The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-01-06

ulan city or IehuantepeC
about which comparatively
little is known by the peo
pie of the United States. II is famed
up and down the Pacific coast from
Panama to California as the abode OF
the most beautiful Indian women.
These women are noted for their
beauty. fine figures and peculiar style
or dress. Their dress consists OF two
pieces-one a loose blouse, cut low at
the neck, rather shortwaisted and
without sleeves, which shows their
beautifully rounded arms. The other
garment Is piece of many-colored
cotton wound around the hips and
fastened to the waist; 1t reaches near.
ly to their bare ankles.
The women of the more well.to.do
families try TO conform to civilized no
tons on important occasions by wear.
Ing real skirt mode OF two pieces of
cloth. The upper part, reaching about
TO the knees. is of the usual colored
cotton, but the lower part is of white
cotton and is so fastened to the upper
part that 1t can be removed for the
purpose of washing
Sometimes sandals are worn, but
more often not. IN special occa-
sions the women wear peculiar head
dress called huipil pronounced wee
peeD. II is made usually of white
cotton. One portion might be termed
a collar, another the neck, and the
third portion falls over the shoulders
and arms, The collar part is very
wide, from one and one.half to two
feet starched and plated.
The headdress is pulled over the
hea- like a sweater and the collar por-
tion is then arranged so that II In.
closes the face, not the neck, and the
VIDE plated part flares out from the
face In all directions, which to an
American gives a grotesque appear
ancc TO the figure Another way OF
wearing 1t is simply to rest It over
the forehead. allowing the lower por.
ton to hang down the back, while the
collar flares up and back from the
mead as before. To see several women
on the street wearing Il reminds one
of flock of mammoth seagulls with
their wings all Tapping at once.
There are Indian families of this
quer old city who are reputed to be
wealthy, yet they stick their old
customs and dress and live practically
the same lives their ancestors did
and hardly leave their native town.
A good deal of their wealth is put into
jewelry for the women. and the princi.
pal article of jewelry Is strings Of gold
beads.
The beads are roughly beaten out
by native workmen and on these
strings OF beads are hung American
gold coins. Sometimes as many as n
dozen or fifteen coins are so used
Often two or three strings of beads
are worn ut the same time. The
smaller gold pieces are strung on near
the neck and larger pieces are put on
further down, while at the bottom of
the string OF beads. which reaches 10
the waist. hang one or two double
eagles.
Some OF the strings have three or
four two and a half. several FIVE, sew.
eral ten. and one or two twenty.
dollar gold coins; so that these strings |
OF beads With the gold coins are worth |
from 500 to $500 Mexican $3.50 to |
$3.50 goldl each. There are also neck |
laces that fit the neck rather tightly, |
made from American gold dollars. |
Sometimes to such necklace is at.
tached a pendant set with diamonds
and other precious stones.
The city has population estimated
at from 10000 to 10000 The houses
are built of adobe, usually one story
high, and from three sides OF square.
As you enter from the street through
a gate in the high fence. you find your.
self in the patio or courtyard, which
is thirty or forty feet square. The
house has veranda extending around
its three sides. The living room and
the kitchen are In the center part and
the bedrooms in the wings
The floors are OF stone or hard.
pressed dirt, the walls bare and there
is very little furniture. In two of the
rooms of house we were In there
were only three chairs. table and a
bedstead; In one of the rooms the
only furniture was a chair and the
bedstead. We went to this house TO
see some strings of beads and neck.