Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-17
PHique, the Mexican s'TanglcfoOt.

Puique, the Mexican ssTangIcfoot.,
Correspondence of the springfield Republican.
Somewhere about the year $780, so the legend
runs. aTotlec Indian. whose name was Papant-
yin, was first to discover that the juice of the
maguey (dgGUe americana. better known to US
as aloe. or century planD might be distilled
intoa beverage fit for the gods. Desiring to
bring this new blessing into royal favor, he
called his only daughter, XOehitl. signifying
1.-THE flower y and commissioned her as cupbearer
to the king. This ancient Hebe, we are told,
was young and beautiful and the monarch not
only drank and praised the pulque but welded
the maiden; and so to this day the beverage Of
old PapantZin-wh0 was no doubt called Pap"
Tor short by his affectiOnate children-is the
universal beverage Of the lower classes in
Mexico.
Maguey is as much feature os this country
as trees are of New England. All over the land
it fourishes. cultivated with care in many
places growing out OF bare rocks on the noun
tain sides and springing up as weed in water
less deserts.
Mexican tradition has it that Paradise was
Mexico in general. and that the Veritable Gar
den OF Eden was located in the valley of ia
lapa-Which lies little north OF Vera Cruz, near
the Gulf OF Mexico. After Adam and Eve had
eaten the forbidden fruit and bethought them
selves of dressmaking. behold Nature supplied
the materials ready to their hands for in the
uc1 was ClOtfl. needle ana thread!
The pointed thornS which terminate the gigan-
tic leaves are strong as nails and sharp as
needles, and to this day. as in primitive times
they serve for nails. needles and pins The an
cent sangulnary priests, inky haired and adder
Amounted. used TO pierce their breasts and tear
their limbs with these thorns In acts of expia-
alton and penance; and upon paper made OF
maguey pulp the early MeXicans painted their
picture histories and hierogyphcal figures
At present the greatest value of the plant
comes from the amount Of intoxicating LIQUOR it
produces. Two species OF it are cultivated, one
In the desert portions OF the country, from which
mescal (MeXican tanglefoot) is distilled from
the expressed juice of the leaves; and the other
is the Towering maguey, that wonder of the veg
eteble world, from which pul9ue is drawn In
the district OF Tequlla only no puloue is made
from it, becuse there its special virtues enable
the same plant to produce the brandy named
after the district in which it grows and which
Is widely used throughout the country Teouila
brandy is made by an ancient system dating
back to the days OF the AZtecs, which consists
in simply roasting the bulbs in furnace dug in
the ground This gives a sweetish liouor
which, when distilled, yields the tavorite intoxi-
cant. 1t is said that one can get ''deader' drunk
and remain so longer, on a smaller quantity of
tequila than any other known liquid although
1t is as coorless as water and almost as taste
less. But the principal maguey- product is pull
que, of which it is estimated that the CITY of
Mexico alone consumes over $50. 600 pints daily!
Next TO pulqne and teQuila, the ma9uey can be
made to yield an excellent quality of molasses
by clarifying the sweet decocton of the bulb
When distilled it produces brandy but undis-
titled. mOlasses superior to that pressed from
Sugar-cane.