The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-11-06

Entirely alone, Don Albino could make no head
way with his project of getting rich quickly and.
taking advantage Of passing vessel, went back
to ValladOlid The cotton he had succeeded in
planting before his mozos deserted him was al
lowed to grow wild, and the island more
was completely abandoned by
It not until 1848 that Cozumel again
inhabited The revolution which caused Yucatan
and Campeche to separate had deprived many
citizens of the means of livelihood, and for ma
terial as well political reasons it became
necessary for them to seek pastures new. The
federal government offered to help them. provid-
ed they would leave the peninsula. But to where
could they be transpanted? Being Yucatecos,
quick to resent the paternalism of the govern
ment, and always suspicious of the party in
Offices bona fdes, they were Of spirit difficult
to keep under restraint and more than likely to
soon become unruly again. Therefore 70 allow
them to migrate to the central states or even to
the regions bordering the Gulf Of Mexico, was
out of the question; it imperative that they
be kept apart from the more docie peoples or the
republic lest they inoculate the latter with the
political rest1essness that had been their own I'M
doing. Finally 1t agreed that they should be
taken to Cozumel. This arrangement was duly
contaminated and everything necessary to enable
the exiles to make good start was furnished
gratuitously by the government After very
many vfcissitudes the colony thus launched
gradually settled itself into place, becoming at
the expiration Of a decade firmly estab-
Hshed, and Cozumel is today the TERRA" or
homeland of hardy and independent a set of
islanders-half farmers, half fshermen-as can
be found anywhere in the Antilles.
The present population of Cozumel numbers
some fourteen hundred souls. The capital, San
Miguel, is credited with 900 and the village Of FL
Cedral has about $50; the remainder scat
tered among the numerous ranches
San Miguel is quite thriving. well-formed
town. 1t has several wide, clean streets; plaza,
a very presentable little church, one large gen
eral store and several small ones an inn. and
municipal Offices and customhouse; it also boasts
a sort of esplanade running along the entire sea
front at one end of which is the lighthouse and
at the other landing ietty. Although most of
the buildings palm matched cottages. there
several strongly built stone houses and the
modern bungalow.
The only regular communication with the out
side world is by government transport These
steamers call twice each month to leave and
collect mail when route with troops and sup
plies to and from Vera Cruz and the military sta
tons OF Qu1ntana Roo.
Health conditions In Cozumel are extremely
good, when the tropical climate of the island is
taken into account The normal rate of mortality
averages Ii per 1000. Epidemics are very rare,
indeed. practically unknown
The great majority Of the Cozumel islanders
are poor, so far as possessing surplus of this
worlds goods is concerned, being satisfied with
a hand-tomouth existence.
Among the very few articles exported from the
island sponges, but the quantity is limited
and the quality not very fine More than one at
tempt has been made by foreigners to fully ex-
plot the sponge business here, but all efforts to
make it profitable a large scale have failed
There very many ruins on the island
some of (which I and to the extent of my
limited time and ability examined-the architec-
tural beauty and general plan of which provide
hTefutable evidence that the early inhabitants
were intelligent and cultured to a degree more
than surprising.