Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-09-22

selling pottery and further on is section
where the men are dealing in nothing but
sugar. The sugar is put up in loaves about
the size of an Edam cheese, and wrapped
around with palm leaves and tied with a
palm string in the center. 1t is made from
cane in coarse, brown loaves and it looks not
unlike dirty maple sugar. Further on are
the grain merchants, and in another street
are women selling dresses, lace and notions
of one kind or other
Among the Costa Ricans.
But let us stop moment and look at the
throng which is buying and selling. We
have here all classes of Costa Ricans. There
are the residents of the capital and also the
small farmers who have come in from the
country. The most of the crowd is COM
posed of common people, the rich doing
most Of their buying i'll the stores, or send
ing only their servants to market. AS we
shall see later this little republic has its well
marked social classes, some of which are
quite as aristocratic as our four hundred at
home.
How we'll dressed the prople are! Every
one seems to wear fairly good clothes. The
merchants are natty i'll comparison with the
Pananlanians and even the peasants are
clean,
Here come two policemen. They have
uniforms of light blue, with blue caps. Each
carries an ebony club. and can see their re-
volvers showing out at the hips. They are
nice little fellows, and far more polite than
the mongre officials of the Panama republic.
| stand two up at a corner and photograph
them. They smile and are seemingly de-
lighted to have their faces go to America.
Here come some boys selling lottery tickets.
This is one OF the chief businesses OF Central
America, and it gives occupation to scores OF
men, women and children.
Bareheaded Women.
But look at the bareheaded women. Not
one OF all those about lis has hat on. The
girls part their hair in the middle and wear
it in long braidS down their backs. 1t is as
black as the wings of the vulturcs outside
the market and in most cases it hangs to the
waist or below.
Nearly every girl has on silk shawl over
her dress. This is part of the national cos
tune and these shawls. like the obi or wide
silk belt worn by the Japanese women, are
often the most expensive part OF the cos
tune. The shawls are of silk with a fringe
of lace foot long, and are covered with as
much embroidery as the purse of the owner
can stand. The older women wear black,
but the girls and young women have shawls
of the most delicate rose pink, or sky blue OF
sea green and pale yellows and rich reds. A
girl may be i'll bare feet and bare head. and
her shirt waist and skirt such that you could
buy for $2.08 in the states. but, nevertheless,
this shawl which covers her shoulders would
have cost ten times as much. These shawls
are gracefully draped about the person.
They are SO folded that long letter V
hangs down to the knees at the back and so
that they cover the shoulders and come
down at the front at the sides of the breasts,
leaving the arms bare to the elbow. The
. girls wear elbow sleeves and the shawls set
off their finely formed arms and hands.
How the Girls Look.
But stop a moment. Here come half
dozen young women who are evidently of
the better class families. They are typical
of these Costa Rican women, who have such
a reputation for beauty. They are from $
to 20 years old and are at their best. They
are straight and well formed, and they walk
like SO many queens. Each is bareheaded
and her black hair, just trifle curly and
wavy, hangs down in long braids 1t is
bound at the back of the ears with butterfly
bows of the same color as the silk shawl she
is wearing. What beautiful eyes! They arc
large, dark brown and liquid with long
lashes, and well marked dark eyebrows. The
features are regular, the foreheads rather
low and the cheek bones perhaps trifle too
high The lips are red ripe and luscious,