Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-09-25
ouANAJUATo's CEMETERY.
A Queer Block of ston" Crypts ON Noun
tain Side-Coiiins For Rent.

tain Side-CoAiDs FOr Rent.
p. II. Mack of Inyo county. who is
engaged, with Patrick Reddy, in some
mining enterprises in the strange littla
state of Guanajuato, Mexico, 1000
81 lies below FL Paso, tells remarkable
story of the queer burial customs i'll
the ancient city of Guanajuato, the cap
ital Of he little state, Il place $50 years
old. 1t is at the old city, in the heart
of Mexico, where the burying ground
is, that Mr.. Mack is interested i'll the
mining enterprise alluded 10.
1.-The burying ground is on high
point of Il mountain near the town, "
said he, land is nearly 100 yards
square. 1t is incloscd by a wall II feet
In height and s feet thick. and in the
walls are pigeonholelike places, or
crypts, for the bodies.
"When man dies, his relatives can,
on the payment Of $40, get him put in
one of these crypts. The ends are sealed
up, and he is allowed to stay there for
five years At the end of that time, If
the relatives come forward and pay
500 more the remains are allowed &c
remain there perpetually. If, however,
the relatives have died, moved away OF
fail to put up the 500, the remains are
taken out, carted away and put into a
great yard near at hand, where remains
have in like manner accumulated and
where bones now lie 20 feet deep. There
is flight of steps leading down into
a passageway which is 300 feet long.
At the end of this passageway Is a great
excavation for the cast off bones. 1t is
here that they are piled to such an i'm
mense depth
"Thore are TO be seen arms, legs,
skulls and other bones at pleasure or &c
your horror, just rs you take it. Not
many Americans have ever been there,
and of those who have, including some
lady tourists, number have tainted
outright. The sight was too much for
their nerves
''There is a pottcr's field aside from
all this as part of the burying ground
already told about, and this consists of
a trench in which bodies are buried
three deep without any kind of coffin.
"This being IA burying ground and
managed by the authorities, the collins
that are used are owned by the munich
pality and it simply rents the coffin for
use till the body is slowed away III the
crypt told about awhile ago. The collins
are used over ;r~r'l over, and one of them
may have previously had 20 bodies in
it. 1t is kept rs any other receptacle
would be and is used as long as it will
last.
"There is another adjunct to this re-
markable burying ground. 1t is this:
At the bottom Of the stairs, on both
sides of the 300 foot paSsaFeway, which
is more properly tunnel are mummi-
fed bodies. They are sealed up III the
holes on each sid, and they dry up in
such a way as to be preserved. An
American down there managed to steal
one Of these bodies, as he thought ii
would be quite a curiosity to exhibit.
He got the body out in some way and
got clear to Guadalajara with it before
he was discovered and brought back.
1.-THE town of Guanajuato was found
ed in 1915. At one time it had 90, 00C
inhabitants, but now it has so, 600.
You can imagine the vast number OF
deaths that must have occurred III this
ancient town since it was started and
this is the only burying ground they
have. The deceased citizens have all
been slowed away there. San Fran
cisco Call.