The Penn's Grove record., 1884-12-20
rortnIa Making in Mexico.

As you approach the interior OF the
CITY. at various places you find ''tortille-
rias" occupying easements On a level
with the street. This national combina-
tio1 q the grist-mill and the bakery
holds suah an important place 10 the
Mexican domestic economy that we may
well afford time to examine 3 typical
establishment with care. The tortills is
eaten by all classes throughout the ma
ton. and 10 is almost the exclusive food
of large numbers Of the poorer people.
have met with It At the bsnquets Of
cabinet ministers and literary men, and
the implements for its manufacture are
invariably found in the humblest native
hut. Visitors to the Centennial will re-
member in the Government building a
large drawing Of tbs interior Of a Pueblo
Indian house; this drawing, with = very
few variations, would represent the int
nor OF 8 hundred thousand Indian homes,
existing frOEs the borders Of Colorado to
the State OF Yucatau. Maize is every
where; twO-thlrds OF the cultivated
ground 10 Mexico Is devoted 10 raising
H. There IS a saying that there are but
two prerequisites for 4 household outfit
TO an Iudiau couple contemplating mat
rimouy: q ''petate," or mat Of reeds,
which served for q carpet and a bed,
and q 8 metate," a tat inclined stone
placed upon the esrthen floor, on which
10 pulverize the corn before forming 1t
INTO cakes for baking. | concur IN the
estimate Of well-iniormed natives, that
So general and exclusive Is the use OF
Indian corn, thai, we're this crop to fail,
one-third to oue-half Of the aboriginal
population would perish Of starvation.
A single frost that, on the 29.h OF August,
1884. injured the young plant, it is cal.
cglated, resulted in the death OF over
{. 1000 persons. A populatoo of millions
is dependent upon the success OF the
crop. ireland Is not 20 dependent upon
the potato, and millions in lDdls scarcely
So dependent upon rice, as the Mexican
people are upon maize, now the fore
most Of Uur cereals, the monarch of out
prsirie-lands and the arbiter Of stock ex
changes; it conceaLs from all who will
trace its ancestry, from even the most
persistent botanist, every clue TO its ma
i've valley. and TO the form Of its tropic
%pTogenitor.
The tnrtilla-shop opens with wide doors
upon the street; the citizen may stand
upon the flags OF the sidewalk, buy his
cakes. and not only obey the injunction of
the elder Weller regarding veal pie, but
while making the acquaintance OF the
chief cook, may see, examine, comment
upon, ani, If needs be, direct the whole
process Of manufacture.
Imagine a blacksmith shop from which
the AmaZOns have driven Vulcan. leaving
only the grimy walls, the glowing, uD-
Ghimneyed hearth, and a store Of charcoal
piled IN q corner. The AmaZons have
rolled back their sleeves TO the shoulder
Gf they possess such Incumbrances) and
have placed themselves on their knees upon
the stone floor, with the inclined rough
surface Of the lava 'tmetate" before them.
Upon tins stone they place, from a wooden
tray, handful after handful of corn, which
has been soaked and heated in water con
tanning quiekllme in solution. This aka
line substance has softened and loosened
the exterior coating Of the grain that in
ordinary mills produce the bran. W tth a
long, round stone, held like a rolling pin,
this corn Is rubbed to a coarse paste, which
is pushed, as fast as it IS deemed sutfic-
lently crushed, upon a pine board placed
below TO receive it. This paste now goes
10 the cake.maker, who stands near the
fire. She takes a small piece, and, hold
mg her hands vertically, pats it rapidly
into 8 thin disk. TINS 10 thrown at once
upon a hot earJhen plate, where 1t is soon
thoroughly baked or roasted, The tortil-
las thus made are collected hot into closely
covered baskets, and are sold at three
rants Dpr dozen to the DeODle who flock
around, ready 10 carry them of IN their
hands or beneath pieces OF protecting
cloth. Enormous as is the aggregate OF
this manufacture, each shop IL eminently
"a retail affair. ] once asked the proprle-
tress Of such az establishment how many
t|ortlllas she would sell tor a dollar; she
threw up her hands and eyes at the VISION
airy immensely of the transaction, ex'
claiming: Good HeaVenl / could not count
a verv great manyl'