, it makes Il
ride which for downright recklessness
will double discount a ride with FOss
down the Geyser mountain in Califor-
mia. A young Mexican of Is or 20
years of age, holds the lines in one
hand and a heavy whip in the other,
and putting all three mules into a
"dead run" the descent is made at a
three minute gait. Should a mule
stumble or car jump the track, both
vehicle and occupants would go over
the embankment without remedy.
Speaking of mule-driving this is Il
good place to say that all drivers In
to be selected expressly for their abil-
ity to lash the mules. This is seen on
street cars and every where, without
cause and without mercy from the
time they start till they stop at the
end of the line. 1t makes no differ
ence whether the mules are upon sharp
trOt or fierce gallep, the heavy, cruel
whip is always in motion. This bar
barism destroys much of the pleasure
in riding, and why race so indOlent
and lazy in their every movement
should be in such haste as soon as they
get behind mule is one of the things
no interpreter has been able to explain.
A Mexican's idea of heaven must be a
place where he can torture some dumb
beast.
When the heart of the city of Face
tacas is reached most strange sights
present themselves. AS before stated,
the city is built in a ravine and the
streets wind in and about the base of
the Bufa, with dwellings high up on
one side and low down on the other.
The people are generally very poor,
Withholding and fierce. Some are
comfortably dressed, but the great ma
jOrity are in rags and very scantily
clothed at that. At least half the men
have nothing but thin cotton pants on
with possibly a blanket about the
shoulders, but many not even the lat
ter protection, and this in a climate
where a NOrtherner needs his heaviest
flannels and OvercOat after sunset. In
the centre of the town is the plaza and
in the centre of the plaza the fountain
whence all the people dip water. WO-
men and girls do the most of this work
UrhI oh
filled will weigh rs pounds. The foun-
tain basin is perhaps 25 feet in dame
ter and is fed by small streams from
the aqueduct. The crowd is so large
and the demand for water so great,
that it is not more than two inches
deep in the bottom of the fountain in
the early day, and the women can
scarcely reach it by bending over the
stone curbing as they dip it up with
gourds or small cups. After filling
their jars, they lift them upon their left
shoulder and carry it away to their
own homes or sell to the people who
cannot or will not go after it them
selves. All day long this is kept up
with little diminution of the crowd.
Occasionally two poems will appear
with a half barrel swung upon pole
which they carry between them. This
they fill and trot away with. A MEM
Der of the party who is one of water
furnishing large Eastern
city, remarked after watching these
people for a while, that if New En-
CHAMBERS who waste so much water
foolishly were obliged to get all their