Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-12

heart Of an American laborcr. All build
Ing Is done with species of stone called
tepatatc, which is "Guorricd" with an aN
or hatchct and which hardens by exposure
TO the elements. All material IS carried TO
the patio OF open court In the middle Of the
proposed now huillinE on the backs OF
poems and burros \ trench ls dug aud the
foundation commenced, one pcou mixing
native cement In hollow log with stick,
while another carries stone 20 'h' trench
for the mason. When the structure has
reached the height Of about Ave feet above
the ground scanod Us made on the out
side OF the building by wooden beams sc-
curcly tied with ropes, across which othor
beams arc laid. and the lahorer carries The
material up q series Of incliues The inside
OF the building Us filled with dirt and rub
bish as fast as the walls go up. Tho hod-
carrier carries the cement to the stone
mason In bag, while another carries mp
stones or adobe bricks (sizc GNllN3 nchoH,
generally carrying sixteen or eighteen OF
the bricks at a time, or "a stone weighing
from twenty-five to 200 pounds. This work
is very tedious, owing to It's method. Atttr
the building Is completed To- dirt and rub
bish with which IL is nllcd on the inside is
carried out IN bags and carried away on
burros' backs to some dumping place. while
the scarold IS used by stone cutters to
carve the front OF the building an art In
which they are very skiiful, and receive
Sh cents to 81 per day
In the mines as well as on buildings the
owners or builders endeavorcd to introduce
modern ladders but the peon would not
use them, fearing to risk his life on the
rounds and when wheclharrows were
brought for his use he filled the box of the
same and carried the loaded whcelharrow
away on his head
The stone quarrles in Mexico are from one
to fifty miles away from the cities, but the
stone, AS fast as quarried or use has been
found for IT, Is carried on the backs OF
poems and burros 20 the cities. Your com
mittec met one OF these poems carrying a
stone SN3h feet square and four inches
thick. which he WAS bringing from "A quarry
nearly twenty miles away. Twenty minutes
later we met a number of burros, each
carrying two such stones and learned from
the attendants that the had left the
quarry at the same time as did the burros
with their load.
child In intelligence, and If left TO his own
resources, would be helpless to make live
lihood. While he Is an aGcpt imitator. he
has no ideas Of doing anything to better
hiA own condition, and does not take up
his existence, but retains all the primitive
characteristics of centuries ago, when Cor
tez first invaded that country.
WORKMEN ARE UNRELIABLE
To this day the pcon sweeps the public
streets with a whisk-broom and carries the
sweepngs away in q bag on his head or
water there the women do the family wash
ing, otherwise 1t Is done In a hollow log.
The women whether of high or low degree,
paint and powder In a manner comcal to
behold and have not yet acquired the ar
Everybody smokes cigarettes at all times
and places. The poems cut grass grain
with sickle or knife.
one mystery that presented Itself for Solu-
tion in the habits of the pcon is that ne les
on the cold ground or nagstones day or
night, with impunity from catching cold or
contracting rheumatism, while the traveller
in that country to be comfortable must
wear light overcoat and light wooden
underwear and have blankets for covering
on the bed. Very, early IN the morning one
meets large numbers Of the natives bare
footed, In cotton shirt and knee pants. seem
ing to be quite comfortable.
Your committee, on learning of the low
prices paid for labor I'm Mexico. looking at
that fact from n humanitarian standpoint
and that the laborer was worthy of his
later, when we saw that although it took
but 20 or p cents per day to keep Il peon
family OF five, and all members worked. and
that to pay him more was his rulnation,
we were somewhat relieved. II poems
wages are raised he will only work until he
not do another stroke while ne has cent
OF money. Consequently they are totally
unreliable and dear worltmen. This condi-
tion was brought about by the iuattention
and lack OF interest manifested in them as
workers by their indolent masters. Thus
among the great nations of our advanced
civilization, Mexico has been marking time
while other nations have been marching
The pcon is polite and kind. II one is to
fudge from the demcanor manifested when
he meets a friend or i'm fondling children,
and we feel warranted In saying that under
proper conditions they are capable OF being
anything to the philosophy that some of us
have been schooled In which runs:
"God OF the just, Thou forceth the bitter
We bow to Thy behest and drink 1t up"
"or by the path of sorrow and that path
Leads to the land where sorrow is un-
known"
then the Mexican laborcr will enjoy eternal
bliss with the best in the great immortality
In the life beyond
HOW MEN AND WOMEN DRESS.
Millinery is scarce article in Mexico, ex-
cepting In the city. Your committee did
not see n female with hat on until we
reached the City of Mexico and there only
on the heads of the 400 and the foreigners.
As n rule, even there the women are bare
headed, their hair creased, yet nicely
dressed. All wore a scrHpe "a long shawl,
which costs about 81 90 which is worn about
the upper part of the body and 80 arranged
as TO serve three purposes: First 1t Is
wrapped around the breast and shoulders
and takes the place of "A waist or basque:
second, by being drawn closely over the
chest acts as a receptacle for carrying their
babies, Instead OF on their backs. the
squaw carries her pappoose; third. in
few Instances the ends of this serape served
as covering for the head
mans chief article of dress is his SOM
brero, often costing as much as SIS (Which
is bought on the installment plan), while
the balance of his clothing would make a
crazy quilt turn green with envy, owing to
Its variety of colors and assortment Of
patches, making II n hard problem to solve
as to which is the original garment and
which the patch. No stockings are worn
by either sex and only about one third wear
sandals, which are made from piece of
These sandals cost from - to 20 cents per
pair. The average cost of the necessities
OF life for Il peon family of five Is 25 cents
per day and clothing for the same costs
about so per year.
Street ears in Mexico are as good as can
be expected, consisting principally of the
small cars formerly In use I'm American
cities, These cars are drawn by one or two
muleo In a level country, and by three or
four mules In "A hilly country. The fare Is
q. 3, II and II cents for frst-class passage.
and two-tlirds of that amount for second
class. After p. m. the fare Is doubled
All cars run ON the side of the street up
one street and back on another.
Land in Mexico is not taxed and a man
can pre-empt rs much land as he can hire
poems to keep other squattCrs Off 1t Is not
even necessary for him To till or work any
part OF the land, but If II is intended 10 use
any land for agriculture. mining or manu-
featuring purposes the government will
grant concessions to the owner I'm the shape
OF admitting machinery or agricultural i'm
plemcnts free of duty FOR a number of years.
The cactus, which grows In abundance,
Is used by the poems in many ways The
broad leaves are dried. ground into flour
between two stones and sort of pancake
made, The fruit, called tunas, which re-
sembles russet apple. is sweet and cooling
10 the taste. For fodder for the burro the
cactus Is dried IN the sun, after having the
thorns burned or. while other species are
used as a fence around the hut.