The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932 Page: 315
348 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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A Log of the Texas-California Cattle Trail, 1854
through which we came; the road is reported to be good. Other
things needful for passable travelling is wanting.
Did pay a visit to town. Adobe houses greet the eye upon en-
terance. The plan is very irregular; the church is about ten by
twenty feet, no attempt at ornament, except in the front plaster-
ing, immediately over the door and in the gable, is hung a small
Bell; on the right hand of the door are two more, upon one is
inscribed VUESTRA SENORA DE, GUADALOUPE ANO 1807.
In the same court is the blacksmith shop, a place of importance
in these Mexican town. The anvil used is quite a curiosity and
came from a mountain of native Iron fifteen miles distant."7 This
piece of iron is . .. one third . .. under ground. I
suppose it would weigh three and a half tons.
As night approached the sound of a violin in a house nearby,
gave some evidence that there would be a Fandango at night;
these preperations were going on during the hour fbr confession,
and within twenty yards of the church door.
The Military, what shall I say of them? Their appearance
twice a day, at morning and evening parade, is well calculated to
keep one fat; or kill him; for if a certain amount of laughter
will keep one fat, a greater amount would have the latter effect,
and the consequence, would in all probability be death. The band
of musicians is composed of five boys with brass trumpets, and
one with a drum; his style of beating is spasmodic; it is difficult
to distinguish the soldiers from the citizens, and can only be done
so by the difference in ornament. Each soldier has an ornament
stuck on some part of the body, without regard to fitness. They
are in fact a set of ragmuffins.
The women do the principal part of the work, about the house-
hold; the men, long fellows with broad shoulders and no other
part in proportion, seemed to be very busily engaged in lounging.
The Padre - only reported to have been drunk once since our
stay - two days - is rather the best specimen of manhood I
have seen; and from the rotundity of his corporation - although
the thought is impious - I suspected him of indulgence of un-
spiritual things.
A new Padre has just arrived with an escort of some five or
six men, all mounted. This one is a younger man and much
87The sketch of the anvil and its attendant description is omitted.315
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932, periodical, 1932; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101092/m1/319/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.