Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-12-24
T0rtlIIs Making IN Mexico.

As YOU approach the interior OF the
CITY. st VARIOUS pisces you find 'tertille-
rias' occupying Easements on level
with the street. This national combins-
ton of the grist-mill and the bakery
holds such an important place IN the
Mexican domestic economy thst we may
well afford time to examine typical
establishment with care. The tortills is
eaten by all classes throughout the ns-
ton, snd II Is almost the exclusive food
Of large numbers Of the poorer people.
| hsve met with 1t st 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
large drawing Of tbs interior Of Pueblo
Indian house; this drawing, with very
few variations, would represent the inte
nor OF hundred thousand Indian homes,
existing frOr. the borders of Colorado TO
the State of Yucat6n. Maize is every
where; two-thlrds Of the cultivated
ground N Mexico Is devoted 10 raising
il There IS a saying that there are but
two prerequisites for household outfit
10 an Indian couple contemplating mat
rimOuy: q 'petste," or mat of reeds,
which served for 8 carpet and bed,
and a metate," fiat inclined stone
placed upon the esrthen floor, on which
TO pulverize the corn before forming It
INTO cakes for baking. | concur in the
estimate Of well-infOrmet natives. that
so general and exclusive Is the use OF
Indian corn, thai, were this crop TO fail,
ope-third to one-half Of the aboriginal
population would perish Of starvation.
A single frost that, on the 29th Of August,
1884. injured the young plant, it is cal
culated. resulted in the death OF over
SO, 600 persons. a population OF millions
is cependent upon the success OF the
crop. ireland Is not 70 dependent upon
the potato. and millions in IndIs scarcely
SO dependent upon rice, as the Mexican
people are upon maize, the fore
most Of OU cereals, the monarch OF ouI
prairie-lands, and the srbiter OF stock ex
changes: It c0nceals from all who will
trace its ancestry, from even the most
persistent botanist, every clue TO It's ns-
tlye valley and TO the form of its tropic
progeuitOr
The tortilla-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, and, II needs be, direct the whole
process OF manufacture.
Imagine a blacksmith shop from which
.E rr.r7r-r,e Isva Nulrau leaving
only The grimy walls, the glowing, un-
Chimneyed hearth, and store OF charcoal
piled Iu corner. The Amszons have
ro.Led back their sleeves TO the shoulder
lf they possess such Incumbrsnces) and
have placed themselves on their knees upon
the stone floor, with the inclined rough
surface # the lava 'metate" before them-
Upon tins stone they place, from wooden
tray, handful after handful of corn, which
has been soaked and heated in water con-
tanning gGiekllme in solution This aka
line substance has sOftened and lOOsened
the exterior coating OF the graIR that in
ordinary mills produce the bran. With
long, round stone, held like rolling pin,
this corn Is rubbed 10 a coarse paste, which
is pushed, rs fast as II Is deemed sutt1c-
Ieutly crushed, upon pine board placed
below TO receive it. This paste now goes
to the cake-maker, who stands near the
fire. She takes q small piece, and, hold
Ing her hands vertically, pats it rapidly
into a thia disk. THIS Is thrown at once
upon d hot earIhen plate, where 1t is soon
thoroughly baked or roasted. The tortil-
las thus made are collected hot into closely
covered baskets, and are sold Al three
cents per dozen 10 the people who flock
around, ready TO carry them of IN their
hands OF beneath pieces OF protecting
cloth. Enormous as is the aggregate Of
this manufacture, each shop Is emlnently
2 retail affair. l once asked the proprIe-
tress Of such al establishment how many
toruIlas she would sell for a dollsr; she
threw up her hands and eyes at the VISION
ary mmeuslty Of the transaction, ex.
claiming: Good heaYenl could not count
a very great msnyl'