The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-23

citizens Of the United States gen.
4 orally and residents OF Birmingham
particularly to visit Panama, but when
the canal is completed and there is ac-
INJURED an easy access to that ocean where
as the sailors say the wind rs never
strong enough to ruffle the fur on a cats
back" and ships sail In perpetual calm,
an opportunity will be afforded to be-
hold some of the grandest scenery that
this old world has to offer.
For scenic beauty the western coast of
South America is unrivaled and for thou
sands of miles there stretches between
the sea and the superb mountains a
verdure-garnished plateau resembling
vast carpet of costly pattern and richest
weaving which renders that section OF
country a veritable paradise upon earth.
Along this coast expanse there are but
three important calling places for ves-
sels--Guayaquil in Ecuador. Cailao In
Peru and Valparaiso in chill.
The first mentioned is our nearest
neighbor, being just four DAYS sail from
Panama, and while it is the most west
erly city of South America its longitude
is about the same as that of Washing
ton b. &. 1t is only two degrees south
of the equator and lies 60 miles from
tile sea upon a river bearing the same
name and closely resembling the Missls-
kippi at New Orleans
Is phenomenally coof and ! have felt II
much hotter In Boston tnan | ever knew
ii to be in Guayaquil even in the middle
OF the summer season. The mercury
rarely rises above 90 degrees and in the
afternoon II is always cool owing TO the
unfailing prevalence of a breeze which
the natives call chandny and which comes
down from the ice-capped. snow-covered
peaks of Mount Chimborazo.
The city is we'll lighted by electricity
is supplied with street cars and possesses
ice factories and other modern improve
inents, all of which were. or course, IN
troduced by citizens of the United States.
Its public buildings are constructed OF
wood imported from Maine and rooted
with corrugated iron brought from Penn
sylvania. The only structure fashioned
Of native material which I saw was its
cathedral made of bamboo and it pre-
scented quite an imposing facade.
But there are no waterworks. all Of the
drinkable water being brought on RATS
from a point some 20 miles up the river
and hawked about the streets upon the
backs of donkeys or men. While the lat
ter are nearly nude, the donkeys wear
pantalettes, not from sense of modesty.
but as a protection from the fierce CAD
fly which infests the community.
Guyauuil is famous for the finest pine
apples in the world and its chief indus
tries are hammocks and hats. 1t may
not be known that all of the so-called
y Panama hats are manufactured mere ana
in the Immediate vicinity
Tho citizens of Ecuador are laziness
personified. Two hundred and seventy
two days of the year are holidays.
There is but one newspaper published
in the entire country and the postof-
fices of the land are less than 100
There Is but one telegraph line, that
from GuayaQuil to Quito the capital,
and it is in commission less, than a
week each month. The natives cut up
the poles for firewood and steal the
wire for repairing their harness. 1t
REQUIRES week to locate the damage
and week to repair it. official oper-
ators are scarce and a convict with
ball and chain was once put to work
at the key, being the only available
operator that the government could
command
The country has two great plaques
earthquakes and revolutions. To avoid
the one the citizens construct their
homes of bamboo whose. elasticity al
lows them to tremble and prevents
their falling and to guard against the
other they place tin signs over the
doors representing the flags of the
countries to which the inmate is sup
posed citizen. The signs bear warn
ing to revolutionary looters or incen-
would be tempted to believe that there
is not native resident In the entire
city.
Though built of bamboo. the houses
often possess an attractive interior
and many of them are Handsomely
furnished. The poor, however, are
miserably housed. dwell in filth and
squalor and it has been well said that
the buzzard is the only industrious
biped visible. These birds rest upon
the roofs OF the houses, the awnings OF
the shops and the wagon wheels OF the
meat vendors In the public markets
and squares They are much tanner
than our domestic pigeons
Every public square has in addition
to Its market a church or two and
while the mother is at worship inside
the edifice, she leaves her naked babe
upon the stone areaway on the outside
so that II is common thing to see
score OF nude infants spfawling In
the sun e Mating off the flies.
Anothe &rsstng feature OF the
market s<the Indian trader
with hfs1 f6Dpearance and his
odd cust6 I'll never sell any
thing at nor anywhere else
save in th t is Impossible TO
purchase en- route to the
mart and ng his wares 10
miles to and dispose Of
them for than he is Of
fered at hi IL forefathers for
kefhrec centuf in the same mar
Let and her II he trade.
Nor will 4 wholesale You
may buy fol each as many
gourdfuls OF Is pou like until
s. the entire d exhausted. Bnt