Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-05-23
POOR PARAGUAY.
HER SIX YEARS FIGHT AGAINST
THREE COMBINED NATIONS.
The Entire Country Practically Destroyed
and DepoPnIated-Present Prosperity
and Hopeful Outlook for the Fu-
ture--PeopIe and Customs.
american Cor. Inter Ocean J

american Cor. Inter Ocean
The only outlet for the interior provinces
| of South Brazil is through Paraguay. and
the people Of that empire re- ented the OBJ
| struction If their commerce. Argentine AMI
Uruguay had grievances also, and in 1858
the three great nations, representing about
half the population Of South America, called
the tyrant Lopez to account He oaly
scoffed at them and deted their interfsr-
ence. Then began war which haS no par.
allel in history. For six long years the little
state Of Paraguay held at bay the three COM
bined nations whose territory surrounded it.
Sixty thousand infantry, lO,OJO cavalry,
5000 artillery, and naval fleet, furnished
with all the mudeTn implements of war, pos
sessing Krupp guns and repeating rifles, and
sustained by the wealth Of the allied powers,
were defied and resisted by the unOrgsnizDd,
unarmed, and ignorant parAguayans,
whose only motive wa, the defence of a
ruler that enslaved and tortured them
HOW THEY FOUGHT.
They fought with clubs AMI axes when
their ammunition gave out, and when the
ranks OF men were mOwu down the women
took their places. and fought like wild
beasts defending their young. And the war
did not end until the populatio 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 killei in a cave in which he sought
refuge Never did a leader receive such
loyal support and never did one deserve it
les.
The war cost Brazil, Argentine and Uru-
quay $3.50. .OOO,OOO and O.OOO lives, while
it cost Paraguay everything. There were
scarcely enough survivors to bury the dead.
The entire country was practically de-
struyed and depopulatsd An enumsra-
tion made OF her subjects in 1851,
by Lopez ii. shovel the pOpula-
ton Of Paraguay to be 1887, +29.
In 1874, after the close of the war q census
was taken, which Demonstrated that the
number had been reduced to 22I. .O7O sOulS,
of whom only 2S, 900 were men, AMI 100 90
women over Is years OF age and So 600
children the wOmen's 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 Popula-
ton in 1879 having been shown TO be 34s.-
OOO, an increase of l27, 900 in five years A
great portion OF tho immigration has come
from Argentine and Brazil, but the last
census Shove | the presence Of :, 200 Italians,
400 Per ,isns, and ~ English families
There are said to be but three citIzsns OF
the United States in Paraguay, one white
man, who kepps drug store store ami
practices medicine, AMI two negroes. both
of whom are sail to be rugitiyes from jul
tice
The people are a quiet, submissive. and
industriOu, RAGS, being a mixture of Span
ish blood an that of the Guarani In lians
who were the aboriginal settlers Of the
country. Their kinsmsn across the Para
quay river in the Argentine Republic are
a nomaIic, saving tribe, but the tyranny OF
Lopez father AMI son, took the .pirit out of
the Paraguay Indians ami they ara now
domesticatei living in bamboo huts cult
waiting the soil ami raising cattle. There is
said to lie less crime in Paraguay than in
any other Of the Sputh American countries,
and in 1888 there wers but l2j criminal
trials in the entire republic, twenty lone of
the defendants being foreigners
LEARNING RAPIDLY.
But for the tyranny of its rulers In past
years Paraguay might have been an
arcadia for the simple habit, the few
wants, and the peaceable disposition of the
people made them contentei AMI ell dis
posed toward each other. As nature has
provided for all their wants they have no
great inc .ntive To labor. AMI 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 men AMI women are Of small stature
and the latter are Usually very pretty when
young, but loss their beauty of feature and
figure after maternity. They are innocent
and childish in their amusementS, are foEd
of dancing aud singing. and have native
dances that are graceful and native s-ngs
that are as melodious as the music Of the
blacks in the south Of the United States
Travellers find a market similarity between
the Paraguayans relieved from the des-
potiSm of Lpsz and the emancipated
negroes of North America, except that the
race here Is mixture of Indian and
Caucasian.
CUSTOMS AND COSTUMES.
Some of their native ceremonies are pc
culiar and beautiful. When a couple are
married in Paraguay the bridal bel Is al
ways covered with flowers, and each neigh
Dor contributes something toward giving
them an outfit, even if it is nothing but a
wooden spoon or a gOuri cup. Their funerals
are conducted after the ordinary formula Of
the Roman Catholic church, but it is Gus
tomary to hold sort OF wake over the
dead, rs in lrelanl
Their costume is simple, and would not be
considered quite mode-t in more civilized
countries, as the women wear nothing but
a low-nscked and sleeveless chemi>e, with a
short cotton skirt aud the men a shirt and
trousers Of thin cotton. They all go bare
footei 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-
facture of lace, which it is said was origi-
nally taught them by the Spanish nuns.
They do not Use thread, but the very fine
fbers Of native tree which are as soft and
pliable and lustrous as silk. Some Of their
designs are very beautiful, and the lace is
almost indie ,tructibe.
Norwegians Naturally Artistic
Leeds (Eng.J Mercury
The NorwagianS disDlay a natural ability