Queens Back

A bright spot in old San Antonio until 1937 was its Hay Market Plaza. There, on the Mexican West Side at evening charcoal blazed under open pots and Mexican "Chili Queens" served hot tamales, enchiladas, tortillas, chili-&-beans, famed menudo (tender tripe and hominy) to customers at sidewalk tables. Then San Antonio authorities ran the "Chili Queens" off the Plaza as a "sanitary" measure.

Last fortnight San Antonio's new Mayor Maury Maverick solemnly advised a group of local respectables that they were violating the law by banqueting out-of-doors. If he and they could break the law, Maury Maverick went on to say, why not let the Hay Market Mexicans do the same? He promptly invited the "Chili Queens" to return. This did him no harm with the thousands of Texas Mexicans who are now his stanchest supporters.

One night last week the Mayor and his attractive wife went down to Hay Market Plaza, bought 15-c- portions of tamales, enchiladas, chili, tortillas and hot sauce. Guitar-playing troubadors in flaring red ties strummed and hummed La Cucaracha, La Golondrina, El Rancho Grande, and the resurrected Queens (aged 17 to 70) did a booming business at their red and green tables on the Plaza. There was one innovation. Mayor Maverick insisted that the Queens be clean.

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