The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-10-21

ABROAD III COSTA RlCd, ana his VlCt1mS-ln
many of whom doubtless the breath of
| life yet lingered-were hurried by hun
dreds to the trenches They tell us that
one of the pits became so heaped with
bodies that the sexton was obliged to
jump upon the last layer and pound it
down level with his mallet-thudl thud.
thud and as he did so, more than one
faint moan was distinctly heard Too
late then to uncover the reeking mass and
search it over, in the hope of finding some
who had been partially aroused from the
the dread disease; and so thud thud.
the work went on and the pit was covered
Another time-so they tell us-the sex
toms boot-heel happened to strike body
square in the stomach when instantly the
corpse doubled up and began to swear in
good round Spanish. Again, he noticed
in the CHASTITY heap very handsome dia-
mond ring upon the finger of woman. 1t
seemed a pity to waste that valuable
Jewel. No time for ceremony, when
| moments delay might mean death to
himself. So out came his jack knife, and
off the tinger-with the coveted ring;
when presto. the woman eyes flew open
and shrek floze the blood in his veins.
She was assisted out of her untimely grave
| and is living to-day in San Jose, to tell of
her ''hair breadth escape And it is to
be presumed that the thieving sexton was
readily forgiven for his i'll meant services.
Later in the day we visited the Pres-
dent 5 palace, which stands short block
away from the Plaza Central. 1t is not
much of ''palace''-a two-story, much
bestuccoed building, fanked by solitary
date palm; but we of a country so much
larger and richer, with White House not
half as good are not criticising presiden-
tial abodes. In front of this a sentinel
parades, few uniformed soldiers lounge
and buglers and drummers perform their
frequent duty. Guard mounting and in
spection in the morning and parades in
the afternoon occur daily in the street
opposite the Presidents palace. The mil
itary band always figures largely at these
| ceremonies, playing waltzcs and opera
bouife music and the adjacent plaza is
filled with eager listeners. The present
President, DR.. lglesias, as usual with
Presidents in this part of the world, has
succeeded in getting himself very much
disliked. This is chiefly because he is a
candidate for reelection, (his term eX-
pires in the coming spring, and the Costa
Itican Constitution expressly provides
that President shall not serve two sue
cessve terms. SO does the Mexican Con
stitution-or did, until Diaz had it chang
ed i'll order to enjoy the loaves and fishes
during the rest of his natural life: this,
too, after having first raised himself to
prominence by driving Lerdo de Tejada
into exile for daring to aspire to second
term. Truly, the ways of politics in these
so-called Republics are past finding out
In Costa Rica, the qualifications for a
President are that he must be over 80
years old, born Costa Rican, and not be-
long to the ecclesiastical profession He
is generally soldier, however, the ruler
being one who can command the most
bullets, rather than the ballots of the vot-
ing population.
TO wind up busy day, we went to the
Teatlo Municipal, or Government theatre,
in the evening. This is said to be one of
the oldest places of amusement in Central
Amenca-a one story, succeed structure
occupying an area of about 20 feet square.
Its Grecian vestibule is hung with Chinese
lanterns, beneath which bare footed SOL
diers lounge about on benches during
every performance. Several large doors
open into this vestibule, in one of which
the ticket seller sits, selling tickets bv the
light of a tallow- dip-orchestra 81. 25;
gallery, 40 cents. To reach the orches-
ira you cross little open court, which
has bar room on the right, and stoop
low to thread the narrow passage. There
are no ushers, but numbers, painted in
large size on the backs of the benches,
render the seats conspicuous. The tdu-
teuils in this sacred space are cushionless
wooden benches, placed inconveniently
near together. The Presidents box, over
the entrance in the second tier, is draped
in crimson cloth and faced with the arms
of the Republic; and several similar boxes,
decorated with the Costa Rican colors.
are reserved for the Government Minis
tiers. The topmost procenium boxes are
not more than three feet from the ceiling,
and look funny enough, one person peer
ing from each like a mouse from it's hole.
1t is customary for the occupants of boxes
to send or bring their own chairs, and
most of those in the orchestra carry cush-
ions. The floor is paved with large.
coarse brick, whose eternal dampness in
vites tleas to luxurious revelry; and the
illumination, both before and behind the
curtain, is furnished by kerosene. 1t is
the fashion in Central America for theatre
patrons to go at least half an hour late,
and then go with rush. We did not
enter till nearly nine O. clock, and still the