The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-03-12
THE BORDER MEx[CANS.
CHARACTERISTICS or TIE. HAPPY
PEASANTS or THE eouTHWEeT.


assiising Hss.s~ss's Dessttis~ II Srss-
dsm--si@pis Lives That Nave . 0rsab
Deal NJ Unvsrsisissd Hsppissas n Thsa-
4 G>sek ~ the Sssst~r Side ~ ~ Orsassr.
Along . zone Of our southwest border,
from the Gulf Of California TO Corpus Christi,
on the Texas coast, IL found typs Of being
that Is almost an anomaly. even among our
own cosmopolitan cissrez The border Nexi-
can, or ''gIeaser," has no nation. yet be IL
distinctly local He Is the evolution Of that
aried and sun kissed belt characterised BY
Dora and fauna ~ acrimonious and ~ shaggy
~ himssIf and BEST exssnpliAsd by tbs cactus,
the coyote and the burro Won cannot 10
euse mature of making . mistake IN his crea-
ton, for be IL an adaptation that rises super
ior 10 I'd yersity. You will find him pictur.
esque and, when better known. not all bad
This Mexican Is far below the nations repre-.
sentative, yet he h not the degraded peon or
serf Of the land. He h rather what the penn
has becoine IN the two generations be has en-.
(oycd the freedom of our government, IL mot
wiser, AT least les sarviis He Is generally
admitted ~ lie the result Of fusion for some
centuries Of the spanisrd with that mild
type Of semi civilized Indian Of the Cortes
conquests, but Is nearer the Spanisrd, who's
beautifol language, further softened into .
dialect, he still retains. THIS may be due To
anness. but is more probably from the liquid
movement OF Indian spesch peculiar To some
of the southern tribes. az shown by the pres
ent language VI the Pimas and Maricopas Of
southern Arizona
WAIT not THE UNArTAiNABIk
The Mexicans are the happiest Of contented
creatures, and. though poverty is their uni.
yersai heritage, they have no wantA Jean
Jacques Rousseau must have been among q
similar peasant class In Italy when he wrote
70 tru,hfully that "He only ID free who wants
nothing beyond what Le can get aud does
harmlessly a. he pieasss" There are two
classes Of Mexican peasants, the Labrad2es
and the Rancberos the former are the
mllder. simpler people found sprinkisd along
the small canyons and valleys on little plots
u bottom land adjacent and irrigated by
simple or community bitches called aneQuiss,
which iesd from the streams. winding along
the bank in q gradual way tail the stream 3
lower level will permit them finally TO wan
der over the bottom They bridge no ar
royas. build no dams, arches or culverte, and
Use only natures level, water, 10 give fhs
grade required for their canals In engin.
eering ABILITY they far behind the AZ
tecs, who once inhabited this valley, o. are
the present Egyptians behind their ancestors
under MeDes
rie. - few acres supports an entire
family Of = dozen. exclusive Of dogs-ss man y
morr. First a crop III melons aud cebasia
ginelons aud harley: later . crop of frejole,
and eaiataxas Mexican t-sans and pumpkins,
A little pepper and onions and their commits
sAry rs complete. The Rancheros have mors
or less cattle, ponies. sheep CT goats, are ieea
local Ia their tssies and ARE more hardy, &c
thai IL Is among them that Is sometimes found
that OUTLAW eiefnen, that mas made ''Greaser'
tho Synonym for bandit and has stamped TIA,
race az th,esing aud trescherous This char
acter 10 parity the result 81 a traditional ses,
iinenI--s spirit Of adventurous Resistance 4
tyranny On the Mexican side man whs
esades their outrageous taxes and customs h
q hero. one killed IN an AiieinIa 10 do So
martyr. The government oaly lie the robber
The tncn are finc borsefnen, OF the firm se
casy border seat, ai~ays using iha, instrument
Of torture. the bocsds. or Srssnish hit, In tn
control 81 ihe,r ponies Many are expert IL
tossing the RATA and some handle revolse
~elL 4 Pueblo scene is very characteristic
Adot.e dwellings, matched roofs Arbors he
tenth Which air ihe stone Jars left ungiRxss
for cooling water. aud the stone hand mill 10
grinding the corn for corn cskes called tor
illiss" The conservatism Of this I-eoE,le ~oul,
compare atth thai o. India The Agricaltur
Al methods are iiaose described In the BibIs
Hay a. cut with hoe. Sometimes hand knit
/ or u sickle. bough whose forks embrace th
projsf angie IN their pio~, and their oxe
arc yokei b, flashing pole 10 the base OF the
hornS
AT TIKI BALI.
{ A fiesta Is usually celebrated by ''baile,
or dance. II II be fall and the nigh; air I,