Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-09-09
MEXICO'S PULQUE.
The Intoxicant Which Is Distilled
from the Juice Of the Maguey.
How the Juice or the Plant II
Gathered from the 'sCOsys''-
The Process Of Pulquc
Making.
Fanny Brigham Wards Letter. J


ItSomewhere about the year $3.50 the
| legend iuIr'--a Toltec Indian whose name
was Papantein. was first to discover that the
juice Of the maguey tagaye Americana,
better known to us as aloe or 'century"
| plant might be distilled into beverage ~
Cor the gods. Desiring to bring this new
blessing into royal favor, he called his only
| daughtcr-Xochiti,s ignifying ''the flower
and commissioned her as cup-hearer to the
! king. This ancient Hebe, we are told. was
young and beautiful, and the monarch not
only drank and praised the puique, but
welded the maiden.
The moment the experienced Indian dis
covers that his maguey is about TO blossom,
lie cuts out the heart and covers the cavity
with the side leaves of the plant, whereupon
all the juice which nature intended for the
great stem of the flower runs into the basin
| thus formed. At the age OF 10 years
maguey begins to show signs of blossoming,
and is then capable of producing pu.que.
| During its growth il has been throwing out
| shoots, which are removed from the parent
stem when about three feet high, or after two
years growth In its fifteenth year there are
certain appearances. known only TO the inlti-
ated, which indicate that the central stem,
or hampe, which sus' aims the flower, Is about
| to form in the center of the plant. II the
owner is not watching to cut out the heart ut
the proper time The hampe shoots spread
with the rapidity of Jacks historic bean
stalk, absorbing all the sap which would
| otherwise make pulque
| The juice of the magIey i'll its unfermented
state is called aqua neil Honey water1. 1t is
gathered from the central basin formed as
above mentioned by cutting into the heart
by "A curious process. Into the end of long
gourd a cows horn is inserted, bored at the
point Through this horn and into the
gouId the juice is sucked by applying the
mouth to hole in the opposite side of the
gourd The basin yields from four to eight
quarts a day, according TO the size and
| thriftiness of the plant, for period of three
months; after which it dies and is replaced
| by new one, which the provident owner
/ has been raising from shoots
| Wishing TO see for ourselves the whole pro
cess of Iulquc making, we journeyed to the
Plains of AIam not long ago, To visit
maguey hacienda. The Tlaehiquero took us in
charge the official who is practical chief of
/ both plantation and factory. We made q
rather picturesque caravan as we sailed forth
! in pursuit Of information. First rode the
| Tlaehiquero, his bronze skin contrasting well
| with his white dress his immense soinbrero
and leather apron, and the implements Of his
profession dangling from his belt. Betsy and
| ! followed mounted on donkeys so dimnu-
| tive that our dresses nearly dragged upon the
ground: our beauty enhanced by blue cog
I giles. which experience has long since taught
Us the value of wearing on all our expeditions
in this dusty country. The poems brought
/ up the rear, each driving donkey laden with
! pig-,kins into which the aqua niiel was TO be
poured.
The Tlaehiquero tells me that he goes peri
Officially among his vegetable cows, marking
| those which have reached the period Of eff
| fiorescence, and are therefore ready for milk
| ing, by cutting a cross upon the tofmost leaf.
| Three times a day for three months each is
milked-at 3 O'Clock a. m, at 9 a. m and at
3 p. M, the poorest plant yielding at least l15
gallons before it dies. We went from plant
10 plant, watching the process of inserting
the gourd with the cows horn point, and the
sucking of the syphon, till all the COWS
were exhausted; and then orr little caravan
took up its line Of march for the Tenacal, or
vat house This is an enormous adobe shed,
with earthen floor kept clean as a nian-of-war.
We entered III solemn procession, each peon
as he passed the threshold removing his som
! brero and reverentIy circulating Aiabo n
Dios, Il praise God" One side of the build
, ing is occupied by huge watts of hides, the
hairy side outward, called tinas In each
tina was Il thick curd of madre tmother)
pulaue which performed the office OF leaven,
and whose very ancient and tishy sinell'
outrivaled far-famed Cologne
When the pig skins had been carefully
opened and the aqua miel was ready for
pouring out, the Tlaehiquero seized a long
stake which is always kept ready for the
purpose, and made the Ign of the cross in
the rotten curis. devoutly exclaiming, Ave
Maria Purissima,'-tc which the Indians
fervently responded "Aiabad Sea Dios Ia
Santissma Trinidad I've praise God and
the Sacred Trinity" What would happen to
the pulque if any Of this pous performance
were neglected am unable 10 state, for
never within the memory of the oldest in
habitant hos it been omitted or curtailed
After three hours of fermentation in the watts
the liquor is drawn into barrels for the pulque
shops, and the flower -declled booths which
adom all the highways and byways Of
Mexico
The Indians are passionatcly fond Of
pulque. and beyond doubt it is She most
wholesome beverage in the world 1t is not
heavy in its effects, but only serves to inten-
sify their natural polteness 1t Is amusing
to watch how courteous they grow while
handing round the big jar from which all
drink in turn. taking off their ragged hats to
each other, bowling low. and kissing the
hands Of the ladies u if any be present, as if
they We're princesses of royal blood.