Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-06-20
rEXICAN MARKET PLAZA

en- still Of the operators was found
and later 1t was learned that the ven
ture had been failure. There was
no way to get the turpentine to mar
ket.
Several days were spent in this
place of timber and during the time
villagers made life unpleasant for the
men who were surveying the tract.
They insisted, begged and threatened
the engineers to give them the better
Of the deal. Disputes became frequent
till finally magistrate was found to
settle them. Ambrosio Cortez, over
100 years old, direct descendant of
the Spanish conqueror, was the oracle.
He is fine, intelligent specimen of
manhood with all the fiery hauteur
Of his noted ancestor in his glance.
His judgment was fair and final
The timber here was magnificent.
Some of the trees would cut out nine
16-foot logs without hitting a branch.
They are as straight as many tele-
graph poles, and straighter than many
others.
Natives Are Poor.
1t was now that observation of the
poems was most easily made. Little
indications of any slavery were pres
ent. OF course they are very poor.
A hut made Of poles and matched with
coarse grass forms the dwelling. Only
one room Is made in the house.
Contrary to tradition and some re-
cent writings, these poems are not
"greasers." They differ much from
the cattle-roping Mexican of the bor-
der. They are straight and clean
limbed. The muscles on both men
and women are like those of an ath-
lete.
Wherever there is a mountain
stream, there you may see men and
women taking their daily bath. They
wash clothes in the streams Also
Even the servants which were hired
by the day for SO cents Mex" or 25
cents in American money, put on a
spotless white cotton suit every morn
ing before chopping wood for the
breakfast fire.
Everyone seems to dress in white cot
ton. The men wear loose trousers re-
sembling pajamas, and shirt-like coats.
The women have no set custom in
dressing.
Next to the corn tortillas, the ma
tives like eggs better than any other
article of food Every hut is sur
rounded by dozen or more chickens.
Dogs are without number.
The Mexican Of the mountains is a
vegetarian, as one could tell easily
IL he ever watched a whole family
digging beans from an earthen vessel.
The dishes Of most families are linn
tied to three or four rough earthen
pots and every one eats out of these
utensils.
During a stay Of several weeks in
the widest part Of Mexico the party
did not meet single wild animal A
frightened deer was seen once.
Snakes are almost unknown in south
ern Mexico. The famed and danger
Gus tarantula of the plains was also
absent.
Everpresent, however, was the
maguey plant which furnishes all
classes of Mexicans with intoxicating
drinks. Pulque and mescal are made
from this plant. The first is a fer
mented drink, the latter distilled one.
Either Is sufficiently fiery to pass as
substitute for alcohol
On the return trip couple of days
were spent at Oaxaca viewing the
ruins Of Militia which have puzzled ar.
cheologists for years. It is said that
Cortez found the ruins in 1920. Hum.
boldt, who travelled through Mexico in
1923, visited them. His name can still
be seen carved in the bark of tule
tree.