Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-07-13
LIFE AT SANTA PE.
The Ola Mexican Civilization and
tuH7 Population.

| tHIl FOpuintiOn.
The people are so polite that one rare
ly knows if he has made a mistake in
his Spanish. They compliment every
step of progress, and if one pronounces
within hundred degrees Of right they
exelaim; Muy bueno, Senor, muy claro
Castilanop A strange, polite, lazy, af-
fectionate, careless, unprogressive race
they are. Their total lack of enterprise
shows in the most ludicrous ways, but
most in their style Of Transporting every
thing on the backs of asses. have seen
but one Mexican wagon since / came
here, and that had broken down. About
the streets are droves of jackasses of
very small breed, some with bundles of
hay or straw strapped on their backs,
others with stove.wood stacked up on
each side, reaching from the ground to
foot above the back, and tied on with
raw hide-a regular perambulating wood
yard. Occasionally one loses his bal
ance or trips and goes over on his back.
Then he cannot getup until unloaded.
| saw one get down in the Santa Fe river
recently, and having enjoyed the cool
bath and freedom from his burden,
he refused to rise when unloaded.
A withered old sonora was belaboring
at him with a musical accompaniment
"Caramba por Diosl va maladitto"
and adjuring all the saints in the litany,
ending with a vigorous thwack on his
head, and direct appeal to Saint Anas-
tasia, who is supposed to have peculiar
power over refractory mules. But the
hetertodox beast shook his long ears
lazily, and exhibited a most Protestant
contempt for the whole sanity outfit.
As passed on she called to her assist
ance muchacha, who was spearing the
donkey along the backbone with a fe-
rule cane, with some promise of success.
All the timber along the mountain is
brought into the city by this method,
and one often sees drove Of donkeys,
each with heavy joist on each pannier,
projecting ten feet beyond his head and
dragging on the ground behind him.
This morning noticed miserable lit
tie burro, no bigger than a good sized
man, staggering under an entire bed
stead, piled up and strapped together on
his back. They are the wealth of the
poorer class, and when the household
donkey dies Mexican family goes into
bankruptcy.
The common people are incredibly
poor. If late peon, now free, has a
dollar, he neither labors nor thinks till
it is gone. twenty-five cents Of it buys
-four, twenty-five goes for dulces for the
sonora, another twenty-five pays for alb
solution, and the rest buys a lottery
ticket. No matter if his lottery ticket
draws blank hundred times in success
sion, may be some time | win, is to1
him sufficient answer. A few families
own all the wealth Of the country. Even
they have their wealth mostly in hocks
and herds, and, immense as it is, it
brings them but few of the Injuries Of
life. II this territory is admitted now
as State, it ought to be called Pobrita
(' Little Poverty Each of these
wealthy families has from 500 to 5000
dependents, some of whom were their
poems before that system was abolished,
and continue TO yield obedience by ma
ture and habit If a State, this would
be a most complete rotten borough"
the worst Y csrpet-bag" State in the
Union. Fifteen families with ease would
rule the State-the Chaves, Gallegos,
Delgados, Sennas, Garcias, Pereas,
0teras, Quintannas, and few
others. These families have three
fourths Of the wealth of the terri
tory, and all the influence. The
poor Mexicans do anything they are told,
in fact don't know how to do otherwise
than do as they are told. These fami-
lies, in conjunction with half a dozen
priests and dozen or more Americans,
would divide the home offices between
them and send whomsoever they pleased
to Congress. IT an American is in
with the noble families " he is a made
man. Last winter the common members
we're bought and sold in the Legislature,
| am reliably informed, with scarcely
denial Men boasted on the streets that
they had " bought so many asses" 1t
would be an eminently peaceable State
however; the government need antici-
pate no trouble or need of reconstruc-
ton. They are very friendly to an
seeming to regard him as ac-
tually superior. The Mexican women
almost look upon a white man as sort
Of little divinity. Religion seems to in
terpose not the slightest objection. A
Protestant can get Office as easy as a
if not easier The Americans,
of course, are Protestants, but for the
most part, like A. Wards show
partner; +" Gentlemen, these are
ny sentiments, but if they don t suit you,
hey kin be changed