The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22
Magnificent City Containing
100000 PeopIe--Qlade Of
llud and Bamboo.

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| which covers 1t puts out the fire. There
ase. indeed, but few losses from fires
here. and even out in the country away
from the fire companies houses like these
are injured for one-ralf at per cent
Such thing as q block or square burning
down Is unknown N Lima.
The Streets and Houses.
From the hotel roof we get some idea Of
how compactiy the city n built and we
see more OF this during our walk. There
are no gardens and very few back yards
The larger houses cover . great deal Of
space, as they are confined TO one. or at
most, two floors. The smaller ones are
In many cases 50 small that 1t II hard TO
imagine they are houses at all. There are
hundreds OF little blind alleys which are
reached through doors In the walls along
the main streets. which have ceiihke
rooms. not over ten feet square. Each Of
these rooms IL q house. and In one such
alley which visited today 1 was told
that the average was about eight people
to each tenement. Such houfss have back
yards about six feet square. surrounded
By high walls. They have no windows.
and the light comes in through the front
and back door. None Of the houses Of
Lima have ctimneys. The most Of the
cooking b dane over charcoal Ares. Even
the best houses have few windows on the
ground floor. and as rule the light comes
from the interior courts or the roof. In
the two-story houses of the better class
galleries run along the courts and the
rooms opening out into these are very
large and airy. All outside windows and
doors are barred with iron, and the better
parts OF the city make you think OF
long row OF prisons. There are many fine
homes. which are entered through IRON
barred Rates. and the doors going into
what seem to you blank wallis lead into
palatiai mansions. surrounding courts MI
ed with dower1
In the business sections the people 1--we
In the second stories. which are divided
up into fats or apartments. There are
many floors rented out, ana only the rich
| have large houses. The ground floors
are stores and shops open to the street.
The stores have no windows. and the
doors run the fun width Of the store. SO
that tho whole front 10 showed back or
taken away during business hours. The
light Is usually from the front. though
the larger establishments have courts ana
| extend a long distance to the rear. Many
| OF the shops are more like caves than
anything else. They are cells, separated
only by thin walls. and walk along the
| Mercadores Is more like a journey
| through a museum or an American de-
| partment store than along the chief BUSH
| ness street Of a city. The business streets
are from twenty TO thirty feet wide. moro
often the former, and the sidewalks are
not over four feet In wfdsn. Four peo-
pie cannot well walk abreast, and a party
| crowds you of the pavement. donkey
with panniers took the right-of-way from
| me this morning. and ! stepped out into
| the road TO let him so BY.
| Lasy Men and Pretty Women.
| The street scenes OF Lima are interesting.
| Let US stop under the arcade. which runs
| about the plaza, and watch the crowds.
| Here are some OF the best shops OF the
/ city. They are full OF fine goods. and here
| between 4 and 5 o'clock every afternoon
| the people come TO buy and do business.
| These hours are the gayest of the day, and
| the crowd il now as thick as that OF lower
| broadway at noon. II Is a far different
| crowd. however. No one hurries. The
| men saunter along or stand on the street
| and chat with their friends. We see little
1 knots OF men every few yards. and the
4 messengers. the merchants and clerks seem
| to have time and to spare. Nearly every
| one IL well dressed. There are many plug
| hats and kid gloves. and nearly every man,
| old and young carries a cane, They ara
| very polite. They bow. smile. shake hands
| and lift their hats when they meet. and
| bow smile and tip their hats when about
| 20 depart. They are the pink Of perfection
| a. far as form goes. and You
would imagine them gentlemen OF
| leisure rolling In wealth. The truth
Is mos, of them are poor. Peru
| has been playing a losing game with for
| tuna for years. and the day OF her enor-
l mous riches has long since gone by. IL
| you will look closely You will see that many
| coat Is shiny at the seams and that
| many OF the silk hats are fast losing their
| nap. There are. perhaps. more reduced
| gentlemen here than In any other city OF
| the world. The Chileans looted thu coun-
| try some years ago and took away It's
| chief sources OF revenue. The Peruyians
| have been losing from that day 20 this.
| They have bean patronixng the pawn
| brokers and the foreign bond buyers until
| tho people nationally and individually are
| comparatively poor. They are not a BUSH
| aesApecrte. and having fallen do nc, know
| how to get UP. The bussness OF the coun-
| try IT, In fact. ia the hands of foreigners
and there are not two big Peruvian bush
ness houses in this Peruvian capital. The
| young ferGvians are clerks In the stores
| or the government Offices. while their
| fathers. as rule are skimplng along on
! the remains OF their once great estates.
! The Pretty Girls Of Lima.
| But we must not forget where We are.
/ We are in one Of tina main streets OF Lima
| al tse y. IN, and some Of the prsttiess
| women south Of the equator are going
| 10 and fro past us. IL you could drop
| tails street down In an American city.
1 how our young men would stop and open
| their eyes How their mouths would
water "a they saw the luscious l.pe abou,
| rs. and how they would drink In the
beauty Of the Lima xirl~ ewes. The
| young ladies OF Lima, They are a class
| nearer perfection In beauty OF form than
| any gir.s l have ever seen. They ara
| straight and well rounded. and their sof,.
round. beautiful faces. with their luxuri-
| ant black hair com6ed hisn I'm from, ,bs
| foreheads. are lighted up with ewes which
1 fairly shine with the cver-soui OF their
/ owners IL you could drop Lima dew, IN
/ New York the men would tank the city
/ had been taken by young widows or fe-
/ mae orphans who had lust gone into