Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07
MEXICAN 'DOBE TOWN
Odd Sights and Sounds of
Old San Lucas.
PRIMITIVE FARMING
A VISIT AT THE HOME OF THE
JEFE POLITICO.
Hospitality Entertained-A Character
istic Meal-The Wines of
Durango.
PRIMITIVE FARMIN G.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
SAN LUCAS. Durango, Mexico

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
SAN LUCAS, Durango, Mexico,
May 10, 1892.
We left Durango by train for Canadian,
where We were met by a Mexican stage
which brought us to this adobe town sell
dom visited by Americans Our trip was
most interesting as there was much that
was new to US. We passed through a ricn
country that is fairly well supplied with
water and where agriculture is followed.
Corn is the leading product. Mexico beng
the third compromising country III the
world, the value being placed at about
sI5.0Oo,Oo0 year, the expectation of aSri-
cultural products having more than doubled
III the past eight years.
The cumbersome primitive carts drawn by
oxen and filled with corn were in great con-
trast to the transportation of this article in
the United States. The way the land was
plowed and narrowed was interesting. the
native farmers using a gnarled OAK tree as
a plow and the limbs and branches for
harrow The ground is so rich it does not
require deep blowing, so the methods in
vogue generations ago are still employed
We saw herds Of cattle, sheep and horses,
and learn that many of them are owned by
Americans. who have large ranches in all
parts of Mexico. Numerous nerds of goats
Were passed each herd under the care of
shepherd ana a Dog 1nSSe ANIMALS are Il
source of considerable revenue. The hides
are shipped to the United States and made
into vici kid. the hair is USED for mat
tresses. the flesh is dried and used extern
sively for food by the natives, AMI the
bones are made into fers;i zers, while the
tallow is utilized for candles, which are
carried by the miners in the mines. II
there is anything left Of the goat depo-
nent sayeth not.
Homes of the People.
We saw several hacenda3 where live the
men of wealth and Importance. In smaller
houses nearby are their retainers, all living
like one large family. We passed several
places where natives were engaged in max
ing adobe brick. The houses are always
built in villages. originally for mutual pro-
lection, now through custom or for gov
eminent. The modern adobe house is plas-
tered both inside and ouE. The roof is
made by extending rafteis across the
square top and placing pieces of oak and
mesquite wood across at right angles and
covering it with mud and cement The
water is carried couple of feet from the
building in SpOuts which resemble garg0yIes
in architecture. We also passed through
hundreds of acres of century plants and
cactus of gigantic proportions. | am told
that when the fruit is ripe, many of the
poems move into the cactus fields with their
families and live on the fruit, remaining
there as long as there is any of II left
The superintendent of mine told me that
he had made his reputation for being "a
lively man not by drinking pulque or mes
cal. but by wearing undercothing which
had been hung by his laundress on cactus
bush to dry, and for a while he was the
Hveltest man in town.
We pass many shrines. and Cayetano. our
driver. says they mark the spots where
persons have been killed. There must have
been many sudden deaths in this locality
On the mountain top there stands a church
where the inhabitants formerly fled for
protection from the bandits
Many birds familiar to US were seen
among them orioles, black birds doves
racers. snow birds, crows. hawks and tur-
key buzzards.
Some of the roads We have come over
were as hard and smooth as our asphalt
pavements, some were unmproved as
portions OF Brightwood avenue though
more dusty Perhaps we feel II more on ac-
count Of the wind. which has been blowing
Tor several days from the southwest We
passed numerous poems with zerapes COW
srlhS their shoulders and always the mouth
All seem as patient, happy and contented
as the little burrO. usually their compan-