Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-11-10

torn. Not page was intact, nardly Two consecu-
tive lines legible.
"Such neglect Is crime" said my host, fer
vently. "T need hardly say that the damage was
beyond arrest when these came into my hands"
1 fully appreciated his feelings Indeed dare
say that my regret was the keener. Alanje
is older than David In fact, its history merges
with the times Of the Conquistadores and there is
no knowing what wondrous tales may be hidden
In those sadly mutilated documents
"Our church has legend" remarked the cura,
leading me to a large alcoye on the left of the
chancel. Drawing aside curtain he revealed
life sized painting of the Christ in his final agony
1t evidently the work of an artist. but did
not betray extraordinary ability.
.T don't know when this came here. but 1t was
certainly before the present generation. the
cura explained. with slight show of embarrass-
ment. 1.-THE story goes that one evening a
stranger came to the village and declining shell
ter elsewhere. begged to be locked alone In the
church night His request was granted
When the curious villagers came early in the
morning to look for him he had gone. and the pic
ture. with the paint fresh and wet. hung where
you see it."
looked at the little cura questioningy.
"Oh / don't know" he said with a shame
faced smile and a shrug of the shoulders. AT
any rate my people believe the story firmly and
1t does them no harm"
On the road between AIanje and Dvala we
crossed several streams. better watered coun
try than this could not well be imagined.
Dvala is little settlement of 80 to so huts
and. perhaps, 300 inhabitants. who are entirely
dependent the ranch and insure 1t con-
slant supply of labor. The people cultivate little
patches. from which they derive almost all the
foodstufs they need. A few weeks work In the
year at 60 cents day will produce enough money
for clothing and moderate indulgence in the
Injuries that to be had at the village trading
store.
Dvala is is miles from anywhere but the most
unlikely place to look for American family in
a bungalow that has the appearance of having
been transplanted from a New Jersey suburb
Mrs. Wilson has lived in this out-of-the-way
of the earth for five years, and has had the
companionshp of her infant during the past
eighteen months There is not a woman of her
own race within 40 miles This is isolation. in.
deed. and | suspected that she must find 1t rk.
some though she would not admit much
Twelve years ago Leslie Wilson came out from
California and settled in the neighborbood of Di
vala with half dozen Americans and Britishers.
Thus the settlement of Divaa was formed and a
large proportion Of the ranch turned into Potrero
without a penny of outlay. The disturbed condis
ton of the country reduced the prices of all prop
erty and Wilson able to buy the nucleus of
his stock at very low figures
The owner of Diya1a has worked hard and in.
diligently for ten years on the improvement IF
his property Today he has 5000 of as fine
land as any in Chiriqui. well stocked and fur
nished with all the necessary buildings. The
ranch is easily worth $4,000 Not a bad result
of ENTERPRISE started twelve years ago with
5000 capital