Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-02-18
Special World Correspondence.
30 me EDITOR Of the WOMB:

young, has seen unimportant settlement
develop into important cities and Inn
portant cities to double, quadruple and
sextuple in population and wealth; who
can look back and see the origin of near
ly every great enterprise that has made
the west to actually excel in wealth and
beauty any of the tales told by Marco
Polo of the east, or even that of any IN
fairy stories; to such one a visit to a
country hoary with age and where CEN
turies are the unit in computing time
and where things have not materially
changed within the memory of the Oldest
inhabitant, is, to say the least, interesting
Thus my recent little jaunt into Mexico
was a source Of real genuine pleasure to
me.
Jaurez, which is like the dozen or more
Mexican towns and, from what L can
learn, like the two or three hundred
have not seen, is built mostly of mud,
and has long, narrow, winding streets,
presenting an appearance similar to that
IN the pictures of Damascus, Syria, Cairo,
Egypt and Algiers, Africa.
Mexican residences do not contain
front yards. The houses are plump
against the street and IN the form of a
square with a large open court in the
center. All the rooms open into the
court, and it is the general family rest
ing place.
The poorer houses do not contain any
windows and the floors are simply those
given by mother earth. As the weather
is generally pleasant the doors can be
left open to admit light by day and the
burning fire place supplies it by night.
This fireplace fume supplies the princi-
pal means of ventilation.
The poorer Mexicans do not have
chairs and tables-are to some of them
almost curiosity. In fact, they have
very little need of tables, having very lit
tie to eat and no ornaments to place
upon them.
I have often wondered what topics
these poor animals discussed as they
crouched around their fireplaces on their
mats or perhaps wrapped in blanket.
They are as illiterate as the stupid burros
they ride and drive. The past presents
no feats of daring and courage among
their own people; no struggles for prin-
ciple right or wrong, such even as the at
tempt to hold back civilization of which
our stronger Indian tribes can boast.
They have no traditions worth perpetual
ing, and are making no history that will
even be recorded in signs on wood and
stone. Generations from time lmme-
mortal have been born, lived the same
uneventful, merely animal existence, that
the generations of to-day are living. The |
poems are infinitely inferior to the old
southern slaves in every possible COM
parison. No ray of hope ever enters their
lives. They have not even that magma
ton and buoyancy of spirit that enables |
them to even look forward to wearing |
beautiful robe and a pair Of wings in that |
city of golden streets and perpetual sun
shine, where we are told there is no sor-
row and no suffering.
These people do not sing, they do not
laugh. Their whole existence is dark, |
somber, ioyless affair.
They do, however, seem TO get some
pleasure out of dancing, gambling and
bull fighting, The upper classes seem
to feel absolutely no responsibility for
these poor unfortunates, and make no ef-
fort to in any way to lift them up.
Hospitals, asylums and charitable in
situations are SO rare in Mexico, as to be
practically unknown.
There is apparently much politeness
and affection among the Mexicans, but
it is merely a cloak. It is like the rose
leaves that conceals the thorn, and the
velvety paws Of the kitten that conceals
the sharp claws. 1t is merely a cover to
treachery, deceit, and the most forbid
ding kind OF selfishness. These poems
are the natives of Mexico and make up
vast majority of the population. The up
per classes are descendants of those that
came from old Spain.
There is an old church in Jaurez that |
is three and half centuries old. Like
other Mexican churches it has no Seats |
and those who attend, rich and poor alike,
sit on the floor.
Every Mexican city has a public
square or park about the center of the
town called plaza.
The statute in Jaurez contains bronze
bust of Jsprez, the only Indian president
OF Mexico, and it is said the most be-
loved. He possessed that remarkable
force and tact which enables men to
reach the top under any circumstances.
In republics they became presidents and
In empires they overthrow existing re-
gime. f. 81. MONROE.
Report of Valley School.