The Republican journal., 1899-03-23
Around Uruguay and Homeward.
Correspondence of The Journal.


quay. There is an old wornout axiom
that Gone half the world doesn't how
the other half lives" That is not extrav-
agant truth. As a matter of fact no one
person can ever know how thousandth
part of the other people live. In wander
ing about it is we'll to get behind the
scenes, when possible, and one most inva-
rably finds some reward-obtans some
knowledge of customs that are curious
and may some times meet with interest
ing adventure. In Uruguay travel is
easy-beggers may ride. A tanned horse
is worth ten dollars, and if one makes
friends of the very friendly better classes
he may borrow a horse any time and the
owner will hardly notice whether the ami
NAL is ever returned or not. Besides this
convenience for private travel there is
sort of meridian railway, of about two
hundred miles, over which a tri-weekly
express, with rock bottom seats, dashes
along at the fearful maximum of fifteen or
eighteen miles an hour-rarely halting at
ty minutes Man has been known to
take in the whole trip and live to be up
around the house again within month.
l took small dose of the railway, and
knew when had enough; the ride is much
better than being for same length of time
under a harrow in its business hours.
The Uruguayan horse is of rather light
weight, but ambitious and comforta bic
rider, except that a heavy man, with
proportionate soul, may feel like taking
"turu about and carry the horse part
OF the time. With d friend so new to me
that he glist ned in the sunlig ht-and he
will always shine brightly in my memory
I made horseback trip nearly over to
the Brazilian border. Part of the way
led through civilized lands, among
Camps and 'Estancias, . (catte ranches
and farms) with fair roads and good fences
and part of the way through brush and
Indians with possibility of meeting the
tiger or his half brother, the bandit to
whom the Indian in comparison is pet
lamb These cowardly assassins largely
half breed Brazilians and other mixtures
OF every blood that is bad. are of consider
able annoyance to the honest people of
the back country. They roam about at
will, helping themselves to whatever they
need or care for. For personal safety the
farmers depend largely upon making no
oppo stion to common robbery | met an
English lady Of refinement living far out
in She country upon her estate, where
two years ago her husband was promptly
murdered for ordering off some of these
maranders. She has an able overseer and
many servants about the place, but she is
taking considerable risk in order to stay
there and attend to her property. Most
females in her place would indulge in the
we'll tu-do merican WON ans luxury of
nervous prOstration.
Nearly all the best farms and ranches
are owned by a good class Of foreigners:
English, German, Swiss and Italian
the latter generally holding the poorer
and smaller farms, while the Euglishman,
true to his habits, owns the best Wher-
ever you travel among them all, civil
and respectable looking stranger is hailed
with delight; hospitality is sure and
nothing is too good for his entertainment
SO long as lie can be induced to stay with
them. The nationalities are SO many that
The chises of thought are varied, but a /
more or less intelligent understanding may
always be reached because most everyone
is able to shock the atmosphere by break !
inc either English or Spanish, and no one is
SO duh that lie cannot guess out the mean
ing Of the Que OF the other, no matter how
badly 1t be torn. We needed neither purse
nor script, but saluted every man by the
way, Although my strongest affections
aud general admiration are naturally for
New England people, yet | must say that
they show the least care for the stranger |
of any folk l have met. They entertain
acquaintance with three heavy meals, /
m >st carefully and proudfuliy prepared,
while the stranger is never welcome with
in the gates, and any visitor brings to the
good housewife all the kitchen work and
worry that ever Martha had. In our
travels over Uruguay l could never de-
tect that we produced any embarrassment;
we shared their earl, cup of coffee, with
a meagre bit of dry toast, and the midday
breakfast, followed by couch for the
regular siesta; then tea at mid afternoon
and dinner at six or seven o'clock, with
some kind of treat before bed time. This
is about the average custom for meals
mot forgetting the afternoon nap all over
the Latin world, and the Teuton,
the Briton or the Yankee easily falls
into the rule when transplanted to any
soil of the brunette. On our journey
there was but one dish offered that my
religion forbade-that was ostrich eggs
steNed with onon-and it is said to be
very nice; but every stomach claims the
right to its own private prejudice, which
cannot be overcome without possible
disaster. We went considerably out of