Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-03-12
THE MEXICAN REPUBLIC
Zacatecas. Feb. II

morning. Our room on the second
foor opens on porch and stepping
ont to get n view OF the surroundings
We were at once convinced that the
dny was to be one Of unusual inter
est. The street was alive with peo.
ole, men and women. The street
cleaning brigade was at work In front
of our window. This brigade consist
ed Of 12 TO Is city prisoners In charge
of two officers in full military uni
form. The men represented the very
lowest and poorest type To be seen
IN the city Each one was industri-
ously cleaning up little bits OF dirt
pnd dust that had accumulated dur
Ing the "a hours. using small whisk
broom made of long grass OF a tough
fibre tied with u string In the center
TO keep them together. The work
men had to bend over almost double
to get ON their knees They made
very good progress, however, as they
are not permitted TO loiter. The
streets OF this city are narrow, the
widest not over 60 feet and some
not more that 3d. Every one is pay
ed with small cobble stones, also al
Ieys, and these stones look as though
they were washed and brushed every
hour Every stone appears TO be sol
idly In place, being so wedgeh in that
the heavy two wheel OK carts do not
loosen them. Owing 10 the roughness
oil the streets there are no carriages
or hacks and we were disappointed
on not being able to secure some
means of seeing the city without
walking which proved difficult. but
II was walk or remain in doors. The
entire transportation OF the city, or
at least nine-tenths. Is done on the
backs Of burros. some freight being
handled on the one street car line
snd a very little with two wheel OK
carts, Large burro trains loaded
with every conceivable character of
goods. kept passing down the street.
on the sidewalks, dark colored Mex
they had on, with the inevitable tall
sombrero and bright colored zarape.
and hundreds of women carrying
hinge water Jars either on their heads
or shoulders, presented wierd scene.
Just then group of soldiers on horse
back passed escortins and guarding
motely crowd OF men bearing water
In large casks suspended on pole.
The men constituted the more danger
Gus class and were conveying tue
daily water supply TO the barracks.
As the casks would easily hold thirty
10 forty gallons OF water II can he
understood the men were heavily
loaded In this bunch there were 10
prisoners and IL soldiers.
After partaking of breakfast about
the first thing on the program was a
visit 40 the fountain and here "" be
neld the real primitive life % tne
people. reminding MS Of Rebecca at
the well. From the center OF a stone
basin about 40 feet In diameter rises
fountain which is fed by q small
stream of water carried In an acque.
duct hundreds OF years old. From
this fountain are several small spig-
OTIS which permit water to now into
the basin. This basin has every ap.
pearance OF age. The stone steps
around the basin are worn away In
~ ath ~
granite are indented several inches
from the steady tramp OF women who
are tho water carriers. AT the time
of our visit possibly 60 women were
dipping water from the basin into
water pots or jors. using small goards.
There is room around the basin for
possibly 100 and the entire space is
taken up during the early morning
hours as the people OF the entire city
of $4,000 obtain their water supply
from this one basin or we'll Al times
water is scarce and II takes the wo-
men long time dipping It, scrsping
the bottom aud only securing small
cup at time, This causes many to
go early. The Well--ercuss us, the
basin-is located In an open square
and IL was decidedly interesting 10
watch the coming aud going Of the
women, occasionally the entire fem
ininc part OF the family--daugbter
mother, grandmother and even grea
grandmother. Some women must
have been 20 years old and they srot.
ted on with great jars on their should
ers or heads as though II was . trih-
Ing matter. And It was here we
thought Of the .Rasgedy Man" Tae
author must have visited Zac itecas
We have seen rags and poverty but
never anything like that experienced
In this place Some OF the women had
wearing apparel that had been patch
ed until there was nothing but
patches OF every color and all that
remained was tatters, probably the
only covering they possessed. sleep
Ing on the bare floor at night. And