The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-31

and no longer left her rooms. She con-
fided her terror to few friends, who tried
to disabuse her mind of any danger, bet
she finally allowed herself to be driven
from the city.
Granting that war is declared it is not
probable that there will be any fighting
for many weeks. The principal hardship
the Mexicans will have to endure will be,
first, to enter and cross the thlckly wooded
and rugged domain, the cause of all the
trouble. After this will come the perllous
climb over steep mountain trails toward
Quesaltenango, at which city it is probable
the first fighting will take place, unless the
Guatemaltecos ambush the enemy some
eight miles out of the city, where the trails
are toughest.
From Quezaltenango to San Felipe,
Retalhulen and clear to Champerico the
march will be far less dangerous than was
the entry into the country.
1t is not probable that the Guatemaltecos
will leave the railroad in good operating
order for the Mexicans to ride in comfort
to Champerico. However, the roadbed
must remain affording easy marching
space.
1t is difficult at this time to estimate the
number of soldiers Barrios will have IN the
field. He, if he does not clear out for some
foreign country at the first sign of danger,
or his successor if he does, will undoubt-
edly throw out his drag-net and pull in
few more thousand poor mozos, compelling
them to bear arms, the mechanism OF
which surpasses their understanding en-
tirely. There is one thing that may be
| depended upon-Barrios will surround
himself with his main forces.
| Guatemala City would fall an easy prey
to an army with modern artillery. From
the surrounding hills she could be shelled
| into capitulation within few hours. But
if the fighting is to be hand-to-hand and
from street to street, the peculiar makeup
of the city would give the Guatemaltecos
an inestimable advantage.
AS in all those Central American coun.
tries, the houses of Guatemala City are
built of adobe or of bricks plastered over
with dried mud. Nothing but blank walls
sometimes relieved by heavily barred
windows, is to be seen of the houses from
the streets. There are not over three
two-story houses in Guatemala City, anC
all houses are built alike, with the living
rooms opening into courtyard or patio il
the center of the building.
The Guatemaltecos, entrenched in these
abodes and doing their shooting through
the heavily iron-barred windows, coulc
make hard battle for the invading forces
The Mexicans having captured the city
would no doubt pay attention to the wealth
to be gathered from the Grand Cathedral
This is the richest and finest building il
the country. Then there is the mint. Bu
even there little would be found. The place
is being refitted at the present time anC
little work is being done besides stamping
Peruvian dollars with the GuatemalaI
stamp of a medic or half real-about tn,
size of United States silver 10-cent piece
There is really nothing of much value O.
beauty about Guatemala City for any coun
try to want it even as a gift. 1t is singula
that the two most interesting things ther
are the hospital endowed by private in
diTiSesol ars>l -.:IG ccni i9sor5. fI.s former i
perfect model of its kind and equals an
similar institution in the United States o
Europe. As for the cemetery it is one c
those perfectly kept garden spots th
nature of which is almost forgotten Will
wandering through the broad pathway
and viewing the artistic monuments. l
not to the living, they are at least good t
their dead in Guatemala.
There is one feature about this Guate
malean cemetery that strikes one as ode
Somewhere near the center of the spaciou
grounds you descend half dozen steps t
find yourself at the entrance of a tunne
probably twenty feet high and abou
seventy feet long, opening out into anothe
part of the cemetery. The walls. of tn
tunnel are pierced with tier after tier fo
its entire length, with inches just larg
enough to hold coffin. This is wher
people of moderate circumstances bur
their dead, or rather immune them, for a
soon as the coffin is showed into place th
hole is plastered over and little table
bearing the legend, ''Hic Jacet," is tacke
on ready for the name of the corpse to b
painted below it.
These inches are rented out at $25 eac
for term of seven years. At the end {
that time if another payment of $25 is nc
forthcoming, the bones of the dead al