Alternative Tourism
Through history
By: Mario Martini (Grandeza Mazatleca)
…The main imported items by Mazatlan in the period 1823-1880 were consumer goods. The majority of these were perishable: textiles manufactured of all kind (materials, ready-made clothing), wines, food, shoes. The non perishable were pottery, furniture, tools, firearms and no elaborated comestibles like cacao, chick-pea and dry fruits…
In the list of 1856 of a total of 1,190,000.00 (imported items) textiles had a value of 980,000.00 pesos; wines and liquors 10,000.00 , hardware items 35,000.00… the British participation in the introduction of merchandises was dominant, whether through their boats or intermediation of other countries boats. This meant 3 fifths for England, one fifth for and one fifth to France…
(History of Mazatlan. Cap. Mazatlan, History of its commercial vocation (1823-1910). Luis Antonio Martinez Peña. Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa. Ayuntamiento de Mazatlan. 1998. Págs. 103, 104,105)
Until the late 30’s foreigner investment had been moderated but between 1840 and 1860 a boost of German, Spaniard, French, Italian, American and even Chinese investments opened imported trade for all kind of items, from necessary to useless and sacred ones. Those who could pay found everything from Danish butter to Pianolas and Chinese underwear.
Regarding the imported merchandise between 1823 and 1880 stood out besides textiles, wines, liquors and some eatables…
Among the wines and liquors: red wine, carlon, rhin, muscatel, jerez anisado, aguardiente, wood, gin, jaqué, cognac, champagne, tea and beer. Among eatables: Olive oil, cocoa, spaghetti, chick pea, dry fruits, olives, cheese, vinager and species… Under the group called miscellaneous: rolling paper, letter paper, small bottles, glass boxes, tinplate items, soaps, perfumes, pomades, agua de colonia, alcanfor and essences to elaborate perfumes… (Op. Cit. pp. 103,104)
That evadible prosperity could not be happy all the time: In 1849 the people of Sinaloa suffered of Cholera morbus, not respecting creeds, social classes or titles, about 2000 people died throughout the state, including Governor Jose Maria Gaxiola.
To take care of the sick, The Municipal Government of Mazatlan bought the Island of Soto to built a Lazaretto for the infected ones in 2500 pesos
TO BE CONTINUED... |
