The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-12-01
A MEXICAN FETE.
Celebrating the Feast OF San Lo-
renxo In New Mexico.
A Weird Performance In Which Grotesquc
Dancers Pay Tribute to the Saint
Ludicrous Features of tho
Ceremony.

Shortly after SundOwn the fete OF San
Lorenzo was inauguraEed. 1t was an
opening performance, as weird as
dance, with fiend from the
Inferno fddling out the accompani-
ment, says Bernnlillo dispatch to the
New York advertiser. Fagot fires were
lighted in every square of the narrow,
dusty streets, and soon the town was
all ablaze with the yellow glare that
cast fantastic shadows upon the walls
of the little cubes Of mud. the abode
houses Of a sun-kissed cline. A shot
was fired, and there emerged from one
of the low buildings a string OF MS
peculiarly-garbed men as one might
see in years travel through foreign
countries. They came tripping out in
single file, about twenty in number,
swaying their lissome bodies in rhythm
with two-string fiddle and guitar
that was sadly out OF tune, the while
executing a dance that was never seen
upon any stage. The costume was re-
ally q wonderful affair, the headdress
being markedly striking in design and
finish. In shape something like the
French chapeau, it served the double
purpose of mask and headgear, ex-
tending to the mouth and enveloping
the greater part of the head. 1t was
gayly tinselcd and tasseled and fairly
shone with beads and all the ornnmen-
tation which the Mexican fancy can
suggest. The lower part of the face
was concealed by a silk handkerchief
of brilliant color, leaving a small aper-
ture for breathing purposes. Down the
back fioated vari-colorcd streamers,
and capes of rich material dropped
gracefully from the shoulders. In one
hand they carried scroll work that
looked like the substantial side of a
paper rack, and with the other they
ratified their prettily decorated casta-
nets in tune with the monotonous
movements Of the dance. Some of the
dancers were distinguished in an origi-
nal and startling way, which, to the
American onloolter, lent ridicule to the
whole inane proceeding. Over their
velvet trousers were drawn abbreviated
balloon pantalettes of the style SO at
fected by the comic paper cartoonist'
| in their sketches of the aunties OF col
| ored society.
Around the flaming fagot fires they
| formed and amid silence as profount
as graveyard at night they circlet
these tributes to the saint, never chang
ing the step, but varying the move
ments of the body at command of tn
leader. Sometimes they would bov
and scrape to the flames, and then fal
to the earth and squirm and wriggl
like so many horrid snakes. 1t was
weird scene. The glow from the fire
dreadfully accentuated the painte'
faces of the Indians, who stood stoicall.
silent, with no manifestation of ar
proval OF displeasure. They formed
lurid background to decidedly dra
matte ceremony. The senors them
selves, mantled in their serapes, wer
an interesting part of the stage grouI
and the gaunt and sallow faces of tn
senoras seemed to reflect the spirit c
superstition that swayed the scene
The dancers never appeared to gro'
tired. 1t was "Oh, on with the dance
all the time, until diversion wa
created by the sudden appearance OF
evil spirit in the makeup of bul
This fellow wore horns, and the create
part of his body was incased in tn
hide of the animal that shows SO muc
antipath to red.