Mower County transcript., 1890-08-06

AN UNIQUE 90 IMMUNITY.
A Town That 10 strange Mixture 81
Mexloan and American.
FL Paso dc L'Aguila, to give Eagle
Pass Its old Spanish name, Is such, q
mixture Of Mexican and American that
one can hardly credit that II was set
tied as recently % 1s49. Yet 1t was In
that year that General w. s. Harney
established Fort Duncan 1T this point,
and kept his twelve hundred men in
health and happiness on tho high bluffs
which overlook the Rio Grande. The
Mexican Governments allowed q ferry
to be established across the river, and
here 1t is still-the aSt-hottomed boats,
each with two Mexican ferry-men, tho
propeling power being q pole, and It's
guide rope stretched from bank to
bank, ON which run two shorter ropes
with pulleys. On our side stands the
American oustom-house official, or
lounges laxily in the little shanty erect
ed there tor his use; on the Mexican
bank march up and down tho Mexican
military. not imposing, not soldier.like
and very odd to American eyes.
To Harney's men came over the Mex
loans from the other side Of the river
(Piedras Negras then, La Ciudad Porflrio
Diaz now to trade and barter and sell
their many commodities for good United
States gold. They came to as servitors,
as hewers Of wood ana literally. draw
ers Of water, for to this day may the
mon be seen toiling up the banks of tho
Rio Grande burdened with yoke-like
wooden bar across their shoulders, from
which on either side depends filled
bucket. In this manner do all the poor
families receive their water supply.
There are no wells, and only the Amer
leans patronize the reoently-estab blished
hydrants; to NIL others the Mexican oar
riers come daily, being paid certain
price per bucket
Around Fort Duncan, then, sprang up
the town-a town Of jacals and adobe
houses, Of dirt floors and grass roofs.
Gradually American traders came there
from San Antonio and Goliad, and
many who were struck by tho gold
fever Of that year and started for Cali
fornia, choosing the route through Mex
leo, were harassed by Indians and Mex
lean banditti, and so turned back and
settled here undor the protecting folds
OF the United States flag. Thus it grew,
and now it presents wonderful MKT
ure Of poverty, ignorance and dirt with
wealth, culture and refinement 1t is q
tumble of all classes, but Spanish, II
any thing. Every store is ttenda 1ara.
ia (cheap storey. and all have names, as
1senda des Gallo (store Of the cock),
7fenda de los Nericanos and 30
forth. They are one-storied and fiat
rooted, the most modern ones built OF
brick, the others OF adobe, which last
forever; they have earthen floors, or
cemented ones, perhaps. Here and
there can now be found q wooden build
ing, but though more pretentious-
looking, they do not have the solid
comfort and immunity from fire which
the moro primitive structures enjoy.
The town looks as though the skies
rained buildings, and they fell where
soever they pleased. Everywhere are
the jacsls, and the houses Of the Amer
leans are but little more regularly
placed. The jacals OF Ragle Pass, are
vastly superior to those of any other
part of Texas Here the straw roofs
are in regular overlapping tiers, i'm
pervious to the elements, and lasting
in good repair for thirty years. Nor
is there danger,o fire, for this peculiar
grass is hard to ignito, and even when
once caught does not blaze, but smoul.
ders sullenly, and may he extinguished
with the bare hand. 1t is we'll that it
is so, for many of these dwellings have no
chimneys, the fire Of mesquite is built
on the earthen floor, and the smoke
goes out Of q little hole left in the roof
above, or an opening just in the Cor
ner where walls and roof meet. The
jacal itself is made by driving four
mesquite posts in the ground; then poles
are nailed across inside and outside OF
these uprights, and slender branches are
wattled between these poles at certain
distances. All Che spaces are then
filled with the limestone and rock
indigenous to the place, and q clay
cement is made with which it is
p,astered in and out. II chimney is
added, it is constructed in the same way.
1t Is all hre-proof, 1t lasts lifetime,
takes but few days to build, costs
nothing for material, and keeps out
both heat and cold. All of these jacals
have dirt floors, and only one or two
openings for windows. Here live the
Mexican and his wife and their innu.
merable children, who seom to swarm
around every door. Here also are found
the dog and all the chickens as we'll as
goats without number. which are the
mich cows Of these primitive folks
In and out of the open door stray the
poultry and animals, while the family
sit contentedly on the floor, smoking
and talking. Most of these houses are
innocent Of furniture; In some bed Is
found, or chair or two; but dry-goods
boxes seem to answer their every pur.
pose, and skins are spread on the hard
earthen floor. and there, wrapped in
their blankets, they sleep. Above them
from the roof hang strings Of chile (red