Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-04-09
Inhabitants of New Mexico.


The civilized native inhabitants of
New Mexico consist OF few old families
which boast, with more or less truth, Of
having pre- tsrr,ed umcontamiuated the
SdDJre UzM or blue blood Of SPAN the
"Grrasers," of mixed Spanish and Indian,
with here and there a light suspicion at
negro blood, aud the Ppebla Indians.
The first are the aristocracy OF the cOun-
try, and are usually better educated and
more wealthy than their mongrcl fellow
countrymen. They live in more pretcn-
tiOus houses, and cover their carthru
floors with coarse wool carpets of native
manufacture. They are cxtravagant in
the matter OF furniture, having frequent
y as many rs hali-a-doZen rude chairs,
table and II belstead among their posses
slOns at once.
Many of the women of this class have
good forms and features, with fine com
vlexions, and might be considered hand
some if they had any elasticity of move
ment or intelligence of expression. As
it is, they are about as attractive To one
who has enjoyed the society OF hearty,
spirited American girls, as the lIy-hgurcs
i'll Il mantuamaker's shop. Constitutions
ally lazy, ignorant, having no conception
ct pleasure other than a sensual, observ-
sing lt5 spirit-having, III short, none OF
that inner beauty which we have all seen
irradlating the countenances of even the
plaincst OF our conntrywomen, they be-
come prematurcly old, and age frequent
ly brings to them fearful ugliness. |
have never been able to discern among
them the grace aud beauty so much
lauded by enthusiastic travellers whom !
have met; yet am bound TO ackuowl
edge that they are eminently gOod-Ea-
tured and obhging, and their kindness of
heart, both to their own people and to
strangers, in cases of sickness or mlstor
tune, is provcrbial.
The Greasc:s are of varions degrees of
social standing. Some of them are com
paratively well off in worldly goods. y
wellto-do Greascr OWLS house with
four or five acres OF arabic land, "A horse
perhaps, at all events three or four don
keys possibly yoke Of stunted steers
certainly small herd Of goats, and from
two to five dogs of villainous breed.
There is no family so poor rs TO be desti-
tute of ut least IA couple OF dogs, hungry.
shaggy, woltish-.ooklng creatures that
come creeping upon the strangers fanks
and rear in the hope of getting nip
out of his leg, and run off bowling as if
in terrible pain if he but wave his hand
toward them. They are not dangerous
bru,es, but extremely annoymg, since
they will keep mp an assault with great
deal of noise and PERSISTENCE, and must
be sharpely watched 10 prevent them
from swapping piece out ct the flesh
part of tire body; their masters and
nYistresscs looking on meanwhile with i'll
difference, or perhaps with amusement,
until the exaSperatcd Tfctim draws his
revolver, when they will interfere with Il
great show Of viriuous indignation to
protect their ugly pets, Tor which they
seem to have rs much affection as Amerl-
cans, who ought to know better, have
for the worthless liItle ours that never
d<, GOOD or harm worth mentioning un-
ill. in the natural course Of things, they
90 mad and bite people.
The furniture in the house of a well-to-
do Grcaser consists of n bench, or two
or three stools, sometimes char, ana Il
rude tablc-thc last, however, net being
considered Indispensable, since box or
stray htard can be made TO supply its
place. The beds consist of wool mat
lresses and blankets Of native manuiac-
turc, which are spread upon the floor a,
night, and in the morning rolled up
against the wall, where they serve as
seats. Cooking-stoveS are rare, culinary
oucratioms hcimg carried or at the little
triangular firc-places which are construct
ed in the corners of the houses, and
which will admit but small sticks and
few of them. The cooking utensils are
limited to few vessels of earthenware,
With an iron pan or skillet, aud some
times coffte.pot. Fable crockery,
knives and forks and spoons, are scarce
and of the commuGesL quality, ana IN
the poorer houses are altogether wanting.
The interior OF some of the poorer hoAses
are feariully bare aud wfetched looking
The negro quarters of the South, while
slavery was yet an institution in tho
land, would have compared favorably
with the habitants of most of the peo
Pile.
But a small proportion of the Greaser'
can read aud write; and those who pos
sess these accomplishments do moi seem
to exercise them to any considerable eX
tent. They have but few books, anG
the newspapers of the Territory, printed
in English and Spanish, do not el'calas'
much outside of the larger towns. Ih'
schools, with tho exception OF those a
Santa Ec, are badly taught and poor'I