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

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city was packed on the back of the lit
tie burro or mule and even now in
this ride of five miles from Marfil,
thousands of these animals are met
and passed, loaded with hay, grain,
wood, fruit, vegetables, brick, stone,
pottery, etc. A burrO loaded with
large earthen pots or jars is specta-
Gle. The jars being comparatively
light, the load is three times the size
of the animal carrying it, and all that
can be seen at a little distance is
large, oval-shaped mass on four very
slender pins, with pair of large ears
at one end and tail at the other.
After one of these loads are packed, if
it be found that by some miscalcula-
ton it is not evenly balanced, these
natives very ingeniously tie stone
into the lighter side of the load and
make the burro bear this extra weight
up the mountain. A stone the size of
a mans head was plainly visible woven
into pack of pots on u burrO as the
party journeyed up the incline on Sat-
urday.
AS a consequence of building large
city in a narrow ravine, the streets of
Guanajuato are both narrow and
steep. 1t was only by extreme care
that the mule-cars were prevented
running over both burrOs and people
which crowded the streets, some of
which were not over IA feet from wall
to wall. On each side of the bottom
of the ravine through which the main
street runs, the houses are built one
above another on the sides of the
mountain with no possible way of
reaching them but by steps cut in the
rock. These adobe dwellings of the
poorer people, high up on the noun
tain side, with nothing but door in
front, look from a distance like bank
swallow holes.
There are few very wealthy peO-
pie in this town, but like all mining
towns the labOrers generally are ex-
|
elegant buildings are we'll up at the
farther end of the town. A very
handsome greenish sandstone is quar-
ried near by which is much used in the
better buildings. Every one visits the
old castle, now used as jail, from the
top of which fine view of the city
and surroundings is had. 1t was in
this castle that the Spanish entrenched
themselves and withstOod a siege when
the city was attacked in 1910 by Hi
dalgO and his Indian allies. The cas-
tie was finally captured and it's garri-
son put to the sword, and the year fol-
lowing, when Hidalgo was defeated
and slain at chihuahua, his head and
that of his three companions were
brought and hung upon iron hooks at
the four corners of this castle. These
hooks are still shown the visitor.
Guanajuato is very unhealthy city,
it's mortality being 20 in 1000, or
about three times that of cities the
same size in the United States. This
is easily accounted for. The water,
pure and abundant at the head of the
ravine where the wealthy residences
are, runs the entire length of the city,
and at the lower end is nothing but an
open sewer fed by 10000 people. The
stencil fills the place.
Among the Incidents not counted
upon on Saturday was funeral pro-
cession. 1t consisted of peon bear
ing the coffin on his head. 1t was the
shortest funeral procession ever wit
messed by any one of the party. The
man in the casket and the one bearing
it was all there was to it-bearer,
mOurner, friend and undertaken. This
is said to be a common custom here,
nor did the style of casket indicate
poverty.
AS we left Guanaj uato, the impress
sion came to more than one of the par
ty, that in many respects we were
leaving one of the quaintest and most
remarkable places yet seen in Mexico.
From this place back to Silao and
thence to Queretaro (Kar- was
but four hours run and little over
100 miles. 1t was through beautiful
country, famous for agriculture, and
the finest yet seen in Mexico; and at
shutdown Saturday night we tied up at
the pleasant town of Queretaro for the
Sabbath. G.. NJ. STONE.