San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-11-27
Where Bachelors Should 90 Nine
Momen for ENerI Man.

A.saeisa Ls,isne sprhsasld Rspubliess'
On Friday morning j looked out Of
my cabin window 10 find that we
were tied up Mt the most yellow
wharf that ever saw, and in front
OF large, barn-like building. did
not dream that we were at Asuncion,
but going on deck found that the
barn was tho Custom House for
Paraguay, and that when We went
ashore we were in the city OF tho
republic incognita. A very nice little
city We found IL 10 be. Not that It il
pretty or pretontious, or worth visit
ing-but il is mn enterprising, re.
publican, go-ahead place. Most OF
the houses are small and old, and are
built without any regard to being on
the streets You can not imagine a
moro 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 tho latter, are
rs well built MS tho similar buildings
in any American city OF the same
rank. The word 'Nsuncion, you
know, is not Spanish for ascension,
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 assuming politically,
socially and generally. Remember
that fifteen years ago it was sacked
by the Brazilian army, and look at it
now as busy trading town OF $4,000
people, many of them Of fine cultiva-
ton. In short, one need not fear to
be proud of seeing such city, city
built by virgin forests on q beautiful
hill that slopes from sunny farm lands
to the grand, wide Parana. will
not go into dusty details, but assure
you that though isolated, Paraguay
is State worth knowing. Situated
in the warm heart of South America,
it lies under the shadow of the
Sierras, and between the two great
rivers, Parana and Paraga. Into its
territory thsre have come three and
one-half centuries of sadness and
misfortune. Spain had no colony
that was more ensiaved and though
the Jesuitical control gave it a bright
day, it was long the prey of cruelty
and adventure. Revolutions came
at length and resulted In independ-
ence. From 1877 until 1869, first
Francia and then the Lopez tyrants.
held the country under cruel despo-
tism. Then Solano Lopez involved
the state in war with Brazil, and after
the sack of Asuncion, and the ravage
of the county, the tyrant was shot
and the reign of terror gave place to
a reorganization of the republic,
which was modelled after the United
States. Appropriations arc voted by
Congress and that body also fixes
the salaries of the officials. The
President receives $4,000 the Vice
President $4,000, the Ministry 81
900. 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 and
100000 women. Of course the
females are the farmers, producers
and laborers. They work slavishly |
and are very poor. While tho mon
sit at home and drink and smoke,
they indefatigably toll and support
the families