Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-05-11

santa Cruz del Quche. Gualemala'
central America, April s, 1901 iluenue-
Grange. the town from which | lasl
wrote. IL the capital Of the dlstrlct ny
lho same name. and contains ABOUT
twelve thousand Inhabitants mostly
Indians. though all the government one
cprs ana principal business men are
Lndnog. As this was the FIRST large
tovn we had entered In Guatemala we
we're Interested IN looking around. The
houses are all after the Mexican, or
,athor Spanish style. They were neat,
clsan looking. rooted with tiles, and
whltewashed or painted with rou6h
paint The streets are rather narrow
being only from a rod TO rod und a
malt wide. They are paved however
and raised sidewalk just wide enough
tor one person is raised little on eilheI
side The plaza occupies one square
on three sides are stores ana shops, on
the other covering the full length OF the
block is the government building, a
two-story building with very thiek
walls. ana old fashioned doors and WIN.
dows Coarse looking soldiers occupied
the Porch of the house, each one having
o gun, which was OLD fashioned years
Hgo. The plaza was fun Of people buy
Ing and selling A few cents, at most
o dollar, takes the full stock Of most
u the stores.
We had scarcely reached the market
when q police came and asked our
business, where SIC were from ana
where we were going, and how long we
intended to stay in town. Another one
soon came back 20 ask the make Of our
guns. We had letters TO the hete
polltico, who Is the head not only Of the
district. but Of everything In IT, includ-
Ing the soldiers and police, and on call
ing found the gentleman a very polite,
and a very intelligent young man OF
thrty-flye or forty years Of age lie
received us kindly and after reading
our letters desired very much TO do
something for US. We needed no as
distance, but he gave us letters 20 the
nefe at this place which have greatly
aided u.s. He pressed US 20 stay over
night IN town, saying that he would
send a guide to show us some ruins a
couple OF miles from the city. which
are very ancient. We were tempted.
stt as our packs had gone on and as
ins feed was scarce and very dear, we
excused ourselves. The hefe told us
that the ruins consisted Of mounds and
terraces, and must correspond with
those we found on entering the repub-
llc,
The people seem intelligent, kind and
rot unhospltable, but many, In the
country especially, in spite Of the fer
igllty OF the land are extremely poor.
Many In the city are no better though
they make a better appearance.
DIFFICULTIES BY THE WAY.
Leaving the town by the east road we
climbed a mountain eight hundred feet,
and came to u plateau where there are
q number of Indian ranches. IL was
now late, and we decided to camp as
there were fields near by. But we
could not get feed. One man had oxen
and cows, another could not rent be-
cause the field belonged to his con.
His wife urged him to rent II as the
rent money would suit the boy, but no,
the old man would ~ yield.
Another stil had little patch of corn,
and though we promised to nlght-her
our animals, we could not get Il, At
dusk. very much disguised, We con-
tinued our journey. An hours ride
over a hill and down canyon OF
gulch, brought us to another ranch,
and to our surprise, the lady Of the
house invited us TO camp, saying the
pasture was not very good. but we
were welcome to II II we chose.
The next day we had our toughest
road. ana OAR horses were lily pre-.
pared fer the work, as corn was sim
ply out of the question. We had tried
every ranch house we passed TO buy
some but had failed, The people did
not have It 10 spare, and some did not
have II at all. The famine was not
due TO drouth as we have since
learned, but to an over-abundance Of
rain during the wet season, which had
Injured the corn.
The severity of the road was caused
by the deep canyon Of the Negro river,
both banks Icing very steep and about
three thousand feet above the river bed.
From the top as we approached, the
stream could be seen far below like a
winding thread, white and black The
waters are dark, the rapids and foam
white. IL was grand sight. Then we
descended. Down, down, zig gag, first
Ia the right. then TO the left. At II
o'clock We reached the bottom and de-
cided to rest and feed our animals be-
fore beginning the climb. We desired
also to take a bath In this one Of the
principal rivers of Central America
y reference to the map will show
that this river rlts In the department