Morning journal and courier., 1885-03-02

by Sylvester Baxter in the March Atlanticl
We found ourselves surrounded by an ami
mated scene. The great yard was swar1ning
with laborers. Some were turning and gath
ering 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 carloads;
stripping off the green sueculent leaves as
food for the cattle, weighing the stalks, and
carrying them to the crushing-rnil1s. We
ascended broad stone steps to large vaulted
hall forming the main entrance This was
open to the air on one side. Massive piers
supported the heavy, castle-like masonry of
the building. The place was gratefully cool
and commanded a charming view over the
valley. Accountant 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-crush1ng was going The mills,
as throughout the valley, were moved by wa
ter-poWer. When we entered the gate, we
had seen the water gushing out from low
arch IN the wall in a powerful cascade The
mill building was lofty, massive stone
structure, with walls composed of Roman
like arches III two tiers. 1t was new. but
parts of the main building were over a CEN
fury old. The laborers came and went be-
low 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 ths min
imum 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 low, rumbling noise, and the mills
seemed like Unsuitable monsters, dsvouling
the cane necessarily and disgorging the
crushed masses m Well-ehewed fragments
Beer glasses full of tho fresh sap were
brought to us. 1t was black and foarny,
looking like English stout, and had a sweet
and not disagreeable taste. The netiyss are
fond of drink made f-al1, inns SAB hv let,
ting it 5 ss ina go9rd for two or three
IN the upper stories we saw the huge watts
of molasses which was slowly crystalliging
into sugar, the surface covered with crust
resembling wind-reughenedi ice turned da1k
brown. In one vat stood a naked Indian
breaking up the crude sugar with q pick, and
shovellng it out to two other laborers who
were carrying it away. The sugar was re-
lined on the premises into two grades, the
superior 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 million dollars
After the syrup had been worked over into
sugar three times the residue was distilled
into aguardiente. Of this, six thousand bar
reis were PFadueed annually on the place.
After inspecting the works we returned to
the shady office, where we met the proprietor
a courtly Spanish gentleman He invited us
to stay to breakfast, and as noontime APP
preached we were shown through yauIted
passages, across an irregular court like that
OF an ancient castle, up an easy stone stair
way, into pleasant corridor leading insa a
large d1ning-room. Here long table was
spread beneath broad stone arch which |
sprang from one side of the room to the 9TH |
er. Our host was at the head of the table, |
and below the guests sat the various official,
of the estate, ranged according 70 .nslr rank.
isn't this quite bafonIals,s whispered nay ]
youtRful nsigsEor. nsee the retaih."~ a.t
ing with us at the same aah'- sittin,- ha 1o
w ses'is 10 quoted soma lines from
Ter 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. some
thing very udal-seeming in the character of
Mexican country life
1t was ansexcellent meal, of the true Mexi-
can country-house type Everything was
perfectly cooked. Never have tasted more
tender and delicate mutton than that in thu
pucnera, or Mexican stew, served on great
platter, with the various vegetables, inclu-
ding carrots, white and sweet potatoes tur-
nlps, beans, green peas and bananas-not all
mixed together, but each kind occupying its