The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-05
By FRANK q. CARPENTER.
La Paz. Bolivia.

7 WANT 20 show YOU how our holy
sabbath is spent III this. the city
OF peace. The capital OF Bolivia
is one of the most interesting OF all the
South American cities. and sunday is
it's great day Of the week. The town
lies far back from the ocean. across
the highest range of the Andes. and
on ore of the highest plateaus Of the
earth. III the Guibert Hotel. where I
am writing, ! am almost two miles
and Z half aboN' the sea. and can
see from my window the perpetual
SHOWS OF Mount llliman, one OF the
highest peaks of this hemisphere. All
about are other high mountains, and
waliin2 me in are the great ramparts.
three times ms high ns the Washing
ton Monument, that guard the basin
In which La paz lies. have CLIMB
the walls of Jerusalem. and have
traalped for miles upon the great WILL
o: China. that separates that coun,"y
f-am Mongolia. Neither of these walls
is .cr fifty feet IiGh. The wa'is Of
La Fhz are thirty times higher. They
extend upward for 1000 feet and end
In plateau that is more than $4,000
feet above the level OF the ocean The
plateau of Bolivia is as big IA either
Virginia. Ohio or kentucky. and on
one side OF il arc mountains. some OF
which are more than four miles in
Height. The city lies In a depression
IN lnaI plateau. III is IN a Ittlc hollow.
away up here on tho topmost roof OF
the world Mr.. John y. O'Rear. our
American minister. says the site of
the town IS shaped like a washbowl.
~hoee top is three miles in diameter.
and whose sides are 1900 feet deep.
This bowl is almost circular, except for
one end where there is "A great crack.
gu; of which the La Paz River runs
And, indeed. that gives fair idea Of
the city. Its site WAS n depression in
the bed OF the great inland sea that
once covered this mighty plateau.
Then the earth rose, and the water
broke through the crack and ran out
leaving the dry hollow that now holds
the capital of the Bolivian republic
When ! last visited La Paz | rode
from Lake Tit!caca across the plateau
on the top OF a stage drawn by eight
mules, which We're changed every three
hours. This time ! came on the rail
road. i took the train At Ciuaqui, on
Lake Tittcaca. and within three or four
hours had crossed the high plains. l
could see no sign of a city until the
cars stopped Al the Alto. This is at
the edge of the basin. where the motive
power OF the train is changed from
steam to electricity. Here our engine
pulled up on the brink Of the precipice
and there below us was the mighty hole
peppered with houses rooted with red
tiles and Ealvinized iron. We could see
the walls OF green, made by nature,
and the patches OF cultivation climb
ing their sides: and right IN the cen
ter. away down far below us, were the
two and three story houses, and the
churches and the public buildings that
make up the city
We rode down the sides OF the walls
on an electric trolley in winding curves.
our train ziEzaSEing this way and that.
Here the cars flew around loop. and
there they cut great figure s.
while further on we could half
dozen tracks above and below us. As
we descended the town grew larger.
and the buildings. that were merely toy
houses when viewed from the Alto,
became of respectable Size. We could
now pick out the streets as they climb
ed down the hills, and could rccoG-
n!ze the buildings about the great CEN
trail plaza. where stands tho national
capital. in which Congress meets. We
could see the palace where the Presi-
dent lives, and at its left thfsunnnished
cathedral upon which tho people have
been working for two generations. and
where ! ain told they will still be
working for a generation to come. At
the same time, we began to notice the
crowds of the streets. and our eyes
caught the maze Of brisht colors,
which. of a sunday. paint waving rib
hons or The thorouGhfarcs of La Psz.
-. FNtn 'isNS Ia ldS q HllNNu
population o. perhaps So.noo. on sun
Gays TINS number Is increased hy tens
Oh thousands OF Indians. The Aymarns
come IN for many miles over the coun-
trF around. choosing this Lords day
OF All others as their one and only
trading day or the week.
have seen most of the great mar
kei sights OF the world / have bag
Eled over the prices in Calcutta. BON
bay and Bcnares. | have dickered
With the orian;als In Cairo and Tunis.
ana have fought with.the SlaVs u; the
fair of Nij!ni NovSorod, on the Noiga.
where Europe and Asia annually meet
10 buy and 10 sell. | have seen the
open air markets OF Africa and the
mighty bazaars OF Siam and Burma,
but 1owhere have found so much ac-
tiv.tS as righ; here in la Paz.
The.In6ians arc dressed +, tho CAV
&c. NJ rods vollo,rs n,rnls. and
rreens Tho, bring ,betr ,a,,tl;as u.,tb
,hem AND there a. a mass ~ noy,rg
nen woman ana childre, u.h,ch
.brono the s,rae,s from ou, .na to
Tho o.har rvery one has narcb,no