Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-11-03

the only man OF any education IN the village, put
two highways and several byways converge at
Alanie and every few days he might look for
passiAy visit from intelligent traveller. His
duties occupied three four hours of the day
and the rest Of the time he filled in with study,
for his ambition pointed to advancement In his
calling whilst his environment had awakened an
inherent taste for natural history.
We left the table to walk to the church,
with its curious detached tower. I asked for the
records With righteous indignation blazing In his
eyes the little laid before me pile OF leath-
er-covered manuscripts, nodded, wormeaten, and
torn. Not page was intact nardly Two consecu-
tive lines legible.
Such neglect is crime" said my host, fer
vently. 81 need hardly say that the damage was
beyond arrest when these came into my hands"
I fully appreciated his feelings. Indeed, dare
say that my own regret was the keener. Alanje
ia older than David In fact, its history merges
with the times q the Conquistadores and there is
no knowing what wondrous tales may be hidden
in those sadly mutilated documents.
"Ou- church has a legend" remarked the cura,
leading me to large alcove on the left OF the
chancel. Drawing aside curtain, he revealed
life sized painting Of the Christ in his final agony
1t was 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 over 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.
1 looked at the little cura questioningly.
"Oh | don't know" he said, with 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 Alanje and Divala we
CROSSED several streams better watered coun-
try than this could not well be imagined
Divala is a little settlement of 30 to go huts
and, perhaps, 300 inhabitants, who are entirely
dependent upon the ranch and insure 1T a con-
slant supply of labor The peoole cultivate little
patches, from which they derive almost all the
foodstuffs they need few weeks work in the
year at 60 cents a day will produce enough money
for clothing and a moderate indulgence in the
luxuries that are to be had at the village trading
store.
Divala Is 15 miles from anywhere, but the most
unlikely place to look for an 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-theway cor
ner of the earth for FIVE years, and has had the
companionship of her infant during the past
eighteen months. There is not woman Of hei
own race within 40 miles. This Is isolation. in
deed and suspected that she must find 1t irk
some, though she would not admit as much.
Twelve years ago Leslie Wilson came out from
California and settled in the neighborhood of Di
vala with half dozen Americans and Britishers
Thus the settlement of Divala was formed and
large proportion Of the ranch turned into Potrer,
without a penny of outlay. The disturbed condi
ton of the country reduced the prices of all prop
erty and Wilson was able to buy the nucleus o
his stock at very low figures.
The owner of Divala has worked hard and in
teliigently for ten years the Improvement o
his property. Today he has 5000 acres Of I'm
In We In,
nished with all the necessary buildings. TIL
ranch is easily worth $4,000. Not bad resul
OF an enterprise started twelve years ago wit
5000 capital,