The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-09
NEW MEXICO DRINKS
AGUARDIENTE AND CHIMIYA MEAN
MISCHIEF IN THE WEST.
1t Is a Famous Bracer an IA Morning,
but "a Other Times Ii PorteDds Vi
oIence--How Bad Men Use Ii.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
"one of the most original and pleasing
experiences of my sojourn In New Mex
ico," said an amateur prospector. was my
weeks stay at the hacienda of a wealthy
Spanish-American in the Rio Grande val
ley. It was at his house that 1 made the
acquaintance OF chimiya, and, taken all in
all, my first impression of that enchanting
weed was a pleasant one. Chimiya, i should
say in the beginning. is a native variety
of wild celery. which possesses an aroma,
flavor and nervine property that throw the
cultivated variety miles into the shade, and
its bracing effects when used in connection
with aguardiente commend 1t to the con-
vivial taste for which brandy and absinthe
have become too weak. My hosts house
was a great square adobe affair, occupying
half as much ground as a city block. 1t
was one story high, and built about a
courtyard upon which most of its verandas
and windows faced, instead of being on the
exterior, a fashion perpetuated from In
dian days, when every isolated house had
to be a fortress. My sleeping room. its
adobe floor strewn with skins and Indian
blankets, was spacious. light and comfort
able.
o the morning after my arrival, at z
q CLOCK, my most ; eiueSl SOn ldppeu dI the
door, and, finding that 1 was awake, en-
tered, followed by an Indian servant bear
ing a tray on which were a decanter and
glasses. The decanter was filled with a
pale yellow liquor, surrounding a handful
of small leafy plants. and the combination
diffused a pleasant romat odor. in which
was a suggestion Of brandy and of celery.
My father sends You his compliments,
and asks If Won mould t;ka q poornino dr;Dlr
after our home fashion, said the young
man, speaking his English a little slowly
and precisely. Upon my asserting he grave
two-thirds full.
1t is aguardiente and chimiya,' he add
ed. Th aguardiente We MAKE at my faith
er's vineyards. The chimiya? 1t grows
wild, and our laborers' children gather it
In the season. 1t is what you call celery
When IL grows in gardens, and it is very
good to take in the morning with aguard-
bracer.'
1T was a bracer. indeed, as found after
swallowing the drink which. in the hardi-
mood induced by my months of outdoor
life, i took without dilution. though the
sguardiente, pure white native brandy. was
merry ana strong. 1t was a drink TO pre-
pare one TO confront all the ills and cele-
brate all the joys of life. / dressed rapt-
u tho and went down the broad hall into
giving instructions about the work on the
estate to his major domo, or head overseer.
"Ac' With OiiiDICTO III dIu anu SDuTS on
heel. stood in an attitude Of respectful at
tentlon: There was another drink of
asuardiente and chimiya no less heroic
than the first. TO be taken before the break
fast was served. and the epicurean luxury
this fragrant. potent tipple impaired to
brown wheaton bread, ground corn t~ortillas,
beans and chill peppers. fried beefsteak and
coffee can be understood fully only by
those who have prepared for the feast after
me native fashion in the country of the
chimiya. "
VARYING EXPERIENCES
I'm my week spent in this Mexican house
the mornings all began in the same way
as the first. During the rest of the day
there was whisky, aguardiente and native
wine In abundance to drink, but the
chimiya was used only to beg;H the day,
the fragrant preparation for the rides
about the estate, the visits to old churches,
historic spots and strange villages of the
Pueblo Indians. the midday siestas and the
guitar playing and story telling in the cool
of the evening before the. early bedtime.
which made up the round of daily life at
the hacienda. My host, who had led troops
more than once against the Indians, told
me tnat II was the custom in old days to
deal out chimiya and aguardiente to the
volunteers when they marched to fight the
NavaJoes and ApacheS.
1t gave them courage so they would
make long marches cheerfully, and fight
TIL they dropped or conquered he said.
Nat~t III hiot Ape III " the UuallIIeS
and effects of chimiya, as / have said, was
| pleasant. My next was not so agreeable.
L was making a wagon trip in the country
west of the Rio Grande, with Tom Dietrich
as my companion, a stalwart miner whose
experience covered the Pacific coast from
California to British Columbia, and who
had tried for a stake in most of the big
mining camps developed in the last fifteen
years in Colorado and New Mexico. We
were going into the mountains to see some
of the prospect holes and to visit the newly
developed mines in the Del Monte camp.
On our second day. out we stopped for the
night in a little plaZeta, or Mexican village.
near the base of the mountains, which we
would enter the next day. An American
kept the principal store in the village, and
MS mousse was run as a sort of hotel. Con-
nected with the establishment was q sa-
loon, and as there was a game of monte
going on there that night Dietrich and I.
after supper, went in to look on for a little
while. A young Mexican called Porfrio. APP
p%arently of the better class, was buckinp
the game, and was the only player at the
table. He was a truculent-looking fellow.
and evidently the leader of a party of four
or five young men of his race who. with
s AZ their Gn s i9elr n nss,S and ahd,t qu If dangling
fortunes OF the game. They were an un-
pleasant-looking crowd, and evidently
leader, Porhrio. who was losing an t tine
game and in a decidedly bad temper. He
got to the end of his money at last. and,
after losing the little that he could borrow
from his comrades, left the table and the
bank closed. ~
Inc MexlcanS went outside, where their
horses were tied, but dnstead of mounting
and riding away they gathered togetheI
ABOUT the door and fell to talking among
themselves. Once or twice we caught the
expressions, evidently flung out for olr
nearing, of Damned Americanos.' ITO hell
with Americanos.' Dietrich without looking
at me spoke softly:
Those fellows are ready to pick a ouar-
rel with us. They are drunk and ugly and
VIII follow this Porfirio in anything he pro-
poses. He Is a bad lot and has been before
the courts for murder. Go quietly upstairs
TO our room and bring down our pistols
See that they are in good working order
ana give mine to the storekeeper. Tel
MIN TO put 1t where i can find il handy,
he knows where. : He's a friend of mine
and Is all right. Keep your own in your
so L sauntered carelessly into the store
then ran upstairs, and came back with my
pistol. a 3s-caliber seif-cocker. in my pockef
and Dietrich-s heavy forty-five revolver un.
der my coat. The latter | passed to tn
st0rekeeper when l could do so without,
attracting attention and gave my message.
He answered with his eyelids that he I'm,
derstood. and presently. moving down r.
the rear of his store, laid the revolver on
a shelf beneath the end of the counter
where II was out of sight. but could easily
be reached by a person in passing. When
Invent into the saloon again Dietrich was
sitting where / had left him. and the Mexi,
cans were filing up. TO the bar to drink
The bartender. an American, passed out 3
whisky decanter, but Porfirio, scowling
shook his head and said in Spanish. and
then in English:
mo that. Give us some with chimiya
THE PRUNING PROCESS.
80 a bottle containing whisky and chin.
iva WAS saf I'm the corpfer an1 H.. -