Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-09-09
DIR. DOYLE IN SOUTH AMERICA.
Writes of the Resources. and Customs
of BoIivia-A Word to Doctors.
Continued from Last Week.)


where the Cochabamba line crosses
the Cordlleras. The City of La
Paz is Bolivia, and Bolivia Is La Paz.
Its location certainly must be the
most picturesque in the world, locat-
ed as it is on the bottom of q deep
canyon, the La Paz river taking its
origin within the city limits. Thus
the city is surrounded on all sides,
except the narrow passage where the
river goes out, by precipice rang
ing in height from 1900 to $4,000
feet, for Mount Illamani springs up,
as 1t were, out of the eastern sub
urbs to"a height Of $4,000 feet. She
is perpetually snow-capped, the line
of perpetual snow in this latitude
being 1900 feet.
The city has population Of co.
900, 50 to 80 per cent of which are
Indians, and is by far the most i'm
portant city Of the Republic-social-
ly, politically, commercially, and in
every other espect-though 1t Is
years behind in the matter of public
mprovements--no sewerage, etc.
The better houses are all built of
adobe, and after the manner of the
Spanish architecture, there being but
one entrance, which opens into hall
way, which leads to a patio, and the
rooms all open out on this open
court. The horse and COW pass in
and out through this one door with
the rest Of the family. The stores,
no matter what else they have for
sale, always have a stock of booze"
and, l might add, no one here has
any regard whatever for the Sabbath
day. The stores all open until the
bull ring opens in the afternoon.
The city is the present seat of gov
ernment, and has been since the last
revolution, the President living here,
Congress meeting here, etc. The gov
ernment is supposed to be republi-
can in form, though the President is
almost a Dictator think necessari-
ly so among these people-the con-
stitution giving him much more au-
thority than our constitution gives
our President. Nearly every officer
is appointed directly by him, even
the Praefects (Governors) of the diff
ferent departments receiving their
appointments from him. The gov
ernment is by no means free from
the drawbacks so common among
Spanish-Amercan Republics. Revo-
Iutons, etc, have been quite frequent
and they have never had President
who didn't become quite wealthy
and quilted the country to live in
Paris so soon as his term Of office eX-
pired. But | think the present Presi-
dent, Monies, Is actuatcd by patriotic
motives, and is strong factor in the
growing stability of the nation We
Americans necessarily think so, for
he has been our friend, and the
friend OF everything and everybody
who stands for progress, enl' 'ghten-
ment and the upbuilding Of the; ma
tor, though, Of course many of the
laws, etc, are obsolete. For instance,
they will issue no eXtradition papers
One way, ! suppose, of settling IN
the country with desirable people.
AS a consequence many criminals are
here. Some Of the famous bandit
gang, known as the "Hole in the
wall Gang In the States, have taken
up their abode here. and held up the
company short time since for $14,-
900.
The country in civilization Is at
least Cne-half century behind the
states; IN fact. 1t is strange blend
Ing Of civilization and savagery-nec-
essarily so when 80 per cent Of the
population are Indians. The section
In which some Of these tribes live
never yet has been explored. True,
some of them have been entered by
white men, but they entered never TO
return again. There Is one tribe of
cannibals here who are called Tata-
mankares (priest-eaters) because of
their fondness for the flesh Of priests
BY the way, the country Is Roman
Catholic in religion. Thus far have
found no other churches. The con-
stitution prescribes that the Presi-
dent must be a Roman Catholic, al
though this President happened tG
be also Free Mason Had this been
known by the priests they would
never have allowed his election, and
he has been IL hot brick in their
hands, he having instituted many
rafnrmc ba 4