The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1884-12-06
WHERE BATCHELORs SHOULD GO
A Country With Nine Women to
Every Man.


[springfield Republican Asuncton letter.
70 On Friday morning | looked out
of my cabin window to find that
we were tied up to the most yellow
wharf that / ever saw, and in front
of a large, barn-like building. l
did not dream that we were at
Asunction, but on going on deck
found that the barn was the Gus
tom-house for Paraguay, and that
when we went ashore we were in
the city of the republica incognita.
A very nice little city we found it
to be. Not that we found it pretty
or pretentious, or worth visiting
but it is an enterprising, republi-
can go-ahcad place. Most OF the
houses are small and old, and are
built without any regard to be ne
on the streets. You cannot imagine
a more irregular assemblage of
houses, but the symmetry with
which the public buildings are
built offsets this. The presidents
house, government house, arsenal.
barracks and custom house stand
on wide boulevards, and with the
exception of the latter, are as well
built as the similar buildings in
any American city Of the same
rank. The word "asuncion," you
know, is not Spanish for "asccn-
tion," as we used to believe when
school boys, but for assumption,
and in the case of the Paraguayan
city is we'll bestowed, for it is not
often in South America that there
can be found a city that is more as
suming politically, socially and
generally. Remember that fifteen
years ago it was sacked by the
Brazilian army, and look at it now
as a busy trading town of $4,000
people, many of them of fine culti-
vation. In short, one need not
fear to be proud of seeing such a
city, a city built by virgin forests
on a beautiful hill that slopes from
sunny farm lands to the grand,
wide Parana. l will not 60 into
the dusty details, but assure you
that, though isolated, Paraguay is
a state worth knowing. Situated
in the warm heart of South Amer
ica, it lies under the shadow of the
Sierras, and between the two great
rivers, Parana and Paraga. Into
its territory there have come
three and one half centuries of sad
ness and misfortune. Spain had no
colony that was more enslaved; and
though the Jesuitical control gave it
a bright day, it was long the prey
of cruelty and adventure. Revolu-
tions came at length and resulted
in independence. From 1917 until
1869, first Francia and then the
Lopez tyrants held the country un-
der a cruel 6espotism. Then Sola-
n6 Lopez involved the state in war
with Brazil, and after the sack of
Asuncion, and the ravage of the
country, the tyrant was shot and
the reign of terror gave place to
of the republic,
which was modelled after the Unit
ed States. Appropriations are vot-
ed by Congress, and that body also
fixes the salaries of officials. The
President receives $4,000, the Vice
President $4,000, the ministry 81,
500, Congressman $500 and the
Judges Of the Supreme Court $3.50.
The population is about 100000;
and what is strange about it is that
there are only about 10000 men
md 10000 women. OF course, the
females are the farmers, producers
and hborers. They work slavishly
and are very poor. While the men
sit at home and drink and smoke
hey indefatigably toll and support
he families.