San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-15

magta, which is identical with what Is Known
here as the century plant, or wild aloe
Pulque is to the Mexican population what
beer is to the Germans, or at the present time
to the Americans. Its color Is nearly white,
and it tastes somewhat like sour milk, or a
cross between sour milk and weak lemonade.
1t is more nutritious and strengthening than
beer, and serves the native or peon popula-
ton as both food and drink, as q small loaf
of bread and quart Of pulque are sufficient
for dinner for working man. Although
it does not seemingly have that quick stimu-
lating property that beer has, it has q latent
strength that will produce intoxication If o
sufficient quantity Is drank. 1t only takes
about dozen glasses, the size of beer glass,
to produce on an inexperienced person most
Supplying case Of drunkenness.
EVERYBODY DRINKS IT.
Mexico City is town Of 5000 popula-
ton They drink daily in the city 100000
gallons of pulque. 1t is drank by the whole
population, from the youngest members OF
the family to the oldest. 1t Is sold in what
are called pulquaries, where no other kind
of liquor is allowed to be dispensed. It Is
served out Of gayly painted barrels like milk
that is, it is simply dipped from the open
barrel and the glasses filed with a ladle The
families, Of course, send pitchers, bottles,
eta., to the pulquaries, and drink at dinner,
ETC., at their homes As a verification of the
immense quantity used an officer Of the Vera
Cruz and Mexico railroad, which passes
through the principal valleys appropriated
to the growth Of the maguey plant, told me
their net profit for freight alone on the arti-
Gle averaged $1,000 a day throughout the
year.
It'll one Of the most interesting sights Of the
country to see the natives gathering the juice
of the plant and conveying it to the ferment-
ing houses The plant Is a virile, thrifty
growth, some ten feet in height, with large,
serrated leaves, the central stem attaining o
size from eight to twelve inches in diameter.
In this cavity is followed out foot or so
from the ground, somewhat as the maple tree
is subjected to in Vermont during the sugar
season. The juice from the plant generally
exudes and is caught in this cavity. The
poems, both boys and girls, from 10 to IS
years old, are generally employed in collect
ing the juice. They have strapped across
their shoulders pig or goat skin, tannedtin
such a manner that it is pulque tight when it
is sewed up, leaving only an opening
at the mouth. and when these are
filled they look for all the world
like young shote full and fat Each en-
ploye has siphon, which he inserts into the
juice, and after starting it with his mouth
inserts the other end into the pigs mouth,
going thus from plant to plant until the skin
is full. Thus it is taken to the fermenting
houses. When the article is finished it is put
into vessels containing some fifty or sixty
gallons each and transported, the most of it
to Mexico Cisy, but Of course every city,
town and village in the republic drinks its
proper proportion. When distributing it to
the pulquaries they cart these hogsheads
about the city and instead Of drawing it of
into some large vessel they again insert the
siphon into the large vessel or hogshead and
the other end into the pig skin and thus dis
charge it into barrels at the place Of sala
ANTICIPATED METHODS.
These Anticipated methods still cling to the
Mexicans, and it will take long time before
they adopt a more rational and easier way
of doing their labor. Another singular Gus
tom prevails there They have improved
abattoirs or butchering establishments, but
the way they distribute the beef and mutton
around the town to the dealers in meat Is
most amusing They employ large mule or
horse, on which Is placed strong saddle or
framework, in which are two or more up
right wooden posts. In these posts are sun
dry iron hooks, and on these the beef, split
into halves, is cooked I have seen a horse
staggering under a load Of at least three or
four animals. OF course the cattle are not
so large as our native steers, and it seems
they can carry at least dozen dressed sheep
or goats in this manner.
In referring again to my original topic,
pulque, the plant is a most wonderful and
useful natural product Not only Is this
large quantity of nutritious beverage made
from the juice. There is another and stronger
drink distilled from the leaves, and l be<ieve
from the refuse from the pulque called talque,
which is much like our whisky when they let
it arrive at a sufficient age, bat unfortunately
they drink it soon after it is made and then
it is fiery drink indeed Then the leaves
are used to thatch cottages and make very
lTa h HonlfU,,e,l