The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22

INA. Peru, April 1..--Take q
walk with me this morning
~ through the qualntesf city OF
WI this hemisphere. We are In
Lima, the capital Of Peru. The
streets on which We stand were
- ont more than three hundred years
-. Lima was city when Boston was In
~ sWaddIing clothes, when Philadelphia
- ! baby, and all 10 the west ard south
lN a. unhroken wilderness. I can show
- houses here which are over two hum
81 years older than Chicago or c.ncin-
= and can even introduce you TO one
~ ~ Oldest citizens, the founder Of the
Sean. who. dried and picked by this pure
&wvstan air. has for over three centuries
Gayed here with his property. ] refer
- the Spanish freebooter. Indian robber
butcher, Pixxaro. who laid out Lima
KE& He was assaxsinated on the spot
k1ee the president OF Peru now lives.
- bis skeleton anc his brains corked
- bottle are kept In g.ass case in
- cathedral across the way. The skin
IL 1risd ard IL sticks TO the bones, but
III the exception OF a patch which has
IN cut of here and there by relic hunt
- the hide IL intact. though decidedly
4o1haFy aud worse for the wear.
\ Cfty - Maa.
Ewrything but money lasts long In
lara. Where else In the world Will you
Nd city built Of mud three hundred
years old? Lima has more than one
hundred thousand people. and 1t Is built
- aud 1t Is about six miles around
Il ard two niles from one side Of 1t TO
tne other. 1t has a network OF narrow
utrsets which cross ore another At right
angles, with spaces clipped out here and
there Tor parks and plaxas. The houses
are I'll Of one or two stories. fush with
the sidewalks and In the business sec
tons cage-iike balconies hang out from
3be seccad stories, so that you are shield
"a from the sun az you pass through the
eily. Lima looks wonderfully substan-
tai. and you would imagine 1t to be made
Of massive stone. which here and there 10
~onderfuliy carved. Some OF the walls
looks Ike marble. others initiate granite.
had the houses of al the colors OF the
fsinbow line the streets like substantial
walls About the chief square there are
ibcIossd balconies from the second story
walled with glass. and under these are
what look like massive stone pillars FORM
ing an arcade or elcister around two sides
OF the square In front OF the stores.
These pillars are made of mud, the poll
!Ahsd walls OF the houses are made OF
sun~dried brick, coated with plaster OF
paris, and the second stories are a COM
b.naton Of mud and bamboo cane Think
Of great city built OF mud and fishing
po.ss. That is Lima. There are some
OF tho finest churches here on the conti-
neat made OF mud. The great cathedral
Of Lima. which cost millions. Is mud
structure. and could you take sharp
thtd rail- and shove IL against one or Its
massive towers IL would 80 through the
wsli like a bird cage.
LiUa From the Bousetops.
But let w get ND on the roof OF our
hotel and take q birds eye view or the
city before VIC begin to explore IL. We
are now In vast fiesd OF nat roofs. above
which here and there rise the massive
towers OF the great churches for which
Lima Is noted. At the back OF us. at the
edge or this field, are the bleak foothills
Of ,aa Andes gray and with white clouds
rushing here and there on their sides.
On tie edges OF the city we see the green
crops Of tho valley OF the Rimao river.
ana over there arc tho three bridges which
cross this stream a. IL flows through Lima.
look down upon the roofs all about you.
They are more like garden beds than tho
coverings of houses. Don't stamp your
ne; or walk heavily ~ you move about.
The roof tremblss under VI and with little
sffos, We could push our feet through.
The supports Of many OF tho roofs are
merely cane poles. on which dirt Is spread.
On semo rafting IL first put and then q
layer OF earth, sand or ashes. II Ii sup
posed 10 never rain here. and from years
end 10 years end Lima has not a shower.
wz,erproofs are unknown ana the UNI
ofeils members cry Is never heard. 1t Is
On this account that these mud walls
stand throughout the generations. and 1t IS.
Indeed. through lack OF rain that Lima
exists. A big shower would reduce the
ss. IA x~sfst su~rs A -
ncar would wipe IL out OF existence. Even
here. however. nature sometimes varies her
ssuTse. Last year tho people were horri-
NED by hearing tho raindrope patter.ng
ca The yoefs. The water which fell would
have hardly been called a sprinkle IN some
paris OF the world but IL did more dam
age here than All earthquake.
where Chickens Live ON tho Roofs.
Much of the light OF tho Lima houses
comes from the roofs. Each house has a
court IN The center. and many OF tho
arser buildings are cut up by courts,
around which the rooms run. When there
double row OF rooms the Inner ones
are lighted hy little darners which extend
up through the fat reafs. ana which look
s'se chicken ceors from where we are
s'sasing- II Is difficult. In fact. 10 tell tho
acrmers from the chicken coopw. There
are thousands OF chickens which are born,
NY thesr eggs and grow IA, on the roofs
ef th's city. There Is hen csckiing on
iae opposite roof now am awakened
every night by the growing OF the rocst-
NJ aeose me. and the noise OF the early
mcFnsng in the middle 81 Lima makes me
imagine myself In a harayard. There -
enc asshuaatsc old rooster which crows me
ssshs regularly AZ a. N. and another AZ
nNnxas. l have nos vet seen a COW On
US roofs. though | am told that some
sshaases have their stables So located
she esftla not being taken down until they
sr ready for killing. From such buildings
wa mighs think the houses OF Lima
sV9aa Be always tumhslng Down. and that
she city would he IN constant danger from
aes. TAss Is not the ease. The houses
ave almost earthquake proof. the larger
sSsaaaEs often having their first story
as fem fear 20 six feet Thick. though
s.ess o. the second story are thin. Those
Aso walls never take are The furniture
s 80 an II smoke sus - soen as the
. aosaEe It fails in. and the mud