Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-28

make all the noise they wish, and a more
conscientious discharge of the semi-con-
stltutional privilege 1t has never been my
fortune to witness. The walls of the pub
lie buildings seemed about to crack with
the din of horns, the hcwls of sandal-shod
Indians saturated with pulQue and the
cries OF the men and women at the stands
implorine the crowd to buy their wares
The stands were laden with chocolate, cof-
zee, pulque, mescal, cakes, tomales. fresh
bread, sandwiches, stewed kidneys and
about everything else that could be eaten
There was rice stewed to a pulp in rich
milk and sold in little cups as custard. Chile
con carne Is meat prepared in a savory
stew with tomato, grease and sometimes
with garlic. Enchiadas practically
corn fritters, allowed to simmer for a mo-
ment In Chile sauce and then served hot,
onions. Tamales. dish derived from the
Aztecs, are crOQuettes OF beef or chicken
boiled in corn husks. Tortulas are corn
cakes prepared by soaking maize in lime
then rubbing the soft Intervals to a Paste.
The Mexicans have very excellent taste in
the matter OF preserves. Bread OF Mexico
Is equal to any in the world, and the
lilies baking their own supply.
Coffee, In many sections is made in the
original Moorish or Arabic manner. as an
extract, and in the coffee districts the serv-
ants do not ask you to take coffee. but to
take extracte. This is kept in glass bottles,
and a teaspoonful is enough, when mixed
with not MIX, 10 make d cup OF pdldtdDie
coffee. The coffee of Mexico possesses both
strength and fine flavor. Chocolate is usu-
ally served with an egg foam on the top OF
the vessel. In some places can be found
peculiar dish made by stewing pigs feet In
red wine: 1t is the same as our calves foot
jelly. and is both cooling and refreshing.
The Cries of the Vendors.
"In the early hours of morning. and es-
pecially of Sunday morning, run through
the markets Of a Mexican town will always
be found replete with interest and informa-
ton. The more prosperous tradesmen oc-
cupy large stalls booths, but the poorer
brethren are content with mat or two on
which to spread their fruits and vegetables.
Each tries to drown the voice OF his neigh
Dor, but the marketers coming out to make
purchases pass through the din apparently
unmindful Of the vociferous costermongers
who surround them every side. VIII
you look at me? Here 1 am throwing away
the finest cardones in San Luis, six for 3
cents Don't keep me here all day; want
to go home. l am throwing onions In the
street. ! am not selling them, but just CIV
ing them away Big pears here. six for
medic. Come up and carry them away.
But suddenly all this tumult was
hushed; not A voice was raised, and every
stones of the street, and most Of them with
bent heads; devoutly crossing themselves.
What is the matter?' 1 asked Of a man
near me.
coming down the street? 1t contains q
padre. who is bearing the last sacrament
to dying man.
Is he a friend Of yours?
'Ah, no, senior; / do not know where he
lives, but IT is some pobrecito who is about
to de-
Il confess to having been deeply touched
by this proof of the existence. in all this
fierce struggle for bread, of a bond of
common humanity, but was not left much
time for indulsing in such reflections. The
carriage, with closed curtains, rolled slowly
by, and the noise of the traffic became
me? Sixteen great pears for a shilling,
and the finest tomatoes grown in the
street.
Some Curious Customs.
I'm my contact with the street peddlers
and the keepers of the small stores I be-
came impressed with the fact that the
smaller and more insignificant the latter
appeared to be the more consequential was
the name borne upon his sign Every store
and magazine bears a title. 1t used to
amuse me to see that the store of the Two
demlspheres was not over two yards
square, and that the magazine The Globe
was carrying stock not worth more than
$2o. In the larger cities Of Mexico, how
ever there are numbers of finer stocked
stores OF different classes of goods The
position OF clerk in one of these great mer-
camille establishments is much in demand
excepting that the comparative secIusion
OF the young women makes II somewhat
difncult 10 meet them often unless one he
especially attentive In dry goods store
IN which case conversation Is allowed to
now unreservedly. If the clerk be young,
handsome. well-mannered, bright and of
good family, ii generally takes about four
nours Tor young lady to buy a paper Of
pins. An intelligent clerk may have a
great amount OF information to impart up-
on the subject of pins II the customer has
doVe-ike eyes, gentle voice, tiny, soft
hands. and q rich. old daddie There are
long pins. short pins, black pins white
pins, American pins, and many other va
rleties. but l have never found It in NV
heart to grumble at the lengthy descrip-
tons. and always have murmured Hess
you, my children bless yoa' leaving the
more earnest expressions Of disapproyal to
the cross old duennas for whom nv an
tagonism dates back to the days when 1
was lieutenant in Arizona, ever so many
years ago.
Rebate on 'PclOn,"
I'm all these mercantile establishments
there is singular custom of .pelon.' which
apparently counterbalances any ATTEMPT at
overcharging on the part of the proprietor.
When you become a regular customer q
tiny tin cylinder is provided and hung I'D
In the store in full view Of everybody
marked with your name and number.
Every time that you make a purchase a
bean is dropped into the cylinder, and at
stated times these are all counted. and for
every sixteen or eighteen you are allowed
rebate of cents. This custom must be
one Of great antiquity. The word .pelor'
means stone or other crude weight with
which, in Spain, 1t was in ancient DAYS
customary to balance the scales used in
the markets. Under another name the
very same exists among the Creole French
In Louisiana. Perhaps the Romans had in
their bonus a custom of similar import
Once a week the beggared, the lame, blind,
deaf and dumb take possession Of Mexican
stores. AS there is very little organized
charity In the republic, such a system Is
undoubtedly as good as any that could be
devised. The merchant good-naturedly
submits to the tax, and an employee doles
out to each mendicant the amount deter
mined upon in his case. l was astonished
and amused one day after listening to q
beggars whine, Aims, just a trifle of aims,
gentlemen, for the love Of God and Of our
blessed Mother Mary, most holy, ever
virgin, conceived without sin, mother of
God and Of the holy apostles, Peter, Paul
and st. Thomas, st. Anthony Of Padua-'
"'Get out Of here, you scoundrel,' shout
ed the irate proprietor, get out Of here and
go where you belong: you get your aims
over at Samanegos.'
Fishing in the Rio Gr0ude.