El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-05-10

Ladies never attend funerals.

Ladies never dUUeQQ funerals.
The fibre of the maguey serves for
bath brushes.
Rice and frijoles are never absent
from a Mexican table.
pom the death of notable the
newspapers go into mourning.
Beggars are licensed and assigned
certain blocks in which to ply their
trade.
Men and women in the same social
caste call each other by their first
names.
Gala lilies, geraniums and the Cas-
tia rosa fragrant double pink
grow wild.
BrOoms are scarce: the sweeping is
done with a bundle of straws loosely
tied together.
Belief in the guardian angel is
strong. The children are told the dull
Gle angel de SUI guarda weeps when
they disobey.
Every advertisement, bill or receipt
must bear government stamp. This
is great source of revenue to the
state.
Deputies aud senators need not live
in the district they represent. 1t is not
even necessary that they SHOULD ever
see the place.
Every bed room has its altar where
flowers are offered and candles burnt,
off and on, but particularly the first
day of every month.
a Mexican knows no law for the
sticking on of postage stamp. Often
puts it on the back of the envelope,
where it serves as seal.
Upon introduction Mexican states
the street and number of his house and
informs you, with a bow, that there
you have your home at command.
Wash boards are unknown: stones
serve instead. In the country the
washing is done in the open arroyo and
the clothes hung on bushes to bleach.
Every store-no matter how miser-
able-is under the care of some saint
to whom a little shrine is erected,
before which candles are burnt almost
ceaselessly.
Every hour of the night watch the
police blow whistle. This call, an
swered from block to block, has, in the
city, taken the place of the old cry,
"Tiempo sereno"'
Ash Wednesday everybody goes to
church and is marked by the padre
upon the forehead with charcoal
cross. This sign of humility is so
worn until chance rubs it off.
The state of Oaxaca is the Virginia
of Mexico-the "Mother of Presi-
dents" Both President Diaz and
Vice-President Mariscal are numbered
among the many great men who were
born there.
The police are hooded and cloaked
like medieval knights. After dark
they carry lanterns, and when not
walking their be ats stand the twink
ling little lights in the middle of
the nearest street crossing.
The Federal District Street railroad
runs first and second-class passenger
cars, special cars, box cars, fiat cars.
funeral cars, postal service cars and
cars for the city dead. There are 90
miles of track and over 21,OOO men
carry no gongs, but the drivers are
supplied with tin horns, which til e
law compe.s them to toot at every cross
ing.
In cases OF severe sickness vows are
made by friends or relatives. One
woman, whose daughter was dying,
vowed that if the girl recovered, she
would have said, as thanksgiving, a
certain number of masses in the cathe-
dral. These masses entailed an ex-
pense of over seventy dollars, and the
mother also avowed that, as sign of
humility, she would beg the money.
The girl is we'll, and the mother goes
from house to house, asking aims that
she may fulfill her vow.
The married in Mexico are twice
MARKEDLY law and by church. The
Catholic ceremony is Impressive The
bride and groom kneel before the al
tar, each holding lighted candle
The brides veil is thrown over the
groom IS shoulders and they are also
bound together by a golden chain. So
they remain during the entire cere-
mouy and mass that follows. At the
point-"with all my worldly goods l
thee endow'-the groom presents to
the bride thirteen pieces of money,
which she, in turn, leaves to the
church. But often, she leaves only
the equivalent and treasures the orr O.
inals as dear keepsakes.
Seven murdererS in Arizona find