Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-13

=
| lk $a the new world, but what it
! lEA Nj lacks in size is made up by
| lH vii population-it is the most
lNz4aAMl thickly inhabited of them all
| Only six of the states of our own coun-
| try have a denser population-Rhode
Island. Massachusetts, New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania and Connecti-
cut. If the United States as whole
were as populous in proportion it
would show over 400,000,000 inhabitants
at the forthcoming census.
1t was the little republic of Salvador
that first declared its independence of
Spain. as Venezuela had done in South
| America. It's plan was to annex itself
to the United States, and a government
actually had been formed for that pur-
pose. The formal resolutions applying
for admission to the Union were passed,
and a delegation began preparations
for the journey to Washington. But
before the start was made the other
Central American, states Joined Saliva
dor in declaring their freedom from
Spanish rule, and they decided that a
little United States of their own was
about the right thing for them. So
the application Of Salvador for ad-
mission to the Union was never
received officially. The United States
of Central America was created,
but its disintegration quickly followed.
Salvador is the only North American
republic that does not touch both
oceaus-it is contiguous only to the
Pacific ocean. 1t has no real harbors.
It's ports are on open roadsteads, where
the passengers and freight must be
landed by lighters. The passengers are
lowered into the lighters by cage at
tached to the hosting machinery of
the ship, and when they land they are
taken up in similar cages attached to
the pier derricks.
Cattle are lifted aboard by heavy
ropes fastened to their horns. OF course
they kick and squirm and twist, and
sometimes a steers horns break and
he falls heavily to the lighter, per
haps breaking his neck or a leg. If
this happens his throat is cut and
he hleeds to death. If there were
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals in Salvador short shift
would be made of this method of
handling cattle. Horses are placed in
sort of sling when they are loaded
or unloaded, which is far more hu-
name in its results.
The men of Salvador are much given
to sports, and among these cock fight
ing and bull fighting have first place.
Professional cock trainers are en-
ployed, and they spend much time in
trying to teach the young birds to be
good generals. No Jeffries was ever
trained with more patience than a
Salvadorean fighting cock is coached
by these professionals. Some of the
birds wear spurs that are as sharp
as knives, and the trainer who can
teach them to handle these to the best
advantage is sure to have his services
in great demand. 1t is barbarous while
it lasts, but the battle is short Amer
4..sz il Cf.,1
vadoreans to fight their birds with
natural spurs, but such sport is too
tame for them.
At Christmas time the mind of the
average Central American turns toward
religious things. In Honduras it takes
the form Of the enactment of the Pas
sion play, though it has degenerated
from a sacred performance into a sort
of fantastic spectacle to amuse the
rabble. In Salvador it usually finds ex
preston in the enactment of the scenes
of the Alteration. The best room in the
house is often fitted up like stable
with a manger, and sometimes the
scene is made the more real by bringing
in donkeys. The shepherds and the
wire men are there, and on the whole
it is a realistic production. There is
much rivalry between the various fam
lilies of a community to make the best
display, with the result that many law
ish scenes are arranged.
Salvador is a veritable land of vol
canoes, there being eleven of them
within sight of San Salvador, the capt.
tai. OF these, however, only two are
active, the others having become ex-
tinct years ago. The country is so
crowded, however, that the people pay
but little attention to the volcanoes,
getting as close to them as the streams
of lava will permit. Although Saliva
dor is crowded. it's people are able to
raise more than they need themselves,
and have a big balance of trade on
their side of the ledger. According to
the latest available figures they were
able to sell six dollars worth of prod
ucts for every four dollars worth they
had to buy The balance of trade in
their favor is almost as great in pro-
portion as that of the United States it
self.
The transportation facilities in this
part of the world are so poor that the
American fault of packing goods light
ly and insecurely results in much dam
age. The harbors are choked with sand
so that the cargoes of ships must be
through the surf on lighters
for distances varying from one to three
miles After goods reach the shore