The Coolidge examiner., 1935-04-26

others as much as French FROM
chinese Not until one las wau
derrd about Mexico can one arure-
,late hosF Incomplete was the Span.
Ssh conquest only Isolated Span
iards and occasional maraud.ng *.
IeiiUons ever penetrated 90 south
%ru Oannca and Guerrero. No
wealthy rnonaeerics. sure sign ~
spanish lnaltraton. wcre ever
founded there. and the Erandiose
churches. - striking elsewhere Ia
The republic. are conspicuously ab-
sent
since The coming of the Span
lnrts this region has remained com-
mcrciany. cul,Brally and ariisucally
a barkwairr.
Travelling from the town % OAK.
aca toward Acapulco on the Pacific
coast. three men recently put atooi
when their bus "decumposed- 81
Militia. walked acruss four racial and
Linguistic froutiers-the Zapoiec.
Chafino. Mlxtec. and Negro. ~
Tlacolula they were close 20 yet an.
other tribe. the Nike. disiantly re-
lated 90 the Mayas % Yucatan Even
sa. they omitted the Amusgos
fAmishEosl. Tlapanecos. and iso-
lated colonies % Artecs all % whom
retain islands IN Mlxtcc territory.
Variety IN Everything.
The physical characteristics ~
Mexico are as varied as the clyiliza-
tlons Vegetation and scenery
change with almost every league.
the enormous variations IN altitude
enabling one 20 pass from sub
arctic 20 tropical climate IN q
single dag. Sometimes within a
fea hours are seen eagles from the
high mountains and parrots from
The tropical jungle.
The route % the travellers r. un.
Ukely 20 attract tourists There Is
uo railway. 90 road. no hotel. 40
bed. 90 butter or fresh vegetables,
and The discomfort has recently in.
creased since the virtual destruc-
tinu hy earthquake of nearly half
the towns IN the region traversed.
The white man seldom travels IN
this region lie Is not only excel. /
lent bait FOR the numerous bandits
on wilder stretches ot the road. but
an object % suspicion among quite
well-lnientloned Indians. who I'm.
s-ine be Is searching for gold.
For many reasons members ~
the party deemed IL advisable 10
disguise themselves and TO travel
as the poorest poems. They
emerged from the market az Oaxnca
in white aud purple trousers. heavy
leather sandals. and broad -brlmmed /
hats over their shoulders and /
chiefly for use az night, they car
ried large wooien Ouxaca blankets. |
or serapes-hlne. white and black /
Their money WAS carried In stout /
leather belts. all of II In silver and /
copper coins. for bills are not nc
cepied 10 villages where men can
not read their value
Finally. they gathered machetes.
dagger. old -four sacks 10 contain
food. and Tor water a glass garrafon /
neatly dressed In straw jacket
Ike a bottle OF ChlantL All these
personal effects" were fitted into
brilliantly colored string bags
Pegasus" and pullman"
The party set out for Tlacolula. /
the rallhcad near Militia. and there
Invested In two dohkeys. Unfor-
tunately. these proved too deerepit
to carry both passengers and bag
sare-a fact not discovered until /
the bin had been footed and the !
pathetic animals had been hopeful /
ly baptized Pegasus and Pull |
man"
Chiefly for the donkeys' benefit. n
donkey-drlyer. guide. or porter
was engaged. II Is doubtful wheth- |
CT he had ever driven. directed. or /
cOunseled donkeys before. since by /
trade he was a sandal-maker but /
he spoke Zapotec and rejoiced In a
grandlloquent name. perhaps his |
chief claim TO Immortality. Under |
his auspices the donkeys were load /
Cd with four tall cylindrical bas- /
kets for the luggage.
As the party dawdled out OF the |
sleepy little town OF Tlacolula. II /
was four o'clock In the afternoon. |
and afternoon was 10 the atmos-
phere. The market was deserted. /
Pigs and scraggy dogs OF uncertain /
race and temper sprawled In the |
dust heaps. Only the grunting |
doukeys broke the stiffness of /
siestatlme.
soon men and animals were ouc /
in the plowed fields with the vii. |
lage behind them. blue-green gem /
on the sunburnt plain All around. !
the horizon was bounded By lofty /
turquoise mountains. Here and /
there on the lower slopes stood big /
white churches with red domes ike |
toy rubber balls sliced In half. In /
the foreground were vast fields OF |
maguey. In regular lines-an army |
on parade.