The Springdale news., 1889-09-20
"A ouATEMAlAN FUNERAL.
toiae Of the Peculiar Customs of Central
 American (ariDs.

"A S DA EhsALRN r ONERAL. toiae Of the Peculiar Customs of Central
 American Carlos
 heard a jingle of bells this after aoon, and. supposing fro had broken out, was about to start for the scene of the confagration, when the land lady informed me that it was only 2 funeral and said it would pass ire house. X few minutes later hearing q sort of wild music, mingled with shouts and laughter, l ran to the door just in time to see couple of half drunken men, shoeless and hatless, coming along at brisk pace, bear ing a coffin on their shoulders It was simply a rough box wrapped in piece of striped calico, and swayed from side to side as the bearers rolled along. Following was a woman, the widow, was told, carrying rude cross covered with flowers and laughing im- moderately Next to tho hilarious chief mourner came tho band, con- sisting of one accordion, two fddles, tin horn and drum, all run to their full capacity.
 Next came mixed crowd of men, women and children. The men were attired in the usual costume of the country pair of cotton drawers and shirt, worn outside. The women wore single garment, sleeveless and low necked, coming barely to the knees. The children were arrayod in their in nocence only. All were smoking, laughing. or dancing by turns. Alto gether it was the most cheerful funeral 1 had ever witnessed.
 had returned to the table when my attention was once more called to the street by q chorus of wild yells and uproarious merriment. Stepping out 1 discovered the cause. One of the bearers had stumbled and fallen, throwing the coffin to the ground with such force that one side was partly broken out, exposing one arm and a ghastly hand half closed. But it was a contented, we'll behaved corpse. and took the whole thing as d joke. Pres ently the bearer staggered to his feet, the coffin was replaced, and the pro- cession moved merriy on.
 The landlord, however, insists this was a very tame affair. and assures me that the burial services of the rich are very much livelier. In such cases the body is dressed up in the best shirt the estate affords It is then carefully tied in a chair in an upright +l. graveyard, while the whole town turns out to do him honor by dis charging crackers. rockets and variety of native fireworks, while the drinking is general and the joy un- boundedl l hope to be able to record a frst-class affair soon. The owner of three huts and a pair of mules is quite low, and we are waiting patient ly for him to die. The natives also exhibit good deal of anxiety, and every little while one of them will steal up to the window to note progress and report to the eager crowd
 As usual in times of great public excitement the news is very contra dictory. A little while ago it was an- nounced that he was almost gone. A confused murmur ran through the as- sembly and an occasional shout, with a random cracker or two, was heard. The next report, however, was most diseouraging. The wsteher was seen ileeing as for his life and the sick man following close in his wake with huge club. The last bulletin was more la vorable, the doctor having arrived with his whole stock in trade, and those who are posted predict that the sick man will be ready for burial to- morrow.
 These are the Carlos, the direct de- scendants of those wild, fierce tribes discovered by Columbus on his first voyage and found inhabiting the southern islands of the West Indies differing entirely in appearance. GUS toms and disposition from the sur rounding nations, to whom they were d constant terror.-G Guatemala Cor Pittsburgh Post.
 TASTING MOL ASSES