The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-02-25

that il was the meat I had fed to them
that caused it, They had never tasted meat
before and il did not agree with them'
This may seem strange in country Where
there is so much live stock raised Dut ."heh
you recollcct that not one Of them was
ever able to own cow or sheep You may
understand it, The land IS held III whole
counties by hereditary possessors, who new
err think of parting with an inch of it. on
these vast estates there may live hundreds
of thousands of poems, whose lives are
bound to the rancheros for debts, who are
forced to live on root and grain crops, but
who dare not kill n single living thing on
the place The live stock is all the proper
~ of the ranchero. who does not even know
the number of his possessions. Whenever
he wants money he has enough cattle drlE-
en- up TO put on sale to raise it, or If he
has a big bill to pay, instead of parting
with a single acre of land he will send out
his herdsmen to run in a big bunch of
steers, sometimes eight hundred or "A thou
sand Then the ranCherO settles back IN
his ease and leaves to nature the replen-
ishment of his stock. Their ideas OF hoSpl-
tally. when they choose to offer IT, IS pr'dl-
he should live and gave orders for the con-
struction of a house. He sent for his wife
ana six children to join him. thinking that
by the time they arrived he would be ready.
But the manani spirit Of the MeAicanS
whom he had employed delayed the Work
for two months, during which time MS farl-
lily were the guests of neighboring haci-
enda. The American, on the completion OF
his house. was not only very grateful t. the
ranchero for his hospitality, but, rs II
amounted to SO much, insisted upon paying
for the board of his family. The ranchero
became furiously angry that money should
have been offered him and absolutely refus-
od TO take il. Yet this very man, 50 prodigal
to stranger, never felt qualm OF con-
90
place almost naked. half-starved and yet
giving their whole lives to his service"
The work of developing in these people.
the independent aud sclf-reliant spirit rec
essary, is the great task to which the pres
ent government has lent itself. 1t can only
be done slowly. but if done with method
and constaucy, much may and will come out
of it, owing TO the fact that the products
of this country are staples Of commerce, the
handling of which requires intelligence ana
commercial skill which is not possible TO
the average man, the lands will necessa-
rly continue TO DE held in large blocks, and
the people living upon it must be lab5refS,
the recipient of daily wages, with moth
ing around them even to arouse the com
mcrci.I instinct. Without money, content To
live on the little pttarce given them,
they rush into debt, and, getting their
money i'm advance, are always in debt 70
their employer. The agricultural imple-
antique character. single sharp stick
with shaft handles for a pillow. This is
especially the case on the small holdings
of the places. where the family is sup
posed to raise what IL needs for the year
A ft.t -ows &c com. q 'w m2qney plants
for pulquc, "a few hills OF yanls, and al
assortment Of roots and herbs, and they
feel that SO long as the sun rises from be
hind one hin and sets behind another,
the world is safe.
Belief in Witchcvaft.
The belief in witchcraft and sorvery is
general, ana in several municipalities
witches have been sent TO the
calaboose 10 cure them OF their
influence over the people. There are
spells about the house. ana III
carnations powerful enough to drive away
double the number of angels which have
been attributed 10 the prince OF darkness.
But few days ago, / came across q case
here in which probably fatal case OK
pneumonia was contracted 10y a young
woman who had been reduced TO INDECENT
circumstances The doctors stated that
her malady was superinduccd from the
effects of nOXiOus ingredients which tWo /
female witches employed in administering
to her a bath for the purpose oi acquiring
riches In adul,,on TO the bath, she was
required to purchase a new broom. large
wax taper, and myriads OF roses. The
result was that she was thrown into a
dclirium in which she imag.nes shat she
sees black cat perched at the mead of
her bedStead.
The National railroad delivered last year
to the people along its line lAUVt of the
latest improved plows. 1000 of which came
gal one Of the heaviest contractors ON tine
National road decided upOn q location where
from Atlanta, which goes 10 argue that
the time is coming when the ground VIII
be turned up more effectively than II ever
has been before. II is 70 be hoped that
this viii lead 60 better houses for the peo- /
pie. and that the scene Of once biz houses.
surrounded 10y stone wall. and nothing
else bat mud huts for fifty miles. may be- !
come a thing of the past
The Coffee BoOm.
The greatest boom in Mexico, just now.
is in the coffee districts, which is largely I
in the state of Chiapas, on /
the extreme south. I met I'm the hotel here 7
a gentleman who has large interests down /
there on the Guatemalan frontier. He /