The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-09


lind It's people pr ssess. and they arr not
SLOW 70 direct It against tho eccentric grin 60,
but II Is Of q simple, obsolete make and
may be compared 10 the old fashioned
SrtillATy that ornaments some Of their
fortresses-all three. cannon, forts and
Jokes. being heirlooms from colonial days,
though not always unsuited TO local condi-
lions.
The enemy are running General II
said 10 have reported TO Bolivar. Then he
placed a dash and added after us.
Gen. Crespo has left us at least two
naonuments,- laughs the Canquenian. "a
viaduct 10 walk under and a tunnel to walk
OVER and the visitor to Caracas finds
this actually to be the case, and marvels,
not at the stupidity Of the builder but at
the discemment Of the people.
He has broken his saw was the popu-
lar joke when Hernandez the Venezuelan
revolutionary chief. was defeated by Gen
Castro, II gains its point simply from
the fact that Hernandez was formerly a
carpenter, all manual labor among South
Americans being regarded as demeaning
Even the title FL Mocho.' by which Her
nandez is known, is joke upon bis manned
hand
One matter in which South Americans
show great forbearance is with the stranger
Who is learning the language. The Span
ish-American may in this particular he
keenly sppreciative Of the humor Of the
situation, yet he will seldom indulge even in
a smile.
One may. 60 20 Bogota and never hear Of
our former Consul who Used to shout to
the tailor who occupied the store beneath
- Conaa,laNa I'aptaiT
(sing. tailor, singh when in reality he sup
posed, and every one l;rew he supposed.
that he was telling the tailor to stop sing
ing OF course. the foreigners like to tell
Of il, and have a dozen Q, her stories Of
similar kind, but the Colombians will re-
tpectfllly hold their peace.
From a like motive, or possibly from
nnodesty, the people Of Buenos Ayres will
refrain from mentioning the young woman
missionary who informed a public audience
that -the Lord is in our stockings,' mean
ing 'in the midst Of Us = the words medals"
and medic being very nearly alike.
One Of the best instances Of native wit
is the story Of the Mexican vigilante which
dates from the time when Gen. Grant made
his tour Of the world. Many Spanish
American municipalities in those days were
ApOSaNOhrd 10 meet extraordinary tA-
penses by depriving the police, postmen
and other city employees. of one or two
days paw. and this method was resorted
TO to provide suitable entertainment for
their distinguished guest Now. il hap
pened upon the day Of their most import
ant feast that the letter W. fell from the /
word Welcome on one of the arches,
leaving 'elcome.- which in Spanish means
ha "a lie
rather sour looking vigiante remarked
He eats Sure enough, he does, but /
pay the bill
or grim, oven grewsome, humor there
are more frequent examples. such as the
expression in Uruguay, -tocar el violin
ito play the violinl meaning in revolu-
tionaTy times to cut the prisoners threats.
This reminds one OF the frequent inter-
change Of prisoners ears that Bolivar
and the Spanish Generals resorted to.
though the Anglo-Saxon Is about as I'M
apprecative Of this kind Of humor a. we're
the unfortunate victims.
A much less objectionable joke was that
Of President Of Colombia, who. after
marrying his mistress. was incensed that
Bogota society would not receive her.
@I'll make them receive her. he is quoted
- saying; whereupOn he had her features
stamped upon a new issue Of silver cur
rency.
Other dictators are credited by historians /,
With similar jests, particularly Guzman-
Blanco OF Venezuela, though his humor /
took more courteous form. Just why
a dictator should indulge more than other |
men In pranks OF this sort is not apparent |
till one understands how quick the Spanish
American caballero is TO take offence and .
consequently how dangerous the pastime /.
would be to the ordinary citizen.
That the people enjoy practical joking. .
and even horse play. Is amply proved by /
the pandemoRlum that reigns during car /
nival week. II is no longer the custom in
the larger cities. as Il was a generation .
a go. to throw buckets Of refCs, OF brickbats .
upon the passer by but even yet enc will .
zee and experience much TO 'ggsst 30 him
medieval Europe.
notwithstanding the instances given.
the fact remains that the most amusing
situations are entirely lost upon our South
ern cousins, who are often mystifed and
even indignant at the ill-conoealed mirth
Of the foreigner.
What the Argentine would have asked.
: is there to laugh at in our having no coal
TOT wv 1eels anu war Uheiy 10 De Declared
with Chile within n week?-
This occurred few years ago when tn,
two nations had almost decided upon war a.
the only means Of settling their boundary
dispute. The Argentine Republic was we'll
for land operations. hut had been
her resources 20 the utmost to
get the navy up TO the required standard.
AZ last the public was led 10 believe
that a squadron was ready, not only 10
defend the coasts, but to sink the entire
Chilean feet. The press. Of course, took
the proper bellicose attitude and the people
wore beginning to csmor for hostilitics.
when. 10! Il was whispered that the naval
department had neglected to lay in a sup
ply Of coal. and the nearest port where il
,ould be procured was In Wales. more than
liT thousand miles away. In some re-
'pects, certainly ii was no laughing matter,
Dut the foreign community in Buenos
AYres laughed, Just the same, though they
we're likely 10 lose quite az much by bonn
1ardment az the natives.
Even more absurd, and without any
ia gc features, was the experience OF
,aftRlion Of Argentine National Guards.