Connecticut western news., 1882-10-25
DOWN IN TEXAS.
The Mexican Jacal and the People
 who Inhabit it.
From Texas Slftings.]

A who Inhabit it. From Texas Slftings1
 The Mexican element is large fea ture in the population of Western Texas.
 Outside of the cities and towns, the Mexicans serve as shepherds, teamsters and cattle herders. Very few cultivate the soil. The majority of those in San Antonio live by hauling wood, prairie hay, bones, and other country produce into town. The remainder eke out a miserable existence by pawning and re- deeming their superAuous wearing ap- parel. A Mexican may be very poor, he may be in more indigent circum- stances than Jobs turkey; he may be steeped in such abject poverty that, compared to him, church mouse will seem to be rolling in afauence, and he may be so destitute that he is not able to keep more than six dogs, but, even then, he can draw upon his pawnbroker for the value of ticket that will admit him to the arena where chicken disputes occur on Sunday. The Mexicans spend freely what little they have; they sell dom accumulate much worldly goods; and they cannot keep anything, not even the Sabbath day.
 The Mexicans are remarkable for their politeness and sauvity of manners. Be- fore reaching San Antonio we called at the rancho of Don Ignacio Gonzales, to ask for directions as to the way. Don Ignacio welcomed us at the door, told the Doctor, who pretended to speak Spanish, that he was his servant, and invited us into the house. 'Estoy en- teramente su disposition" q am en- tirely at your disposaD. We had very pleasant talk, and many very compli- mentary things were said on both sides. Among other things Don Ignacio said 1: 'Esta V en su casa, y puede mandar. '" (You are in your own house and can c0mmand.)
 The Doctor noticed fine pair of spurs, and expressed his admiration of them. s'Tomele V senor; es suyo" (Take it, sir; it is yourg, said the old gentleman.
 The Doctor thanked him in the most extravagant terms that mixture of Spanish and English would allow, and put the spurs in his pocket. We were then directed as to the route, after many assurances from Senor Gonzales that he and his sons and daughters, his man servants and his maid servants, were our n ost devoted servants, henceforth and forever. We said "Adios," and started to leave. The hospitable and generous old ranchero bowed us to the door, assuring us that while he con- tinued to lnhabit this terrestial ball, he would daily pray that the choicest blessings of heaven might follow us, and then the old fraud lntimated, in quite business-like tone that, as the Doctor was his dearest friend, two dol lars was all that he would charge for the spurs that he had given him.
 In my intercourse with the Mexicans 1 learned that the courteous and high sounding phrases are but polite express sions meaning nothing, and that al- though they may say, "Tomele V se- nor es suyo," when you admire any of their possessions, you Lad better not take them at their word, unless you have money in your pocket to pay for the article. Ifyou inquire of Mexican as to any matter regarding which he is ignorant or indisposed to talk, the in- variable answer, accompanied by lazy shrug of the shoulders, is stquien sabe ?" (who knows ? Many of the Mexicans residing in Texas can speak English, but they often deny that they can. ''No entiendo" q do not understand) is fre- quently heard by the stranger who tries to induce the Aztec to speak English.
 The majority of Mexicans live in mis- erable huts called iacals. These dens consist of one room about twelve feet square. The walls are made of upright posts, the interstices being filled with mud. There is no attempt at ornamen- tation. The mud is just plastered on, the capacious hand of the Mexican serv- ing as trowel. The roof is made of cane, matched with tule-a kind of rush. The more pretentious edifices have tin roofs, constructed out of old oyster cans. This kind of roof is water-tight-when it does not rain-and makes an excellent breeding place for scorpions and centi- pedes. Another advantage of the thatched roof is that it takes fire readi- ly, and thus, by obliging the owner to build another roof, stimulates him to habits of industry. There is doorless opening in the side of the jacal, used for the entrance and exit of the inhabitants. There is another opening that serves in lieu of 8 window, and Is used as pri- vate entrance by the goats and dogs. The floor is of mud pounded hard-the American national pastime of taking the carpets out to the back yard, and beat ing the dust out of them, is unknown in Western Texas.
 There being only one room in a jacal, it is much more convenient than the arrangement of Buckingham Palace, be- cause in the jacal you are not compelled to leave the dining-room and go away off by yourself to another room when you want to put on clean shirt. The grounds around the iacal are, however, adorned with statuary, particularly in summer, whenever the older members of the family sit around in the shade, clothed only in their native modesty and one other garment.
 A BAD Boy A young man started for o 1riuo of tuaDfu rnilaa with hiS