Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-04
front of favor1te saints by the knees Of wor-
shippers.
HOW CHURCHES RAISE MONEY.


Mr.. William E. Curtis, the entertaining
author, tells of a singular, but very common
ceremony, which he witnessed in Guaya
Gull, as follows: One of the churches had
been destroyed by an earthquake, and funds
were needed to repair it. So the priest took
an image of the Virgin from the altar, and
the Holy Sacrament, and carried them about
the street under a canopy, clad in his
sacredotal vestments. He was preceded by
a brass band, number of boys carrying
lighted candles and swinging incense urns,
and followed by long procession of men,
women and children. The assemblage
passed up and down the principal streets
stopping in front OF each house. While the
band played, priests with contribution plates
entered the houses, soliciting subscriptions
and the people in the procession kDeeled in
the dust and prayed that the same might be
given with liberality. Where money was
obtained, blessing was bestowed; where
none was offered, curse was pronounced,
with notice that a contribution was ex.
pected at once, or the curse would be daily
repeated. A rather effective way, one
would think, of 'ralsing the wind" though
it might not work as we'll in our Protestant
communities.
There is very good hotel in Guayaquil,
as inns average in this country, though
some of its arrangements seem very funny
to the newlv-arrived traveller from North
America. Ii you are wise In your day and
generation, you will order table out on
the veranda, where the air is fresher and
the flies not so numerous. However dila-
tory the servants may be, your meal Will
never be a cold one, but made redhot by
fiery peppers, and with decidedly more lard
and onion about it than the average North
ern stomach can we'll tolerate.
CLOCKS ARE ALMOST UNKNOWN.
Should you desire boiled eggs, in the hope
that they, at least, may be Tree from grease
and garlic, it will be no manner of use to
order them ''hafd," or ''soft, " or medium u
for there is neither watch nor clock any
where about the premises, nor other method
of measuring old Tempus in his fugiting.
The people depend entirely upon the Cathe-
dral bells, and the great clock in the City
Hall tower, by which to tell the passing
hours, but minutes do not enter into their
calculations. If you want the eggs "me-
dium," tell the waiter to keep them boiling
while he says three ave marias; or ii "hard, "
while he tells all the beads on his rosary.
Such an order he will understand. and obey
to the letter.
Whatever their shortcomings may be, it
can never be said that GuayaquiIians lack
the virtue of hospitality. The graceful po-
liteness ana spontaneous generosity OF the
better classes is but au unconscious express
sion of their sincere good will toward all
mankind; and even the poorest, the lower
floors of whose bamboo casas are occupied by
pigs, donkeys and other domestic animals,
will bid you welcome with hearty kindness,
though they cannot speak your language OF
you understand word of theirs, and share
with you all they possess.
The females OF Ecuador ars proverbial for
beauty, those among the aristocracy being
said to have the fairest complexions of any
in South America; while all possess large,
soft and expressive dark eyes, the blacklist
and most abundant hair, the whitest teeth,
weIl-rounded figures, and small hands and
feet. Like all women in the tropics, they
mature early and fade quickly; but perhaps
their average span of 40 years includes
more heart-happiness than comes to women
of colder chimes in three score years and
ten, for these are harrassed by no ''carking
cares" or high ambitions.
Incidence, religious superstition, and