National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-19
4 CENTRAL AMERICAN CITY.

u ]
the rNrITAI, OF \ SMALL REPUBLIC
HrTN LARGE TOWN.
Guutrmaian r"cuiiariti"S ~ We've"
Through LudS'e Lorgn"tt" go \
Graphic Description of til" spanish
ConuurrorS in Their Adopted C"un-
try.
GUATEMALA IA NUEVA, Aug. 20, lSs5.-
This city. the new capital uf thcGuatcInalah
republic, is by far the finest in Central
America. II is built upon picturesque
plateau. about u mile wide by three miles
long, aud occupies the northern extremity
If an immense plain which has mean
elevation of 1000 feet. High mountains
surround It rs 10y wall, while the twin
volcanoes holding in their hearts the most
powerful forces Of nature llire and watcr)-
stand guard like threatening sentincls.
The streets all exactly forty feet wide
are laid out with severe regularity, crossing
each other 1T right angles. They are paved
with small stones, rs sharp and rough rs II
expressly designed to cripple all living
creatures that approach them. Few oil me
streets have ANY sort "a sidewalk ANA all
are dirty rs II is possible To imagine, gencr-
uting more foul udUrs than any human sci
Of human ullactOrics can classify or distin-
mui,h, and more deadly diseases than all
the Spanish and Indian mcdicos combined
can conquer. In fact many thousands OF
these doughty old CunQuistadurcs, who
huastrd the number of natives they hal
slain, turned up their toes Nnd became IL
noble dust because of invisible foes gencr-
atrd by their own iilthincss, before which
lance and habcrd, sword and rapicr' were
pOwcIlcss
There being little water in this plateau
hrcitv's supply Is conveyed from the All
mcrut hills in two huge uqucducts of stone
and adobe. which are over nine miles long
and cost more than million dollars apiece.
From these gigantic aerial canals the water
i, distributed 10y means OF innumerablc
fountains, besides which the city has no
less than twenty-five public reservoirs
Earthquakes being always cNspccted, the
houses are but one stOry-a HOMOGENEOUS
succession Of low, Hat roofs, relieved only
bythc dumcs and clock towers of its twenty
seven churches. The universal building
material (, u kind Of nristOcratic adobe
If one may he permitted 10 make similar
distinction between bricks ana humans
since both are supposed 10 spring IRON
the same earthly source, though npldeu
tu various degrees of excellence. The walls
are universally plustcrcd with iinecement,
resembling marble in durability and polish,
and tinted to suit the owners tasle-palt
blues, pink, and yellow predOmlnatlng
The general ~tylr If architecture is that OF
the south of Spain, Moorish to degree
the llour-lke roofs mostly covered with RED
titles This city comprises among its pOpu-
lntiuu Of about $4,000 an extraordinary
number of patrcaus whose family trees
grew out Of the pruudcst houses of OLD
CASTLE and ArugOm, aud whose wealth anC
grandeur are at once the pride and stay OF
the republic,
Each casa has It's central court or patio
set in the midst Of pansy bordered walk'
aud a wilderness Of roses, under perpctualll
hlOSsumug lines aud orange trees, bananas
iigs, olives, palms, and pumegranhtcs
All this bloom and beauty, however, is care
fully hidden from the street 10y overshadow
iug walls that tell no tales of life within
for here, as i'm MrNirO,p i've much in III
omen air hut the female members Of Tia
family must be- a, iruluusly secluded iron
the puhlic gaKc as are the yelled heautic
Of a Turkish harcm. The
INTERIOR DEC CREATIONS
,f these mansions are sometimes remark,
NV elegant vet the tiled or marble iluUI
urr. mostly bare, The windows are all iron
barred, like those Of prisons, and windo'
,rlas. Is almost unknown.
h Guatemala In Nueya, us in every otht
CITY of spanish origin, there are no end ,
pluzas public parks, each with Its ineYu
hlr fountain, where the serving wOmc
love to gossip, with their water jars poise
uuou their shoulders and In the more arr
t6rrutic quarters, where the bands play q
moonlight night, and everybody mcahdc
among the roses
The largest ul these pa2as Is rectangl
625 feet long by nearly AS many "lue, IA