Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-07-17
PRIMITIVE FARMING.
What Joaquin Miller Saw Away Down
in Mexico in the Latter
Part of March.

oIcdl I'LL illlO-NlHlSl, VI Ulloli lllO oSo-
son is far spent, before he needs to
take care of it because of the elements.
And so he lets it lie till he really is
in want of it before it is taken from
the field.
The manswhOm saw threshing
here had built a littlepen in his field,
tumbled his dry sheaves of grain into
this pen and then turned a flock of
goats loose into the pen and on top of
the grain. Then wrapping himself
in his serape and sitting on the edge
of the pen, pole in hand, he goaded
the goats around and about the pen
in a.fast gallop.
Sedate as a Judge on the bench,
chin buriedin the picturesque blanket
about his neck and shoulders, hat
cleaning with belts and bands and
bells of silver, and tall as Il hat of old
time history-there this man sat,
silent, passive, serene; uninterrupted
by the railroad, not Il mile distant I;
untroubled by my presence; perfectly
satisfied with himself and all the
world He was in fact a Mexican.
In field not ten rods distant two
men were blowing. One held on to
rope, the other to a forked stick.
The rope was around the horns of
the nearest of two well-fed, fat, and
good-natured steers. A rope fastened
a pole to the foreheads of these two
contented bullocks, which seemed to
partake of the tranquility and lazi-
ness of the two Mexican masters, and
to this pole was tied, in loose fash
ion, the other end of the forked stick
This was a Mexican breaking pillow,
a Mexican team, two honest, cOnten-
ted, happy Mexican farmers. And
they did not care button or fig for
the railroad, either.
MEXICAN WAGON-GLASS OF MILK.
Up and down the ancient and we'll
worn road between the fields toward
the city crept the ever-patient and
ever-laden little "burro" under his
load of wood. The wagons creaked
and creaked like pagan gods in pain,
as they passed on into Chihauhau
with their load of eggs, chickens,
corn, and all that this richest land
under the sun sends forth to market.
These wagons were laden down I'M
til they scraped the dust of the dusty
roads with big, heavy, oaken axles.
This axle was in every casesimply an
oak sapling wrapped with ''rawhide'
which had once been soft and pliable,
but was now like bands of steel. The
wheels of these wagons were simply
old logs sawed off, with hole for the
axle. Sometimes the whole family
"a large, honest, content, and reli.
gious family-lay on the road in the
creaking wagon, some asleep, while
the patient, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, with
the ropes and poles about their horns
crept on down the dusty road toward
the town.
This morning asked for a glass Of
milk. 1t came after long time, anG
/ drank it with great relish, for il
was good. 1t was genuine milk, the
first had really tasted since leaving
the. Atlantic States. Nay, dom
wrinkle your brOws at this. know
very well what | say and where
had Just been travelling. | know
had just passed through Texas, TIT
greatest place for cows on. this earth
except this same Mexican State from
which / now write. But there is NJ
milk in Texas. At least | was no
able to procure single glass of mill
in all that magnificent State. w,
had our concentrated" stuff from
the time we left the north Atlanti
States until we struck Chihauhau
But here-gloriOus hurrah for Mex
COVE had real milk. My fellow
traveller, manly Canadian-English
man, pushed out his solid legs unde
the not very clean table, and took il
long breath of satisfaction. Tn
milk had made him good-natured
and he wanted to praise the milk
and, perhaps, the milkmaid. So h
began talking in a very rustic an
rancid Mexican in praise of the mill,
The good-natured landlord, blacl,
and-tan Mexican, Waddled forth, an
began to talk and gesticulate in Eng
fish, His English was, if possible
worse than my friends Spanish, An
that is saying that it was eXecrablC
Milking in the Island of Jersey.
Those who have jersey COWS wi