Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-20
DWARFS In CENTRAL AMERICA.
Ruined Cities that Testify OF Their
Former Existence.

From the New York Tribune
Stories about diminutive people are found in
many countries, not as of real beings, but
shadows that come and 60, and are called by
various names, such fairy, fay, elf, pixie etc.
nowhere are such little people more talked
ABOUT than In some parts of Central America,
notaoiy In British Honduras and Yucatan,
where people little more than four feet high are
very numerous even at the present time.
whenever the natives are questioned about the
ancient temples found in their country they
say: 1.-THE pygmies built them," and
although no importance is generally at
t tsci to that answer. it is strange
Yucatan, as we'll as on adjacent islands, there
are whole cities, in ruinous condition, of houses
that could not possibly have served for people
more than three feet high. I have measured
many OF those houses, which are strongly con-
structed OF hewn stone, and found the door.
ways not more than three feet high, and
eighteen inches wide, while my head nearly
touched the ceilings of the largest rooms. No
one can dissuade the natives from the idea
roam about at night They say, "but we do see
them; they are not bigger than a child four
years old, and they wear big hats: They throw
stones at us, shake our hammocks, and ham,
mer on the bench where we grind corn.'
1t Is affirmed that very diminutive people
still dwell among the hills in Honduras and
Guatemala, but no one seems able to put his
fingers upon them. which would lead to the be-
lief that If there are any still living, as so many
hiding. Nevertheless, it Is credibIy related that
one day In the year 1925, some woodcutters,
wandering along the banks of the Moho river,
in British Honduras, in search of mahogany
trees, were startled upon reaching a place
called Meditation Fall by a strange little being
wildly at them, then turned to flee. The men
pursued, overlook, and brought the odd
creature to their camp. It was dark-skinned
covering than her hair, which fell in thick
black masses to her feet, completely covering
her She was very wild, but not stupid,
her, she talked to the wood-cutters in the Maya
tongue that they also spoke, that being the lam
OF .se m paris the
flannel shirt, which clothed her from head TO
foot. For day or two she refused to eat but
people were all the same size as herself, and
that they were then living near Meditation Fall,
where they had planted cornfield. but that
they generally dwelt three or four miles away
in deep valley. After she had been in the
camp about ten days, some OF the men pro-
delight and offered es TO Guide them to the SPOT
Reaching the place where they first met her,
she led them into the forest, then made sign for
of many people talking, reached their ears. and
the girl whispered to them that she would go
and announce their coming, as other:
hide on hearing footsteps. Away she went
and soon not sound was heard. The men
waited patiently, but their diminutive guide
cunnfngly eluded them, they went forward and
In two minutes found themselves in cornfieid.
There were embers in two or three places, and
small piles OF corn, as If prepared for transpOr-
tation. The ground was much trodden, but no
living creature was in sight. They searched in
vain, and remained some time in the field hop
Ing that the owners would return for the corn,
but they never saw the girl again, nor any OF
her people. One OF those very woodmen gave
me this account, and similar stories have been
told by others; but all such stories might be
doubted were it not for the cities of diminutive
houses, which any traveller may EXAMINE for
himself. ALICE D. LIE PLoNGEoN.