The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-02-12
A GUATEMALAN FUNERAL.

A GUATEMALAN FUNERAL.
Some OF the Peculiar Customs OF Central
American Carib~
heard a jung of bells this after
noon, and. surprising fire had broken
out, was about to start for the scene
of the confag-ation. when the land
lady informed me that it was only .
funeral and said it would pass the
house. A few minutes later, hearing
a sort of wild music, mingled with
shouts and laughter. 1 ran to the door
just in tine 10 see couple OF half
d unken men, shoeless and hatless,
coming along at brisk pace, bear
ing a coffin on their shoulders 1t
was simply rough box wrapped in a
piece of striped calico. and swsyed
from side to side as the bearers rolled
along. Following was woman. the
widow. was toit. carrying rude cross
covered with flowers and aughing i'm
moderately. Next to the hilarious
chief mOurner came the band, con-
sisting OF one accordion, two fiddles,
tin horn and a drum. all run to their
full capacity.
Next came a mixed crowd of men,
women and children. The men were
attired in the usual costume of the
country, a pair of cotton drawers and
shirt. worn outside. The women wore
a single garment, sleeveless and low
necked, coming barely to the knees.
The children were arrayed in their in
nocence only. All were smoking.
laughing. or dancing b. turns. Alto
gether il was the most cheerful funeral
l had ever witnessed.
/ had returned to the table when my
attention was once more called to the
street by chorus of wild yells and
uproarious merriment. Stepping out
l 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
CHASTITY hand half closed. But it was
a contented. well behaved corpse. and
took the whole thing as a joke. Pres
emily the bearer staggered to his feet.
the coffin was replaced. and the pro-
cession moved merrily 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. 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
charging crackers. rockets and
variety of native fireworks. while the
drinking is general and the joy I'M
bounded! hope to be able to record
a first-class affair soon. The owner
of three huts and pair of mules is
quite low. and we are waiting patient
" for him to die. The natives also
exhibit a good deal of anxiety. and
every little while one of them will steal
up to the windo W 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
discouraging. The watcher was seen
fleeing as for his life and the sick man
following close in his wake with huge
club The last bulletin was more IA
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 Caribs, 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
a constant terror.-Guatemala Cor.
Pittsburgh Post.