The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-05

over the animals. there he thrives best. This
perhaps accounts for the great numbers
in which he exists in the almost inacces-
sible Sierra districts.
The mountain cargador, who scales the
dizzying precipices and descends the
deep ravines of the Sierra Madres, is by
far the hardest and most interesting
type of his class Five feet six inches is
bis usual hight and l40 pounds the aver
age v hit. He belongs to the darkroom
pleNio ID and ignorant portion of the
masses, called by the better class of peo-
pie "Indios."
AS he stands before me, so short,
slightly stopped, with thin, long face and
apparent lack of chest, one would scarce
w think him capable of walking the
smoothest level with such staggering
loads as he daily packs through some
mountain pass TO be fully appreciated,
he must be seen stripped of his shirt and
with his cotton trousers rolled up almost
to the grOins. ready to pick up his load.
Then the powerful development of this
swarthy man of the mountain can be OBJ
served at its best. His neck is one mass
of hard muscles. His shoulders are broad
and magnifcently strong, while the actions
of the large and powerful sinews can be
traced at every motion that he makes.
The calves of his legs and the muscles of
his high, from constant walking and hill
climbing, are abnormally developed and
possess a remarkable degree Of hardness.
His feet, protected only by sandals, or
"guaraches, " as is called the hard leather
sole tightly strapped between the toes,
over the arch of the instep and around
the ankle, have acquired a hardness that
makes them imperyious to the sharp and
pointed rocks among which he picks his
way.
Such is his physical makeup. In all
other respects he is not unlike the thou
sands of Mexicans of the lower class
filthy, lustful, and treacherous. Like
people of his kind the world over he
wastes his life between the making and
the spending of a penny. Food costs him
but few cents and lodging not a far
thing He rises from his out-Of-door couch
in the early morning hour and walks
many miles before he stops for breakfast.
A cup of coffee and a few hot tOrtillas,
which are a pastry of mashed corn and
water and serve as a substitute for
bread. form his morning meal. For dis
ner he feasts on tOrtillas, a plate of beans,
and a cup of black coffee. At supper fol-
low more beans, more tortillas, aud an
other cup Of coffee. If he is somewhat Of
an epicure and plays in exceptionally
good luck he gets pieceo of dried beef now
and then or gloats over a nice fried egg.
His three meals. if particularly luxurf-
Gus cost him about four cents apiece,
though he often manages to live on six
cents day.
BORN TO HIS BUSINESS.
The cargador is born on the roadside,
grows up in the mountain paths, and is
finally laid to rest in the stony bed of
some mountain creek by the roadway on
which he had spent his life. AS an in
FAINT. he is carried through the toughest
country and worst weather. all wrapped
up in a bundle on his mothers back, with
in a day or so after birth, for his advent
into the world delays the travelling Of his
hardy parent seldom longer than forty
eight hours. At a very early date he dis
cards milk and feasts on ''atole, - a starch
like drink made by boiling the meal of
corn. 1t is not long before beans and tor
tillas are gradually added to his diet, and
when he once learns TO eat and like these
they become his only food. With such
scant variety of edibles and such wear
and tear the infant cargador grows up
dirty but healthy and very playful.
Al he is no longer a baby, but a boy IN
white cotton waist and long white
breeches Of the same fabric. At that age
this child Of the road runs uncomplain-
ingly alongside Of his mother as she fol-
lows her fast-gaited husband over the zig
gag paths Of the rocky Sierras Soon he
no longer clings to his mothers skirts,
but fast grows up in the family's profess
sion, and at the age Of 5 he already car