The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-11
fSev York Tribune.l

n
onIlto ~ mace in quiet New England
WI" ~ the same size IN single decsue'
,S ,.Hu,1b I'm the mean time The tide OF us
A" I,,,ercc was turned back upon i'seil
ga nsde 10 flow to the~uorth and east
au ',o.d ~ "a the south--t0 old Mexico
~ revolution in the fcrm ana ens-
90 ~ its Government followed tne
sncr,con conquest OF the country ""iSu
80 a. complete as that when msue 'be
,h,rteen Colonies independent OF Ent ''uu
- century ago. But since the open'os o'
,be n,esent wear American enterprise w us
,,.is,le.S march, has reached ana s"eP' .!
a. sieory old town, and now the scream oi
49,. locomotive whistle ana The rumDle OF
- railway trains are becoming iamlliar
mods where EIGHT months ago that mooeru
-, s,,,m. bsd never been harnesscu.
FIen now-aud this single isct alone VIII
convev 10 many o more vivid idea OF the
mod gvsl air which has perVaded Tue pace
,,n,u within the past few months-theTc IS
in the city OF ssnts Re, Win It's |VoO IN
babi,anis. ns thriving commerce ana us
rowing wealth. not = single steam'englne'
,rest or small, except the locomotives upon
the railway.
pRTNITlvE TYPES OF ARCHITECTURE.
The Fist thing lhst impresses visitor 10
mi, city upOn bis arrival here II tne quaint
ness of iis architecture. Most OF inc houses
= h,cb do not front upon the plaza, or upon
one or two streets which lesd from II, sre
no more imposing in appearance IMAM the
dug-outs IN which new settlers sometimes
suend their first winter on The western
,IsIns where timber is scarce. They used
10 say az Miles City, in Northwestern Mon
BOT 4 81 arriving
tbere early M the morning stamped his foot
non The ground he would instantly see the
inbabIt.nts pop their heads out Of their
holes, Ike so many pralrle'uogS' 10 see "ha'
caused the disturbance.
Adobe houses in Northern and Central
Colorado, aud in those parts OF Utah which
I have visited, are OF a hgbt-yeiio" or
cream color, ale built with sloping roofs.
apJ have plenty OF windows-in short, they
arc constructed on The American plan-and
when carefully wbitewaShtd, as they gem
cr.lly are. look rs though they bad been
bult for civilized people 10 live In. The
sdobeS Of New Mexico are entirely different
in appearance. TIE sun-dried bricks OF
which they are constructed are made
Of the brownish- black soil of the
urairie mixed up with water and
straw cut into small pieces, and when
dued and laid up in the walls are simply
mndcolor. Generally the outside Of the
wall j. Mastered over with mud mixed mp
about q, thick ~ mush and Put on with the
bsnd. Ils color. like that OF The bricks, l.
almost black, and inter ii has been on a
short time it cracks 10 the sun like the mud
IN the bottom OF aswamp. The bouses are
all one-stofy high. and generally measure
about seven feet from i0unds;on to top.
The roofs are perfectly flr, and are formed
bv Iaying poles across the tops Of the walls
and covering them over with foot or eigb-
teen inche. Of mud. Sometimes the ends OF
the poles, where they project beyond the side
Of the house, are sawed Off; but there are
many houses in The back streets OF Santa
Fe on which this has not been done, and
the rooi-poleS project in all lengths, from
few inches 10 two or three feet, giving to
the HOUSES an unlidy, neglected, and un6n-
ished appearance. In some cases wooden
spouls are placed in the mud roofs Of the
houses and pre- feet over The walls foot or
eighteen inches. These conduct off some
Of the water which collects on the roofs du-
ring TaiUs.
Except about the plaza, and In two or
thee short streets which are inhabited by
Americans and very wealthy Mexicans, the
houses stand close up TO the roadway, which
Is Just about wide enough tie drive a buggy
through, but not wide enough 10 turn car
rage around IN, with no front yards or side
walks intervening. The houses OF the poor
est classes in the city are often not more than
ten or twelve feet square, containing only
a single room, and have door and one, or
perhaps two, small windows, destitute OF
glass. in 'front.' The floors are OF mud, as
hard and smooth a, though made Of cement.
and very little furniture Is used. l have
been into the houses OF some Of the poor
people, and found neither chairs, tables,
nor bedsteads. On the floors Were some
times spread two or three sheepSkiDs, a
very coarse Navajo blanket, or piece OF
haDd-wOyen rag-carpet. The members OF
the family generally arranged themselves
about the room IN sQuattlng POSITION, Sit
ting on the calves OF their legs. with their
buck, leaning az ainst the wall, and all smOk-
ing cigarettes. This is the favorite position OF
a Mexican when at rest, even though he has
10 wall or tree 10 lean his back against and
10 steady him. ! have passed them out In
the country, when camped for dinner, sit
ting around on their launches like so many
isck-rabbits just on the point OF jumping
up and scampering away. During tue day
the cOlchOnS, or mattresses, are folded and
laid IN a corner, and the blankets and other
bedding neatly arranged upon them. A
few cooking utensils complete the stock OF
furniture.
The cooking is mostly done In an oven
which stands in front OF the house by the
side OF ihe door. This Is made OF adobe,
plastercd over with mud on the outside; is
about two feet high, and shaped like bee
hive. At the bottom on one side there is a
small door eight or ten inches square by
which the oven is fed with fuel, and on the
opposite side near the top a small hole Is
made 10 allow the smoke 10 escape. The
oven IL heated with wood after which the
Goals ale Taked out, the food to be cooked is
placed inside, and the door and sm0ke-hol
are closed up. Bread and meats msy bf
very nicely cooked in these Mexican ovens
The houses OF the MexicaDs OF the mid.
die class in this city are generally rectangn'
lar in form, with a pl1citG, or courtyard
In the centre. Many Of these do not look
on the outside any more comfortable than
those OF the poorer people. They often
have neglected, deeaylng appearance, and
the scarcity OF windows gives them gloomy
air. But II j. impossible TO Judge OF house
by it, outward appearance in Santa Fe.
As have passed some OF these dwellings
and looked into the pLGcita through the
open door, have seen IN The centre neat
fower-gardens, and the inner walls OF the
houses surrounded with porticoes upon
which all the rooms opened, aud beneath
which shady nook could always be found.
There were plenty Of windows, too, open.
Ing upon the ptacita, aud there the family,
protected from the dust aud snnoyanees OF
The street, could live out OF doors in the
greatest privacy. Sometimes the ptdcita II
used a. a corral for the burros and goats
and then IN Ia mt an plaaeanf