San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-29
GLIMPSES OF MEXICAN LIFE.
AS Seen BY Two Lady Tourists In
Our Sister Republic

Special Correspondence Sunday LIGHT.
VILLA LERDO, Mex, April "a
There was little Of interest in tn,
event of our rail journey from
Sierra Mojada to this quaint ole
town OF Villa Lerdo, as it was &C
complished with all the ease anC
comfort that upholstered cOache:
and palace sleeping cars can give
The district, however, through
which we passed is undoubtedly
one OF the most interesting in
northern Mexico.
AN AGRICULTURAL PARADISE.
In a large area, the size of some
of our smaller states, around the
point where the states of Coahuila
Chihuahua and Durango meet, is
what is known as the Bolson or
Plain de Mapini. 1t is a vast,
fertile region hemmed in on the
south and west by the Sierra
Madres, and on the north by minor
ranges, while to the east it stretches
out into a barren desert. Small
ridges now and then cross the area,
while lakes, salt and fresh water,
do it in several places. A little to
the south of the centre, in what is
known as the Mapini basin, is
the agricultural paradise Of the
country. A peculiar little stream
that from its periodical overtiows
and consequent aid to agriculture
has been likened to the Nile, ira
verses the basin. This stream col
lects, as it were, the great rain fall
of a large section Of the Sierra
Madra mountains and carries it
into the valley. Great irrigation
canals lead off in every direction
from the river which bears the
name of Nazas. From these canals
minor irrigation bitches traverse,
like so many net like veins, the
fertile district. When the Nazas
gets in its annual rise, these bitches
become filled and the farmer, or
better, the ranchman, irrrigates
his soil for short time at will.
Fortunately the soil is Of such a
nature that it will retain its
moisture for long time, and it
is freely stated that corn planted
four or five months after the soil
has been thoroughly soaked, will
sprOut and bear an excellent crop.
Cotton, sugar, corn, wheat and
vegetables are the staple products
Of this section.
THE HACIENDAS.
In such a district as this one
would naturally expect to find in
Vulnerable little farms and thou
sands of well to do farmers, at least
such would probably be the case
in the United States. But not so
here. The entire section, except
in a few instances, held in large
tracts by individuals, many Of the
tracts being hundreds OF square
miles in extent. These are the
"haciendas." A thriving hacienda
is a large ranch, in fact village
or one might almost say, a little
state all to itself. There is first OF
all the masters home which is ever
the headquarters of the ranch or
hacienda. Around it are grouped
the stores, the shops, the huts or
jacals Of the laborers, the stables
for the mules and horses, the
granaries and the never absent
chapel or church. Great fields eX-
tend in every direction from the
headquarters, and beyond these
are the ranges for the cattle and
goats. Often there are minor viii
lagos elsewhere on the estate, and
the lessee or owner OF the hacienda
is absolute lord over all, provided
Of course, that his administration
of affairs does not clash with the
law Of the land.
The laborers are not poems, for
the peon system is legally dead
but average farm hand is not much
better of. He does his buying al
the hacienda store where he has
plenty OF credit, and in consequence
his relation to his employer is
very much like that OF the miners
in some sections of the United
States, who deal with the "corpo
ration stOres"-he is very muchly
in debt.
The richness of the district anC
the value OF these large states car
be readily imagined, when it i!
stated that they are leased out TO
sums ranging from $4,000 to $50,
600 per year, according as the!
vary in size and productiveness.
THE MINING DISTRICTS.
This rich agricultural district i
also blessed with a number Of val
liable mines, notably those Of tn