The Coolidge examiner., 1934-07-20

IN SALVADOR. whose capital
city. san Salvador. Is rsslrE
IL oct - the wrecknse of the re-
ccat devastating hurricane whl ID
suep. the Ceairal American repub-
les. 10 The only couuiry between
Canada and Colombia nl,hout an
AtlaHt.e as sell az Pacific sea-
board.
Though o. larger than ihe vaie
% Ncu Jersey. o. Salvador has
been strangely deprived - r. right.
ful p.aoc la at least one rc-..ect
As the average laymsu falls 90 ruu.
slider Ecuador as ihc chief manu-
featuring place o, Panama" hats.
- be also fails 90 appreciate 81
salvador a. the chief producing re
Eion ~ balsam of Peru
10 colonial days curgocs from the
spanish Pacific seaboard settle
mcuts. destined FOR Europe. were IN
loaded az Panama CITY and trans.
ported overland across the !sthmus
because % the perii0us voyage
around Cape UoFn. Peru then was
the best known % the New world ~.
Eions and. tn the European mind.
Cenfral American baisam which
quickly came into favor for healing
wounds. somehow became confused
with Peruvian bark. the source of
Another uewly discovered remedy.
The haisam tree. one OF the most
beautiful % the tropical forest. Il
cousin to the acacia. II grows rnth
er Isolated from It's neighbors. even
from It's kind. its graceful branches
high above the ground. Native 10
the west coast OF Central America.
it has been exploited only In Saliva
dor. where u grows In a limited
area ot go square miles. II has
OF late years been introduced Into
Ceylon
Watch the bstsam tappers al
work. Their method Is primitive. Al.
though the tree holds sap ali year
round. the tapping takes place only
10 the dry season The outer bark
Is nrst cut with a blunt instrument.
leaving the Inner bark exposed. the
fiow Of sap being stimulated by
the application OF burning torch.
After several days the sap exudes
slowly but steadily. Cloths attached
IN the wounds. having become i'm.
pregnated with the balm. are collect.
ed. thrown into boiling water. and
subjected To heavy pressure. The
crude balsam settles TO the bottom
aud the water ls then poured OF.
The balssm. later clarified through
evaporation. Is packed In metal
cases Tor shipment to Europe and
America. where I, Is used FOR medl-
cinal purposes and as a basis for
perfume
Coffee the 5es; Product.
In the coffee tree. however, with
It's creamy flower and ruddy berry.
rather than the rare balsam. lies
the wealth OF most Salvador plant.
ers
A Brazilian school teacher In 1870
brough, the coffee tree to El Saliva
dor from bis own country. The
day he planted that first coffee tree
in hls garden be laid a corner stone
Of the republics national pros
perity.
The Salvadorlan arlstocracy is
OF Spanish and other European
blood. many Brltlshers. Frenchmen,
Belglans. Italians and Germans
having married into the old Spanish
colonial families: but the masses
are os American stock. with a Span
ish admixture-that stock that Is
loosely called Indian. Salvador
boasts Of having very little African
blood.
Often on the highways one meets
q broazed man or woman with
those pronounced features and
unique profile typical OF the ancient
Maya people whose temples. In
1nngleclaf ruin. are. strewn from
Honduras 20 fucatan. Such place
names as Chalatenango. Cuscatlan.
Usulntan and their Ike bark back
10 the shadowy past.
In the evening one sits in the
courtyard under a brilliant canopy
of stars. listening TO alluring Span
ish songs with guitar aecomnaai-
ment and sometimes a sernade by
the maTlmba players.
Tee marimha. a musical lnstru-
melt In use among the natives be
fore the arrival OF the Spaniards.
Is still popular In southern aud
northern Central America. In struc-
ture Il resembles an enormous xylo
phone. bat in tone Il Is more Ike the
harp II Is played BY four or eight
men. who strike the keys with lit
tie rubheT-iipped hardwood sticks.
Charming Is the scenery through
out Salvador. Lowland forests al
teruaJe with highland plateaus
pleasant pasture lands with r ~