The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1884-02-28


ury. The middle class have CON-
Portable homes, and are quiet, peace
able citizens. The laboiers have few
wants. The men wear but two gar
mants-a white cotton shirt and
white cotton trowsers. The women
dress in long skirt, with sort of
basque of white cotton. The major
ity of them have neither Shoes nor
STOCKINGS, but in place Of these wear
leather sandals, strapped tightly to
the foot by thong of leather, pass
ing between the great and second
toes AID then around the heel. Ev-
cry Mexican household has g great
number of servants in proportion to
the size of the family, and how they
all manage 10 occupy themselves is o
mystery. There is one creado, whose
sole business is to manufacture the
tortillas; another does the market
ing third acus as steward anoth-
er does the cooking one washes the
dishes; one keeps the house tidy;
while others attend the children,
wait upon the mistress to comb her
hair and dust her dresses-which lit
orally sweep the dity streets when
ever she walks out, the American
short skirts being considered dread
fully immodest. Besides this retill
ne OF servants there are always gard
eners, hostIers, errand boys, Wallets
and solutions. But servants in Mex.
&ico are different from those of the
( United States. Here they do not
demand the salary of congressman
nor insist upon days OUT and
company in,' nor do they become
so domineering that their employer is
allowed to remain on condition that
she observes pohteness. Mexican
creados consider four dollars a month
. large salary, and in time they get
rich on it, according to their ideas
OF wealth. They live almost entire.
ly upon tortilas, thin cake male
from Indian corn and baked on . bot
plate, with fruit and vegetables.
Meat they eat of every sparingly,
but they all drink coffee aud cboco.
late, while the National drink. the
stlmulant of Mexico, anon. the la
boring classes. is pulque This bev.
erags is obtained from the Inaguey
plant, which is kind of cactus. II
comes to maturity III abort eight Oh
ten years, and just before it's a0oat
to blossom it is tapped at the boz
tom, where there has accumulated a
white liquor. which, when fresh. is
sweet like honey, but by adding a
little pulque to it and putting it in a
hoSskln bag 1t acquires most hor-
rible smell, much like hmburgel
cheese, only worse but has a taste
IKE delicious fresh buttermilk. The
drink il sold all over Mexico, ut one
cent a glass 1t takes the place OF
lager beer among the poorer people.
From this magusy plant is also Oh
tanned a liquor called mescalle, which
resembles pure spring water in color,
but which tastes exactly like good
old Scotch whisky. Physicians tell
me that pulque is very heaIthful es
pecially for weak digestions, as it
contains pure Tactic acid, and that
one popularity about both pulone
and 'Oescalle is that although the
latter contains forty-five per cent.
and the former thirty per cent OF
pure alcohol, neither has been known
to cause single case of delirium
tremens.
The Mexican laboring people rare
~ sleep IN beds. They roll them
selves up in their ssrapas mats,
whichare also obtained from the
maguey plant, and sleep the sleep of
the just The clothes they wear are
usually the gifts or castoff garments
of their employers. Another notice
able point is that all these poor PEG
pie are invariably pious and appa-
ren'Iy contented. Indeed, l finI
that the poorer they are, and the low
er In the social scale, the more pious
and contented they are sure to be-
AS a class they are more honest
obliging and simple minded folk.
Each wears suspended around his or
her neck - precious charm, blessed
by the pfleat, which keeps away evil
spirits. Wien annoyancss arise or
dangers threaten. the words "Bolga
me pios!' c'Proteot me, o God!0
rise to their lips as naturally as
sparks fly upward. With unqnestioo-