Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-01-04
CENTRAL AMERICA.
SEVERAL PECULIAR CUSTOMS OF
THE PEOPLE OF GUATEMALA.

SEVERAL PECULIAR CUSTOMS Or
THE PEOPLE OF GUATEMALA
The One Sided Attendance at Church-A
Funeral Procession-Dr.nk and Cigar
ettes-Habits Of Young Gentlemen of
Standing-spanish-Am American Woman.
That which strikes person on entering a
church in Guatemala is the total absence Of
well dressed men. They send their wives and.
children, while they seek diversion in the
barrooms, billiard saloons and clubs, for
which Sundays and feast days are the busiest
times. The Guatemalteco regards the prac-
tice of religion as good enough for women,
but he himself has use for it on four occa-
sions only-at birth and baptism, marriage
and death. When child has reached an age
when it's parents believe it will not cry dur
ing baptism, all near relatives and dear
friends are invited to the ceremony The
first act is a very decorous performance
Of his duties by the priest; the second
is s'jamboree,' which is continued
all that day and up to the business hours of
the next. If the family be wealthy the very
finest brands of wines are consumed; if it be
poor, native whisky is set before the guests.
and not unfrequently many land i'll the Gala
boose before they arrive at their own homes
Here, rather more than in their own country,
does it seem the custom to celebrate every
unusual event with ''drunk." A ''nozor
regards it as right to demand and receive
from his employer sufficient advance of
money to defray the expenses of his celebra-
tions, and the employer never refuses to help
along baptisms marriages and funerals.
A1,nOct any dow in tho ctroatc Of r,,.ov; noio1
towns one may see coff1ns carried to the
cemeteries followed by crowds of mourners,
who fairly seem to rock and stagger along
under their load of grief, but if the stranger
will approach nearer he will get whiffs Of
alcoholic brcaths that will account for the
unsteady gaits of the friends of the deceased.
I have seen old women so much overcome as to
finally give up trying to keep along with tho
procession, stagger toward the curb, and,
with tears rolling down their cheeks,
fall asleep in the gutter, to be carried
off by a policeman or to be taken home
by friends. There seems to be rule
that the guardians Of the peace
will not interfere with an intoxicated citizen
while the latter is in the funeral cortege
They will not prevent him from showing his
sorrow to his hearts content while he is able
to stumble along, but the instant he sfalls
out' on his way to the burying ground, or,
when he is sneaking home through by streets
after the interment, he finds himself grabbed
by the collar and hurried off to prison.
DRINK AND CIGARETTES
The "mozo' is quiet, unoffending person,
except when drunk, when he is at first funny
and noisy and then wicked. The native
compound called 'saguardiente" or ''guarro"
makes men crazy Sometimes drunkenness
may be pleaded in extenuation of crime in
civilized countries, especially where it may
be shown that no intention existed in the
mind of the guilty party before becoming
drunk; but here it may be pleaded in SO
strong manner as to relieve the culprit
from punishment, if it be proved that he was
drunk at the time of action.
Late prosperity in coffee has enriched
many families here who before were pretty
we'll run down at the heel. but who now
scarcely notice their acquaintance: who
were less favored. The grown sons of the
fortunate coffee planters threw up their
clerkships when the parental Golfers were
filed, for the Central Americans idea Of
happiness is to do nothing. Many of these
would be swells have certain small allow
ances. but seldom larger than to allow them
to lose more than one game Of billiards in q
night. Take a seat in any billiard room Of
Guatemala and watch the growing genera
tion. All are addicted to the cigarette
habit. Sometimes, should party of six be
playing pool, the leader or the loudest
talker will call the waiter and pompously
order him to take the orders of the other
gentlemen but as the waiter hurries to tho
bar he is requested to bring separate checks
Then again the luxury of the drink is post
poned until paying up at the desk, when the
'bloods' hang over the bar, talking of the
different brands of extra dry and Yquem
(well knowing there is not enough money in
the party to pay for single glass Of either,
and finally conclude by calling for modest
glass of beer, after which each produces his
own small piece of silver for his own drink.
The habitue who lounges around to be
'treated" would 60 very thirsty in Guate-
mala.
GENTLEMEN OF GOOD STANDING.
once noticed two young men seated alta
table talking and using up all the toothpicks,
having nothing especial to do. made up
my mind to sit them out People came in
and got their drinks and went out, but my
young men never moved nor took anything.
Finally, after two hours, and when had fin
ished reading all Of the newspapers, one Of
Them gOG up, Dade gOOd-by to his companion,
and went out No sooner had he we'll gone
than the one who was left took solitary
drink and went out, but in less than five min
utes the other returned and also treated HIM
self. 1t seems to be the aim of every school
boy to join this privileged class, with its low
derby hat, cutaway coat, vest Of many col
ors, and pantalooms so tight and tapering
that their patent leathered feet, already
large, look like hams. They regard work as
degrading and beneath the dignity Of gentle
men of their standing, and have never yet
seen one who did not tknow it all"
Spanish women are much morv
demonstrative than the French and decidedly
less attractive in every way. They mesy
each other on the street, they Immediately
fall into each others arms, there are two or
three little simultaneous pats on the back
and amovement of the faces toward each
other which does not end in kiss, but looks
as if they wished to rub noses in Kalmuck
fashion. This invariably occurs when two
ladies meet. What the pat on the back
means nobody seems to know. When two
Indian women meet the older presents her