Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, June 10, 1914, Page 10

Peon at Home—Bur- den Bearers — The Public Letter Writer. Cupid in Mexico. Reading the News to the Ignorant— In the Markets — Public ! Laundries. [EYOND Vera™ Cru: toward Mexico City, every type of na-4 tive is seen from a full-blooded Aztec t a dashing Spanish caballero. There is music as plaintive and weird as any ever heard on a midway plaisance; people in costumes of all descriptions, and some with either demi-toilets or none at all. The stage setting is perfection, and, though the atmosphere is not all that could be desired—especially through the tierra caliente, the hot lands to be trav- ersed—it would be a poor traveler into the interior who would allow this to interfere with his enjoyment of the interesting types on every side. t*t Here one sees the true child of nature who has never known the restraint of clothes, shoes or stockings. The author of “Sartor Resartus” would find no food for thought here, and nothing on which to hang his philosophy, for while the ex- tremely decollete dress of the grown-ups would make the ball gown of one of our soclety belles seem a Puritan costume by comparison, the babies and chidren pose in the altogether. Emerging from the hot country into the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains, with the snow-tipped peak of Orizaba in the distance, a cool breeze is felt; re- freshing mountain streams rush like a swift torrent, or peacefully meander through the landscape, adding beauty to the scene and furnishing a laundry ang bathing place for the Indian family whose adobe or reed hut is on its banks. The peon does not go to bed while his clothes are being washed, but simply takes an air bath while they are drying on the bushes, anfl joins his family for a social hour. If there are a few maguey plants on the banks of this stream, it is bliss in- describable to him, for he can extract the pulque from these for his nightcap or morning constitutional, and wars and rumors of wars do not rob him of a mo- ment's rest. It matters not if one be artist, sociolo- gist, soldier of fortune, or simply a globe- trotter on pleasure bent, he will find enough and to spare of every variety of climate, scenery and peoples in traveling through this country. * * * So little have the centuries changed it that if Gen. Winfleld Scott were alive and could lead the way to Mexico City he would enjoy some improvements, but find few changes, and would encounter the same mode of life that he found when he marched through it in 1847 and thatl Cortes found when he took the same Toute, nearly 400 years ago. Now, as in the time of the Spanish con- quistador, cargadores are used to trans- fer luggage, household effects and take supplies over the mountains, where it is cult for even a burro to go. On landing in Vera Cruz the traveler is quickly surrounded by these little lean- looking brown men—and women, too— wildly gesticulating and soliciting patron- age. There may be a transfer wagon near at hand, but the cargadore is taken it for no other reason than to eliminate one of the dozen hanging at one's heels, They carry on their backs anything from a large-sized dress trunk to the en- tire furnishings of a_small American apartment, their load frequently so en- veloping them that as they run along, winding in and out among the traffic of a crowded street, all that is visible Is a pair of thin muscular legs and feet seem- ingly pinned to the hottom of a trunk or These cargadores, messengers and agua- dores in Mexico have dynamics down to such a fine point that they could wind in and out of a crowd at Broadway and 34th street in a way that would make a New York policeman’s hair stand on end. And an aguadore, or water carrier, can €0 through a crowded thoroughfare with two large open-mouthed water jugs filled to the brim and attached to either end of a yoke and another large jugful on his head and never spiil a drop. * * % Moving day in Mexico is filled with in- tereat to the tourist, and particularly so if the event takes place in one of the vi- viendas, or tenement houses. Instead of a moving van or a handecart the carga- dore is employed, and will trot u pand | down three or four flishts of stairs with the greatest ease. The apartment or tenement houses were frequently palaces or hospitals in the time of Spanish rule, and are now regular hu- man beehives, the great chambers being subdivided into tenements of four cr five rvoms. olhese places are like little villages all thin themselves, sheltering shoemakers, cabinetmakers, dressmakers, weavers, carpenters' and any other workmen one may have need of, even to an evangelista, or public letter Writer, all plying thel trades in this building and using the large patio as a social center for man and beast. 1t is have the occupants assemble to hear the news or gossip a bit about a new arrival. Every one takes a pride in the flowers in the patio, and every avail- able space is used in which to set tin cans, pots or any receptacle in which flowering plants will grow. And they do grow luxuriantly and help to hide the squalor of the surroundings. In the richer parts of the towns this courtyard will be so gay with flowers that it will look like a painted Jezebel flaunting her splendors in_the fece of the cool green palms and ferns; and on moonlit nights is like falryland. * x * v will carry on his trade there. So there is little space left for entertain- ing company; hence the patio is also the courting parlor for those given to the tender passion—for to ‘plav the bear,” which is courting in Mexico, is only in- dulged in by class. Young Mexican women of the better class are not allowed to go in the streets unattended, nor to receive visits from men except in the presence of the family; consequently surreptitious lovemaking is indulged in through the iron gratings of a window, and this is called “playing the bear." the more fortunate middle But with the maiden of the tenement the grated window is often lacking, so other means must be resorted to. As love knows neither age nor condition, if the enamored one has not had the_opportu- nity to take advantage of thé rule of three, he or she seeks the public letter writer, who will put the love message on paper. He is comfortably ensconced in a se- cluded corner of one of these patios, or in some quiet corner of the market. It is delightful to watch this custodian of love secrets from a distance, for he seems to put as much interest and ex- pression into one of these billets-doux as though it were his own affair; and though the secret is safe with him, it is always wise to look about for eavesdroppers and_teasing youngsters before confiding to him the name and address of the adored one. The public newspaper reader is equally interestng, and more exciting. With the exception of the far east these two con- veniences are no longer found. The pub- lc reader has all the shrewdness and cunning of his mixed Indian and Span- ish blood, and is usually a debonair, showily dressed chap who knows where most of the crowd is likely to assemble, and when there is a sufficient audience he takes his paper and, comfortably seat- ing himself, begins to read. = * % First the latest news about a bull fight, a little about the war and then some in- teresting local After items. this e mes an exciting human interest story, the reading of which he accompanies witl suitable action, and when he gets 6 t e most_ exciting place in the narrative he will stop and pass his hat. If the amount received is what he thinks it should be, he will proceed. But if it falls short of his expectations he quietly folds his paper, pockets the money and saunters away—leaving a curi- ous, gaping crowd behind—with the as- sured feeling that if there are any more centavos they will follow him to hear the climax. In the markets of Mexico it is not diffi- - A family of seven will occuny a room less than eighteen feet square in one of these tenement houses, and the father of cult to get in on the ground floor on everything but the price of the article de- sired. But here the American will find an adversary worthy his steel, and the THE PUBLIC LETTER WRITER. Aztec will take plenty of time, too, to make the bargain, for he is not in a hurry to get home—as he carries his home with him to the market. There for the time being W his social PATIO OF ATENEMENT 15 TiE SOCIAL CENTER life, as well as business, for when he leaves home in the morning he takes all of his household with him, including babes in arms, children, dogs, cats, don- keys, all go and make a day of it. The charcoal brazier is taken along, and the family meal is cooked right there, making with his neighbors one large din- ner party. The menu, consisting of one or two of the three hundred varieties of peppers, frijoles or black beans, to which if he hail from the state of Tabasco, he will_give additional piquancy by a dash of that famous sauce. Then If he is fortunate enough he will wash all this down with a measure of pulque—say two days old, and will feel that he has dined like the proverbial lord, and Epicurus has nothing on him. * * * These markets are practically the same today that they were in the time when that quaint sixteenth century ‘writer, Ber. nal Diaz, described them. Then as now low piazzas of solid stone inclosed the market square, and were occupied by small shops and ground floor stalls; the central part or courtyard is open to thé sky, and it is there takes place the sale of burros, sheep and other animals on foot. This delightful historlan says: ““The meat markets were stocked with fowl, game and dogs. He adds: “Vegetables, fruits, articles of food ready dressed, salt, bread, honey and sweet pastry are sold, and many gewgaws for the adornment of the savage person.” The wares are spread out on white cloths on the cobblestones of the mar- ket, and there will be found peppers, to- matoes, beans—or, to be more accurate, there will be a sea of beans of all kinds. Black beans, white beans, brown beans and yellow beans; all with a different fla- vor. The man from Boston may think he knows something about beans, but if he should go to ome of these markets his knowledge would paie into insignificance and the Boston bean-pot would look like a tidbit We who buy a bushel, peck, half or quarter peck measure at a time gaze in wonder at the small patchwork of vege- tables displayed: a pint cup of potatoes or oniogs, two or three tomatoes, a tea- cup of peppers, and other like vegetable: all laid out in little heaps ready for the customer. _But the explanation is quite feasibie. No one tiny measure would make a meal for an average man, but all com- bined in a wonderful Mexican stew, with & mere sliver of meat thrown in for favoring, forms a repast to suit the taste of the most fastidious. Another stall in the market—and a large one, too—is devoted to the sale of tortillas, the national corn flap-jack of Mexico. These, with beans, constitute a large part of the diet of the Mexican of the poorer classes, but are indulged in by all. And when crisp and hot are deliciously appetizing. They are the staff of life of the Mexi- can soldier, who has an advantage over other soldiers in that he is privileged to dine with his family every day while fol- lowing the fortunes of war, for his women and children accompany the army, carrying the cooking parapherna- lia, and heip him to forage. While he is on the firing line his wife will take the corn from the lime water where it has been soaking, grind it on a stone, and, mixing it with water, have it ready in a Jiffy to bake on the hot stones. At Orizaba the flower and fruit mar- kets are things of beauty, with a pic- turesqueness or arrangement and color that would make the futurist and cubist Painters graen with envy. Such a riot of color could only be seen in a tropical country. Masses of flaming passion flowers, luxuriant oleanders, roses, ex- quisitely delicate bay blossoms and magnolias—great bunches of them for a more song—and the vender croons the song while one waits. Everywhere the train stops in going through this stretch of country large Playing Guide. Representative J. Hampton Moore Who succeeded John Dalzell on the ways and means committee, while hailing from Phil- adelphia, knows his Washington like a native. During the visit of a party of home friends to the Capltol, Mr. Moore was showing them the sights of the city and, while coming from the northeast entrance of the White House grounds their attention was attraced by the group of heroic figures that make up the Lafayette statue at the southeast corner of Lafayette Square. This presents, with other things, Wwoman with a garment about her loins which she is frantically grasping—holding up a naked’sword to Lafayette, who is standing above. Her attitude is one of eager, nay, anxious and insistent suppli- cation. a As the party approached the statuary group, Representative Moore struck the posture of a guide, and. in the profes- sional twang of the craft, droned out in sing-song: “And now, come to the fa ladies and gentlemen, we amed statue of the great soldler and statesman, Marquis de La- fayette. Below him is a woman in sup- pliant attitude, holding a sword. Ap- parently she is speaking earnestly to him and—"" “But, Mr. Moore,” interrupted one of the ladies of the party, “what is the woman saying to Lafayette? Mr. Moore smiled, gazed quizzically at the statue a moment and smiled again. ‘That's very plain, if you observe the condition of her attire, madam,” he re- plied. “She's begging him: ‘Here, gen- eral, take this, quick, while I cateh my clothes! And tliereafter the Yady’s interrogations were wholly impersonall “Bread Upon Waters.” Representative Heflin of Alabama is a great believer in the return of bread' castupon the waters,” and in proof thereof re- lates a story of the time when he had first entered poli- ties. It seems that about five miles from the Heflin home a negro jubi- lee of some sort was in progress and was attracting hundreds of negroes from all parts of the surrounding coun- try. One of those who wished to attend the function and had driven many weary miles was unfortunate when he reached the vicinity of the Heflin residence. One of the wheels on his buggy broke. The old darky had been told where Representative Heflin's father lived, and probably also that the elder Mr. Heflin had a sympathetic heart. Therefore. he went to the door and asked the elder Mr. heflin, who had a blacksmith shop, to let him borrow a wheel for his broken buggy. “Ah khows you think Ah ain’t never gwine ter bring back dat wheel, Mr. Heflin,” said the old man, “but indeed Ah is! At suttinly will bring it back ef yow'll only let me have it!” The wheel was loaped and the negro went on his way reloicing. And that was the last time the elder Mr. Heflin saw either the wheel or its borrower. Some years later, however, when the present representative had been persuad- ed to enter the race for the state legisla- ture, he saw the old darky. Mr. Heflin had just come to the end of a pause in a campaign speech when the wheel borrow- er arose in the back of the assemblage. h'd just lak to ask yo one ques. tion, suh. Are you the son of Dr. Heflin And when he had recelved an affirma- tive response from the speaker of the | day, the old darky continued: ““Well, den, Ah just wants to tell yo' one thing. 'Ah never took dat wheel back to yo' father. Ah just kept post- ponin’ it and postponin’ it and Ah guess AR'll never see yo' father again in dis world an’ he’ll never see dat wheel. But Ah’'m going to tell yo' now, dis old man and his three sons s a-goin’ to cast their votes for yo.' No Use! “=&= ( Reprecsentative Sisson of Missis- sippi tells a tale of the days when to some members of the democratic party it seemed they would never come into power again. An educator of note, so the tale runs, visited one of the schools in Mr. Sisson's native state and endeav- ored to inspire the children with high ambitions. Long and fascinatingly he talked of official life and how great it was to be President. At the conclusion of his address he turned to the boys and asked: “Now, boys, how many of you would Uke to become a President?” Every boy in the room except one jumped to his feet. The educator felt rather disappointed to think that after Frddaatui s’ e all his talking he had failed to convert every youngster. “Why, my boy,” sald he, “what's the matter? Don't you want to become President some day?" Yes,” answered the bov in a sad tone, “but ‘taint no use, ‘cause I'm a democrat!"” Probably. The rule of de- bate, oftentimes applied in the House, limiting a speaker's time to five minutes, does not meet with the approval of Repre- sentative Walsh of New Jersey, who thinks such a short-time speech utterly valueless. “It is Iimpossible for a man to say anything worth while on any sub- ject worth while in such a limited space of time,” he criticised. “A speaker with a head full of ideas upon the subject vain- ly tries to get in a word on each one into his five minutes. The result is a befogged intellectual patchwork that looks—or sounds—like a mental crazy- quilt. His speech is, generally, about as edifying and coherent as the small boy's composition under somewhat similar circumstances. *“‘Johnnie, sald teacher, ‘write a com- position on Patrick Henry and make it just as short as you can. Put in some- thing about everything that happened to him in his life—but be sure to make it short. Don’t forgst that Johnnie, make it just as short as you can.’ “And Johnnle, bound by this restriction. after half an hour’s arduous toil, handed teacher the following: “‘ ‘Patrick Henry was born in Virginia He was an eminent lawyer. He married a wife an me death bouquets, as big as a half bushel basket. of camelias are thrust into the car win- dows, and 5 or 10 cents is the price ask- ed. Camelias, such as are bought here for 50 cents a blossom, are put in a corsage bouquet of violets. But of all the Mexican antiquities and ancient customs, there is none that can surpass a public laundry such as seen in Mexico City, and in use today. At just what period the oldest one was built is not positively known. As the memory of man runneth not to the contrary, a voluble guide will say in the fourteenth century; so one must believe him and leave the rest to the archeologist. - * * The large room with vaulted celling is more like a baronial hall than a place for washing soiled linens. The rows of laundry tubs have the appearance of a miniature- Chinese wall, so solidly are they constructed, and from the water side of the pool or lagoon around which they are bullt they have the appearance of a Roman causewa The water is conveyed Into them by means of & pan or earthen water jug in the hands of the laundress; and though this would seem an endless task to one accustomed to modern conveniences, the Indian woman and all of her ancestors were used to this method and she knows no_other way. These tubs have withstood the wear of centuries, and if Mrs. Montezuma couid return she would find them just as she left them several hundred years ago. Even the laundresses could speak to he in the pure Aztec tongue, and their faces would have the hall mark of the gen- uine article. The same intelligence, as- tuteness and passive dignity which years of subjugation have not been erase are visible on these faces. They are questioning and suspicious, but th: show an inexhaustible patience There are steam laundries in Mexico, run by American men—and patronized by American people, too, for their charges for an average size wash does not ap- peal to the frugal Mexican, and excites some surprise in their own countrymen “Sixteen dollars Mex.,” which is about $8 American money, for a dozen pieces, none of which are claborate, seems very high; but after a visit to one of the an- tique laundries one is more reconciled to the “sixteen.” For the big flat stones slanted in the tubs and used as wa: boards are not the best things in the laundry line for dainty lingerie. And if one of these fine garmen poked into the drain pipe as a stopp: and it is likely to be—there is not left of it NILOMETER ANNOUNCES RISE OF THE NILE I nearly every other country but Eg an inundation, or great freshet, is public calamity. In Egzypt, however rise of the Nile is a public blessins though such rising mayv possess all the formidable characteristics common (o floods, and the waves in the wind ways blowing from the north the current, during high water. dangerously high The Egyptian thinks only tility left behind by the annual rise of his river, and from time immemorial this event has always been expe d and cele- brated as the most important of the vear. On the Island of Roda, juzt opposite to old Cairo, there is set up a nilometer that measures the rise of the river. The building., with its graduated pillars, has been used for measuring the height of the Nile ever since the ninth century, an earlier nilometer on the same spot bhaving been washed away by a flood. he increase is proclaimed every day after the 3d of July by public criers. one for each district of the city The announ ment is clouded by a great deal of poeti- cal metaphor, and Is communicated in the ordinary sing-song recitative of the Cairene street hucksters. The crier takes his stand before the house of some well-to-do resident, from whom “backsheesh” may be expected, and he is accompanied by a boy, who responds to his chant as the assistant responds to the clergyman. It is a long and tedious formula, consisting of many versicles. beginning with ‘‘Mahomet is the guide” and ending with bless this house” and d: “Give me liberty or give | risen What day, Nile over the eountry.” Last of all comes the announcement ag to the number of “digits” the Nile has as recorded by the nilometer.