The Port Gibson reveille., 1914-07-02
TAMPIGO DIRTY CITY
Discovery Of Oil Makes Changs
in Mexican Town.
Despite GrImy Evidences Of coml
merce Port still Is Central AmerI-
can and Interesting Much
5ustie Evident

come world known. On that cluster OF
bungalows, the old church and the jail
built on q sand heap, the eyes Of the
world are focused.
The little port up the Panuce river.
Tampico, ought never to have become
p great city. 1t has none of the In
gtincts Of a city. If only OF had not
been discovered the place would be to-
day as it was 100 years ago-a lazy,
fly bitten center of indolent industry
A point at the end of the river con-
venient for bartering purposes; some
where where the Indian women could
beach their canoes and exchange their
fruits and dye stufrs for cloth and
gaudy fnery.
Nowadays there are wharVes there
and railway depot. Big steamers
are alongside the Quays and mechanics
IN dirty blue overalls make the land
scape unpleasant to look upon. Where
once there was nothing but the subtle
murmur OF exquisite heat, now there La
the noise Of locomotives and the jar
ring rattle of the gear of unloading
steamers.
Apart from the unRoveiy evidence OK,
Increasing prosperity, Tampico is still
picturesque. Only its water side, it's
river front, has been improved" Be-
hind the smashing noise Of the railway
depot the old rabble Of houses and
drinking shops and churches remain
The place In its essence, as it were, Is
still Central American and beautiful
Dirty, yes, but splendidly dirty.
The old square remains, and by the
square the green and white cathedral
and the white painted, dirt incrusted
jail The Jail Is a romance in ITSELF
It is place unique. Perhaps the most
democratic prison In all the world.
There you can be lodged for some
trivial offense- drunkenness, for in
stance and then perhaps forgotten,
II you have no friends or no money!
you might remain there for montha
Justice-or should we call 1t law?-
In Tampice is casual thing. Every
thing is a matter Of tomorrow-the
tomorrow which never comes. So that
II you happen to be prisoner without
outside influence your stay may be q
prolonged one-unless you have a few
dollars with which to bribe the iailer.
The worst Of it Is, your fellow prison
ers will probably steal your clothes.
But, in spite Of the wharves and the
railway, the old native market re-
mains The people from upriver still
come downstream In their dugout
canoes and barter with the town folk.
They exchange honey and sarsaparilla
and luscious fruits for pulqne, tobacco
and cloth. PulQue Of course, is the ma
tive spirit the termented Juice Of the
aloe-which produces quick drunken
pess.
The little brown skinned. dark eyed
children sttll gambol In happy naked
mess beneath the old bridge; and there
one stu hears the music OF the ne
| tive instruments. The women from
the faroG, upspoiled districts Of the
interior copper colored, straight
haired women, shy and beautiful sing
their curious songs as they unpack
their bundles Of fruit, while their men
folk sun themselves and discuss cock
| fights. Yes, by the old bridge In old
Tampico one can always find gorgeous
| pictures-ever changing and entranc-
| ing, filed with flashing colors and In
1nitely brilliant
But, OF course, Tzmpico is impor-
tant in spite OF these things. It Is
called the oil metropolis Of Mexico.
Certainly it Is the safest port on the
Mexican gulf. The place commands
most of the commerce Of the City OF
Mexico, and all Of that Of q vast mum
Der of mining camps and centers OF
the interior.
American industry and capital have
combined; together they have convert
ed a remote, shallow and most treach
erous roadstead into an important har
Dor. The engineers brought rocks
from the mountains-70 miles away
and piled them out to sea. They buili
fwo great breakwaters, 1000 feet
AZ rt. which extend to distance OF T.,
900 feet into the gulf. Thus, after 9
million dollars or so was spent, Tam.
pico. from being a little village seven
miles up q surf guarded river, became
= widely known port The city is still
seven miles UP the Panuco river, but
now big steamers cross It's shattered
har and moor alongside the Wharves
-s.a~a e-ow& sea railway evrfern