The evening world., 1890-06-25

again the following night I was told that
twenty men, working ali day. ACCOMPLISHED
that task. Reflect q little. ye gentle sight
seers. Twenty men work from eight TO ten
hours to build MP miniature city that IL TO
be demolished in ten minutes for your edih-
cation. That 10 catering to the public with
. vengeance and . half.
The Mexicans we're nearly all ready for the
encounter by this time. IL did not take
them long to costume themselves. They
wore their war CARDS over their everyday
clothes, and there we're no regular dressing
rooms. Under the shadows of Santiago n
Conception the men slipped themselves into
their Mexican suits. The ladies attired
Themselves on the other side of the inclosure
and they were favored with rooms. The
American army looked very real. The men
came down in their uniforms, with swords
and music. They assembled on the western
aide OF Vera Cruz anil stood at the colossal
wings, ready to exert themselves. The Mex
lean Army held itself by the castle OF San
Juan de Ulua, and looked decidedly sheep
ish.
l could not help thinking that II must
have taken considerable time for those
people TO get accustomed to their peculiar
surroundings. They were literally hedged
in by fireworks, There were fireworks in
the air, fireworks on the turrets. fireworks
at the wings. fireworks outside the construc-
tion. These were all placed so that they
could be fired by electricity, and the I'M
Initiated unfortunate could never be quite
certain whether there would not be an e1-
plosion directly under hiR nose.
Look here. " said Mr.. Wycherley amiably,
opening a box filed with what looked like
a row Of pipes. "Those are all rockets, and
these are not fired by electricity. II you
inst dropped n tiny bit OF the ash from the
cigarette you are smoking they would all go
off,"
oh, amiable wycherley. Not the slightest
emotion did he betray. l think he was
rather surprised when I suddenly jumped
back. Ny cigarette went with wonderful
celebrity into 4 neiRhboring swamp, and 1
asked him to explain something q long way
off in order to induce him to move on.
The fireworks are all stored in q magazine
kept in a SWAMP far from the structure.
When the workmen rebuild Vera Cruz in
the morning they borrow from this swamp.
Nobody seemed to be in the least afraid
except myself. Even when the city was
fired, both Mexican and American armies
"OAS bSi oSbAJ 4 IN Abhppoih ttbs
1 expected to see women with blanched
faces, and men utterly subdued. II | tell
you that one OF the Mexican women. in the
heat OF the fray, hummed shes my
Annie. I'm her Joe. - you will agree with me
in believing that she was not dismally dis
mayed. for Little Annie Rooney" to be
properly I'M needs mental equilibrium.
Mr.. Wycherley informed me that he had
| Yn .,htaat;At, - tIa u,-ara lA,.- F.,-ht.,Al
IL they liked. 1t would add realism to the
scene if a few fell into the lake. That lake,
by the bye, is q wonder. II 10 1870 feet broad
and 42o feet long. 1t is filled fresh at every
tide. and the Vera Cruzites can catch their
own cells and oysters IL they care to do 80.
By this time. however. the fight had
reached it's crisis, and all 1 could do was to
look on as placidly as possible and forget
that there were such things in the world on
nerves. The din Of the explosions was deaf
ening. and the air seemed thick with noise.
The vessels Spitfre and Massachusetts we're
overwhelming; the explosion of a magazine
in the castle almost damaged my tympanum.
Fort Conception surrendered only after Q
veritable h~ullaballoo. and by the time Vera
Cruz was In flames l was limp as 4 rag. and
rejoiced that il was over. The triumph OF
the American army WAS very gratifying to
me. 1t meant peace and no more fireworks.
The Star-Spangled Banner floating over the
Plaza OF Vera Cruz caused my blood to flow
quickly with the delightful recollection that
there was a o. 20 train for New York.
l endeayored to ascertain IL the supers
knew anything about this Vera Cruz Siege,
and / soon learned their knowledge was
pinned to two points-there were Mexicans.
and there were Americans. Beyond that
most of them knew little. They none OF
them seemed to be aware that this conflict
was all caused by that delightful State
known as Texas, which was so well worth
fighting for that Geu. Sherman. :now that IL
belongs to the United States, once remarked
III | owned Texas and hell. 1 would rent
Texas and live in hell" ALAN DALE.