The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-12-26
A MEXICAN FETE.
Celebrating the Feast Of San Lo-
ren8o IN New Mexico.



Lorenzo was in&ugurated. It was an
opening performance, - weird - .
witches dsnce, with = fend from the
Inferno fiddling out the accompani-
ment, s4ys . Bernalillo dispatch to 1.-The
New York advertiser. Fagot fires were
lighted in every square Of the narrow,
dusty streets, and soon the town was
all 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. A shot
was fred, and there emerged from one
of the low buildings . string oi as
peculiarly-garbed men as one might
see in q years travel through foreign
countries. They came tripping out in
single file, about twenty In number,
swaying their-lissome bodies In rhyth
with a two-string fiddle and guitar
that was sadly out of tune. the while
executing dance that was never seen
upon any stage. The costume was re-
ally wonderful affair, the headdress
being markedly striking in design and
finish. In shape something like the
French chapeau, it served the double
purpose of mask and headgear, ex-
tending to the mouth and envelopinR
the greater part of the head. It was
gayly tinseled and tasseled and fairly
shone with beads and all the ornamen-
tation which the Mexican fancy can
suggest. The lower part of the face
was concealed by silk handkerchief
of brilliant color, leaving small aper-
ture for breathing purposes. Down the
back doated vari-colored streamers,
and capes of rich material dropped
gracefully from the shoulders. In one
hand they carried scroll work that
looked like the substantial side Of q
paper rack, and with the other they
ratified their pretti1y decorated casta-
nets in tune with the monotonous
movements Of the dance. Some of the
dancers were distinguished in an origi-
nal and startling way, which, to the
American onlooker, lent ridicule to the
whole inane proceeding. Over their
velvet trousers were drawn abbreviated
balloon pantalettes Of the style 20 af-
fected by the comic paper cartoonists
in their sketches Of the aunties of col
ored society.
Around the flaming fagot fires they
formed and amid q silence al profound
as q graveyard at night they circled
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 the flames, and then fall
to the earth and squirm and wriggle
like so many horrid snakes. 1t was q
weird scene. The glow from the fires
dreadfully accentuated the painted
faces of the Indians, who stood stoically
silent, with no manifestation Of ap-
proval or displeasure. They formed .
iur;d background to decidedly dra-
matte ceremony. The senors them
selves, mantled in their serapes, were
an interesting part of the stage group,
and the gaunt and sallow faces Of the
senoras seemed to reflect the spirit OF
superstition that swayed the scene.
The dancers never appeared to grow
tired. 1t 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 greater
part Of his body was incased In the
hide of the animal that shows so much
op%;ua fhv fc rod