The Republican., 1897-04-22
PEN PICTURES.
Across the Border Into Mexico.

bWO AuuuISu ulllcS NORTHWEST OF Mex
leo. 1t is a city with a population of
$1,000, and is noted chiefly for its silver
mines, which are very extensive and
among the oldest in the country, hav-
ing been discovered at the time of the
conquest. Guanajuato is situated at
a height at over 5000 feet above sea
level. 1t is located on a branch road
running east from Silao, and some
twelve miles distant. To cover this
distance by steam cars required about
an hours time, on account of the eX-
ceedingly heavy grade. After reach
| ing the depot OF the town we took four
mule cars for ride through one of
the most picturesque and winding
| gOrges of Mexico, a distance of six
miles further, all up hill, before we
reached the center of the CITY. The
town is built for many miles along
| the gorge or narrow valley, and this
mule-car ride was a succession of sur
| prises from beginning to end. Arrived
at the center of the city or plaza we
| found it a delightful place, and the
| population composed largely of we'll
| tO-dO people. In fact it is said to be
the richest city according to popula-
| tiOn in Mexico. 1t has a theater, now
! uJltllOll NIllCI is Sdlu 10
| compare very favorably with the
finest on the American continent and
this we could easily believe, for the
| building and its furnishings are GER
| tainly magnificent. There are also
many handsome and wealthy church
es and a very notable shrine, and more
| fine residences than we saw in any
! other point in Mexico, these being in
| - of+ In a. l., 81,
also visited for the purpose of seeing
the extensive waterworks which sup
ply the city. But the most interest
ing thing about Guanajuato is it's
catacOmbs. | have told a good many
friends about these catacOmbs, and
they seem to be universally skeptical
concerning the facts. However, at
the risk of having my veracity ques-
toned, | will contide to print a state
ment of this singular and wonderful
place.
Many years ago the people of Guam
ajuatO in casting about for depOsi-
tory for their dead, decided to utilize
the top Of one of the mountains, sew
eral hundred feet above the center of
the city, and to construct there what
is known as the catacombs. This be
ing the chief sight of the city of course
we had to visit the place. We reached
it by scaling the hill on foot, a feat
which was not a little trying to the
wind, Arrived at the top we were
admitted through big iron gate to
the interior of what appeared to be a
stone fort with walls about twenty
feet high, and at least ten feet thick.
On the inside we discovered that
these walls were the resting place of
thousands of dead bodies, being CON
structed on the principal of pigeon
holes in desk. Each pigeon-hole
served as grave, the collins being
showed into the hole in the wall and
the front of the hole scaled up with
cement. The square enclosed by
this wall is fully 200 yards on each
side and there are six tiers of these
pigeOn-hOles, one above the other and
reaching to the top of the wall on each
side of the sqnare. | did not count
nor estimate the number of these re
ceptacles for the dead, but there must
be thousands of them.
After Il tedious wait for a permit
from the authorities we were admitted
to the underground graveyard or the
catacOmbs proper. We reached this
place by means Of a narrow winding
stair, and at the bottom a sight greeted
us that will not soon be forgotten.
The catacOmbs proved to be a passage
way about ten feet wide and perhaps
three hundred feet long. AT each end
of this pasSage-way are piled CON
glomeratiOn of human bones of every
descriptiOn-legs, arms, skulls, etc,
| reaching to the ceiling; and on either
side, of the subterranean grave
| yard, stand some twenty odd mum
mified bodies. There are the
bodies of young men and women,
old and decrepit individuals, Grip
piles with their defOrmities show
ing painfully plain, and on each face
may be seen the expression left there
by the touch of Death. Since these
catacOmbs were first used it is esti-
mated that the bones of $4,000 human
beings have found their last resting
place here. When person first dies
the body is inferred in one of the pig
eon-hOles above ground which costs
an annual rental of S.. When the
relatives refuse or neglect to keep up
this annual rental the body is taken
our to make room for Others, and the
bones find their way to the subterra-
! mean SToNey ydTu, W IllIlSle Will IIOSG
of thousands of others. The climate
of that section is such that instaad OF
decaying as they do here, bodies sim
ply dry up, and in a few months they
are entirely inoiIensive. When the
! bodies are removed from the holes in
the wall some are found to be mummi-
fed, and these are as stated stood up
against the wall, whether as curiosi-
ties or as subjects for the scientist !
did not learn. Visitors ut the anthrop-
ologica department at the Worlds
Fair in Chicago no doubt saw some OF
these same mummies as a number OF
them were there. When the bodies
are not mummitied, the skeletons fall
to pieces and the bones are piled uD at
the end of the catacOmbs much as the
farmer piles cord-wood, the skulls be
ing placed at the top.
AT Guiana juatO We also visited the
government mint and saw the process
of silver mintage thrOughout-a pro
cess which to many of our party was
quite interesting, though to one who
has seen Uncle Sans mOney-making
apparatus in full blast this Mexican
mint appeared to be primitive. There
appear to be few restrictions upon
visitors at the mint, and we were al
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