Lincoln County leader., July 07, 1911, Image 2

r b
h?W W51
Pan icon st
BURIAL methods In Mexico have
been subjected to a number of
changes during the history of
the country and, to this day,
differ radically from the cus
toms observed in English-speaking
countries.
Practically all of the aborigines of
the country were converted to Cathol
icism during the early years of the
conquest. Previous to 1825, all dead
were buried in the churches, for to be
buried in consecrated ground was a
universal desire. The floors aud walls
of the churches necessarily soon be
came honeycombed with excavations
and etches in which the dead had
been placed.
A charge, varying from a few dol
lars to thousands, according to the sit
uation in the church, was collected for
the right of burial. Proximity to the
altar was most desired and the wri
tings left by the priests tell of fabu
lous sums paid for certain sections in
the more famous churches. The poor
er classes were buried in the more dis
tant parts of the churches, generally
in a catacomb, which provided sev
eral hundred nlcheB on each side of a
long passageway or tunnel. Certain
catacombs were set aside for paupers,
but for the most part graves were
rented for a certain period of time
or for perpetuity. It was a general
practice to pay for a term of five or
ten years, and on the expiration of
this time, when no further rental was
forthcoming, the bones were moved to
the charity catacomb, where they
were left with the hundreds of uni
dentified. The grave was then re
sold. This custom was practiced for 200
years, and only those familiar with
the great number of churches exist
ing in Mexico can imagine how the
dead were buried in the limited
ground inclosed within the walls of
the churches. It can be said truth
fully that every church in Mexico
marks the burial place of thousands.
Absolute necessity caused the clos
ing of all graves with cement, but
through carelessness this was not al
ways done properly, and early In the
lust century many of the epidemics
which were then scourging the coun
try were traced directly to the custom
of burial in the churches. The mat
ter was called to the attention of the
authorities by the physicians of the
time, and ultimately orders were is
sued throughout the republic prohib
iting further burials In the churches.
For many years the order could be en
forced only partially, owing to politi
cal difficulties within the country and
the refusal of the prlesU to comply
with the order, as well ae,-.tbe general
desire among the residents to follow
the old custom of being burled in hal
lowed ground. According to their
ideas this hallowed ground could ex
ist only within the space inclosed by
the walls of the church.
Trial by Jury.
Whence comes the system of trial
by Jury? In the opinion of Bourguig
non ,a French Jurist, "Its origin loses
itself in the night of time." Black
stone speaks of it as "a trial that hath
been UBed time out of mind." Reeves
thinks it was Introduced into England
by the Normans, who themselves ob
tained it from northern Europe. It is
certain that the Scandinavians bad an
established Jury system more than a
thousand years ago. The Normans on
their arrival in England found prevail
ing there the ordeal of hot irons,
which enforced the carrying of a
pound of heated metal by the accused
for a great distance, and the ordeal
of hot water, in which by way of
variation a stone had to be withdrawn
from a pitcher of boiling water. No
attempt at reform in this direction
was made by William the Conqueror.
Fresh Water From the Ocean.
One of the hottest regions of the
earth is along the Persian gulf, where
little or no rain falls. At Barnhln the
arid shore has no fresh water, yet a
comparative! numerous population
Gua najuato
Between 1830 and 1835 many por
tions of Mexico were visited by disas
trous epidemics of smallpox and
cholera, which caused the authorities
throughout the country to enforce the
orders in regard to the discontinuance
of all burials in churches and to pro
vide municipal burial grounds in
which to inter all bodies. These mu
nicipal cemeteries were divided Into
four parts, in three of which the
graves were rented and in the fourth
part burials could be made without
charge. The three pans carnea indi
vidual scales of prices, but the short
est term of rental was for a space of
seven years. Graves could be rented
at a certain rate per each Seven years,
or a perpetual right would be sold at
any time. Consequently the wealthier
people were all buried in one division,
where practically all the rights were
taken for perpetuity, while in the
cheaper divisions many of the rights
would expire at the end of the first
seven years. When the time expired
and no payment was made to cover
the subsequent rental, the bones were
exhumed and placed on the bone pile,
which was periodically burned. This
plan is still continued in a few of the
interior places, but since 1860 most
ef the larger municipalities have dis
continued the practice of burning the
bones.
The arrangement of the cemetery
of today In Mexico follows the same
plan of division, always providing one
section in which no charge Is made
for burial. As the greater part of the
population is very poor this free di
vision forms the largest part of the
burial groundB. These different divi
sions are separated by high walls, as
1b the entire cemetery separated from
the surrounding grounds. The en
trance Is arranged in the first or highest-priced
division from which gate
ways lead to the poorer divisions.
The first division is generally made
into a place of great beauty, for In
addition to the decorations on the in
dlivdual graves, the municipal author
ities expend much time and money on
the upkeep of the entire division.
The prices charged for lots vary
with the town or city. In the larger
cities there are often many divisions
made of the first-class lots according
to the desirability of their location.
In this way the very wealthy may
gain an excluslveness which is often
not possible In the smaller places. In
some Instances in Mexico City lots
have sold for as high as $20,000, yet
the average first-class lot can be rent
ed for a period of seven years for $16,
or a perpetual right can be obtained
for $150. In the second and third di
vision, this price Is greatly reduced.
Practically all of the graves taken
In the first division are for perpetuity,
while In the second and third,' the re
verse is the cose. When the seven
years have expired on the rented
graves and no renewal has been
contrives to exist there, thanks to co
pious springs which burst forth from
the bottom of the sea. The fresh wa
ter Is got by diving. The diver, sitting
in his boat, winds a great goatskin bag
around his left arm, the hand grasp
ing its mouth. Then he takes in his
right hand a heavy stone, to which is
attached a strong line, and thus
equipped, he plunges in and quickly
reaches the bottom. Instantly open
ing the bag over the strong Jet of fresh
water, he springs up in the ascending
current, at the same time closing the
bag, and is helped aboard. The stone
1b then hauled up, and the diver, after
taking breath, plunges again. The
source of these copious submarine
sprlngB is thought to be In the green
hills of Oman, Borne 500 or 600 miles
distant
Home Finance.
"Another scandal in high life."
"How now?"
"They say that Mrs. Van Squawk
exacts a percentage of all her serv
ants' tips."
made, ail monuments and marks ark
removed and the grave leveled with
the ground. A record of the grave is
kepthowever, and when fifteen years
has passed from the date of the for
mer burial it is again rented. It' is
found that, by that time, all vestige of
the former body has been destroyed.
In many places nlcheB are made in
the walls surrounding the cemeteries
Into which the bones are placed after
the expiration of the seven years. By
law all bodies must be interred for at
least this length of time, after which
the bones may be removed from the
ground and placed In the niches, if
the relatives so desire. Oftentimes
one niche is used for an entire family.
The bones are carefully removed from
the grave and, after being placed in a
small box or urn, they are deposited
in the niche. The opening is then
closed in Buch a way as to render the
space airtight. The usual lettering is
placed on the exterior, giving the
name of those whose remains are
within, together with the date of their
birth and death, much the same as the
Inscriptions on tombstones.
The average rental for a niche is
$25, which pays for the perpetual use,
no rentals being made on any other
basis. This method Is used more gen
erally by people of the middle class
who are not able to buy a perpetual
right in the first division of the bury
ing ground, but who generally rent a
grave in the second or tmra division
and at the expiration of the seven
years move the remains to the niches.
In the city cf Oaxaca, in the south
ern part of the republic, niches were
built for the first time more than six
ty years ago. Shortly after they had
been built an epidemic of cholera
made great ravages on the population.
People died so rapidly that it was im
possible to prepare a sufficient num
ber of graves to bury them. In order
to stamp out the peBtilence by com
pletely disposing of the remains, the
bodies were placed in the niches and
the opening closed and thoroughly ce
mented. The wall containing these
niches stands today, being the west
ern wall of the first division in the
Oaxaca cemetery. Last year It was
discovered that one side of this wall
was sinking and a great crack had
appeared, passing through some oi me
niches where the cholera victims had
been placed. Many people were frigh
tened lest another cholera epidemic
should ensue. The authorities hastily
ineo tho nnenine and consulted emi
nent authorities as to the possible dan
ger that might result.
fin manv years bad passed since the
appearance of the cholera, and with
the continual sunshine peculiar to uax
aca, the wall containing the niches
had been bathed in sun nearly every
day for the entire period. It was the
opinion of the medical authi s con
sulted that no better place could nave
been found for the cholera victims, as
the germ of this disease lives only so
Inn? ar moisture is available, but once
thoroughly dried no danger can come
from it. The sextons at the cemetery
had unknowingly made the best possi
ble disposition of the bodies and this
perhaps did much toward checking
the spread of the dread disease.
Appropriate.
"Youngpop Is going to have his baby
christened Bill."
"How strange."
"Oh, I don't know. The youngster
came on the first of the month."-"
Puck.
Keeping Him In Ignorance.
Radical Guest By the way, duchess,
if we abolish the lords this session,
won't the duke be awfully upset?
Duchess Oh, I expect he would;
but I shan't let him know, you know!
Punch.
Mute Proof.
"You need a new door mat
Tour
old mat is about worn out."
"A well-worn mat is the lawyer's
best advertisement," responded the
attorney. "Shows that a few clients
are coming his way."
Anybody "Stung?"
Marlon, O., sends along a peculiar
story, but because of its previous good
conduct, perhaps, It will pass. A
sealed can of tobacco was shipped to
one of Marion's big citizens, who, up
on opening it, while loosening up the
tobacco, found a live and thriving
honey bee snugly nestling in its
leaves. Fully alive to its release,
however, the bee was .quick to fly away
Into the bright sunshine, and now
Marion's man of standing is wonder
ing whether the bee was hatched in
the can or was by accident imprisoned
when the tobacco was packed. New
Orleans Picayune.
Red 'In Human Hair.
Human hair is given its red color
because It has more than the usual
proportion of Bulphur in its composi
tion. The Loglo Feminine.
"My dear, what would you say if I
asked you if you thought me perfectly
sane?"
"That you were crazy to ask me
such a thing."
fflfflCB
ANIMALS ARE EASILY MADE
Imitations of Pretty Little Pets May
Be Put Together Out of Raisin
and Few Cloves.
(By MYRTLE T. IRONS.)
I know that many of my playfellows
have all sorts of pretty pets cats,
dogs, birds, and many others of which
they are very fond, so I am sure
they will be Interested In hearing how
to make imitation animals out of quite
simple materials.
Let us take the turtle, for Instance.
Get a big prune or raisin and flatten
It down with your fingers. Now stick
four cloves (which must also be beg
ged from mother's pantry) in It for the
legs, and another one for the head
and, hey presto! you will have a most
realistic looking turtle which may be
pulled along by a thread. (Fig. 1.)
A frog also Is simple to make, but
must be put together in a somewhat
different manner. First of all cut his
Imitation Pets.
shape out of paper which has been col
ored a greenish grey, and paste this
onto an egg shell. (Figs. 2 and 3.)
The slightest breath of air will make
him wriggle in a most lifelike manner.
A Lie is Forever.
The far-reaching possibilities and
consequences of a lie, are beautifully
Illustrated in the following story:
A little girl whom we know came
in her night clothes very early to her
mother one morning, saying: "Which
Is worse, to tell a lie or steal?"
The mother, taken by surprise, re
plied that both were so bad she
couldn't tell which was the worse.
"Well," said the little one, "I've
been thinking a good deal about it,
and I've concluded it's worse to lie
than to steal. If you 6teal a thing,
you can take it back, unless you've
eaten it; and if you've eaten it, you
can pay for it. But' and there was
a look of awe in the little face "a
lie is forever."
The Cucumber In the Bottle.
"When I was a little boy." re
marked an old gentleman, "somebody
gave me a cucumber in a bottle. The
neck of the bottle was small, and the
cucumber so large that It wasn't pos
sible for It to pass through it, and
I was greatly puzzled to know how tt
got there. But oue In the garden one
day I came upon a bottle Blipped over
a little green fellow that was still on
the vine, and then I understood It all.
The cucumber had grown in the bot
tle. I often see men with habits that
I wonder any strong, sensible man
could form; and then I think that
likely they grew Into them when they
were young, and cannot slip out of
them now; they" are the cucumber.
Look out for the bottle, my boys."
Tlnderbox Still Used.
Matches have not yet displaced the
tlnderbox in certain rural district of
Spain and Italy.
DCS GTOBEI OffES &
mfflV RflStfCfl Of 17
WCOSK) TO P09KJ B07S3 M0R3 7M2R3 DOS
' DOS OS A RflHAK) m&SNBm ,u,K)DK)(
tfcWs tfCOT kssi? doom ki a stfaoaats..
BOBBY'S POCKET.
Our Bobby Is a little boy of six years old
And every' k!n1 of rubbish in his pocket
he will stow.
One day he thought he'd empty it (so he
again could stock it);
And here's an alphabet of what was found
in Bobby's pocket.
A was a rosy Apple, with some biles out
here and there;
B was a bouncing rubber Ball that bound
ed In the air.
C was a crispy, crusty Cake, with citron
on the top:
D was a dancing Donkey that could Jump
around and hop.
E was a little robin's Egfr, all speckled
blue and brown:
F was a fluffy Feather that was white
and soft as down.
0 was a lively Grasshopper, whose legs
and wines were preen:
II was a grimy Handkerchief that once
perhaps was cleun.
1 was a plaster Image that had lost its
plaster head;
J wan a Jolly Jumping Jack all painted
blue and red.
K was a keen and shining Knife, 'twould
cut the toughest bark:
li was a little wooden Lion, strayed out
of Noah's Ark.
M was a Marble, large and round, with
colors bright and clear:
N was a bent and rusty Nail, of little
use, I fear.
O was a tiny Oil Can, which was always
upside down;
P was a Penny Bob had saved to spend
some day in town.
Q was a quilted ear tab, which had lost
Its velvet mate;
R was a Ring with glassy gero of won
drous size and weight.
S was a String, a piece of Soap, a Stone,
a Sponge, a Stick:
T was a lump of Taffy, exceeding soft
and thick.
V, an umbrella handle of silver-mounted
horn;
V was a comle Valentine, a little creased
and worn.
W was some sticky Wax, lovely to pinch
and mould:
X was an old Xpress, worn out in every
fold.
Y was a lot of Yellow Yarn, all bunched
up like a mop;
Z was a Jagged piece of Zinc, found In a
plumber's shop.
All these are Bob's possessions; he loves
each single thing;
And owning all these treasures he's as
happy as a King!
-Carolyn Wells, In Little Folks.
MAGIC SQUARE IS CURIOUS
Columns, Perpendicular, Horizontal or
Diagonal, All Add Up 369 An
other Peculiarity.
Here Is a curious magic square, the
columns of which horizontal, perpen
dicular and diagonal all add up 369,
43 84 80 18,7 (0 16 SO
68 44 SO.'lfl 11 8,70 08 60
88 64,7 89 81 IS 8 sT8 70
72,-55 47 89 81 83 11 TO
M 87 40 ' 41 S3 25 IT n
"
8Xv75 87 69 81 43 85 8710
12 ,77 80 81 53 43, 'jia 80
14 C79 71 68, 88 80
82 84 16 "64 M 48 40
Curious Maglo Square.
but which has the further peculiarity
that all of the odd numbers are placed
within the inscribed diagonal squares.
The Girl Beat
At a county fair held in Massachu
setts, a prize of $25 was offered to the
victor in a pony race. Nine boys and
one girl entered for the event, and
the girl came out so far ahead that
some of the boys rode off the grounds
in disgust. Perhaps we may see the
day when a girl will beat a boy throw
ing stones at a mark or outrunning
him in a foot race.
(FOSM - M K) !
AS3B 53 SO,.