The Republican journal., 1903-08-27


patriotism would have bee dangerous.
Thanking the imposing executive man.
, sion and completing the right hand side
of the square. is a half finished Struc-
ture, built of polished blocks of white
stone with beautifully carved pillars
and window caps. SO long ago was this
immense enterprise begun that its orig
inal purpose seems to have been forgot
ten and grass is now growing out OF the
roofess walls. Though at least quar-
ter of million dollars must have been
already spent upon it, the work has
been entirely abandoned for many
years.
Across the plaza, facing the palace,
stands the Hotel Central pale-pink
above, strawberry red below, with
heavy black trimmings and the name
of the proprietor spraWled clear across
the front in bright blue letters. Next
to it is a restaurant, dressed in green
and lavender; while its adjoining neigh
y
billares dedicated to the historic twins,
''Romulo and Reno" Our side of the
square is occupied by another hotel kept
! bv a busting French widow; q row of
shops at one end, and at the other, a
magnificent stone casa, through whose
open door one may sometimes catch
glimpSes of alabaster staircaSes, foun-
tans and statues. 1t was erected many
years ago by viceroy of Spain for the
beautiful woman who possessed his
! heart but did not wear wedding ring.
! We may remark, en- PEASANT. that Just
back of us, on parallel street, is an
other hotel, misnamed Americana,
wherein the traveller finds equally bad
accommodation.
This Plaza Mayor OF La Paz, like
that of other Spanish American cities,
| is its principal feature from which all
| things radiate Its entire surface Is
paved with small stones set in regular
pattern of diagonal bars, as are the
/ streets Immediately surrounding 1t, the
|
| figures rendered more pronounced by
| alternating black and white stones, and
the whole plaza is surrounded by a high
adobe wall. The central fountain is
really worth looking at-a lofty affair
of alabaster and marble. A circular
basin, very large and deliberately cary,
ed is filled with water to the brim and
reached by flight of marble steps, ex-
tending all around. In the middle OF
this basin four big dolphins, standing
on their heads, support a huge alabas
ter shell; this shell is also filled with
water and contains smaller dolphlns
in similar attitude, unfolding another
shell. This also contains still smaller
dolphins upholding third shell; and III
the latter stands a tall and slender
female nude, trident in hand. The
whole is enclosed by an iron fence, with
large square pillars at regular intervals
each pillar topped by marble sea lior
which is slowly vomiting water in a
most seasick manner for the accommo
dation of people who are continually
coming to drink or to fill their jars
Here come three cavalrymen, dashine
pell-mell up the street, all in scarlet
even to their caps and capes, each carry
ing over his shoulder the unfurled flag
of Bolivia. Behind them, at more
leisurely pace rides the baker on his
sleek little donkey with huge hamper
hung ON either side. Oxide hampers
are too common in this country to at
tract attention, but these are unique
their square, box-like framework Gov
cred with the skin of a perfectly white
COW, put on hair outward Each hamper
is filled with small, crusty loaves, and
every one of them would serve we'll az
a cannon ball in case of emergency. Or
top of the uncovered bread the baker
carries his hat in one of the boxes, anC
his red calico handkerchief and well
worn purse in the other, while his boots
and brooches bangle over both.
A group of Indians from over the
sierras have just come to town with
their troup of llamas and seated them
selves to rest on the stones of the street
with their weary backs against the
plaza wall. Poor things! More tn ar
half naked, dirty, frowzy. utterly hope
less of anything better in this world,
nobody knows how many miles those
bare feet have trotted. Most of the
llamas are laden with snow-ice from
the upper Andes, which is in great de-
mand at the saloons and restaurants
The ice is tied up in blankets, and
although there is nothing between the
chilly bundle and the back Of The ami.