Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-09

headdress the sleeves are absolutely useless
and superiuous. They do not even show,
but are concealed beneath the folds of
the garment, which might be used by an
altar boy without the slightest alteration.
/ have never heard a satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION. and this headdress is peculiar
to this section. Father krili. Pittsburg
priest at Cordoba, says that in several
places in Mexico women wear garments
cut exactly after the pattern of the
vestments worn by Catholic clergy at
mass. He thinks II is because some
body sometime admired the shape.
and. Initiating 1t. set the fashion to
her sisters. 1t may be that an unknown
Oaxaca woman may have excited adnlira-
ton on some occasion by folding back the
frock of an altar boy and using II to shelter
her head from the sun. Many of our fash
ions. many OF our habits have had their
origin In even simpler incidents or acct
dents. You know how the Chinese first
came to eat roast pork. A shed in which
some hogs were kept caught on fire. and its
inmates were badly burned. The hide was
scorched. and when Chinaman attempted
to catch one of the flying porkers the
burned flesh adhered to his hand. He put
his fingers into his mouth to cool them,
liked the taste, and the consequences were
universal -
The women of the isthnus are muck bet
ter looking than any have seen elsewhere
in Mexico, They have none OF the Indian
lineaments. but their features are regular
and their profiles are almost perfectly
Grecian. They resemble the Spaniards
much more than the "A ztees or any other of
the native tribes. = The men are larger,
stronger and arg said to be more indus
trious, intelligent and ambitious than the
poems of northern and central Mexico and
they have much more character and indie
pendence.
You remember that some of the greatest
men of the republic were Oaxaca Indians
or halfbreeds-Juarez, Diaz. Matias ROM
ero. the late Ambassador Aspiroz and 9TH
ers that l might mention.
The Tehautepec Cathedral.
The cathedral at Tehuantepec, which il
very old, was destroyed by an earthquake
In 1902, and is now being slowly repaired
Worship is held In temporary chapel
built of corrugated iron supported by rail-
road rails. The bishop of this diocese, the
Very Reverend Carlos Jesus Maria, is pro-
gressive and takes a deep interest in every
movement that is likely to increase the
development of this section or promote the
welfare of his Pensioners. He has been
OF great assistance IN the extension of the
railways in this section by assisting the
managers to secure rights of way ma
terial, labor and supplies. Two weeks ago
he made complete tour over all the rail-
ways south of Vera Cruz as the guest of
the officers of the Pan-American railway,
which is now being constructed from the
city of Tehuantepec toward Guatemala
and runs parallel with the Pacific coast.
The bishop Is trying to elevate the Indians
by education and by removing their super
stitons. He has forbidden the practice Of
several semi-pagan and fanatical rites that
have been grated upon the traditions OF
the Catholic Church and until recently have
been not only tolerated but encouraged by
the clergy useful in keeping up their
interest In religious affairs and in attract
ing them to service. His grace Is absent
today, but we have been cordially received
by Father La Gale, who was secretary to
ho lott rnhh hny Nhap ct
Father La Gale talks English and added
much to the interest Of our visit.
Influence Of the Railway.
The construction of the railway has had
a decided effect upon this sleepy old town
and has created great activity here. This
is the principal source Of supplies for the
workmen and tradssmen at Salina Cruz,
and a large proportion of the native la
borers live here. They are permitted to go
home every Sunday. The railway fur
nishes a special train for them Saturday
night after their tasks are done and car
ries them back free of cost at daylight
Monday morning. The engineers in charge
say that there is less intoxicatton among
the poems on national holidays and relig
ious feast days here than In northern Mex
leo. The men are more temperate and
liquor IS not so plenty. Nearly every
where else in the republic work is sus-
pended practically for twenty-four hours
after holiday to give the men a chance
to sober up, but the engineers down here
say that nearly every one of their en-
ployes comes back in good condition for
work on Monday morning. There al
ways a few stragglers, however, who turn
up on Tuesday or later in the week.
Need of Irrigation.
The country around Tehuantepec has to
be irrigated. The Pacific slope of the 18TH
mus and the mountain ranges are v5ry
much drier than the east coast, but wher
ever the people can get water to the soil
they can raise anything that can be found
In the tropical zone. The foothills that
hug the Pacific are cut up by a series
of parallel valleys that have been washed
ont by rains, and their low, damp soil does
not need irrigation. They are especially
adapted for corn and sugar cane The
farms on the hillsides and back for a ra-
dius of forty miles or more. however, can
not depend upon the natural rainfall.
On either side of Tehuantepec, north and
south the mountains rise almost abruptly
to the height of about 5000 feet, and In
sight numerous peaks that measure
Z 1000 and 5000 feet The mountains and
foothills make splendid cattle ranges and
pasturage is practically free. You can buy
or rent any area or range that may be
wanted for merely nominal price. When
the port of Salina Cruz is opened and the
coas ting steamers of Mexico and Central
America begin to call there for cargoes, a
lamb and other meats can be found on the
Isthmus of Panama. and indeed at many
other points along the Pacific.
The railroad has not attracted many set
tiers thus far to the southern side of the
isthmus. On the northern side of the pass
a large amount of land has been sold to
Americans, who are opening plantations.
Some of them are already on fine busi-
ness basis. Others are failures.
There Is a line of stages from Tehuan-
tepec northward to the city of Oaxaca and
good deal of commerce in carts over the
old Canine Real. the royal road that was
opened soon after the conquest. The mail
and everything else went that way for
three centuries, and 1t is still used by all
who wish to reach the capital of the state
from the southern portion The road ex-
tends southwark from here via Juchitan to
the city Of Guatemala. a distance of about
$50 miles and is still used to a considera-
BILE extent. but will not be needed much
longer because a syndicate, of Americans
from ST. Louis, San Francisco and Los
Angeles are now building what Is called
the Pan-American railway along the very
same route.
Trial of New Submarine Boat.
Special Cablegram to The Star.