Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-06-25

though the luxury OF wooden box,
painted black, blue or yellow may be
rented for the journey between the
cathedral and the place OF interment--
the same coffin serving the purpose over
ana over again, day after day for
years. II is not uncommon TO meet a
company OF men carrying their dead
on public bier, the latter being con-
structed OF five narrow pieces of wood,
about foot apart, nailed cross-wise TO
the side poles that serve for handles,
the end-boards stained black and show
ing q cheerful skull and crOss-bones
outlined upon them with white paint.
SILVER HANDLED CAsKET
The procession which / so unpleasant
ly encountered was evidently that Of n
swell Arequipanian, for the coffin had
silver handles on II Che gauge Of high
est swclldom here) while several priests
rode next to the hearse followed by
forty or nifty men,all on horseback The
sight reminded me that | had not yet
seen the cemetery; and a few after
moons later J. too, rode out on horse
back, accompanied by party Of resi-
dent foreigners-for II is utterly Inn
possible to induce a native. Of high or
low degree, TO escort any stranger TO
the Campo Santo; a fact ceased to
wonder at after having visited the
place.
Arequipa's only burying ground Is
situated on barren foot-hill, reached
after the city limits are passed, by an
unlnhabited road, whose deep sands are
alternated by stretches Of loose boud-
ers 1t Is very small place consider
Ing that the city II more than three
centuries old and during all that time
has had a population varying between
twenty and fifty thousand. The front
Of II Is quite imposing, with high adobe
walls and massive iron gates set In two
high arches, and Just inside Is a we'll
kept space devoted TO flower beds, which
give no hint Of the horrors TO be met a
few steps beyond In this end aristo-
Gratis are buried, IN three tiers Of Mitch
es IN the surrounding wall, whose top
and sides are OF lava stone six inches
thick with a foundation Of adobe, Most
Of the nltches have no mark, except a
number, rudely painted on the face
corresponding to figure placed opposite
the tenants name In the church rec
ords Some OF them have name
scratched on the dried mortar with a
lend pencil. and few have marble
slabs deliberately lettered, setting forth
not only the name and virtues Of the
deceased, but also advertising the fact
of his or her wealth and social prom
lncnce. At the top Of these are general
~ inscribed the Spanish words, nicho
perpetuo. to indicate that tho oadaver
viii occupy the place FOR ever" So to
speak.
GRAVE ROBBERIEs COMMON,
Az grave-robbery is Of very common
occurrence--not for scientific purposes,
as there is no medical college anywhere
near, but simply to secure whatever Of
value may have been buried with the
corpse, even to the boards OF It's coffin,
wood being scarce hereabouts--
front of each nitche Is not only firmly
closed with mortar, but farther guarded
by an iron grating. or course the
ghoulish work of the resurreCtionst Is
done nj night because there Ia hardly
an hour In the day without an inter
ment; and innumerablc CHASTITY stories
are told Of finding the pale clay Of we'll
known men and women tumbled out
on the ground and stripped of grave
clothes, rings shoes, everything that
the love Of the living had arrayed them
IN for the last long sleep. An incident
OF this kind illustrating the Cholo char
acter occurred few months ago, and
Is said 10 be directly responsible for
the terrible epidemic Of smallpox that
afterwards carried off its victims at the
rate Of a hundred a week. AS in most
parts OF South America isolated cases
OF that dread disease are always to be
found In Arequipa, and no native minds
II more than measles, malaria and 9TH
er common Ills, An enormously fat old
woman died OF what ia locally known
as virua negra (blaCk smallpox, and
her remains were hurried into the
ground without coffin, there being
none in the limited stock on hand large
enough 10 accommodate her build"
Knowing well the tricks and manners
of their compatriots, the friends left
nothing Of value upon her but a plain
gold ring which they could not get on
from her swollen finger Next morning
early, the first funeral procession that
arrived at the cemetery found the old
lady on top Of her grave black small
pox and all, minus her wedding ring
and the swoolen finger that wore It,