The morning call., 1890-08-04
" LITTLE SUNS"
That's What the Good People of Guate
mala Call Electric Lights.

That's What the Good People of Guate
maia Call Electric Lights.
| A young Cincinnatian, who is in Contra
| America engaged in the putting up of cleo
| trio lighting plants in that tropical country
| writes in an interesting manner of th,
| strange sights ami manners and customs o
the people.
Not the least matter that calls for ad
mlration is the idea Of country that Il
peculiarly supposed in the States to be 81
far in the rear of the front rank of civiliza
| ton being able to boast of a system o.
| illumination as good as that of the large
cities of the United States.
The correspondent fully appreciates thu
| situation, and in view of possibilities an(
the energy and enterprise of the Yankee
dollar facetiousy says: The time will NJ
conducted with the aid of electric light:
which have previously been laid in place:
| hitherto dark and inaccessible.
THE explorer of the future will be TO-
| tally different sort OF man from the indi-
yidual who makes his bread and butter to-
day by that perilous process. l am con-
WINGED by what L have seen of the growth
| and extension OF the business of electricity
| that the coming explorer will be comfort
able sort of an individual. who will jog
along with bottle Of salts in one hand and
| an electric fan apparatus tied TO his person.
attacks OF bugs and reptiles, and he can
| light up the surroundings for miles around
| by connecting himself with the miles of
wire that will stretch out in all directions.
"But seriously, the advent of the electric
| light in this country (Guatemala) will, |
think. mark more distinct revolution IN
| matters than most any other invention.
| Rapid transit the people will not permit
| Such q condition OF affairs is Incompatible
with their nature. The electric light is
| something that will stir even the lazy, gray
matter Of their brain-pan without causing
them to hustle. | don't know that any
| great amount OF good could be evolved even
were all the intellect of the country con-
solidated in one set of brains, but the ten
| Gency of thinking is not bad, even in a
native. What the people think about the
| light is a matter of mystery. They will
stand in groups stupidity gazing at the sill
very horseshoe or the blazing mass of in
| tensely brilliant light as it Splutters and
sings, with an expression of awe upon their
| countenances. Some of the people whose
| intellect has been cultivated with a hoe
gravely remarked in my hearing the other
| day that the light was little suns Not SO
bad for a Central American savage, was It?
The administration down here is demo-
| cratic. O., it is not republican. As con-
sequence the streets are caution, even I'M
der the electric light
"The streets are mostly narrow with
| soft sandstone sidewalk. which wears into
deep ruts and hummucks. There are no
| curbstOnes, and the gutter as the principal
arrangement is in the middle of the street.
| The street slopes from each side to the gut
ter. The houses are never above two
order to withstand the yariegated
assortment of earthquakes that come
| our way with disagreeable freQuen-
cy. They are built of clay mud in
the adobe fashion, with trimmings
of stone. The wealthy people, however,
| live in houses of sandstone which can be
easily, cut with knife The roofs are
either made of red thing or corrugated
| iron. The people, with sense of the es-
| thetic, it seems to me, cover the adobe
| houses with plaster, which they kalsomlne
| in delicate tints of colors. The effect is
erings of the houses stand out in bold re-
| lief. The art of cultivating yards or lawns
| has not reached this country.
"The buildings are built plumb against
the sidewalk and the doors and windows
| open directly on the street. The windows
| are covered with iron or wooden gratings,
which, when open, extend partially across
| the sidewalk, much to the annoyance of the
| pedestrians, who, during windy day, are
kept lodging at rate that would make a
| presidential candidate hide his head for
| envy. One of the practical uses of our light
| in this country is to warn people of the
presence Of these architectural nuisances.
The light, however, is matter of much
concern to young people. In the semi-light
of the splendor of the star-sprinkled tropical
skies much inspiration was found for the
young man who would 'a-wooing co. The
electric light threatens to break up all such
scenes and seances. Then in addition to
this the dusky senoritas don't show up well
under the light. 1t gives them shadowy
effect that is not at all enchanting, and I
would not be surprised If one result of he
introduction of the light was to cause a
tremendous use of complexion powder by
the ladies. However, this is only theory"
Gin oil Ii frinins- Stnr