The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-18
SERVE THEIR SAINT
Celebrating the Feast of San 10.
renzo in New Mexico.
a Weird Performance in which Grotesqus
Dancers Pay Trib1te to the saint
Luuicrons Pastures OF the
Ceremony

Shortly after shutdown the fcte of San
Lorenzo was iuaugurated. IL was an
opening performance, as weird as a
witches dance. with hend from the
Inferno fddliug out the sccompani-
ment, saws a Bernaiillo dispatch 10 the
New York advertiser. Fagot fires were
lighted in every square OF the narrow,
dusty streets, and soon the town was
ali ablaze with the yellow glare that
cast fantastic shadows upon the walls
of the little cubes of mud. the abode
houses OF sun-kissed Cline. 4 shot
was fired. and there emerged from ono
OF the low buildings string Of as
Pecnliarly-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 Gssome bodies in rhvthu
with a two-string fiddle and a guitar
that was sadly ont Of tune, the Will.
executing q dance that was never seer
upon any stage. TIE costume was re-
ally n wonderful affair. the headdrrSs
being markedly striking in design and
finish In shape something like the
French chapeau, il served the double
purpose of a mask and headgear. ex-
tending to the month and enveloping
the greater part of the head. II was
gayly tinseled and tasseled and fairly
shone with beads and all the ornssnen-
tation which the Mexican fancy can
suggest The lower part Of the face
was concealed by silk handkerchief
OF brilliant color. leaving a small apsr-
ture for breathing purposes. Down the
back tcated vari-colured str.atners.
and capes of rich material drooped
gracefully from the shoulders In one
hand they carried scroll work that
looked like the substantial side II
paper rack, and with the other they
ratified their prettily decorated caSta-
nets in tune with the monotonous
movements of the dance Some ~ the
dancers were distinguished in an origi-
nal and startling way. which. 10 The
American onlooker. lent ridicule - the
whole inane proceeding. Over then
velvet trousers were drawn abbreviated
balloon pantalettes Of the style 81 af-
fected 10y the comic paper cartoonists
in their sketches Of the sunties of coli
ored society.
Around the flaming fagot fires they
formed and amid = silence a. profound
as graveyard at night they circlcd
these tributes To- the saint never chang.
ing the step, but varying the move
ments of the body at command OF the
leader. sometimes they would bow
and scrape TO tina flames, and then fall
10 the earth and squirm and wriggls
( like so many horrid snakes IL was n
weird scene. The glow from the fires
dreadfully accentuated the painted
faces of the Indians. W no stood stoicslly
silent. with no manifestation Of NJ
prevail or dispiea.ure. They formed
lurid background 10 a decidedly dras
matte ceremony. The senors them
selves mautled in their scrapcs wer,
an interesting part Of the stage group
and the gaunt and sallov faces of The
senoras seemed 10 reflect the spirit ~
superstition that swayed the scene
The dancers never appeared 10 grow
tired IL was "Oh. on With the dance
all the time, until "A diversion was
created by the sudden appearance Of an
evil spirit in the makeup Of bull.
This fellow wore horns. and the create;
part of his body was incased In the
hide of TIE animal that shows 50 much
sntipathy 10 red.