The suburban citizen., 1902-06-28
THE WOMEN OF BOLIVIA
THEY ARE THE sTURDlEsT or THEIR
SEX IN THE WORLD.


are probably the women of Bolivia"
said Louis B. Jennings, who, with n
party Of young men, recently returned
from a visit TO that country. "The
people of Bolivia are Of necessity
mainly vegetarian in their diet, for
beef is scarce, and consequently very
expensive. In fact, the beef to be had
there is not good for the country is
mountainous and all OF the cattle de.
velop hard muscles. This is especially
true of the sheep, which are trained
athletes The mutton has the con-
sistency Of rubber, and is as tough as
leather Northerners who are in the
habit of depending on meat find no sat
isfaction in steaks, chops and roasts in
Bolivia. We Jared well without meat
after futile efforts to eat it. The only
part of the beef which was at all pos
sible was the tenderloin, and even that
was not MS palatabe as the fruits and
vegetables.
Delicious fruits at low prices abound
in the markets of Bolivia. The break
fasts consists Of fruit and plenty Of it.
We had bananas, prickly pears, OF tu-
mas, which are the best of the native
fruits, and of which one can buy ten
for a cent; peaches, grapes, luscious
strawberries, fresh figs, fragrant pine
apples, alligator pear, chirimoyas, pc
pinos and star apples.
"Chirimoyas have a soft, sweet pulp
and large black seeds, and are enclosed
in a thick skin. They are broken in
halves and eaten with a spoon. Pepi-
nos grow On palm trees, and look like
cucumhers on the outside, but inside
are much like muskmelons, with thick,
very sweet pulp These must tc cut
first to let the milky juice out. They
are then eaten like a cantaloupe. The
star apple is fine fruit 1t is beauti.
full to look at, about the size Of an ap-
pie, and has a smooth and shining
skin, graduating in color from n light
purple at one end to dark shade at
the other When the thick, leathery
skin is broken open the centre is found
to be pure white, the pulp becoming
darker toward the outer skin until it is
deep purple next to it. The pulp is soft
and milky.
"Thc two cereals Of the country
which are most popular are quinua and
canagua. The former is white and the
latter black. The grains are smaller
than rice, but somewhat like it.
! Quinua is washed and boiled in milk.
1t is considered very wholesome. Can
aqua is toasted and ground into "A
| black -four and eaten after it is soaked
IN water or made into a drink resem-
| bling coffee. Another cereal, sort of
barley appears in all the shades OF
the rainbow, phenomenon no one
seems able to explain. Potatoes grow
in the same varied tints
"All kinds of vegetables grow luyu-
riantly in the fertile valleys, and the
people seem to live wholly on them.
| the cereals and the fruits. Coffee is
made exceedingly strong and is almost
| like oil in character. 1t has a different
! color and a different aroma from the
coffee known here. In the course of
time one grows to like it, although the
only milk to be had to drink in it is
| American condensed milk.
Chickens and ducks, native fish and
imported corned beef are the popular
meat and fish courses of a dinner.
Mutton stew or broth is about the only
thing to be had as n soup. Chickens
are the special feast day piece de re-
sistance, and are raised by all classes
of people. The bread is coarse and
made Of dark wheat. The imported
canned meats and fish are more popu-
lar than the hcme products of the
same kind.
The ice crop never fails, and there
is no ice trust in Bolivia. Ice is OBJ
tanned in abundance from the immense
glacier fields in the upper ranges of
the mountains which supply the mar
liets throughout the year from their
solid beds and columns Of ice
Living in Bolivia is cheap. We
lived luXuriously In La Paz, the capital
of the country, at tine best hotel for s.
a week each for room and board. Most
of the natives have gardens, and their
expenses must he reduced to the mini
mum.
The women keep the shops and the
markets, and some of them are rich,
owning their own plantations, on which
they raise fruit, vegetables, chickens,
ducks, rabbits, etc They have the
right TO acquire their own property and
to hold it or sell it as they please until
they are married. Then their husbands
have a dover right, and must sign a
deed to make a sale Of property valid.
The people are divided into three
classes-the Spanish or aristocrats; the
native Indians, or laboring class, and
the Cholos. or half-breeds, who are the
shopkeepers. The last are usually
quite rich. as they are exceedingly
thrifty. They build beautiful homes,
dress extravagantly and wear n great
many Jewels 1t is the Cholo woman
who is the most active in the home and
In business. The Indian women bear
the hardest burdens. Considering their
onDortIInitipS thp women ara t1lnct. rro