The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1910-08-11
INTERESTING LETTER FROM A
MACON FRIEND WHO is
TRAVELLING IN SOUTH
AMERICA.


different language, only reading Eng
fish, don't you think you would miss
your favorite paper almost as much
as one of your family? Knowing that
you are writing up the Catholics, I
shall tell you of the Feast of San
Pedro, now on in this city this morn
ing. About 10 o'clock, there was a
dense crowd coming up the principal
street of the city headed by half
breed priest-as fine specimen of
physical manhood as I have ever seen
following him was wooden figure
of ST. Peter, about two feet tall,
borne on the shoulders of four ma
tives, and canopy was held over the
saint by four other poems, the priest
was preceded by three small boys;
one bore the cross, the other two a
candle each. Around and next to the
saint crowded women and children
and few men, principally brown
cOlOred, chanting a tie deum, follow
ing these were seventeen OK teams
decorated with tropical plants and
loaded with sand or broken rock
They carried the saint in the church
and said mass. | addressed the
lightest colored and most intelligent
looking man near to know what
meant the loads of sand and rock
He replied that it was an Offering to
ST. Peter, with request for good
weather and success on the banana
farms. Part Of the followers, fully
onefourth, were barefooted They
drive oxen by taking a pole about
one inch in diameter and five feet
long laid on one end of the yoke and
the driver holds the other end, walk
ing in front. I don't think there is
any church in Honduras except the
Catholic. The above is the orthodox
ST. Peters Feast. Now for the other
ternationne Hotel. Here are head
quarters for the best Hondurians and
Americans (always my luck to get in
the opposition). In the afternoon
they have miniature st. Peter and
son, about three inches long, whitfield
from wood and nude, vulgar, ridicu-
1ous, and irresistibly funny. They
had band, sat the saint out on the
counter and played to it. In the
crowd was an ex-Boer soldier. A
man of much talent, and wasted tai
ent at that. He dressed in a bur-
lesque robe, took hammer and
string of bells and gave the mass as
perfectly as I ever heard it rendered
in any Catholic church, and my Gu
riosity has taken me into many Cath
olic services. Needless to say, the
applause was ample. I received a
nicely printed invitation to ball in
honor of the patron saint I could
not refuse so polite an invitation from
so very polite people, when sign
ed by the mayor officially. T could
only be a wall1ower, as there was no
color line. Whites waltzed with mu-
lattoes, a cross between a Spaniard
and Jamaica negro or Carib, and In
dian, or Mareno and Spaniard I was
presented to the mayor, and had to
thank a neatly dressed mulatto for
his kindness. 1t costs from $3.50 to
$500 to get married. How it is
divided between Church and State I
have not been able to learn yet.
could write you such stuff all night
and tell you of the barefoot soldiers
and the military law, which is sad
and amusing. Of those who live on
the mountain to escape the govern
ment. How young man, or men,
dare not serenade their girls without
a SO license or give a dance at
ones own home without paying $40
license. Are you surprised that they
put their Presidents in office with