The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-04-09
From Our Western Correspondent.
Among the Aztecs. --Curious Modes of
Agriculture mines and Mining.
NEcTrTA N1,,x NFr-,

March 7, 1881.
The denizens of this strange city
and the surrounding country are
curious study. This letter will be
devoted to giving your readers some
idea OF their habits OF life and their
modes of agriculture. The Mesilla
valley frem which this city takes its
name is one of tine most famous in
New Mexico for its agricultural pro-
ducts. 1t extends along the Rio
Grande for seventy-flve miles and
having an elevation of near 1000 feet
the air is permeated with electricity
and ozene making 1t a sanitarium
which d visited by thousands affect-
"a WIN asthma OfO1cisIAI ana puis
menary diseases. The climate is
superb, the thermometer never reach.
ing zero. Snow rarely whitens the
earth, and hot and sultry nights are
unknown. To an Eastern traveller
the novel sights and experiences he
encounters are so full of interest that
he is 10th to depart from this land OF
the Aztecs l came here 'in the full
of harvest time" when this beautiful
valley along the Rio Grande was
yellow as gold with its carpet OF
ripened cereals. Since then I have
learned much by being brought into
contact with the people ofthis foreign
country who until within a few
months have been so isolated and
shut out from the outside world as
to know nothing of its modes, styles
and modern civilization. Let me
show your readers picture of this
valley. On either side grand old
mountains rear their peaks high up
into heavens pure ether. Coursing
along at our feet in sluggish quiet
rells the Historic Rio Grande which
chains rises in Colorado, runs into
New Mexico between the two of
the Rockies, and continues south.
ward through the whole length of the
territory. Just there on its bank is
gathered large number of Mexicans
bedecked in gay and bright array.
Hilarity and mirth rule queen of the
hour. Men and women join in dances
and strange sports. A little distance
away gay fandango is going on to
the time of monotonous music. We
approach and in our "half-grewn
Spanish" ask why this merry.mak.
ing. and are told that it IS "the
harvest festival" The God of the
Aztecs has smiled upon the cereals
and the harvest has been abundant.
At a little distance to the left the
process of threshing out the grain is
going on. Shades of Coronado How
antiquated A circular enclosure is
made by driving poles side by side
close together into the earth. The
hard ground has been swept clean
and the wheat to be threshed isspread
nDOn it. Within are dozen goats
and as many children who are shout
ing and laughing and driving the
frightened animals round and round
the arena. while now and then halt
is made to allow the master of the
harvest to turn over the straw, when
off again scamper the goats and chill
dren. This is kept up for several
days when the straw is removed and
the plump grain gathered into bowl.
shaped grass baskets, to be picked
over, winnowed and cleaned by the
women. The harvest time is always
a gay season, and all the young pee.
pie join in the festives. Now let nae
show you one of their agricultural
implements. You will. fear, laugh
but you must not let them see you
for these are sensitive and unfor-
giving people.
Here is plow, long beam. to one
end of which is hitched a single steer
or OK, while the other end is smooth
ed off for handle. Fastened to it
about midway in sloping position,
is stick pointed at the lower end,
which scratches up the fertile and
mellow soil. This IL the chief imple.
ment of Mexican agriculture. I'm.
agine it, you farmers on the prairies
who ride upon your sulky plows and
SOW your wheat with drills. This
condition of things. however, is soon
likely to change, to be superseded by
American implements. The fertility
and magnificent climate of the Rio
Grande valley, the great demand for
agricultural products, owing to the
advent ef the A. T. & s. F. r. r. is
settling this valley with a better
class of farmers who will not only
open the eyes OF the Mexicans but
make fortunes for themselves. had
sooner own a good farm land they
can be had for song) in this valley
than any place 1 have visited In the
west. The vast mineral interests and
the mining CAMPS are creating a great