Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-11

they doubtless know all about il These SEEM
fngiy humble people can keep . secret with the
brides or any other inducement. At the pres
emit time it is said that they know the location Of
rich deposits in various parts OF the country
but will give no information concerning them
ana, poor As they are, will not work the veins
themselves, fearing TO share the melancholy
fate Of poor Don Salcedo.
THE xARRErs.
Cold 90 it 10 the markets Of Puno are held in
the open air. the Quichuas occupying one
plaza for the sale Of their goods, the Aymaras
another. The sales mostly conducted by
women, who sit on the ground in rows, each
with her small stock OF chunos (frozen pota-
toes) charqui (dried fish,, peppers, peas,
ket. Each heap has fixed price, which never
varies, whatever the Auctuation of the market
For example, heap of dried peas which you
might hold in two hands costs 10 cents. II the
market falls the heap is enlarged and you get
few peas more; if it rises You get smaller
heap; but 10 cents you must pay every
time. Neither have these women the remotest
idea OF selling their stock in the lump or at
Wholesale. Should you ask one of the women
what she will take for all the peas on hand she
cannot tell until all the basketful has been
sorted out into little piles and their value COM
puted AZ 10 cents per pile.
PATIENT MARKET WOMEN.
One day In Puno I was much interested in
observing from my window q group of QuIchua
women, who sat from dawn till dark on the
frosty ground of a big, bare plaza. their llamas
tethered behind them, waiting for possible Gus
toners, but with nothing in the world TO sell
except some small punches of barley, Young
women and old were dressed exactly alike in
short dresses of dark blue flannel. spun woven
and dyed by themselves; the very full skirt,
shrred down over the hips. the short jackets
OF the same material meeting at the bosom, but
rIf,fys Ia ~ a., A.
sleeves gathered slightly at the wrists aud
hanging loosely IN aesthetic style and large hats
OF the same blue flannel, elaborately trim
med with red wooden ''rick-rack" braid All
were barefooted. but looked perfectly comfort
able and, though they did not talk much and
| seldom smiled. seemed happy and contented
Hour after hour they patiently squatted there
buslly spinning wool of brightest hues using
hand spindles, which they twirled rapidly be-
tween the palms.
During the day walked over to interview
them-but, alas. they could not speak q word of
Edgish or Spanish, and your scribe is not
versed IN Qulchua, so conversation languished
But learned from them one thing viz, that
feminine instincts are about alike the wide
world over, whatever may be the environments
Every one OF those unsmiling. strong featured
aud industrious women showed as much Curl
osity and interest in the (to them) peculiar cut
OF my garments as | had in theirs, and the ad-
miring attention Of each was instantly attracted
One offered me all the wool she had spun in
exchange for it; another wanted to swap her
brandne hat, third her poncho, and others
pointed to their uamas as possible mediums of
exchange.
But nobody came to buv their poor little
punches OF barley, aud still they spun on con-
tentedly. At length, as twilight was deepen
ing, an old man strolled over and purchased
the entire stock on the plaza, for which he paid
precisely hfty-seven cents. l saw the money
70 ant and II .I,l
hoisted the bundles on their heads and bore
them away to the corral Of the purchaser.
SLOW woRKMEN.
group Of Indians in front Of the house we're
repairing bit of broken pavement, and though
the workmen numbered half dozen and the
place to be mended was scarcely two yards
square it took all day to do it. First they sat
down on the ground and followed out the
space with short handled wooden shoyeIs which
looked much like butter ladies', collecting the
dirt in their blanket aprons. This they
lelsurely carried away somewhere, returning
after while, their aprons filed with small
stones Then they sat on the ground again
and carefully laid the stones In place, remov-
ing them many times to make them all fit
snugly. and at last pounded each one down
with another stone of the same size. They
have no use here for hammers or mallets or
wheelbarrows.
AN ANTIQUE ARCH.
One day, when acclimatization had somewhat
abated the terrors Of sirroche, 1 made a pill
grimage through the town to an ANTIQUE
arch on hill top, which had long commanded
my admiration from a distance. The most
crowded street Of Puno leads thereto, I'D a
sharp incline, lined on either side with adobe
cottages, whose inmates aocked to their doors
In amazement 1t takes a good deal to arouse
especial interest In these constltutionally sleepy
people. but the rare spectacle of a woman walk
ing abroad and alone without the customary
manta enveloping her head will do more in that
direction than earthquake could being
less common occurrence.
By dint Of considerable effort and stopping
often to recover breath, though the little hill
would hardly be minded were it not for the al
titude Of Puno. the goal was finally reached
How l wish could make you see that quantity
peaceful scene as it lay spread out in the
August sunshine The very tall old arch, built
OF painted and plastered adobe over the high
way leading to Lima, serves the triple purpose
OF gate to mark the incorporate limits of
Puno, monument to some local heroes, who
fell In the war for independence, and to adver-
tise the patriotism of the Jefe Politco under
whose administration it was erected. An in
scription near the top SAYS it was built in the
year 1S47, in honor of the heroes aforesaid,
whose names are inscribed, together with the
battles In which they figured. On either side
OF the road an adobe wall bulges out in semi
circular form, with q seat, or high step, all
around its outer edge. Above this, on both
sides, is q very wide terrace, also half-moon
shaped, backed by higher wall, with two
rows OF seats, one above the other. The cres-
cent-shaped terrace was originally paved with
small stones, but grass has sprung up thickly
between them and even found root in the dust
OF years collected on the adobe seats and walls
Built into the center Of the outer wall, ON one
side is q slab to the memory of the good Jefe
Politico, who fourished nearly fifty years ago,
and in the opposite wall is a queer old fountain.
with water running into its adobe basin from
some unknown source.
URcHIN AND DONKEY.
Presently boy came along leading donkey
to the fountain trough. The little beast
scrambled up over the high seats az if accus-
toned to it and drank thirstily while the urchin
rested himself by lying fat on his stomach and
kicking up his bare brown heels A young
chols with baby in her arms and another
olive branch tagging at her heels sat down
near me. The older child. whom she called
Guillermo Spanish for William) in common
with all Peruvian small boys, carried sling.
with which he continually SHE'D pebbles at
birds, beasts, passing pedestrians or whatever
CHANGED to attract his attention. generally
hitting the mark amazingly well. Nobody paid
the slightest attention to him, however, and en-
dured the peltng quite a matter of course.
l tried to talk with the mother who seemed to
be inclined to be communicative, but as her
vocabulary was an odd mixture Of Indian and
Castilian, was unable to get much information
except such a. smiles, shrugs and gestures
could convey.
INDIANS WERE CONSTANTLY COMING
and going-silent picturesque 6purea hurry-