The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-06-20
A LETTER FROM GUATEMALA.
characteristics Of tho Paris Of Contra,
America.
Especial Corrospondenccl

Sohh"A <Aii'iiN"' II is u city OF rC1lne
mcnt, elegance and rcpose; u city 6
10000 inhabitants built upon Il plat,
surrounded by the prccipitous sides @
deep gullies, where, previous to 1878
there WAS nothing but II single h. nit
age; city commenced 90 centuries
after Pedro Alvarado had conquered tn.
county 1t is built to order laid on.
with tho regularity of the squares on II
chessboard and containing splendid edj-
fees Of lime and stone Its elevation Of
5000 feet endowS IT with a climate that
may be compared to II perpetual autumn.
An article has gone tho rounds of til,
press commencing. IF there ever was II
country stepped in blood of civil strife.
it is Guatemala. 10 ono who has lived
III this country for many years and eli
1oyed the hospitality of its generous and
sympathetic people such cal,lmnious re.
ports produce feeling of shame and re-
gret at the display of ignorance concern
ing this little known country
Since Rutino BarrioS, uncle of the
present president, marched down from
the heights Of Quczaltenango, some 20
odd years ago, aud put to flight his on
ponents-an army whose ammunition
consisted Of cartridges loaded with char
coal-the country has not seen u single
revolution to involve the land in civil
strife. Previous to this a leader of more
humble origin than our own rail split
ting presidont--for he was pig driver
occupied the presidency in compare
tive peace for upward of 80 years.
tl,f,s ,tt-, g Il \ I
Barrios, tho watchword progress was
added to that Of liberty"
lndolent Indian tribes were gathered
III like the truaut children of II neyh
gent parent. Some were sent to school
and others made To- work building roads
and turning virgin forests into produc.
tive fields of coffee The inventive. %
ahead and thrifty Gringo" was cncour-
aged to coDe into the land and turn uu
the sod, n railroad was built from tho
coast to the capital and IA port cstab
hshed where formerly but long line of
breakers beat upon the sandy beach.
Telegraph lines were constructed
throughout the country, and scarcely
had electricity been pronounced sue
cess for illuminating purposes than n
company was organized and the streets
OF Guatemala Were lit by electricity.
Tho telephone was in active operation
before many Of our northern cities had
given 1t serious Thought, and police
force, modelled after the finest was
established under the supervision of a
captain Of Now York squad.
And thus this progressive spirit has
continued without apparent check since
its Inauguration by its illustrious pro
genitor.
l look in vain for my old boarding
house, with uncovered garden and vine
covered portal. The house is there. the
same old orange tree and fig tree, and
maybe those are the same flowers, but
the kind old scnoras who waited upon
their guests with such hospitality, they
have gone. The house is no longer IA
boarding house. and / am obliged to
seek lodgings i'll modernizcd hotel,
where | am deprived of tho pleasure of
attending to my own horse and must
mingln with guests from foreign lands.
who know nothing of the delights of
native hospitality
The bell OF the ice cream vender de-
notes luxury III the reach Of all. for
formerly ice was AN article only pro
durable from the distant height Of tho
volcano Del Fuego and sold at "A fabu-
lous price. Now number of ice facto-
ries compete in supplying the city with
an article that has become almost indis-
pensable.
Near the corner of the Plaza dc Ar
mas We discover soda water fountain
supplying Il constant stream of custom
ers, another innovation which the peo-
plo seem to have readily taken to. While
we are here III the Plaza de Armas let
US take Il look at the cathedral Its lofty
walls rise i'll Ill their purity and maj
esty and lock down upon the plaza. All,
but the plaza That indeed has under
gone change. Before my time Barrios
had driven the market women out with
their pots and baskets, and now an iron
fence incloses the space filed with cx-
otic plants and trees The old cobblc-
stone pavement, surrounding curious
statue of stone i'll the midst Of a fount
of water. has given place to modern inn
provements. The ground glass globes Of
the electric light swing above, and gray
ell walks wind between blooming rose
bushes and feathery leaved palms.
Crossing the plaza we enter the Off
ces Of the chief IF police. and you who
imagine Guatemala to be country of
the half tanned savage, look about. New
er We're such furnishings more complete
or rich. The plush carpet fairly sinks