The National tribune., 1906-10-04

and try TO exercise influence in the Re-
publics. They have had n sort of con-
troll over the Mosquito Indians, who live
for 60 miles along the Nicaragua coast
on the Caribbean, from Cape Gracias Il
Dios to Bluefields. The latter was
great pirate resort. started by a Dutch
pirate named BlauveIdt. but about so
years ago a number of Moravian mis-
sionaries. from Pennsylvania mostly
settled there and Christianized the In
dians in that locality. so that now the
product of rubber, bananas. logwood.
etc. is extensive. and the town Of Blue
fields has 1900 inhabitants. The most
of the trade is held by Americans. but
the Germans are working in. Yet the
British control the Mosquito indians
with an unseen hand. and in the trou-
bles of 1894. altho Nicaragua was given
control of the Mosquito coast by the
treaty of Managua. Robert Henry Clar-
cnce. the Mosquito Chief, appealed TO
Great Britain for assistance, and the
British Consul at Graytown, or San
Juan del Norte. aided him, and in this
way England and Germany are always
| trying to mix in the affairs of these Re-
publics, and the only thing that stops
| them is the Monroe Doctrine. Clarence
was made Chief in 1891. since which
| time he lives in a British gold-laced uni
form. generally without shoes. while
| before that he wore cotton panta1oons
and a hickory shirt and was glad to do
odd jobs to make a nickel.
| President Bnrrfos.
The troubles in Central America have
generally been the result of ambitious
| Presidents who desired to unite the five
Republics into one. The elder Barrios
President of Guatemala in the sos
was called the tyrant, and he organized
| a large army to overrun the other Re
publics. l was employed by his agents
| to aid in perfecting his military ar
rangements, and on account of there
being no direct communication from the
United States with the Republic at that
time / went with a Kentucky racing
stable which had been invited by the
sporting Barrios to come to his Capital
The brig sailed from New Orleans tC
Omoa, in the Bay of Honduras. from
whence we travelled overland and fol
/ lowed the course of the river up to tbs
Capital.
/ reported to the President on arriv.
| ing and he received me graciously, ap'
pointing the next day for long talk
So l took a drive from the city OF
Guatemala to the old city tsome L
miles,, which had been destroyed b!
an earthquake years ago, and viewed
the awful assures and chasms left By
the shock. Next day in passing down
the main street 1 stopped into a fur
nishing store to purchase some collars
The clerk had laid some on the counter
and while 1 was examining them h
suddenly leaped over the counter an(
ran out of the store. / had collar il
my hand and looked after him in sur
prise, my idea being that he discovered
a fight or something going on outside
I stepped to the door, and was aston
ished to see great numbers of people or
their knees in the street. both up ant
down, praying and lamenting. L coult
not imagine the cause of this, but as
looked up the street I was almost ter
rified to see the tower of a church, tha
stood almost even with the sidewalk
lean forward as if it was going to fal
over and then settle back, and at tn
same instant 1 felt as if my feet wer
taken from under me, and as my hal
stood the ground raised up to me again
or I settled to it with a sudden jeri;
At the same time loud report and ;