Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-06
RURAL NEW MEXICO
Some of the Traits and Customs Of
the Natives.
FAR FROM THE BEATEN PATHS
Life is Monotonous and Full of
the Hardest Labor
MARRIAGE CELEBRATIONS


From the St louis Globe Democrat
LAS VEGAS y. M.-Now that Uncle
Sam has on his hands sundry millions
Of Spanish-speaking people 1t may be in
trrcstiug To Americans in the states
TO know something of the life of a Cas-
titan tOugued race which has lived I'M
der the starry banner for over fifty years.
On the plains and in the mountains
of this territory, far from the Americana
ing Influences of the towns thousands Of
dark-skinned MexiCans live as did their an
Cestors generations ago IndoIent and
happy, unIettered and without ambition be-
yOnd having enough food for the current
day. the world begins and ends with the
canyon in which they live. Few can read
or write. fewer still can speak English.
and the children. for lack of schools, are
trudgiug behind their parents in tread
mill
In rural New Mexico the peon system
fourishes To be sure, the shackles of
slavery are not fastened on them by law,
d was formerly the case in old Mexico, but
they are poems for all that in Il given dis
triCt or zone of influence one man is all
powerful. for to him the poor people look
for work and on him they depend for eX-
istenCe- He is usually rich farmer, cat
tie king. sheep man or SaW-mill owner. and
has country store.
Huh of Their Universe.
The store is the hub of his little universe,
for he pays his pObrecitos the poor with
letters of credit, good for the necessaries
of life. over the counter. They rarely earn
enough TO feed their families of six
eight members, and hence they are as a
rule in debt to the local king. That is the
secret Of his almightness, for he can leave
them a hunger whenever 10 nipaSaS
the other hand. their labor is cheap. he
buys his supplies by wholesale from St.
Louis and elsewhere and sells at retail
Hence he is not the loser even if every
family for several miles around owes him
d debt which can never be fully nQuidated.
The difference between this father Of his
people and his retainers is strikingly mark
I'd. First. he Is usually called don, and the
members of his family senior, sonora and
ssEOrita. and no matter how ignorant d
Mexican is he is as slow as COurtIer to
give titles to which a person has no ap-
parent claim Again. the don is as a rule,
educated. white-skinned and possessed of
that business shTewdneSS for which pure
bl0Uded SDaniards are noted. The pObre-
Citos, ON the other hand, are ignorant, poor
ly clad. dark from exposure and mixture of
blood, and as simple a child in business.
But the don raises no social barriers. The
poorest have the run Of his house, and he
never fails to take n deep personal interest
In them and their numerous family The
result is that the best of feeling exists and
IN politics and all the affairs Of life the
common herd are as potter's clay in the
hands Of the don.
Homes of the Poor.
Thu homes Of the poor are all of a kind,
AMI built as in the days when Mexico own
ri this territory. They are constructed of
logs and clay, or merely of clay in which
case they are fuH-fedged adobes Each
house consists of two rooms. 10x10 feet.
and separated by a hall or vestibule. > feet
wide This hall IS open to every wind that
blows, and when person visits NJ eXiCan's
houSe he enters the hall and knocks at the
5Oor tp thu right or left. There are bound
% b. members OF the family in both rooms
tpr Mexican rarely has less than six
children and even the crowded tenements
d New York have fewer denizens per room
nan a Mexican shanty- The women and
children sleep in one room and the men and
grown boys in another Close to the house
$ always TO be seen 4 stable for a rural
Mexican must have a team OF raw-boned
a'rSeS. Oitentimes. too. a small corral at
-"~tS tnr fact that joaquin, Jose or what
!E+r his name may be. has a flock of goats.
W hen an American first sees "A Mexicau's
house IN the country he hesitates to ap-
Jr'Ich IT because ii looks fearfulIy dirty
IEtn- Too group Of dark-faCed ragged
children usually burst into the omen and
Ihrut Mira. mira, un Ameriranor' look
"'h, an Americana This cry ALWAYS brings
'prth tn mother and daughter from whose
faces toll has long ago driven every trace
d beauty But let the American enter and
Ne will see a Cleanly. if pOyerty-stricIicn
home for Mexican women are more indus
tripuS than their husban ds And if the
American is forced to seek refuge at night
In MeNicans cabin, he need have no fear
OF assassination or robbery for, however
vicious and thi-ving the typical 'tgraasar''
OF the towns and Mexican border may be
the rural Mexican is hospitable and not
a'drici"Gs enough 10 steal u nickel.
Their Daily Bread
Fr,jol $ fproEounced as if spelled free
h1HoS' are the staff Of life of these poor
M~Nisanz- Frejoles Are Mexican beans.
brown and nutritious. In addition their
BIZ II fare embraces the latest of fat
bacon. bread and coffee. on great occa-
E''"- "a chicken or a goat is killed but
tEr~h meat IS almost great a Gelicacy as
tN~ birds tongues Of Lucullan feast
H.-r Hr red pepper is much Il part of a
N"hleans meal as butter is Of an Amcri-
cans
When an American witnesses the mar
fi"EF customs of the MeNicanS he realizes
/" the iuN how like the sixteenth century
7''fl lAIHg Is A courtShip may be thus
sLiatnariLe6- Jose, an awkward boy of
twenty. who's worldly knowledge is limit
FL to uemaking, farming, OK driving aud
cigarette rolling, tells his father that ne
wants It VIE Jose has no heart hurningS
ana 10 first choices. Juan. the father saws
nat = Wei, my son. and straishtv;v
buys trunk and a trousseau warranted
I" hi any girl Then Juan casts about in
MS mind and decides thar Maria m
daughter II mis- reighbOr Pablo is inst tha
GiTi fog Jose The scribe Of thu. nS5shHnr-
hood is then called in to draft Il prnposaI
o. marriage IN The name Of Juan on behalf
u ai~ soy Jos" and GIrect I'd 10 Pablo Tn.
sFII- folks. specially the girl. have moth
M 10 say Juan and his entire family
except the gallant jose. together with two
~ three families Of relatives. drive to the
home ~ The bride-elect's parents and de-
liver the proposal However anxious PaLIn
may '" G" have Jose for a sau-in-Iaw his
dignity as the father Of a marriasreaIJa
daughter requires that he reserve his an
swyr for eight days
Like Dumb Cattle
Girls for whose hand proposals are Tins