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

ice. There are no doors to the edihces,
the entrances being adorned with a heavy
swinging carpet to shut out the light
and heat, which Is pushed aside mo-
mentarily as one enters and as such an
arrangement affords easy access for the
dogs the building is filled to the chancel
rail with CANNES and heas
The breweries were promoted by the
German element and make most excellent
beer, but as all of the hops used are
imported from the United States the bev-
erage is an expensive one.
quito has a population of less than 100,-
600 though when the Spaniards first knew
it, it contained half million, and 1t stfll
shows traces of retrocession and decay.
Hotels are scarce in quantity and mis-
cradle in quality, hut the citizens are
politeness personified and the place has
long been noted as a place of no little
art and learning. Here are situated three
universities, a number OF public schools
and its display Of paintings and sculpture
is by no means mediocre.
While most of the population attends
mass upon the sabbath mornings they are
generally found around the cockpit on
Sunday afternoons 1T they wish to see
bull fight they must go to Guyaauil 10
crafty their wish, but the game cock is
all the vogue in quito and ia fact almost
the only public amusement rhey own
els OF these birds treasure theil possess
SONS as we would a race horse the birds
have a. long pedigree recorded on a roster
and much money is staked upon the re-
suit of the cock main. | have seen a pro-
fessional kneelng at mass with his bird
under his arm having stopped en- route
10 the pit TO discharge his religious duties
at the church.
Labor is cneap in Ecuador. ranging
from a dime to 20 cents a day for so-calied
skilled artizans However as the work
aa hut
black beans and tortilas and do not
need any clothing to keep them warm
they can make small wages go a long
way. The women do all the mechanical
labor IN which men engage. The potters
end tile manufacturers get z cents a
day. blanket makers receive the same,
sugar refinels get % cents and silk hat
makers 25 cents.
Skilled labor. as we know 1t, is a rarity
and much work is done in a most primi-
tive manner, especially in the country.
The plow Is almost unknown, the seed
being planted in hole poISed into tho
ground by a stick and upon the steep
lill- sides they even say that the seed
is shot from gun into the ground Wheat
- thrcshed and corn sheici ey driving
horses aud mules over tue gra3n anI whea
hogs are butchered the na. = seao3eif
by q burning flame instead CT hot water.
1t is said thai when the first cooking
built the fire in the oven and when a
bed of Goals was obtained they took them
out and placed them in braziers around
the room. evidently deeming the new
tangled thing contiivance for procuring
and preparing fire.
Illitefacy lis friehtfully prevalent IN
Ecuador and to cope with it an ingeninus
device is employed in obtaining spon-
tanlety and concert of action when one
OF their many revolutions is concocted.
Those who are TO participate in tie revo-
luton are given a bundle of sticks each
bundle having the same number of sticks
Ihey are told to burn one a day and
the night after the last one is consumed
the uprising is to be tnaugufated
The poor classes have a habit of eating
the leaves of the coca tree which they
mix with lime. Every woman in the
country carries little bag of lime around
her neck few grains OF which she Is
constantly placing upon the leaf before
putting 1t in her mouth The practice al
most equals our American chewing gum
habit.
The Ecuadorlans are very proud and a
peculiar feature OF their nature is that
they despise the uniform Of the national
soldier. They are patriotic and will fight
for their country. but they serve In the
ranks without Uniform The consequence
Is that while the officers gaudiy
bedizened are white men the rank and
file Of the army is composed of Indians.
negroes and cholos, the latter being u
half breed. Not far from Guayaquil is
the Isle del Muerto dead mans isanD
so named from its esemblance to a human
corpse floating upon the water and il is
said that so long as the island remains
there, so long Will the Indians refuse 10
reveal the lncas secret of tempering cop
per to an edge as keen and enduring as
that of steel But there are many who
claim that the Indians no longer possess
this secret the art having died with the
Inca race. But the chief attraction OF
this island is to visit it at night and
watch the wonderful forms of animated
nature that frequent the waters which
encompass the isle. Nowhere else roes
the set offer such q variety and curious
aggregation OF monsters. The outlines OF
every fish are as distinct as though drawn
with pencil OF fire and while sporting
in the phosphorescent wave the denlzen OF
the deep leaves train as brilliant as
that of comet. II seems as though the
silver and the gold of the lncas was in
the sea instead of buried in the earth
and that the fish were bringing it TO the
surface
As a relief from physical discomforts L
was nothing loathe to quit Quito. but as
my mule bore me in patient silence
from out among those elittering, smoking,
signing superb giants of the earth as
4 Followed down the path that led from
the incaDdescence of the peaks of the
Andes TO the shimmering blue of the sea
felt as though | had seen all OF glory
and grandeur that this earth has to
offer and that had been hundred fold
repaid even though ! had brought away
den treasures.