Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-30
quality, but bring in New York and ether
places from $50 to 500 each

places from $50 to 500 each.
WONDERFUL STRUCTURE
The river Chiquapo runs through the middle
Of La Paz-a noble stream fed from the sur
rounding mountains and spanned by . number
Of fine old bridges. Most Of the houses are
built OF stone, instead of the usual adobe, the
facades of many being ornamented with carv-
ing or stucco work There are fifteen churches
OF considerable size, some of them pictures
in the extreme, and a number Of old monas-
terles ana converts most of the latter being
now used for schools, military barracks and
similar purposes. There is Q free school sys-
tenn here and a rather celebrated university
sustained by the government. The big cathe-
dral. built entirely Of stone, has q beautifully
carved front, and in q niche over its main en-
trance stands figure Of the Virgin, which was
presented to the city by Carlos Of SPAIN and
was transported thither from the seaboard
over the mountains at enormous cost. 1t 10
| said that more than forty years were required
to build the church, several hundred men
being constantly employed. We do not
wonder at that, if the account of o recent
historian is true. He says: mo derrlcks or
other machinery were used in its constr uction,
but the walls we're erected in a curious way.
AS fast as a tier Of stone was laid the earth
was banked up against it, inside and outside,
and upon this inclined plane the stones for the
| next tier we're rolled into their places. Then
| more earth was thrown on and the process re-
peated, until, when the walls were finished,
| q
| tam OF dirt This was allowed to remain until
| the roof was laid, when the earth was carried
| away on the backs Of llamas and men. II is
| said to have taken thirteen years to clear out
the inside of the building, as the earth could
only be taken away through the narrow win
| dow DOORS"
| Although one sees so many ragged and
wretched specimens of the genus homo upon
| the Streets and business education and every
| tning else are at so low an ebb, there is con-
Ir,I De-. 1xshA 81,
cally small upper class" Upper tendon can
| not drive around in carriages on account of the
| steep and stony streets, but one may see its
| representatives out on horseback in the morn
| ing or sauntering in the beautiful Alamo da
| ABOUT 4 O'Clock pm. On Sunday afternoons
| that fashionable resort is crowded with all
| classes sitting on adobe benches under its
rows OF fine old trees. listening to the music Of
military bands or drinking cervasa NATIVE
| beer) from a nearby fondita There is a
beautiful alabaster fountain in the Alameda, a
| Dig stone idol from the region of Lake Titicaca
and other obj of interest. but nothing more
interesting than the ever-changing panorama
OF human beings and the view from its walls Of
the crooked streets, tiled roofs and queer tow
ers OF the old city.
| SOME OF THE PEOPLE.
Here come three cavalrymen, dashing pell-
nell up the street, all in scarlet even to their
caps and capes, each carrying over his shout
|
but at more leisurely pace. rides the baker on
| his sleek little donkey with huge hamper
hung on either side. Ox-hde hampers are too
common in this country to attract attention,
but these are unique, their square. box-like
| framework covered with the skin of some per-
| tectIy white animal, put on hair outward. Each
hamper Is filled with small, crusty ioaves about
| the SIZE OF your fist and every one OF them
| would serve well as a cannon ball i'll case OF an
emergency. On the top of the uncovered
| bread u 10 hot inn AZ he
boxes, and his red calico handkerchief and we'll
worn purse in the other. while his boots and
breeches dangle over both.
| group Of Indians from over the sierras
have just come to town with their troop Of
| llamas and seated themselves to rest on the
stones OF the street with their weary backs
| against the plaza wall. Poor things! More
than half naked, dirty, frowzy, utterly hope
| less of anything better in this world nobody
knows how many miles those bare feet have
trotted. Most OF the llamas are laden with
snow Ice from the upper Andes, which is in
great demand at the saloons and restaurants
| The Ice Is tied up in blankets and although
there Is nothing between the chilly bundle and
the back OF the animal but folded sheepskin
| we notice that they seem more uncomfortable
| without the accustomed burden than with it.
| Indians abound this morning, if possible in
| greater number and variety of costume than
usual; and every one is driving heavily laden
mule or llama or carries load on his or her
| d
| OF planks; another has four sacks on his back:
another trots off with big trunk that weighs
him nearly to the ground, and there is woman
IN total eclipse, so to speak, nothing but her
pare feet and ankles being visible beneath the
bundle OF alfalfa heaped upon her head.
| THE cHoLo WOMEN.
In strong contrast to the patient and hard
working Indians, who are imposed upon by
| everybody and in every way are the Cholos or
| -Dreeus-a hnf
| very different in manner and appearance being
| NOISY. saucy and independents; by no means a
| desirable class Of citizens OF course there are
| notable exceptions; but as a rule, they lie,
| cheat, steal like magpies and can never be de-
pended upon to carry out bargain. Some of
| the women are very handsome while young in
| coarse way. but most of them are thoroughly
| bad. They are generally short in stature in
clined to stoutness, with bold, black eyes, per-
| feet teeth and heavy hair. All are excessively
fond Of bright colors and possess the secret OF
dyeing them. Their dress is peculiar Here
| comes one who is a fair sample, out for paseo
| or promenade. She wears such a number of
skirts as to give them a bell-shaped outline, az
! though worn over hoop The outer one is
canton flannel, made woody side out,a gorgeous
yellow of indescribable tint, between salmon
| and orange. Below it the white lace Of the
next skirt hangs down about an eighth Of a
| yard. All the skirts are made short enough
| to show an inch or two Of bare brown leg (she
1
! boots She always wears two shawls-never by
| any chance, whatever the weather. appearing
| in one only. The lower one, delicate rose
| pink, Is put on somehow 80 that the point
| comes directly in 'front.' like an apron extend
| ing nearly to the hem of her skirt; while the
| outer shawl, a royal purple with green flowers
| in the border has the point behind, and is
| fastened together at the bosom with cluster
OF silver pins, hitched together by chain.
Her coarse black hair hangs down her back in
| two braids, tied together at the ends with white
| strings. Her enormously long car rings reach
| ing almost to the shoulders, are set with imta-
ton pearls, and on her head is jauntly perched
| white straw hat Of the sailor" shape much
too small, with blue ribbon tied around it.
| Just behind her saunters another woman of
the same class, but probably twenty years
| older. Her hat is precisely the same in shape
| and size as that Of her predecessor; her ear
rings are hoops Of filigree silver, as large as
the rim of trade dollar; her outer skirt is rose
| color, with some wide hand embroidery in a
| sprawling pattern hanging down below il. Her
| shawls are respectively magenta and green,
and her extremely high-heeled boots are satin,
| once white, but now much the worse for wear
and tear. Cholo dresses for balls and fiesta
occasions are very gay and often costly. The
| Zamacueca is their favorite dance. and one can
seldom pass q Chicha shop without hearing
| the stunning OF guitars or mandolins within
| and the clatter OF heels in time to the ''hi-
| diddle-diddle" music Of that national measure.
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
| When a Cholo girl marries her godmother,
who is usually lady Of the upper class for
whom her mother or herself has been ser.
want, pays for the first days feasting and FIRST
| nights ball. The RroOm's father then feels