Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-03

tho only man of any education in the village, but
two highways and several byways converge at
Alanie and every few days he might look Tor a
passing visit from some intelligent traveller HIS
duties occupied three or 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 over to the churcn,
with its curious detached tower. / asked for the
records With righteous indignation blazing in his
ewes the little cura laid before me pile OF leath-
er-covered manuscripts, nodded, worm-eaten' ana
torn Not page was intact, hardly two consecu-
tive lines egible
"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,
fully appreciated his feelings. Indeed, dare
say that my own regret was the keener. AlanJe
is older than David. In fact, its history merges
with the times of the Conqu1stadores and there Is
no knowing what wondrous tales may be hidden
in those sadly mutilated documents.
"Our church has legend" remarked the cura,
leading to a large alcove on the left OF the
chancel. Drawing aside curtain, he revealed
life sized painting of the Christ in his final agony
It was evidently the work of an artist, but did
not betray extraordinary ability.
"I don't know when this came here, but 1t was
certainly before the present generation" the
cura explained with slight show of embarrass-
ment "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 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 questioningly.
"Oh I don't know he said with shame
faced smile and a shrug of the shoulders cat
any rate my people believe the story firmly and
it does them no harm"
hn+vx 1or{ md yUn
crossed several streams. A better watered coun-
try than this could not we'll be imagined.
Divala is a little settlement of SO to 60 huts
and, perhaps, 800 inhabitants, who are entirely
dependent upon the ranch and insure it a con-
slant supply Of labor. The people cultivate little
patches from which they derive almost all the
foodstuffs they need. few weeks work in the
year at 60 cents day will produce enough money
for clothing and a moderate Indulgence in the
luxuries that to be had at the village trading
store
Divala 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 cor
ner of the earth for Eve years, and has had the
companionship of her infant during the past
eighteen months. There is not woman Of her
own race within 40 miles. This is isolation, in
deed and suspected that she must find it 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 Potrerc
without 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 of
his stock at very low figures.
The owner Of Divala has worked hard and in
diligently for ten years on the improvement OF
his property. Today he has 5000 acres of as fine
land as any in Chiriqui, well stocked and fur
nished with all the necessary buildings. The
of an enterprise started twelve years ago with
5000 capital