The Cairo bulletin., 1906-05-01
FOR BURR0H.
WHERE THE ANIMALS ARE ON
SALE IN SANTA FEE.
Diminutive Burden Bearers Are
Very Useful, But They Are
Not at All High
Priced.

N You can bay burro for 81 IS In this
* city. All you have to do Is 10 go down
n to Barro alley anywhere from ten in
the morning ill late in the afternoon
\ aud strike a bargain with the tirst
X wood carrier you meet Only make
sure, advises Santa Re IN. M ex-
! change. that your eye teeth are secure
when the bargaining is over for these
burro punchers OF The southwest are
the canniest traders.
Burro alley is burro headquarters in
Santa Fe This is a narrow, crooked
alley, lined with adobe houses. In
the rear Ut curio store. al the end OF
the alley. is a corral Were the Joses
and Pablos and Garcias leave their
burros after their loads OF wood are
sold. and here may be studied burro
character in all its phases.
Nearly every burro in The corral will
wear one OF the tiny pack saddles
which can he SO deity loaded with
stove wood by the Mexicans who keep
Santa F'e supplied with fuel The
wood is cut in lengths of about TWO
or three feet and is piled in great
mounds on the pack saddles. l. is
marvellous the skill with which the
Mexcans can load theirs tiny Durros
with these great loads OF wood Tley
are deftly fastened with q few twists
of a rope ana they Will NOT slip 10 one
side nor is il possible fsr the burros
10 shake them of.
Many Of these hewers of wood.
whose Mecca is Burro alley. walk 80
miles in day In order to make a
sale that cannot approximate more
than $1.50 II a Mexican wood haul /
er is prosperous he viii have. say, I
three burros He will cut d supply OF I
soo'I far on in the mountains, per- I
laps 20 miles from Santa Fe Mid /
night will find his burros loaded, with
heir packs OF wood piled high above
heir backs. Swapping his quirt and
'alling out explosives in Spanish that
never fail 20 stir the feet OF the lag
,aTdS the 6urro puneher starts on mis-
ong walk 10 dispose OF his wares.
Carly morning will find him in Santa
Re, for the Durros are fast walkers
Ehen there Is Mexican behind them.
Once in Santa Fe the burrO driver.
walks along the streets until he Is
allied by some householder who has
1st run out OF wood There is a min
te's haggiing and an Inspection OF the
itch filed pilon wood on the backs
the burros. Then the ropes are
arked, the loads of wood fall TO the
arth. and Pablo or Jose pockets his
honey and starts back toward Burro
Hey Here the mIrros are put In
ne corral and the driver sallies forth.
arly In the afternoon the burr0s are
risen OUT OF the corral and the home
ard march is begun The driver
pes not reach home until late. His
irnings are small. but he is content.
e turns his burros ont TO rustic
II themse!yes-for nobody ever thinks |
feeding a burro-and in a few
ours he is ready to start again on
Re long walk TO SANTA Re.
One can seek, anG seek vainly, sour
saged burrO among the thousands. OF
finals that are driven TO Santa Re.
he buFfo may be ready to drop under
e cruel weight of his load, but he
oks content. PerchanCe his master l
ayers awhile at the Plaza, in which !
sc the burro is apt to sink TO the
ound, load and all. and float forth i
acetully into slumtpr When he I
commanded 10 get up you wonder
w he is going to do it. under dhat '
eat load: hut somehow or other the I
,nder legs get a leverage and the !
rro struggles 10 his feet and wfnks
nj his masters bidding.