The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-05-19

bedlam, or something OF that nature Inc
air is so clear and still in this latitude that
at night, and especially In the early
morning, the least sound can be heard
blocks away. This being 80 the dogs and
cocks all over the town reply to one an
other. have lam awake and heard the
dogs and cocks across the RIO Grande In
Mexico, Just as PLAIN as though they were
in the next yard, and that perhaps WAS
mile or two away.
A MEXICAN FUNERAL"
While in Laredo | saw a Mexican
funeral aud being curious TO know
whether they buried their dead as prim,-
tively as they do other things, attended.
The corpse was brought to the church IN
a hack. The priest rides or walks In al
vance of the procession from the house TO
the church, and at the church door leads
the procession to the vestibule, where the
corpse is laid on bier. They never take
them down to the altar as IN our churches
north, and around the bier are the usual
number of candles the collin is placed on
the bier, and the lid taken OIL, exposing
the corpse to view. The mourners, rela-
tives and friends knecl around the corpse
at the same time, each with lighted can
die, which they hold IN their hands. The
candle is trimmed with black ribbon
! Then the priest reads the service Tor the
dead. All stand up, after which the
corpse is removed to the carriage, ana
then followed IN funeral procession 10 the
grave, led by the priest.
AT THE GRAVE
the candles are again lighted, the priest
reads the prayers appropriate for the occa-
sion, after which the mourners, relatives
and all pick up handful Of dirt and cas-
| it INTO the grave, at the same time utterlng
some words, which may be a prayer Oh
something of that nature. My knowledge
l of the lingo Mexican was too limited tol
me to understand, and therefore conclud-
ed that 1t may have been
:. ashes to ashes, dust to dus',
Ii God don't have you
Il The ID must"
THEIR CITIES OF THE DEAD,
like their villages of the living, ar
dreary, desolate places, and the graves ar
scattered in about the same confusion a
their huts and adobcs They are in al
= shapes, ways and conditions of Irregular
ty; no system, no arrangement, no nothing
of that nature, but all Il conglomeration
, No trees, no shade, no flowers or gras
? beds, but that same sombre sand o
gravel appearance of fresh ballt graves
AS they have no rains, and 1t Is not tn
; thing to irrlgate grave yards, this state o
things exists.
i, But the most surprising thing that on
notices Is the scarcity of the monuments o
tombstones, while every grave is marked
: by rude wooden cross, bearing the nam
or names of those who sleep beneath
They bury their dead upon one another
=. and it is often that three or four and some
times more are placed in the same grave
In the centre of the grounds stands hug
cross upon which is nailed, after the styl
of the Ancients, life size figure OF til
crucltiXtiOp.
The Mexican as we find HIM IN Texas AM
on the RIO Grande, is queer combina
, ton, and it sometimes seems possible t
| think that these people have really II
= CLAIM to the name as we understand l
They are simply genteel Indian. acceptIn
sort OF a civilization, now and then wit
falrer tint, following them TO the eight
or tenth generation. The proud Castillo
s has but small part in them, the gent
5 Montezuma race perhaps less. One hay
r ing those two stains IN his velns-th
g Spanlard with his hemisphere of poetr
r behind him; the Monlezuma, representa-
b ancient and rightfui empire of the cont
d nent-should wear, it would seem, oth(
than those low browed faces stamped
= their dumb and sullen ignorance, wheth'
n you see them on the women squattlng o
e the floors OF the cathedrals, or on the me
J, lounging on the plazas or wherever els
- you may meet them.
- SUNDAY ON THE RIO GRANDE.
r Sunday Is gala day with the Mex
f cans, the forenoon beng devoted to churc
|. and other religious matters, and the aftel
II noon to games, cock fights and occasion
d ally bull fight. Whether to my credit {
0 not, | witnessed both bull fight and coo
n fight, and that on the day they celebrate
e While in Mexico | was Mexican, In +
Is far as witnessing their sports, and joinin
y in their festivities, even to attending Ia
e dango.
It But my observations and what | sa
:, will constitute my next letter. j. ID. ii,
X Popular Everywhere.
q "Burdanc," the French name for Burdoc
e Is as popular in France AS n America.
an anti scorbutic, aperient and diuretlc