The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-03-26
Men Receive Little Consideration
in Tehuantepec.
Superbly 3t,iit Indian Matrons of the
Mexican lsthmus Are the Mer-
chants III Market PIace-Males
Ids Eheir Time Away.

There Is one town in MdGlco which
would repay a visit from the advo-
Gates of ''votes for women" remarks
a writer in the ST. Louis Gisbe-Demo-
crat. 1t Is called Tehuantspec and
lies on the isthmus of that name.
Here dwells race of Indians among
whom the women are, both in physique
and in intelligence, vastly superior to
the men. All the business is in the
capable hands of the superbly built,
handsome matrons of the tribe. They
will not allow man to sell anything
in the market place. Even the meat
stalls are in charge of women, VINO
carve up carcasses and slap the
prime cuts on the counter with all
the jovial assurance of the male
butcher. If you buy coffee or bananas
off Tehuantepec plantation 1T is with
woman that you will treat, and she
will drive shrewd bargain win
you.
AS soon as you come into the dls-
trict you find women far more no.
ticeable than the men. The latter are
small and insignificant. They seem 10
have nothing to do but smoke clga-
rettes. The women do that, too, but
they go about with an air of being oc'
cupied. They walk with an exquisite
pictorial grace, and always as IL they
were going somewhere on important
business. They are not very DARK
Indians, and their features are re-
fined as well as intelligent, so mucn
so that one can easily imagine sucn
faces on European women of high
class. OF no other Indian can TINS
be said
| travelled on the Tehuantepec rail-
way with several of very striking
appearance. One oldish woman with
gray hair and resolute jaw line wore,
as most of theri do, short red ana
black jacket of the zouave type Her
skirt was simply a sheet of red cotton
with q thin white line in 1t, draped
tightly around her and kept up by
having it's end tucked in at the waist.
Her feet were innocent of boots or
shoes but, on the other hand, her
hair was beautifully braided. The
usual mode of hairdressing IL to carry
braid all around the head so as TO
display it's shape. And nearly all the
Tehuantepec women put flowers I'D
their hair. AT first the contrast be-
tween heads so neat SO elaborate,
even. and the sketchy costume below,
Is disconcerting. 1t is rather as IL a
man should wear top bat and q
bathing suit.
However, in such heat as scorches
down upon the isthmus that comblna-
ton might not be amiss. One soon
realizes that the head needs protec-
ton and the body as much freedom as
possible. Many women wear simply
a loose cotton tunic and a skirt of the
kind ! have described, with good
deal of light brown waist showing in
between the two. To this on Sundays
they add anonymously very large
frilled and "gauffered" linen and lace
cap. something like the cap which
Dutch women wear in the islands OF
the Zuyder Zee, only more decorative
and capable of being worn in doz'
en- different ways. In the plllareo
market hall, open at the sides, they
sit and chatter gayly in sweet-toned
voices all day long. Their wares,
mostly fruit or vegetables or grains
are spread out before them in painted
bowls. Around them play their naked
children. all mixed up with dogs and
Digs