The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-13
LIFE IN ECUADOR UNDER THE EQUATOR
Queer Ways of the Folk This sowGong Countrywide Spell
the Tropics Is Upon Even the Foreigners ThreDi
of Transportation Guayaqul
of Pride
BY FREDERIC ). HAsK1N.

live In comfort In Goods Country" 'wher-
ever the individual may think that for
tunate section lies. In the meanwhile the
tropics work ~their SPELL Here a man
cry block tip their hats to him as he goes
for his walk The climate Is not conducive |
to much effort, or physical exertion, and
no one works hard. Life is easy, and in
dolent. and care-free. Finally, when the
day comes that sufficient has been saved
to go back to where life moves at moro
rapid pace, the departure is postponed
from time to time. Putting off until to- /
morrow becomes a habit that cannot be
put away as one discards an old coat.
After the return has been made, his
tory often repeats itself. The man who
was an important individual in the south
finds that he did not bring his distinction
away with him He is only a plain man
among millions of plain people. Some
may stop to listen to his tales of a far-off
country, but he is now In a land where
things move too briskly for much story
telling. The Difference that was paid to
him in the south was cheap civility. and
he knows it. but for all that he misses 1t.
He finds the hurry and bluntness and liv-
ing-u border way Of the north too brisk
for him. More and more he pines for the
easy-going gait Of the south, and In nine
cases out Of ten he goes back to the sloth-
full cline he first despised. The tropics
hold him with the charm they have; they
cause him to turn his back upon his peo-
pie, and they do not see his face again.
at Pays to Advertise"
Altho the south Is easy going, there is
sharp competition in business. A good
story Is told Of the rivalry Of two mer-
chants and the extremes to which it led.
| Each one made it point to say all the
| mean things he could think of about the
| other. Matters went from bad to worse,
until the ordinary methods of knocking"
proved too slow. and then they began pub
| fishing stories in the paper about each
other. Their regular space for advertising
| was devoted exclusively to these attacks.
| This was one instance when the public
read the advertisements and got its mon
| ey's worth. One day there was a long
account about one of them being on a
spree, and it wound up by saying: 1.-THE
poor fellow deserves much pity, for 1t Is
something dreadful to be drunk" The
! following issue contained this reply. which
silenced the enemy for awhile: II will
! admit that I was drunk, and that I am
still in that condition, but I have the con-
ISOLATION of knowing that when I quit
drinking will soon get over it. My ac-
cuser needs pity, because he is a fool
and can never get over it,"
A Rocky Road to Travel.
One of the most serious drawbacks to
business in Ecuador is the lack Of trans
portation facilities. Before goods can be
delivered to many points in the interior
the freight on them amounts to more than
they are worth. When mill machinery and
| pianos and electric light plants have to
| be carried over almost impossible noun
| tain trails on the backs Of men, the cost
and difficulty must be we'll considered be-
J fore the start is made. All points on or
| near the streams can be reached easily
| enough light-draft boats ply on all
rivers. Up to this time railroad invest
ment has not been paying proposition
in Ecuador. An English company has
been operating about seventy miles Of
road for thirty three years, but without
profit This line runs out of Guayaquil,
and it has recently been extended fifty
miles. 1t will soon be built into Quito,
the capital, and will then have a total
length of IT'S miles.
An American electric light plant is now
being hauled over the mountains to Quito,
which is one of the Oldest towns in the
world. 1t is claimed there were people liv-