Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
CITIES AND HAMLETS.
Visit to a Quaint Old Town of Cen
trail Bolivia.
HOW THE INHABITANTS LIVE
The Youthful Cure OF Chulumaus-A
Strange Character - Peculiar Sur.
rOundings-FOrgossen Wealth IN An.
Client Sancluaries-In Rurai District.
Of THE EVENING sr.a

SISciAl Correspondence OF The EVENING STAR
CHULUMANI, BOLIVIA, June 10, 1890.
n ISITING the capital and one or two
AFVAmining regions and making q tour of
A\Vk observation into any interior valley 10
M\ equivalent to seeing every rod of Bo-
"'sW livia; for throughout its vast extent
there are few variations, except those caused
by altitude, in changes of climate and different
industries pursued by the people. So very
cold is the atmosphere Of La Paz at an eleva-
ton Of over $4,000 feet that the traveller finds
it difficult to believe himself really within the
semi-tropics and to realize that were it not for
these mountain ranges topped with eternal
snow the whole country would be like the Yum
gas valley, filled with sunshine and luxuriant
vegetation.
Chulumani. capital Of the province Of Yum
gas, is a typical town OF interior Bolivia With
population OF only about ?, 500 it covers nearly
as much space as the city OF Chicago. Having
been built hap-hazsrd up and down the hill
SIDES, blrds-eye view makes its roofs of an
Client and clumsy tiles, which were long since
turned by time from dull red to messy green
and gray. appear to be piled directly on top of
one another. As in all Spanish America the
building material is stone, adobe and plaster
but little wood being used even the floors be-
ing generally of tiles. bricks or cement Ex-
cept the huts of the Indians all enormous
structures, sometimes rambling around two or
three inner courts, and though many of them
contain several shops and shelter a number of
families one finds nowhere those neat little
houses which can be furnished without much
cost and easily kept in order, so much in de-
mand at the north.
NO CozY HOMES
Here the newly married pair must take a
casa large enough for a garrison, or live in
rooms above some shop or remain with the old
folk, according to their taste and means. Per-
maps that accounts for the fact that most of
the great houses are scantilv furnished, their
long and lofty apartments looking as bare and
cherries as SO many town halls without a
trace OF that cosy home look which American
and English housewives delight to produce.
though the Spanish Is said to be the richest
OF all languages it has no such word as
''home," nor anything nearer it than hogas
(hearsh), which really signifies nothing in
that direction, since i'll all South America.
among rich and poor, in the highlands and the
lowlands, there Is not a hearth TO sit by, nor a
stove, CRATE or other continuance in which a
hre may be built for warmth and cheerfulness
Though the capital of an important province.
Chulumanl contains neither hotel nor tambo:
therefore all travellers must depend upon pri-
vate hospitality. The worst of it is that ones
generous entertainers would feel grievously in
suited If offered money in return for their hos
pitallty. Gifts are received, however, under
VIC Suise VI TeBdlOs OF souvenirs OF friendship,
and one needs to carry about the country a
regular Yankee peddler's stock of motions" to
distribute in payment for his board.
QUAINT OLD TOWN.
Outside OF our own party there was not an
English-speaking person in the whole depart
ment OF Yungas. In Chulumani there is moth
ing OF greater interest to be seen than the
quaint old town itself. The only mandatory,
If SO 1t may be called, is an establishment
where cocoa leaves are pressed into bales. each
weighing % pounds, by primitive machine in
the hands of four Indians. There is but one
sign board in the city and that where it is least
needed-on the institute" or Catholic college:
blue painted strip, whose golden letters are
in the form of books, with an ink stand stuck
full OF pens for q period The girls occupy
the lower floor, the boys the upper, and
precisely al O'Clock on every day in the
week but Sunday school begins and holds till
5 In the afternoon. The institute being across
the narrow street directly opposite our bed
room window we were awakened every morning
by childish voices piping Catholic hymn, and
all day long We had the benefit of the lessons
as, according to universal custom in these
countries. the children study aloud-this one
shouting out his arithmetic, that one his gram
scholars of all classes, from the we'll
dressed sons of the Jefe Politico to bare-footed
Indian children. Some of the boys are designed
for the priesthood and all are sedulously
trained in the Catholic route to heaven. That
the path was somewhat thorny was evidenced
by the frequent sound of blows and the howl
ings of some poor little urchin.
THE MARKET.
Then there is q market plaza always crowded
with Indians and Cholos where all the mer-
chandise that reaches this secluded spot is ex-
posed for sale in open booths or on the ground.
from Indian embroidery to Partisan fabrics.
meat fruit and vegetables. Fronting one side
OF this plaza Is the village church, and as Sum
day Is the great gala and business day of the
week We were compelled to force a path
through the crowd, stepping over little heaps
OF vegetables, cheese and other commodities
on our way to the sanctuary
To kneel among a throng of Indians on a
door whose bricks have been worn thin by the
knees of centuries of worshipers while mass il
chanted and incense burned. is not an uncom-
mon experience; but few church-goers in any
land were treated to finer music on that bright
Sunday morning than We in this far country.
One OF our party, type Of the best class of
unusual genius; and having been invited by
the cure, he assembled the rickety organ loft
and made the long-silent and decrepit old in
strument speak as never in the palmiest days
OF Its youth. l am afraid that the music,
mostly improvised, now solemn, now ioyous
was hardly in accord with the mass; but that ii
reached the dullest heart was shown by the
tears thai Tell from many eyes The Door In
dian, the bare-footed Cholo girl, with her baby
OF unknown parentage slung on her back and
the lady of higher degree wept without know
ing why that the music expressed as words
could not, the pain ind passion and disappoint
ment Of human life, its brief snatches OF pleas
ure, and the inevitable end of all in darkness
and mystery.
THE CURE OF CHULUMANI
is q character not to be passed without men,
ton. Barely twenty-four years of age, remark
ably handsome in dark sharp-featured way.
educated far beyond the ken Of his associates
and with almost unlimited power in his little
world, his outlook upon life is certainly not a
somber one. After mass his youthful excel
lency called upon us in long black gown and
silky wide-brimmed hat, tied up at the
sides, shovel fashion, with black cords and
tassels, and In course Of conversation informed
US that kind Of musical reunion was held at
his house on Sunday evenings in which his
friends participated, and invited rs to Join the
company.
Well, we went, though only for half an hour.
having been nearly scared out of going at ali
by reports that reached US in the interim. The
weu-furnished drawing room contained fine
piano, CABINET organ, guitars, violins and
other musical instruments. Our Spanish
American genius rendered some operate. Sc
iecuons, the house servants were called in to
give us specimen Of native music and the
call was concluded with the most pleasant inn
pressions on all sides. 1t came out afterward,
however, that We did not see anything of the
real entertainment of the evening, for our
musical friend, understanding the wa;s of his
countrymen better than we, slipped over be-
n I'D he -. =