The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-03-02
HEUMAHN AND LIEUT.. Stafford
Tell of Experiences in
Guatemala and Samoa.
Interesting Detail of the Peo-
pie and National
Character.

A largely-attended and highly inter
esting session Of the Social Science Club
was held last evening at the residence
of Chief Justice Judd. The first half
hour was devoted to a discussion of
| changes in the Hawaiian language,
and the peculiar construction of words
to express ideas resulting from asso-
citation with foreigners.
| The remainder OF the evening was
well taken up by Paul Neumann and
Lieutenant Stafford of the Alert, the
former relating his experiences and i'm
pressions in Guatemala, and the latter
telling of the life and customs of the
Samoans. Mr. Neumann prefaced his
remarks with the statement that in all
his travels he found himself constantly
sojourned with the Islands, and he
found that, taking all in all, his
decision was always in favor of Hawaii.
In travelling through Guatemala his
principal interest was in observing the
people, their national characteristics,
habits of life, etc. He found the ap-
proaches to Guatemala compared IA
vorably with the landing at Kukuiha-
ele; landings were made in boats, and
passengers lifted to their destination at
the top of cliffs in cages. There is very
little of interest along the coast, and
| the heat, even at the time of his visit
in November, was most oppressive. All
along the lowlands that skirt the coast
the heat is overpowering, and at GER
| tain times of the year fevers are prev
alent. The trip on the railway, which
took him rs miles inland to the City Of
Guatemala was exceedingly interesting
and after leaving the lowlands, the
scenery is almost exactly as that in
| these Islands. The mountainous sec
tions are broken by immense gulches,
| (which begin some place and end no.
| where
Arriving at Guatemala he found that
the capital city had all the appliances
of modern discomfort, including street
cars that are dirtier than those in Ho-
nolulu The city is lighted by electric
lights. has many beautiful homes and
everything but good water. The water
supply is very scant, and when bathing
in the beautifully tiled bathrooms the
traveller is often notified that he is
| drawing too much water. Below the
! town however, there are excellent
baths, where water can be had in album
dance. Outside the horrible cookery,
! Guatemala is pleasant place to reside,
the air is bracing. the city being about
5000 feet elevation, and the climate
generally healthful. 1t was relief,
however. to leave Guatemala, with its
Ibarefooted soldiers, officiOus police, and
wonderful collection of homely old Wo-
men, and proceed to the ancient capt.
tai. or Antigua Guatemala. This was
to him the most interesting place in the
country, and while going to the city
he was pleased to see barley fields
Z along the route, this product of the tenn
perate zone being grown successful
lly at that high level. All along the
route were evidences of thrift, and
nearly all the arabic land was utilized
Antigua was abandoned by reason OF
earthquakes and a flow of water many
years since, which left the town mass
of ruins with the exception OF seven
streets. now rebuilt In this city he
found what he ran across in no other
place-a magnificent climate and plenty
of good water.
II was in this section that the beau
tiful coffee fields were found. Mr.. Neu-
man was astounded at the immense
expense and beautiful appearance Of
the coffee areas. One can travel FOL
miles and miles, seeing nothing bu1
one great sea of coffee trees stretching
away in rows of perfect regularity, anC
dotted here and there with the silver
oak. which is planted for shade trees
| 01nl n
remarkable beauty in themselves, an(
Iavervtbing throughout the plantation
is cared for with the utmost neat
ness and particularly. Mr.. NeumanI
compared those fields with the at
tennis at coffee plantations he haC
seen here. He was particularly at
tracted to this industry, because the
change in that country in the last II
wears has not been equaled anyWher'
| in the world. Most of the conee goe
10 Europe. and most of the machlner!
; comes from Scotland.
An opportunity was given to stud.
the different types of people when h
attended one if the horse and cattl
fairs. Mr. Neumann described minute
" some of the characters observed, am
| the sights and sounds of this festival
p In the Indian villages he was SURPRISE
! TO find an apparently superior people,
, whose homes and villages cleanliness
was unsurpassed. pleasant contras
10 the filth and dirt of many Guate
maIa towns. The streets were clean
men. women and children cleanly il
= their person. and the yards about III
s homes showed a careful attention L
= cleanliness and precise order. III
asked the reason, and found that Tn
indians we're strict tetotalers. Guate
mala is under the curse if a Govern
ment interested in the liquor traffic