The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-24

/ am writing this at the close of an in
teresting Sunday, and before saying good
night I will hastily tell you how 1 spent
it. This city of about $1,000 inhabitants
is beautifully located in the mountains
about 1900 feet above sea level The
Spanish language is spoken and the re-
ligion, customs and pressures Of the
mother country are closely followed. To-
day was a feast day in the Catholic
church, and as about 80 per cent of the
inhabitants belong to that denomination
the day was given over to pleasure. 1 be-
gan it by attending military mass" that
is to say the national band Of forty-five
musicians and company Of soldiers
were in attendance The cathedral is one
of those massive structures that IS every
where to be found in Spanish speaking
countries, spacious and with beautiful in
terror decorations. The services were i'm
pressive and the music from the band de-
lightfu1. I then went TO the market with
the steward Of the hotel at which 1 am
stopping, and there my eyes Toasted on
the products Of this tropical land. Huge
vegetables, tender salads and grasses and
fruit galore. Many kinds had not seen
for years, while other varieties were
strangers to me. Some acid, others too
sweet, some hard and others delicious
and as delicate as custard. A little later
found me waiting at a street corner to
see the masqueraders pass-hundreds of
people in gay and often hideous costumes
dancing to the tune of a band in front
and horns behind devils darting into the
crowds on the sidewalks and pretending
to steal from a mothers arms helpless
babe, and small boys in horror just es-
Gaping the clutch of some monster and
fair maidens taken captive amid cheers.
One of these southern republic is not COM
plete without lottery, and at u o'clock
M I went to the public drawing in the
piazza which takes place on Sunday once
every month. The largest prize is 10000
pesos, or about $4,000 in gold. There 1
saw the merchant and the planter, the
Judge and the juror, the man servant and
the maid servant, the peone and the pea
SAINT, anxiOusly waiting and hoping that
their ticket might win. A bull tight was
upon the afternoon program. Having
witnessed these brutal affairs in Spain 1
decided not to go, but later finding, that
the animals were not to be killed, simply
leased and played with for amusement
[ changed my mind, so the afternoon
was spent in looking at the great and in
teresting crowd of people, that consisted
Of all classes, one-half, perhaps, being
women. The fact that it was a sort of
friendly affair made it passive, with none
Of the glamor, thrill, the danger and
cheer of a real fight. AS darkness came
on the crowd was entertained with a
very creditable display of fire works. paid |
for by the bankrupt government simply |
to please and entertain the common peo-
pie and to the same end as in the days |
Of Nero. Early this evening 1 went to |
the piazza to hear a concert by the ma |
-ional band and to me it was perfect |
lream. What can be finer than capdvat |
ng Spanish music, artistically rendered |
amid flowers and fragrant shrubs be- |
Meath a full moon in the tropics. Tomor-
-ow 1 start overland for Puntarenos, a !
Pacific port From Alajuela I shall have |
he choice of walking, OK cart or on the |
Jack of a mule. On this trip l shall ex-
beet to see considerable of the natives |
md their customs, and the production of |
,offee and it's treatment. Before leaving |
hope to ascend the volcano Irasu with |
m elevation of nearly 1900 feet. From
hat eminence I am told on clear day
he Atlantic and Pacific can be seen.
Last evening I was invited to dine with
General Caldwell, who is the United
States consul here. and the hour spent
With him was very pleasant one. He
.ame from Topeka. The United States
minister is Captain Merry. an interest
ng person to whom 1 am indebted for
much information.
With wish that you were with me to
share my pleasures, 1 remain, very sin
,erely, S. w. COOPER.
WORKING NIGHT AND DAY.