| Show correspondence LETTER FROM MEXICO A conference and a feast among native salute saints OZUMBA old mexico october 9 aw editor D Iff seret at length the last reverberations of the cutting cuff ns and aart sedgwick c scandals seem to have died away even in the remote parts of me lae republic Ke public where news from the capital does not penetrate for a month or so and where for that reason the excitement reached its highest point weeks after the cause was removed within the radius reached by the pulsations of the press calmness has long been restored though for a while in some parts it was somewhat dangerous for an american to make known his nationality excitement and THE SPIRIT OP OF WAR ran so high but here in this quiet town we were the recipients of none of their indignities further perhaps than being called a thief or a goat as we aou would be walking peaceably along the road tn these appellations appel lations are amo among the worst and lowest known to kelican the mexican ican although a literal trans lation into inid english of some of the common expressions used even in the best society here would appear most shockingly profane the name of deity bursts irom from their lips on oil the sligh slightest est provocation and is often heard beard mingled with their most refined expression of politeness As conference reports re ports are now in order a few lines concerning the one w we have lust just held here might be of interest to some of your numerous readers ozumba dzumba being midway between the capital and the herm calente Cal Ca tente hente on a line of railroad ana in the midst ot of a cluster of several important towns in most of which we have converts is the place selected for holding conferences WE HELD FIVE MEETINGS altogether in private houses bouses commencing on the evening of the ath with a priesthood meeting ro all the meetings were well attended a number of strangers seeming to take quite an interest much good instruction was given both by native brethren and elders BI i ers from utah some of whom enjoyed d to quite an extent the spirit of prop prophecy bey and made the most encouraging predictions rb concerning the future orthe of the work of the lord in this land the number of native workers in the infusion was nearly doubled by the calling ordaining and setting apart of native brethren to the priesthood with our numbers thus augmented and the early arrival of the book of mormon in spanish which is is so anxiously awaited and which we learn is almost if not quite ready we have strong hopes that the work from now on will take r rapid id strides athe the warmhearted warm hearted and gen generous Arous hospitality for which this peo people ae 11 are noted had an opportunity to 80 scow w itself in a most pleasant manner in providing food and shelter for those who had come from a distance to attend conference Confer erce 6 it did not inconvenience them much to proyce a bed for their fri friend frie eucke pd as that is one ne of the simplest things im im a inaba in mexico and consists of a rush mat m it on the flo floor orthe tue leeper deeper us using bg for a 0 ver hi scrape a naif halt blanket half with a longitudinal slit in the contre through which the wearer tarus is his head every mexican be being i 1 ng prova ded with one but the meals or ratha r feasts in which the whole con greg ereg participated were at once SIRI strikingly KINGLY NOVEL aw am I 1 characteristic of their whole so aled hospitality I 1 will aftem attempt t to de scribe one which will give an iaea idea of tb e rest the house bouse in which the forenoon v geeting ice tins was held had bad previously been i ec orated iu in a most tasteful mariner manner wit with lifto flowers aers leaves and evergreens ever greens so as to produce a highly pleasing effect 1 l I 1 need but to refer to the fact that mexico is a perpetual flower garden a and nd tha the aztecs azteca and their descendants ever since the conquest have been tamed lamed for their skill and taste in the cultivation and arranging of flowers to 10 convince the reader that the bo boquett wreathes crosses elci etc which adorned the room were not conj only protase and aal beautiful but tastefully fu dy arranged As soon as the services were con eluded willing hands quickly cleared the room of benches etc and in one end spread down a number of cles clean a rush rash mats on the floor of earth while at the ibe other end three tables of different altitudes were placed end to et erd d and partially covered with glean white tablecloths the and as many of the notice brethren as an could seated themselves on oa ti tie a benches which ran parallel on either side of the tables while the females female and children flocked around the mats mat an the floor when all were seated the FIRST i COURSE WAS WAO SERVED it consisted of rice which appeared I 1 10 e have first been boiled in water and at 1 berward fried in oil and was set on tte tt e table in a large pottery vessel abbt would hold nearly halt half a busho I aa A 1 the plates and bowls in the neighborhood had been borrowed for the occasion and stood in lofty piles near tt e huge vessel with the aid of a couple of large wooden spoons two ut of me brethren sod soon distributed to each one his portion tot rice but how were they to eat it without knife fork or er spoon this did not seem to be bea a very difficult problem for the natives aud we in had by ransacking the village ben able to provide most of the utah E ders with a fork or a spoon at shot intervals along the table were heaps t t f warm tortillas hortillas tor tillas this thin tough cakes u ade of corn hulled hailed in lime water ilten ground by bv band between two stouts into a stiff dough which is then patted out between the palms into thin cakes and baked on a large pottery plate or shield over a fire these ti tie the e natives would tear in two double the edges together Zether toi so as to form a tahe like spoon and dexterously scooping up a mouthful bite off the end in anius lils lil s way abone as one of the brethren remarked remar renia Aeo kec they have a clean spoon for each mouthful fried chicken turkey served with a kind of soup that was thick with chill or red pepper and the inevitable boiled beans tomed formed the other courses which appeared and disappeared in their proper r oper order accompanied by onlo fib Ft lettuce tuce fruits etc THE roon the lame the halt and the blind partook ilke alike of the bounteous feasts and a spirit of love and union that will long the be remembered seemed to pervade each bosom as we nain eted together whether chatting eating singing or listening to the words word of inspiration as they fell from the lips of the servants of the lord with whose presence we were blessed altogether it was one of the most enjoyable conferences I 1 ever had bad the privilege of attending respectfully res HORACE CUMMINGS |
