Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-21

used, it IS always a shawl, thrown on like q
hood. forming a frame for the face, which
is more often than not possessed Of a regu-
iarity of features, which bright black eyes
and cleaning white teeth light up into q
piquant expression, such as the artists are
so fond of putin z into their pictures. Ba-
bies and small children wear one garment,
or if they find that too cumbersome, they
kick out Of it and frolic about in bliSsful
state of nature
have no doubt they could, on occasions,
get themselves up in costumes fanciful and
even elaborate, but they had no intimation
Of my visit, and 1 found them Just as they
live and breathe and have their being in
everyday life. It was hard for me to be-
lieVe was in America when looked about
upon these strange people, TO whom my
English, usually so comprehensive and
persuasive, was utterly unintelligible, who
answered every query with shake Of the
lead and the words, mo intende, - which
subsequently learned means II don't IN
derstand-" looked around on the houses
they lived in, saw their manner of life and
marveled more and more.
THEIR HOUSES.
They are not hard to build. They are
either little houses with no chimneys or
they are little houses with big ehimneys,
which dwarf the houses that hide behind
them If you would build house aud
can't afford one of adobe the walls are cas-
lily made by setting piekets in the ground,
sometimes daubed with mud, more often
interviewer with branches from the neigh
boring chapparal bushes. The roof is
matched. SheaFes of long grass, rushes
or even corn stalks, held in place by weights
of wood or stone serve to keep the sun out.
I don't know about the rain, but l am in
clined to believe that when it rains such
roofs are liable to leak, more or less. If
the house has no chimney the fire is made
on the ground either outside or inside as
the inclinations of the lady of the house
may dictate. If the fire is made inside
there are plenty Of places for the smoke to
escape and no one objects to it if it Doesn't
have seen one of these houses with the
smoke pouring from all sides and even
finding its way up through the roof when
culinary operations were in active progress
within.
Generally the man whose family lives in
such house as this is a herder, and his
wages will rarely exceed So or 81 and
bushel or so of corn month. Armed with
his short sword, and packinga small bundle
OF corn he Will often be out with flock of
sheep for weeks at time. His pasture is
little world in itSelf-a desert world, for
the rarest event which breaks the monotony
of his existence is a meeting with a human
being. A more lonely, solitary life could
hardly be conceived. Cutting his way
through the prickly pear he leads his flock
about, and each day tnat dawns has its
counterpart in the day that has just gone,
as 1t Will have also in the day which he
looks for tomorrow. Sometimes he kills a
goat, eats what he needs, dries the balance
and carries 1t with him, but for the most
part his diet is of corn, and so he lievs, ex-
iSting. he knows not why, Indifferent, ap-
parently OF the present, apathetic as to the
future. A mournful object TO contemplate.
Woe begone and weather beaten, he wan
ders in the blazing sun by day, and by night
he lays himself down like a wolf in hol-
low to sleep.
The lives of these people are strange in
deed. Where they are situated so they
can, they participate in every fandango
which is put on foot, and in perfect time to
the sweet music all Spaniards so easily
bring from any stringed instrument, men
and women, untiring and graceful, mingle
in the airy dances from sunset till the red
dening east warns them a new day is near
at hand. Very infrequently rude travelling
shows pass through the more thickly set
tied sections They seldom or never pene-
trate the country where most of my observ-
atoms were made, but they are patronized
with all the hberality of an improvident
people where they do go.
The people of whomI have been telling
are the humblest class. They are not
ranchmen, are seldom land owners, and
rarely work for themselves. Those above
them enjoy greater advantages, are en-
lightened and advanced, and the Americans
have of course carried with them all their
natural superiority, but the lower classes
are so predominant and their peeuliarities
are so pronounced, they have possessed an
unusual degree of interest for me, as am
sure they will also for the readers of THE
GAZETTE. From one to two hundred miles
back, within the border of Texas the same
characteristics prevail, and doubt if the
people realize they are citizens of Texas.
The country itself hardly seems like
part of America. 1t is thickly overgrown
with chapparel, which in places is abso-
lutely impenetrable, and the thorny cactus
abounds, but other growths are scarce.
Abundant vegetation fourisheS when the
seasons are favorable, but at the time of
my trip the parched earth did not bear a
blade of grass, and the cattle, gaunt and
hollow, wandered weakly about, staring
blankly at the bare white earth, dying by
hundreds, their carcasses lying along every
roadway, Toasted on by buzzards and
coyotes.
The universal mode of travel is the sad
die, and the experienced traveller always
carries with him canteen well filled with
water, for water is scarce and hard TO find
The pastures have wells, to be sure, and
often big wind-Inills to pump the water into
tanks, but even then it is not the water of
civilization. II is brackish, it tastes of salt
and alkali; and am sure it abouuds in
bacteria. Boiled, it has a vile taste, but
the boiling precipitates lots of funny things
it held in solution before, and quart of
boiled water when settled shows an alarm
ing amount of sediment. took my water
boiled. am told the natives accomplish
the same object by dragging slices of
prickly pear leaves into the water, but I
have never tried the experiment.
There are many hard features about the
country, but at the same time it has others
which are pleasant, and there is dash of
the romantic, and decided novelty in it
makes it attractive. One might ego there
and suffer many hardships and privations
ana again he might go and have experiences
which should leave with him nothing but
the pleasantest recoIlections. l have en-
deavored to put into print the pictures
which my trip painted on my memory, and
have done so impartially and without en-
largement The limits Of this letter do not
permit me, however, to tell all I saw that
was worthy of note and another Sunday,
viii have more to say and will tell, among
other things, of a dinner taken with this
strange people, an experience in which
very few people from the states at large, I
believe, have been permitted 70 indulge.
RaFAAT ]. BROWN.