Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-08-28
/
GUATEMALA MUSIC.
Played by FuII-BIooded Indians
at the Fair.
Newspaper Men Given a Reception by
Gautemalan Commissioners.
caAada's Exbibit-hsr Great Display d Fish
in Fishsr suiidiss.

WORLDS FAIR, Aug. 27.-(Special. -
Guatemala was so much pleased with her
general experience at the fair that she Ar
ranged little festival for her particular
friends. including all the newspaper men
who have dropped in from time 20 time TO
rest in her pleasant patio" and take cof
fee with her polite officials. With some
30 others received An elegant card, the
plain English of which ran thus:
''The Guatemala commission Of the
Worlds Columbian Exposition has the
honor to invite you TO listen to the Ma
rinba and paFtake Of the native coffee
Thursday at p. m"
The building is in the general style Of
well-to-do Guatemala gentleman's resi-
dence-that is, large and airy rooms are
arranged around a court which is open to
the sky, and ON the four sides Of that
are broad, interior porches. In Mexico
heard this interior called the plaxito or
little plaza but this the Guatemalans call
the patio. All the ground Of this central
square is beautifully set in native
plants and flowers, and in the cen
ter is a natural looking rockery and
on its summit spring where
the crystal waters gush from the rock and
thence 1t pours down over the miniature
precipices in truly happy imitation Of
mountain stream. Above red and green
parrots swing on little twigs as natural AS
life, and below the water drips upon and
rustles among long and trailing vines
=, tf.,1
hair ferns-the combination making a
scene which these dark children of the
tropics call homelike and we northerners
find delightfully."- cooling and restful.
Around the walls were curious remind
ers Of the forests and mountains Of the re-
public Among them were immense plas
ter slabs with reproductions Of the ancient
carving and lettering in the ruins of Sas-
tanquiqui, department of Peten. There
were also interesting maps, masses OF
orchids and assortments OF minerals--in
short, it was a section of Guatemala. The
building being closed to the general pub
lie, the tables were arranged around the
inner porch and then followed orange
sherbet, Guatemala wine, cake of many
kinds, ice cream and so on to coffee, with
music, laughter and animated conversa-
tion in three languages. The Marimba
seems to ;e a sort of combination of piano |
and xylophone and the notes are struck |
with hardwood knobs on elastic stems, as
dulcimer is played.
b. the musicians were most interest
ing They were four full blooded Indians |
of the most ancient race in Guatemala. |
All played at once and the music was in |
deed delightful In addition to their ma
tive melodies they played the leading airs OF |
the nations represented by the guests, and |
our own patriotic tunes We're given with a |
soft and delicate sweetness which showed
me had hitherto failed to realize their |
complete charm. The names Of the musi- |
clans are Antonio Chavez, Pedro Chavez, |
Samuel Chavez and Lucio Castellanos and |
they are the star Indian suartette of |
Guatemala The Indians tnsre are said |
to show special aptitude for music, espe- |
calIy of the soft and plaintive sort, most |
Of their airs being in the minor key.
Having decided to give two days exclu |
sively to our neighbors on the north I |
went to the official headquarters of the |
Dominion of Canada for Il start and was |
surprised to find TINT almost every prov |
ince is well represel. "a by resident com
missioners besides goodly array for the |
Dominion at large, these making quite an |
exhibit in themselves "a they seem to have |
been selected as rerll.-.Iiatives of the |
ruddy and sturdy men of the north. |
Among Canada's men here are Hon. |
George X. Cockburn, Senator Joseph |
Tasse of Montreal Executive Commission |
er John s Larke. Nicholas Aury, for On |
tario; Hon. John II. McIntosh, for Quebec; |
Senator Perley. for the northwest terri |
tories ". d. Dmmock, secretary of the |
and many others. "all proper,
persouable and horse-riding men," as Eze-
kiel said Of the Chaldeans. Among them
is one Polanter, Sir C,simer Gzowski, |
who is aide-de-camp to Her Majesty in |
Canada.
Dominion day was July 1, anniversary |
of the confederation of the provinces In |
1867, and the orator of the occasion was |
Hon. George A. Kirkpatrick, lieutenant
governor of Ontario
Lieutenant governor in Canada, you |
know, means governor, rs in contempla- |
ton OF law he is held to be merely the |
lieutenant of the governor general, |
Canada having adopted substantially that |
framework of government proposed for us |
by Alexander Hamilton. There is, there |
fore, disarrangement of ftitlesin crossing |
the border which makes the American re- |
porter wary (or should), as instance the |
case of Mr.. Mcintosh, who is cabinet |
minister without a portfolio--in Canada |
slang ''ticket-of-leave minister" Charles |
F. Laws is here for British Columbia and |
X. B. Voak for Nova Scotia, but Hon. |
James Smart, commissioner for Manitoba. |
has got the grand bounce, though no one |
can tell me why New Brunswick and |
Prince Edwards island have no commits |
sioners, though theirexhibits are immense,
especially in the Fisheries building.
There was cordially received by Mr.. |
Philip Neafe, superintendent for the Do
minion, and for hours we walked among
Canada fish Of every kind known to science
and commerce, and birds Of all the kinds
which prey on fish. A curious compliea-
sion has risen here. All the other exhib-
itors have given only plaster casts of their
chief fish, but Canada has the real fish's
skin stuffed and mounted to make it look
exactly as in life. So it is question If
she il to take Il medal for the best exhibit
as there is none other of the kind Many
of these stuffed skins have been across the
ocean four times and have been exhibited
1t the Paris and other foreign expositions,
but the system employed is SO admirable
that the FISH look as If just out Of the
water. Canada maintains a permanent
fish exhibit at Ottawa, Of which Mr.. Veale
has charge, and selections from it are