Connecticut western news., 1889-02-13
PEONS OF MEXICO.
Queer Customs Among the De-
 Scendants of the Aztecs.
Sleeping in Trees and Making
 Obeisance to the Sun.


 "Among the most curious people of this continent" remarked John Olendrof to knot of three or four friends at the Occidental hotel, s'are the native peons of Mexico, and when you look at the female portion of that unaccountable race you get curious representation that makes you pause with wonder.
 s'Living on the border of Arizona and Mexico, as have for nine years past, I have had good opportunity to see many things that most transient people would pass by unnoticed. The longer stay the more am impressed with the unaccounta- ble ways of the descendants of the Aztecs. The society lady of the peons, if may speak of her as such, has way of doing up her back hair that have never seen duplicated anywhere.
 'It is no less than to put great clay crown on the top of her cranium, in which the hair is matted, like pigs bristles in plaster. This crown reaches up, say eight or nine inches, and looks like great plaster cone. It serves a double purpose. Not only is it worn at evening parties, but throughout the day. Indeed, the primary object of the mud cone was to preserve the head from the intense heat of the southern sun. Now, however, it is worn at evening balls, and no lady thinks herself re- cherche and in positively good form un- less she has her novel crown on. The hair is matted and twisted and coiled all around in it, and it may be depended on that it cannot come loose and come tum- bling down and cause her any embarrass ment in company. The longer cone is worn the harder it gets, and when it has reached the age of a month, say, it is as hard as brickbat, and would have to be smashed to pieces with sledge if there were no other way discovered. This, however, happily is the case.
 ''The old Aztecs invented, and the secret has been perpetuated in the race, peculiar solution compounded from wild plants which knocks. the plaster topknot to smithereens. It takes some time to do it, however, usually from five to six hours, and during this time the lovely Aztec maiden or matron must soak her head in a big jar of this solution. It is the proper thing for the women to change these cones at least once month. After that the whitish soil of which it is composed changes to dull yellow and the wearer loses caste. And there is caste among the peons as much as there is among any other classes of people.
 "These native women are fond of necklaces, and you will often see them going about without nothing on except necklace and mud crown. Others again will have very slight raiment. The men do not wear mud crowns, but they are often limited in their attire. Their habits are extremely simple in the main, though in some other respects they go off on wild tangents.
 "During larger part of the year you will see, if you will journey through this region, hammocks slung from all the trees at night time. Indeed, if you were to be out of a moonlight night, and it was your first experience, you would think the palm and pine trees were bear ing singular fruit. The natives are all in these hammocks. They are there tc escape the tarantulas, centipedes and Mexican scorpions, which are out on the rampage. Let one of these things get into your blankets and he will never be easy until he gets nip at the occupant This is why the natives will never sleer on the ground. Besides, it is cooler and more comfortable in the trees.
 1uc pcOu, Wutu uc II>cS Ill lllc uIOIu- ing makes queer obeisauce to the east. He is saluting the morning sun and does it by first lowing until he has his body at right angles to his legs and horizontal to the earth. In this position he pause; devoutly for perhaps quarter of min ute, and then, raising his body to its proper position, he abruptly thrusts his right leg, and then his left, forward another polite bow to Aurora, delivered by an inclination of the head alone, ano the business is done.
 ''This salutation is supposed to wir him favor with the reigning forces of the heavens and make him 'solid' for the day. The women never go through this morning performance. They leave al such things to the men. The children of both sexes quickly catch up the way. of their elders and thus grow up perpetu ating all the customs of the race. "- Saaa Francisco Examiner.
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