Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-01-21
THE USEFUL CACTUS.
without 1t the Average Mexican Would
Lead Sorry Existence.

without 1t the Average Mexican Would
Lead a Sorry Existence.
The remark has been made that "the
cactus has many good points and will
not be sat down upon" The remark is
true one, for, as is the reindeer to the
Laplander so is the cactus to the poor
Mexican. 1t furnishes him with home,
such as it is. His food in many ways is
prepared from the cactus. Sit down to
meal in a wretched Mexican jacal, and
If you do not wish to spread your length
upon the floor, you will be offered
small wicker stool made from the tough
fibre of the cactus The mating spread
upon the dirt floor, which serves as
table, is woven from the same material.
Corn-meal cakes (tortillas) boiled
beans, great fat fellows, and pleasant
and wholesome dish of stewed cactuscu
into small squares, about the size of a
pea, will constitute your repast of solids.
The fruit, without which no Mexican
meal is complete, will be the luscious
tuna, which grows around the edges of
the prickly leaves of the cactus, and
which, when growing, resembles huge
green shield surrounded by crescent
of thorny knobs about the size of small
apple, as if serving as a protection for
the tender edges of the leaves. In
Mexican dinner, sweets always occupy
conspicuous part, and on this occasion
the dulce will be the preserved roots or
leaves of this same cactus.
Though the Mexican people are not
race of hard drinkers, yet at meal times
the wine or other fermented liquors are
inevitable, and, as the lower class of
Mexicans can not we'll afford wine, you
are invited to partake once more of this
| much abused cactus. this time in the
form of tequila, most atrocous drink,
which looks like gin, harmless enough
to all appearances, but which goes down
70 IT throat like wave of fire, and a
few glasses of which will make YOU
drunk clear to your finger tips. Should
TINS prove too much for you, you are at
liberty to partake of another beverage
derived from the same source, but not
| quite as ardent, i. O., mescal. This Ho
uld leaves delicate suggestion of tar
and red pepper in your mouth, and. if
drunk after eating a certain kind of do
nestle fruit, it is very dangerous, and
IN many cases results very disastrously
for the imbiber. Mexico Letter.
A native of India residing in Loh-
don expressed wish lately to send by
parcel post to India the ashes of his
eremated brother, to be 'opped into
the sacred Ganges. He was informed
that unless he could limit the weight
OF the parcel to eleven pounds the
post-otiice could offer him no facilities,
and he sadly withdrew.
Although telegraph system has
been in operation in England for so
many years, it is only recently that
facilities for teleeraphing money have
been afforded the country. Now in
eighteen of the largest cities a money!
order can be telegraphed from or paid
at the post-ollce, but already there ara
complaints that no saving is effected
by the new system. Telegraphing is
such slow work in the old country, and
the mail service is so exceptionally
rapid, that Il letter often beats a tele-
gram in a fair race
Tho folk lore of Southern Rnssi,
can be partially imagined from n case
which came before Judge at Odessa
a man applied for writ to comnel
MS daughter to leave tine house. he
cause when she saluted her parents
she DID not bow to them. lie said he
would withdraw his application if she
would ask pardon and make the regu-
lar obeisance. The girl agreed She
asked pardon; but when she bowed tho
rather cried: Lower. Down with
your headi down below the girdlepn
She replied; Il won't bend as low nc
that not if have TO leave the bopsa "
The Judge therefore ordered her ia
leave but she gave in finally End
bowed her head TO the girdle.