Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-12-03


blessing little children, the Virgin Mary
and Pope Pho Nino hanging against the
wall, mud nn image OF the crusificlion on
tie shelf over the fire place aud you have
u photograph of the average Mexican dwell
ling. Of course there are some dwellings
where mn effort has been made looking 10.
ward comfort we find bedsteads, chairs,
tables and possibly carpet ON the floor,
though instances Of this kind are rare.
Further attempts to make home cheerful
are made by whitcwnshng the walls.
Some co'or tho wash and put j. on
iron the floor up for distance of three
iect or more, giving the appearance OF
waimscoating. This is ornamented with n
fancy border in some other colored wash
which givcs.a happy relief to what would
otherwise look plain aud common place.
The adobe Of which the houses are built
nre large brick or cakes of mud dried in
the sun, aud As / have said before, the
houses are but one story, with fiat roofs
constructed by placing large piece OF tim
ber or log called vega, across the top Of
the building from side to side forming q
comb. The vega is very strong for reasons
which you will discover presently. After
the vega is placed in position, small poles
with the bark stripped off are placed ms
end resting ON the vega and the other ends
resting on the walls of the house. On top
OF the poles is placed bark or straw, and on
top OF all is spread layer after layer OF mud
OF the consistency OF thick mortar until ii
reaches the thickness of from eight inches
to foot, and when II becomes dry by the
uction OF the sun, il makes what might be
termed n cement roof, as it is nearly ii not
quite as hard rs that material, and now
you will see the necessity OF u strong vega;
il is to sustain the immense weight OF the
| roof. At intervals of from SIX to ten feet
around the roof are small troughs or sponts
of wood extending out from the sides OF
the building from two to three feet; these
are for the purpose of carrying off the wa
ter when it rains. Some of the older houses
are square in form, surrounding plazetta
tr little plaza. No doors or windows are
10 be seen with the exception Of one large
and very strong door through which en-
trance and egress Is had to and from the
plazetta. Once inside the plazetta, all
necessary doors and windows ARE found.
This class OF buildings was constructed for
purposes OF defense against the raids of the
Indians and they certainly make formid-
able defense against all attacks except of
artillery. Socorro WAS originally built
around plaza but as il increased in size il
became necessary to build back and away
from the plaza. No regular streets were
laid ont, but each one built where he liseth
without regard to lines or angles, and now
when one sets out for an afternoon stroll
and takes what lie supposes 10 be n street
leading out from the plaza, the chances are
nine out oil ten that he will bring up in
goat or sheep corral, or face to face with a
mud wall, barring his further progress.
had always had romantic idea of plaza,
surprising it to be II park set with beauti-
ful tropical trees, with arbors, fountains
and benches-a place where the gay young
Spanish cavaliers with their clinking spurs
and dashy dress, and the beautiful Senori.
tas, with their black eyes and blacker hair,
came to do their billing and cooling, but
alas alas /! the vision remains with me
only as n dream. This plaza is OF about
four acres and looking out upon it from
any point you see simply a vacant space
without blade of grass, tree, or bench,
no dashing cavaliers. no bla ok eyed, heart
crushing Senoritas, but old fruit cans, bro
ken beer bottles, dead dogs, and all the de-
brls OF the town, Il sand fed hog or two,a dog
| fight in which from two to dozen dogs are
engaged and mixed up in such confusion
| that one would think they could never get
| disentamgled again, few buros tdonkeys),
| packing wood from the mountains, black
greaser (Mexican), riding his cabells
(horse) at break-neck speed, II female greas-
er with black shawl thrown over her head
covering her head and her uginess, and ali
this garnished Oh either side with business
houses, saloons and dance halls. 'Tis not
very pretty picture, is it?
The population of New Mexico is divid.
ed into three classes, Mexicans Indians,
and Americans, | put the American last
because he was the last to come. As have
lost no Indians | shall hunt none to enable
me to study and recount to you their blood
letting and hair lifting pecnliarities. AL
that are not Indians or Mexicans are clas-
sod as American and the last political cam
paign relieves me of the necessity OF COM
mentng on their pccnliarities. l have
now only the Mexican to deal with,
and shall do il as briefly as possible. My
der dog in the fight and l am not now dis
posed to depart from Il life long principle.
In the States we have been taught 10 be-
lieve that the Mexican to be trencherous,
heartless, an assassin and thief. From
my observation and knowledge of them,
this is all wrong, unjust and unfair. That
there are bad men among them there is no
donb, bul insist that The proportion is
not greater than il is among Americans
That there is gambling, qunrrelling, shoot
ing ami murder among them is unquesion
ably true, the same with Americans. Thai
some OF them fail to distinguish their owl
property from The property OF others is Z
iameniable fact--So also with Americana
with This difference, the American thi,
he,itates not at grand larceny while I'll,
( Mexican is, M rule, content 10 be IL petit,
. thief.
: The Mexican is generous and hospitahl
, 80 far as his poverty will! permit him to b.
80. Meet a poor slicep-herder in the noun
7 tiins, ON the plains, or where yom NAV, v,an
e he will take the little bag Containing
e piece o, sheep meat and II cake Of torleis
: empty 1t upon he ground, and ask you /
I share it with him. Torteis il II kind q
II bread peculiar To this country. 1t is mad
: hy mixing Hour into a very hard dougl
then placing il upon - Hat rock and sttin
II down upon il To give il the proper symm,
| try Of shape; it is then placed into n fir,
q ing pan and set before II fire until bake,
e Some OF them are very fair eating (wlie
q one can't get anything else), others nj
l. harder than the rock OF Gibraltcr an
y would require the services OF n Blak
y quartz crmslier 10 reduce them tu anylllir
II like n condition to be niasticated, but v
e must take the will for the deed and 50
3, shy even the poor sheep hcrder is generol
l. and hospltable.
y In appearance the Mexican IL not pr
possessing, his skin il dark often qui
u black, his countennnce denotes ignoranC
N and his dress is slovenly; the same may
" said of Mexican women, and when they
e. attempt dress, they disregard all the su
" gestions OF Madame Demorest's popul
Magazine, and the patches on Josepl
coat were not n patching to the variety
e, colors with which they will bedeck thel
~ selves.
ID New Mexico is by "large majority
Il, barren, desert waste. Only along the X
hu Grande and Two or three smaller streai
oi can anything be raised The princil
products are corn, wheat, grapes OF an G
re cellent quality, onions OF enormous 81
IA chill cattle sheen and wood Wmh