The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-01-26

! under direction Of President Estrada
Cabrera. The president, who is pa
| tron of all the arts, has vigorously
pushed the manual training and tech
meal schools. They are to be founo
throughout the settled portions OF the
republic. Education 10 compulsory.
Electric lights and pure water piping
are installed In all communities Of any
size. The telegraph system Is admira-
BILE: | sent ten words $50 miles for Z
cents american currency. much
lower rate than prevails in the United
States or most other countries. The
telegraph, educational, postal and min
ing laws were personally formulated
by President Cabrera, who is 1urist
of extraordinary attachments. The
police system is excellent. l have
never seen an intoxicated person in
the republic. One can travel in any
portion Of 1t unarmed. Concrete has
worked wonders. Every community
has its public concrete washing place
where the women may wash their
clothes and to which water is often
piped a great distance.
Descendants Of the Mayas.
The people Of the highlands, except
in the larger towns, are mostly In
dams, who are believed to be descend
ed partly or wholly from the ancient
Mayas. l had read that the faces upon
the existing obelisks and monuments
often bore striking resemblance to
the countenances Of the Indians Of to-
day. The statement l found verified
in the monuments at Quirigua. OF all
the prehistoric races Of the American
hemisphere the Mayas were among the
most advanced. They had progressed
SO far in mechanics that they were
able to move rocks weighing 20 tons
or more over great distances. They
possessed a considerable amount Of
written lore, and represented sounds
in their hieroglyphics. Their carvings
Of human beings or animals had been
developed beyond the profile stage Of
the Egyptians.
We found that many Of the Indians
we met upon the road had but limit
ed knowledge Of Spanish. Father Gar
cha Of Naguala Is authority for the
statement that there are now q diff
ferent dialects spoken among these
people. Rev. Father Rossbach Of To-
tonicipan has 10000 Indians in his
parish. He did not know, he said, Of
q more devout or moral race. They
are, too, a picturesque people. The
men, with their loose, open-sleeved
jackets, plaid skirts, sturdy bare legs
and fiat straw hats of home weave,
strangely resemble the natives Of
northern Japan. The women lend q
touch Of vivid color to every country
side. They wear richly hued guipils,
home-woven waists Of purple cloth, en-
bellished with red and gold patterns
and with sashes extending from the
waist to below the knees, wound
somewhat tightly yet permitting free
dom of the limbs.
Two Attractive Cities
Totonicipan, in the northwest part
OF the republic. which we reached from
the Peten region, lies at an altitude of
$500 feet above sea level. Around it
on all sides but the west rise the walls
OF great hills. 1t is well-paved city
of $4,000 population with attractive
shops and fine churches and public
buildings. All about are vegetable
gardens. grain fields and numerous or
chards. Were 1t not for the lofty
mountains nearby, the North Ameri.
can here might fancy himself In the
central part Of New York state.
From Totonicipan a fine road leads
west for Is miles to Quetzaltenango.
the second largest city in Guatemala,
distinguished by it's imposing public
edifices. beautiful plaza and fine bust
ness structures. There are six good
hotels In Quetzaltenango and, although
the city Is IS miles from the railroad
at San Felipe. they enjoy a brisk pa
tronage.
The stage road to San Felipe Is one
OF the scenic highways Of the world.
In 80 miles 1t drops more than one mile
ana skirts the TANKS Of Mount Santa
Maria, one of the most picturesque Of
the Central American volcanoes
More than this: In q few brief hours
II plunges from the pine-clad temper
ate zone into tropical jungles of
IuXurlance that battles description.
Here is fOreworld. Prodigious hard
woods with branches rising from clear
ooles gu to 100 feet above the earth are
hung with giant creepers like enor-
nous serpents. Clusters OF orchids
cling to the branches or crevices o.
-rees or hang suspended from trailing
mes. Skeins Of gray moss beard the
rees. Tree ferns, giant palms and c.
vic flowers are features of jEng!e
which, at times, one can only penetrate
With machate. In G few hours by
he auto stage the Traveller has plunged
nto different world.