The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1890-03-22
Nun BEk 2l
A GUATEMALAN FUNERAL,
Some OF the Peculiar Customs OF Centrs
American CarIbs.

American Carlbs.
heard n jingle ef bells this after
noon, and. supposing fire had broken
out, was about to start for the scene
OF the conllagration, when the land
lady informed me that il was only n
funeral and said 1t would pass the
house. few minutes later, hearing
a sort OF wild music, mingled with
shouts and laughter, ran 10 the door
just in time to sec a couple OF half
d! unken men, shoeless and hatless,
coming along at brisk pace, boar
ing n coffin on their shoulders. /.
was simply rough boS wrapped in u
piece of striped calico, and swayed
from side to side as the bearers rolled
along. Following was woman, tho
widow, / was Id. carrying rude cross
covered with flowers and laughing i'm
moderately. Next to the hilarious
chief mourner came the band, con-
sisting of ono accordion, two Hddles, a
tin horn and drum, all run to their
full capacity.
Next came mixed crowd Of mon,
g.
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 by turns. Alto
gether it was the most cheerful funeral
had over witnessed
/ had returned to the table when my
attention was once more called to tho
street by n chorus of wild yells and
uproarious merriment. Stopping out
] discovered the cause. Ono of the
bearers had stumbled aud fallon,
throwing the coffin to the ground vita
such force that one side was partly
broken out, exposing one arm and
ghastly hand half closed. But it was
contented. well-behaved corpse. and
took the whole thing as joke. Pres
emily the bearer staggered to his feet.
the coffin was replaced. and the pro-
cession moved mcrrily on.
The landlord, however, insists this
was very tame affair. end assures
mo 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. It is the1
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 ;ho
drinking is general and the JOY un-
bounded! l hope to bc able to record
first-class affair soon. The owr,r
Of three hutS and pair OF mules is
quite low, and We are waiting patient
ly 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 window to note progress and
report to the eager crowd.
As usual in times of groat 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
Tho next report, however. was most
discouraging. The watcher was seen
fleeing AS for his life and the sick mun
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.
Those are the Caribs, the direct de-
scandants Of those will fierce tribes
discovered by Columt N his first
voyage and found inAabiting 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 tcrror.-Guatemala Cor.
Pittsburgh Post.