Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-04
IN A HACIENDA.
AN IMMENSE STRUCTURE OF STONE
OR PLASTeREo ADOBE.
Interior of the Fort-E ke Houses-The
Private Sanctuary Few Books OF
Newspapers Visitor Hailed as
Boon from Heaven.
Fannie B. Wards Mexico letter.

Fannie b Wards Mexico Letterl
All Mexican haciendss are much alike
a. to general features The main build.
ing Is aiways an immense structure of
stone. or of equally durable plastered
adobe-neither farm nor country house
according to our ideas. but with a char
acter peculiar to itself Ii resembles q
fort more than anything else to be found
at the north, with bastions and ramparts
like the domain of baron of Old. its cor
ner towers and loopholes for guns hsv.
ing been built with an eye to revolutionary
sieges and the frequent raids of ladrones
The wealthy proprietor seldom lives
upon his estate. but g YES il over to the
care Of an administrator. who in turn lets
il to sub administrators. who each have
their clerks and secretaries TO superintend
the overseers. and so on down through
the social gamut of the poems who super.
intend" the pigs As may be imagined,
there is not much thrift in this complex
system. for when every ear of corn and
gallon of rulque must pass through so
many hands it naturally follows that most
of the profits are absorbed before those of
the owner are reached.
Most of these tort-like houses have the
appearance of barracks. being curtsinless
huu pttitSs. WIN hOOEo. "ultt-
washed inner walls. and numberless
empty rooms. scantily furnished with
wooden benches, pine tables, and iron
bedsteads, put up only when wanted
while the sd accent kitchens. servants
quarters, bakery. out houses, enormous
granaries barns. and stables. and the out
lying huts of the peasantry form a village
within the ramparts
Every hacienda. whether rich or poor,
has its own church of more or less mag
nificeDce, which 10 the CURIOSITY hunting
tourist is perfect treasure trove OF
charming ugliness. each private sanctuary
possessing as many saints IS the grand
cathedral in the City of Mexico, while
candles are constantly burning upon its
altar, and votive offerings Of fruits and
grains are piled around the holy family
for blessing upon the crops for the poems
are universally devoiedly pious and su-
perstitious To degree In those excep-
tional instances where the millionaire
owners live upon their estates, their i'm
mediate famil es are sometimes numbered
BY scores. This is partially due TO the
prevalence of an old Spanish custom.
which virtually obliges gentlemen to pro-
vide for all their destitute female re,a-
tives and to sh eld them and their offspring
from contact with the world
Most of the lonesome haciendsdos os
have few books. never any daily mails or
frequent newspapers. and no manner Of
amusement except such as they can ere.
ate within themselves Their life is like
that of voyagcrs at sea, there being no es.
cape from the ship till the harbor is
gained-the principal difference being
that the confinement of the hacienda com.
munitr ends only at the Stygian river.
Happily they are an exceedingly gentle.
affectionate. and even tempered race. for
q family quarrel in such q situation would
be unbearable-without even the sdvant.
ages possessed by the ancient citizens Of
Tenochitilian, who built their early homes
upon the floating gardens of the great
salt lake. Texcoco, and when the neigh.
borhood was not to their liking could
paddle away with their entire estate.
Ii is easy TO understand that. in these
circumstances, visitor at the hacienda is
hailed as a boon direct from heaven, aud
kept as long as he or she can e prevailed
upon TO rema n. In former times there
were few inns in Mexico and now they
are almost unknown outside the great
cities hence, persons travelling from place
to place, with the retinue of armed at
tendsnts which personal safety requires,
are obliged to depend upon the hospital
ity of the haciendados for nightly stop.
ping places So generally is this ex-
pected that the proprietors always set
apart q generous sum in the provision for
annual e penditures to- be used by their
administrators in the entertainment Of
chance guests. whether they be rich or
poor. friends or strangers Many are the
delightful scquaintsnceships formed by
these accidental meetings. and sometimes
the hslt-intended for single night
lengthens into weeks and paves the way
for future returns for the sole purpose Of
visiting. The romances begun in this
manner between wandering knights and
imprisoned maidens are legion. aud the
end is matrimony with the usual sequel:
-They lived apply forever afterward.