Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1906-03-16
THE CITY OF JAlAPA.
An Old Fashioned Place. Curious Even
In Me9ico.

,lalara mean> ~nlaCc oi water
and sand" II Wi, IN Indian Town
n the time 81 the conquest. AMI he
ssa,e Of lie position "n what for a
long white VA, the main road he
tween Ncra cruz and the City al
MrNiro II early bc,amr place oi
importance. After the establish
mcnt 81 The republic II VA made
the capital of lhc stale ol Vera
Cruz. Between th" years leo and
IL. great animal fair was held
here for the sale III goods brought
for year, lev the fleet from Cadlz.
whence it derived the name of ia
lapa dc Ia Feria, frequently applied
to the city in documents OF the
eighteenth cculur'.
The civ i, famous throughout
Mexico for the exceeding beauty Of
its women and of its situation. From
these. irs pleasing characteristics,
arise the saving that ,Ialapa /, a
part of heaven lei down To earth,
and the proycrh. Las Jalapenas son
halaguenas" (brwilchin". allurlng
are the women of Jalapa). \ less
plea>in" characteristic, its frequent
DAYS of mist and rain. at once the
cause of md a very serious draw
back upon the enjoyment of lis
green lovcliness, has given rise 10
, vet another saving in Jalapa. During
these melancholy days the Jalapeno,
muilicd in hi~ scrape and smoking
! dsmally muttnrS. Ave Maria purl-
sima. pue vcnga 81 sol" tlioly Nir-
gin. let the srn shineD
The city is a curious, old fashion
ed piace-curious even in Mexico
! where everything seems odd TO Tn,
tourist - with narrow, crooked
streets. lined with tile roo(e,
houses. whose pitched roofs project
their caves 80 far that they seem Il
cover the sidewalks ike a she'd, an,
pending from these are spoutS t.
carry the rainfall from the roof t'
the center of the roadway. The cit
has perfect drainage system, based
upon and indeed consisting almos
entirely OF the facilities 80 lavish.
bestowed by nature in the shape o
rain and Grade. The streets SlOp
gently from the sidewalk on cithe
side 10 the center of the roadway
thus practically forming hg.
troushs or cutters. and all dirt o
refuse matter is Immediately washe,
beyond the city limits by the rain:
which fall. at least for short time
almost daily throughout the entir
year. This accounts for the scrupu
lousy clean appearance Of the city
which impreSses those who have us
tied other Mexican cities not so ad
vantageouslv located in respect I
drainage as Jalapa. So abrupt
the descent of the streets down tn
side of the hill that no attempt
made 10 use carts or carriages fo
transportation of goods or person,
A tramway which provides Il mean
of transportation TO Coatcpec run
through a portion Of the main thor
oughfare and i, the only wheeled VI
ticlc to be found within the city lin
its. and even this requires six mule
to haul il up the steep grades froT
the railroad station Ia the hotel'
All merchandise is carried from on
part Of the city TO another by carg'
dores and pack mules, which latte
are utilized extensively and almo.
to tie exclusion Of The hurro and II
horse.
4 walk through the streets of II
city is repaid bv many interestin
sights. The layanderas. or washe
women, pursue their vocation in II
public streets al large basins {
troughs, which Fave beer placed
all parts Of the city for their accom-
mediation. The churches are ope
all through the day, and at all hou
worshipers may he founl.-"Mo,
ern Mexico