Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-04-25
!; A VISiI ID The
|: b0TTiOS OI SOTOSQ0l
BY A. RALPH EASTMAN.


smaller pueblos OF barrios. The barrios
are distant from the central pueblo from
few rods TO ten miles. or as the native
would say, from now to four hours or
one day. Sometimes the boundary lines
are indiscernable and correspond TO the
ward" in America. Some barrios may
be reached easily by the two-wheeled
caromsto or calls, others have only mar
row bride paths leading to them, and
still others can be reached only by
water. Often it is necessary TO ford
swift rivers, which, when swollen by
rains, are impossible, and again, the
way is so mountainous that the sure.
footed little caballo trembles with un.
certainty for his life.
Every bsrrio has its teniente (dientin
anti who is responsible TO the president
Of the united pueblo. The teniente has
his corps Of assistants and policemen
The latter are armed with revolvers In
the main pueblo, boloes in the more i'm.
portant barrios and often nothing but a
whip or a cane marks their position.
Nearly all the education ever given the
islands by Spain has been through the
Catholic Church. In nearly every bar
rio are native men and women educated
in religion and Spanish who set them
selves up for teachers. They under
stand more or less of arithmetic, geog
raphy and penmanship, but their main
object is to hammer into the supersti.
tious heads of the ignorant by their
Jesuit. parrot method the catechism in
both Spanish and native dialect and in
case of the more advanced a meager
amount Of grammar, reading and count
ing in Spanish. The children are ex-
pected to study aloud until and after
their turns for reciting which is simply
q repetition of their masters words or
recitation Of what they have memorized.
The session Is from to 10 O'Clock in
the morning and from to p. m. five
days in the week, Thursday and Sunday
excepted for religious duties, washing
and cock fights which are held every
Sunday afternoon. The teacher charges
O tuition Of FIVE cents per month more or
less. according TO the wealth and at.
tendance of the pupil. Besides this
fee the teacher expects presents OF ban
anas and eggs as delicacies TO his usual
diet of rice and fish, rice being his staple
food.
Where only one American teacher Is
assigned to each pueblo the problem Of
education In the barrios is at onoe evil
dent. 1t is the plan Of the department
to introduce English into these schools
also and wherever practicable these
teachers are to assemble every Saturday
at the central barrio, aud receive in
struction for e.hslf day from the
American teacher.
After several vain attemts to secure
information about these private schools
from the president, Mr.. Reed and my
self started out Christmas vacation to
learn something definite. We secured a
calls for the first two and one-half miles
to Guinlahon and at once our troubles
began. AT the first turn the little cabal-
los refused to go farther ana the driver
after firing himself out with the lash,
explained that his horses did not know
the way. In time we started again
through the assistance of another native
and had soon passed out of the thickly
settled part Of the main pueblo. The
road was very rough and strong and we
had not gone over one half miles when
the animals determined to rest again.
Two soldiers who happened to be taking
a walk, overlook us and with their assis.
tance we were off again. We were
hardly out of sight when the beasts
stopped and began backing towards the
lash until we struck tree by the side Of
the road. This time we all got out and
labored and sweat The soldiers too
came up and we all pushed and pulled.
whipped and shouted and at last the
ponies relaxed their stubbornness enough