The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1897-04-17

the bulk of the trade, such as It Is. n cer-
tered In two or three houses, though there are
many little shops, numerically out Of all
proportion to the present population, kept
by Eng:ishmen, Germans, and Americans.
An odd feature Of the local business are the
cachedoras or travelling saleswomen. These
female drummers make constant trips be-
tween Graytown and the interior, and it is
whispered that they are expert smugglers
and make a good deal Of money outside cf
manufactured goods to the interior and re
turning bring country produce, such as
cheese, chickens, eggs, vegetables, which they
readily dispose Of; for, although such COM
modi,ies bring fancy price here and are
always in demand, there are no market gar
dens or chicken ranches near the port.
Policemen patrol the town, uniformed much
Ike their brothers in the United States find
ing little to do beyond the time ,honored en-
ployment Of the fraternity-that OF mash
ing'' at back doors. The strangest things in
this section are connected with the "hoodoo"
pertornna ces OF the medicine women IS some
of the negresses are called. The colored pop
u.atton IL OF the same mongrel race as that in
Mosquito-a mixture o. the worst blood in
the world Indian, African, Caucasian, Mon
golian land Malay, the casta ways and riff
raft of all countries but always the African
predoninating. The ver;table witches, whom
they call medicine women, deal in the occult
in a way that cannot be explained on ordinary
lines. An example Of this power was shown
when Senator MIXERS party were wrecked
on Roncador Reef few years ago; twenty
four hours before any news concerning the
wreck arrived, long before any canoe sailing
vesse:, or steamer could possibly bring it. an
unknown negro came to Mr.. Ingalls, in San
Juan, and told him all abow: It, even to minute
particulars, which were sfterward fully veri-
fed. There are many such Instances land the
most interpretations, matter-of-fact, and
hard-headed Yankee trader who comes here
is finally brought. to believe that there Is
something in it" beyond mortal ken, though
he generally gives credit outright to the
devil. Tie medicine women prepare them
selves for their hoodoo business by gcing
alone into the depths of the forest, where
they remain for months, depending wholly IN
the spontaneous productions for food, md
on their own cunning, without the aid Of arms
or implements, in escaping the peri.s OF the
Wilderness When the probationary period
has passed, they return to the haunts of
man and prove their newly acquired powers
by sta nding barefooted in the midst Of heaps
Of burning fuel ian actual fact). by permitting
the most deadly serpeIts to bite them, and by
other deeds not here describable. They became
astrolcgers and mind-readers, ard can tel.
persons past history to dot, the thoughts
OF his mind and the hidden things in his
possession. Indeed, Il is asserted that from
them nothing can be oz<t-ea.ed, and when once
they "hoodoo" a man, resistance is useless
OF course good deal of this must be taken
with grains Of SALT" but there Is no doubt
that some of these dusky creatures combine
mental and physical characteristics as re-
markab!e a. anything TO be found in Rider
HaGgards romances.
FANNIE RPDGGlAM WARD.