Evening star., 1914-07-26

They are soaked and frozen again. The
skins become so loose that they can be
rubbed or trodden OF with the bare
feet. After this they are dried. They
now look like white stones. but are very
light and like pith. They will keep for
an indefinite time.
Drunkenness is common among the
Aymaras. I have already described the
terrible condition brought about by
drink among the Cuichuas. or Indians
OF Peru and Ecuador. The same condi-
ton prevails in Bolivia. Almost all OF
the Indians. both men and women. drink
to excess, and they come together In
great crowds on feast days and have
drunken sprees which are accompanied
by dances and other excuses. where the
marriage laws do not prevail At such
fighting. The drink seems to stupify
rather than excite: the people use 90
much that the alcohol gradually burns
UP their brains. | am TO c that the
Indian boys are bright until they reach
the age of fifteen. at waich time they
begin to earn enough 50 that they can
teriorate. and are on the down grade
Intellectually for the rest OF their lives.
1t Is also said that these Indians are
more Intelligent than those OF Peru
and that the standard Of intellectually
rises as one goes on southwark.
/ learn from our missionaries who
have Indians IN their schools that IL 10
not uncommon to lind boys and girls
ing power to the whites. and it Is
known that some of the best men or
La Pas have strain Of Aynara blood
There are a few Indians who are rich.
Some OF them have mines. and others
estates of their own. There rs A rich
Indian family in Lima that has three
the mission school. These girls have
Indian features. but they are by no
means bad looking. Their father pays
five thousand dollars gold a year Tor
the rent of his house at the Peruvian
capital. and he owns several auto
mobiles. His money comes from cop
per mines
ability of the Indian along mechanical
lines. He is the carpenter. iron worker
and mason in this city OF about 10000
people. La Paz has fine hoLses and
public buildings and also a large cathe-
OF construction. All OF the work upon
these has been done by the Aymara
Indians. and they have made practical
ly all the furniture in use. They are
expert cabinet work e-s. making tables
and chairs and interior woodwork OF
mahogany. rosewood and black walnut.
They make artistic creations i'll stucco.
the fine houses of la Paz being dec
Grated with a plaster made of mica
mixed with lime and sand and then
burnt in such way that IL gives .
finish like the best plaster of paris.
4
The Indians understand coiors. and
they have a steady job at painting the
houses of the Bolivian cities. where. ac-
cording to the law. every house has TO
have a fresh coat of paint every year.
j am living just opposite the cathedral.
where there are 100 or more Indians
now working.
They begin at Z o'clock in the morn
ing and continue until s O'clock at
night. with an hour Off at noon. / am
told that their wages are about 81 a
day. They seem very industrious. and
the employers say they stay on the
job quite as well as the half-breeds or
whites Many of the best laborers and
the best mechanics of Bolivia are In
dians who have served in the army, and
thereby acquired such a taste for
civilization that they have come to the
wives. and the beginnings of a change
are already apparent
What Bolivia needs to do is to pass
liquor laws to curtail the use Of raw
industrial farms. and to inaugurate
movements that will create new wants
among the Indians. This done. they
will work to satisfy those wants. and
there will be a gradual uplift in their
condition. The hope is in the young
of the race. and. as / have said. they
are bright in intellect and ready to
learn AS far as l can see there is no
better field for mission work anywhere
than right here on the high plateau
of the Andes. The government and the
better classes Of the people OF Bolivia
would, believe. join in any such work
crime that these people have SO long
been left without any ENCOURAGEMENT
or aid from their civilized brothers.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.