The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-10-13
ION A TROPICAL PLATEAU.
WHAT MAY Be SEEN OF AN AT
TERNOON IN MEXICO.
Cumbersome Mexican Vehicles Fif-
teen Feet High-NIarket Women
A Rhnchern and His Dress.

as. Mexico. to the Detroit Free Press as
| ollows; The air is clear and cool, and
| he sky is set with a few bright tieecy,
ioating clouds. such as the artist is won't
20 paint IN his pictures. The cloud
shadows are passing over the canyon,
along the valley and up the mountain
side He.e they present that bright
contrast and many beautiful cOmbina-
lions which nature forms by means of
sunshine and shadow. The mountain
slopes far and near are covered with the
/ thorny chlparral, the century plant, the
/ many wild flowers of the tropics, and
the wild tuna Cprickly pearl which is
now laden with the most delicious and
/ wholesome fruit which we have yet
/ found in the tropics
/ Here, too. we see flock of goats quietly
/ grazing under the care Of a patriarchal-
/ looking shepherd. who is seated on an
/ ancient boulder beside his dog and crook.
/ Another flock, preparatory to early milk
/ ing time. is vending its way down the
mountain to the goat corral. On the
summit we see q number of lame and
CALLED back burros, which, because of
/ their age and inirmities, have been
/ turned adrift TO die in the mountains.
I In the distance We see a long freight
I train moving across the plateau. 1t is
composed of cumbersome carts, each
/ drawn by six mules.
/ These carts are sometimes ten feet
wide. with three shafts made of hewn
/ timber about six inches square. The
/ wheels are about as high as those Of the
old-time log cart, and are often run
without tires. but in this case each felloe
/ is from six to ten inches square, so tires
/ are not needed. One form of wagon bed
/ is unknown here. but in place OF it they
/ build single room house on a balance
over the axle, using the rear half Of the
shafts for sills. 1t is built Of square tim
/ Der or round piles, with floors and walls
/ made Of green COW skin. They are some
times fifteen feet high, and are usually
covered with a kind of coarse bagging.
/ There is no door 70 the structure, hence
/ everything must be loaded in over the
I top at the gable ends. When a long
( caravan composed of these carts IS seen
moving slowly over the plain, each
/ loaded with almost every class and kind
I of products known TO the tropics, one
/ can then form better idea of the re-
sources OF this country. but when we
! look at the tackle of the mules and the
odd and ancient garb Of the drivers and
4 the ranchero, we can form a still better
I idea of the harness fashions of an
( tiuuity. Well I hardly know how to de-
scribe this procession; but, In the Ian
| guage of the Arkansaw Ird0sier, every
thing appears wonderfully out of
/ kilter.
In the distance beyond we see a great
/ cloud of dust rising in the plain. This
/ is the signal that the evening stage viii
/ soon be here, and also that it is lightly
( loaded. and that the mules are coming
I ain full tilt. -
II is the evening hour, and the market
women are passing out OF the city. One IS
riding a spry little donkey that seems
anxious to get home. She is closely
wrapped in a shawl and carries baby
in her lap. while her husband follows on
/ behind. driving the dOnksy. The whole
/ Is a fine representation, recalling pictures
/ of the light into Egypt.
A peon on board his burro is passing
out to the distant hacienda. Now be
dismounts TO take his drink at the way
side pulqueria; but there IS no hitching
post. What shall he dol All he is
equal TO the emergency. for he has
hitChed his donkey TO its own hind foot.
Over the way there Is a humble iacal. Il
has but one room, with dirt floor and
[ decayed canvas roof The chickens are
/ picking each other for their respective
! positions on the Ioost in one emo, while
the family aud pet goat are taking their
supper In the other. Soon the front en-
trance will be closed by means of sus-
( pended gunny bags, after which the
/ happy family will bid adieu to all things
I external until day.
Vow the ranchero of the caravan n
passing He is mounted on a fine horse,
/ which is prancing under a silYer-mounted
saddle. This is made so strong and
/ fastened so tight that we often see a pair
/ Of horses draw heavy load when
hitched by the saddle horns The fend-
ers and panels are very large and richly
embroidered with colOred thread and
silver tinsel. In place Of saddlebags
there is pair Of bagueriilos. These are
long, back, hairy appendages fastened
70 the rear Of the saddle, and hang half
way 10 the ground on either side. They
have long pockets on the inside, and the
whole In the distance resembles a half
side OF undressed bear skin. The rider
Is dressed IN the popular garb of the
country, and carries a belt Of cartridges
around MS waist ana large revolver, a
lassO and breech-loading rifle on one
side and a long shcathed sword on the
other. In his appearance and mode Of
life among his peon subjects he might
be thought a hne representation Of q
feudal lord OF the middle ages. To look
at, be appears a formidable object, vet
he Is not az all dangerous, neither in
peace nor war His sons following in
his footsteps, are the would be Mexican
knights OF modern times, but their race
IS nearly run, and until This much tended
but sickly flower Of ancient ancestry can
end a more cougenial cline IN which 70
bud ana bloom, it must soon fade and
die from the sheer neglect and cruel
treatment it continues 70 receive from
the foreign tribes of the north.
A MouderfuI Indiana Dog