Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Correspondence of The Evening Star.
GRANADA, NICARAGUA. Dec. 90.
A MERICANS ARE FAR-FAMED RELIC
"A hunters. and following a natural instinct
we determined to make the most of our oppor-
tunities for ferreting out interesting native
work and antique remains of the aborigines of
Nicaragua. My companion, Mr.. s. C. Braida,
has travelled in many odd corners of the earth
A professor of languages at Princeton, speak
ing perfectly half dozen idioms, he gave up
the dull routine of a college life two years ago
and has since been in the active service of the
Nicaraguan Canal Construction Company. On
the staff of Chief Engineer Menocal he now
accompanies him on trip to the capital and
inspection of the work west of the lake, and
while the chief engineer is engaged in official
matters we find time to 90 hunting hunting
for what is odd and curious in Nicaraguan handi-
work.
to active commercial life in the states and un-
tutored in the ways Of people here to compre-
bend the ways OF doing business, the POSSIBLE
tiles of trade here and the mechanical genius
OF the people that, through the force of cir
cumstances, has been allowed to lie largely DOR
mant through past generations. The idea that
Is very prevalent that the people living in these
warm climates are indolent beyond reclama-
ton is shown to be false in many WAYS As
sturdy laborers the canal company can find no
better employees than those it hires here and
one who travels through tho country sees evil
dences of industry, handicapped by a lack of
improved methods, that would be q power if
properly guided. After all, in dealing with
questions OF national character, the immediate
incentive to effort and the possibility of finding
intelligent guidance in work is answerable for
large part of what is accomplished by a peo-
pie. Here we find in abundance, the native
instinct for the execution of artistic work, but
on the one hand the local market is too small
to bring an industry to any large proportions
and the work done is not of the kind that can
be exported except as curiosities.
CUP CARyERs.
OF half dozen cities of the country with pop-
ulations ranging from 10, 600 to 10000 each has
n distinct class of work that is turned out. and
what You will find at one place is made nowhere
else. We started our hunt for curiosities at
Rivas, less than twenty miles from the Pacific
and west of the great lake, rs ere all the larger
settlements OF the country. At an outlying
town to which we are guided we stop before
the bars that form the only gateway to the cac-
tus hedge, and taking down the top ones, en-
ter the yard. Our every step is contested by a
couple of dogs that bark, but retreat before us.
They are useful in bringing out to the doorway
OF the adobe house young girl with Indian
features who calls on the CANNES and salutes
US with "buenos dias." This young girl and
her sister are known as the carves Of ''jicaras,"
or Chocolate cups, In manner that no others
can equal. We enter the living room Of the
house, walking on the hard clay floor, and
inquire if she has any of her work on hand.
She goes to an adjoining room and brings forth
single sample, a gourd beautifully carved
with forms Of birds amid mechanical design
encircling il, the piece being cut off at one end
to form cup. We succeed in getting two or
three jicaras and If we want more we must
order them and wait for weeks. The custom
OF working by order is SO prevalent here that
1t Is almost impossible to find anything ready
made of any kind Later on we visit another
expert carver, but her work 10 of q different
style, her designs being made up of shields of
the various Central American republics which
she copies from silver pieces of money. They
each do their work with the point OF an old
table knife, the latter carver being surrounded
by brood Of rather dirty-faced children, who
play on the mud floor of her cane house.
third carver Of fine work we find here uses
only the cocoanut as his material and this he
adorns with birds and shields. afterward stain
ing them black, which gives the whole rich
ebony appearance. The jicara Is the drinking
cup OF the country for the mass of the people,
and at nearly every house it is common to see
tree-shaped stand within doors on which they
nang: Every cup il carved In some fashion,
but II you want fne carving you wiz be told
to send 70 Mvss. II You give IN order and
nave patience you can have any design imi-