Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-05

offered for sale. These are for the Indian GUS
toners, who stand about and eat the greasy
morsel with their fingers and without the use
of knife, fork or plate. In Mexico City the
the butchering Ia more carefully done and beef
is comparatively cheap. You can get q roast
for IS cents pound, but pork is more ex-
pensive. The pork business Of Mexico City 10
controlled by Mexican, who has made millions
out of it, and he is now putting up one Of the
biggest packing houses in the world. He has
his agents all over the city and he imports his
hogs from Kansas.
THE LAND OF TIE FRY
Mexico is the land OF the fry. Nearly every
kind Of meat is cooked in lard and the conse-
quence is that lard is very high priced 1t
costs 81 cents q pound. and it largely takes the
place of butter. II il very hard to find good
butter in Mexico. That made by the natives
is largely from goats milk. 1t is white and is
dressed without salt smart American has
started dairy in Mexico City. He has Jersey
cows and gets from So cents to 81 pound for
his butter; and Proportiouateiy as high prices
for his milk. My sister accompanies me during
my Mexican tour and she has not eaten bite
Of butter since we entered the republic, about
two months ago. 1t was in connection with
her that had very funny experience at the
hotel at Monterey.
had understood that there was an American
dairy near the town, and noted that the but
ter on the table was of a beautiful yellow and
that 1t tasted much better than the goat butter
mad been eating at other points urged my
sister to try it, saying that it was American
butter and that it came from the dairy, and
with this l took a big bite out Of piece Of
bread that was spread with it. This moment a
burly Texan across the table interrupted me-,
saying:
Stranger, that amt American butter, that's
PLENTY OF CHICKENS.
You find good chickens all over Mexico, and
there seems to be plenty # game. Chickens
are peddled around in coops on the backs Of
men, and now and then you will see an Indian
with perhaps two dozen tied together by the
legs and thrown over his shoulders. He goes
with these nom house to house and sells them.
Legs are sold In the market in little piles of
four to the pile, and not by the dozen, as We
sell them, and l note that in some places the
eggs are packed in corn husks for shipment.
Everything in the Mexican market seems to be
sold in piles, and l can find no standard of
measurement except the eye. There were piles
OF four tomatoes, of six little potatoes, of a
handful OF red peppers and of other like things
around each peddler, and these peddlers were
Indians, and the Indians seemed to be the
marketmen of Mexico.
FROM HAND TO MOUTH.
They carry their wares for miles into the city
on their backs. and a dollars worth of market
stuff is carried for days in order that it may be
sold here. The buying is done in the same
plcayune way as the selling, and this city of
3Oo, 900 people lives from hand to mouth. !
dent believe there is cellar in the whole town.
anu every morning the servants go to market
and buy enough for the day. They buy for
cash and before going to bed you have to leave
enough silver with your servants for the morn
ing marketing. 1t is not fashionable for ladies
to dc their own marketing and everything is
bought by the servants. The result is that
housekeeping in Mexico is very expensive, and
between the prices charged and what the SER
wants steal the outlay is even greater than it is
in the United States.
The UNIVERSAL sIEsTA.
The Mexicans themselves live much more
cheaply than we do. The morning meal even
among the richest classes consists Of only a cup
OF chocolate or coffee. with plain bread or
sweet cake. The Mexicans eat this by dipping
it into the chocolate and they often take this
meal in bed. Coffee is served in your rooms at
al, the hotels If you desire it. and il you live
like the Mexicans you will find your charges
much less. The second breakfast is served at
down. and it is really dinner rather than a
breakfast. Soup is always served 1T it, and the
Mexicans nave h1ntlred different kinds Of
soup.
TIRE EVENING NEAL
is taken about o'clock, and at this the family
meet as at the second breakfast. No work Is
done by any one in Mexico for about two hours
after this midday breakfast and the business
hours here are from to IL and from to 6.
Between ! and the whole city sleeps or Cos
sips, and after o'clock you will find none Of
the stores open. Mexican bread is almost
altogether made by the bakers, is fairly good
and tastes very much like the French bread. l
have not had a waffle nor griddle cake since
came into the country, and look in vain on
every bill Of fare for hot biscuits and pie.
do not find the Mexican dishes half rs hot as
they are painted, and doubt not but that their
C uisiUe is fully as healthful as ours
FRANK q. CARPENTER