The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-04-24
A SUGAR ESTATE.
HOW THE SuGAR-MAKlNG BUSINESS
IS CONDUCTED IN MEXICO.
Animated Scene at the Crushing Mills
Laborers at work-A Favorite Drink
Profits Of the Business
Big Plantation.
fAtlantic Monthly.J

We found ourselves surrounded by an ami
mated scene The great yard was swarming
with laborers. Some were turning and
gathering the crushed cane which covered
the ground, where it reflected the sun with
O whitish glare. Others were handling the
fresh cane. which was coming in in cart
loads, stripping of the green succulent leaves
as food for the CATTLE weighing the stalks,
and carrying them to the crushing mills
We assembled broad stone steps to large
vaulted hall forming the main entrance.
This was open to the air on one side. Mas
sive piers supported the heavy, castle-like
masonry of the building. The place was
gratefully cool, and commanded a charm
ing view over the valley. Accountants were
at work at desks in the corner.
Leaning over parapet at one end Of the
hall, we overlooked the great interior, where
the cane-crrshing was going on. The mills,
as throughout the valley, were moved by
the water-power. When we entered the gate
we had seen the water gushing out from a
low arch in the wall in a powerful cascade.
The mill building 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 staggered 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 pantaloons Of white
cotton, while others wore no pantaloons at
all The machinery made a low, rumbling
noise, AMI the mills seemed like Unsuitable
monsters, devouring the cane incessantly,
and disgorging the crushed masses in we'll
chewed fragments. Beer glasses full Of fresh
So were brought to u.s. 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 ferment in q gourd for two
or three days.
In the upper stories we saw the huge vats
of molasses which was slowly crystallizing
into sugar, the surface covered with crust
resembling wind-roughened ice turned q
dark brown. In one vat stood o naked In
dian breaking up the crude sugar with
pick, and shoveling it out to two other la
borers, who were carrying it away. The
sugar was refined on the premises into two
grades, the superior Of which was equal to
the best American loaf. The machinery in
uss on the estate was Of the best modern
kind, and cost something like $500 900.
After the syrup had been worked over into
sugar three times the residue was distilled
into aguardiente. or this, 5000 barrels
were produced annually on the place
After inspecting the works we returned to
the shady Office. where we met the proprie-
tor, a courtly Spanish gentleman. He in
vited us to stay to breakfast, and as noon
tide approached we were shown through
vaulted passages, across an irregular court
like that of an ancient castle, up an easy
stone stairway, into 9 pleasant corridor
leading into a large dining-room. Here a
long table was spread beneath the broad
stone arch which sprang from one side Of
the room to the other. Our host was at the
head of the table, and below the guests sat
the various officials of the estate, ranged ac-
cording to their rank.
"Isn't this quite baronialf' whispered my
| youthful neighbor "Ses the retainers eat
| ing with us at the same table, sitting below
the salti" And he quoted some lines from
| Walter Scott, adding that the knights, in
| stead Of returning from crusade or tourna-
ment, had come in from the sugar-felds,
hanging their broad sombreros on the wall in
place Of shields. There is, in fact, something
| very feudal seeming in the character Of
Mexican country life.
1t was an excellent meal, Of the true Mexi-
can country-house type. Everything was
perfectly cooked. Never had tasted more
tender and delicate mutton than that in the
puchera, or Mexican stew, served on great
| platter, with the various vegetables,
including carrots, white and sweet po-
tatoes, turnips, beans, green peas,
and bananas-not all mixed together,
but each kind occupying its own place on
the dish. The fine flavor OF the mutton was
due to its being raised on the place upon
particularly choice feed. There were 1900
sheep kept for the exclusive use Of the
estate. At each course the dish was first
placed before the host, who served, In order,
the ladies, the consul general, the artist, and
himself The dish was then brought to us
minor guests, for us to help ourselves, after
which the retainers were helped by q serv-
ant At the plate Of each guest stood bot
tie of Spanish wine; red, but quite different
from claret. 1t had an individual flavor;
much body and a slight resemblance to
sherry, with q saccharine acidity. The
character Of the Spanish grape could be de-
tected, as in the wine Of the Rio Grande
valley in New Mexico and that of California
made from the Mission grape. The servant
poured glasses of wine for the chief officials
of the retainers, but none was served to the
| others .r ....
From the entrance to the building were
seen the great cane-felds Of Coahuistla
spreading their CHEEKY emerald mantle, gold
tinged in the sunshine far into the distance
There were $4,000 tareas, or nearly 1,70O
acres, under cultivation These produced
annually about 8, 500, 900 pounds The sugar
was sold from the hacienda at 90 or $3 an
arroba, Of twenty five pounds. Aguardiente
brought s2l barrel Therefore the gross
receipts Of the estate can not be far from
$500, 900 year. ! should say that the net
profits must amount to good proportion,
since on most haciendas in Mexico the labor
is nearly, IL not quite, paid for by the
profits of the store from which the laborers
are supplied. The stock is fed on the cane
leaves and other stuff raised on the place,
fuel for sugar-boiling is furnished entirely
by the crushed cane, and the m achinery Is
moved by water power.
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