Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-11-21
POOR PARAGUAT.
HER SIX YEARS FIGHT AGAINST
THREE COMBINED NATIONS.
lAmerIcan Cor inter ocean,


Of South Brazil i through Paraguay. aud
tie people Of that empire resertei tho OBJ
struction Of their commerce.. Argentine anf
Uruguay had grievances also, aadin 1858
the three great nations representing about
half the population Of South America, called
the tyrant Lonez to account He only
scoffed at them ana defied their Interior
ence. Then began o war which ha no par
allel in history For six'long years tho little
state % Paraguay held at bay the three com
bined nations whose territory surrounded it.
Sixty thousand infantry, 10000 cavalry,
500 artillery, AID a naval feet. furnished
with all The mod ,rn implements OF war. pos-
sessing Krupp gt MS and repeating rifles, and
sustained by the wealth of the allied powers,
were defied and esi-ted by the unorganizsd,
unarmed, and ignorant par-Aguayans,
whose only motive was the defence OF O
ruler that enslaved and tortured them.
HOW THEY FOUGHT.
They fought with clubs ami axes, when
their ammunition gave out, and when the
ranks oil men were mown down the women
took their places, AMI fought like Wild
beasts defending their young. And the war
did not end until the population Of Paraguay
was well nigh exterminated the country
laid waste and the tyrant Lopez driven like
a wolf to the mountains, where he was
finally kiilel in cave in which he sought
refuge. Never did leader receive such
loyal support, and never did ons deserve it
les. M SM
TIE war cost Brazil Argentine ana Uru-
quay $3.50. 900, 600 and 20 900 lives, while
it cost Paraguay every thing. There were
scarcely enough survivors to bury the dead
The entire country was practically de-
stroyed and depopulated. An enumera-
tion made OF her subjects in 1884,
by Lopez II. showed the popula-
ton of Paraguay TO be 1887, 423.
In 1874 after the close of the war, a census
was taken which demonstrated that tue
number had been reduced to 22l,0- souls,
of whom only % 900 were men, AMI 106 900
women over Is years OF age, and Sc. 900
children, the womens disprUportion OF the
sexe as well as the vast decrease of popula-
ton, showing the disastrous results of the
war.
THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT.
A liberal government was established in
Paraguay, and during the last ten years
the country has had "boom" similar to
that of our western territories the popqla-
ton in 1879 having been shown to be 34S.-
900, an increase of 127,00O in five years A
great portion OF the immigration has come
from Argentine and Brazil, but the last
census showed tue presence of 1000 Italians,
400 Pertains, and 40 English families
There are said to be but three citizens Of
the United States in Paraguay ons white
man, WAC kepps q drug store store ami
practices medicine, and two negroes, both
of whom are said to be fugitives from jus-
tice. a
The people are quiet, submissive, and
industrious race, being a mixture of Span
ish blood ami that OF the Guarani Iniians
AZ. Al.
country. Their kinsmsn across the Para
quay river in the Argentine Republic are
nomadic, saving tribe, but the tyranny of
Lopez father AMI son, took the pirit out OF
the Paraguay Indians ami they are now
domesticatei, living in bamboo huts, culti-
waiting the soil and raising cattle. There Is
said to lie less crime in Paraguay than in
any other of the S)uti American countries.
and in 1888 there were but 125 criminal
trials in toe entire republic, twenty-one of
the defendants Deing foreigners.
LEARNING RAPIDLY.
But for the tyranny OF its rulers in past
year Paraguay might have been an
arcadia, for the simple habits tue few
wants, and the peaceable disposition OF the
people made them contentei AMI well dis
posed toward each other As nature has
provided for all their wants they have no
great incentive to labor. and the enter
prise and thrift of the country is generally
found among the foreigners. from whom
the people are, however. learning rapidly
the ways OF the world and the value of
money.
The mon and women are of small STATURE
and the latter are Usually very pretty when
youns, Ia; ioss their beauty OF feature aud
figure after maternity. They are innocent
AMI childish in their amusement,, are fond
Of dancing and singing, and have native
dance that are graceful and native songs
shat are as melodious as the music of the
blacks in the south of the United States
Travellers find marked similarity between
Che ParaguAyans relieved from the dos
potism OF Lopez and the smancipAted
negroes OF North America, except that the
Nce here is mixture OF Indian and
Caucasian. l-
CUSTOMS AND COSTUMES.
Some Of their native ceremonies are ps-
suliar and beautiful Whom a couple are
married In Paraguay the bridal bad Is al
ways covered with flowers, and each neigh
Dor contributes something toward giving
ahem outfit, even il 10 Is nothing but q
wooden spoon OF a gouri cup. Their funerals
are conducted after the ordinary formula Of
tie Roman Catholic church, but 1t il GUS
tomary to hold sort OF wake over the
dead, IN in Ireland. Ef8
Their costume il simple, and would not be
considered quite mole in more civilized
couatrfe, as the women wear nothing but
low-necked ani sleeveless chemi Q, with q
short cotton skirt. and the men q shirt and
tousers of thin cotton. They all 20 bare
footed the year around, but wear broad
brimmed hats Of their own manufacture
similar to what are known as Panamas.
The women are very skillful in the manu-
faeture OF lace, which it Is said was origi-
nally taught them by the Spanish nuna
i1eJ DO not use thrssd, but tue very fine
hhers OF a native tree which are as soft and
plaole and lustrous as silk. Some Of their
desisns are very beautiful, and the lace Is
almost inie tructible.
NorweSivns Naturally Artistic.
.eeds lrnu 4 Marcnrv 1