The Raymer enterprise., 1913-09-18


Mexican village, one that can
be duplicated anywhere in the
northern two.thirds OF the country. 1t
Is typical even in Its legend-all min.
Ing towns here have the same. Once
upon time its mines yielded so much
rich ore that the owner could pave
with silver the street leading from
his house to the church on the occa'
sion OF his daughters marriage.
Panuco. like all Mexican villages. Is
n transplanted bit OF the orient.
There Is the same small. low adobe
house with fiat roof and no chimney
and usually no window. Women carry
the same jars Of water on their heads
and men clad in loose white cotton
trudge lazily behind their little burros
or more likely add their weight to the
already overburdened animals. The
glaring sun beats down from trop.
ical sky on the same palm and cactus
and general air OF emptiness and 81.
ience peryades the streets.
The universal building material is
adobe. which Is faced with plaster only
In the better houses These are al.
ways built in the form OF hollow
Sluare-the rooms opening into the
patio In the center. The more pre-.
tcntious homes have windows. barred
on the outside because the houses are
built snug up to the street. which
gives them the appearance OF cells in
prison.
Village Scenes by Day.
There is no patch OF green or any.
thing bright to relieve the uniform
dust brown color OF house and street,
writes Jessie Fawler In the Los An.
gelcs Times. No spear OF grass Is In
sight and all the flowers are kept
In the patio. The particular village
can boast OF two trees one cottonwood
on the outskirts and one pepper berry.
To enter one OF these huts Is to
step In on mud floor. rarely brick
one. to see a few earthenbowls and
saucers in one corner, n little pile OF
charrcd ashes in another and a rude
altar made OF couple OF packing
boxes. decorated with a few gaudy
bits OF tinsel and scraps Of ribbon and
empty beer bottles with withered flow.
crs. an Offering to the virgin OF
Guadaloupe who looks down from the
wall. Chairs. bed and table are lux.
uries not commonly found Mexican
women are fond OF flowers and the
patios are bright with blossoms
throughout the year.
One traveller describes a Mexican
village as sun. silence and adobe,
and this is ones first and last impress.
sion Whatever life II Is around the
plaza for away from here one sees
only an occasional water carrier or a
peOn closely wrapped in his serape
Rquatting on the ground In the sun,
Pigs and dogs are everywhere. They
come from every open doorway and
follow us, yelping and barking. A
dozen dogs are not too many for an
average family. And the pigs-they
sleep in the middle Of the street, and
not until our horses feet are almost
on them do they grunt and lazily move
a step to the right.
But In the evening all is changed
and the place is full OF life and stir
Everybody comes out TO enjoy the
music and to stroll around and around
the plaza, Men and women do no,
walk together unless married or en-
gagged but the men walk three or four
abreast on the inside OF the promenade
and the women on the outside In the
opposite direction. Through the oper
doors OF the pulque shops may be
seen groups OF men drinking the
nauseous beverage.
These shops. as well as all tn,
stores, are not known by the name o
their owner, but by some such fanci
ful names as Flowers OF May" AFT
crnoons In April" and The Surprise
No village Is too small to have It,
band. and n good one. too. that plays
at the plaza one or two evenings {
week throughout the year. The ma
tives are very musical and one hear,
everywhere the tinkle OF the guitar o.
mandolin playing some native air. lik'
the plaintive la Golodrina." or pos
sibly the latest importation from
home.
One does not need to read the sigr
"Esquela para ninas" painted In bl,
black letters on low plastered build
Ing to know that II Is a school fo
girls. for the children study In concer
and-well. pulmonary troubles are no
common at this altitude. Primary edu
cation is compulsory throughout tn,
republic and 80 every village has tw'
schools, one for boys and another TO
girls.
When Pay Day Arrives.
Pay day comes once month. Worl