The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-06-16
MODEL CITY OF MERIDA

Mr.. Robert l.. Martin. civil engineer,
who recently returned from Yucatan.
Mexico, where he went to inspect tim
Der lands for New York capitalists, ap-
peared before the Woman's club yes
terday afternoon by special request. to
tell them about model city, which he
found in Merida, the capital of Yucca
tan.
The trip was made via Tampa and
Havana and from there by the Ward
Line of steamers to PrOgresSo, the port
town Of that section. Told OF the dock
less harbor Of Havana, how passengers
are taken off in boats and freight by
bargeS. The party spent three days in
| Havana and neighborhood- Found the
soil rich but poorly cultivated: this
| difficulty of getting along without be
| ing able to speak the Spanish Ian
| euaee
| Mentioned the fact that their steam
er didn't LAND within six miles of Pro
| gresso. where She rode at anchor and
| the difficulty of getting into the sail
! boats that came from shore, making
| such Il feat, especially III a rough sea,
very uncomfortable.
| He spoke of Yucatan and its ruins
/ the incentive for tourists to visit them
and this is reason Merida. twenty
miles by rail from rrogresso, is so
largely visited Progresso. the port
| town, has about 1000 people,
| The surface indications are OF tire
| mendouS volcanic eruptionS The soil
| is loose and rich; what little there Is of
| it. and its main product is the hemp
plant, out of which rope is made for
|hammncks and hindery Irvine. This
|
city The hemp plantations are large,
| varying from 5000 to 5000 acres La
| Dor is paid - to 30 cents n day. Their
! money is only worth half ours Eating
and drinking is high. \ meal for three
| costs 81, drink Of lemonade 30 cents.
| or / ) cents in our money.
| The fiber plant resembles our Span
iSh bayonet. 1t must have five years
| growth ere the lower leaves can be
stripped and ground into pulp. The
plant grows for twenty years and then
dies. Much United States money is IN
vested in the cultivation of this plant
by Chicago capitalists. as it is the main
source of supply of binding Irvine for
| the immense fields of the northwest.
| The country across from Progress"
to Merida is timherleSs. No shade trees
around the houses The walls Of the
houses and their roofs are 50 thick. the
| heat of the sun cannot penetrate and
| are very cool.
| No streams or lakes in that country.
The rain falls. percolates through the
rock and the whole under surface be
comes an immense reservoir, which IS
lifted for general use by WindmillS, of
which there is veritahle forest of
them in Merida. These mills are made
in Illinois, There are supposed to be
| 1000 of them in the city of 10000 peo-
pie. The streets and sidewalks are
paved with a mixture of cement ana
asphalt. The streets are narrow. s
feet wide. sidewalks three and a half
feet. and are kept very clean by man
stationed on cVr"y corner with a. broom
and dust pan. and all day long he
lsweepS and soiIed places he scrubs At
night horsepower sweeps are used. Re
suit the cle4nest city Mr.. Martin ever
saw. So clean are the streets kept that
Notwithstanding it being Il windy city
there is no dust.
| The sanitary condition Of the city i
good made 50 because yellow fever
used To prevail there and that destroy
ed its tourist business. This city. likr
all Mexican towns used to he a rlmh
,
swept streets This change was created
} in eight Years. Money had 10 be rails
ed to do it. Yet not one. cent was lai,
on houses or lots. hut one mill on the
dollar was levied ON the Si~;n planta
tions. which realized sixteen million
dollars. with which - miles Of stree
paving and 81 miles II walk We're con
Structed.
The place has beautiful parks ~N
cavated out Of the hills Of rock. Dir
is worth somcthin- in that country
selling at - cents a huShel, The t"wI
has fine schools. The ~rNcs IL no
mingle The boys occupy one side .
the street and the girls the other
The parks are ARRANGED in tiers,
= row of benches and a row of shrub
y berry. These tiers or courses are oc
cupied by various strata of society
beginning with the 400. but how tina
grade Of society can be distinguishes
* only known to the police force The
can spot them ana keep them in thei
proper tier. y regularity Of the wa
the people promenade in the park j.
the male persuasion march one way an
the females in the opposite direction
but never coming in contact Sal
counting was Il trying task in Merida
The young man stood barrh eadei i
the sun-Struck streets. gazing IonGingl
at the window that he wished his fai
. beloved should appear. hut didn't. bu
he persisted in showing his devotio
y and stricken heart at all hours of tn
day ana night. regardless of weathe
conditions and in time the old folk
seeing how bowed down his heart wa
with devotion for their daughter. 81
), in from three To six months. woul
ltake compassion on him and invite hiI