The Monticellonian., 1918-08-23

E the metropolis of Bolivia
 / stands amid great and majes-
 tie mountains and in a region of the earth over which some of the earliest people trod. Only 50 miles from the eountry's capital of today lie the ruins of Tiahuanaeu, universally conceded to be among mans most an cient habitations The whole region surrounding Bolivia's unique capital is so hoary with age that a mans imagi- native brain is puzzled in attempting to conjecture the era of prehistoric construction, says William A. Reid in the Bulletin of the Pan American l Union.
 Scientists further tell us that once upon time the Andean plateau was scarcely more than half as elevated as today, and that in lands where Bo- 1 livia's present gold and silver lie se- cluded the prehistoric inhabitant titled his fields of grain. Gradually rising higher and higher with the passing of i geological ages, we find the Bolivian plateau at too great an elevation to- day for the majority of agricultural crops, but a region of the earth lav- ishly endowed by nature with almost every variety of mineral. It Is near what might be termed the heart of this mineral plateau, an area of 65,000 square miles, that BOlivia's modern capital has grown to be a fiourishing city of S2,000 people.
 La Paz de Ayacucho, to use the full name adopted after the country at tained its independence (proclaimed Aug. 6, 1825), is not only unique in its ancient surroundings, but the city lies so completely hidden in an enormous canyon or vent in the plateau that in journeying thither we come very sud denly to the great abyss and are held breathless for the moment-until ones senses are collected and the beauty of the panorama takes the place of awe and surprise. This great canyon is about ten miles long, three miles wide, 1,500 feet deep, and in form somewhat like that of an exaggerated letter U, opening southward. Some scientists believe that in past ages 1t was the outlet of Lake Titicaca, when possibly that body of water was connected with the upper Amazon river. Ap- | preaching La PaZ by any of the three railways leading thither the sides of the canyon appear to be almost per pendicular; yet engineering skill has marvelously wound two railroads down these preeipitous sides, presenting at every turn a gorgeous panorama. The clear, crisp air, the mineral colorings roofs and the bright shades of the houses in the distance, the green patches of trees here and there, the flowing rivulets and larger streams. the snow-covered peaks, together with the gay eolors always worn by the humber natives, combine to form a pleasing and lasting picture.
 Fl Alto, a term used to designate the little railroad station near the edge of the canyon, stands as already noted about 1500 feet above the city, while the latter is 12700 feet higher than the sea. La Paz being only 300 miles from the Pacific, we can form an idea of the steep climb made by the railways in order to reach this in- land country.
 Supplanted Sucre as Capital. We speak of La Paz as being the capital of Bolivia and thereby confuse the minds of those not fully acquaint- ed with the facts. Suere, formerly called Charcas, is the legal capital of the republic, but largely on account of accessibility and growing commercial importance La Paz became the actual seat of government more than 20 years ago In the latter city the president and his official advisers reside, the na- tions congress meets there, and it is the residence of the foreign diplomats accredited to Bolivia but the supreme court of the country still holds its ses- sions at Sucre The distance between the two cities is about 300 niles but the more rapid growth of La Paz, es- 1 pecially since the completion of the 1 three rail routes to the Pacific, seems i to accepsuate the desirability of La Paz over Sucre as the capital of the nation.
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