The St. Johns herald., 1886-10-28

BORDER SCENES.
Graphic and Lively Description of Sights
 on tlae Mexican Fr0stier.

 Graphic and Lively Description of Sights
 on tLe Mexican FrO0fier-
 The Rio Grande is about one hundrei wards w.de at Laredo. good. clear water Lowing over hard clay stone b tom, and can te for led on horseback in I1sDy places, It is only navigable for small bcats, from Brownsville down.
 The hign anss on either side are thicS set with II xie n jacssls, or adobe had, 8. The e are JuiiG Of large mud br.c which nave cen dried IL the sun. T cy have dirt ..oors and strsw roo ]. and. in many Cases, no chimneys or ndOw-. .~rv-
 There are, also, cave-dwellers who dig circular ts i'll the side of Ihe river bank, and pass a life Of contentment in them.
 Down by the waters edge Q novel sc ne is pEeseg ted. Women and elil drsii, barefooted and tareheadAd are seated on the rocks wlshieg clothes in the cold water.
 Other women have tall, widemouthed, side.nandlei jars. filled with hominys rem which they are r.nslng out the iye ana asnes, and the men are Laui ing water on -cunkey ca ts. Those who have not the cart. rig barrel aft, the fash ion of a role Fill it with wate:, then hitch donke.' to it bv mea IS of raw hide rooe l. aces. and thus r Il away q daily supply. Those sti!l lc-s favored t=u,:g up the hili with two bucket Uf Nateg suspeLded from the Id of DC. 6. and 5aIa1ce a cross the should ITS. Leav.ag Ihe river size we pass up ito the . " of Nu yo Laredo, wh.ch IS in tue State of IanIaulipaS.
 It is Sunday mUriIng, yet all the stores, eating houses, saloons, gambling piaces and co:k-pits are open 70 the pub, Ilc. At Ehi5 se sou Q: the ye (FeUru- aryl chicken lighting on ndays se ms 10 Ue ihe most popular amusement
 Laler on, bull iighIs will be the chief entertainment every Sunday afterIoon. There Is large arena in the suburbs of the city, wi.ers the public gat.:er to wit ness the semi-savage entertainment.
 Though strongly condemned by c:tl. sens iIi the United States, yet, when they come here, most Americans tLke in the buil-fight at Ine first opportunity, re- gdrul ss of the day, and many. of them become quite regular patrons thereafter.
 Cn the street at one corner, in very public place, We see an old blind bei, lar. on his knees praying ill a very loud voice, while hi, hand Is exte .dsL for aims. He prays loud anI long foi al. who will give.
 Tn re are SC res of peddlers passing with stool under .he arm and wide, fiat basket on their headS. They may be heard III every part of the city cry ing, pan, licle, came, tJrtIlaS Gulce, tainales, neanlng biead, milk meat, comedies ant candy The" amales " is mixture O. corn meal, meat and red pepper, cooked n cor.i-shucks.
 The most popular dish is " chic con. carnle, made of equal parts of ha he'd meat anu red pepper, with sufficien water LO mix them.
 Passiyg on We see pack donkeys loided with wood, vegetables, water, hay, and. .n fact, anything in the way ot burden. They have no bridleS, vel are easily guided bt a man or boJ whu follows Ii behind and goads them right or let With a short stick. ae
 Almost every family keeps . donkey and, m small town, where they al bray for their breakfast at the sane tine, other creatures may as well keel silent. They are, il q meFslIre, lh' household c.lnares of Mexico. and If not fed we'll are sure 10 sing fol you.
 Next we meet a Me ican cowboy, He has on q wide. rienIy enbroi lerej sombrero, buckski l. Suit, pair Ol large spurs. a wooden b ke. te inl the saddle, and long, hors 4h ir iara; around the horn oI the saddle He 4s going in a lOpe oA wild mu tang.
 We also meet a nu Iieer of cumber. some ox-carts drawn by three yoke oi oxen. The oxen pili by their heads The yoke Is always lashed 10 tat ho:ns by means of stroag. rswtilo thongs.
 Though Sunday morning. VIC meet a man piowing and planting corn. hls plow is maue of a square piece of m Der, with an irOa pOiaC on one end. IL had two large hOies bor.d ia tue ioi s.de, from one of which the beam ex tended, and single straight nandl, tromst the other. hs ma ie marks wiLf this, and diil ed the corn in rows soOu one foot apart, with hopes or ra.s.nr r "maiZc grAnde big cora.