St. Landry democrat., 1890-03-01
Life in Honduras.

rrNpIEAsANT FEATURES OF THE PLACE
WHERE MAJOR E. A. BURKE REsIDEs.
A special dispatch to the st. Louis
Globe Democrat from San Antonio, lex,
saws: Mr.. Alfred Raphael, who has been
absent for three years, has returned to San
Antonio. great part of his time has
been spent in Central America, and especl-
a]ly in Honduras. Concerning the con-
cassion of Major E. A. Burke, defaulting
State treasurer of Louisiana, he says:
"It is located three miles from the town
of Concordia, and | have been over it very
often. 1t is many miles in extent ana Is
very valuable, particularly from mineral
point of view. The lodes are both gold
and silver bearing, the latter predomlnat-
ing, and some of them very rich. did
| not see Burke while there.
| OF Honduras in general, Mr. raphael
| SAYS: Like all tropical countries, It LOS
| it's drawbacks First, the climate. AL
thoneb we were at an elevation of 5000
feet and 200 miles from the coast, the
changes during the twenty-four hours
were at times very severe. During our
winter months it probably averaged SO
from a. M to / 1 p. m. AS the sun lowers
a cool breeze comes from the mountains,
| followed BY heavy mist, which chllls one
| through. The thermometer drops before
midnight to 65', and several times dropped
to 54'.
'HThe houses are made of mud mot
adobe) The roofs are made Of tiles so
laid as to keep out only the Sun and rain,
but with door and windows closed tie
wind will sometime bl1w out cand!7
! n1aceG in the middle tie room. J4jer-
clothes .25-a. 81 ~ night wilt 20 saturated
in the morning. There is no use making
a f,e, as the heat all goes out through the
basket work roof. Besides, it must be
built on the floor in the middle OF the
room, and the heat seems to draw every
insect within forty yards into the house.
There is not per cent of the population
free from chills and fever, and it shakes
one pretty lively down there
ga great portion of the people sleep IN
hammocks, others on rawhides stretched
on a frame, This style of bed can get
harder and keep colder before morning
than the lining of an ice box. Not even
the poorest will sleep on the ground.
ssThe insects are various, vicious and
yenomous. The scorpion is very plentiful
and builds its nest in the tiles Of the roof,
1t keeps warm and quiet during the day
and at night prowls around, and getting
numbed with cold and Losses It's grip and
Quite too often contrives to fall onto or
into the bed Then there is music. They
are much larger than ours, more than
twice the size, but are not considered dam
gerous to adults. The children 60 into
Commissions from the pain of the sting,
and it is so severe sometimes as to Cause
death. 1t depends on what portion of the
body is stung. The cassampulga is small
!. black spider with red spots or stripes, and
it is greatly feared by everv one. Its bite
is invariably fatal is not attended to al
, once. The negua or jigger, is the chsE
that lays Its eggs under the skin OF the
: toes, and in three days its nest, of which
it is in the center, is as big as buckshot
Its presence is known by slight itching
then the skin must be carefully raised ano
laid back with a needle-point and listi'
sac removed without breaking it. 1t looks
like grain of barley, and leaves clean
3 cnt round hole to the flesh, which will b.
: healed the day following. If the sac Il
D broken ard any of the eggs left, as is Otter
the case, it is sometimes weeks before INT
: person is able to walk, and the sting mus
4 be carefully attended to.
+ "There are species of flea brought abou
y the doorway of the houses by hogs, VIII
+ are often rendered unfit for food from thu
rayages of this little pest. | have seel
8 them with both toes of the hind foot al
most eaten away. The most dreaded OF al
Q the snakes is one about twenty-fou
n inches long and as thick as pig sausage
9 It is of bright green and notified Wit
$ brown 1t is called tamagas. 1t is also
q very pugnacious chap. The men cultlvat
), corn and sugar cane, and the women an
q children 60 each day into the hills to was
10 gold with variable luck. Sometimes
&c woman will make 81, and often when the
II strike gold gravel it is not unusual fo
% them to make S. in few hours. As ma
be supposed, poverty is practically un
q known. Besides. they have at their door
y in almost every garden, bananas, pineap
&c pies, oranges, coffee and great variety
10 fruits not known in this country"