The morning call., 1894-08-02
IN WIFELY PRIDE.
Mrs. A. de Reyna Barrios
of Guatemala
TALKS OF HER HUSBAND.
Recalls His Triumphs of the Past
in Stormy Times.
THE PRESIDENTS FOND HOPES.
They Rest In the Construction OF
n
THE PRESIDENTS FOND HOPES.
They Rest In the Construction OF a
Railroad to Connect the Pa.
cific and Atlantic.

A modest little woman of prom ounce edly
blonde type, wearing red gown and
white straw sailor hat. was among the
arrivals by the Colon yesterday who reg
istered at the Palace.
The name was Mrs. a. de Reyna BarrioS
the wife of the President of Guatemala.
She was accompanied by two lady friends.
Adrienne and Martha Behagel, and by DR..
Juan Padilla, the Presidents family
physician.
Mrs. Barrios is an American woman and
has returned to her native land for pleas
ure and health. She has many friends in
and about San Francisco whose acquaint-
ance she hopes to renew. She will then
probably run over to New Orleans to visit
her mother-that is, if the slight attack OF
homesickness, of which she complains
already, does not break in upon her plans
and carry her back to Guatemala.
alt seems to me | have been away fro N
the President long time," she said to
visi or last evening in the simple unaf-
fected manDer of an American girl-fOr
she seems little more than girl-"aDd
having no news of him / am naturally
concerned.
How long shall 1 stay2 Indeed l can
not say. If / feel as | do tonight it will
OF be long. 1 have many friends here
yes, Mrs. Tabor is one-and l ought to
have a pleasant time if l don't get too
homesick. But the truth is had no plans
formed. | have been away from my ma
tive country now over two years and
was inclined to run up ana see friends and
relatives. That is ALL"
AS the conversation ran on Mrs. Barrios,
with charming simplicity. told of her first
invasion of her husbands country. Bar
rios was an exile under the rule of the
tyrant Barillas. He was in New York, an
exile. at the time he was placed in nomi-
nation for the Presidency. He had met
Algeria Benton, New Orleans girl. visit
ing IN New York with her mother, "and
they were married"
| With a price upon his head, but the cleo
tiops on. with all their Central American
| excitement and he a candidate, he returned
| to his country Despite warnings from
| friends everywhere. who had his safety
and ell-being in mind, be boldly entered
the capital. The effect of the nervy ex-
ploit was magical. He received an ova-
tion. Flowers were strewn in the way
and his carriage was bombarded with
roses; his hotel was surrounded by enthu-
! siastc friends bv day and by marching
| battalions of torch-bearers aud bands Of
music by night.
! Through il all his little American wife
was with him. accepting the danger al the
| first and enjoying the triumph at last.
"Oh, it was wonderful" she said, her
| face lighting up with enthusiasm as she
recalled the scene. ~ cannot begin tn
describe it, l have often thought that [
should have written the story of it at the
time. The days were so full of excite
ment, and there were besides so many
amusing incidents. The result Of the cleo
tion you know. Although there wer-
three candidates in The field, my husband
was elected by great majority"
DR.. POdlla is physician and eicerone of
the party on the trip. He is a very culti-
vated man, speaking almost all the mod
| ern and European languages.
lie said: "Barrios was elected in June,
| 1892 and since then. with war all around
US, Guatemala has been enjoying not only
| peace but great prosperity. BarrioS is
| his motto is peace at any cost Not the
cost of humiliation-I don't mean that
| but the cost of enterprise and endeavor.
! He has been working great national en-
! terprises. He is building the Northern
Railroad which will connect the Pacific
with the Atlantic coast. Over fifty miles
of the road has been built and
| is in operation. 1t runs through
very fertile country and will bring us
| to the American market in four days =
| four days from the capital. The market l
Francisco and the Pacific Coast? Perhaps,
| but good for US. The trade is all this way,
| however, and it will take long time to
turn it, President Barrios has several
| other big enterprises on foot, but his heart
| is set on this railroad and he is determined
| to make its cOmpletion a feature of his
administration. The Presidents tenure
of Office is six years, so he has still
two years to serve"