Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-19
LIFE OF THE POOR
AS SEEN BY THE TRAVELLER IN
MEXICO.
A Little Babel in . School House-A
Kanche Of RobSers-Homes by the
wayside and the Dwell
ers Therein.
rFannie B. Wards Mexico letter.

annie g. " dfu
We entered the school house where a
tevy OF ragged boys and girls were shout
ing their Lessons in sing-1cng chorus In
Mexican schools, children rever study
silently, but all ta,ks are committed to
memory by loud repetition The din was
1eafeniny. and the poor, pale, shabby old
teacher seemed half distracted-as no doubt
size was. The clutch of her thin claw upon
a wicked looking switch clearly indicated
that nothing but our resence deferred her
from using it-ani therefore We fingered as
long as possible. The only books these
children hal were some ancient bills Of con-
gress much thumbel and doSs-eared,
from which they ware learning to sp,ll
while other lesson, were given by the
teacher, .out of Ter own head, as she ex-
planned - kindergarten fashion, upon the
blackboard We left the little babel reluct-
unity. knowing full well that antique seno-
rita was only waiting our parture to urge
certain tagging feet up the thorny steps OF
learning by energetic switch-suasion. Poor,
helpless ragamuffins, tie small amount OF
usele S knowledge that may be beaten into
them cannot alleviate one jot or title OF ths
hopelessness OF their lives, nor even result In
improving their apparel, as we are told that
the first taste or -the tree OF good and evii'
did for our earliest ancestors
Proceeding upon our journey, We had
ridden rapidly Ter an hour when 1t was dis
covered that one Of the coach wheels was
smoking Here was pretty fx-ready to
perish Of spontaneous combustion" SO &c
speak, neither house nor stream in sight The
driver remarked that lie remembered do
serted rancho not far distant, who's, farm
house was now said 10 be the resort Of rob
bers-should he drive thither. We had our
secret doubts as 10 whether this Mexican
Jehu was not in cahoots with the gentlemen
in question, bu: there was no help for it and
he was hidden to drive within a hail Of the
house Hating a few yards distant, We
sent him within with little money and
instructions to purchase Herewith can
water.
Such forlorn, barren, desolate place ]
never before beheld-a proper proving
place for spooks rather than living ladrones.
The dirty corral Of a yard was swarmine
with rigs, dogs, burros and babies, and IN
kempt women SUNK out Of coverts and gazed
ut US with curious eyes Several ruff1anIy-
looking men mysteriously sprans up from
some here. slouchei TO the carriage and in
spected the smoking wheel, staring at u
with blearsd AMI british eyes--no doubt
attire and the formidable guns and pistols
of the escort. At any rate there is no hair
/ breadth escape t. chronicle, the incipient
confagration was spesIily sub1ued, and We
| departed amid tie blessings of the robbeI
! community, bestowed in many a parting
adios-which popular salu:ation, literally
translated, means, II commend YOU to God. y
Afterward, curiosity or some trivial er'
rand led us TO call at many housei along
| the route Most of them contain but one
1 ROOM no window at all. and an elaborate
| carved or stucco decoration surrounding the
! one door Mother earth serves as floor.
I and usually there i, not "A chair in the house,
I Indian relates of braided straw being the
| accepted sitting-down places OF guests
AMI family, and serving also as the genera
bed Dogs, pigs, goat and chickens
have fres range OF these premises, and
tho donkey pokss his sociabls noss u at
the door; yet they are remarkably clean.
considering the surroundings There Is
never am thing like stove or fireplace, but
the little FIRE needed for cooking their tor
tilias an beans the Mexican staff Of life,
| can lie built any where cut OF doors with 6
( couple of sticks, or in charcoal pot in the
/ corner But every mud hut, however poor,
has its family shrine, with crucIfix, holy
waters, urns and pictured or wooden patron
/ saint, all adorned with flowers and illumi-
mattel with expensive candles on every fiesta.
! In the Mexican calender it is said that
feast days outnumber the days of the yesri
but though the family may he nearly NAKED
and often suffering for food. the flowers and
candles are never neglected. Frequently @
great picture OF Santa Guadalupe, the ere.
ole patroness Of Mexico, painted on can
vas SO large as to cover whole side OF the
house, is about the only article of furniture
the room contains; and always the matched
roof is surmounted by a cross which wa;
blessed By local priest when the house wa
built Here and there, upon on ter and innel
I walls, rude crosses are paint ed, or scrawled
| in charcoal, and no straw stack or corn biz
is considered safe until the blessed symbo
, of the faith is placed somewherJ
upon it. These crucitixes AMI i'm
! ages are tie veritsble lGres and
renates of every lone. like tie mistletot
toughs with which cur Drrdical ancestors
decorated their habilations, believing they
sheltered sylvan spir.ts tuat lronsht good
luck to the hon ehold; hut thee are actu-
ally worshined by the descendants OF Mon
tezuma with all the blind ilolatry win Gu
their father, lie tcrei upon the gloomy
| stone idols which c. rites displa ced