davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1898-07-30
A coco TRAIN.

grounds would be classed as heavenly
chariots beside 1t. 1t has six seats inside
and one with the driver 1t was the driv-
er's seat that l coveted but 1 found at the
stage office that the whole inside had been
taken for his family by rich Bolivian and
that the outside seat was already engaged.
There was no better chance for the next
stage three days later, and for a time 1t
seemed that l should have to go on the
back of a mule or hire a private convey
ance for sl5O-Bolivian dollars. At this
moment my guide, adviser and friend in
ways Bolivian. Mr.. Sam Klotz of La Paz.
advised me to try to get seat on the mail
coach. This seemed to me tust the thing
ard when l learned that there was always
place had not been taken, 1 jumped at it.
and handed out the so which was the cost
OF the ticket. This was several days be-
tore the time for leaving. All baggage
vlous to ting. 1t took three Indians to
carry my baggage to the station and La
Paz opened its mouth. figuratively speak
ing, as the men trotted through the streets
with their loads. At thu stage office a sec
end dilemma arose Only 200 pounds are
allowed To go with each passenger. If he
has more it can follow him on the next
stage, with the chance of Its being forgot
ten for weeks. My trunks tipped the beam
of the American scales on which they
were weighed at just $40 pounds, and 1t
took much persuasion. and that of several
kinds before 1 could get the officials to
NH'0ie lhht A. oHooIu 90 Win me- At laSC,
however. was told that it would be all
right. and was handed bill for S217 ex-
ira baggage. Only twenty-five pounds of
baggage are allowed free with each ticket,
so that my baggage cost me more than my
fare.
Bolivian Mail Coach.
I am not more than ordinarily conceited,
but l must confess that felt rather proud
that not only myself but my baggage as
yell were to be carried over the country
with the Bolivian mails.
fear visions of a glorious red Concord
vehicle, with postmen in Bolivian livery,
may have come before my innocent souPs
eye. and I know it was with conscious
Pride that told my friends at La Paz that
Evening star., 1898-07-30

SENDS stone straight at the llama or sheen
1nat steps onto the fields of her neighbors
me There are no fences in this part Of Bolivia,
The cattle in the fields are. as rule
staked or hobbled by tying a roma shom,,
tneir front legs just above the ankles. You
o1ten see drove of donkeys so fastened
ana horses and mules are tied In this wav
all over Peru and Bolivia
Bolivian Farming.
Such farming as is done is after the crud-
est methods. l saw no signs of manure be-
ing anywhere used. though there were great
plies OF 1t lying at every stable, where we
got a new relay of mules I have haen totS
that the natives know nothing of the nsas
OF 1ertlllzers, and that they only bring nm
the land by letting 1t lie fallow and bv a
rotation of crops. The tools are in ali
cases OF native make. The only America N
tools have seen are Hartford ayes pni
tatoes are dug by the women who lse ittIe
strips OF iron shaped something like an ar
row with wide fat stem. This is Crashed
In the middle with the hand and the wonpan
bending double SCOOPS the pots toes oI,. ~
the nils Barley is cut with little sickIea
with saw teeth and such rude hoes as arc
used nave handles so short that the work.
ers have to bend close to the ground to nae
them. The plowing is all done hv oran
WIN rude wooden plows, to which a point
made OF fiat iron bar about two inches
wide Is fastened. long tongue or beam
extends from the plow to the woke whioh
Is tied to the horns Of the oxen the weight
OF pulling the plow being done with the
nead and not with the shoulders, as with
us. 80 SA
The Freight Wagons of the Andes.
have given you some idea of how freight
IS carried here by wagon. Very few goods
are taken from one part Of the country to
another on wheels. The greater mart is
carried on donkeys, mules, llamas or on the
packs OF men and women There are no
baggage wagons or drays In La Paz We
met with none on the road to Oruro al
tnough we passed drOves of animals loaded
with all sorts of burdens There were
scores OF donkeys carrying bundles of COCO
ieaVes on their backs to the towns further
south There were llamas loaded with
bundles OF silver ore stalking proudly along
with cooked ears, and there were MANY
trains OF mules carrying goods of ali kinds
Each train was managed by one or two
indfan men and women, who walked with
OF penlnd the animals, and who as far as
could see, never ride them Most Of the
women had bundles on their backs and NOT
a Few carried little babies there slune in
shawls. All prospectors here use mules for
travelling over the country. All supplies
Tor the mines must be carried through the
mountains In this way. The machinery for
mining In Bolivia must be made in sections
no piece Of which can be larger than a
mule can carry on its back, and every bit
of machinery has to be carried in this wav
tend for Bolivia should be put up I'm boxes
or bales OF about 100 pounds each. so thar
two OF the packages will just form a load
Tor mule. Otherwise the chief centers OF
bolivian trade cannot be reached
FRANK G. CARPENTER
Evening star., 1898-07-30
A CHINESE WEDDING,
Everything Connected with the Cere-
monies is DecIxed in Red.

Everything Connected with the Cere-
monies is Decl<ed in Red.
From the Wide World Magazine.
The Chinese place a significance upon
every color, and in connection with we'd
ding red obtains a deep-rooted, mysterious
Importance, the next bridal color in value
being gold. At betrothal, the bridegroom
elect sends his sweetheart pair Of brace
let's, fastened together with piece of red
ribbon or cord. The bride and bridegroom
drain two winecups at the wedding, which
are also connected by a red cord. In north
ern China the attendants wear a tall felt
hat, and each hat has red feather stuck
upright in it. The attendants also carry
the wedding presents. sedan chair
bears the bride herself. In south China a
the wealthy classes, and it Is decorated
with what appears at first sight to be bril-
liant inlaid stones, but which are in reality
the glossy feathers of the king-fisher. A
med borders is also thrown over the chair.
In the case of the poorer classes red is also
the prevailing bridal color and a chair of
ordinary carved wood, painted a bright red
Is used. Above the door of the chair kind
of charm Is placarded or hung upon red
cloth. The chair itself is sent by the bride
groom, accompanied by what corresponds
to our best man. This functionary brings
with him a letter written in yellow or gold
upon red paper, praying the lady to enter
and take her place. Men dressed all in red
and carrying red parcels containing the
presents, fall into the procession. Other
bearers carry boards and banners, inscribed
in golden letters upon red ground. These
banners tell the pedigree of both parties.
BEHIND the bearers come other attendants
with long poles, on which are hung very,
handsome lanterns. The bridal veil Is of
bright crimson hue, and her dress regal
gold and scarlet
Evening star., 1898-07-30

stage lines. embracing roads to the capital
yer mining center, and to Cochabamba
which Is big interior town in what Is
called the granary of the country. The
pest road IN Bolivia is one over which /
nave Just Travelled. / doubt whether there
Is inner long stretch of wagon road in
the United States This dried-up sea basin
forms a natural roadbed. We galloped for
hours over a road better. smoother and
haraer than any in Central Park New
1ork, and dashed along at a break akneck
pace over the plains on a track that would
nave been accepted as excellent by any
American jockey. The only work that
seemed 10 have been done upon the road
was the picking off of the stones In some
places II was as fat floor for miles
and in others there was a gradual rise or
fal. but not enough to impede the gallon
ing Of the mules.
Fifty-hfSe Leagues on n Mail Wagon.
The distance between La Paz and oruro
is rfty-fiTe leagues, or los miles, AT least
rnst Is what my coachmen estimated the
distance The geographers, who have prob-
ably not gone over 1t. put 1t at $50 miles
but after my ride I am willing to swear
by TIE coachmen, and to say that they
la Paz stage runs twice week to Oruro
II - one of the worst-looking rattie-traps
that was ever put upon wheels and the
oroker-dowa carriages which carry pas-
ssasers from cur country towns to the fair
Evening star., 1898-07-30
A Queer Business.

From Tft-Bits.
Count Rocco Dianovitch has made the
getting into prison the chief business Of
his life for thirtyfour Of the forty-seven
years he has lived, for the purpose of gath
ering Information for a book he is anxious
to write on the subject. At thirteen he left
his home and went into Prussia, where he
was arrested for trespassing and sent to
prison for three months, working at chair
making. From that time to this he has
never been free from the desire to continue
his prison explorations. From thirteen till
he was twenty he was in and out of more
than twenty prisons in Belgium, Prussia,
Poland and Russia. His first experience
of gaol life 10 England was In Liverpool.
which was one of the worst he was ever
in. filled with drunken sailors from all over
the world. He stayed there six days, when
he paid his fine and got out the first time
he failed to serve his sentence. Then he
went to Ireland, France Spain, Italy
Greece and Turkey, then to Egypt. where
the gaols are the worst In the world except
Australia; next to India and Japan, and
then to America. where. he remained for
more than = year. spending most of his
time In gaois and penitentiaries.
Evening star., 1898-07-30
PREMATURE BURIAL.
Famous Men Who Have Left Dircc-
tiOns to Guard Against IL.

From Chambers Journal
Wilkie Collins left a missive among hts
papers directing that when he died a thor
ough examination of his body was TO be
made by skilled surgeon. Lady Burton
wife of Capt. Sir Richard Burton. ordered
that her body should be pierced with
needle in the region of the heart. Mr.. Ed
mund Yates of the World, Miss Ada Cav
endish, Miss Harriet Martineau, the au-
thoress, and Hans Andersen, the writer of
instances of men and women who have left
instructions that they should not be in
TERED until everything possible had been
done to make sure that they were lifeless.
In some cases it was the severance OF a
vein. in others even decapitation, that was
resolved upon. Others. with a similar end
in view. have adopted different means
The signaling invention of Edgar Allan
Poe, who wrote this subject up in his char
acteristically weird fashion, is familiar 20
all readers. Then. there Is the apparatus
of Russian inventor, which consists in a
mechanism placed in the throat of the
effort were made to breathe, the effort set
in motion certain wires, which resulted in
a bell ringing in the cemetery keepers
lodge. In "Jezebels Daughter the idea is
very similar, save that instead of a throat
apparatus, wires were fastened to the hands
Of the corpse. Last year Sir Henry Little
john told his students at Edinburgh of a
fancy coffin, fitted with patent springs so
constructed that on the slightest indica-
ton of returning life they would imme-
diately open the coffin and thus save the
victim. This may have been a reference
to the Russian invention, seeing that the
idea is the same, though there is q slight
difference in detail.
Evening star., 1898-07-30
THE TRINIDAD PITCH LAKE.
Standing in One Place for Some Time
Produces Curious Result.
From, tho W{,ia World Nagazina

Produces Curious Result.
From the Wide World Magazine.
The famous pitch lake. or great bitumen
deposit of Trinidad, is situated a Point
Librea, on IN elevation at about a mile
from the sea. 1t covers an area of nearly
100 acres, and its appearance is that of a
dull. still, dark waste. 1t is irregularly
circular, and its surface perceptibly con-
vex, being n ore elevated in the center, and
thence inse lsibly declining on all sides. In
the center the pitch is quite soft-in fact,
semi-iquid-but it becomes more and more
hardened as its circumference widens out.
Except the soft central parts, the surface
Is intersectad in all directions by numerous
assures or chasms. varying in breadth from
two feet to sixteen feet, and from half a
foot to seven feet in depth, Widening also
at the surface. and terminating acutely at
the bottom. thus producing, as 1t were, in
verted angular kollows, while the sides are
regularly rounded. These crevices are at
all times filled with fresh water. Here and
there where the bitumen is mixed with
earthly matter grow lichens, MOSES, grass
es. etc. The center of the lake, the pitch
pot, or chaudiere. as 1t Is called, is at all
times so soft that 1t would be impossible to
venture on it without mourning the danger
of being engulfed. The lake is government:
property, and parts of it are leased out to
private individuals who have to pay royal
ties according to the amount of pitch re-
moved, which amount is checked by the
government. The pitch lake is, practically
inexhaustible. No matter what quantity is
taken out, 1t is replaced by fresh pitch
which always wells up to fill the hole. The
surface of the outer edges of this most
wonderful of lakes is quite hard enough to
walk upon; but a curious result ensues IL
you stand still for any length of time
one spot. For some yards around you the
pitch bodily sinks until it forms sort of
basin. 1t is quite different to sinking in
sand where your feet gradually disappear
without making any apparent difference In
the level Of the ground.
Evening star., 1898-07-30

no other on the face of the globe Stu
ated from Twelve to fifteen thousand feet
above the sea, it has a soil, vegetation
and climate peculiarly its own. Its skies
as viewed from day to day are different
from those which hang over any part of the
United States. Its people are like none we
have on our continent, and | seem to be in
another world. 1t is the world on the
heights. the land highest on earth on which
numerous cities and villages exist, a very
land of the sky
This region is one of the little known
parts of the earth. What it was in the
past is conjecture. There are many evil
dences that at one time there lay between
these ranges of the Andes a vast inland
sea, hundreds of miles long and in places
SIXTY and more miles in width. The Des-
aguaderO plateau, which was a part of this,
sea. extends from here to Lake Titicaca
there at the north it joins to the Puno
plains of Peru, and far south of where
now am II unites with the highlands of the
Argentine. Where l crossed the plateau in
going from Lake Titicaca to La Paz it was
A miles wide, and the ground was al
most as fiat as E. floor. 1 found it almost
level in my three days galiop to Oruro,
and II seemed to me that / could every
where see signs that the whole plain had
once been covered with water. / rode for
miles over beds of stones and in other
piaceS passed over wide stretches of what
seemed like sea sand. Sea shells are often
found here. and Prof. Agassiz believed that
the water level of this sea was from 800
to 400 feet higher than the present level
OF the ba"tn- Today the only large bodies
OF water ound in it are Lake Titicaca and
Lake Aul agas or Poopo, which are con-
nected by the Desaguadero river Lake
Poopo is only short distance from here.
1t Is a brackish lake. fifty miles long by
ABOUT thirty miles wide, and is 80 deep that
IL IS now proposed to put steamers upon if.
ana IL may be that there Will be a line of
shlpS sailing from ii through the Desagua-
dero river 10 Lake Titicaca Lake Poono
mas no visible outlet, and If its waters get
70 the sea it is by some waterway under
the earth e
Travel in Bolivia
Inere are few good roads in South Amer
1ea- The ways among the mountains are
mule trails, and in many cases steps have
been cut along the sides of precipices so
that you crawl along within an inch or so
of destruction. Now and then mule falls
5000 feet or so, and is usually left to lie
Where it falls. You often have to dis
mount to help the mules, and ii takes
hours TO go few miles. There are In the
whole country, which is one-sixth the size
OF the United States. only 725 miles of
Evening star., 1898-07-30

L hlN1 L hE L Ao L
three days 1 have
been riding behind
galloping teams of
from four to eight
mules over the Des-
aguadero or Bolivian
plateau, and L am
now in the mining
town of OrurO, away
up in the mountains,
600 miles by rail
f r o m the Pacific
ocean. | am in a
country which is like
Evening star., 1898-07-30
Making Ii Right.

From London Punch
Wife-"By the way, Give, had a letter
from my banker while you were away. He
said 1 had overdrawn my account"
Husband-"Yes, dear. and what did you
dor
Wife-'T told him not to be so rude again
and sent him a check for the amount
Evening star., 1898-07-30

The very best lawyers in, the city were
Evening star., 1898-07-30
A Three Days Gallop Over a Vast
Dried-Up Sea,
ON THE GOVERNMENT MAIL WAGON
PitifuI Poverty of the People o
the Plateau.
DECIDEDLY POOR HOTELS

Copyrighted. 1898, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
ORCRO, Bolivia. June 20. 1898.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-06
SMOKE ROBERT MANTELL CIGARS.
ONE OF THE MANILA HEROES.
Death of Captain Charles v. Gridiey,
Commander of the Olympia.

Washington. June 5.-Capt. Charles
V. Gridley. commander of the cruiser
Olympia and one of the heroes of the
brilliant victory at Manila. is dead.
The announcement of his death was
received at the navy department late
this afternoon in a cablegram from
Paymaster Gait Of the navy. dated at
Kobe. Japan, June 4. and directed to
Secretary Long. The dispatch con-
:ained this simple statement:
Captain Gridley died to-day. Re
mains accompany me on Coptic."
Capt. Vernon Gridley is the first
American officer of great prominence
whose death is the direct result of the
existing war with Spain. AS the com
mander OF Admiral DeweV's splendid
flagship, and one of the admiraTs
chief advisers, Captain Gridley
achieved distinction at the battle OF
Manila bay and added TO his previous
laurels by winning high praise from
his superiors in the service for distin-
guished g%allantry. He fought his ship
from the coming tower. while Admiral
Dewey directed the movements of his
squadron from the bridge of the YES
sell Ii was not known for several
weeks hat Captain Gridley had suf-
fered from IL, and even now the pre-
else nature Of his trouble is not dis
closed. Upon the arrival Of the Zafiro
di I1OnE houR on the -UAn OI May the
navy department was notified n
Captain Gridley had been condemned
by a board of medical survey and lin
valided' home. Subsequent advices re-
ceived by the department indicated
that Captain Gridley was suffering
from the effects of a rupture supposed
TO nave been received during the battle
of Manila, but no details were given. 1t
was not supposed that his illness was
very serious. as n department was
informed that the captain. in
with Paymaster Gait. would leave for
home as 500 as possible.
On the 2sth Of May they left Hong
Kong on the steamer Coptic, one OF the
vessels OF the Occidental and Oriental
Steamship line. IL would appear thai
Captain Gridley died about the time the
ship reached Kobe.
Dispatches from Manila concerning
the battle Indicate that Commodore
Dewey had the utmost confidence in
Gridley: that he never interfered I'm the
slightest degree with his management
and handling of the ship: that he told
him to fire whenever ready. and that
the broadside which sunk the flagship
of the Spanish admiral was Gridley's
conception and act, and. in fine. tina
throughout the entire battle the Olym-
pia Was handled superbly. The dis
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-06
THROUGH BOISE.
The Committee Makes an Appeal to on
GERS Of the short Line.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Boise. Idaho. June 5.-President Carr Of
the oregon Short Line was in the city
yesterday with his party. He was accom-
panied by Mrs. Carr. the Misses Carr and
Miss Williams OF Boston, General Man
ager Bancroft. General Superintendent
Calvin and Chief Engineer Omelveny.
The visitors were taken in carriages to
the Natatorium. After they had had an
opportunity TO take "A plunge the gentle
men repaired to one of the sitting rooms.
where. on behalf of the Boise railroad
committed. Mr.. Kingsbury presenter its re-
port and argument for the proposed build
ing of the main line through Boise.
President Carr was greatly interested In
the showing made and talked in a very
earnest manner about many of the points
brought out, saying that they had never
occurred to him before. He could not
make any official reply TO the committee.
stating that a matter of such great i'm
%portance would necessarily have to he
submitted TO the board Of directors. This,
ne said. would be done at the earliest OPP
%portunity. and he assured the committee
that the matter would he given earnest
attention. From the manner I'm which he
received the committees statement and
from the unofficial expressions INDUCED
in the committee feels that the project
has been most successfully launched.
Members of the committee expressed
themselves as being very much encour-
aged in every way.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-06
SUGAR SHIPMENTS.
spaniards VIII Not Permit Cargoes to he
Sent to American Ports.

Havana, June 5.-The council OF Sec
retaries of the autonomist government
has decided not to allow the shipment of
& to American ports. but will allow
IL shipped TO neutral ports I'm blockade
runners which bring provisions. and
can be landed IN any part of the island
without paying customs house duties
The council also ordered tine mining of
coal that has been discovered near
Guanatay. In the province of Havana,
which will be placed at the disposal
of Admiral Manterola.
The British steamer Myrtledene,
which arrived at Isabella, Sagua. on
May 20 from Key West. by way of Car
denas. will cave this week., carrying
passengers and IA. 1000 sacks of sugar. A
commission of the Cuban chambers has
formally rendered congratulations to
the commanders of the Spanish cruis-
ers Condo Venadito and Nueva Espana
for the courage they displayed in going
out to meet the American squadron
blockading Havana some time ago.
The city OF Havana has founded an
asylum for the r~econcentrados, OPEN
ing a building large enough to accom-
modate more than 200. and General Mo-
for children and old people in the Ma
lima, military commander at Matanzas,
has made a donation OF so sacks of -four
tanzas asylum. General Blanco has
authorized the formation in the prov
ince of Puerto Principe of a regiment
consisting OF 1000 natives to fight
against the Americans. The military
commander at Santiago de Cuba has
proposed rewards for two ensigns and a
gunner who made three shots seen to
land on the American warships during
the bombardment
On June l five American warships ap-
peared off Caibaren. The military com
mander ordered everybody to arms. and
a Spanish gunboat made ready to en-
gage in combat with one of the Ameri-
can warships, but the Americans re-
tired.
The military commander at San Mich
olas. this province, has issued an or
der calling on everybody to enroll for
the defense OF the town in case of an
attack.
The military commander at Rene
dos has issued an order explaining
what must be done i'm the event Of
an attempt of the Americans to land
there.
General Blanco has Issued an order
prohibiting the presence of foreign cor
respondents In the island. and threaten
ing to put all such on trial as spies, ac-
cording to military code To-day Gen.
eral Blanco reviewed the newly enlist
ed volunteers in the presence of a large
crowd. over 0 1000 are ready to take
the field.