Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1890-08-15

habitants Of New Mexico.
The Four-Footed Companion Of
The Poorer FamiI es.
Between Las Vegas and its famous
hot springs, six miles above, OH the
Rio Galinas, are three Mexican viii
lagcs-UpTer Las Vegas, Plaza Vigil,
and Plaza L'ano, which preserve TO
great extent the priinitivencss of the
old times. Their flatroofcd adobe
houses, built about plaza, or cluster
ing irregularly against the hillside,
are a soft pleasant brown in tint, and.
owing TO the thickness of their walls.
are cool in summer and warm in win
ter The clay floors are kept scrupa-
lousy clean, and to the passer-by the
interior looks neat and inviting.
In the residences of an early type
there are but few ar icles of furniture,
although the walls are always dec rat
ed with gaudy pictures of saints and
Madonnas; but since the coming of
the railroad there has been a great
change in the interior furnishing of
these houses, most of which have
adopted to a considerable extent the
fashion of houses of the same class in
the East
In the corner of these humble homes,
beneath the broad chimney, is an adobe
fireplace, in which in cold weather a
bright fire of pinon-wood ften crack
els. Outside of The walls character
istic feature of the country is the great
conical oven, wherein is dne the
family baking; and at times when
these structures are not in use, the en-
trance is walled upwith stones to keep
out the intruding hens and dogs, which
find its interior an attractive abiding
place
In these little communities the in-
habitants usually lead their lives with
out much care, laboring only sufficient
ly to support themselves with the
simple necessaries of existence, and
borrowing no trouble for the morrow,
and they enjoy perhaps more happiness
than people in general do under more
complex and enlightened conditions.
But many cf the poorer Mcxicans un-
der the new conditions of things
brought about by the coming of The
railroad haXe aisRlayed q .consideRalsles
capacity 70 work stcadily, aud f:lves
shown an ambition TO accumulate
property and to improve their condi-
lion. Cons icuous among the smaller
houses of these little hamlets are the
habtations OF the wealthy people of
Mexican descen'.
An unfaling attendant about the
houses Of the poorer Mexicans is the
burro, or donkey, who stands some
what on the footing of a member of
the family. lie tolls indefatigably
for his master when that person takes
it into his head to work, and at lelsuIe
times is content to find his living in
such scanty grazing as is afforded by
the arid plains and hill-sides. lie is
regarded by the master with a toucl
of superstitious reverence, owing to
the darkened lines in the form of
Cross which lie usually bears between
his shoulders, a mark which the Mexi-
cans ascrije to the circumstance that it
was upon one of these .auiMa!s that tbs
SAVIOUR rode when he entered the
gates of Jerusalem.
The prevailing religion of New
Mexico is the Catholic, although in the
larger towns churches of nearly every
denomination exist. In many of the
remote villages there are societies of
peculiar order of flagelants known as
Pcnitentes, who on Good Friday prac-
tice great austerities; they whip them
selves with rods, scourges, and even
with branches of cactus, walk barefoot
over sharp stones bear huge crosses
TO the tops of mountains, and in SINH
lar ways endeavor to atone for their
misdeeds of the year. Their practices
are so violent and sanguinary that
they are discouraged, and even ex-
pressly forbidden, by the Archbishop
of New Mexico.
The Penitentes formerly march d in
professions in open day, but under the
changed conditions of later years now
perform their rites only in secret,
making, under cover Of darkness,
their pilgrimage to some cross stand
ing on an cminence or on the level
prairie. In many of these villages, or
in some retired locality near them,
may be seen building, often entirely
.'githoGt windows: DEVOTED 20 the meet
ings of this fanatical order of Ieligion-
ists.-[ITarpcr's Weekly.
The Accidental Discovery Of Brazil.
In the year 1900, King Emmanuel
of Portugal placed Pedro Alvarez
Cabral, an eminent navigator, in COM
mand of a souadron of thirteen vessels.