Liberty High School - Lion Yearbook (Brentwood, CA)

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o'clock in the morning until about 10 at night, stopping at farm houses like the ones described before for our meals. Although the journey was rough it was very pleasant. From the mountain tops we could get a view of the whole country. In some places the trail was just wide enough for two mules to pass. We could lean from our saddles and see the farm houses hundreds of feet below us, while on the other side was the almost perpendicular side of the moun- tain. When we were making the trip the sides of the hills were covered with wild flowers. The wild flowers of Mexico are sometimes cultivated in California, such as the Japanese Moon Flower and the bigonia. The moon flowers grow to a monstrous size, and when they are in bloom, one can look across the valley from the trail and the mountains on the other side will be all colors of the rainbow. After traveling on this kind of a road for about a day or two longer we reached Molinas, which means The Mills. This place was really the quartz mills of an American com- pany whose mine was in Tepia, the ore being carried from the mine to the mill in a tramway. After resting ourselves and mules and meeting the superintendents of the mills we resumed our travel again to complete our journey. Our destination was about three miles away and was a little town called Topia. It took us about an hour to travel this three miles, but we had to climb some very steep places- the elevation at Topia being four thousand feet higher than that at Molinas. At last we reached Topia, one of the oldest towns of Mexico. We were the center of attraction while going through town. as Americans are not very common there, especially American women. Topia is situated on a mesa, or table land, and was sur- rounded by high mountains which were snow-capped dur- rounded by high mountains which are snow capped during the winter. It being a mining town, it was very much more lively than the other small towns through which we passed on our way. It was also the county seat of the Tamazula dis- trict. The town was laid off in blocks, the principal streets being narrow but paved with cobble stones and the side- walks made with large flat rocks. Three large stores, the school house, jail, church and La Salla de Justicia tHal1 of Justicel were built around the plaza. This plaza was similar to that of Culiahcan, only much smaller. The houses of the peons, or poorer classes. are usually rude huts of adobe with a thatched roof. The higher classes plaster their houses both inside and out The more common colors of the houses are pink, blue or white, and about three feet from the ground is a border of stripes going around the whole house. These stripes are usually of very gorgeous coloring-pink, blue, green ye!-A low and red. Sometimes these colors are used singly, or generally they. were combined, with two or three shades to each color. The doors of the houses were very large and heavy, the locks being great ponderous things made by hand. The

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four legs. with rawhlde interwoven across the top. Three in such a bed as this would not have been at all comfort- able, lf we had not been tired out with our trlp. About ll o'cloclt at night we laid tarlma for a good rest, as we supposed. down on our untll 4 o'clock next morning. After a short while we were awakened by a heavy breathing and groaning. and with the sensation that someone was hunting among our belongings for any treas' ure they might be able to find. Cautiously lighting a lan- tern and more cautlously peering under the bed we found the Intruder-or intruders-a mother pig and her bables. Thls was something to which we became accustomed before the end of the journey. Although we started at a very early hour the next morning we took time to visit the ruins of a very fashion- able resort. The bulldlng was in ruins but there was still traces of grandeur about the old mansion. We vlsited the hot mineral springs also. The women had already begun to do thelr washlng at the sprlngs. The water was 7 hot In some places that they could boll the clothes nildtng ts boiler out of a wall of rocks. I Other parts of the springs, were cool enough for the washing to be done by There was also a bathing house over the springs. A -- After resuming our trlp for a short distance wel were compelled to take our mules owing to the lmpassablllty of the road for the carriage. arrlvlng that nlght at Cofredla. Cofreida ls nothing but a small collection of huts ln the mldat of a tlne cattle country. The corral fences. and some of the doorsteps of the houses. were made of the tlnest klnrl of mahogany. the more unclvllized Mexicans not knowing the value of the wood. The following day we entered what ls known through that country' as the Qnebrada, which is a canyon through which flows a rlver. ln the season I was there. the dry season. the rlver was passable, but it cannot be crossed during the rainy weather, from June to October. because lt ls So swollen. In some places the Quebrada rivals the Yosemite Val- ley ln splendor. For about one-thlrd of a mile the sides of the river bed are so high and steep that the sky is almost invisible to the traveler. This place is called Hell Gate by the Americans, as during the months that the river is swollen. the waters rushing through lt must surely repre- sent an inferno. The marks of the high water upon the walls of the canyon can be seen at least forty or fifty feet alzove the travelers' head. The next particular point that attracted our attention was an old quartz mill. The dura- blllty of the flne masonry ln the mlll was proven by the gcod condition of the cement wall which withstood the tre- mendous volume of water for over forty-tive or tlfty years. The aqueducts which brought the water to thls mill fol- lowed along the banks of the Quebrada for four or llve miles. and crossing the canyons on great arches that were made of cement and rocks cemented together. These aque- ducts were also ln a good state of preservation and th-- whole structure showed a very flue piece of work. After a day's travel we left the Quebrada. Now camo the roughest part of our journey. We traveled from 4

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keys to flt the locks were about eight or nlne lnches long and weighed half a pound or more. The houses for the better class were bullt around a patlo which served as a garden, slttlng room and porch. Our tlrst holiday was La Noche Buena tChrlstmas Evel. The Mexlcans decorate the patios and corridors of their homes wlth Mexican flags and pretty colored paper. They also burn candles on the altars. There ls an altar tn every home. no matter how humble. The children place thelr shoes. their sandals when they have no shoes, and an olla twater jugl when they have no sandals. ln the wlndows of their homes for the same purpose our Amerlcan children hang thelr stockings by the flreplace. On El dla Nuevo. tNew Year's Dayl the Mexicans ex- change calllng cards by mall and glve presents to their frlends. Almost everyone attends church. also. If they do not want to stand they take their own stools. as no seats are bullt ln the churches of small towns. On Eldta de las Palmas tPalm Sundayl every Mexican young and old. takes a palm leaf or an olive branch to the church. Here these tokens of reverence and peace are blessed, then taken home. where they remaln until the fol- lnwlng Palm Sunday. ln this way peace and prosperity is supposd to be assured ln the homes. El Donlngo Santo tEaster Sundayl ls celebrated by church golng and rellglous festlvals. El Clnco de Mayo tMay 5thl ls celebrated on account nf the llberatlng of Mexlco from the hands of France, by the 'execution of Emperor Maxmllllan. A large bomb ttruenol ls flred and after thls cock tights. bull tights. feasts, processlons and sports of all klnd take place. The next holiday, Eldla de las Cruces tthe day of the crossesl, ls celebrated on the 23rd of May. lt ls the rellglous festival of the mlnlng towns. each mine having its own par- ticular cross, which is gaudlly decorated and ls carried ln a procession by men, women and children. each person car- rylng a bouquet of flowers. Processlons from the different mlnes meet ln the heart of the town and then all march lu a body to the lglesla, or church. Here the crosses are bless- ed and then returned to their respective mlnes and placed wtthln the entrance to the main tunnel. This custom ls tn protect the miners from accident and to insure prosperity. The sixteenth of September, the day of Mexican Inde- pendence, ls celebrated by the entire country and the celebration lasts for two days. The processlons are always led by two llttle girls. one a blonde, representing Spain. and the other a brunette, representing Mexico. Literary ex- erclses, races and games of all sorts take place. A grand ball ls glven ln the evening which ls always lnvltatlonal. the peons not being allowed to partlclpate. Another peculiar feature or custom ls to celebrate the birthday of the saint after whom one ls named. instead of one's birthday. no matter when lt may occur. For lnstance. all those named John or Juan unite ln celebrating the blrth- day of St. John. the 24th of June, whlch ls called Eldla de San Juan. Another custom l notlced was the manner of throw- lng confettl. Before throwing lt, the gentleman goes up to