The Bemidji pioneer., 1903-04-02

Differences IN Customs Noted by Visitors
from the United States.

Il AAOAA SAAS ~ 0AAA~SN - - sSSs
The Mexican breakfast, like that
Of the French, consists only of bread
and coffee. Lunch and dinner, oI
| dinner and supper, as they are called,
differ but slightly. Dinneris served
usually about two o'clock. It be-
gins with soup and eggs, and then
follow a number of meats; each
| served as a separate course, with an
entire change Of service every time,
The meats are eaten quite alone,
few vegetables being served - addi- @
| ton to the salad course, and such az
| are used for punishment. The des-
sert courses at a Mexican table differ
even more radically from those
served on American tables. Home
made pies, cakes and puddings are
practically unknown. The Mexican
housewife pays comparatively little
attention to the kitchen, and rarely
cooks anything herself. e pastry
| is desired, it is purchased ef the dull d1ull
ceria.
Nothing, says Modern Mexico, ia
baked III a Mexican house, even the
bread being universally bought from
bakers. Mexican cooks do not, as q
rule, understand pastry making, and
their sweets are limited to steWee
fruits, usually cooked to the con
sistency Of the richest and sweetest
preserves, So that q very small por-
tion is satisfying Business hours IA
Mexico begin III the afternoon At
2:30 or three o'clock, and run until
seven Or eight o'clock, in the even
ing, sothat the supper hour falls any
where from $50 to an hour later.
This IS probably one reason that
Mexicans are not more given toeyen-
ing entertainments. Attendance
upon the tbeaterentails the necessity
Of an unusually early supper, or else
its postponement until after the per
formance, d thing that often occurs.
On the other hand, d leisarely supper
Of an hour or more, beginning q.
nine o'clock, brings the close pretty
close to bedtime.
The Mexican day laborer swallows
a bowl Of coffee at q street stand, on
his way to work, if he il fortunate
enough to pass one, and has the
price, but usually he begins his daily
toll upon an empty stomach. About
n;ne O'Clock his faithful spouse, Oh
some member Of his family, and, not
infrequently, all Of them, mother.
and children, come trudging to the
scene Of labor with q basket con-
taining d pitcher of soupy brown.
beans, tortiilas (corn cakes that
form the staff Of life among the low
er classes) some rice and possibly
some bits Of meat are minced in q
tortilla, which, il addition to serving
often as both bread and lneat, is also
knife and fork and spoon. Bits are,
torn Of, and BY deftly curling it into
cemicircular form and doubling the
end tits used as an effective scoop for
even liquid food. a jug Of pulque,
the fermented juice Of the maguey
Or century plant, that is the Uni
versal beverage among the masses
on the tableland, is also q usual ac.
compartment of this meal.
The Mexican laborer does not have
q midday rest, but works until about
three o'clock, when the morning re-
past is repeated without variation as
to bill Of fare. He begins his toll at
daybreak and is expected to work till
dark, with little regard to q clock,
On his way home he stops at q
pulqueria to have all the drinks he
can afford, and arrived at his home he
may find something more to cot anc
he may not. IT seems to make lit
tie difference to him. The Mexican
peon can eat more, or get along on
less, than almost any other laborer
on earth. In the southern part OF
the country, where the mountain In
dians are at times drafted for work
in the lower country, these men
bring with them d ballet heavy corn
meal paste, about the size Of their
heads, slung around their necks with
d string. When hungry they break
/ off d piece Of this and mix it in cup
full Of water, and upon this single ra-
ton they will subsist for an entire
week.
us Land Office at crookston. Minnese IL
March s. 1903.
A sufficient contest affidavit having been
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