Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-11-25
BoGoTA A MODERN CITY.
Capital Of Colombia Is the Finest City
in the South American Republic.

wv tHe ooutn NWcTlCdU ncpupi'S'
New York, Nov. 19.-Bogota. the
capital of the United States of Colon
bia, is situated four degrees north OF
the equator on a tableland among the
eastern ridges of the Andes, 5000
feet above the level OF the sea. The
city has a population OF 100000, OF
whom 1000 are foreigners. The great
mass of It's people Is descended from
the first Spaniards; some are of pure
Castilian blood, others OF mixed Span
ish and Indian. The latter are not
ashamed of their origin, as the an.
cient tribes which peopled the plain
of Bogota were a race that We'd with
the Incas in civilization. In their
form OF government the Chibchas
were superior to the Incas, but, like
The ancient Peruvians, their treasures
of gold and precious stones proved
their ruin. Jimenes de Quesada con-
quered the country for Spain in 1881.
The city is the finest in the repub-
lie. It's streets are broad and run at
right angles, and for the most part
have sidewalks. The houses are built
of sun-dried bricks, and owing to fear
of earthquakes are OF n and two
stories in height. The Gale Real or
Gale Republica, the main street. ends
in n great plaza in which stands the
statue of Simon Bolivar, the South
American liberator. State buildings
with plastered walls and iron balloon
les front the square. There, too. is
the cathedral, a magnificent old pile,
every stone of which was borne on the
backs OF Indians from the neighbor.
ing mountains. The principal streets
branch out from the plaza and are
paved with cobble stones, with a gut
ter running down the middle. In the
rainy season these cutters become
roaring torrents, which fill the streets,
rendering them almost impossible. In
the suburbs are parks and wide boul-
evards.
Besides the cathedral. there are
about thirty other churches in the city,
but several of them are In a state of
decay. Most of the church buildings
are of venerable age. some of them
being 400 years old. The capitol, a
large and elegant building, contains
the halls of congress and other gov.
eminent offices. The city has a uni.
yersity, three endowed colleges, a
school of chemistry and m~ineralogy
a national academy, a public library,
a botanical garden and a military
school, supported out vi the public
funds. The mint, which is one OF
three in the republic, is finely equip.
ped. There are manufactures of soap
cloth and leather.
After the Spanish conquest Bogota
became the capital of the Spanish
vice royalty of New Grenada. In 1911
the colonists rebelled against Spain
and proclaimed a republic. A Spanish
army under General Murillo captured
Bogota in 1916 and many OF the inhab'
itants were put to death, poets, schol-
ars and men of illustrious lineage be
ing shot down Unfortunately. till
the plaza ran red with the best blood
of the republic. The town was deliv.
cred by Bolivar in 1919 and became
the capitol of the new republic of Co.
lomDia.
Arthur NJ. Beaupre, United States
minister at Bogota, who has not been
heard from since the new isthmian
republic was formed, is a native OF
Illinois. having been born in Oswego,
Kendall county, fifty years ago. He
began life as a printer at DeKalb, but
soon moved to Aurora, where shortly
after he reached his majority he was
elected deputy clerk of the city court.
He became deputy clerk of Kane
county later. and in 1886 was elected
county clerk. His first diplomatic ap-
pointment was in the early part of
President McKinley's administration,
when he was made secretary of the le-
cation at Guatemala. He was next
appointed consul general in the same
place and later transferred to Bogo-
Ia as consul general, a position he oc.
cupied for three years before becom.
ing envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary to the Colombian gov
eminent last February.