The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-07-27

The success of this undertaking is in
part due to the fact that at present'the
Mexicans are looking for drink. The
use of pulque Is almost limited to the
comparatively small part of the country
where it is produced. on account OF the
impossibility of keeping it. except for a
very short time, after it is ready for use.
| The railways have extended somewhat
the territory of it's consumption. 1t may
now be carried from the plantations near
| Puebla to Oaxaca. which, before the
| building of the Mexican Southern Rail-
way, was without the limits of the pulque
region. But after all it is the drink OF the
Indians, and this means much in Mexico;
1t means that the classes socially above
The indians must have some
thing else. Hitherto some form of
brandy, or miserable concoc-
ton called French wine. has been ex-
tensively used, and if the brewing of
beer will furnish partial substitute for
one or both of these the effort will be in
| the line of reform.
| But the cities of Central Mexico which
| appear to have felt especially the force OF
the new stimulus are Puebla and the City
OF Mexico. Both are points from which
number of railways radiate. From
Puebla the Mexican Southern reaches
Oaxaca and, in general, Southern Mex
leo; the Interoceanic runs out in three
directions, to Matamoras and beyond on
the way TO Acapulco, to the City of Mex
leo. and to Vera Cruz; and the Mexican
Railway gives Puebla another line of
communication with the City of Mexico
and with the coast. These make Puebla
as railway center second only to the
Capital. At present both its population
and its Industries are increasing, and the
variety vnd distribution of the Industries
help to give the city an air of general
property. Its textile industries are the
most conspicuous; in fact, in all parts of
Mexico at present this branch OF manu-
featuring is under the powerful stimulus
of high import duty, which is practi-
cally doubled in consequence of the fall
in the value of silver. In addition to
these advantages for the manufacturer,
some of the States have granted special
privileges to the producers of textile
Fabrics, such as freedom from taxation,
the Government granting the privilege
expecting, at least in some cases, that
the manufacturer will produce a certain
amount, or supply the local market. The
strong demand in the country is for the
cheaper articles, such as prints and plain
unbleached cotton. the latter constituting
the principal part of the clothing of the
people. In the cities, however, there is
an increasing number Of persons who
are adopting the European style of dress
for men, and this makes an increasing
demand for WOODEN goods suitable tor
this purpose: and the attempt to supply
this demand with domestic products is
one of the noticeable recent develop
ments in the textile industries. That
profit is coming TO Puebla from her par
ticipation in enterprises along these lines
is clearly evident.
If we may Judge from their wares, the
manufacturers of Puebla have liking
for strong colors. This is manifest in
their brilliant serapes, particularly those
made of cotton and intended for the
smaller interior towns. Sometimes these
colors are combined with great artistic
effect. This is especially true in the
decoration of some OF the products of the
potteries. 1t would be difficult to
find in crockery decoration finer
combinations of colors than may
q, seen in the exterior painting
on certain bowls made in Puebla. The
material is coarse and the glazing is often
imperfect, but those who apply the colors
have certainly the sense of color in rare
development.
AS long as communication was diff
cult each district produced the earthen-
ware used by the common people of the
district. This local development led to
great individuality of design in form and
ornamentation, and in some places one
can observe the very beginnings of the
artistic sense making itself manifest in
the products of industry. In some cases
the development of this sense has been
arrested very early, and what was the
beginning of artistic activity has become
simply conventional work, in perform
ing which the workers have apparently
no thought of further progress. In other
cases several steps have been taken. In
the little village of San Antonio, near
Cuernavaca, the only conception OF or
tive minds of the potters, is that of press
ing into the sides of the jar, or dish of
whatever sort, before it is baked, small
fragments of china or glass, and
with these making lines or figures.
Sometimes, in the most sublime flights
Of their artistic imaginations, they ar
range these fragments in such form that
they present the outlines of a bird or
some four-footed beast not distinctly
specified. In watching the old women
press these small pieces OF china into the
clay of the nbak ed vessel one observes
that there is not the slightest mental eff
fort to depart from the rigid conventional
form. The modern artists of Rome or
Paris differ from these artists of the mud
novels of San Antonio, in that while they
recognize, and are more or less domin-
ated by conventional forms, they strive
to depart from them to such an extent, at
least, as to make their works variation
on the conventional theme. When this
striving ceases, art falls to the position of
pottery decorating in San Antonio. In
Puebla the painting is OF much higher
order. although on plates and cups and
bowls. painted by hand, which sell for
two or three cents piece, it is not TO be
expected that the painter will lavish a
large amount of artistic invention. Yet
it is evident from the production of new
forms and the variety of decorations that
the force of originality is not extinct
With the development of facilities for
transportation there is tendency to de-
mand certain preferred kinds of wares
although they may not be produced in