The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-04-15


atlantic thus describes visit to a great
Mexican sugar estate: We found our
selves surrounded by an animated scene.
The great yard was swarming with la
borers Some were turning and gather
ing the crushed cane which covered the
ground, where it reflected the sun with
a whitish glare. Others were handling
the fresh cane, which was coming in in
cart-loads; stripping of the green succu-
lent leaves as food for the cattle, weigh
ing the stalks, and carrying them to the
crushing mills. We ascended broad
stone steps TO large vaultcd hall form
ing the mlin entrance. This was open
to the air on one side. Massive pers
supported the heavy, castle.like masonry
OF the building. The place was CRATE
fully cool. and commanded a charming
view over the valley. Accountants were
at WORK at desks in the corner.
Leaning over a parapet at one end of
the hail. we overlooked the great interior,
where the cane-crushing was going on.
The mills, as throughout the valley,
were moved by water power. When we
entered the gate, we had seen the water
gushing out from low arch in the wall
in powerful cascade. The mill build
ing was lofty, massive stone structure,
with walls composed of Roman-like
arches in two tiers It was new, but
parts of the main building were over a
century old. The laborers came and
went below, like two streams of busy
ants. Their brown forms, in the dim
light of the high, shadowy interior,
looked like dusky demons, as they stag
gered beneath their loads OF great bundles
of cane. They wore the minimum of
clothing, and many, for some mysterious
reason, had but one leg to their panta-
looms of white cotton, while others wore
no pantaloons at all. The machinery
made q low, rumbling noise, and the
mills seemed like Unsuitable monsters,
devouring the cane incessantly,
and disgorging the crushed masses
in well-chewed fragments. Beer glasses
full of the fresh sap were brought to us.
It was black and foamy, looking like
English stout, and had a sweet and not
\ disagreeable taste. The natives are
fond of drink made from this sap by
letting it iernent in gourd for two or
three days.
In the upper stories we saw the huge
watts of molasses which was slowly crys-
tallizing into sugar, the surface covered
with crust resembling wind-roughened
ice turned a dark brown. In one vat
stood naked Indian, breaking up the
crude sugar with pick, and shoveling
it out to two other laborers, who were
carrying it away. The sugar was refined
on the premises into two grades, the SUI
perior of which was equal to the best
American loaf The machinery in use
on the estate was of the best modern
kind, and cost something like half O
million dollars. After the syrup had
been worked over in sugar three time.
the residue was distilled into aguar
dente. Of this, six thousand barrels
were produced annually on the place.
After inspecting The works we returned
to the shady office, where we met tn,
proprietor, courty Spanish gentleman
lie invited US to stay TO breakfast, anC
as noontime approached were showi
through vaulted passages, across an ir
regular court like that of an ancien
castle, up an easy stone stairway, into
pleasant corridor leading into larg
dining-room. Here a long table wa
spread beneath broad stone arch whic
sprang from one side of the room to tn
other. Our host was at the head of til
table, and below the guests sat the var
GUS officials of the estate, ranged accord
ing to their rank.
'Isn't this quite baronial?" whispere
my youthful neighbor. "See the retair
ers eating with us at the same table, si
ting below the salt % And he quote
some lines from Walter Scott, &C
ding that the knights, instead of n
turning from the crusade or tournamen
had come in from the sugar fields, hans
ing their broad sombreros on the wall i
place of shields. There is. in fact, som,
thing very feudal-seeming in the chaIa,
ter of Mexican country life.
1t wrs an excel ent meal, of the tru
Mexican country house type. Everythin
was perfectly cooked. Never have
tasted more tender and delicate mutto
than that in the pnchera, or Mexica
stew. served on great platter, with Il
various vegetables, including carrot
white and sweet potatoes, turnips, bean
green peas and bananas-not all mike
together, but each kind occupying i
own place on the dish The fine flaw
offhe mutton was due to its being rails,
on the place upon particularly choi
feed. There were two thousand she,
ACpb iOt tue CACluSlNc use VI TIC eSLdl
At teach course the dish was first pac
before the host, who served, in orde
the ladies, the consul general, t
artist and himself The dish was tn
brought to us minor guests, for us
help ourselves, after which the retainC
were helped by servant. At the pla
of each guest stood bottle of Spani
wine; red, but quite different frc
claret. In had an individual favC
much body and slight resemblance
sherry, with saecharine acidity. T
character of the Spanish grape could
detected, asin the wine OF the Rio Gran
Valley in New Mexico and that of Ca
fornia made from the Mission graz
The servant poured glasses of wine
the CHIEF officials of the retainers, b
none was served to the others.
From the entrance to the buildi
were seen the great cane-felds of CT