The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1889-12-14
A ~euATEmALAN FUNERAL.
Some OF tho Peculiar customs OF Contra
Amer can farii-.

4 heard a Ing. 81 Dcils tht5 after
noon. and. supposlng u II q had broken
oDt. wa, about to start for tho see a.
Of the confngration. when tho land.
LAZY informed me that IL was OIL p
funeral aad said IL would pass Oh,
house. A fow minutes later, hearth.
p sort Of %iiG music, ming cd VIZ
shouts and laughter. | ran TO The GcD
just ia time 10 see n couple q Ia
& unken mon. shocless and hatlcs..
coming along nt a brisl; pace, boa
iHg n coffin on their shoulders. D.
was simply n rough box wra, pod in /;
piccc 81 striped calico. and swayc'
from side 90 side as the hearers roilo..
uonc. Following WIGS Il woman, the
Widca,IwG3 Id. carrying . rud cross
covered with flowers ard angling i'm
moderately. Next to the hilarious
Chief moCrner anne the band, con-
si5,iug cf y accordion, two liddles, n
tin born and G drum. all run TO ,heir
lul ~capocitr.
Nlft e. $500 o missed crowd Il ren.
~cu.ee anl children. lho mon vs..
a. red in tho usual c..tsre % t.o
.ntty, = pgir Of cotton drawera and
th-rt. worn outside. the women wore
d. s.aplC garment, slcevelcsf and low
rec.cd, coming barely TO the knees.
3ho children were arraycd in their in
nocencc only. All were smoking,
laughing. or dancing by turns. ii.c-
,att..,. II ,,+.. 81. ,t...,f1 r......f
| had eve" Witnessed.
| had returned TO the table when my
attention was once more called 20 the
sweet by 4 chorus Of Wild ycil9 and
rprOurious merriment. Stepping out
! discovered the caJso. One OF the
bearers had stumbled and fallen,
throwing the coffin to the ground with
such force that orc side was partly
broken out, exposing one arm and a
gha.tly hand half closed. But il was
- contanted. we'll behaved corpse. nnd
took the whole thing as u joke. Pres
cntiy the bearer staggered 20 his feet.
tho collin was replaced. and the pro-
cession moved mcrri y or.
~ ltt4h 4Vih. uph !t.- li'SltAE WIS
was a very tame affair. and assures
Inc 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. 1t is then
carefully tied in a chair in an upright
position, and thus carried to tho
graveyard. while tho whole town
turns cat 30 do him honor by dis
cha 'ginr crackers. rockets and n
variety VI native fireworks. while the
drinking is general and tho JOY un-
bounded, ! nope to lie able to record
{; f.st-c.ass atlair soon. Tho owner
Of three huti and n pair OF mules is
quite low, and we are waiting patient
" for him t. die. The natives also
OK. ibit a good deal OF anxiety. and
every little while one Of them will steal
up 70 tho window to note progress and
report to the eager crowd.
rs usual in times of great public
excitement the news is very contra
dictory. A littlo while ago il was au-
nouEccl that he vas almost gone. A
confused mu.mur ran through the as
scmbiy and an occasional shout, with
Il random cracker or two, was heard.
The next report, however. was most
Encouraging. The watcher was seen
fleeing as for his life and the sick man
following close in his wake with a huge
club The last bulletin was more ia
v0rablo, 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 aro tho Caribs, tho direct de-
sccnGaats Of those wild, fierco tribes
discovered by Columbus on his first
voyage and found inhabiting the
southern ialund5 Of tho West Indies
differing entirely in appearances. L
ON and disposition from tho sur
rounding nations, to whom they were
a constant terror. -Guatemala Cor.
PITTSBURGH Post.