The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-25
"a HOT TIME- AS A FUNERAL MARCH.
Some Peculiarities of Burtals Wit
messed in the Southwest.
New York Sun.

in the hotel at Santa Fe last summer the
notes of a brass band playing the tune
Marching Through Georgia, with great
vigor, called me TO the window, said New
New Mexico and California. 1t was a
Mexican funeral procession that / saw adj
vancing toward the plaza. The mourners
followed the hearse on foot. and in advance
marched the local Mexican band. AS IL
reached the plaza the band changed its
tune to 'There'll be Hot Time in the Old
Town Tonight and to this melody the pro-
cession moved across the public square on
its way TO Campo Santo. The expression
and some of the people on the plaza un-
covered their heads as the procession
passed. This marching TO music was the
time honored Mexican way OF showing re-
spect to the dead A New Mexican friend
explained to me that the musical repetory
of the band being limited to three or four
pieces, il was necessary TO make the same
tunes do duty at funeral. merrymaking
or political meeting.
ION passing the ancient Indian village OF
Isleta my way by train down the Rio
Grande man described to me the funeral
OF an Indian chief that he witnessed there.
The body, laid out in state in the open air
TO foot in gay-colored ribbons, and was
watched by a band of warriors attired In
the ancient war dress of their tribe, with
feathers, beads and antique weapons. Three
musicians of the tribe, with tom-toms, sat
on the ground, beating time TO dolorous
chanting which they kept up while the
guard or hOnOr Joined IN the refrain. All
the people of the town were dressed in holi-
day attire in preparation for the procession
and burial, which, though conducted under
the rites of the Roman Catholic Church,
were TO have many features peculiar TO the
Indians, vestiges OF the heather customs or
their ancestors. The ceremonies concluded
with a funeral feast for which bread, tor
tillas, mutton, native wine and aguardlente
had been provided in profusi0n.
In the quaint New Mexican town OF
Mesilla, with its great willow trees, vine
yards and broad irrigating canal winding
along the main street, through the plaza,
heard the church bell changing loudly one
day at noon. II for the funeral OF a
young child and the procession was just
entering the plaza. -Four broWn-sklnned
girls bare-headed and gowned in white,
with flowers in their hair held each cor
ner of a board swung between them. On
this the body lay under a white cloth strewn
with flowers. Behind them walked six or
seven women and half-grown children. The
hell continued to clang until the procession
entered the church, where the simple burial
service was TO be performed After that the
body would be taken TO Campo Santo, the
great white sandbank which was the burial
ground for the commoner sort of Mexfcans
Sa1 uncertain spot for a final resting place
for the sands shifted with the wind and
the capricious Rio Grande in one OF its sud
den changes of channel might wash away
or cut through at any time The MeXicans
make no mourning over the death Of in
fants believing that they at once enter upon
a happy future existence as angelitos-little
angels