Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-17
ANCIENT WORKS.
GRAND ARCHES OF MASONRY IN
A d SERr.
Absence Of Thrift on Tropic Lands
More Religion than Comforts
-Sugarmaking-E
correspondence of the REoonD-UNIOs.l

Correspondence of the REcoRD-UNIoN.l
Cry OF MEXICO, July 9, 1886.
Returning from the plains of Apam to-
ward the Mexican Capital by our favorite |
method of travelling coche, with plenty of
time to tarry or to make detours wherever |
vagrant fancies might lead us-we drove sew
eral miles out of the way, over an Egyptian |
desert, to view the great stone arches of
Compoala. This wonderful aqueduct-the |
object of whose construction was to supply |
the arid plains with water-was the work |
of an early Spanish friar of the order of
San Francisco. The magnificent arches of
solid porphyry, which were commenced |
more than three centuries ago and never |
completed. look like the work of Titians |
but-like many other well-begun efforts in |
this demoralized country-have been of no |
practical use to any living creature. There
they stand in the midst of the desert, these |
monuments of by-gone inutility - as |
mighty in their way as those of the Libyan |
chain on the banks of the Nile, with no |
trace of human life within the limits of |
vision-nothing to relieve
THE ETERNAL DEsoLArIoN
OF shifting sands and burning skies, but |
an occasional clump of giant cactus or the |
plumed crest OF some solitary palm We |
sat so long admiring the splendid carvings
on the main arch of the a1uedutt, specu-
lating on the motives of the long-forgotten
friar, and wondering why the patient |
hands which wrought SO well should have |
suddenly abandoned the work, that even
ing shadows began to lengthen before we |
realized the flight of time. Proceeding |
rapidly upon our journey toward the d s.
tant hacienda, where the night was to be |
passed, we had ridden an hour or more |
when it was discovered that one of the |
carriage wheels was smoking. Here was a |
pretty fix ready to perish of "sponta-
neous combustion, so 10 speak, and neither |
house nor stream in sight AT this en-
bMrassing junclure the driver remarked |
that ne remembered deserted |
rancho, not far away, whose farm
house WAS now said to be the re-
sort OF tadr0neS (robbers); should he drive |
thither? We were not without secret |
doubts as to whether our Jehu might be in |
cahoots with the gentlemen in question; |
but there appeared to be no alternative, |
and he was hidden to drive within hail of |
the house. Hating a short distance from |
the tumble-down wall, we sent him in with |
a little money and instructions to purchase |
Herewith pail of water, and meanwhile |
everybody examined his pistols. Such |
barren. forlorn and desolate abode the |
imagination can scarcely conceive-a place |
of punishment for unhappy spooks in !
Dantes' inferno rather than the home of
living ladr1nes. The filthy corral of a |
court was swarning with pigs. dogs and |
bSbleS: unkempt women SUNK out of |
courts and gazed at us curiously, and |
several Misunderstanding men sprang up |
mysteliously FROM somewhere The latter |
81 Mched toward the carriage, inspected the |
smoking wheel, and stared at us with |
bicaFed aud british eyes-doubtless taking |
note Of the extreme piainness Of our attire |
ana The unspicuously- displayed guns and |
pistols Of the escort At any rate, there
was no hair breadth 'scape to chronicle |
the incipient contlagration was speedily |
subdued, and we departed in peace amid |
the blessings of the robber community in !
many muttered "ddioS which popular
salutation. literally translated means {" To |
God l commend you"
TRoPIc sQUALoR AND RELIGION.
In course of this three-days trip. curios-
ity or some bivial GRAND led us to stop at |
many houses al ng the route. The won
der is that human beings can be content to |
live and die in such squalor and that al |
most invariably where nature is most
prodigal with her gifts, the homes of the
people have fewer comforts than those in
colder climates, where the most common
necessaries of life must be produced by I'M
RENTING toll. In this per ion of Mexico
the average house outside the cities is of
sun-baked adobe, generally plastered on
the outside only, and an elaborate stucco
decoration surrounding its wide door, con-
tanning but one apartment, no windows at
all, the bare beams thickly thatched with
dried grass overhead, and mother earth for
flooring. Such superauities as chairs and
tables are seldom INDUCED in, for q rude |
bench, or an adobe shelf built into the !
wall, answers well for the latter
while mats of braided straw, known |
as petdteS, are the accepted sitting |
down places for guests and family, and |
serve also as the general bed. Though |
dogs. pigs, goats and chickens have free |
range of the premises, and the donkey |
pokes his social nose in at the door, these |
small homes are remarkably neat, con-
Sidering their surroundings. There is never |
any stove or fireplace, but the little caloric |
needed for cooking their tortillas and fire. |
joles can be produced anywhere oul of |
doors, in charcoal pot or by burning a |
few sticks on the ground; while one corner
OF the casa serves Tor kitchen and cupboard |
the dishes being piled up on the dirt floor
or ranged in a shining row, their clean
faces against the wall
But every mud hut, however poor, must
have its family shrine, where the tenets of
their faith are scrupulously observed and
their prayers constantly repeated-for reli-
giOn occupies a prominent place in the
lives and thoughts of these simple people,
as does its outward forms and expressions
in their small homes The inmates may
be often hungry, always nearly naked, but
there are cruciixes and urns for holy
water, pictured or wooden saints per
petually adorned with flowers. and
expensive candles are burned upon all
fiesta dsys-which means nearly every day
in the year. Often picture of the blessed
Santa Guadalupe (the Creole Mother of
Christ and the ParoneSs of Mexico). |
painted on q canvas large enough to cover |
an entire side of the house, is almost
IT'S ONLY ARTICLE OF FURNITURE,
And invariably the matched roof is sur |
by a cross. which was duly |
blessed by the local priest flor moneyed |
when the house was build |
ed. Here and there, upon the outer and |
inner walls, rude crucifxes are painted or |
executed in charcoal, and no sIrawstack. |
cornbin or clubhouse is considered safe from
the hostile elements or fit for usage until |
some symbol of their religion is placed |
upon it. These crosses and images are the |
veritable lares and penates of every house
hold. and while to more enlightened peo |
pie the ideas which are symbolized are the /
real objects Of worship. these descendants |
of Montezuma hestow upon the symbols |
themselves all the blind idolatry that their |
forefathers bestowed upon the stone mon.
strosities which Cortez displaced
Posted upon the doors OF many houses
are printed p'acaris setting forth some re-
ligious observance, which merits special in
diligence if faithfully performed or prais-
ing the Holy Family in Spanish song. The
following is fair sample:
'Quien este casa la luz? Jesus.
Quien la LENA de ALGERIA? Maria,
Quiere Ia abr3Za en- la feP Jose.
Luego bien claro Sc We
Que siempre habTa contriciau
Jesus, Maria Jose.
The literal translation fails to express the |
exact shades of meaning, but here is the |
substance of il:
Who gives light to this house? Jesus.