Evening star., 1899-03-25

W7zl UtAW add the courage, for
| WNHHT III the reception was
y|Mj held under curious
s. " conditions. 7 h e
- We're soldiers at the
| door, who scrutinized every guest as he
| passed in. I felt their eyes bore through
| me when entered with our consul general
| and his family. Gatling guns, cannon and
| dynamite bombs looked down upon us from
| the roof, and 1 doubt not private detectives
| were stationed here and there along the
streets.
| The president Of Uruguay lives upon a
| political volcano. He is in daily danger of
assassination, and he never knows when a
| revolution may spring up to overthrow
| him. He is, indeed, one of the most re-
| markable men in South American politics.
| His name is Juan l.. Cuestas. He was vice
| president at the time of the assassination
| of President Borda, year and half ago
| He became president at Borda's death, and
| his term should have expired on March
| l. 1898. He is still in Office and has made
| himself dictator Of the republic.
In July last a revolution was sprung to
| overthrow him. The army had its head
| quarters not far from Montevideo, and
| many of the chief officers were in the con-
| spiracy. If they could have trusted each
| other Cuestas would have been overthrown
| and probably killed The revolution failed
because the man who was to cut the tele-
| phone wires between the station and the
city did not do his duty. The result was
that the president was notified as soon as
| the army started for Montevideo. The Of
| fcers, finding that they were discovered,
suspected each other of treachery. Some
| began to back out. They withdrew their
| troops and the police We're able to control
/ the remainder.
| Today President CuestaS never goes about
without an armed guard. His mansion is
to- S,f+ +ho Nicr1r& Tr,1y-
! quite a distance from the administration
buildings. When he goes from his house to
his Office he has soldiers all about him, and
| there are ten outriders on white horses in
front and behind his carriage. No one is
permitted to enter the presidential man
| sion at any time without the approval of
the soldiers, and half way up the marble
staircase there is military aid, who care
| fully looks at all who go by.
In the Presidents ParIors.
Passing this official we went on to the
second floor and were soon in the parlors
of the presidents house. They are very
large and are as we'll furnished as those
of the White House. At the time we en-
tered they were filled with ladies and gen.
tlemen, who Were laughing and gossping
about subjects Of passing interest as IN
| concernedly as though they We're at a
church social and not sandwched as it
We're, between Gatling guns and military
guards in the midst of possible revolution.
The ladies were in evening dress. They
wore low necks and short sleeves, and the
gentlemen wore black trousers, boiled shirts
and steel-pen coats
The wife, daughter and sons of the Presi-
dent were entertaining the guests, his ex-
cellency, the president, having not yet en-
tered. Shortly after shaking hands with US
Madam Cuestas led us to one end of the
room, where there was large sofa with
chairs facing each other and running out
into the room at right angles to its two
ends. She and her daughter sat on the
sofa and we as distinguished guests oc-
cupied the chairs. This is the way
1t is the form of seating of the better class
houses all over South America. We chatted
some time with the presidents wife, while
callers came and went, shaking hands with
every one in the room as they entered.
How President Cuestas Looks.
After a short time the president came in.
had heard much of him and had wondered
what kind of man this dictator, this mill
tary organizer, this man of blood and iron
Of the Uruguayan republic might be. i'm
agined him perhaps a Bismarck or possibly
a giant with the head of a god 1 was sur
prised to see waddle in on cane a short,
| fat old man, with features somewhat like
those of Paul Kruger, the Boer president
of South Africa. President Cuestas' face
might be called strong, but it cannot be
called handsome His complexion is dark
and his eyes bright and piercing. The nose
ana Cnln are almost ike CDOSe OF Punch>
and his great head is joined to fat STOPPING
shoulders by a wafer-Ifke neck. His face
was free from worry. He evidently was
not troubled as to whether his Gatling
guns were in order; and as l saw him smile
as he went from guest to guest I could not
realize that he held nation in his fist
He shook hands as 1 was presented and
made a few polite remarks. He tnen
greeted Consul General Swalnn's daughter
asking her why she had not come to dine
that day. He Is very fond of her and con-
bipoSalf har frodfa thar r
He had her sing for him at the reception
and later on she took the mandolin and
sang the national air in Spanish and
plantation song two in our own darkey
dialect with great applause. Shortly after
this the president left the room and we,
after shaking hands with our hostess and
the fifty other people remaining, departed.
Late Hours In M0ntevideO.
1t was twenty minutes past 10 pm. at
this time This, however, is early for Mon
tevideo, where Invitations are often for
midnight and dances and parties last till
daybreak. So 1T was not too late to make
another call. That same night we visited
Dr. Salterain, who until recently was Sec
accomplished and influential men Of the re-
public. We remained there until IL O'Clock,
having tea, music and general chat
am surprised to find that SO many Of the
people of Uruguay speak several languages
Most Of the women met at the presidents
spoke French, Spanish and Italian with
equal huency. Mrs. Salterain spoke En-
gIsh and DIR. Salterain is fine English
scholar. The people OF the higher classes