The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-08
PRICE BAKING POWDER Co.,
CHICAGO.

houses are located; Banda (other side
populous residence quarter, and Scharlo,
the Fifth avenue of the island Each of
these divisions has just one broad, smooth
main driveway, encompassed by a net
work of alleys. Naturally, everything on
wheels seeks these three wide thorough
fares, crowding them from curb to curb
and making them more dangerous than
the comparatively deserted alleys. The
carriages of the Curacao aristocrats are
drawn by the lively, half-wild horses of
Colombia, which disdain control and dash
ahead at breakneck speed, whatever may
stand in the way. People pass from one
division of the city TO another by tram
car. which makes the circuit Of the bay,
or in fiat-pottomed boats Orpunts-the lat
ter method of transportation being
regular and well conducted business. The
Punda section includes the old Spanish
city of Santa Ana and its modern east
ward extension, called Pietermaai.
Close TO the governors residence
stands the Dutch Reformed church, where
Peter Stuyvesant worshipped wwhen he
was governor of the island, before being
transferred TO New Amsterdam, which is
now a part of Greater New York. A little
way back of this quaintest Of sanctuaries
is the nearly obliterated ruin Of the stuy-
vesant mansion, and in an adjacent Gem
etery lies one of Stuyvesants legs. OF
course, you go to service in the Dutch
Reformed church on your first Sunday
morning in Curacao, and perhaps SIT IN
the governors pew, which is as high as
the pulpit and quite as conspicuous AS
YOU pass out of the door a cloth bag IS
presented TO your attention, in which you
are expected to deposit an offering for
the churcr. and after Z o'clock dinner
YOU should follow the local world TO the
governors house and promenade there
in. TO the music of the government band
for an hour or two.
Following the band, you go up the
wide staircase to the mansion, into
series of lofty saloons, all looking out
over the bay. Presently dancing begins
although it is Sunday evening" and per-
haps the stately governor, Baron Won
Heerdtot Eversberg. leads the measure.
More likely. however. he IS busy with
his male friends in a big apartment 10
the right. where sideboards and decan-
tiers are the conspicuous articles of fur
niture; or else he is in the card room,
where n bevy of gentlemanly. prosperous
looking men are at whist. or some other
game that is played with cards. What IS
your surprise to observe in the midst the
preacher of the morning-the reverend
divine whose powerful discourse reminded
YOU so much of the late Henry Ward
Beecber-his hands full Of aces and kings.
his little guilder stake on the table, q
fra grant Havana between his teeth and
a glass Of brandy-and-sOda at his side,
We are assured by those who live here.
and therefore ought to know, that there
are no better people on earth than these,
both in intention and execution; but their
WAYS are not exactly those 70 which
Americans have been accustomed. out
in the streets everythinglooks equally
queer and improbable-from the street
urcbins that stand ready % dive for the
pennies you throw into the twenty feet
Of water. and the half-nude boatmen
who row you from place 10 place in the
town. to variously colored women selling
fruit. sweetmeats and tobacco. ard ladies
trailing stIGly-starched skirts AZ their
slipper heels.
The official language Of Curacao IS
Dutch. but French. English and Spanish
are also commonly spoken The enamel
pated negroes who comprise the bulk q
the populatios. speak "a strange patois
called Papiamento-a word which liter
ally translated means 20 speak lies II IS
soft and liquid as that Of the South Sea
Islands. and evidently grew from Span
ish base in the old slave times. Dutch,
Danish aad English words are also in
corporated- but none Of African origin.
All harsh consonants have been eliu1ina
ted. ali Ions words abbreviated and after
So years - growth il has become Ian
euage by itself Children have learned Il. (
gecnration after generation. and the Ro-
mao clergy have given il a fixed gram
mil fnrr, EANNTE 2 MARD.