Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-10-23
NICARAGUAN NATIVES.
KINDLY AND COURTEOUS. BUT
FOND OF A JOKE.
old-Fashioncd in Their Ways, But
Sharp in Business the Wo-
men Look and Dress.

The native Inhabitants of Nicaragua
are very interesting people. There is a
strain of negro blood intermiugicd with
the Caribs on the Atlantic or MOSQUITO
coast, but the Caribs arc of different
race from the inhabitants of the high
lands and the Pacific coast, who are
either pure Aztecs or of mixed Aztec and
Spanish descent. The Caribs arc darker
in color and probably related to the In
dams Of the Brazilian coast.
At the time of the Spanish Conquest
they were warlike and nomadic people,
while the Aztccs were peaceful and
agricultural people. AT that time the
Pacific slope of Nicaragua was dcnsely
populated and cultivated like a garden,
and great cities covered the face OF the
country. According to tradition, where
Leon now stands city then existed with
more than million inhabitants. Their
pacific habits rendered it an incredibly
easy matter for the Spaniards to make
slaves of them, and the atrocities to
which they were subjected are almost
too shocking to be believed ce any peo-
pie calling themselves civilized. A ma
tive historian, who quotes as his authori-
tics the Spanish writers of the time, says
that the price of horse was 100 Young
men, of fitch of bacon selected
maiden, and that when the conquerors
wanted meat for their dogs they killed
an Indian. The natives, notwithsiand-
ing their peaceful character, were proud
and sensitive race, and those who escaped
barbarous deaths at the hands of their
prosecutors died by thousands, until the
country was almost depopulated.
Notwithstanding that cruel experience
of their ancestors, the Nicaraguans Of to-
day are gentle and kindly people.
They meet the white man with smiles
and are never reluctant to extend to him
their hospitality. Their simplicity Of
manner and courteous sociability are de-
liz 'ul and their sense of humor is cx-
trs 'rdinary. Their wit, though often
not delicate, is keen aud incisive, and to
the student of human nature convcrsant
with their language they offer not only
I'm interesting study, but also an unlim-
tied fund of amusement.
One Of their most striking PECULIAR
ties is an intensely democratic spirit
They look with great disfavor on titles
and all kinds of socinl distinctions, and
are quick to aim at them their kceucst
shafts of ridicule Yet, for all that,
they are extremely polite and careful not
to give otfcnse without provocation. A
simple peasant met on the road will
salute you or bid you good-da with re-
spectful politencss coupled with an in
Ma dignity of manner that is extremely
agl ocable. Still, it is not always wise
to ask many questions ut chance meet
ings, as these people are very chary of
displaying their ignorance, and that fact
often causes them to give misleading
answers, and their love of fun frequently
prompts them to have little harmless
amusement at the strangers expense.
OF this latter characteristic we had n
delightful example one day on the rail
road between Leon and Momotombo.
The train had stopped at a small station
and family party which had left it was
entering a caretta. One Of our party,
who pridcd himself not little on his
knowledge of Spanish, after volunteering
the information for the benefit of the
res of US that the country people trav-
Gle mostly in carcttas, turned to native
who occupied the next seat and asked
how fast 81 team of oxen attached to 4
caretta could travel. The native repli ed,
without q moments hesitation, that the
usual rate was twelve miles an hour.
When this information was translated tc
US, it was received with shout OF
laughter that embarrassed our friend and
delighted the native.
The common people are mostly pure.
or very nearly pure, Indians, while the
class above arc of Spanish or consider
ably mixed descent. The former are,
generally speaking, much the more inter
esting. they are, as rule, sober and
Industrious. Their industry, however,
is confined principally to beaten tracks.
and they waste much time aud labor in
slow and Anticipated methods. Fol
example they prefer. because it was the
way of their totesaThers, to cut thci
lumber slowly and laboriovsly with tht
antlqua'cd whipsaw than to use machine
sawed boards. In business, however
they are exceedingly keen and decided,
modern. Indeed. it is q maxim Will
foreigners who have lived for some tim.
in the country that when Il native ha
anything to sell he will invariably bcgi,
by asking four or five times as much n
it is worth, and if YOU cheat" him dow
will go away with an extremely poo,
opinion Of you.
The women are very attractive in man
ner and appearances, and the women o
the common people even more SO as
rule than those of the higher class. Blu
this is true of them only between the g
of fifteen and twenty five. After the,
pass twenty-five they age very rapidly
a"d soon become shrive!ed and ugly
The women between the ages spccitiet
are finely formed. and many Of them hay'
really beautiful faces.
There is marked difference betwae,
the dress Of the common and higLc
classes. The former almost without ex
ception, wear q skirt gathered in at tn
waist, cut very low in the neck, an,
sleeveless. They generally go barefoote,
and always bareheaded. A stock o
Easter hunncts would bankrupt anY lnel
chant i'll the land. A woman's hat
absolutely unstable, except to some res
ident of foreign birth aud rearing, TO
even the higher class of women, whe
they wear anything on their heads, wea
q strip OF woven silk or u knitted worste
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