The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-13
SCENES in HONDURAS
THE CITY OF TEGUCIGALPA AND IT'S
PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS.
A Rather Monotonous Bill of Fare-A
Practically Fire Proof Town nnd
a Very Courteous People.

titd IldcTSs dTTlNeu at. the CREST o. the
pass overlooking the valley os the Rio
Grande. from whence we caught cur
sirst glimpse of Teguclgalpa, With it's
white walls and red-tiled roofs. The
scene was very beautiful. The valley
stretches AVA for miles, with here n
there a shimmering line of silver, be-
traying the course OF the river. its banks
tInged with stately ceiba trees or over
hung by rocky precipices. Far beyond
the mountains rise like a vast cerulean
wall. their submits lost in the clouds.
The peculiar charm OF the scene. how
ever, 10 our eyes. wearied with the
changeless green of the tropical forest.
where we had been buried for months,
was found in the wide stretches OF culti-
waited lands. with here and there an
adobe house surrounded by groves of
orange or mango trees. Here we saw
fields OF corn. rice (the upland Variety,
acres OF beans and patches of vege-
tables. with an occasional space de-
voted to %pineapples or bananas. and at
rare intervals a clump OF cocoa palms:
but the thought that filed the heart OF
your correspondent with JOY was deeper
than the valley. higher than the mou
tains. wider han the landscape. for he
knew that one of those tiny white specks
in the distance was a hotel. and once
there the sad-eyed mules would be
turned out to Craze in the meadows and
the well-worn hammocks, pack saddles,
high-topped boots and huge spurs would
be piled together in a shed to rest in
definitely, and that he would enjoy the
luxury of a bed and regular meals
served on a table. with a chair FOR a
seat and a printed bill of fare. Good
bye tortillas. goodbye ~frijoles: welcome
soup, fish. roast beef, white bread,
salads, and. best OF all, pie-American
pie!
II the reader thinks the writer over
enthusiastic ON this subject let him fol-
low his example and lose himself in
the depths of the wilderness of zorro,
with a hammock for a bed. a log for a
table. a native for a cook. tortillas and
frijoles for breakfast. ~frijoles ard tor
tillas for dinner. and for superiority
tortillas. of curse. with frijoi est IT'LL
las baked on a stone, served on a hoard,
sans salt, sans butter: but I almost for
got; we had ~coffee-black, powerful, all
conquering. without milk or sugar and
served in a gourd. All this Is delight
full for a week or two. The novelty Of
1T was charming; it seemed like a dream
at first, but it became terribly realistic
as the months passed by. Swallowed up
by the wilderness, lost to the world, no
letters. no papers, no gossip, no familiar
face. no familiar sound; but it is over
at last. Before us lies the land of prom
Use, the city of our desire-land of rest,
Tegucigalpa, the capital city, is the
largest town in Honduras. containing
about $1,000 people, mostly natives. but
having a fair sprinkling of American,
English and German merchants. with a
few French and a half dozen Chinese.
h city is pleasantly situated on the
banks of the Rio Grande. which is here
spanned by the only bridge in the re-
public. This bridge Is s. notable
structure, having been built about a GEN.
fury ago. The materials used are burned
brick laid In a cement of peculiar hard
ness. so that the whole seems as though
has an elevation of 3.400 feet, and con-
s%eduently enjoys a climate that Is I'M
surpassed-a perpetual June with a mid
day temperature OF so to So degrees,
which sinks to s~eventy-five. some times
as low as seventy, after sunset. Like
all old Spanish W the houses are of
adobe. with wide projecting caves that
almost meet over some Of the narrow
est streets. Although the buildings are
nearly all one. story, / noticed one three
story and several two-story blocks on
the principal business street. All struct-
ures, both public and private, are built
flush with the streets, which are paved
from wall to wall with cobble stones,
sloping down gradually from the sides
TO the center, an arrangement that con-
verts every street into a river during
the rainy season.
A FIRE-PRoOF TOWN.
TIL town Is practically fire-proof. The
massive walls. averaging four feet in
thickness. are surmounted by roofs of
burned tiles. the only woodwork con-
sisting Of the heavy timbers supporting
the roof. and there are no stoves, no
chimneys. the fire being built on the
floor, the smoke escaping through the
spaces between the rafters at the caves,
which are always left open for ventila-
ton. Ordinarily they have no windows,
all the light coming in through the large
doorways. which gives the house some
what the appearance of a cave; how
ever, they are admirably adapted to the
climate. being cool as cellars in summer
and almost as cheerful. There are a
few wealthy families whose residences
are almost palatial in extent and ele-
CANT in their appointments. These
houses are built around an open court.
with large doors and projecting win
dows facing both street and garden. In
these the drawing rooms and parlors
are furnished in Oriental luxury. The
WINDOWS are MADE q pleasing feature
Instead of sash and glass, they are
fitted with iron screens wrought in fancy
patterns, the designs often ~betrayine
great ingenuity and artistic ability of q
high order. The floors are laid with
costly tiles and covered with a pro
fusion of rugs. Chairs. tables. stands
book shelves, etc. are made by native
workmen. who display great skill in
carving the beautiful woods OF the coun
try. which seem especially adapted fol
the purpose by reason of their fine grair
and rich. deep color. In the chambers
one is astonished to find polished brass
bedsteads hung with silk curtains, while
doors and windows are richly drapeG
with costly fabrics imported from Paris
at an immense cost, for every case OF
goods must be carried by men or mules
over eighty miles of mountain roads.
Tegucigalpa is an Indian word, oil
rather a combination of two Indiar
words, which, literally interpreted
means mountain of silver. 1t is the
presence of this metal that gives the
town little prominence it enjoy.
aside from being the seat of government
Although there are no mines in tn,
immediate vicinity, the city is the bas,
OF supply for a number of large CON