The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-06-11
TUCKER WRITES
ABOUT SOUTH AMERICA
Gives Graphic Description
Of Country and Customs

candidate 20 congress from Oklahoma.
and a resident Of this city, who Is
now in South America, investigating
mining claims. graphically describes
the, beautiful scenery about La Paz,
the capitol city Of Bolivia, South
America. Mr.. Tucker writes as fol-
lows.
la Paz, Bolivia, S. A., April 20.
1eO3.-Dear friends Olds and Reich
While waiting here for the
rains to cease l am investigating this
vicinity, and yesterday rode out 9
miles to a tin mine which was only
discovered ir January last 1t is about
paying expenses and Jocks as If it
might make a mine for its owners.
in Colorado IL would already bring a
good price. They have spent 5000 gold
on it. and have taken out $3.50 with
fully s4OO more In plain sight. 1t is
not for sale at present.
Considering its size-5O. O.O0O-this
city has few vehicles or animals on
its streets Possibly there arc fifty
wagons and carriage, a dozen buggies,
and hundred carts. Nearly every.
thing that, in Oklahoma, would be
hauled, here is carried by Indian men.
OF course, the heavy freight imported
BY merchants is brought from Lake
Titicaca in carts or by animals
mules, burros. horses and namas-
but in and about this city practically
the only freight carried on mules or
horses is beer in bottles, cased, and
ten bushel hampers of bread Every
thing else is transported by Indians
For instance. today l noticed six In
dians carrying an upright piano swung
between on three ropes; others fol-
lowed with chairs, pictures and
bundles--a house moving. Wherever
one man can handle thing he swings
1t on his back with blanket or rope
and the two ends over his shoulders.
Nothing is carried on one shoulder as
at home. The native women carry
their babies in a shawl siung loosely
over both shoulders, but without any
binding of the feet and body. as with
Indian babies al one time in the Unit
ed States. All this multitude of bare
foot. warmly clad. burden bearers
throngs the streets without noise or
quarrel
The market scenes. especially on
Sunday morning, are OF much interest.
On this day for many blocks the
streets are closed against animals or
vehicles. As all streets are paved with
little round stones, and swept clear
each morning by Indians for the fuel
furnished in the litter, the ground in
the market is clean. Here the Indian
women bring their packs OF fruit, fish,
meat, or other merchandise. which
they heap up in a blanket spread out
on the ground at either side OF the
street where the gutter might be,
themselves sitting on the curb facing
the street Here come the people of
the town, the white women having an
Indian woman or man to carry the
purchases. All up and down the mid
die .iof the street for many blocks
moves a dense crowd Of women, stop
ping here and there. in this way buy
ing the coming weeks household sup
plies. On either side ,oi the street
the regular retail stores. meanwhile,
are doing the heaviest day of the
weeks business. In addition. the
sidewalks are crowded with Sunday
morning sight seers in their best
clothes, as puncmal ip appearance,
with as little reason for almlessly
wandering about, and withal showing
as many variations OF complexion,
from iightest blonde to darkest bru-
nette, as does the daily Santa Fe re-
ception committee at Guthrie.
The open space in front Of the sew
eral churches Is filled with little mar
ket stands seven days in the week.
Here and there are real stalls with
two or more mule loads of goods. but
these are exceptions. Usually a small
heap Of potatoes. the size of eggs. II
fresh, Of marbles. If dried; or a two
gallon pile of skelied corn. or a couple
Of chickens: or a little heap Of CLASSY,
half dried fish; hatful OF eggs; a pile
Of peppers: some kiln dried bread.
(God save the mark) greenish but
ter CD; bale Of fruit; a few dead
birds. black and undrawn; or any one
Of hundred things. is the average.
You wonder how they make It pay.
And this ls what they feed us at the
best 90 hotel
In contrast with all this La Paz
has many large businesses. including
FIVE banks. One English dry goods
house has four retails stores scattered
about the city. each one carrying the