The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-03
,Ccpyright, 1912, by Frank 9. Car
penter.1

the cleanest and brightest Of all the
cities Of Spanish America. 1t contains
over a hundred Thousand people, and
covers enough ground for a million.
just now the own looks as though II
had come out Of q bandboX. Inc
houses were all newly painted, by the
order OF the president, just before
the visit Of Secretary Knox. AT the
same time the brass knockers on the
doors were shined, the brass knobs
on the balconies were made TO LOOK
like gold, and the result is we AVE q
newly created city as spick and span
as the r~ose-colOred capital of JaIpore
in India.
A Spanish Town.
Guatemala City is Spanish III arch1-
lecture The only buildings over SO
feet high are the churches. The resi-
iences are low and seldom Of more
thar one story. S~kyscrapers are I'm
known in Central America, and the
sky line is, as a rule, straight from
one end Of the street to the other.
Most Of the houses are close to the
street. They are built Of brick or
stone covered with stucco. They con-
sist OF large rooms running around a
patio, or garden, in the center. The
windows facing the sidewalks are ioW
and are invariably covered with iron
bars. There are lodges which are
used rs seats and leaning places, and
u frequently sees pretty Spanish
girls looking out.
The most Of the roofs are ht. with
walls along the front, which are often
decorated with knobs or ornamental
stuccO work. The roofs are of red
tiles. and, as a whole, the buildings
are picturesque.
Artistic and Quaint.
] wish ] could take you inside some
III these houses. They are delightful
homes and they abound in quaint e
,rc Ac n,,r NV ~ ro,,1 ~o "
II am just crazy over the door knock
ers' They are made Of brass and are
Of most beautiful shapes. some are
brass hands, others are female heads
and some are of wrought iron, artist
sally shaped. The doors themselves
are heavy and are often studded with
iron or brass nails exQuiSite}y finished.
Some Of the front doors are as big as
those Of a barn, and the larger ones
have smaller doors cut through them.
The big door is for the carriages, and
Il mans team drives right into his
house, the curbStOneS being so SlOped
III places that one can get to the side
walk without jolting. In some houses
the stable is at the back or side Of the
patio, and the best roo1nS are often or
the second floor.
The Denver OF Central America.
Central America. 1t has the SAM
clear air, the same bright skies, and !
is about as near heaven RS our piou'
metropolis OF the Rockies. It Is sit
uated ON the backbone of mountain
which run from Alaska to the Strai
of Magellan. n It's altitude is q thou
sand feet O that of the AlleShe
ntes. 1t lies in an amphitheater sur
rounded by volcanoes and is bordere'
by Gorges and ravines, which its PEG
pie think keep off the earthquakes.
h present capital was founde'
Just about the time that we sent fortl
our Declaration Of Independence, bu
The old city Of Guatemala, which Ia:
thirty miles away, at the foot Of tn
Volcano de Aqua, was one Of the frs
cities of the new world, and a hundre
wears or so e it far surpassed any
thing in the United States in it's sig
and magnificence. It's location, how
ever, was bad. and it was destroye
again and again. The last earthquake
occurred about 1918. when for tn
third time the city was reduced t
ruins. h people then decided t
move. and they came to this place an
laid out the town Of today.
The new Guatemala was planne
after that of the old city. 1t he
many plaxas or open spaces, and Il
streets cross one another at right Ar
giles. There are eighteen streets an
thirteen avenues, the streets crossin
the avenues at right angles and form
sns many square blocks of 500 feet O
each side. The streets are wide an
we'll paved. They are bordered /
sidewalks and lined by these SPANS
houses, which are painted in all tt
colors OF the rainbow.
A City OF Churches.
The cathedral here is worth seem
Is is planned after that Of Mexi,
City. tn the form Of a Latin eros
with three aisles running down IL
center and other aisles on each sid
making five in all. It covers a gre
area and its gigantic towers can
seen for miles over thu
n building was begun in lis
and at first it was planned to cost b
3SO0,0 600. The expenses upon it ha
however, been many times that, Z,
II Is now one OF the gorgeous buildin
Of Latin America. The pulpit is plat
with gold, and there is a gold Gro,
above it. Gold &embiens hang fre
each Of the pillars and there g