Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-30

and pours out of tine 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 abject poverty, often
in hunger, hut invariably In a state of abso-
lutte contentment. Thera are no windows
has no other door than a bit of
brush set up on occasion, stolen
board, or an old blanket slung
across. Mother earth furnishes the only
flooring, chairs are unknown, and bench
or two, with a stationary table of solid
adobe, or a few rough planks nailed to-
gether, are considered ample furnishing
A pile of straw covered with a blanket
forms luxurious bed, but oftener there are
no beds at ali, the people lying down on the
ground wherever they like; while the pigs,
fowls, goats, donkeys, or whatever live stock
the family are SO fortunate as to possess
besides feas, lice, ct cetera go in and out at
will, as much at home inside as any of the
other occupants.
The poncho is South American institu-
ton that must by no means be neglected.
1t is nothing but verv large, square
blanket, of varying degrees of coarseness or
elegance. with 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 horseback
is completely covered, and well protected
from dust, rain or cold.
VISITING THE SALT MINE.
We had been invited to remain during our
cfo io, Il Mt IN fbo
ther suburbs OF ri ipaquira, 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 we'll established, having
long been worked by the aboriginal tribes;
and ever since they have been worked io1
the benefit of the changing governments, to
this day furnishing the Colombian Govern
ment with about one-eighth of its total
revenue.
Walking up steep hill to the most ex-
tensive workings, we witnessed both the
English and the American systems OF con-
densing salt; the former in one big iron
tank, and the latter in numerous small
ones. In another large building the crude
salt is condensed into solid blocks, and all
the moisture squeezed out of it by rude
machinery with lever at one end, forced
down by men with ropes. Tub-shaped
blocks are thus made perfectly solid, and
these, we were told, are sold at 5 reals
each, or about 30 cents American money.
Sometimes thousand arrobas of salt are
sold in single forenoon, an arroba being
exactly 25 pounds. In another shed row
of earthenware kettles is fixed over furnaces,
and the salt is thus evaporated into cakes,
the kettles having to be broken to get the
cakes out of them. In another establish
ment the kettles are made of clay, the same
as that used for adobe bricks.
Afterward we followed a steep path up
to tine opening of the principal mine. On
the way thereto we met carts drawn by
oxen loaded with salt, and women bearing
on their backs heavy loads of the same.
While waiting for candles we had time to
look about US and enjoy the unrivalled
view. In front stretched the great Bogota
plain, the ancient elysium Of the Chibchas;
to the left, shut in by high mountains, lay