The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-07-26
THE YUCATAN SEN0TES.
Natural Wells Which Are Of the
Greatest Importance to
the Country.
Seen During a Visit to the Planta.
ton Of Father Pablo
AnConA.
The ID Ssnoss-How an Indian We
man vainlv Tried to Hid Her
Peoples Secret.

Among the thousands OF persons wh'
have visited Florida some have been inter
ested in the subterranean currents and ba
sins of water inhabited by blind fish of tn
genus Silurus. They live in darkness, an
the inaction of the visual organ, if it eve
existed, has ended in its suppression. DAM
Nature is a great economist, generally with
holding or withdrawing what is not strictly
necessary to her subjects.
As Florida stretches out. forming one
jaw Of the Mexican gulf, which we venture
to liken to a big mouth, so tho southern OF
lower jaw is formed by another peninsula,
famous for its ruins. Here, too, we find
those same subterranean currents and ba-
sins, much more numerous; also enormous
natural wells open to tho surface of the
earth. Such sources of water greatly in
crease tho value of land, there being no
rivers worth mentioning in any part of the
country.
In u land where hospitality is an unwrit,
ten law, inns are regarded as unnecessary.
Strangers are rare objects in the interior,
and friends are ever welcome among their
acquaintance. The convent doors stand
open to all strangers worthy of considera-
ton, as these buildings are now the dwell
ing place Of only the priest and his serv-
ants. MeSico's Indian president, Benito
Juarez, enacted laws in 1861 forbidding any
religious body to dwell in community.
1t was while enjoying the hospitality of
the Rev. Father Pablo Ancona that we
learned the story of a faIno,l senote (the
name given to all subterranean water
~sources) IN his plantation, for the father
was land owner Int did not scorn to Guilt
yate his property. Had he not done some
thing of the sort to replenish his ever open
purse his generous hospitality must soon
have come to an end, most of his parishion-
ers being poor, aad he seldom insisting on
his fees. Don Pablo showed us his planta-
ton with its gardens of flowers, fruits and
vegetables, in which he took pride.
He pointed out for our particular admi-
ration some truly enormous c~abbages. We
preferred the ranges, which for our benefit
he pulled from the richly laden trees. They
were warmed through with the sun and
the sweetest we have ever tasted. The
part of the ground was m~onopolized
by hemp plant. About $50 bales were piled |
up in one room, representing some $1,000. |
Don Pablo took us through the engine |
house, and then asked if we would like to |
know the story of his senote, which had
been the making Of the estate W%eenjoyed
hearing him tell it in his own way:
Near the engine house stood a mound !
built by the ancients. From it l drew q !
supply of nicely hewn stones. 1t appeared |
to me that there had been rooms connected |
with it, and this made me believe there
must be water not far off. l declared nv
intention of having the whole pile of ma
sonry removed to see what we could find.
One OF my Indians, q young man, became
quite excited, imploring me to do nothing
of the sort because the mound had spirit
keepers-dwarfish creatures that were of
ten seen. l laughed at him, yowing that if |
his dwarfs lived under the mound we |
would take a good look at them. So l had |
the mound destroyed, but the fellow who |
had tried to dissuade me would not help in
the work. He said l could whip him if !
liked, but as for taking part in the destruc- |
ton he would not.
This made me suspect that he knew
something about the spot and that he
must have learned it from his aged grand
mother, with whom he lived. | went to
see her, pretending to know that a hidden
existed, simply asking her to tell
me its exact whereabouts. She would say
nothing. l insisted, threatening to deny
her absolution when her last hour should
so she could not enter heaven. The
Door old thing cried, begging for pity,
between threats and %coaxing
the truth from her.
she said: My father was the only one of
'ur family to survive a general massacre.
was his only child. All the family Sc
rets were contided to me. This part of the
and which you call yours and much moro
'esides really belongs to me and mine. If
dlvulge secrets concerning it. / forfeit the
light, and when we come to live here again
they believe in re~incarnation) we shall not
be able to obtain the land. Because YOU
ire my confessor | tell you, though YOU
must not repeat it,
She stopped there, and l had TO do more
and talking about the next world.
ill at last, being very intirm, she grew
tired and consented to Indicate the snot on
condition that three aged women should be
presented to the spirit Of the senote. Thew
were to be the first to enter. | asseuted
She declared that the water was under a
tree. Clinging to IA last hopeof keen.
Ing Ter secret, she pretended not to know
just which one.
"lh celba was sacred il Central Amer.
Ica as the DO tree is in Ceylon. Looking at
hem attentively, found u tree more bean.
5iful and vigorous than the others. This
me to suppose that the water was be.
aeath 1t. Sure enough. when the tree was
.elled and removed we came upon bewn
and mortar. In their thirst for the
lie giving fluid the roots had penetrated
ieep, twining about the stones and holding
them like u wise. We separated hewn
rom unhewn stones, using some of the