The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-11-25

the only man of any education in the village. but
two highways and several byways converge at
Alanje. and every few days he might look for a
passiAy visit from some intelligent traveller His
duties occupied three or four hours OF the day
and the rest of the time he filed 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 church.
with its curious detached tower asked for the
records With righteous Indignation blazing in his
eyes the little cura laid before pile of leath-
er-covered manuscripts. nodded. wormeaten and
torn Not page was intact. hardly two consecu-
tive lines legb'e
Such neglect is crime" said my host. fer
venty 81 need hardly say that the damage was
beyond arrest when these came into my hands +"
fully appreciated bis 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 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 alcove on the left of the
chancel Drawing aside curtain be revealed
life sized painting Of the Christ In his final agony
II evidently the work Of artist. but did
not betray extraordinary ability 49,
II don't know when this came here. but It was
certainly before the present generation" the
cura explained with slight show of embarrass
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 II
looked at the little cura questioningly.
oh don't know" he said. with shame
faced smile and shrug Of the shoulders AT
any rate my people believe the story firmly. and
II does them no harm"
On the road between Alante and Divaia we
crossed several streams A better watered 4coun-
try than this could not well he imagined
Divala Is little settlement of so to so huts
and perhaps 300 inhabitants who are entirely
derendent upon the ranch and insure II q 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 al 60 cents a day will produce enough money
for clothing and a moderate indulgence In the
iuxnries that to be had at the village trading
store
Divala is Is miles from anywhere but the most
unlikely place 10 look for an American family IN
bungalow that has the appearance Of having
been transplanted from New Jersey suburb
Mrs wilson has lived In this t-of-the-way cor.
ner Of the earth for FIVE years. and has had the
comranonship Of her infant during the past
eighteen months There is not a woman Of her
own race within 40 mics This is isolation in
deed and suspected that she must find II irk-
sone. though she would not admit as much
Twelve years ago Leslie Wilson came out from
California and settled In the ne'ghbcrhood of Di
vala with half dozen Americans and Rrifishers .
Thus the settlement of Divala was formed and
large PROPORTION OF the rsnch turned into Pofre-o
without renny Of outlay The disturbed condi
ton Of the country reduced the prices u all prop
erfy and Wilson was ab'e to buy the puc'eus Of
his stock at very low figures
The owner of Divaia has worked hard and in
fegently for ten years on the Improvement u
his rrorerty Tcdev he has S 900 acres OF as fine
land any in Chiriqui wen stocked and fur
nished with all the necessary buildings The
ranch is easily worth s50000 Not bad result
of an enterprise started twelve years ago with
5000 capital ass ~