The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-18
Prize Fight Sunday Night Well Patronized by the
 Natives and Soldiers
SAME BUILDING FOR
 CHURCH AND FIGHT
Reflections of Man Far From Home on What Family and Friends Are Doing Back in
 Birmingham

Vera Cruz, Mex. June 17-(Special Cor respondent.)-I witnessed my first Mex iean funeral yesterday as I passed down Independencia avenue to supper, and 1t was novel in it's methods. The pallbear- CTS bear the coffin on their shoulders and the coffin is devoid of any case. There are six of them and opposite each pallbearer is strip of black ribbon some what like a streamer and a person next to the pallbearer takes this and holds it out to the breeze as the coffin is borne up the street
 The undertakers shop, like all others, opens directly on the street, and the fu- neral party is apparently made up inside the shop. On top of the coffin was a large cluster of artificial flowers As the cortege passed along the street the Americans stood uncovered, and the sol diers stood at attention for such is the force of Christian training that it is re- spectful of the dead.
 Along the street the funeral party had to pass three cantinas (saloons) and there was no slackening of rushing feet as they hurried to wait upon the public. Immedi- ately in front of the cathedral where the prayers for the dead are always said is a third class cantina which did not seem to stop one minute, and l firmly believe that the funeral party might have heard the clink of glasses and ribald jest while the service was being said After the exercises at the cathedral were over the body was taken to its last resting place. As I witnessed this incident I wondered of the jingo, in whose covetous heart the blood of conquest runs warm, could truly feel that a people whose respect for death is so slight could ever become American citizens.
 Prize Fights Sunday Night
 This is Sunday and another big prize fight is being held tonight at the same theatre where I attended church ser vice this morning. A brass band was placed on street car today and pa raded over the town to advertise this great form of sport The populace will turn out in force and there will likely be far more soldiers at the prize fight tonight than I saw at church this morning. No wonder our army Is great saw a large number of officers high in rank at church and listened to good tenor voice singing Saviour Pilot Me" beloning to a major. When one reflects that such God fearing men have under them some soldiers that fear neither God man or devil it is easy to see how such a combination Noii "of h lp SOHqutl lDt MoIlu py lOTte of arms. But it seemed incongruous to me to hear the chaplain preaching of the prince of peace among a population where only thoughts of pleasure run rlet The only natives present were the musicians whose work was splendid
 An official of the postoffice depart ment is somebody in this country and especially with the German and French ships. On yesterday l went aboard the French liner "Flandre" to sign for the mail and the captain was graciouness personified It may have been that he was unusually kind because the French consul, who knew me and spoke to me as l came up the ganway, was aboard, but they are always prompt and give the mail the right of way over every thing just we do back home.
 Speaking of consuls the French gov ernment seems to have the right man for the place here. l may be unduly pre- possessed in his favor because we are good friends, but he seems to know just exactly what to do and when to do it. In fact he is in class with our own Consul Canada
 Balance of Mail Matter
 When 1 left Birmingham to come down here my good friend, Luckie, of the Louisville and Nashville station, told me l would have an easy time. I wonder how he figures easy. for in the registry division Chief Clerk Clement handles around $10,O00 per week. This week we have been getting out notices on 5000 parcel post stuff. and we have to handle as much as 1500 bags of mall per day. But we have a good system worked out now, and the way we move things js pleasure to the public, so they tell me. We had photo graphs taken of the postoffice and