The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-03-28
THE CITY or JALAPA.
An Old Fashioned Place, Curious Eyon
In Mexico.

In Mexico.
Jalapa means ''plac, of water
and sands" 1t was all Indian town
at the time of the conquest, and be-
cause of its position OH what for q
long while was tbs main road be-
tween Vera Cruz and the City Of
Mexico it early became a place Of
Importance. After the establish
ment of the republic it was made
the capital of the state of Vera
Cruz. Between the years 1870 and
1777 great animal fair wns held
here for the sale of goods brought
for yeara by the fleet from Cadiz,
whence it, derived the name of Ja-
lapa de la Feria, frequently applied
to the city in documents of the
eighteenth century.
The city is famous throughout
Mexico for the exceeding beauty of
its women and Of its situation. From
these, its pleasing characteristics,
arise the saying that Jalapa is u
purt of heaven let down to. earth,
and the provcrb, "Las Jalapcnas son
halagucnas" (bew;tching, alluring
are :hc women of Jalapa). y less
pleasing characteristic, its frequent
days of mist and rain, at once the
cause of and very serious draw
back upon the enjoyment of its
green loneliness, has given rise to
yet another saying in Jalapa. During
thee melancholy days the Jalapeno,
muiiicd in his serape and smoking,
disnally mutters, Gave Maria puri-
sima, PUG yenga eI soil" Holy Vir-
gin, let the sun shineD
The city is curious, old fashion,
ed place-curious even in Mexico,
where everything seems odd to the
tourist - with narrow, crooked
streets, lined with tile rooted
houses, whose pitched roofs project
their caves so far that they seem to
cover the sidewalks like shed, and
pending from these are spouts to
carry the rainfall frcD, The roof TO
the center Of tbs roadway. The city
has a perfect drainage system, based
upon and indeed consisting almost
entirely Of the facilities so layishly
bestowed by nature in the shape Of
rain and grade. The streets slope
gently from the sidewalk on either
side to the. center of the roadway,
thus practically forming high
troughs or cutters, and all dirt or
refuse matter is Immediately washed
beyond the city limits by the raine,
which fall, at least for a short time,
almost daily throughout the entire
year. This accounts for the scrupu-
lously clean appeara' ,e Of tho city,
which impresses those who have vis-
tied other MEXICAN cities not SO adj
vantageously located in respect to
drainage as Jalapa. So abrupt is
the descent OF the streets down the
side of the hill that no attempt is
made to use carts or carriages for
transportation of goods Or persons.
A tramway which provides means
Of transportation to Coatepec rnns
through a portion Of the main thor
oLghfare and is the only wheeled ve-
hicle to be found within tho city lin
it's, and even this requires six mules
to hau! it up the steep grades from
the railroad railroad station to the hotels.
All merchandise is carried from one
part OF the city to another by carga-
dores and pack mules, which latter
are utilized extensively and almost
to the exclusion Of the burrc and the
horse. Z! ~. .<:.' :. Z. - :
A walk through the streets Of the
city is repaid By many: interesting
t sights The 1avanderas. or washer
} women, pursue their vocation in the
public streets at large basins or
troughs, which have been placed in
all parts Of the city for their accom-
/ mediation. The churches are open
AL through the day, and at all hours
wershipers may be. found. L." Mod
ern Mexico" . : =
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