The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-12

When my government accorded me a vacation l. instead of coming home, de- cided to visit the Andes, and most mem orable trip it was.
 Three days by coastwse steamer brought me to Buenos Ayres, the capital of the Argentine Republic. sometimes sroken of romantically as the Purple Land that England Lost.
 The Rio de Ia Plata, or Plate. is most beautiful here, being broad, placid and of a tincture which deservedly gives ii it's title The locality is perpetual prism of shifting colors. The waters are argen- tine. the mountains purple and the boats that ply the stream have all their table ware of colored glass, which shimmers and glitters most bewilderingly under the rays of the brilliant electric lights
 Buenos Ayres. with it's population of considerably over half million. is the New York of South America. Its business houses are modern and metropolitan, it's private residences perfect palaces and know of no thoroughfare or esplanade more charming and deighting than it's Gale Florida. This street is swept and sprnkled every evening at sunset, after which hour no vehicles are allowed there on and it is given over to pedestrians in their life al fresco. I regret to say that the Argentines are better posted con- corning us and know a great deal more of the United States than we do of them and their country. Their styles are of the latest Parsian mode and their women are creatures superb in form and dazzling in beauty. I took the train for Catamar- ca, where the ascent of the Andes was made on muleback Catamarca, though lying close to the base of the mountains, has suffered severely from earthquakes. In fact the citizens never sleep with their doors closed, every facility for escape being provided for in case of a repetition of those sudden and unannounced catas- trophies to which 1t has been subjected. In the sixties occurred its worst of these ealamities. when its victims numbered tens of thousands and but two edfices (they being churches) were left standing. The earthquake occurred at sunset. when the churches were filled with worship rers at vespers, hence the great mortali- ty. The city also suffers from lack of water and I was told by Boston school mistress whom I met there that during her seven years of teaching they had known but two rains. In fact, so strange was the phenomenon that when 1t even sprinkled all the public schools gave the pupils q holiday In honor of the event. Water Is brought from considerable dis tance and was reliably informed that bathtub when filled did service for the entire family during several weeks of ahlutions. Then began the ascent and I know not how to picture the strange wild beauty of the passes. the difficulties Of climbing and the loneliness of the sem sation which companions the traveller.
 The path was filled with debris and erosive rocks, which gave me sense of urea siness in my saddle for at each step the foot of my faithful animal would slip several inches before 1t rested on solid foundation. cannot better describe l. vt.x.~ ..ad mule were walking upon a pile of corn nhbbins. In the higher attitudes the winds were terrific and at certain seasons of the year travellers are actually blown over the cliffs. The most uncanny fea- ture was the apparently close proximity of the condors In their flight. The air was still as death and when one of these birds appeared the rush of his wing was so appalling that invariably ducked my head to get out of its way.
 Narrower and narrower grew the path and more tightly did I hug that blessed mule. Occasionally we encountered angles in the road so acute that in mak- ing the turn the beast placed his four feet closely together and swung round as though upon a pivot, While he was going through this performance his head was peering over ledge that fianked n perpendicular descent of sheer 300o feet and had my arms around his neck with my eyes tightly shut.
 Often passed little stone houses about six feet square and as many high and my guide told me they were refuges for the mail carriers who crossed the noun tains on foot in winter As fuel was un- attainable each carrier took with him five of six dogs among whom he slept at light in these huts to keep from freezing. He likewise told me that often the dogs were equipped with snow shoes to enable them to keep pace with their masters who are very swift of foot
 When we were almost upon the very of fl,a enid rnipfnd arf