Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-10-11
A euArEmALAN FUNERAL.

Some OF tho Peculiar Customs OF Central
American CAribA
heard u jingle Of bells this after
noon, and. supposing fire had broken
out, was about to start for the scene
of the conflagration, when the land
lady informed me that it was only q
funeral and said it would pass the
house. A few minutes later. hearing
q sort of wild music, mingled with
shouts and laughter. 1 ran to the door
just in time to see couple of half
d! unken men, shoeless and hatless,
coming along at a brisk pace, bear
Ing u coffin on their shoulders. 1t
was simply rough box wrapped in q
piece of striped calico, and swayed
from si1e to side as the bearers rolled
along. Following was u woman, the
widow, 1 was told. carrying rude cross
covered with flowers and laughing i'm
moderately. Next to the hilarious
chief mcurner came the band, con-
sisting Of one accordion, two fddles, d
tin horn and u drum, all run to their
full capacity.
Next came a mixed crowd of mon,
women and children. The men were
attired in the usual costume of the
country, Il pair of cotton drawers and
shirt, worn outside. The women wore
h single garment, sleeveless and low
nec&cd, coming barely to the knees.
The children were arrayed in their in
nocence only. All were smoking,
laughing, or dancing by turns Alto
Crethor IL ,pou tina m oct hoorf,,l f,,norol
had ever Witnessed
l had returned to the table when my
attention was once more called to the
street by n chorus of wild yells and
uprOurious merriment. Stepping out
/ 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 ono arm and q
CHASTITY hand half closed. But it was
q contGnted, wel!-behaved corpse. and
toub tho who.e thing as IL joke. Pres
emily the bearer staggered to his feet.
the coffin was replaced. and the pro-
cession moved merriy on. -
Tho landlord. however, insists this
was u very tame affair, and assures
me that the burial services of the rich
arc very much livaIier. In such cases
the body is dressed up in the best
shirt tho estate affords. 1t is then
carefully tied in chair in an upright
position, and thus carried to the
graveyard, while the whole town
turns out to do him honor by dis
cha 'ging crackers. rockets and a
variety Of native fireworks. while the
drinking is general and the Joy I'M
DO rnded! l hope to be able to record
Erat-c!uss affair soon. The owner
Of hreo hut5 and pair of mules is
quito low, and we are waiting patient
ly 70: him t. die. The natives also
exhibit u good deal of anxiety, and
every little while one Of them will steal
up 10 tho window to note progress and
ren"rt to tho eager crowd.
As usual in Lmes OF great public
excitement tho news is very contra.
dictory. a little while ago it was an.
nounced thai ho was almost gone. A
confused murmur ran through the as.
scmbly and an occasional shout, with
random acker or two, was heard
The ncxt report, however, was mos
discouraging. The watcher was seer
fleeing ~ for his life and the sick mar
following close in his wake with huge
club. Tie last bulletin was moro ia
vorable, tho doctor having arrived
with his whole stock in trade, anC
those who are posted predict that thu
sick man will be ready for burial to
morrow.
These IRE the Caribs, tho direct do
Bcendants OF those wild. fierce tribo
discovered by Columbus on his frs
voyage and found inhabiting the
southern islands OF tho West Indies
differing entirely in appearance. Gus
toms and disposition from the sur
rounding nations, to whom they wer,
q constant terror.-Guutemala Cor
Pittsburgh Post.
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