Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-05
SOUTH AMERICAN CUSTOMS.
JOHN L. CASE WRITES ENTERTAIN
INGLY OF WHAT HE SEES.
He Is Vow at BoEota, After an Inter.
esting Trip Over the Mountains
South American Life
Pictured.

John L. Case, who is with a party Of civil
engineers at Bogota. South America. has
been writing some very interesting letters
to his father, telling what he has seen and
heard in that country. Thu following ex-
tracts are made from recent letters:
'Puerte Nacional, Oct. 20. 1891.
Eve left Bucaramanga last Wednesday
October I6. and have been travelling south
on muleback ever since Through the klnd
Offices of Il friend We secured fve mules,
three for riding and two for our baggage
from Bucaramanga to Soccorro Tor siIo. VI
course. we were very ei1usiNe IN eApfessiiIS
our obligations. etc. The first day, by means
of spurs and goads. We manager 10 nah
some progress, but the next DAY; aithougn
we tired ourselves out in pounding, spur,
ring and shouting, we had TO get OIL ana
push. most of the time.
AT San TIL. twelve miles north of Soc
zorro, our mules, tired of our company. the
entire lot of them deserted us in the night.
Add to the fact that the mules were worth
less. that they never got us TO SoccoTro' me
further fact that the usual price Tor hHe
mules for that distance is only $50. and you
can appreciate our present opinions OF our
benefactor. But it's the custom of the coun-
From Bucarananga to P~iedaquesta the
trail is very good, and then We climb upon
q very high mesa, an elevation of about 6,5gg
feet above sea level. We pushed. pounded
and coaxed our mules across this plateau
for several miles and then dropped almost
slTalBnI OOWHI UtO IL IlO ult W wv
feet below. At Suite it was extremely hot
and although the night before: only hVe
miles away, it was chilly sitting out OF
doors with our coats on, at Suite we could
have adopted the native costume with more
comfort. We climbed just as far out OF suite
as we fell into it. and have been ever since
climbing high peaks and along narrow
ridges and into the deepest valleys. some
times trotting. sometimes walking, but al
ways pounding.
A San Til, although tired and hot and
dirty. we were entertained by the Messrs:
Silva, and shown the hospital. the proposed
power from abovel. churches. etc. At 6 p.
m. We also partook Of a very nice supper
at the Silva residence. Much to our sur
prise, young Mr.. Silva had been attending
school at the Catholic institution at st.
Mary's, Kas., and has a brother now there.
quiaquia, and we left them in good spirits.
"The streets of San Til and also those Of
Soccorro are paved with stone and In many
places they are nothing but very steep
stone stairs. and it is remarkable to see
those mules climb up and down them. not
for eight or ten steps. but for two or three
feet in that distance. At Soccorro our new
muleteer filed up on cheap aquadiente, and
the Americanos enjoyed the experience OF
and impatient South American asses.
Finding the little town of Guadaloupe
commodated at the hotel. We were Obliged.
literally, TO push on to a roadside inn called
La Union. The last hour and a half we
IOut u odfA. anu NY llutC AudI liatC
been able to see some of the road, but I
never saw a foot Of 1t and could only judge
that T. was very rough, from the many
on from a house that my animal treated
me to.
as follows: First a thin broth is made OF
much water, a little onion and enough meat
to leave a light show of grease on the sur
It: then a roll and chocolate or coffee. Al
good meal. served table d'hote' style. Of
about four courses. commencing with soup
and ending with 'dulce.' cheese and black
coffee. Practically the same for dinner at {
Yesterday. after a hard rain in the night
the roads were worse h ever. and our
mules fell down many times with US. get.
owing to the surface water. We had to dis.
mount a great many times to let them
founder through mudholes and climb oveI
rocks and logs on the sides of the mountain
above the trail.
THE chief industry in. this section is
ereSsns sus All G preser ana % IN ,his c synnPs a are
called 'duice," or sweets. and you get then
at all meals. They grind the cane in ma.
the syrup packed in cowskin bags is carried
on muleback. About LOGO of these are sold
at Monquira every weekly market day.
We left Monquira at 3 y. m and are now
stopping at a very good place conducted by
three old maids and five or six kids-very
attentive and viii do anything on the cal
endar for you, but they have an eye fol
coin all the time. We are stopping here fol
a few hours waiting for our Saratogas
which We have not seen for several days
i have turned my collar and cuffs, and will
return them again after dinner IL the trunk.
90 not arrive 1 have a horrible fear thai
they are two or three feet deep in the Ma
cional road. or that our trusted servant ha.
been tempted and falleni
We expect to get 10 Bogota next Tuesday
and l hope to get some letters from home
there. we have not even seen an American
Bogota, S. A. Oct. e. 1ss7.-we waited
a day at Puente Nacional, and as our boy
seemed in no rash haste to hurry up with
our trunks we came on to Chiquinquira
which we reached very long as to whiskers
and very short as TO clean clothes. Our
while they were covered with mud. we
were able to stand that. as We got a shave
snd clean linen and felt very much higher
haps about i5.ooc. and does almost entirely
and little imports being required. III
trade is in products of the local country,
From Bucaramanga TO ChiquinQuira al.
most all travel is by mule, but here the
reads are better and horses are used fol-
a and Sell f from hs ssos to ar s. ,o ssnf In sa paper ANIMALS and sls,
to $500 I'm gold. From Chiquinquira TO 30,
gotta We were in the high and cold country
deg. although in the sun it Is Very warm
Coming into Chiquinquira we Travelled up {
i Eery ca aGns AND AMID E Sdases xal TSe gli are g Srea f Sers
and are then driven into the state of San
lander to be fattened for market. Tn,
mountain sides. as far as the eye can see
are checkered with different colored patch
es of corn. rye, wheat and barley. Som,
fields contain five or six acres: others ar,
about fifty feet square. Every spot of sol
is carefully cultivated. The wild and cul
tivated flowers are the finest I have eve
seen. They grow in PROPULSION away up oil
tho mountain side. There are many trees
bushes and shrubs that carry beautiful
flowers. Farmers call them a pest. blu
they. were delightful 10 US. All houses
hotels and dwellings are built around
paved court filled with flowers and shrubs
The roses and pansies are perfection.
WI have learned some of the ways an,
language Of the country. and had use TO
Il when we were asked 50 per cent of tn
sale price of a horse for its use three days
We finally got good ones for one-third tn,
first price quoted. About 2 y. m. the dali,
rain began. We reached the mountain n
the same time. The trail went mp an,
down. as ALI trails do In this country. an,
our horses stopped and slipped for severa
hours until we reached Raquira, where W,
spent the night.
Reaching Samaca Saturday for break
fast, we pressed on. climbing a mourtai
that was almost barren. and continued OF
toward the capital until we met tw,
mounted men in the road apparently wait
ing for us. They apprised us i'm a yer,
fcwery Reed & Kellogg style they ha'
been honored by the governor with tn