davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05
TIE f1A1N Plaza LAPAz
THE. NATIofIM, CAPITOL At LEFT

dresses. They have skirts of rose-red
and sky-blue Hundreds of them wear
skirts of sca-sreen. and not a few have
short dresses as red as the sun at its set
ting They have shawls of the finest of
are so draped that they stand out over
the skirts. which are propped ont with
hoops. The skirts themselves reach only
to the ripe curve of the calf. whose
plumpness is brought out by the high
shoes OF white. cream or blue kid that
form the fashionable fOot%ear. The Chola
shoes have very high heels They are
buttoned high up. but are always tied at
the top by a cord Wit ha tassel that hangs
half way TO the ankle.
The girls have white straw hats with
tiny black bands around the crown and
bows on one side The bands seem to be
pasted on TO the hat. and sometimes they
are merely streaks of black paint. AS the
Cholito struts along the street on her
high heels she rests her hat rakishly on
one side of her head and walks with a
swing. Sometimes she !iirts her skirts a
little to show her green or blue cclored
stockings: and often YOU notice that she
has no stockings at all and that what
You thought was knitted hose of rose-co!-
ored silk is the bare. rosy pink Of the lee.
The Cholo women are very proud of
their admiXture of white blood. IheN
think themselves above their Indian SIS
ters. and look down upon the woman VINO
wears a blanket and sandals. They are
brighter than the Indians. Many of them
are traders who buy and sell in the mar
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05
JND1AN Gals IN The rkR1GT

shoulders and falls to the waist. Under
the !onrho is an embroidered vest, and
the suit is completed by pantaloons that
reach halfway down the calf and are
slit up to the knees at the back. MANY
of the Indian men are barefooted. and
many wear Sole-ieather sandals tied on
with strings. The most of them have on
little felt hats with round crowns. and
under them knit flaps that cover the ears
and fall to the shoulders.
The women also wear hats of much the
same shape. and some of them are bare
headed All are barefooted. They wear
gay blankets pinned around their Shout
ders. covering white waist vest. They
nave very fun skirts of red yellow, pink,
green or blue. Everything is of the gaud-
lest nature, and the cheap dyes of Ger
many have aided in making the hues
and tints swear at one another.
Mixed with the Indians are the Cholos
and Cholas and the Cholitos. The tho-
las are the women. and cholitos is a
semi affectionate term for the girls. The
crossing of the Spaniard and the Indian.
The Cholo men dress much as We do, but
the women and girls have the same cos
tune they have had for generation or
more. They delight in delicate colors. and
seem to have robbed the gorgeous Andean
sunsets for the tints of their shawls and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

-four in bags that hold half pint. and
farther on are peddlers Of fruit. Every
thing is sold by the pii" and you measure
the pill" by .our eyes. There are no weights
and measures TO tell you how much you
are getting. You pay by the pile, and
the piles are exceedingly small. A half
dozen little potatoes. A handful of -four
or tablespoonful of salt makes up "A
purchase, and the usual trade is equal
to cents of our money. \ whole
marketing could he crowded into a half
peck. l doubt whether the average cook
ing stove OF Ia Paz could prepare much
more at one time.
And still The variety of vegetables
and fruits and meats is great and the
quality is especially fine. This high
plateau is the home of some of the
chief crops of the world. 1t is known
that the potato came from the Andes
and il is question as to whether
this is not the birthplace Of our In
dian corn. Bolivia has maize, the
grains of which are twice as large as
any grown by our farmers. Some are of
bright yellow color every grain as big
twice the size of lima bean. and so
ffoury that they could be mashed to a
powder between TWO stones. Some of
the corn is of a mulberry color. other
kinds are red or even jet black.
AS TO the potatoes. they are red white
and yellow. and some are as pink as the
toes OF the ba bies playing among them
Some of the potatoes are as big as your
fist. and other varieties not more than
the size of a thimole. They are all sold
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

kets. and hey 90 much of the retail
business of the Bolivian capital, having
small stores and saloons. Not a few
are the sole support of their families. in
Guiding. perhaps. those of their husbands
who strut the streets of the Bolivian cap
ital. having allowances of pin money from
the trade carried on by their wives.
But let us go on with our walk through
the markets. We pass scores of Indian
women wearing striped blankets of red
yellow blue and green There are also
natives in black mantos. with black crepe
shawis wound tightly around their olive
skinned faces. They have stopped on
their way home from church. They have
prayer books in their hands. and also
prayer mats. Many are accompanied by
tire men of the family. who wear high
black silk hats black clothes and black
gloves. There are also foreigners, for
La PaZ is a COSMOPOLITAN city, and it has
all the queer classes of these Bolivian
highlands.
The most interesting of all are tie
Indians We can see them everyWheI lie
buying and selling Let us take Il lock
at the wares. Here is a woman with
a little pile of potatoes and two or three
artichokes before her. Close by is another
peddling onions. and "A little farther over
q; girl has for sale green roasting ears.
peas, celery and lettuce. on the opposite
side of the street is a peddler who has
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

naturally the European nations wanted
representation in the revenue receiver.
ship.
In all this can be seen a similarity with
conditions that existed in Persia wher
Morgan Shuster WAS called there to give
Persia a modern financial system. He
too. had to organize conStabllla,-Y. %!
sendarnerie. and il WAS the organization
of an effective force that set the powers
to quarreing and produced the overthrow
of Mr.. ShuSter
But in Liberia the horsepower receiver
ship works more harmon!ously. With the
divergent interests. with Liberia watch
ful that her own liberties he not imperi!-
ed. it is not to be imagined that every
thing that is done is dom III SWeet-sp.r-
tied anlity and accord: that differences
do not arise; that international ieslousies
have been quite stamped out II is true
however. that "A renlarka bl" degree al
harmony does prevail and that marked
progress has been made in I-iherian az
fairs
In = conversation az the University
Club during lis stay liz Washington Mr..
Clark told something of the so'-' Of work
the cC'istahciary does. sad he.
''Of all the tribes. the KruS, a maritime
people, nave most bitterly resented our
efforts to PVT down gun-runninS. This
led some eHD of them. one night last
summer, to attack the constabulary gar
rison at the town of Rivercess, in the
lower part of the country
Lieut.. Smith a native Liberian. was
in command there with comparatively
small force. 1t so happened hoWev,f.
that Capt. Newton arrived there that
day with a force of constahuiary -,
route on an expedition to another part
of the country and intending to take
of 7
He decided to remain over night and
made an inspection of the place At his
instance the position of the troops was
changed somewhat. and the outposts
We're extended. Capt. Newton obtaining
some information that made him susui-
cious.
ut appears that the Krus had care
fully reconnoitered the place in advance
had found Smiths force small and had
prepared to attack. But they did not
learn in time that Newton's force had
arrived. bringing the total constabulary
up to about 2p0
AT about . O'Clock in the morning the
krus started to advance. They encoun-
tered the outposts further out than they
had expected. but the outpoSts. being
well trained. quietly fell back The Krus
came on until they reached the reserves.
These. too. fell back to the main body
and brought the full force into fighting
array.
"Unsuspecting. the krus came on. Sud
denly the constabuary under Newton
orders set fire to the fiber roofs of some
temporary huts that had been erected
This fiber burns with a remarkably
white and brilliant light. The flames IL
Illuminated the scene and showed clearly
the advancing Krus. Before the illu-
mination died down our men had the op-
portunity to deliver some five or six VOL
-leys.
Il want to mention here that these
Minds in the constabulary. born SOL
diers as they are, are well disciplined
The of1cers have excellent control over
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05
REED PAIGE CLARKE
American controller of Libertan revenues.

Her citizens are conservative and peace
full
But yet there is fighting a-plenty for
the constabulary. Smuggling and par
ticularly the smuggling of guns to the
bush natives, is an evil of long standing
in Liberia: 1t Is to put down this evil
that the constabulary was organized and
to which Mr.. Clark is devotng his chief
efforts.
Guns have got into the hands of the
tribes-f1rst-c class. modern guns. too
Then something starts. usually near the
border of one Of the neighboring colo
and damage of the colonies. Perhaps
commercial interests of some country are
anxious for a continuance of these con-
ditions. that their own country may be
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

led to take aggressive steps and demand
Liberian territory in reparation for dam
ages done. or to insure tranquility
therein. No one knows exactly what is
behind it all.
This sort of secretively promoted war
fare manifestly is not to the best inter-
ests of Liberia. of Great Britain OF
France or of Germany. In West Africa
exists a mutual suspicion of motives
among the powers. There have been
examinations and recriminations
Hence not only Liberia. but the Euro
pean powers as well, welcomed American
leadership in improving conditions. but
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

sist of an Amrncan controller, and Brit
ish, French and German subcontrollers.
These four were appointed by the
I.ioerian government nomination by
their respective countries. They are Of
tiers of Liberia. not of their own nation,
and are paid out of its receipts Mr..
Clark. as the American member of the
receivership. is controller of the Liberian
revenues. and this is the work upon
which he is engaged
II was provided in the agreement tina
a consta bulary force of about LOCO men
should be created under American aus
pices, to he paid by Liberia from funds
turned over to the country by the re-
ownership for this specific purpose.
Under this there has been built UP a
wonderfully fine and efficient force. Of
ficered by American negroes and de-
PENDING in large part for IT'S enlisted
strength the men of famous hShtln2
tribe the Mendi. The Mendls are cop
per-colored natives. magnificent figures
of men, six feet or over and with SIN
gularly fine features. lacking the thick
Inns and fiat noses of other Africans.
The organization of the force vas per
f.cted under the direction of the Ameri-
can military attache at Monrovia. MAJ.
Charles Young, L. S. A. himself a negro
and a graduate of West Point
Commanding the force is MAJ NHeoi'
Ballard. a negro of long service in the
American regular army. who was a
lieutenant in one of the regiments OF
colored volunteers during the SPANISH
american war One OF his captains Is
Richard H Newton, who had long serV-
Ice as a sergeant in an American colored
regiment Another captain is r. I.
Hawkins. formerly captain or one OF .ne
colored companies OF Nashi's. oii' -. ~
High School Cadets ,
like those in the American army: Inc
men wear "A smart uniform consisting ol
khaki-colored blouse. khaki Knee oretcies
and a blue feZ. They. OF course, are o'i
footed About the waist they wear
blue cumrncrbuEd. a cartridge Don an"
belt from which hangs a hayohei htli
arm is a Mauser carbine- me men nay
developed into fine shots. ana IN .it liz
puent engagements in when theS NAV
taken part during the past year hase
done frightful execution.
Stories that drift over from Liberia in
dictate that this force. knowing that its
pay proceeds from the receivership, al
though paid by its own officers. has
developed an extraordinary loyalty to-
ward Mr.. Clark. 1t is prone to re-
gard him pretty much the whole thing
in the Liberian governmental position
which he emphatically denies.
The men are proud of their organiza-
ton. proud of their efficiency. proud
of their officers and proud of their uni
forms. The on-commissioned officers
are the dandies Of the towns in which
they are quartered. They affect swagger-
sticks and are the admiration of the
small boys.
What is this force for? Is Liberia at
war with some other country? Liberia
is not at war with any other nation,
neither has she any internal war on her
hands. In all the long life Of the re-
public there necer has been a revolution.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

their fire The men don't get excited and
fire ar the sun. moon and stars. but fire
only when and where they are told.
Those volleys did the business. The
krus fed in disorder. They have the
habit of always taking their dead and
wounded with them. hrt in this instance
they left behind some twenty dead The
sand was flrroweG deeply. showing whore
scores of others had been dragged away.
on the beach were signs where great
fiotiila of canoes had landed.
Our losses in the engagement We're
light four men killed and some five or
six wounded. The krus in their fight
left behind them a number of their guns.
They We're modern rifles of good quality.
l wish | knew where they came from.
This was only one of several engage
ments. Maj Ballard often has had to
Then sporadic outbreaks of intertribal
warfare have had to be put down. Alto
gether, the force is busy and active one.
But the troubles that have existed in the
past incident to gun running and little
tribal wars are being brought to an end.
We are now building a new and mod
ern revenue cutter at Las Palmas that
will assist materially in preventing snug
sins w" Nte oii r.'atti ei,ue Sut-
.et ~ -, n, nc - !,,t'ti u
Quarantine service we are Suiid;ng IN. to
he used as quarantine station The
new craft is beng built ike 4 torpedo
h"at- HeNthtt-iiV" ifeL I"a9, win NM
red with gasoline engines. and vii max.
hj.h speed. She will carr, several ma
chine guns and p one-pounder. in addition
to Small arms for the crew, and viii be
rs.ady IN clean nm am Smuggling eyuedi-
:in,I against which Size is likely to b,
ss.+ In attac.ins "A canoe fotilla she
I'll be Irresistible"
TIT M, some: hing about the countr,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

city until the cars stopped at 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 en-
CINE pulled up on the brink of the preci-
pice. and there below US was this mighty
hole peppered with houses rooted with
red tiles and galvanized iron We could
see the walls of green. made by
climbing their sides: and right IN the
center. 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 zigZa9Sing this way and that.
Here the cars flew around f. loop,
further on We could see a half dozen
tracks above and below us. AS We de-
scended 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 climbed down the hills.
and could recognize the buildings about
the great central plaza, where stands the
national capitol. in which congress meets
We could see the palace where the presi-
dent lives and at its left the unfinished
cathedral. upon which the people have
been working Cor two generations. and
where am told they will stil he work
ing for a genera ton to come. AT the
sa me time we began 10 notice the crowds
of the streets and our eyes caught the
maze of bright Cn.orS, winch. ol sun
day. paint waving ribbons on the thor
oughfares of La Paz.
On week days La Paz has a mixed pop
ulation of perhaps sOuO. on Sundays
this number is increased by tens of
thousands of Indians. The Aymaras come
in for many miles over the country
around, choosing this Lords day of all
others as their one and only trading day
of the week.
| have seen most OF the great rket
sights of the world. l have haggled over
the prices in Calcutta, Bombay and Ben
ares | have dickered with the Orientals
in Cairo and Tunis and have fought with
the Slavs at the fair OF Mini Nov
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

coast the ascent to the hills is SHARP. ON
the slopes is a dense growth Of trees and
tropic vegetation. Some Of the mountain
peaks are as nigh As 1."s' feet but The
mean altitude is less than this. terminal
ing in the plateau that stretches aAay
to the Desert of Sahara
"A number of streams flow down To the
sea. These are navieable onll for few
miles hack from the coast. for there lie
hills begin ard cataracts and waterfalls
are encountered.
Development OF the natural resources
of the country has hardly begun. What
stands In the way is lack of transporta-
ton. There are no railroads. practically
no roads. [ have never seen a wheeled
vehicle in Liberia. save small hand trucks
in use in the stores IN the towns. ha =
never seen beast of burden in the
country.
Travel is all on foot and one can go
but ten twelve miles a day through
the jungle. All goods ere transported By
hand. Consider that il takes man at
least two days to carry to the seacoast
a load of palm oil or nuts or rubber. ana
YOU can readily see that the cost OF
transportation gust aboct eats up the
selling price of the product.
Nevertheless trade thrives The eN-
tent to which il would reach with trans
portation and with intelligent develop
uent of the natural resources is almost
unbelievable
The towns are all along the coast. By
no means can any one OF them he con-
sidered "A sanatorium. Malaria is preva-
lent. No one can escape II. In some in
stances il takes the deadly form known
as black water. Luckily, have ESCAPED
that.
The towns. particularly Mungov;a. IN
their architecture are duplicates of Amer
lean southern towns. Brick homes of CO.
lonial style. with pilared porches. are
many. English is the national language.
and in courts and government. generally,
American forms are closely followed.
"A negroes country. ruled and d"nu-
mated by negroes. Liberia treats whites
with respect, dccencN and kindness. The
same cannot bc said of all African coun-
tries where the negroes predominant.
The White man VINO behaves himself in
Liberia is treated exactly as he is in
any other enlightened country in tho
world.
The president. vice president and menu
bers of the house are elected for four
year terms: the senate for SIX years.
The house is made UP of fourteen menl-
bers and the senate of nine. The coun-
try maintains a common school system.
hut is helped materially by missionary
schools supported from outside.
Under the receivership the countrys
finances are in a sound condition. Last
year, after providing for interest on the
loan. the sinking fund. the payment OF
the cost OF collections and the payment
of the consta bulary-rhe three big items
of eXpense-there was about S1Jo.p0 to
be turned over to the government for or
binary purposes.
Slender, strong featured his dark hair
shot with gray. Mr. Clark in appearance
is the typical New England university
man-alert, alive. keen. Intelligent. And
with II all he has the mark that long
public service in Washington puts on its
men-the mark of courteousness. simple
ity and frankness in demeanor and ex-
preston. ASHMUN BROWN
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05
M1H Il III


shook off the fever. he took on his ac-
customed modicum of flesh and muscle,
the brilliant, sparkle returned 70 mis- eyes
And then, refreshed by his leave. ne
turned othe little country where ne is
striving to help a proud. but somewhat
primitive people TO realize their ideals
of civilized and materially and morally
prosperous self governing nation.
Reed Paige Clark is mis- name. In TWO
years ne has made that name famous In
West Africa. II and the personality be-
hind II are subjects of grave discussion
in the foreign offices of the grea. nations
of Europe.
On the western coast of Africa today
there are few men more powerful than
ne More than any one man he Is respon-
sible for the wel!-being of an independent
African nation. For ten years. and until
his going first To Liberia he was a COM
rnittee clerk IN the United States Senate
the secretary of Senator Burnham of
New Hampshire With this training be-
hind him, he seized his opportunity to
do really great work in governing and
ne is making good.
Friends tell him that prolonged stay
IN Monrovia. the capital of Liberia, low
lying on a fever coast, Will mean his
death The climate Is one unusually Sc
we're on the European and the native
American. But this has not deferred him.
Other New Engianders. their names writ
ten in history. generations ago gladly
gave their lives to help in the establish h
ment of this little negro republic, hoping
that il would prove the regeneration of
the negro race. the home and the coun-
try of freed slaves. Reed Paige Clark Is
but carrying on the work that they. in
the early eos began. He is content to
follow their example.
To explain just what he is doing in
Liberia il is necessary to delve a bit into
the history of the country. 1t will be re-
called that in 1922 American and Euro
pean societies opposed to slavery and de-
sirous of helping the black man estab-
ished Liberia on the west coast of Africa
colony for freed slaves. July &c.
1s41 Liberia was proclaimed a free and
Independent nation. established a con-
stitution modelled on the American consti-
tuition and set up in business among the
nations of the world.
Thither. and from time to time since,
migrated American negroes. These and
their descendants to the total number of
some 1900. are the dominating popula-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

from the ocean n. across the highest range
Of the Andes. and on one of the highest
plateaus of the earth. In the Guibert
Hotel. where am writing ! am almost
two miles and a half a hove the sea. and
! can see from my window the perpetual
SHOWS of Mount IlIimani, one Of the high
. est peaks OF this hemisphere. Nj about
are other high mountains. and walling
me in are the great ramparts three times
high the Washington Monument.
that guard the basin in which La Paz
lies l have climbed the walls of Jeru-
salem. and have tramped for miles upon
the great wall of China. that separates
that country from Mongolia. Neither of
these walls is over fifty feet high.
The walls of La Paz are thirty
times higher. They extend upward
for 1.5o0 feet and end in a plateau that is
more than $4,000 feet above the level of
the ocean. The plateau of Bolivia is as
big as either Virginia. Ohio or Kentucky,
and on one side of II are mountains. some
of which are more than four miles in
height. The city lies in a depression
in that plateau. 1t is in a little hollow.
of the world. Mr.. John D. O'Rear.
our American minister, says the site of
the town is shaped like washbowl whose
top is three miles in diameter and whose
sides are 1900 feet deep. This bowl is
almost circular except for one end. where
is a great crack. out of which the La Paz
river runs. And indeed that gives a fair
idea of the city. Its site was a
depression in the bed of the great inland
sea that once covered this mighty pIa teau
Then the earth rose. and the water broke
through at the crack and ran out. leav-
ing the dry hollow that now holds the
capital of the Bolivian republic.
When I last visited La Paz / rode from
Lake Titicaca across the plateau on the
top of a stage drawn by eight mules.
which were changed every three hours.
This time I came on the railroad. l took
the train at Guaqui. on Lake Titicaca,
and within three or four hours had cross
cd the high plains. l could see no sign of