St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-03-30
LETTER ERon JOHN w. TITconB.
The Carnival ut Buenos Aires. - Far
from the Madding Crowd.-A Dan
willie BOY i'm the Govcrnmena Employ
The Revelation i'm Uraguay.-A Ver-
mont Diplomat Hard at w ork.

4
/ willie BOY i'm the Gsovcrn mens Employ
The Revelation i'm Uraguay.-A Ver-
mont Diplomat Hard at Work.
EDITOR CALIFORNIAN:
I have a recollection that promised
to write you while here and now there
| is but one more mail before / start for
home on which I can send letter and /
may arrive ahead of my letter, but I will
keep my promise.
Last Saturday night at midnight was
the beginning of three days carnival
here. No one of those taking part has
been able to explain its origin. 1t always
| precedes the lenten season and someone
explained that for three days preceding.
| the people are unrestrained and permitted
| to show how frivolous and wicked they
can be. The minister at the American
church" said yesterday that it seemed as
| if all the wickedness of the city was
allowed to rise to the surface and to 60
rampant, unrestrained even by the police.
presume he had reference to the rowdy-
| ism which breaks loose in community
| where everybody or anybody can mask
such as is sometimes displayed at home
| in "ragamuffin" parade. Then. too,
| at all the theatres and opera houses are
dances patronized by the "demi monde"
But with all that it is no worse thantour
"wide-open towns" in the west. Among
the respectable people the carnival has
very pretty celebration. The children
put carnival attire and mask or not
as they choose. Among the young ladies
and gentlemen mild flirtations are car
ried on. The parade of carriages at
night is interesting and the streets are
prettily trimmed with flags, bunting and
colored lights. The carnival is cele-
brated throughout Spanish America,
introduced here from Spain. In fact, it
is celebrated in all Latin countries.
AS remarked that went to church
yesterday 1 will explaiH that it is the
first convenient opportunity [ have had
to attend and went because had heard
so much about the minister, a Mr..
Mclaughlin, and a very earnest preacher.
He is very much beloved in the city by
all classes, but as you are doubtless
ware, most of the church going people
here are Catholics. AS people had gone
out of town for the holidays only about
SO were present, but might have almost
imagined myself in the South church at
home. The service at the opening was
somewhat spoiled for me because young
minister in the audience, called up to
make the 'long prayer" prayed for the
warning nations, but intinated to the
Lord that the war is between Christians
and Pagans. But let us pray that the
laps win in this war between Russia and
Japan, Pagan Or no Pagan!
But about my trip and my work. l
have been buried far from civilization
most of the time, southwest of Buenos
Aires, on the border of Chill and north
ern Patagonia, place where every man
of Importance carried 3S or A Colt
revolver and the poems carry knives.
Each knows how to use his weapon but
the peon with his knife is most adept.
First, he can defend himself with it; then
it is his only utensi1 for eating. He will
take bite from one or two pounds of
roast meat and by an adept undereut
sever the mouthful, close to his lips with
out cutting off his nose. Finally, this
| long baded knife is used for toothpick.
The revolvers are seldom used or
needed, but the owners know how to
use them and as one expressed it, when
you want gun you want it id bad"
The Indians of the region make good
servants and good wives and the children
of the cross between the Anglo Saxon
and the Indians are a fine sta1wart race.
f. In the region where l was encamped for
long time have taken dinner with rep
resentatives of seven nationalities at
one sitting and 1 have felt that 1 should
know not only French, English and
| Spanish but German, Italian and Portu-
guese.
/ cannot stop to tell you much. This
| country has great future. 1t needs
population to take advantage of its
resources. The laboripg classes are very
inefficient, not to be compared with the
| same at home. They need education.
The races here are very much mixed. In
the camp l have accosted man in Span
ish and got reply in Spanish with an
Irish brogue to it. The man had the
Irish features, too, but was a native and
could not talk English. It is more en-
barrassing to struggle with my Spanish
in accost1ng someone and then get a
reply in very good English. But l am
! depressing again.
| BuenOs Aires is a modern up-to date
| city like some OF our western cities and
| very cosmopolitan. 1t is the seat OF
| governing power and here presidents are
made and unmade. The people of the
camp, as the rest of the country is called
excepting few cities, have little to say
about politics. The government has
many efficient en- ployes from other coun-
tries, sought especially for their ability
in some particular line. Among these
| Walter 6. Davis of Danville is prominent.
| As head of the Meteorological Bureau he
has brought this branch OF the service up
to the highest point c. efficiency and is
! re<1.cr..izs.a +ars.Sz=eSSaZr< and Of