American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1915-11-13

Entirely alone, Don Albino could make no head
way with his project of getting rich quickly and.
taking advantage OF q 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 once more
was completely abandoned by man.
II was not until lS4S that Cozumel was 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 as 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 transplanted? Being Yucatecos,
quick to resent the paternalism Of the govern
ment, and always suspicious OF the party In
Offices bona fdes, they were OF a spirit difficult
to keep under restraint and more than likely to
soon become unruly again. Therefore to allow
them to migrate to the central states, or even to
the regions bordering on the Cuff Of Mexico, was
out or the question:: II was imperative that they
be kept apart from the more docle peoples Of the
republic lest they inoculate the latter with the
political restlessness that had been their own un.
doing. Finally It was agreed that they should be
taken to Cozumel. This arrangement was duly
contaminated. and everything necessary to enable
the exiles to make a good start was furnished
gratuitously by the government. After very
many vicissitudes the colony thus launched
gradually settled itself into place, becoming at
the expiration OF a decade or 80 firmly estab.
iished. and Cozumel is today the TERRA or
homeland OF as hardy and Independent a set OF
slanders-half farmers. half hshermen-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 n
Cedral has about $50; the remainder are scat
tered among the numerous ranches.
San Miguel Is quite a thriving, well-formed
town. IL has several wide. clean streets; a plaza
a very presentable little church. one large gen
eral store and several small ones. an inn, and
municipal Offices and omh Il also boasts
a sort OF esplanade running along the entire sea
'front.' AZ one end OF which is the lighthouse and
al the other a landing Ietty. Although most n,
the buildings are palm matched cottages. there
are several strongly built stone houses and the
main street has a twostory brick house and 4
modern bungalow.
Inc only regular communication with the ont
SIDE world Is by government transport. Thes,
steamers call twice each month to leave an,
collect mail when en- route with troops and sun
ples 10 ana rom Vera Cruz and the military sta
tons OF Quintana Roo.
Health conditions in Cozumel are extre-,e,,
good when the tropical climate OF the island 4
taken into account. The normal rate OF mortal,,,
averages Ia per 1000. Epidemics are very tare
indeed. practically unknown.
The great majority OF the CozumeI Islander
are poor, so far as possessing a surplus of tbi
worlds goods Is concerned, being satisfied witt
a hand to'mout existence.
Among the very few articles exported from m
island are oponges, but the quantity ia l,m,,e
and the quality not very fine. More than one a,
tempt has been made by foreigners to fully Q,
plot the sponge business here, but all erorts +,
make II profitable on a large scale have ta,lad
There are very many ruins on the Island
some OF which saw and to the extent OF m
limited time and ability examined-the archie,
tural beauty and general plan OF which nrovtd
irrefutable evidence that the early inhabitar,
were intelligent and cultured to q do" ~
than surprising.