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The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, October 06, 1901, Image 5

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Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1901-10-06/ed-1/seq-5/

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Carpeti are seldom us=ed. the floors being
constructed of highly polished tile, e over
which small, Hsht mats are strewn. The
bathroom is filled with a tub of masonry
built into the side of the wail, on in the
absence cf this apartment a large, port
able basin of clay is used. In the kitchen
the range ia .stationary, being of stone
or brick, in wh'ch charcoal is burned as
fuel. Kitchen ware of metal is rarely
used, aJl culinary utensils being of pot-
devotee, during the Initial stage of his at
tentions, is known as her "bear," and
every evening from dusk till midnight,
for as long a period as she chooses to dic
tate, he must conform to the require
ments of hla role by standing in an atti
tude of wrapt adoration on the opposite
side of the street in view of her window.'
In the case in question the young man
recognized but one impediment .to his
progress, which .was his unfamillarlty
with the language of the land. This, how
ever, he circumvented by employing a
mediator, who presented his suit, brought
about a formal introduction and eventu
ally secured a proposition from the senor
ita. This was to the effect that the young
man must play "bear" for her throughout
a period of three weeks, at the expiration
of which time he might appear at a stlp
lated hour outside her barred casement.
He was, moreover, furnished with a dia-
decided there was a possible chance of
his devotion outliving such an ordeal and
determined to see it out. ' /
In due time the allotted three weeks
passed by and it is presumed that he'ear
ried out his part of the agreement .in; a
thoroughly straightforward manner, for
there had certainly been a muffled figure
in statuesque posture regularly on duty
throughout- the prescribed period.
With eager expectancy the enamored
swain advanced to the stipulated win
dow. A faint light glimmered through a
uicie was reveaieu 10 mm me interior oi
a box stall, wherein, 'tied closely up to
the window was a solitary sad-featured
Mexican burro. Made fast to its stubby
forelock was a white placard, on which,
by the light of a candle placed convenient
ly near, the crestfallen youth deciphered
the legend, "Welcome." •
The ladies of a Mexican household never
concern' themselves with the marketing,
invariably 'leaving that ' duty to ( the serv
ants. The latter visit; the large markets
early, each morning, where such" provisions
» \u25a0'.\u25a0." . " \u25a0 \u25a0 ,v
pailiui age j"" J 1 ""' 0 ! vuiu i»huu ueiiig rc-
Btricted to occasional spots and patches.
The Implements used in tilling: the soil
are generally of the most primitive sort,
tBe plow being fashioned entirely out of
wood; with but one handle; and to this is
yoked, by means of a board bound across
their horns, a 'pair of domesticated Mexi
can steers or lumbering oxen. The peon
who; follows this . novel equipage or, goes
to sleep under a convenient banana tree
is generally attired in a broad palm-leaf
sombrero, .with _ an \u25a0 Inordinately . high
Exploration has now revealed relics ot
Menes, the founder of Egyptian mon
archy, fashioned more . than 6500 years
ago. Till quite recently he wa3 regarded!
as purely mythical. There has also beea
discovered the forearm of the Queen of
Zer. the successor to Menes. still in its
•wrappings, with four splendid bracelets
intact This brilliant and exquisitely fin
ished group of Jewelry is 2000 years older
than the jewelry of Dahsshur. the oldest
yet khown, and had the great advantage
of being, carefully examined, as It was
found and restrung in exact arrange
ment. The arm of the Queen had been
broken off by the first plunderers and laid
In a hole In the wall of the tomb, and
there remained neglected by four parties
in ancient and modern times, who suc
cessively cleared the tomb.
gram. showing the front elevation of the
house whereon the sacred window open
ing from the senorita's boudoir was min
utely Indicated. After carefully weighing
the matter in his mind the young man
narrow opening in the casement "Ah! she
had not forgotten his coming." Gently he
tapped on the nearly closed shutter. \u25a0- No
response. He waited a moment, then cau
tiously pushed open the blind, when lo!
The dawn of the new century is wit
nessing the advent . of many changes ia
Mexico, but In not a few instances will
the inherent customs of the land with
stand the tide of progressive ideas. And
long after the sun of an advanced civiliza
tion has penetrated the most remote
recess of her primeval bowers, the tooth
some tortilla and resourceful burro will
remain two indispensable factors in th«
dreamy lives of- her children.
Such products of the hacienda as are
not preserved for its own use are taker*
to market upon the backs of small native
burros, capable of carrying Immense
burdens, or by means of ponderous
wooden ox-carts, relics of antiquity rarely
to be found in use in any other civilized
country.
The different seasons witness tut little
variation in the lethargic serenity of
hacienda life in Mexico, whether it be
harvest or seed time, the gathering of
grain. And if, perchanee, possessed of a
mad ambition to hasten the packing and
shipment of his consignment, he Is merely
put off with the courteous and delusive
assurance that his desires will certainly
be attended to — pseudo-manana. The word
haste is entirely unknown to the vocabu
lary of the haciendado. "Why should there
be any hurry when the whole infinite fu
ture is at his disposal?
All the elements of a small manufac
turing village are embodied in the average
hacienda. There are mills for the re
duction of cane to sugar and the Cereals
to flour and meal, gins for t^e curing ot
cotton and looms for its manufacture into
textiles. There Is a distillery for th©
preparation of mescal and tlqulla, the
national beverages; a general store, a
chapel and a community school. And this
little principality is owned and presided
oveV by a courtly caballero, who Is far
more solicitous regarding the welfare and
happiness of his small army of depend
antes or the stranger within his gates
than of the revenues of his broad estate,
which at the least are sure to be amply;
sufficient for his needs.
crown, white cotton pajamas and leather
sandals. For his rather doubtful services
this seigneurial vagrant is paid at tha
rate of twelve cents per diem; but he Is
perennially happy, nevertheless, and his
wages are guite sufficient for tho support
of himself and family, besides providing
him with the ingredients for his beloved
cigarette and an occasional copa of pulqua
wherewith to stimulate his unf ailing affa
bility. The living of these simple ranch
folk is frugal In the extreme, consisting?
mainly of the various fruits of the coun
try, frijoles or Mexican beans, and the In
evitable tortilla. With the better element
on the hacienda the table fare Is quits
different, representing- the choicest and
most varied cuisine that can be provided-
While -engaged in securing material for
this sketch the writer recently made a
visit to Aranjuez,- one of Mexico's most
beautiful country places, situated near
Guaymas, in the State of Sonora. Here
the most idealistic phases of life on a rep
resentative hacienda were experienced.
The place had been named after the coun
try seat of, the King near Madrid; and the
fact that, .with all its prseent loveliness,
it was originally redeemed from the des
ert in the midst of which, like a veritable
oasis, it lies, renders its regal title all tho
more appropriate.
Notwithstanding the air of indolence
which to a greater or less extent pervades
the Mexican hacienda, there Is combined
with it a counter atmosphere of luxurious
ease that is deliclously infectious. The
country* dwelling, or casa de campo as it
ia commonly • designated, is -invariably
built on a plan best calculated for the
comfort of its Inmates, its chief charac
teristics being the broad, cool verandas
and graceful arcades surrounding its'ex
terior, the deepset windows and delect
able courtyards. The surrounding planta
tion, - which is usually measured by the
square league, is inclosed by walls of loose
stone or hedges of the maguey plant The
sharp, bayonet-like leaves of the latter
render it quite as Impassable as, and far
more . attractive than, the barbed-wire
fences of the north. The' greater portion
of the rich land, however, serves only for
entertaining" their- friends, and the hospi
tality of a Mexican host or hostess is
a world-wide proverb. To such an extent
is this true that' in, many of the towns
hotels are unknown institutions, even
strangers being assured ht entertainnment
in almost any household. ...
' Of . corresponding uniqueness to the
urban homes of Mexico Js'the life that
obtains on the great haciendas of the rural
districts. • ' • " : \u25a0" , :
A Mexican meal is always served in
courses, usually including two kinds of
soup and several varieties of j meat, sel
dom more than one vegetable and never
but one dessert. Bread is placed upon the
table in the loaf and is broken instead of
6liced, while butter is noticeable through
its absence, being used only in the
preparation of the meal. Knives and forks
are rarely employed excepting by the
upper .'classes, the food being conveyed to
the mouth by means of thin bits of corn
cake, known as tortillas. So adroit are
the people in this Quaint custom that it
seldom happens their fingers come in di
rect contact with their victuals.
The Mexican people are devout lovers
of- hcvne life; and hence comparatively
few* of them get beyond their national
boundaries. They are likewise fond of
as are required for the €tiy are purchasea.
The butcher, in cutting up his meat, never
uses a knife or saw, but relies entirely
upon his cleaver, 'with which he severaa
shin bone or slices off a tenderloin with
equal facility. Moreover, he never wraps
his wares in paper, but deposits them side
by side with the other edibles in his cus
tomer's basket.
The interior walls of the Mexican dwell
ing: are never -vhite, but are either embel
lished In neutral tints or papered, while
the ceilings are Invariably of painted
cloth, n-ore or less elaborately frescoed.
The private residences of Mexico are
for the most part constructed cf adobe
and concrete, though hewn stone is not
Infrequently employed throughout. In
height they vary from one to three stor
ies, the former class being by far the
most popular. The exteriors are generally
eevere from an architectural standpoint,
though the US3 of variously tinted calci
mines produces a strikingly picturesque
effect. The house is almost invariably
built on the plan of a hollow square, in
the center of which is a spacious court or
patio, densely filled with potted shrubbery
and jardinieres of flowers in endless va
riety. The appointments of the houses be
longing to the wealthy classes are fre
quently of a most luxurious character, the
furnishings almost invariably being of
European importation. The locks on all
doors are inverted, while the keys thereto
are of enormous size, irequently being a
foot in length ar.d weighing over a pound.
IT is undeniably a graceful act for the
traveler Just in from a pilgrimage
through Old Mexico to tell of the
progress the country is making in the
adoption of modern usages. It is both
Just and encouraging to our prosperous
Bouthern neighbor. But nevertheless the
features that actually afforded that self
same Individual the most enjoyment were
the Quaint antique customs and condi
tions that to so great an extent still char
acterize the realm. The predominance of
the medieval over the modern is what
impresses and enthuses the stranger in
Mexico. It is the subtle Innate romance
In the land that allures and inspires. And
not the least element Involved in this ten
dency is the fascinating domestic life of
the people.
A curious romance is told in connection
with one of these antiquated dcmicile3. A
young American who had recently taken
up his residence in a ' certain Mexican
town became enamored of one of the fdir
senoriias of the community, and, with an
enteriJtise characteristic of his lineage, at
once undertook the task of acquiring her
affections. Now, to any one familiar with
tho tactics ordinarily employed in ouch
projects elsewhere, this may appear as a
simple proposition. But in Mexico it is
different, a world of intricacy being in
volved in its most commonplace of court
ships. In that unique country a senorita's
tery. The upper story -windows, opening
on the streets, are provided with ornate
iron balconies, while those of the lower
floors are guarded by vertical metallic
bars. Numerous misconceptions have
from time to time arisen concerning the
object of this last mentioned feature. The
common theory that these bars are for
the protection of the property against in
vasion by thieves is entirely erroneous,
R9 the Mexican robber's averseness to the
risks attendant upon house-breakirg is
proverbial. In point of fact, barred win
dow casements did not originate with the
Mexicans', but were introduced w th the
ingress of the Spaniards in Cortez's t'.Tno.
and constitute a relic of the domestic
usages which prevailed in the earliest an
nals of Spain.
The Mexican town residence invariably
occupies the entire ground attached to
the premises, and is accessible by an am
ple arched^ hall and driveway combined.
Thy latter is closed at night by heavy
wooden doers closed from within. If a
stable be attached to *the premi?er, it
forms a portion of the main structure, and
not infrequently adjoins the living apart
ments in front. Hence, from an exterior
view of the establishment there is no ab
solute certainty as to which of its several
departments the shuttered windows open
THE SUNDAY CALL,
HOMES
HACIENDAS
OF MEXICO
5

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