The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-08-09

Wulcn young gentleman OF AAtAiil
could hardly consider his education
complete. Nowadays, thanks to steam
all ''adventuring," as far as railways
extend, is merely q matter OF money
and inclination. Mexico. or New
Spain" was. 20 years ago, as difficult
OF access from the United States as
Spain from England in ancient days
There was the sea gate at Vera Cruz
where ships made perilous anchorage
in an unprotected roadstead. and then
came the journey in diligence to this
/ capital amid perils from brigands. who
were the real masters OF the road
This before the Mexican railroad was
built.
To enter Mexico from the north was
an enterprise for the hardest of tray
elers. The roads were bad 'mala
gente" on many Of them, and long DAYS
OF dust, and heat, and thirst, before
any considerable town could be reach
ed. A Scotch friend has recently writ
ten us that he made the journey from
Texas to this capital 20 wears ago on
horseback, and enjoyed it; but he haa
iourneved much in Argentine before
the railways. and of late. in Morocco.
wholly innocent Of the modern method
of locomotion.
Nowadays All is changed. travel is
made comfortable and often Injurious:
women in small parties travel here.
making the adventure to Mexico
with ease and perfect safety. Tourists
are numerous and of all kinds. some
fperhaps the mostl seeing nothing but
the new material develonment oupor-
tunities for investments. prospects Of
rain. others there he who lool, at Mex-
tco In it's intensely interesting aspect
of a country unioue in linguistic and
stbnoloplcal blends. for here the Moor
has left traces of his Language and GUS
toms. these mingled with the customs
and languages of the Aztecs and other
Indian races. while the genius of the
tenacious spaniard presides over the
comnlex civilization of the country
In architecture the man or woman Of
education sees the marked influence Of
Arabian taste and usage. for here tie
Moorish house. with patio, or court, is
common: the barred windows: the
norch with its huge doors: through
which one sees flowers and fountains
almost Andalusian and derived by
the Southern Standards from the
Moors. who. in turn. got it all from the
saracens. and they from the Persians.
Thus Mexico. architectuaily. is very
oriental; great American artists and
architects have come here and admired
the severe lines Of stately and ancient
buildings. where beauty is achieved
without petty ornamentation. The
Moor has left his Arabic words all over
the Mexican casa" The "zaguan- or
porch: the "azotea." or roof. these are
Arabic words. The .'albanil," or
mason. who builds the walls and leys
the roof is called by another Moorish
name. The list might be greatly ex-
tended. The tourist. calling for his
"taza" Of coffee, uses unconsciously
the Arabic "tast," or cup; he admires
the display in the .joyeria." or Jewell
er's. and what is Iowa" a jewel, but
the Arabic "juahar"? "Almacenos."
or warehouses; "azucar" or sugar;
Dalgodon.p in which one sees clearly
the origin of "cotton''-an words of
The Arabic vocabulary.
The high-peaked national saddle is
The Moorish saddle modified, and the
technical vocabulary of every trade in
Mexico is filed with Moorish terms. A
few came from the Indian languages,
md so Aztec and Arabian meet in the
New World. The Spanish language
nas the Latin manIiness and dignity
with a strong blending Of the color Of |
he Arabic. Spanish differs thus from
italian, also descended from the Latin,
n a certain Oriental majesty aud |
yividness. 1t is language for solemn
discourse. for ardent love making for
Military command, and for every pur-
.ose Of the highest literary art. II is
tongue, spoken il the
philippines. In little islands OF the
20 -..- a. c..z..s-4. r-,,.- 1f.-f-,r,