The Republican journal., 1903-09-03

most desirable laxative for delicate
women.
interest; but nothing more interesting
than the ever changing panorama of
human beings, and the view from its
walls of the crooked streets, tiled roofs
and queer towers of the old city.
Hark. Strange music is heard at a
distance, the most weird and gruseome
that can be notwithstanding nearer
and nearer. We recognize it as that
which accompanies the Holy Host pro
cession on it's way to administer the last
sacrament to some passing soul. Pres
every one drops on his knees; wherever
he may be or what doing, In the streets,
the shops, the horse-cars, the balconies,
every one is kneeling the red trousered
soldiers III front of the Presidents pal
ace, ladies on their way to church, school
children, men of business, the sauclest
CholO and most ignorant Indian, all with
reverent mien and uncovered heads.
Around the corner comes a wonderful
pageant, enveloped in clouds of incense,
headed by a boy ringing a bell, and fol-
lowed by d military band with brass in
struments. In the center, under splen-
did canopy of cloth of gold, walks the
bishop, attended by black goWned
priests, acolytes in scarlet and lace,
white robed monks of san MERGED, and
gray-coWled Franciscan friars. These
professions are matters of every day III
all South American cities; but for MS
they possess a singular Fascination, and
we are willing to kneel with the multi
tude earnestly hoping that the mysterl-
Gus sacrament may carry consolation to
the departing soul in its last extremity,
OF at least to those who are most to be
pitied--the friends who have loved its
earthly tenement
III land whose institutions are up
held by force of arms alone, soldiers are
necessarily a prominent feature; and
since the late revolutionary troubles
thew seem more numerous than ever i'll
La paz Military parades are always
frequent here, doubtless with view OF
impressing the people with the proWess
of the army, and now hardly day goes
by without grand display of cavalry
and infantry, rank and file, eyolutlng
around the plaza. Marshal music is con-
tinually in the air. At stated intervals
during every day IA company OF soldiers
comes sweeping down the hill from one
barrack, or up the hill to another. march
ing behind brass band in full foot, halt
ing before the Presidents casa, where
they render selection or two for the
delectation of the populace. 1t is only
the ceremony of guard mounting, and
although it occurs every few hours, year
in and year out, it is invariably attend
ed by the same flourish of music and
musketry. Besides all this, it has been
the custom from time immemorl rial to
have military music in front OF the
Palacio two nights in every week and
on the evenings of all sieSta days, when
three bands, stationed in a row, play
alternately. each musician with stoop-
ing soldier before him, whose back
serves as a rack for the score; while
paily caparisoned officers off duty swarm
| like mosquitoes, and crowds OF people
promenade around and around the plaza
All the soldiers are obliged to attend
mass on Sunday mornings-"ciean shirt
day." as it is irreverently called; and al
| interesting sight it is to see them come
marching in with shining bayonets over
| their shoulders, each division headed by
its officers. They completely fill the body
of the church, and the sound of the or
gan is drowned in the blare OF trump
cts. At signal, arms are presented,
and down goes every musket upon the
stone floor with thud that shakes the
building, and then the men stand as
motionless as statues until the proper
time comes to fall upon their knees.
In the Bolivian army great variety
of uniforms is noticeable, each officer
having appa rently been allowed to ex
ercise his own taste in the equipment
of his company, and amazingly have
their individual fancies swung out III
the matter of personal adornments
There are suits in gray and gold, in black
and gold, in blue and gold, in blue ano
red, in black and blue, in gray and black
others all red, all gray, all blue; and
caps of various shapes and colors in the
same regiment. Some of the officers
wear long, doubled-caped overcoats o.
scarlet cloth, others wear gray cioaKs
| NOT unlike those of Franciscan friars