CHERAN : A SIERRA TARASCAN VILLAGE — BEALS 



193 



they have lived thus far. In the few cases 

 where this is done, eventually several brothers 

 and their wives may live in adjoining kitchens 

 and the economic enterprises of the family will 

 be carried on as a unit under the direction of 

 the father. In such cases a joint purse will be 

 kept by the parents or one of the older brothers. 

 All important activities will be subject of dis- 

 cussion and consultation, particularly such 

 matters as buying or selling land, building a 

 new house, etc. In time, the direction of affairs 

 will pass to the younger men, usually the older 

 brother dii-ecting and giving final decisions. 

 The extent to which the father will be consulted 

 as he grows old will depend in part on his 

 individual merits. 



More commonly a joint family will not be 

 established even though the son and his wife 

 may remain living in the family residence. If 

 the parents can afford it, they may give the son 

 a lot or even a house and lot where he can live. 

 Lacking parental aid, the son will do everything 

 he can to acquire a new house and lot. Or his 

 wife may own a house and lot which she has 

 inherited and in which the couple will live. 



Much the same situation will obtain regard- 

 ing farm lands. A father may give his son 

 some farm lands when he has shown he is able 

 to manage his affairs properly. Or the son 

 may work for others and save money to begin 

 acquiring his own land. And in a considerable 

 proportion of cases the wife will own lands 

 which the husband will farm. In some cases, 

 even though a joint family is not established, 

 a son will take over management of the farm 

 lands. 



Lacking farm lands, the man will work for 

 others as a laborer, become a trader going down 

 to the hot country, work in the forest cutting 

 ties, shakes, or lumber, or work at some trade 

 if he knows one. In any case he may do some 

 of these things on a part-time basis to supple- 

 ment his income. 



In addition to acquiring a house and lands, 

 the couple needs to assemble the proper tools 

 and furnishings. Although none of these are 

 expensive, in the aggregate they require a bit 

 of time, either to earn money to buy them or to 

 make them. A census of the things found in a 

 house, kitchen, and yard gives some idea of the 

 amount of accumulation required. 



Objects found in a house or "trojo": 



Sleeping mats 



Small table 



Chairs, either low chairs, regular size chairs, 



or stools, one for each man in the household 

 • and usually two or three for guests. 



Scrape, worn by the man during the day and 



serving as a blanket for man and wife at 



night. A second scrape will often be found 



if there are children. 

 Chest, box, or trunk for extra clothes 

 Saint's picture 

 Candle and candle holder 

 Flower holder 

 Ladder for getting to loft 

 Gun (sometimes) 

 Cross beam suspended from the ceiling on 



which are hung clothing, blankets, etc. 



Objects found in the kitchen: 



Wooden hooks for hanging up "anything" 

 Stump and flat stone for burning pitch pine 



for light 

 Corn husk mats for holding up pots( at least 



three) 

 Large comal 



3 "frying pans" of Pataniban pottery for 

 cooking meat 



1 "frying pan" of Patamban pottery for cook- 

 ing eggs 



Several round and oblong wooden bowls 

 Grass-root pot brush 

 Atole strainer 



4 cane splint baskets of various sizes 



2 pottery jars 



Broom for sweeping yard (of brush) 



Broom for sweeping house (of broom straw) 



Paring knife 



Bowls of Quiroga ware or Guanajuato ware 



for serving broth and meat on special 



occasions 

 Charcoal-burning flat iron 

 Gourd canteens for use at harvest time or in 



woods 

 Vz dozen china plates 

 % dozen china cups 

 Tea pot 

 China bowls 



% dozen wooden spoons of various sizes 

 Tin can for dipper to fill water jars 

 Chocolate beater 

 Tortilla baskets 

 2 water ollas 

 1 small pitcher 



5 large 2-handled pots 



8 smaller 1-handled pots 



Clay fireplace 



Firefan 



Small metate for chiles 



Large metate for maize 



