| Show interesting LETTER FROM ELDER HORACE CUMMINGS uis observations and experience in old mexico OZUMBA old mexico june 15 1886 editor deseret news it has been several months since I 1 last wrote anything for your columns as nothing noteworthy note worthy has recently transpired in connection with my labors that I 1 deemed suitable for your readers and my time has been ino mostly atly occupied in studying this language which is so musical when well spoken the district in which I 1 am laboring at present iD resent ia includes cludis a number of lair fair sized indian towns situated near the eastern edge of the tierra fria or cold country and three or four cities and towns about thirteen miles east of here in tile the tierra caliente or h hot t country although the extremes 0 of f this country are only about fifteen miles apart there is an astonishing difference in the CLIMATIC CLIMATE temperature AND PRODUCTS due to a difference of nearly feet in altitude ozumba dzumba where we make our headquarters is situated among the foothills on the western side of tile the famous volcano and here the climate is cool and delightful the nights are refreshing and now the rainy season has again commenced we are favored almost evera afternoon with a shower but below the edge of the plateau in the tierra caliente it is so hot and unhealthy and so infested with poisonous insects and reptiles that we make only monthly visits there staying only two or three days at a time in fact herein here in such close proximity we see on the one hand handtke the frigid summits of great rest betl and where eternal w winter inter has planted her feet so firmly that old sol with all his torrid fierceness cannot drive her away and on the other a warm tropical land ever i teeming with natures choicest products where here bud blossom and fruit follow each other to is an unbroken cycle throughout the year between them is found every degree degreeff of temperature pera ture and I 1 might almost say every variety of vegetation to be met in passing from pole to equator we have congregations organized in five of these towns besides a few seat scat bering 1 members but we are not ae accomplishing comp lishing as much as we could desire as from the peculiar customs and circumstances of the people we are unable to do much missionary work except on sunday the me men and often the women being away fr from home or at work in the fields field all 11 day during the week and we cannot visit them in the evening as they retire generally about dusk More moreover overs it is very DANGEROUS TO TRAVEL here after dark even near home as one of our native brethren and his companion were badly beaten and robbed near the formers house about two weeks ago and only the other evening my traveling companion W W cluff jr and a native elder ider were ere entering a barge large town a little after dusk when they were encountered by robbers on horses and covered wita revolvers through the cool and prompt replies ot the native elder however no injury was done in the second instance the fob robbers berd evidently concluding they had struck strack the wrong game put up their pistols and rode ou on the people are almost universally CATHOLICS and care to have but little to do with us especially after learning who we are so most of our time during the week weeks is spent in the house it at our books but on sunday we partly make up for lost time a as s w we e at attend t end four meetings during the e da day y in i three h ree different towns situated some distance from each other the first ine meeting eting commencing at b in the morning and the last one closing just in time for us to home h ome before dark A number ole of baptisms have recently taken place and several more will probably occur soon but the quagmire of religious thralldom into which the unfortunate indians were driven cen times ago by the bloody sword of the spanish conquerors still envelops so completely in its slimy depths almost tile the entire race of their descendants that the full glare of the gospel light has seemingly little power to penetrate penetrate the darkness that covers them and I 1 sometimes think that their present condition is but little if any better than when they reveled in cruel idolatry so bo greatly do the populace reverence the priests that I 1 have seen the people in a thronged thron ged street kneel and uncover their heads as if by a sudden ir impulse and remain in that for several minutes while a carriage carnage containing the archbishop arch bishop or some som other church dignitary was passing when the carriage W had dis appealed from sight they would rise dpn their hats and continue their walk this ceremony of reverence is observed wherever the archbishop goes tile the people kneeling in mud or dust it apparently makes no difference to them and I 1 am told that a few years ago foreigners of a different religion visiting this country who happened to be in the street on an such an occasion were forced to assume the same humiliating position but thanks to the influences accompanying compa nying the influx of foreign capital such is not now th case however in spite of their religious training for the masses are more to be pitied than blamed I 1 can truthfully say many GOOD WORDS FOR THIS PEOPLE they are generous hosp ible lable polite and kind A traveler who has lost his way need not lack for a good bed if lie he can find a house that contains one for the best is always willingly surrendered to the stranger who applies for hospitality their politeness is almost proverbial ver bial only yesterday on visiting the house of one of our indian brethren hl his is 1 little ittle four year old son playing in the baid raised his hat as I 1 e entered the gate and coming forward f 01 ward with extended hand saluted me in a manner that would have done credit to a alb 16 year old boy at home on being introduced to the poorest and most untutored of the nain indians one is generally greeted with 1 I have a great lionor in making your acquaintance my house is yours and 1 I am at your lord lordships ships service or words of similar purport and it they deem it necessary to be a little more moie than ordinarily polite they will indulge in still more extreme expressions of humiliation and devotion and often kiss ones hand whenever friends meet after a separation of any considerable length of time they always embrace each other whether of tue the same bame or opposite opposite sex and pass the warmest wor words s of greeting and often have I 1 been lifted almost off my feet in the arms of a stalwart tal wart indian brother who ho seemed delighted to see me in intact fact their frank generous gene ruas hospitality and polite treatment almost makes the stranger forget the utter absence of home comforts as tie he sits on the floor and eats the frugal meal of beans and chili and other dishes if his bid host can afford them that is spread wy i ay iy willing hands bands on a rush rusa mat before him speaking in a general sense there are but TWO CLASSES OF SOCIETY in mexico the rich and the poor the former are few in number but possess great wealth while the latter are directly opposite in both particulars 1 being exceedingly numerous as well ass as deplorably destitute of this worlds goods A sort of feudal system introduced by the conquerors still obtains here and I 1 am m told that nearly the whole of mexico is owned oy by only men land it is not taxed and the government is supported mostly from duties exports imports and most ai tides articles of domestic commerce are heavily taxed taryl the condition here reminds me of the enforcement of the infamous stamp act in the american colon colonies les every everything thing is stamped A three cent package of cigarettes bears a stamp of one fourth of a cent and I 1 was recently told by a reliable gentleman interested in mines that the stamps on the deeds transferring the title of a certain valuable mine min e amounted to the exorbitant sum of more than eight thousand dollars most legal documents even the receipts for ones rent must bear the inevitable stamp what this COUNTRY SADLY BADLY NEEDS is a strong healthy middle class which is now almost entirely wanting notwithstanding the constitution of this republic is very liberal and compares very favorably with our own the wealth influence and government are all in the hands bands of a few and the masses are oppressed not knowing how to use the powers of the ballot which thol they are supposed suppo ged to enjoy or for or other reasons re tons A the latter exercise no influence in the general government t and very little if any even in pal elections the only substitute here for a middle class the backbone of a nation is the partly educated indian who has succeeded in obtaining in his bis own right A few rods of land erected a cane or adobe house of one room whose sheltering roof protects not only his wife and children but a dozen dozea chickens two or three turkeys several dogs and sometimes a cat near the door is tied a yoke of oxen used in drawing the primativa prima tive one handled wooden plow attached to a straight stick tied to their beads in front of the horns instead of a yoke rooting Roo tint around in the yard will also be seen a number of pigs which at night aish tare are confined con in a willow pen and guarded by dogs or in the absence of the pen the pigs too go to augment the already heterogeneous household as everything not carefully guarded is stolen such is a fair picture of this class who form a large percentage of the populations in small towns and boua country try places placer the skilled workmen who tarn arn from 50 cents to 75 cents a day correspond to this class in the large cities but the lowest class is by far the most numerous the condition condi tiou of many of whom is indeed pitiable it is to be hoped however that the liberal ala school chool system now in vogue here together with the influences of railroads and greatly improved commerce contact with more advanced nations influx of american and european capital and enterprise as well as other causes now at work will shortly build up an intelligent commonwealth and ameliorate the condition of at least a portion of the class who so much need ft it spanish blood is mostly confined to the wealthy families but it is sometimes met in the lower classes most of whom however are pure blooded indians those of the latter who have received the gospel with sincerity and earnestness seem to have the fullest confidence in its principles and promises As an example I 1 will relate AN INCIDENT which occurred sometime some time ago one of our utah missionaries aurl and ar native elder eider were traveling in the tierra caliente Gal tente when the latter was stung by bya a scorpion he bad a bible and one or two other articles tied up in a handkerchief which he laid on the ground for a few minutes minute while engaged with a friend he had met on conti continuing nuin his journey he be picked up the parcel and as customary here where men have the venomous insect had bad clung to the parcel unobserved and stung slung the elder live times before he and his companion could set get it out and kill it he took the matter very coolly saying he was on the lords errand and re he would te take care of him when they arrived at the house bouse oi of a friend he was administered d to and felt no further in inconvenience from the stings I 1 could relate ma many ayin incidents illustrating their frith faith and the lords blessings resulting which have come under in my 0 observation but I 1 fear I 1 have already taken too much of your valuable space with my rambling remarks so I 1 will cluse ever desiring the onward march of this great latter day work L specially especially among this Inte interesting though fallen people I 1 remain your fellow worker HORACE CUMMINGS |
