The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-20

course n splendid falls. a. miniature Mag
ara. roSrs 50 loudly thar it can be heard
for many miles We saw native men
and women with S0c:Tdg washing gold out
Of this stream, black, gnId-beariug sand
being universal. The natives tell marvel
Gus stories OF the Spanish miners who
worked in that country centuries ago.
Some Of these fabulous tales NAV be true
but Mr- CuFIey. who has lived at Chama
Tor eighteen years has never seen any
indications of gold in quantities. and has
therefore never made any attempt to
WASH out the black sand OF the river
We reached Mr.. Curley'S place by
crossing splendid bridge built of rose
wood. which material IS used for pretty
much everything ut Chana. and a swarm
of natives greeted us at the edge of the
plantation They came running toward
Us III GIsorSauIz.d crowds, and as We drew
our weapons o=:T guilds cried out IN
alarm and explained to us that the run
nerS Were fastening to welcome us
"A jdbberiag mob Of $40 or 100 half-Clad
Indians surrounded us and it was with
the greatest difficulty that we could keep
them away from our horses, which had
become more and more intFactabIe as the
march continued.
We passed through a great forest of
rubvr trees and past A COTE plantation
that CNtt ndCd before Us far as we
coulc see. The hacienda (house1 faced
thousands of the cacap trees. and when
we lSaChCd the plaza ali Of the Americans
came forward TO bid US welcome
A general holiday was declared, and all
of the natives were summoned from the
remote plantations to participate in the
sports that followed. All Of the men and
women on the plantation except the ua-
U|tS came originally from Philadelphia,
and we were amazed to find that they
had lived there. cut off from an the out
side world. for many years. and that not
one of them ever had or has the slightest
idea Of returning to North America
The Chama plantation embraces 5.095
acres of rubber trees. as many more
planted IN coffee and about many
planted in CaCao. kenfucky-bred horses,
SouthdOwn sheep from c Hartman
sey cattle from the Singerly farms. at
ElktoD. stock the place, with hundreds of
. the very wiry little mules of the country
A mystery to Us IN agriculture were
the corn fields. in which we saw acres Of
corn in all stages Of growth from mere
shoots to the Tipeued ears. all growing on
( the same plantation at the same time
+ They never turn the soil to grow corn
The grain Is pushed into the black soil
with sticks. and il grows like weeds The
natives get about cents a day for their
month. The other two weeks they work
( en- their own concessions. which yield
them an abundant living.
The AlcaGe of Charna is James Tor
pey. d former Philadelphian who is the
/ only foreigner in the entire country who
has ever held that Office Mr. CurIey, as
administrator. controls all of the business
: Of the community, and is regarded as the
/ supreme authority throughout the coun-
+ try.
We saw millions OF. orchids on the
thama plantation. some varieties of
which We have been told since our return
are worth fabulous sums Of money II is
EOt likely that they would live in this
E climate. although Patrick Phefan the
: gardener on Mr. CurIay's place. insisted
/ that they would grow all right if they
/ could tie transported safely. PhelaD was
I q landscape gardener. employed by the
Pennsylvania Railroad before he went to
& Guatemala. His wife made the Journey.
ten years ago, practically alone. starting
from Lancaster, where her people still
live.
Our trip home took US through new
sections of Guatemala and along routes
/ never before Travelled 10y foreigners. Once
/ I got separated from Inv friends and lay
for four days In q cave or dugout with
/ both ankles wrenched. I finally CraWled
out, and vas found By my partners, who
T had scores OF natives beating the brush
{ IN every direction looking for me l found
I about $i"D worth of gold in that hole. but
/ We could not discover another Speck dur
/ ing two days search
/ Mr.. CHTley sent runners with Us over
/ the SamaC Mountain to Coban. where his
! letters secured ior Us eutree to the Royal
J Palace. We stopped a week at COban,
. two days q Santa Cruz, one day at Tai
/ tee and then pushed on to Santa Tomas.
/ The descent OF Mount CaChil proved to be
/ a remarkable journey. and the trip across
( q great barren plain to SaIama was about
/ the toughest bit OF crOSS-cOUEtTY travel
( ing We ever encountered We found 600
! native soldiers at Saiama. for which there
/ is no earthly use. They have not done
( anything but garrison duty and police
! work for twenty years, and there is not
! the slightest possible excuse for keeping
( an army under arms in that country. At
/ San Geronimo we found a splendid town.
/ which has lasted through many centuries
and IS in q perfect state OF repair today.
Our route carried Us over old Chu a
CuZ, a mountain over 5000 feet above the
sea, and at Lane Grande found a
health resort supported by the natives for
centuries. a natural not spring bubbles
/ and boiis necessarily, and the natives
/ claim that a bath in this water VIII cure
( all the Ills man is heir to. We crossed
Z the iron suspension bridge AT La C2noa,
/ and finally reached the inn at Chiquin,
I where we got our first glass Of beer we
( foTded the Rio Grande the next morn
/ ing and breakfasted at San Antonio. Al
! ChinautIa we stopped several days and
I watched the native women making an
tiqUe' AonteZuma pottery for Philadel-
phia dealer, using for samples genuine
/ antiques dug out of the old mound dwell
ings years ago Three lea CUES more
brought US to the grand portal Of the city
I Of Guatemala. where we saw Brill street
cars. Edison electric lights. Baldwin To-
! comOt.ves and Allison cars. The rail-
ROAD took US up 20 San jose. from which
port we took the Pacific Mail steamer fol-
Panama and in eight days We were il
New York. and three hours more brought
/ rs home