Show Is Useful I to the Mexicans When the tho lore of or BU Buddha ha had been taught a thousand years ears or more and yet other othor thousands were to pass ere cre Christian eyes would woul open on tho the thomar marvels marls mar ls of or time the Western world W 01 hI certain certain certain tain teachers came from far Cathay to teach the America of or that day ay the time I wisdom of or says l Modern ern Mexico Those hose time old travelers saw MoW strange things i In n the Cort forty years that passed before beCore they the returned to write In the great year book of or China some ome account account account ac ac- count of or the tho more wonderful things the they had seen been One of oC the tales thc they so penciled down Is s no doubt the first description ever e written of or Agave A avo Americana Ame VInIng puts that story Into English words like lII c these That country has many fuss ng trees and It Is from these trees that country country coun coun- try derives Its name Tho The leaves ha resemble re resemble re- re and the first sprouts are like those of or the bamboo The people of that country eat them and anti the fruit which is like a pear peal but of or re reddish color The They spin thread from the bark the they mal make e of or it cloth of oC which the they make cl clothing They make snake finer finer fluor fin flu er or fiber also from It They have havo liter liter- literary ar any ary characters and make paper from the bark barli of or the Early Kurly Eurl Visit of Chinese Which wor words s apply appl to the American Ameri Ameri- can century plant and to it only s so o that story ma may be accepted as suf suf- sufficient proof that Chinese did visit America 2500 years ears ago h Why should R k not be so o taken talen since It is now declared that Americans traveled In Asia long an and often orten before beCore that time In Indeed eed there have been men of or attainments at attainments attainments at- at who asserted that wave after after artel af ar- ter tel wave of oC human progress has swept around and ar around und this globe hundreds hundreds hundreds hun hun- perchance thousands n s of times tines ever flowing Mowing westward even as the tides of or the ocean How flow Vining says BaYS that the name Mexico l may mar properly be he taken laken as meaning the place of oC the century plant because because be be- for the cause ill Is the tho name personified A Agave avo Americana As to the literary characters mentioned the first Spanish scholars in It America found Aztec writings s on paper made matle of fibres of ot l that lat purely American product pro pro- duct the time maguey or century plant even as such paper papel had been bell made accor according ln to those Buddhist Buddhist- missionaries mission jon jon- aries 2000 years before white men amen uen came hero here to s see sec ee It n X Name Nance of or Mexico Such paper was so good that In the year 1830 when Mexico was In the first filst Hush flush of or her youth as a republic she was so completely j. j satisfied that It was thu the only paper on which a truly patriotic Mexican should write that she site decreed by act of ot congress congre that no nn legal document of or that country should be inscribed on any other material Some mn may havo have a shadow of or doubt as to whether the name of Mexico came from Crom the or maguey but none who knows Mexico can doubt for Cot an instant that from maguey ma ma- guey gUC comes s a notable variety of things that are good for tor mans man's uso use and comforting com com- forting Of OC such things are Its head core or UI soft HOrt heart that is very bOO good to lo eat eal when roasted t some Mexicans 1 may be found who would a admit that the mescal and and the pulque made from maguey are arc rather good to drink and it seems beyond dispute that the time plant supplies long Ions slender and straight poles with which to tomake tomako tomal mal make mako o the frame that hoJ holds s up tho the thatch of or the roof an and leaves with which that thatch may be bo made be besides besides besides be- be sides the cords by which to lash firmly firm firm- ly Iy together the root roof frame and to tie the thc thatch to It Fibers of or tho are spun of all aJl I degrees of or fineness Oneness or lack of fineness Of or the coarser yarns ropes are all twisted twisted twist twist- ed etl with which to lasso the reluctant mule or the tho unwilling horse hors e. e to lash securely on the saddle pack sa dle the loads load those bestias are to tole tote of oC fin finer r twine twin alforjas or 01 saddle bags are woven to tt sling across the tho back of oC horse or 01 o or of burro butTo and hol hold such things as tin the traveler may want meant on his way way lunch lunch luncheon eon and a towel lowel IH perhaps with a clean shirt or 01 spare socks ocl s hammocks hammock c cIn In which the worn saddle-worn guest g ma may maj rest dream away awn the warm siesta 01 or 01 sleep through the cool nights Cloth from II To this hour cloth is woven o of ixtle fusing or maguey mague fiber fibel even cven as In the thc long forgotten cen centuries was woven the cloth ciotti which wrapped the tho dead 01 of those days s to hold them safe until the coming of or our day and sacrilegious I curiosity webs curiosity webs which may have beet been woven b by such simple looms and amid amli such scenes as ns ma may be lc found hidden bidder In r remote mote nooks of Mexico today Of or such cloth bags bass are arc made In Jr which to lug up ores from the depths of or mines or to carry maize and rice coffee coffeo and anti sugar from front tho the plantation and If ir such a n thing should shou happen m ns taht a a. bag should be washed or 01 when the scrubs shirt or sl skirt 01 or other garment anti and even wen when one washes awa away the dust an and sweat of ol the hot day ay a poun pounded ed leaf leat of or agave will give sl all that will be nee needed e In the way of or soap Since the people of find sc so many ways in which to use that plant plantIs Is there much cause to wonder thai those ear early missionaries thought it 11 worth while to write down the tale and so unwittingly unwillingly give proof that will frill no longer be denied that the they did discover dis dis- discover cover America a ages es before Columbus Colubus or Eric Elic were themselves discovered by b their own mothers 1 Is there reason for surprise when one learns that an officer of the army of or the United Unite States one who had more than enough experience nce chasing Apaches to make him a high authority on the subject declared that those Indians could scarcely be conquered because their country Is la the natural home homo of the maguey He knew for tor he ha had fought and followed them over ovel their sun sun- burnt thirst thirsty land and learned that the time century plant could give them all they would woul need of or food and drink of ot shelter and of or fuel lh Drinks Made From Front It As to drink It ft Is the agave which supplies mezcal as well as al pul pulque lue which are arc ardent waters although not lII like e that more mOle common cammon aguardiente which comes conies of oC the su sugar ar cane Pulque I Is made of or tho the sap KIP which collects inthe in hi inthe the cup CUll that Is mado b by cutting awa away the tho heart of oC one onu kind of or agave plant Mezcal is ma made mado o by fermenting the juice of or another kind of the agave Those who think the they nee need the sustaining sustaining sustaining sus sus- help of or the tho mescal mezcal ma may r take lake comfort from the thought that it H fruits most abundantly and when Us its see seeds M fall upon slon stony places they are arc pretty sure to sprout so as us to start stait plants which will cover the desert with leaves which will suck up rom the time air it itself enough to give t ap sap and great strength It seems almost Impossible that anything any any- thing can cairn get moisture from Crom the parched f air all of those plains an and mountains mountains moun- moun lains and anti the leaves of ot that n agave which Is called Ixtle look as If It they should hould be least likely to take In dew dewor or 01 rain for fOl the they are arc covered b by a ahard ahard ahard hard varnish like e coating that keeps the sap In iii the leaf from escaping But that coating at rit once softens when rain and dew falls on It H drinks up all the tho moisture then at once glazes glaze the leaf D again with Its Impervious coat coal when the sunshine comes conies and so 80 bottles up I the dampness It has haN cau caught ht an and passed on to the leaf lear it prot protects I |