The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1911-11-04

rho on1, man of anv education in the village but
two highways and several byways converge at
Alanie and every few days he might look Tor
passia. visit from some 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 4he table 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 me pie OF ieath
er-covered manuscripts. nodded wormeaten and
torn Not page intact, hardly two consecu-
tive lines legible
'Such neglect is crime said my host, fer
yently Il need hardly say that the damage was
beyond arrest when these came into my hands
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
s"Our church has legend, remarked the cura,
leading me to a large alcove on the left OF the
chancel Drawing aside curtain. he revealed a
life sized painting of the Christ in his final agony.
It was evidently the work Of an artist but did
not betray extraordinary ability
Il don't know when this came here but 1t was
certainly before the present generation the
cura explained with a slight show Of embarrass
ment The story goes that evening
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 it"
looked at the little questionngly.
oh I 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
it does them harm.
On the road between Aanje and Dvala we
crossed several streams. A better watered coun-
try than this could not well be imagined.
Divala is little settlement Of so to 60 huts
and perhaps, 800 inhabitants, who are entirely
dependent upon 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. few weeks work In the
year at 60 cents day will produce enough money
for clothing and moderate indulgence in the
luxuries that to be had at the village trading
store
Divala is Is miles from anywhere. but the mos,
unlikely place to look for American family In
a bungalow that has the appearance OF having
been transpanted from 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 her
own race within 40 miles This is isolation. in
deed and I 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 neghborhood of d.
vala with half dozen Americans and Britishers.
Thus the settlement of Divala was formed and a
large proportion of the ranch turned into Potrero
without a penny Of outlay. The disturbed condi-
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 Divala has worked hard and in
telligently for ten years on the Improvement Of
his property Today be has 5000 acres of as fine
land as any in Chiriqu well stocked and fur
nished with all the necessary buildings The
ranch is easily worth $4,000. Not bad result
Of an enterprise started twelve years ago with
5000 capital