San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-03-29
written for the fsks rnra,
"reminiscences or o Texas Neteran-..Tho
Santa Fe Expedition, etc.
pY O. InnARp.
tcopyriEhted.
XVII.
tcopyriEhsed.l
XVII.
M O. HnnARp.

XVII.
Upon leaving the village Of Cuesta We
followed tho river Puerco through the cana
do (,nountain gorge); winding through
there We crossed the above stream several
times and passed several haciendas (small
villagesl Here must remark, that in
Mexico one never finds an isolated farm,
unless the proprietor be rich land owner;
he then owns tenant houses, stables and q
store, and in most cases also builds q Catho-
lie church and parsonage. The cause Of
this is probably that in the early settlement
of Mexico, they had to live in groups to de-
fend themselves against the aboriginal race
of Indians; indeen the houses are built SO
that they resemble more a small ono story
fort, there being but few windows TO the
front. The house Of the proprietor is built
in q square, with largo courtyard, and in
the interior are stables arranged to protect
the stock against any marauders.
The lands are always irrigated, the fences
are nearly always of stone, and sometimes
are miles long, going often over high hills,
and there are no partition fences.
Travelling along these after two and
half days journey, we reached the little
town or San Miguel This town was built
in square, Catholic church, poor sorry
building in corner of it. II there were
houses outside of this square did not no.
tice them, our range of observation was not
large, for we were too closely confined and
guarded.
We Texans had always an idea that Mexi-
co was rich country, having rich mines;
we supposed the people were also rich, or
at least the majority of them well to do.
But I never saw such poverty stricken peo-
pie. Truly they seemed to have plenty to
eat, such as tortillas, small pancake, Ike
corn bread, baked on an iron plate, not
shortened nor seasoned with salt, frijoles
or brown Mexican beans, boiled and cooked
in lard and seasoned with plenty red pepper
1--WE nicknamed them freeholders), and chile
con carne, that is hash made Of beef or
mutton, seasoned with so much red pepper
that the sauce looked red, tomales, kind of
dish made of boiled meat mixed with corn
meal sort of little pudding put up in corn
chucks, milk, and goat cheese; this is the
general diet of the Mexicans throughout
their country. Molasses they make out of
water melons. Peloncias, very dark
kind of brown sugar. was put up in little
cones, weighing perhaps half pound, en-
sconced in strips of same cane. never
liked them, although children and some
Texans like them.
The houses of the Mexicans are built Of
adobe, that is q sun dried brick, much
longer, thicker and wider than our brick.
All the houses are built one story high,
with the exception of those of the rich or
very high officials. The windows in most
ell cases have n sash or glass in them, but
those of the poor or middle classes are bar
loaded with wood bars, of the rich with
iron. A Meaican house seems more like
prison house, or an ancient dilapidated
castle. The roofs are fiat covered with tiles,
and cemented to keep them from breking.
The floor is of earth, well cemented and
solid. There is no wood work about
house, but the window frames, the doors
and joists to put on the tiles for the roof.
In the common and medium class of Mex
leans, there is not particle of furniture in
the house-no table, no chairs, much less
other conveniences-but they hardly fail to
have the cross with Christ, made rudely of
wood, or some pictures of one or more
saints
How they eat without knife, spoon or
fork I may hereafter describe, and how
they set the table; well that is simple
enough; they spread clean dressed raw
hide on the floor, spread out the dishes, by
this mean their earthen ware saucers, each
person gets his own dishes Of that sort, then
all squat down cross-legged and eat.
Their beds are similar, also cowhide
answers for bed stead; Mexican blankets are
mattress and cover.
The women are most simply dressed, 1
mean the middle and lower class. They
have a low necked chemise, neat and clean,
but exposing good portion Of their bos-
oms. and skirt, Il think Il doubtful
whether they wear q petticoat) neat, dainty
slippers. they have small feet) a rebosa,
that is long shawl, which they fold round
their heads, faces and breasts, mo hats or
bonnets are worn there) in such dainty
manner, that nothing is seen but their
sparkling, bewitching black eyes. the small
mouth and finely chiseled nose.