Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-16
Housekeeping liz the City Of Mexico.

Housekeeping is attended with a
good many perplexities here, when
judged by our standard. In the first
place "a maid of all work" is a thing
unknown. The houses are all built
with an open court in the center. This
court or patio is paved, and often con-
tains 2 little fountain. surrounded BY
bed of flowers. Surrounding this
court on the lower floor are the SER
wants rooms and the stables for the
horses. y porter is necessity. He
has charge of the great front door,
sweeps the court, trims the lamps, runs
the errands. and waters the street in
front of the house. He is paid three
dollars per week and finds himself >
4 cook is the next necessary servant.
She is paid two dollars per week. She
is expected to do the family marketing,
as it is not considered proper for the
mistress to do it. The bread is all
bought at the bakeries, and the wash
ing IS also an extra, and is done at the
public tanks. A chambermaid is also
considered necessary, but in small
families, she is willing to wait on the
table. Her wages are the same IS the
cooks. Wealthy families have q great
number Of servants, each child having
a separate nurse. All cooking is done
over small charcoal stoves. As Mexico
stretches over three zones, fruits and
vegetables of all kinds can always be
obtained. The market place is south
Of the national palace. Here YOU see
men, women and children, sitting on
the flags of the market place, with
fruits and vegetables spread out
around them. Fruits are very cheap.
\ fine pine apple can be obtained for
a media C cents). Bananas are ten
cents q dozen. Muskmelons cost one
real G23 cents) for three. Lines,
lemons and oranges are plentiful and
cheap. Beef is plentiful and good, but
the mutton is superior, while pork is
scarce and dear. There are some ex-
cellent fish brought from the gulf of
Mexico. Groceries are very high.
Tea is $3.50 per pound. Good butter
is one dollar per pound. Milk is 20
cents per quart, and sugar X cents a
pound, although a native product.
The best coffee in the world is
raised here. and can be bought for 80
cents a pound. The chocolate is verv
fine, but it is all favored with cinna-
mon.
The vegetables are raised on the
''chinapas," or floating gardens, and
brought to the city by the Vega canal.
Flowers are raised in great profusiOn,
and are cheaper than anywhere else on
earth. / bought q bouquet containing
250 roses for three TedjS, or 81 cents.
i,r J. L
but they have a way Of cooking onions
with all other vegetables that is not
palatable to an American palate. The
common people live almost on t0rtiilds
and trij0}es. The t0rtjlL0s are some
thing like oUr griddle cakes. They
are made of corn well ground between
flat stones. 1t is then mixed with
water and rolled out fiat. A small
piece is pinched off, ''spatted" from
one hand to the other until it is of the
right shape, then quickly fried on a
small iron, placed over q pan of char
coal. They are sometimes served with
a sauce made Of red pepper, lard,
onions and cheese. They are then
called ''tomales." FTijO1eS taste not
unlike warmed over baked beans
They take large brown beans, boil
them until quite soft, then take a
spoonful and put in frying pan with
a spoonful of olive oil, and salt and
pepper to taste. AS soon as they are
well Drowned on one side they turn
and brown the other side. Another
national dish is Gel Pulchero." This
is something like our boiled dinner.
Tno vegetables boiled with the beef
are usually cabbage, potatoes and
beans or peas. They are all served on
the same dish with the meat in the
center. Another quite palatable dish
is mole, which is chicken chopped up
and served with Il sauce composed
.agely OF chill, sort of red pepper
q e ~. az Good HoNsekeepi7aq.