Evening star., 1896-01-18
A Oaxacan Catnstrophe.

A Oaxacan Catastrophe.
While we were still trying to grasp an
adequate conception of the magnitude of
the Big Tree, and were puzzling ourselves
as to whether it was twins, triplets, quad
ruplets or a single individual. the Batres
equipage crawled slowly into view, display
ing broken back, spliced with spiints and
rope. TT is we'll, Madame" said DR.. Batres,
that you chose the other coach. My own
has broken in two and tumbled me upon
the ground" 1t often happened that DR..
Batres, who was educated IL Paris, spoke
such un-American French that we had diff
ficulty in comprehending him, but the
meaning of his words on this occasion,
supplemented as they were by appropriate
accompanying gestures, full of animation,
was on the instant perfectly and painful
ly evident.
Soon our procession moved again through
the streets of Tule. Our reception in this
Indian village and in others through which
we passed. as like it as peas in pod, was
African, and many of the sights were Afri-
can also. We were greeted at the begin
ming of the long main street by Outposts OF
barking, snarling dogs. whose numbers in
creased and the volume of whose chorus
enlarged as we penetrated the village. The
fences on either side of the street were
hedges of organ cactus, the gates were
care, sugar cane or bamboo. AS In new
western mining camp there is gradual
DEVELOPMENT in mans habitatiOnS, begin
ming with the. tent, then passing to the
chimneyless hut OF rough logs OF uneven
lengths, then to the cabin of smoothed,
planed logs or even lumber, equipped with
windows and chimney, there IS a SINH
lar evolution in Oaxacas villages. The
arstocrats live in adobe structures with
tiled roofs. The plebeians build themselves
primitive dwellings of wattled cane work
Dlastered with clay, windowleSs, chimney
less, matched either with palmetto or ma
guey leaves, according to the altitude and
temperature of the village. There are
palms in abundance in tropical Mexico, but
On the higher levels the maguey takes its
place. the general utility plant of the
Mexican, who eats its sprouts. thatches his
roof and feeds his fire with it's dried leaves,
makes pins and needles of its thornS, tWlne,
rope and paper from its fiber, and pulque
(beer) and mescal (whisky) from it's juice.
With us the maguey is called the century
plant, because it is supposed, enormously,
to blossom only once in a hundred years.
In Mexico it may be properly called the
century plant, because II mas at ieast a
hundred uses.
An American TimbuctOO.
1t is not surprising that in habitations
and living occupants Of the streets, from
snarling dogs and patient donkeys to dark
skinned, lightly clad natives, there should
be suggestions of Africa. These villages
are In the same latitude with Senegal in
senegambia, with Timbuctoo, and with the
sixth cataract of the Nile, with Bombay in
India and Manila in the Philippine Islands.
The most interesting Indian village which
we visited lies between Tule and Tlacolula
on by-way diverging from the main road
and boasts the euphonious name Of Tlacox-
ahuaja In the old times all Of fruitful
Oaxaca was densely populated with q
series of magnificent cities. now dead and
buried and crumbled into dust.
And millions in these solitudes,
Since first the fight of years began,
Have laid them down to their last sleep. y
The natives Of the present living over
the remains of the myriads of the past are
constantly unearthing antiquities, treas
ures Of the buried dead. which they sell
cheaply to semi-occasional visitors. DR..