Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-29
COUNTRY LIFE In COLOMBIA.
THE MOST REM RXABLE SALT MINES
IN THE WORLD.
A Typical Rural Rome in south Amer
ica-Fannie B. Wards Tenth Let
ter from South America.

BoGoTA, Colombia FEB. II, 1891.
In order to give you some idea of rural
life in Colombia, permit me to tell you of
a visit we have lately been making to the
most famous salt mines in the world,
which are located Just beyond the village
of Zipaquira, on the other edge of the
great plain of Bogota.
Imagine jolly party on horseback, fol-
lowed by two mozos (men servants) and
donkey laden with hampers of luncheon,
cantering gaily out of Bogota on bright
mid-winter morning, both beasts and
riders invigorated by the warm, pure air
of these tropical nights, appearing to
realize that simply to be on top of this
good, green earth ought to be joy enough
for any living creature.
The road, winding most of the way
along the base of the foothills, passes
stretches of swamp that are completely
blackened by myriads of will duck and
other waterfowl, showing here and there
a tall, white crane, blue heron, or pink
breasted hamingo, standing meditatively
on one leg, all quite undisturbed by our
approach. Either the Colombians are
not mighty hunters" and so have never
taught their beasts and birds the fear of
man, or else the southern sun has imbued
the latter with the same constitutional
laziness and indifference to danger that
characterizes the people; certain it is, that
one need not waste a shot on most OF the
so-called wild game here, but may deliber-
ately walk up and knock it over with a
club.
Then come qaintoS, devoted chiefly TO
the cultivation OF orchids for the Euro
pean trade; gardens where the fruits and
vegetables are raised that supply the mar
kets of Bogota; and small farms, green
with wheat, corn, alfalfa and clover.
Nothing tells more truly of the even tenn
perature here than the various stages of
the corn-felds, proving that seed-time and
harvest are entirely in the hands of the
husbandman. One field is Just being
plowed and planted; another by lis side
has a full crop OF full-grown corn, on
stacks higher than a man on horseback;
while a third shows the green blades
hardly foot above the ground. 1t is the
same way with the wheat. Here are
newly-sprouted fields like emerald velvet;
close by are others in full head some are
being cut, by women, with sickles; and in
many places the primitive
THRAsHING FLOOR
Is in operation. The latter is odd enough
to deserve paragraph, especially as it is
an established institution all over South
America. \ level place is selected, cir
cular wall of adobe built round 1t, and the
earth covered with stones The wheat is
then thrown in, and a span of horses
driven around and around the Enclosure.
until their tramping has shelled out the
kernels. Sometimes a flock of sheep is
turned in and driven rapidly to and fro
until the same purpose is accomplished.
Then the women come in and separate the
wheat from the chaff by hand, sitting the
former into little piles and afterwards put
ting it into bags.
Presently we passed through the subur-
ban vile of Chaplnero, which has a few
poor houses of dried mud, surrounding a
big and handsome church, capable of hold
ing great many more people than the
neighbOrhood contains. Formerly great
indulgences were granted, and honors be-
slowed on whoever would build or endow
church, which probably accounts for their
extraordinary number, many of them I'M
used and falling TO decay.
We were booked to stop for breakfast at
the posddd (inn) of wayside ranch called
Santander, but found the place so crowded
that We were fain to go back little way to
huge drbot de Peru Peruvian pepper
tree and take our luncheon, al tresco, I'M
der It's dropping branches. Such con-
fused conglomeration of dogs and donkeys,
pigs and babies, all rolling in the dirt to-
gether; besides company of muleteers
with their loaded animals, and farmers on
horseback, each man with enormous spurs
on his heels, a wide sombrero on his head,
and
Entirely covering the rest of his figure.
The poncho is another South American in
stitution that must by no means be neg
lected. 1t is nothing but very large
square blanket of varying degrees of
coarseness or elegance, with short slit ex-
actly in the middle of it, only lust large
enough to ADMIT the wearer's head Hav-
ing thrust his head through this hole,
which closes tolerably close around the
neck, a man on horseback is completely
covered, and well protected from dust, rain
or cold. The commoner sorts are of coarse
sleeps wool, woven by the Indians in
their hand-looms; others are very fine,
heavy and expensive, made of the long,
silky wool of the llama or alpaca | have
seen a few from Chile that are really works
of art; the outside of dark blue cloth, very
thick and woody, like the heaviest and
finest chinchilla, lined throughout with
the same texture in brilliant scarlet.
Nothing could be better adapted for ocean
or railway travelling in any country; and
nobody need be ashamed of the odd fash
ion Of garment which so plainly shows
Its value. Tie cheaper varieties are gen.
orally gaily striped, after the manner Of
Mexican zarapes; or are a dingy, yell
lowish brown, the natural color of llama
wool.
The few huts surrounding Santander are
rooted with grass and reeds, with holes cut
in the thatch through which the smoke
may escape, if it will. 1t seldom avails
itself of the privilege, however but fills
the room and pours out of the door, from
the fire of sticks built on the floor or on
sort of cairn or altar of adobe erected in
the middle.
THESE POOR HOMES
Are like thousands of others all over South
America, wherein the lowest classes. who
really comprise the bulk of the population,
numerically, are born, live and die, always
in abiect poverty, often in hunger, but in
variably in a state of absolute content
ment. There are no windows in the walls,
and frequently the entrance has no other
door than bit Of brush set up on occasion,
a stolen board, or an old blanket slung
across. Mother Earth furnishes the only
flooring, chairs are unknown, and bench
or two, with stationary table of solid
adobe, or a few rough planks nailed to-
gether, are considered ample furnishing.
4 pile Of straw covered with a blanket