Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-10-19
YSLETA.
Visit 10 tks Qna'n, Old Aix'esE TsnD
Fsauded In 1888 -Tho Ansip3dea
OF ResiissF, Ussegiied Ttxis,
Esusss-Ev<yons VTitbin DnoIs AtIsad-
ipg 10 HiE PTiy4ss & ff1iEr.
PIECES. TEX oct. II, 1883.


To the Gazsttc.
Were one to step suddenly from busy
city street into O subterranean cave, cool,
q lies and shady, the change would not
be more complete than that an rded by .
trip to this qusir. old Mexican town Ct
Ysleta. Founded in the year 1888, it wsS
then in Mexican territory, out subsa-
quentlJ the RIO Grsnde made one ct
those changes Of base which rivers Often
make by turning cut Of their courge and
forming new chsnIsl, snd thus the old
Mexican town wss thrown on the exss
bank and became part OF Texas. X
Il Is, however, the very antipodss CT
restless, unsettled Texas, in thsa liz in
hsbitauts, their manner CT life and their
household customs hays been uEchsnge-
ably the same for psrhsps three cent?
ries.
1t Is s!non-pure adobe town, con-
tanning, SO far as can see, not Gin gle
frame dwelling. The houses are nesrly
all built sitter the sans nodel-lopg, low
and narrow,
The sun-dgied ado5e bricks are 9z1sx4,
snd when the width of one is laid 10 lie
length of smother it makes, including the
mortar, 8 wall Of ABOUT thirty inches
thickness. This insures srest degree CT
GOODNESS in summer and corresponding
warmth in winter.
Walking a5out the irregular streets
which begin nowhere and end anywhere,
the most striking impression enc receives
is that everybody is shus within DOORS
attending 20 his Own private sfsirs, 50
quiet ana deserted seems everything.
Let Us ply into soms OF the domestic
arrangements. We knock st this hesvy
board door, set into the adobe wall, and
receiving no rebuff, open and enter Sd
open court, eurrounded on ell sides By
houses. Here the first object that ereets
us Is an ole, grey Mexican, stand
Ing barefooted in vst made of O
rswhide perforated over the bottom with
sm Ill holes. he is tramping out grape
juice for wine. The juice drips through
the periorations into another rswhids
vat below where II is left for ferments-
ton. We motion for taste Of his home.
| brewed wine, when nc retires through
one OF the numerous doors surrounding
the courtyard and returns with glass OF
| three year-od, delicious, light, exhil-
arating wine could scarcely be better.
Onr psntomime ended-for neither csn
speak the others Language We part with
the exchange Of the familiar "Adios."
Let us try another door. Open gently,
with deprecsting bow snd emile and
you are received politely and 8 box or
stool offered you to sit upon, for chairs
there are none.
Here is snotner sged and grey Mexican
basket maker, working at what appears
to be large clothes basket.
until we are Convinced that
Discriminating is no. our forte; then Sc
lecling from his stock dainty white
willow work basket, we deposit quarter
| in his palm, and "sdios." again.
Next comes the church very Methu-
selsh of churches, built over 800 years
ago. Its adobe walls are still intact. It's
two old Spanish bells are swinging IL
arches over the door,. 0ae Of them Is
claosing now for y O'Clock noon.
We stsp. inside the eyer-open door.
These stiff, 1ncompromising wooden
benches lock as il they might have seated
deyout worshippers for coupe OF hun
| dred years or so. A few worshippers are
kneelins here and there upon the bsse
foor, dividing their looks between the
open prayer book in hand snd the waxen
imsges Of Savior and V.rgia in inches
sround the altar, where few candles are
burning, and severSl vases OF t2wdrY
paper 1owers are standing here and there.
Departing on reverentIal tiptoe we
wind about among the crooked streets,
past many scrupulouslY neat houses