The Republican journal., 1896-04-30

man duu USdSt, 10 duObH0I uuS uGSSdUlG
conundrum. hot wind like a simeon
blows up clouds of sand and threatens to
tear the awnings from their fastenings,
but brings no COOLING on its wings.
Groups of dark faced men lounge idly in
the shaded doorways, and women in gar
ments of spotless white are squatted
along the curb-stones, with bowls of
cooked meat for sale, or tamaes, red hot
with ahi and odorous Of grease and garlic.
There is tiny market place, full of fruits
and fish; big railway station, walled
with lattice work-the only thing appro-
pirate to the climate we have yet seen,
i barring the prevailing scarcity of clothes
and the entire absence of any sort of drap-
cry among the juvenile portion of the
community. There is hotel so called.
a stone structure with matched roof,
whose ground floor is used for stable
and the whole space above is one long,
unpartitioned sleeping apartment, in
which transient guests may hang their
hammocks upon waiting hooks and sleep,
if they can, amid Astounding vermin and
the shores and imprecations of their fell
low sufferers This general dormitory
contains no such conveniences as bureau.
dressing case, ct cetera-not even tables
or chairs; nothing whatever but the ham
mocks aforesaid and one immense tin
wash basin. In this lavatory all are ex :
pected to take their turn who are addicted
to the practice, here considered pernic-
Gus and unheathful, of washing the face
in the morning-either using the same
water that has served their predecessors,
or, if over particular, replenishing the
supply themselves from the we'll in the
patio One experienced in these regions,
however, thanks his stars for the ''demo-
cratic simplcity'' of the surroundings,
which enables him to give undivided at
it to be infested with spiders, scorpions.
and possibly with serpents. 1t would be
much worse if he occupied a bedstead,
for then he would be obliged to keep close
watch upon each OF its four legs, which
centipedes and other sociable creatures of
like nature would be sure to utilize as
highways by which to pay him d noctur-
nal visit, while its covering would newt
ably be filled with Vermin OF various spe-
cies. As it is, if he removes any of his
clothing he does not know what to do with
it, there being net even chair to hang it
on; and in any case he must be careful in
the morning to treat each of his shoes. and
amy other article he may have temporar-
lily discarded, like dose of medicine, ''to
be we'll shaken before taken"
Progresses custom-house is a rather
handsome building, as modern architec-
ture goes in ucatan; and its best feature
is that in it your luggage is not usually
subjected to very rigorous inspection, as
there is manifestly little temptation to
the smuggler in this outlying territory of
Mexico. If the officials are inclined to be
suspicious, he comes off best in the elm
pending conflict who shows least dispo-
sition to fight. By far the best way is to
hand over your keys without protest,
and smile like an angel while they over
haul your carefully packed garments with
careless h"nds and expose them to the
gaping populace, maybe toss your bon
net and treasured tlummeries out on the
dirty floor, though in your heart may be
murder. There is a church in the village.
Roman Catholic, of course, half a dozen
''stores' of general merchandise, and
sandwiched between its straw matched
class, all with roofs of red tile and white
washed walls glazing in the sun. The
population is Il little less than 2,OOO-not
including the tenants of the dispropor-
tonately large cemetery, with its grue-
some suggestions of Yellow Jack and
vomotivo. The place is merely ship
ping point, and nobody lives here except
those compelled to do so by having bust
ness in the port. Just back of it are fever
breeding swamps full of decaying vegeta-
ton, and everything you touch has a
clammy, sticky feeling, as at Panama.
| owing to perpetual moisture Strange to
say swarms of pleasure seekers from
| Merida and other interior towns come to
Progreso for sea bathing during certain
portion of every year. just as our own
countrymen and women have the singular
| habit of abandoning their comfortable
homes at the very season when home com
/ forts are most needed, to pack themselves
in crowded ''resorts.' The main harbor
of ucatan was formerly Sisal, on the
northeast coast, the same which gave it's
name to the hemp for which the country
is famous; but the requirements of in
creasing commerce long since transferred
it to Progreso. Thirty miles inland and
connected by railway lies Merida, the
capital city. 1t takes about three hours
to make the journey, its managers reason
ing that as there is no competition there
/ there is no use in hurrying. When pas
sengers complain of the snail-ike speed,
! they are politely informed that if they
nrafar to oar ont and waIk tho tra;,, will