Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1919-09-26
BOTH new AND OLD
Mexico a Mixture of the Ancient
and Modern.
Prehistoric Remains Show That the
Builders Had High State Of Civ
ilizatlon-Native Tribes and
Races Still Exist.

What manner of folk are the Mexi.
cans?
Whatever ones views on the wisest
political course toward Mexico. 1t will
help in a thorough understanding OF
that country to examine the rich his
tory, the ancient civilization, the pre-
historic remains to be found among
our southern neighbors, says the Ma
uonal Geographic society,
"Of the 100000 inhabitants, two
fifths claim direct descent from an
cient tribes or families which are ac-
cepted as the basis of Mexican his
tory. two-fifths are of mixed native and
foreign blood. the remainder being
classed under the common appellation
of foreign.
Throughout much of the country.
and often within short distances OF
railroads, are remnants of some OF
the ancient native tribes or races. ad-
herring to customs, methods and speech
of their ancestors. Thus in Oaxaca
are the Zapotecas and Mixtecas. the
estimate for the two races being half
million, and u government publication
mentions a dozen other families In the
same state.
''In Hidalgo and adjacent states. the
Otomis; in Puebla and Oaxaca. the
Mexicanos; the predominating Mayas
in Yucatan: in Michoacan and Jalisco.
the Tarascans. and the Tlaxcalans. In
their native state. and other groups
elsewhere. still maintain the tribal In
dividualities.
Prescott refers TO the Aztecs. Tlax-
calans and others as producers of deli
cate fabrics. colored by vegetable dyes;
Intricate designs in the precious met
ais, and beautiful decorations made of
feathers; numerous ruins also indi-
cate marvellous skill of ancient peo-
pies In stone-work, especially as the
tools used were obsidian or copper.
Evidence that this deftness in
handiwork has been retained appears
III the feather wDf-iI. wood carving.
stone-cutting, etc. of the present day.
The beautiful pottery and unique
weaves of serapes, made with the
crudest appliances. and excellent fab
rication in cast or wrought iron. fill
gree silver, etc. also bear testimony
to the skill of the Mexican Indian.
Mexico has a wealth of archaeolog-
ical relics, remnants of an ancient civ
iiiza,;on of which no wel-defined trace
exists Volumes have been written to
demonstrate that the builders of what
ale now ruins were of Mongolian,
Semitic. or Phoenician origin, but the
riddle cahnot be admitted as solved.
All authorities, however, unite in
praise OF the magnitude and the per
fection Of workmanship shown at va
rious ruirs found throughout the Mex
lean territory. The region adjacent
to some OF these raises question AS
to the 1rce of sustenance for null
titudes which must have then existed.
aad causes speculation upon changes
which may Lave occurred In the in
tervnl.
"Prominent among these ruins are
Uxmal and Chichen-Itza. in the. state
of Yucatan Palenque, in the state of
Chipas; Militia, in the state Of Oaxaca.
and Xochicalco, in the state OF
Morelcs.
"The pyramid of Cholula, in Puebla.
and those of the Sun and Moon, In
the state of Mexico, have also been
literally described, but distributed
over wide areas are many other ruins
which have had but little or no inves-
tigatIon, and rock sculptures, images.
idols and ancient pottery. found in
numerous localities, are the only rec
ords of peoples whose history is un-
known and whose names even are
lost"