The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-15
THE CITY or DURANGO.
The People There Have Brought the I
of Being lazy to Great Perfection

! I am N1llfE WIN H'illlAl ntlfi az hl1' DNh
| fiction to which the people have brought
their laziness, and which passes belief.
BY people, | mean The men, for the Mexi-
| can wOmen here as elsewhere in Mexico
are patient and industrious. But for the
men, il seems TO he 80 great an effort 10
live at all that they have not strength
enough left 10 do more than smoke, eat
and sleep. OF course that does not in
| clude the poems, who must work just like
| the males and burros. Butthey do notlike
IL any better than their masters, and
gladly seize upon the xcuse Of festas or
saints days 10 be idle, and these saints
DAYS occur often. ! have an idea that
| there is one part Of a poems nature that
is not very we'll developed, and that is his
appetite, for a little handful Of nothing
supplies him about three days out Of the
week.
With the little woman by my side |
started out for a walk, with the intention
Of making a few purchases, as our store
Of provisions was running low, and We
found that IN 50 doing we mortaily Of
Tended our mozo. who had all the fixed
PRINCIPLES Of bis race, and these taught
him that he was the proper person 10 do
all our buying, and he instantly declared
he would 30 no further with Us; and rs |
felt very much put out, told him he
could 90 and be blessed. That was all
very well; but we find that we cannot get
another mOzO in the place. II is not Gus
tOmary.
There seems TO he a kind of %freemasonrv
among them, which makes the whole
guild take up the cause of the mozo
whose inhuinan and unjust patron will
not permit him 10 do all the buying. Well,
il worse ONE 70 worst, ] can cook, aHd
the little woman will never allow her Ed
ward TO wash the dishes. SO we will
manage somehow.
Today, as the diligencia came lumber
ing in from Fresnillo on one Of IFS tri-
weekly trips. ! saw q familiar face, and in
the arrival found my old college chum
Arthur A. and if il hadn't been for
shame's sake ! should have Rugged him
and he me, we were SO glad To meet. He
is here Oh a trip for the purpose OF gather
ing statistics regarding the mines Of this
region aud that of Xacatecas for som
American capitalists, and, though he finds
mines and minerals IN creat abundance,
he says that he fears they will never be
made productive, inasmuch rs The cost OF
working Them, and the restrictions and
taxes imposed 10y The Mexican govern
ment, will make il impossible TO work
them 80 make them pay. Furthermore,
he says, machinery, such rs is required,
cannot be used On account Of lack of
water and fuel and that Americans could
never manage with peon labor. There
are no mines worked with profit in
Mexico except those worked with poems
ana with mules for motive power,
although the whole range Of mountains is
fun Of precious and semi precious min
erals, while almost the only fuel obtain
able is mesquite roots, which are abund-
ant, but do not retain heat long enough
10 run machinery. He felt very much
cast down al having to make so unfayOr-
able n report 20 those who sent him, and
who had such glowing opiniuns OF the
wealth which might be theirs. There is
probably no mine here which could be
made to pay largely to Americans,
worked on their new plaus, nor on the
old ones in vogue here, and the best thing
American capitalists can do, who wish 10
sink their money, is to dig n hole in their
cellars and bury il there. first telling their
wives where il is.
On our way back 10 my hotel, for | was
delighted 10 be able 20 Introduce my old
friend 10 my pretty little wife, / was
amused to see a Young Mexican standing
still and looking with all his eyes toward
a. L. s.a. .rAW,nl. n,I.r. leo mol ii
young, Mexican girl. | had seen him in
the same place, in the same attitude the
day before, and inquired Of n gentleman
who told me that this young man was
counting this young lady after the ap-
proved manner, and this stage Of the
courtship was called playing the bear,
and consists in his going at a GER
tain hour every day 10 walk up and
down in front of the house and gaze at the
features of the young lady, or at her
house if she is not visible. After II fort
night Of this sort Of foolishness he can be
gin to write notes. aud the young lady to
answer if the family consent. These
notes, however. are read by all the family
and answered as openly. When the letter
period begins to grow too burdensome the
father or big brother interferes and makes
the most careful inquiries Regarding this
young man, his occupation, salary, eN-
pectatiOns and character and family, and
if these inquiries result satisfactorily the
young man then receives the bhsslul
privilege Of entering the house and
for the first time speaking 90 Bis
inamorata. But for all this he is
not privileged 20 sit w nights,
talking alone with the young lady and
trying TO economic Oh the consumption
of lamp oil. lie can only see her in pres
cnce of her mother until the wedding is
over. Civil marriage is all tnat is re-
quired by law now, but the wUinen are
very deyout, and like TO have their mar
riage blessed by the priest. Speaking Of
d~eyoutness reminds me Of the pulque
shops, where all surplus cash finds a
haven in exchange ior the national drink.
There is iii each and every one "a shrine OF
its patron saint, or at least a picture III
lurid cclOrs hung in sight, and numbers
Of eruciflyes bestowed along the walls be-
tween bottlesOf American whisky, brandy
and boxes Of groceries. Over the door OF
one pulqueria, the worstof the lot, by the
way, is wooden eligy, gilded and painted
and dedicated ito the mother OF God
Instead Of appearing deyout, this seemed
10 me blasphemy, but they do not think
so. EDWARD NILo.