Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-07-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
Life in Texas.


nal of Commerce writing from San Anton
10 de Bexar under date of April 9th, gives
the following account of that region.
GA week here gives me few pleasant inn
pressons. The Americans" perhaps one
tenth the population, are, as always. kind
and hospitable, but all else IS so strange, so
purely Mexican and half Barbarian. The
town contains about $500 souls, yet the
Americans have complete controllnall they
idesire--and, were you dropped down here,
YOU would exciaim, GA Mexican town!''-
Very few of the old dismal adobies and
stone stores and dwellings have been re-
placed with the light American construction.
The main church, inclosed within rude
wall of stone and plaster, is fast crnmbling
to the EARTH 1t has five bells, all cracked
and broken, which are constantly grating
lupon the ear. The top, sides aud ends, are
more or less shattered, which is chargeable
to the account both of time and the Texas
cannon and rifles. The Texans, when they
first entered the city as captors. took special
delight in aiming their rifles at the old bells
for they had often given warning of their
enemy's approach. The house formerly oc-
cupied by the Governor, is long and low,
=
floors. The reception room is however
paved with flat rocks. Now it is tavern,
but without glass windows. The sleeping
rooms of the hotels have all ground floors,
and are very large, containing from five TO
each, and when the house
is full, as is often the case, the reflection is
not so pleasant. The streets are filled with
Mexican carts, on two wheels, with four
yoke of oxen, driven with Sc long pole"
from ten to fifteen feet, with brad in the
end, and which stirs up the cattle amazing
ly, the Mexicans sitting upon the cart. The
yoke is dashed to the horns of the animals,
and has no bows. There is not particle
of iron about the cart or oxen, every thing
being done with rawhide lashing. These
carts do most of the freighting about the
country, travelling about SO miles per day.
In the outskirts of the town are the iackals,
called ''harkells," occupied by the poor
/ Mexicans. They are built by digging a
trench in the earth "a inches by IL wide,
and setting therein small posts eight feet in
height, which are dashed together with
strips of rawhide. The dirt is then put
back, to secure the bottom ofthe posts. AZ
ter putting on the ridge pole, more rawhide
is used; in the absence of wood poles, or
brush, which runs from the top of the posts
to the ring pole. The roof is then ihatched
with a heavy grass, and the house is finish
led, unless the builder chooses TO mud be-
tween the poles, to make the house tight
The famous ''Fandangos" are held in these
establishments, where one can dance with
a Mexican girl for ten cents on the bare
ground, and kick up a tremendous dust of a
dry night without extra charge.
The Americans are the leading patrons,
no Mexican presuming to take place in
the same quadrille without special pernis-
sion. Monte tables, too, always have places
ion the night of the Fandango in the har-
kell, and many dime, dollar and eagle, are
won by the willy dealer. The MeXicanS al
ways gamble, and 'tis said are never with
out pack of cards in their pockets--men,
women and priests. j have often seen them
al it beside the road, river, or wherever they
happen to meet. A party, social or other
wise, is never given without gambling be-
ing the leading amusement, aud 1t is no
secret that the padre always joins. The
Mexican women wear shaw Is upon their
heads at church, and in the streets, upon
state and all other occasions-never bonuets.
The poorer classes "beat the Dutch'' for
cheap living. A sixpence per day is alum
dant; nothing being required but half
ward of beef and few cakes thai rhe girls
bring home frow the Fandangos. Ii is true
that beef is sold by measure here, and boy
is often seen going from market with a
s.yard, yard and a half, or two yards" aud
amusing himself by slapping il around some
dirty urchins, and against the houses, or
cracking it like a stagemen's whip. Raw
hide is used for almost every thing--elothes-
lines, chair bottoms, fences, tops of carts,
for tying houses and fences together, sad
dies and brides, and OK chains. Most chill
dren five years old can swim, and If one
gets drowned, it is lesson to the rest to
look out. Adobies (dobes) are used most
ly now for building in towns. They are
moulded like brick, but only baked in the
sun, leaving them very tender. Their size
is is inches square and 4 thick. So IL takes
but few, and they cost but one 10 one and
a half cent each. Lumber is hauled from
Port Lavaca, $50 miles and sells here at
SIS NJ. The almost impossibility of OBJ
tanning lumber has been the reason of there
being nothing but dirt floors in the city
Merchandise sells here at a good profit. and
is mostly from New Orleans, although some
from New York. The expense of hauling
from Port Lavaca is from SIS to $50 per
ton. Yesterday, tbirty-fVs carts, taking
$50, 900 worth of goods, started for the Rio
Grande, and beyond. This and similar ex-
petitions are fitted ont often by the mer-
chants, since the treat Mexican trade upon
which they depended, has been cut off by
the war. The Mexicans dare not come 10,
for fear Of the Indians and robbers by whom
the road is infested. This parry number
sixty, all told, completely armed and equip
ped.
have visited the Old Missions. They
are wOnderfui-almosf too much for human
vast piles erected when this
country was a wilderness. The first "Mis-
sion of Conception, - four miles fiofn the
city. covers about g, 600 feet of ground, and
,va< aofirelv walled In. II Is now fast going