The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-23
LAND OF THE LAZY IGNORANT.
A Visitor Tells of Sights I'm the Central
American Republics.

Josiah Roller. of Napoleon. o., who
travels considerably for pleasure and in
formation. is N The city, having just re-
turned from a tour of the Central Ameri-
can republics of Honduras, Salvador and
Guatemala. He started in at the north
coast of Honduras on the Caribbean sea,
and from a small seaport went by rail-
road which Is in operation thirty-fiye
miles inland, terminating at San Pedro
Sula. From there Mr.. Roller traversed
the country on the back of
mule. taking a second one along
10 carry his luggage. He visited Coma
yagua, the former capital and Teguci-
galpa, the present capital OF the repub-
lie. He went northwest through the
mountains of Salvador and Guatemala.
a distance Of $40 miles in all, by muleback.
He found ii altogether an unpleasant
country with no Americans there 10 stay
and but few tourists. In an interview
with Post-Intelligencer reporter. Mr..
Roller said
Il never have seen such tall banana
stalks as are grown In the lowlands of
the northern coast of Honduras. The
average in other countries is from fifteen
to twenty feet but there they are fully
forty feet high, and the fruit is excellent.
They are planted and cultivated by the
natives, and this is the only industry in
the locality. After a short distance the
mountains begin and reach a height OF
$500 feet. and the air is quite cool. es-
pecially at night, when light overcoat
is needed.
THE growth OF timber is not large, but
is general through the mountains. A road
has been made by clearing the stones
and trees. Myself and one American
companion passed the edges OF some dan
gerous cliffs. bat the little donkeys are
sure-footed. and there was in fact no real
cause for alarm, though a woman who
10 ha frfC al
that she cried constantly.
There are many evidences of a better
civilization which existed about 200 years
ago. and many costly churches have been
constructed, but they are now tumbled
down, dilapidated and time-worn and
the priests are a lazy, ignorant class who
can tell nothing of the history of the
country nor can they even tell when or
by whom their own churches were built.
The country is traversed and crossed
by system OF stone fences. which are
well built and nave been there for many
generations. but no one can tell Of any
use for them. and | cannot explain their
presence. Vines and vegetation cover
them completely.
The natives live in adobe huts and In
houses constructed with poles and kind
OF crockery. hut with never place for
the smoke 20 escape.
They do their cooking inside. the
they are already black as the ground
The food consists Of cake made from
fine cornmeal and Of black beans. They
eat no meat and little fruit.
The people are lazy. poorly dressed
AMI Ignorant. They are of mixed Span
ish and Indian blood. The wars have
been - frcqVe.t and fatal that in pop
ulatiou OF I& people 10 the square mile
there are eight women 20 one man. They
SIT upon the ground. having no furni-
ture az any kind, and eat without knives
and forks. The women only wear A
chemise Of muslin and a skirt Of calico
and the men W ar out 4 shirt and trous-
ers. all OF which ire made in this coun-
try. as those natives cannot make them
i have visited Europe twice and spent
two months In Spain. where I found the
people more frlen lily and intelligent. and
there 7 received 4 fair idea OF the Ian
guage. 50 that I could get along very
well. I carried my canvas hammock and
shawl and collected several curios and