The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-09-24

zIllon and progress. The business OF
al savage and senli-civilized people
is lone in stalls at one common cen
ter, and IN the evolution of trade il
seems ina We are coming back TO
the same conditions. The modern
market is known as the department
store, and individual merchants and
clerks work for the owner.
me market at San Jose covers a
Iull city block. It is surrounded by
rows OF wide stores forming the outer
wall, with other rows Of stores or
shops running along narrow aisles
through the court within from one
SIDE to the other. The outer wall of
stores Is about thirty feet deep. and
those within are much smaller. They
sell everything under the sun. one
section is devoted to shoe shops, an
other to tailor shops, and a third to
leather wares. including the saddle.
bags which every Costa Rican peasant
carries when he rides to and from
home.
Standing at one end Of the market
and looking down these covered
streets you see hat the walls are
hung with goods of all kinds. The.
merchant tailors have their coats and
TROUSERS right cut on the ais!es and
the men come and are fitted in the
sight OF the paSSerSby. In some places
the taiiors have their sewing machines
on the street, and all sorts of work
are to be seen going on.
Here is a locksmith. Next door is
q girl selling pottery and further on
IS a section where the men are deal
ms in nothing but sugar. The sugar
Is put up in caves about the size
OF an Edam cheese and wrapped
around with palm leaves and tied
with a palm string in the center. 1t
is mad from cane in coarse, brown
| loo q ond II 1nnLc NOT militia 1irfJ "
maple sugar. Further IN 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 a moment and look
at the throng which is buying and
selling. We have here all classes of
dents Of the capital and also the small
farmers who have come in from the
country. The most of the crowd is
composed Of common people, the
rich doing most of their buying in the
stores, or sending only their servants
to market. AS we shall see later this
little republic has it's we'll marked
social classes. some of which are quite
as a~ristOcratic as u fOur hundred at
home.
How we'll dressed the people are!
Every n seems to wear fairly good
ClOlIlcS. LIE merchants are udllN III
comparison with the Panamanians and
even the peasants are clean.
Here come two policemen. They
have uniforms OF light blue, with blue
caps. Each carries and ebony club
and I can see their revOlvers showing
out at the hips. They are nice little
fellows, and far more polite than the
mongrel officials of the Panama re-
public. I stand two up at a corner
and photograph them. They smile
n are seemingly delighted 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 occu-
patton to scores of men, women and
children.
Bareheaded Women.
But look at the ~bareheaded wom-
en-. Not one Of all those about US
has a 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 %vultures
outside the market and in most cases
it hangs to the waist or below.
Nearly every girl has on a silk
shawl over her dress. This Is part
Of the national costume and these
shawls, like the obi or wide silk belt
worn by the Japanese women, are
often the most expensive part Of the
costume, Inc SIldWiS u SIih l q
fringe Of lace a 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 yelio"s
and rich reds. A girl may be in bare
feet and bare head. and her shirt
waist and skirt such that you could
buy for S2.98 in the states, but
nevertheless this shawl which overs
her shoulders would have cost ten
times AS much. These ShaNIS are
gracefully draped about the person.
They are SO folded that a long let
ter V hangs down to the knees al
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