The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-04-05
HOMES IN MEXICO.

THE PLEASURES OF LIFE BEHIND ADOBE
wALLs-FLooRs AND CEILINGs-A GREAT
LACK OF HOUSEHOLD CoNvENIESCRs-sEy
ERAL VERY SERIOUS DRAWBACKS.
Let us penetrate within an average
dwelling. With the kuocker we waken
the echoea, and the hall porter lazily
arises from the sheepskin stretched on
the stone flags within-sometimes his
downy couch is the soft side of plank
by way of variefy-and comes 10 take
peep ar us. Perhaps be looks through
wicket, or, if this is wanting. he opens
the door hands breadth, further intrus-
ion being prevented by heavy chain
hooked from one post TO the other. II
we are genie decente-tbe right sort Of
people-we are admitted. The arched
tunnel like entrance way has on one side
q stationary form Of masonry or NOV
able settee, aud on the other opens the
porter's lodge, where he aud his family
live, and very likely carry on IN the one
room tailoring, boOkbinding or some
other trade, as does the French cOacier-
ge Very often an elaborate iron gate
of scroll work at the inner extreme OF the
zaguan affords an additional protection
against thieves, mad dogs. wild cattle or
other marauders. Beyond this is the
quadraDgular court, or patio, on which
as a general rule all the living rooms
open. Often one side at least is skjrted
by an arcbed portal or corridor, very
pleasant and ample for family gatherings
especially in the tropics, where this is
the favorite rendezvous of the house
hold. During the day, it IS shaded By
canvas curtains, which are often wetted
to promote GOODNESS, as are also the flags
of the pavement. Here goes on sewing,
reading, games or what not. These
corridors are often given mural decor
ation of painting, representing orange
trees, pot plants, vines climbing over lat
tice work, and similar objects, while at
the rear of the patio, masking the infer
ior Zaguap, a screen Of masonary is
painted to carry out the perspective.
Opening upon the patio, light is gen
orally supplied to rooms in Mexican
houses through half sashed doors rather
than windows, which, except on the
facade, are seldom seen, save, perhaps,
curious little openings Of oval, circular,
trefoil or other odd shapes, gated rather
than glazed. The doors open from the
middle each leaf being glazed in its I'M
per half, IN the more pCetentious dwell
ings and there are secured by upper and
lower bolts, the latter, nigh up. provided
with rings aud chains for drawing them.
The inner jambs are fitted with project
ing castings affordiDg n recess on either
side, into which fold snugly away panel
ed solid shutters, which, with a lid to
drop down over the transom, where tran
som exists, exclude the light so com
pIetely as to beautify tho sojonrniug
amateur photographer, who finds his
dark room ready made, without the ad
vantitious aid Of blankets and such con
traptions. Padiocks, large and solid,
are in high favor for securing house
doors, or else locks of massive design,
with keys a foot or more long and heavy
enough TO serve as a weapon most often
i've. The door kuobs are generally not
door knobs at all, but queer little cur
iicue shaped brass handles, and all the
metal fittings seem wonderfully quaint
and clumsy by comparison with the trim
finish to which the American eye Is ac-
customed.
Floors are most always, save in the na-
tional capital, of red brick tiles, square,
hexogonal or oblong, sometimes painted
III iJGtJtluS, liiDSt Ol lkui!5 anu CCIILAkts0
are often stone tagged, and the rare
ones of wood are known, at least in the
interior, az american floors" The in
terror walls are generally painted III dis
temper, paneled, dadoed and friezed,
often decorated with an all over design
in stencil. The ceilings are fourteen TO
twenty feet above the floor, and few in
deed are the rooms outside the City of
Mexico wherein the rafters are not con-
spicuous, crossed by the layers, row
after row, now of cane, now of small
sticks or brush, now of "shades," close
laid, which support the earth and NOR
tar, foot to yard thick, which con-
stitute the fiat roof. These rafters, call
ed vigas, are sometimes the rough, I'M
hewn trunks of trees, usually cedar;
sometimes, even IN handsome houses,
they are only shaped roughly; again
they are wrought carefully. oiled or
stained. end pricked out with gliding.
The stairs are mostly of stone, wide,
shallow and not dangerous or uncomfOrt.
able to climb. The waterspouts are
strangely effected as to picturesqneness,
being heavy trough5 of maaonary which
project from the coping.