The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1884-08-16
a USEFUL PHANT.
'Ihe Maguey. the Vegetable Wonder
of the Age.
tCorr. Pittsburgh Dispatch.l

sCIrY OF MEXICO, July l5.--Somewhere
aibout the year 900 so the legend runs-a
To:tec Indian, whose name was Papantzin,
was the first to discover that the juice of
the snaguey ("agave Americana" better
known to US as aloe or Century plant')
might be distilled into beverage fit for
the gods. Desiring to bring this new
blessing into Royal favor, he called his
only daughter-Xochiti, signifying "the
flower" and commissioned her as cup
bearer to the King. This ancient Hebe,
We are told, was young and beautiful,
aud the monarch not only drank and
praised the pulque, but welded the
maiden; and to this day the beverage Of
OIL apantzn-who was no doubt called
'"Pa2" by his dutiful children--is the
'unive,sal beverage Of the lower classes in
Mexico. Maguey is as much of y feature
oof this country as trees are in the United
States Ali oser the land it hourishes,
cultivated with care in places, growing
eout OF bare rocks ON She mountain sides,
"and springnrg Is pas 3 weed in waterless
sdescrts. 1t has an infinite variety of
uses, and is to the Mexican Indian what
! A9a reindeer is to the Esgimaux or the
'ses plant to the Ch.,aman.
t. seems special gift Of nature to sup.
ply All his simple wants; ITS coarse cloth
NAL ing his first, last and only garment
and Its strong rope tying down his cottn
lid. The fibre of the leaf, beat sn and
spun, forms fine and beautiful til. read,
gloss as silk in texture, which resemb les
linen when woven into fabric II is l,an-
ufact ared into these coarser cloths, also
into paper, bagging sail-cloth, sacking,
etc. The rope made from it is called
MANILA hemp, and is of uncommon
streng tn and excellence, by far the best
in use, The fibre yielded by the maguey
leaf, when pressed, is equal to the best
Yucat an heneyquin and jute, for cordage,
and ! Is pulp is unsurpassed for paper
making. Cut into coarse straws, it forms
the brooms and whitewash brushes OF the
country, and is a substitute for bristles-
it 10 made into scrub brooms, dusting-
brushes and the tiny brooms which take
the place of combs among the common
people. Beautiful fancy baskets, money.
1on oha1a
other toys, trinkets and ornaments, are
woven from its fibre. Has your horse a
sprain, your donkey a bruise, a maguey
leaf, pounded and bound up on the in
Jured member, as q certain cure. In
short, so varied and manifold are its uses
that to enumerate them all is impossible.
Mexican tradition has it that Paradise
was Mexico in general, and that the YER.
liable Garden of Eden was located in the
Valley Of Jalapa. which lies little north
oi Vera Cruz, near the Gulf of Mexico.
CLOTHING FOOD AND DRINK.
After Adam and Eve had eaten of the
forbidden fruit and bethought themselves
of dress. ma king, behold nature supplied
the materials ready to their hands, for in
the maguey was combined cloth, needle
and thread. The pointed thorns which
terminate the gigantic leaves are strong
as nails and sharp as needles, and to this
day, as in primitive times, they serve fol
nails, needles and pins. The ancient san
culinary priests, inky.haired and addeg
anointed, used to pierce their breasts ane
tear their limbs with those thorns in act
of expiation and penance; and upol
paper made of Maguey fibre the earl.
Mexican painted their picture histopie
and hieroglyphic figures. At present th
greatest value of the ,naguey comes iror
the amount Of Intoxicating liquor it pre-
duces. Two species of it ar e cultivate
one in the desert portions of the country
and from which mescal mexican tangle
foot) is distilled from the expressed juic
of the leaves, and the other is the Aowel
ing maquey, that wonder of the veg'
table world, from which pul,ue is draw,
In the district Of Teyuila only no pulqr
j made from it, because there its speci
virtues enable the same plant to produe
brandy named after the district in whie
it grows, and which is widely use