The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-12-16
LEAVES FROM NEW MEXICAN TRAVEL

LAS VEGAS, n. NJ, Dec. IL, 80.
Eds. Journal:
| Since my last letter / have made a
journey over my territory, and rs /
| have more time when ut home than
travelling, most of my letters will
date from here. In this letter l will
| continue to speak of Mexican
| oddities. 1t seems to a person living
i'm New Mexico. that he was in some
foreign country, but we must realize
that il is a part of the United States.
a person can hardly believe that one
of the territories is Inhabited almost
exclusively by a race of people entire
ly different from the rest, and it Is SO
queer that this race has lived hundreds
of years so near us, and almost moth
ing has ever been known of them.
They have lived for and within them
selves. When men came here from
the States, they lived with them and
adopted their manner of life, seldom
ever returning to the east.
will commence by describing the
Mexican bale, (dance) and will give
description OF bale where the best
families go. attended one at Socarro,
which was in a long Dobie hall on the
first floor, they are all first floors and
on the outside there were a crowd Of
Mexicans betting on game similar
to our wheel of fortune; (the Mexicans
are great gamblers) business there
seemed to be lively. Inside were three
sets dan cling. They are all Spanish
dances, quite different from ours, and
they have no one to call rs they dance.
They understand how to go
through a cotillion without calling.
At the side of the wall is the band
comprised of one violin, one guitar and
one triangle. Around the wall are
chairs or benches To accommodate
the female portion of the audience.
The men mostly stand. After each
cotillion the men and women take
their seats, OF the men stand around,
and, with hardly an exception, both
sexes take from their pockets q piece of
brown paper or corn-shuck, and a
package of tobacco, this they roll into
cigarettes and smoke. In y few
minutes the smoke is thick enough To
cut: this i'm "A close room with only one
door and sometimes n window which
is closed. After the cigarette is gone
they are ready for another dance;
this is kept up during the evening.
When "a man wishes n partner To
dance, he walks 10 the center of the
room opposite the girl he wishes and
motions with his index finger for her
10 come; this is considered an invita-
ton. No words pass between them
until they are on the floor. and then
very little conversation Is carried on.
| have seen them try our cotiilions,
but they make out very poorly. at
tended bale AT i;ernalillo; il was al
most like the one l haze described,
with the exception that they hsa in one
room beer and wine which was free 10
all. They are more sensible in one re-
spect than our people. Instead of in |
juring their health by dancing all |
night. they seldom dance later than !
O'Clock, many times 90 home AT III |
or L. o'clock.
Now for the Tartillias pronounced |
TartieasD which is,a cake made out of |
corn-meal. They are made rs follows:
The corn is first roasted, then ground,
and the meal is taken and mixed With /
Il little flour ~ make it stick together
better. then mixed With water, making
the dough very thick, then lump of
this mixture Is ilattenei Out with the
hands. ard when about a. large around
rs a saucer and as thick as biscuit-dougb
they bend.the naked knee and shape
il something likes saucer. The dough
being tough il nemains in the sase
shape: then il is cooked. When they
eat they dip up their fayorits dish
called Chila, and at the same time bite
, piece OF the cake until il is all gone