The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-05-11
About one quarter of the popula

About one quarter OF the popula-
ton of this country is Mexican.
They live in very poor excuses for
houses, not equal to the negro shan
ties, as a general thing, and some
times, yes, frequently, they live in
huts that with you in Ohio, would
hardly be thought good winter quar-
ters for hogs.-Many of these Jack
ais pronounced Hackels) are built
by driving cedar pickets in the
ground and putting on a roof OF
straw, cane, or old blankets. Many
of them are built of adobe, and oc
casionally in good style, but this is
the exception and not the rule, al
though the owners sometimes have
money, and might build much better.
One afternoon, in company with a
collector for sewing machine agen-
cy, we called at two or three of these
places. One of them wes occupied
by Mary de Jesus Cis, and was some
what above the average in that part
of the city. Here is the style of it:
About II by 16 feet in size, with one
very narrow shel, or partly closed
back room, built of post-oak pickets,
daubed within and without, with one
opening, possibly two, without glass,
but closed by solid shutters; two
doors, no fire place, and no floor but
Mother Earth, and that not as
smooth as a threshing floor by a
good deal.
The furniture consisted of two
trunks, one bed, one or two excuses
for chairs, a se,0ing machine, looking
glass, two or three crosses, and not
much else.
We only saw two or three persons
about the house at the time of our
visit. but the balance of the family
were lying around somewhere. We
wondered where they slowed them
all away at night. 1t might be worth
while to mention that the egent got
five dollars in specie on his sewing
machine, poor though the place
looked.
Children and dogs are usually
numbered by the dozen or half doz-
en-. In the Jackal above partly de-
scribed, we only saw three dogs.
The children were probably under a
neighboring Mesquit bush.
Mexican women do not wear lon
nets. They always have shawl or
scarf thrown ovec their head and
shoulders. The men generally wear
wide trimmed hats, 'troundqbouts,"
with red sash tied about the waist,
as an Irishman wears his belt. We
read of noble-looking Spaniards. tall
and sharp-featured, but these are not
characteristics of q Mexican here
abouts.
1t is said that for many years,
when a Mexican got into debt he
never thought of getting ont by any
other way than by paying 100 cts. on
the dollar, or honorably discharging
the obligation. Like the Indians,
they are learning tricks from the
white man, and are not rs reliable as
of old, although my friend, the col
lector, informed me that he censid-
cred them safe usually for the pay
ments upon sewing machine.
Northern people are here by hun
dreds Many come to look after the
stock business. Some stay and go
into business; many return with no
dattering opinion of the country.
1t is said that there were 1000 per
sons here the past winter for their
health, lung and throat diseases gen
orally, but many of them, now that
the weather is getting hot, arc 60
ing north. For consumption, asth-
ma and like affections, this climate
is, if sought in time, very superior,
and many derive great advantage
from a visit here
But this letter has grown too long,
so d0ios! Yours for Ohio,
n. T. A.