Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-29

{AI@s1 tell you of visit we have lately been
n nas. :. to ,ss tn, ,., most ,,ss salt alt
Gated just beyond the village Of Zipaquira, on
the other edge Of the great plain of Bogota.
Imagine jolly party on horseback, followed
by two mozos (men servants) and q donkey
laden with hampers Of luncheon, cantering
gaily out Of Bogota on q bright midwinter
morning. The road winding most Of the way
along the base of the foot hills, passes
stretches of swamp that are completely black
ened by myrads Of wild duck and other water
fowl, showing here and there q tall, white
crane, blue heron, or pink-breasted famingo
standing meditatively on one leg. all quite I'M
disturbed by our approach. Either the Colon
bians are not mighty hunters and 30 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-caled wild game here,
but may deliberately walk up and knock it
over with a club.
SEED TIME AND HARVEST.
Then come quintas, devoted chiefly to the
cultivation Of orchids for the European trade;
gardens where the fruits and vegetables are
raised that supply the markets of Bogota, and
small farms green with wheat, corn, alfalfa and
clover. Nothing tells more truly of the even
temperature here than the various stages of the
corn fields, proving that seed time and harvest
are entirely in the hands of the husbandman.
One field is just being plowed aad planted, an
other by its side has fine crop OF full-grown
corn on stalks higher than man on horseback,
while third shows the green blades hardly
foot above the ground. 1t is the same way
Al
fields, like emerald velvet. Close by are others
in full head. Some are being cut by women
with short sickles and in many places the
primitive
THREsHINa FLOOR
is in operation. The latter is odd enough to
deserve a paragraph, especially as it is an es-
tablished institution all over South America.
A level place is selected, circular wall of
adobe built around it and the earth covered
with stones. The wheat is then thrown in and
span Of horses driven around and around the
Enclosure until their trampling has shelled out
the kernels. Sometimes 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 chat by hand, sitting the former into little
piles and afterward putting it into bags. We
breakfasted under the dropping branches Of a
Peruvian pepper tree. Such a confused con-
glomeration Of dogs and donkeys, pigs and
babies, all rolling in the dirt together; besides
a company of muleteers with their loaded
animals and farmers on horseback, each man
with enormous spurs on his heels. a wide SOM
brero on his head and poncho entirely cover
ing the rest Of his figure The poncho il an
other South American institution that must by
| no means be neglected. 1t is nothing but a
very large, square blanket, of varying degrees
OF coarseness or elegance, with q short slit
exactly in the middle Of it, only Just large
enough to admit the wearer's head. Having
thrust his head through this hole, which closes
tolerably close around the neck, a man on horse
back IL completely covered and well protected
from dust, rain or cold.
The HOMES OF THE POOR.
The few huts surrounding Santander are
rooted with grass and reeds. with holes cut in
the thatch through which the smoke may es-
cape 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 Oh
the floor or on a sort Ut cairn or altar of adobe
erected in the middle. These poor homes are
like thourands OF others allover South America,
wherein the lowest classes, who really comprise
the bulk OF the popupatiOn numerically, are
born, live and die, always in abject poverty
often i'll hunger, but invariably in a state Of alb
solute contentment. There are no windows in
the walls. and frequently the entrance has no
other door than bit of brush set up on occa-
sion, a stolen board, or an old blanket slung
across. Mother earth furnishes the only floor
ing, chairs are unknown and bench or two,
with a stationary table of solid adobe or a FEY
rough planks nailed together, are considered
ample furnishing. pile of straw covered
with a blanket forms luxurious bed, but
oftener there no beds at all, the people
lying down on the ground wherever they like,
while the pigs, fowls, goats, donkeys or what
ever live stock the family are so fortunate as
| to possess besides feas, lice, &C.. go in and
out at will, as much at home inside as any of
the other occupants.
After hasty luncheon from the hampers,
eked out with coffee made gypsy fashion, and
half an hours rest with our backs against the
big pepper tree, we were again in the saddle.
The way grew wilder as the distance from the
capital increased. Tall ferns frnged the way
side, and no end of wild flowers among huge
stones, gray and messy, pitched about in Wild
est confusion, as though the mountain brownies
had been playing at foot ball. At last
PUENTE coMMUN
was reached, remarkable bridge, raised con-
siderably above the surrounding country,
where, at the widening of the road is another
posada, in which all travellers tarry for siesta
while their horses are being fed and rested.
This 10 by far the most interesting bridge l
have yet seen In Colombia. 1t crosses bit of
low ground, which in the rainy season is a roar
ing river and at other times merely q swamp,
by a span OF three piers. At intervals along
the middle span are round turrets, and on the
| four principal pillars is q Spanish inscription
which, translated, reads: 'Tiis bridge was built
in the reign of Carlos Nv, king of Spain, in
| 1892, by the English prisoners who were taken
at the abortive attempt Of Admiral Vernon to
capture Carthagena."
| After crossing this bridge an hours steady
ride brought US within sight OF the distant
| trees and church towers of Zipaquira. Gradu-
ally the scenery changed from pasture lands
| to cultivated fields, where potatoes, corn and
wheat are growing, dotted all about with mis-
| cradle mud hovels wherein black pigs and
| blacker humans dwell amicably together We
had been invited to remain during our stay
| in q pleasant little quinta in the farther sub
| urbs OF Zipaquira with the family of one of the
| salt mine owners, and before darkness fell we
| were warmly welcomed and safely housed in
this hospitable home.
| THE FAMOUS SALT MINES
| are located in the hills directly back Of the
town. Nobody knows how old the mines may
be nor how many millions Of tons have been
taken out of them. In the year 1926 the
| Spaniards found them old and well established.
having long been worked by the aboriginal
| tribes, and ever since they have been
worked for the bene at Of the changing govern
ments to this day furnishing the Columbian
government with about one-eighth of its total
| revenue.
Walking up steep hill to the most extensive
| workings We witne ssed both the English and
the American systems Of condensing salt-the
| former in one big iron tank and the latter in
numerous small ones. In another large build.
| inc he nruda aalt n e0s1donsad into