TUK OMAHA SUNDAY HKK: DKCKMBEU J, 1012.
5 ii
Capital of
(Copyright, 191 by Frank C. Carpenter !
t'ATRMAT.A P1TViim n-llh
G me and take a look at the
I caoltal of Guatemala It Is
one of the prettiest towns of j
the western hemisphere, and
at the present time the clean
i st and brightest of all the cities
Of I
SMnlsh America. It contains
over
inc,000 people and covers enough ground
for 1,000,000. Just now the town iooks
as though It had come out of a band
box. The houses were all newly painted
W the orders of the president. Just be
'A visit of Secretary Knox. -At
.he same- time brass knockers on the
doors were shlned, the brass knobs on
the balconies were made to look like
gold, and tho" result Is we have a newly
treated city as spick and span an tile
rose-colored capital of Jalporc In India,
s A Spnutuli Ton n.
Guatemala City Is Spanish In architec
ture. Tho ouly building over fifty feet
high are the churches. The residence-?
are low and seldom of more than one
story. Skyscrapers are unknown In Cen
tral America, and tho sky line Is, as a
rule, straight from one end of tho street
to the other. Most of the houses are
close to the street. They are built of
brick or stone covered with stucco. They
consist of large rooms running around a
patio, or garden. In the center. The win
dows facing the sidewalk aro low and
are Invariably covered with Iron bars. I
There are ledges which are used as seats
nnd leaning places, and one frequently
ses pretty Spanish girls looking out.
The most of the roors are flat, with
walls along the front, which are often
decorated with knobs or ornamental
stucco wbk. The roofs are of red tiles,
and. as a whole, tho .buildings ore plo
turesquo. '
Artistic nud Quaint.
1 wish I could take you Inside some of
these houses. They are delightful homcB
and they abound In quaint features. As
our young girls would say. "I am Just
crazy over the door knockers." They nre
made of brass and are of most beautiful
rhapes. Somo are brass handa, others
are female heads and some are of
wrought, Iron artistically shaped. The
doors themselves are heavy and are
often studded with Iron or brass nails
exquisitely finished. Some of the front
doors aro as big as those of n barn and
the larger ones havo smaller doors cut
through them. Tho big door Is for tho
carriages, and a man'n team drives right
into his house, the curbstones being so
sloped In places that one can get to the
sidewalk without Jolting1. In some houses
tho stable Is at the back or side of the
latlo. and the best rooms are often on
the second floor.
'llie Dcnit'r of Central Amrrlrn.
Guatemala City Is the Denver of Cen
tral Amorlca. It has tho same clear air,
the same bright skies, and it Is about as
near heaven as 'our pious metropolis of
the Hookies. It l situated on the back
hono of mountains which run from
Alaska to the Strait of Magellan, and lta
altitude Is 1,WM feet above that of the
Allcghenles. It He In an amphitheater
slirroiinded by volcanoes and Is bor
dered by gorges and ravines, which Its
people think keep oft the earthquakes.
The present capital was founded Just
about tho time that we sent forth our
declaration of independence, but the old
city of Guatemala, which lay imny
jnlle.1 away at the foot of tho Volcano
de Agua, was one of the first cltlea of
tlw new world, and 100 years or so ago
It far surpassed anything In the United
StatPS In Its size and magnificence. Its
location, however, was bad, and it waa
destroyed aguln nnd again. The last
earthquake occurred about 1773, when for
tho third time tTio city was reduced to
ruins. The people then decided to move,
end they came to this place and laid out
tho town of today.
The new Guatemala was planned after
that of the old city. It has many plazas
or 'open spaces, and Its streets cross ono
another at right angles. There aro eight
een streets and thirteen avenues, the
MreetH( crossing the avenues nt right an
gles and forming many squaro blocks of
Wl feet on each side. The streets are
viae ana wen paveu. nicy are nuruereu
b sidewalks and lined by these Spanish
houses, which are painted In all the col
ors of tho rainbow.
In tho center of the city Is a great
plaza, upon which is ono of tho largest
icathedrols on the continent, and where
'thero are also tho city hall, the Episcopal
palace, the old jnlnt and the Portal del
Commerclo, consisting of fine stores
which look out upon arcades facing the
plaza,
A Cltr of Churches.
Tho cathedral here Is worth seeing. It
Is planned after thai of Mexico City, In
BEAUTY OF
Skin and Hair
Enhanced
CUTIOJRA
oap and Ointment
No other emollients do sc
much for the complexion,
hair and hands, nor do it so
quickly and economically.
Their use tends to prevent
pore-clogging, pimples,
blackheads, redness, rough
ness and other unwhole
some conditions of the skin.
Ortom BMP u4 O&tmcnt Mil ttraatboat Cse
,fH. Utanl Hosts web ntSnl free, with
tt-p. bock. MiSnm Cvocm." Drpt. llrp, Bcyum
iTTaliHinl aea brrs la coOJort 1W
lCutt-
pfafrM.
aanv teas MwtrtarMtk, Sk, LUnl ua;
Guatemala
i m 1
the form of a Latin cross, with three j
aisles running down the center and other '
aisles on each side, making five In all. j
It covers a great area and Its gigantic
toners can be seen for miles over the
country.
The building wns begun In 17S2, and at
first It was planned to cost but $300.1)).
The expenses upon It have, however, been 1
many times that, and It Is now one of
the gorgeous buildings of I.atln America.
The (tulplt Is plated with gold and there
Is a gold crown above It. Gold emblems
hang from each of tho pillars and there
are scores of paintings of saints In gold
frames on Its walls. The altar Is of
Carara marble with beautiful carvings,
and the whole church is magnificent.
Leaving the cathedral and driving about
through the city one sees fine churches
or church .buildings In almost every block.
In the past the people were much more
devout than they are now and the priest
had more power. Today some of the old
convents have beon turned Into govern
ment offices and the administration Is
rRther opposed to the church than In
favor of It.
One of the most Interesting of the ec
clesiastical buildings Is the Church of
Santo Domlnso. It was begun w.hen the
city was founded and was completed at
about the same time that Thomas Jeffer
son left the White House. The stones of
this church are said to be laid' In a mor
tar mixed with milk and sugar cane
Juice, supplied by ono of tho nabobs of
the past. In its vaults are the mummies
of the early friars.
The Church of San Francisco, which
was begun In 1S0O. had its'' mortar mixed
with the whites of eggs, but Just how
many eggs were cmployeu is not known.
This church once had .a convent jcon
nected .vltii It, and at one time It was
used as a pantheon forUhe burial of dis
tinguished persons. The! church has now
been taken over by the government nnd
the general postofflce occupies the con
vent. Many of the churches are shrines and
to some of them pilgrims pome from all
over Guatomala. In the Clnirch of 1m.
Merced Is a statue, known as the block
Virgin, which was- consecrated In 1717,
so that It Is almost 200 years old. It Is
considered especially holy and Is a fa
vorite shrine.
A (inixl MUxlou Klrld,
And Just here I would say that Guate-.
mala Ih a splendid field for missionary
work. The people are Catholics, but they
have a religion llko that of tho middle
ages and they need regeneration. The
work should bo done by our Catholic
missionaries, who would, I believe, find
the grain ripo for thoharvcst. It must
bo remembered that a great majority of
thesGuatcmalans are Indians. Guate
mala has more than two millions popu
lation, nnd of these about 1,000,000 have
no white blood. The Indians are divided
up Into tribes, and many of the tribes
have a mixture of Catholicism and of
their old faith. They have their priests,
but they also havo medicine men and fire
and devil worship. This Is so of the
Quiches, who nre descended from the
Toltccs, who ruled Mexico before the
Aztecs. Thero aro several hundred thou
sand 'of them.
The Indians of Guatemala are naturally
devout. Tho greater support of the church
comes from them, and I see-i half dozen
red men to every white man In tho
churches. It Is perhaps due to the In
dians that the worship of today is so full
of superstition. The statues In the
churches are gorgeohsly decorated. In
some places the Christ Is clud In a woolen
gown like a monk, and nearly every
where the wax Madonnas have gowns of
brocaded llk and their heads aro deco
rated with Jewels.
As It Is now the church Is very poor.
nnd with the opposition of the govern
ment It Is difficult to support tho clergy.
The priests are not free to speak as they
please, and tho power and wealth which
they had In the past have disappeared. As
to Protestant mission worK, Jhere Is some
carried on by tho Presbyterians, the
Methodists nnd the Evangelists. I nm
o Presbyterian myself, but I really be
Heve the best work can be done here by
the Catholics, and that Central America
should bo given over to them. What Is
wanted Is not a new faith, but a regen
eration, 'revivifying and modernization of
what the reoplo bellevo now, and this
can be much more easily and effectively
accomplished by our Catholic church as
It is today.
The Theater and the Hull IlinR.
But you must not think that Guatemala
Is all churches. It has a fine theater and
a well patronized bull ring. The theater
Is named after Columbus, and Its build
ing was modeled after the Church of
the Madelalne In Paris. It has a subsidy
from tho government, nnd Etars are
brought In from Italy, Spain and Mexico.
The bull ring Is right near tho Central
railway station, and during the season
all classes meet there Sunday afternoons
to see tho fun. Now and then bulls are
Imported from Spain to contest with the
Guatemalan bulls, and some of the chlof
Spanish bullfighters come here to take
part. As a rule, however, the animals
used are oxen, with now and then an old
bull for a change.
There are always good bands at the
bull fights and the city has plenty of mu
sic. The military bands play in the parks
and on Sunday afternoons rich and poor
walk about there and listen to popular
and classical airs.
Mule Street Cnn,
There Is also plenty or driving and a
little automoblllng. but Joy riding is
large'v confined to the rleh The only
ears are niu-raihionfi trams
drawn by mules, and the1 cars go at such
Clean and
Irregular Intervals that one can Iwuulv
tell when they will come, Decides they
are usually filled with Indians mid half
breeds, which ninny consider" unpleasant.
The fares are equal to two-thirds of n
cent of our money, but tho street car
company pays no dividend.
As to the main drives one Is lo the
Jllppdflrome, where Is the race tracks, and
Tempt a of Mlnenn, and another Is out
over the Boulevard u lleforma to the na
tional museum. Tilts boulevard is ono
of the fine roads of Centrat America. It
Is several hundred feet wide, nnd tho
four driveways divided by rows of trees
and greensward. There ore statues un
der the trees, and now nntf then a circle
with- some great monument In It, This
boulevard Is lined with the chief public
buildings. Thero is a fine military school,
a hospital for convalescents, tho mili
tary hospital, and the homes of the richer
Guatemalans, the street ending at tho
national museum.
It Is on this boulevard that stand
Guatemala's two famous bull statues.
These are life-size figures of bulls rep
resented as they might bo In tho bull
ring. One shows the bull defiant and
the other when it has Just been struck
with tho banderlllo In the shoulder. They
are tho only statues of bulls 1 have ever
seen, except the great one In the museum
nt Nnples. Tho only camel stutue Is
that ridden by General Gordon at Khar
tum In the Sudan.
Among tho most Interesting monuments
and buildings of Guatemala ore those
erected In honor of education, nnd this,
strange to say, In a country where there
are less than 60,000 school children in a
population of 2,000,000. Tho president of
the republic Is an enthusiast on the sub
ject of schools, nnd one of his ways of
showing It Is by the erection of these
temples to Minerva, which are to be
found at all the large cities.
The temple here, of which 1 have al
ready spoken In connection with the visit
of Secretary Knox, covers about a quar
ter of nn acre. It consists of a great
platform with a roof upheld by twenty
four Ionic columns. The front of tho
building has allegorical figures repic
sentlng Civilization nnd Progress mid
under them an Inscription saying thut
Manuel Estrada Cabrera, tho president
of the republlof has erected this for tho
study of tho youth bf the country.
Similar buildings, though not so grand,
have been erected to the Goddess of Wis
dom and Education in other places. I
saw ono In the town of Progreso nS 1
came, over the railroad from tho Carib
bean sea to Guatemala City, and thero
nre others at Quezaltenango and else
wheie. In theso temples there are annual fes
tivals of tho school children, at which
time tho eminent men of the republic
make, speeches and the llttlo ones como 1
out In Great parades. There Is song I
singing; oratory and essay reading, and
altogether a feast of reason nnd flow
i( soul of a sort.
Cubrern nnd tin Schools,
I understand that President Cabrera
has done considerable In the way of
Improving the schools. At tho time
came Into power they wero closid for
lack of funds. Ho ordered them opened,
and a year later began theso festivals to
Minerva, BIneo then he has established
home thousands of primary schools and
has Instituted normal and Industrial
schools. Tho country has now a national
Institute, which confers degrees. It has
a mnnual sqhool for women, n national
conservatory of music, a school of art
nnd schools for law, medicine and en
gineering. Tho national library contains about
20,003 volumes nnd mnny manuscripts, In
cluding the records of the Inquisition In
Guatemala. In the law school library
thero aro S.0C0 law books, and the city
library has about 3,000 more. Ono of
the best English libraries Is that of the
American club, which numbers 2.G09
volumes. i
Tenrhrrx nt IB Cents n Xiuf.
The chief trouble with the schools here
Is the lack of money for teachers. A
great deal has been spent for temples
and for puttlmr up school buildings. Hut
many of the building are empty, nnd
boine of the schools are without scholars.
There Is not enough In tho treasury to
pay for good teachers, and ordinary in
structors get from 12 to 15 cents a dav.
It is the same with other government
employes. I nm told that circuit Judses
recelvo 20) pesos per month. This, at tho !
present rate of exchange, equals $12 or
15; and as a Judge of this ltlnd usually
has a house which would rent for threo
times that p$r month, It Is hard to seu
how he keeps up tho proper stylo on thh
salary. The only way ho can do so Is by
graft, and as a result Justice is often
for sale to the highest bidder.
The process of getting a favorablo de-
ciee, as I am told, Is as follows; Tho
man who wishes to win his case calls
upon the judge a night or so before tho
day set for the trial. Ho does not argue
for or against It. but merely tnakus a so-
olal vlblt. and upon leaving lays a check
payable to bearer upon tho ohalr or ta
ble. The Judge understands, and If tho
check Is cashed the man Is the winner.
As It U. everything about .the schools
Is behind the times. I bought a geogra
phy of Central America at ono of the
chief, book stores. It was published by
Appleton Cb. In ISM, and from it the
little Guatemalans aro learning that th
ITnlted States has now SS.OOO.OCO people.
while the other figures given ar those of
eighteen years Bgo
tVirrt About the lrra.
It ' the iam with the ncwsiaiir
They ure few In n amber and su.a'; u
circulation. There la not one in the ap-
Pretty City
Hal which hits a dally Issue of more than
5,t00, and the Sunday lsue of the Journal
which you are reading contains more
print than any Guatemala newspaper lias
In one week-1 might almost say In a
month. Nevertheless, thero nre four
dallies published In Guatemala City, and
there are eight moio periodicals reals
tered. The papers havo six columns to
a pAgo and the pages measure twentv
two by twenty-eight Inches. There are
somo telegrams, considerable local news
nnd "not a little advertising. The adver
tising rates aro not more than 5 cents
per Inch for each Insertion, and they run
ns high ns $10 gold per page, with reduc
tions for long contracts.
KHANK G. CAllPBNTKIt.
Get This For Colds
Prescription for Positlre Results
Don't Experiment.
"From your druggist get two oilnces
of Glycerine nnd half an ounce of Globe
Pino Compound (Concentrated Pine).
Take theso two Ingrodlcnts homo and
put them Into a half pint of goud whlH
key. Shako well. THko one to two teu
spoonfuls after each meal and nt bed
time. Smaller dosen to children' un
cording to age." This In pnld to bo the
quickest-cough nnd cold euro known to
tho medical profession. Ho sure to get
only tho genuine Globe Pino Compound
(Concentrated Pine), Each half ounco
bottle comes in a tin screw-top sealed
case. If your druggist In out or stock
ho will (illicitly get It froiv his whole
sale house, l'on't fool with uncertain
mixtures. It Is risky. Lnj-al druggists
say thnt for the past six years this has
had a wonderful demand,
SORB mux, Corns, Callouses, Hun
Ions, Krost lilies. Aching and Sweaty
Kcet. A spoonful of Calocldo In tho foot
bath gives Instant relief. Get a Sfic box
at any drug store. Advertisement
Ml I 111
MOTEL GALVEZ
OPEN ALL THE: YEAR. A A DAVID
MiUMMrnrinnsiaiiiiii n im i i i m t m inmnwimHBniwBMSHiunrr-n
ii Mim-n hi mi i ! mm in in vmmmmPLL win mi i;
Forget
it's
in the life,
the
and roses of Galveston.
An1 ideal climate for health or pleasure, outdoor sports for
every taste, surf bathins: and a dozen other delightful wavs
of enjoying to the
XO REACH GAL V iSTUN i A. K fc; T H E K A X "V"
Trains from your city make close connections at St. Louis and Kansas City with Katy trains for Texas. It is
shert trip of delightful comfort on lnc Jycp a fast dependable train from St. Louis and
Kansas City. No waits, no delays for connections for it's Katy all-the-way. Special winter
tourist fares now in effect to Galveston long limit, June 1st, 1913, and liberal stop-overs.
W. S.
A small de
posit will hold
any purchai for
O h r 1 t nt a s dt-Jlvsry.
ATTEND
sstrich Plumes and Birds
Phenomenal Savings Are to
Plumes
imas
Make an Ideal 1 AWMW,
Xmas Gift "'W WVW
1 Aw.:mi7)fl
WE HAVE JUST MADE A MOST FORTUNATE PURCHASE OF
PLUMES
WHV A1?TT TH1?V QA ffS?AP9 Ucnutso wo bought tho-raw ostrich
If 111 H.SLi HlDl OV tnCfAl f nt a great wiorifiee. Thou wo found
a lnanulai'turor that needed work. lo agreed io manufacture them for us at eost of
labor. That brings the beautiful pinnies down to where '
Monday You Buy Them at Just About Half
Remember, there is only new ostrich, now colors, clean merchandise and a wonder
ful variety to select from.
New French Willow Plumes,
These beautiful ostrich plumes aro iuanufactujed specially for us. You can
only buy them hero. Come in all tho protty colorings as well tis white and
black. They are an excellent
French Plumes
t $3.98
.Hundreds of beautiful
French Plumes in t his lot.
"White, black and colors.
Made of the finest malo stock
with large French (PQ QQ
heads, Mon. spee'l. ,V"0
j
l i l i
winter hp north
a.
gayety, the sunshine
fullest this playground of
Fine hotels; one the million dollar gem on the sea-wall, typical
southern hospitality and social life, theatres, cafes, up-to-date
stores and quaint old shops for your pleasure and comfort.
Write now for particulars and booklets, "Hotel Galvez," "Galveston,
tho Resort City," "Galveston tho City of Commerce." Address: Gal
veston Commercial Association, Galveston, Texas.
For fares, berth rnsorvaUlona or
re Tirar ararcst rnllroad
ST. GEORGE, G. P. A., M. K.
GEO. A. McNUTT, District Passenger Agent,
lOHMKUIA TIIH
MJNNKTT CO.
THIS GREAT SALE
OF
value at $110. Special, during-
Willow Plumes
$8.98
Guaranteed Willow Plumes.
Come in white, black or
colors; 24-in. wide nnd i2G-in.
long; actually worth twice
tho prlco wo iiHk, for qq An
Mondny'B Rrent Plunio tpQ,jQ
Mini i flffitMhi ill
kS WINTER:
i
K7i
the Great Southwest.
nnr travel Infoi
acent, or write
& T. Ry., Wainwright Bldg., St.
M. K. & T. Ry., 805 Walnut St.,
Ton are sofa
with yonr pur
chase hr. A
'written giisrante
with every par-chait.
of Paradise
Be Made
Monday
you buy thdm
at just ubout
Half
6b
this solo
French Plumes
$5.98
Shaded French Plumes in
ovory color including a large
variety of white and, black;
tho beauty of these plumes
cnnnol bo npproclntotl (Trf Aft
till Hccn; Monday tp9t0
LAlTBFT?.. MGP.
-
Bar
it" lo tio geat-
II onJritDd.
Louis, Mo.
Kansas City, Mo.
$10
a
r