Phoenix weekly herald., 1898-01-27
FROM ECUADOR.
How Our TOwnsman Gen. A. J
Sampson and Wife Got to Quito.
Interesting Letter From the Minister Il
Ecuador 10 DR.. Beldpn of
This City.

United States Legation, Quito, Ecua-
dor. Dee. 10. 1897.
| Dr. c. d. Belden. Phoenix. Ariz.
My Dear Comrade:-I promised TO
write you of our trip from Phoenix 10
this far-off republic. No doubt you
have seen Mrs. Simpsons letter Civ
| ing a brief report as far as Panama.
| so | will commence ut that point. We
spent two days there and found it very
| different from impressions previously
| formed. They claimed that it was al
| mos free from sickness. This is not
| true in the rainy season." however.
Here we took the English steamer
| Arequipa for Guayaquil, in charge of
| Capt. Vaughn, one of the most genial.
agreeable, efficient men who ever com
manded Il steamer. At the table we
| had the seat of honor to his right, and
every day We're invited up to his room
| to drink tea with him, making the
fifth meal of the day. counting dinner
at p. IN. as the fourth regular meal
When we reached Il point within
twenty miles of the mouth of the
Guayas river we could see the line
of demarkation between the salt and
fresh water as distinct as between day
and night, the fresh water being light
er than the salt fOated out on top that
far. while the distance indicated some
what the magnitude of that river. At
its mouth it is fifteen miles wide.
while at Guayaquil, sixty miles up, it
is one and one-half wide, and the larg
est steamers go up that far 1t has
an immense flow of water.
When our steamer anchored at Qua
yaquil, a half mile from shore she was
boarded by the Q. S. Consul General,
De Leon, and others, accompanied by
Captain Madrid, the captain of the
port, who was most profuse in his wei
come, rendering US the use of three
boats, steam tug and two handsome
ly decorated boats. From the PROV OF
the one we selected soon f1oated the
stars and stripes, this Capt. Vaughn
also did and we were sO0l ashore
Here all preparations had been made
for our most comfortable entertain
ment, with the assurance that we
We're expected to stay at least ten
days. Quite different from the advice
of Il friend in the {. S who said:
when You reach Guayaquil get on
the fastest race horse you can find
and get through that city as fast as he
can carry YOU. He was in dead
earnest" as much so as when 1t was
said by the angels to Lot Flee to the
mountains, stay not in all the plainS.''
His idea was that it was the most un-
healthful city to be found and that we
risled our lives to stay there one |
night. L must admit that l had been |
led to believe nearly as he did, and |
had determined to stay there the fevSi
est hours possible, but extended the
to four days.
L do not believe there was more S
ness in that city of thirty or fS
thousand than in most of the cities
the United States of equal size. In
the rainy season" it is unhealthful
because of the bad sewerage. You
will remember that in October 1896.
they had a most destructive fire there.
with a loss of S4OOOO,OOO and only
SIT 100000 insurance.
Never have l seen more proof of the
life of a small city than here. Humid
reds of buildings are already complet
ed, many of them very handsome
buildings, "a law prevents
any building of more than three Stor
ies) While not less than 200 more new
buildings are now in course of con-
struction, giving employment to many
hundreds of men, at from one to three |
dollars per day, bosses as high as six.
Shortly after our arrival the chief OF Il
police sent an officer and mozo (Serv-
anO to stay by US night and day Tin
reliefs) as long as we staid in the city, |
to do our bidding. We thanked him, |
but told him as our friends had made
ample arrangements for our comfort
we would not need them
Among our early callers was Gov. |
Robles. the Governor of the State OF
GuayaS, who rendered a military es-
cOrt TO accompany us to Quito, wheIi
we should start. We found him 4
most affable, intelligent, enterprisin;S |
man.
Great was our surprise to here re |
ceive a call from a Phoenix man, Mr.
J. II. Havre, who used to live on 1
ranch near Gov. McCord'S, and is 1
great friend of the Governor and wife
Mr. H is We'll known in Phoenix HSl
old me he was going to write one OF
The Phoenix papers of the reception
endered us, which he attended. Per
nit me to say to you, as Il comrade. 5
t was an elegant affair and largely at
tended. The Governor, the Secretary |
IF the Treasury of the republic. eh-
various foreign consulS stationed there
the Captain of the Port. and many
1ther prominent citizens attended
Two bands furnished the music for |
he occasion. The refreshments were
excellent. The decorations beautiful
There were six large rooms used on
he occasion, the largest about 2OXSO.
Here and in the halls dancing was the
md conversation and refreshments
we're indulged in. Consul Geheral DE
Leon was indefatigable in his efforts
o make every one enjoy thaTnfselVeS.
md he was nobly assisted by Mr.
md Mrs. NJ. Reinberg. We left Qua
7aquil with a warm place in cur heart
or them and Consul General DE Leon
md a most pleasant memory for all
he excellent people we rlet while
here.
1 have said Gov Ygnac1o Robles
.alled offer us a military escort to ac-
company us to Quito, 800 miles dis
ant. On the morning we were ready
o leave GuayaQuil, Capt. .@ancheno, :
# the regular army appeared WITH the
guard and acted as an escort to tins
,ity, the journey requiring nine days
ime. OF course the guard was not
necessary because of any danger, but
was given as a compliment to our
Government, and to assist us in every
way possible
My letter is already lengthy enough
md l cannot commence a description
If that trip at this time, but will only
say, now, what we saw was worth
coming thousands of miles to see. y