The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-04-08
NO WIVES IN COUNTRY
Town OF $4,000 Where No
One WedS
MARRIAGES @ N T / NJ {
Odd City in the Hidden Re-
CeSSeS of Peru.

Yquitos. Peru.-This is the city where
women marry on time only. They do so
in other towns, but here it is the uni
versal practice. Among the 1900 people
of Yquitos is only one regularly married
couple. the German vice consul and his
wife Yet folks live in peace and happi-
ness, year in, year out; the city's news
papers contain not line of scandal, law
yers are busy only with property disputes.
and the police blotters record few crimes.
or offenses, of violence. There are no
shootings, poison mysteries, stabbing af-
trays; no parents crying for runaway
daughters, no young men with love esca-
pades TO their credit, or discredit.
Sunny-faced children are everywhere
about the houses, streets, and public
squares. They attend school regularly
end enjoy the benefit of Religious instruc-
ton. OF their mother and father they
speak with love and respect and though
never punished, the youngsters seem 70
compare favorably with the youth of our
great American cities.
The Rockefellers. Morgans, and Goulds,
, and Yquitos are slave holders, law or no
law They buy Indians at stated rate
and use them principally as domestic
servants But these bondsmen and
bondswomen are esteemed no less than
free people. and the educational institu-
tions of the town are open TO them, while
their children grow up with those of the
masters on the basis of perfect equality.
Your correspondent journeyed to Yqui-
tos on Brazilian steamer carrying the
mail over the vast route of the Amazon
river. and we went up stream some 3.12o
miles ere the capital of Peru's interior
wilderness hove into sight.
Ten years Yquitos was but a strug-
Cling village. Then came the discovery
of seemingly. inexhausuble India rubber
deposits in the nearby forests, and mer-
chants. traders. and adventures from all
the Americas. and in fact. all the world,
| flocked to the spot
As our good ship sailed into the harbor,
her passengers got a most favorable i'm
preston of the metropolis Of the cao'It-
chouc district From the distance all
seemed white houses. green lawns. and
flower beds. but subsequent Investigation
proved that a great deal of dirt and neg
lect is mixed up with this idyL
The day before Sunday all YQuitos had
turned out 10 offer us a boisterous vel
come. The edge of the rocky plateau
whereon the town is bailt was black with
! people watching the approaching steamer,
/ and waving hats and handkerchiefs. For
/ several months past one Of the customary
revolutions has kept the harbor closed
! and the people were fairly mad for news
/ from the outside world
As your correspondent toiled M the
steep embankment he was surprised by
/ the great number Of gayly dressed women
4 In the crowd Almost all OF them Were
Young and good looking. and. Ike their
4 children. becomingiy arrayed in multi
/ colored southern style On close iusUec-
ton the city looked the overgrown village
/ il IS. Houses built in irregular lines ot
all sorts Of material. heaps Of dirt alter-
mating with flower gardens and greer
patches: empty lots ful of debris; ths
public buildings were shanties. dignided
/ tv high falutin' signs in golden letters
! Some 90 PAGES from the entrance L
! the town stands the only church. \ small
/ lllapidated building ianked by two hTict
( tasers. rent from steepIe 70 base by Il
runersble cracks aud clefts. Such
I building would he condemned as danger
Gus in any half-regulated community. L
the Perus "ulanyana" IS trump We VII
attend II tomorrow.
The church stands IN q wide square
skirted by lawns and flower beds. and
services closed iur- as yo'ir correspondent
was passing hy. Crowds of women aae
( children issued from the several portals
. followed BY the gray-haiTed priest srC
some choir boys. These we're the orly
males in the throug.
Probably INT one among the severa
hundred women sesn would p caae'
\ teautifiil in New York or London hu
nearly al the younger persons were gssoS
looking having well uodeiei faces. fer
black eyes. and abundant glosSy haiv-
On better acQs&iasance / noticed sha