Evening star., 1940-01-28

fed. But not one centavo could
we pay for anything. We were
strangers.
In the years since then I have
seen many other tribes of American
aboriginals, from Guatemala to
Chile-and I have seen them met
amorphose from native costumes
into pants and shirts, from agrari-
ans, raising their own food, to
eaters of canned foods; from crafts
men and craftswomen to con-
sumers Of machine-made substi-
tutes. In boom times their pros
perity increased, but when the de-
preston came they suffered famine,
disease and death. The Quiches
alone have been undisturbed by eco
nomics, politics or isms.
Tapped by New Highway.
Today they provide the most color
full native scenes to be found in
Latin America. The new Pam
American highway climbs and twists
through their volcano and lake
country, tourist lodges have been
built near many of their weekly
market or barter places. Each clan
Of the tribes has its individual cos
tume-and no Quiche is ever seen in
the cast-off garments of the white
mans world. They will nod pleas
antly and smile when you greet
them on the road, they understand
Spanish, but among themselves they
speak the language of their an
cestors.
Each clan has its own crafts. The
highest craft for a man is that of
the silversmith. for a woman it is
embroidery. The lowest craft is
the swineherd's. A silversmith who
debases his silver in making tribal
jewelry can be denoted to a swine
herd by the tribal chief. Once a
week, throughout the highlands
there are market or barter gather
ings. The basketmaker trades bas-
kets, the corn grower trades corn
the poultry raiser barters chickens
and eggs and the cane grower trades
sugar, the salt maker trades salt
the blanket maker trades blankets
Before each craftsman or crafts
woman is the produce of a weeks
or months work. They use nc
synthetic dyes, such as other tribes
have eagerly bought from German
dye statesmen. The Quiche dye
makers produce paints and dyes
just as their ancestors did, from
vegetable or mineral sources.
From Guatemala's coast a rail.
road takes one quickly up to Guate.
mala City from either the Caribbean
or the Pacific port. Here one finds
base for touring and sight-seeine
that offers more to the visitor who
travels studiously than any Other
city in Latin America. There are
many larger, more magnificent
cities, but there isn't another city
south of the Rio Grande from which
such a kaleidoscope variety oi
things can be seen by comfortable
automobile excursions.
Draws Those Who Retire,
The Guatemalans are friendly
people. Men who have retired from
Central American pursuits choose
Guatemala City as resting place
Twenty-Five miles away is the ruinee
colonial city of Antigua, where many
writer's and scholars have bull
small homes, tucked among the
ancient, silent buildings of posterity
An efficient automobile service
owned by an American, provide.
modern cars and pleasant guides fol-
each weeks auto tour.
Swiss, German and North American
pioneers have built many picturesque
and comfortable inns throughou,
the interior-at Lake Atitlan, al
Chichicastenango and Quezalten.
ango and other ancient settlement.
Of the Quiches.
For $100 month one can live ir
Guatemala City at the best anc
most picturesque pension or at tn.
Palace Hotel. Many people, 1 know
have to study carefully their budget
of time and money to find a place
wheresthey can get the most out o1
their travel fund. Nowhere else ir
Latin America can one see so many
interesting sights and have such 9
pleasant time-on so little money
Variety of Scene.
The land of the Quiches contains
scenery that runs the gamut, within
a few hours, of equatorial jungle,
and Canadian Rockies. One car
ride from a gay Latin American
metropolis of today into the color.
full pageantry of primitive past
centuries. If one is adventurous HI
can shoot alligators or hunt noun.
tain lions. If he'd like to Absorb
an understanding of century-ole
customs and crafts he can live a
Chichicastenango in a most pic
turesque lodge and study the Quiche
for a week or a month. Here on,
is able to listen to the marimba IL
its native hills, to the flutes of tn
Quiche. musicians echoing agains
the twilight.
President Ubico, a wise governor
lets the Quiches live their own life
He knows that in time they will b.
the only native tribe of early Ameri
cans left unspoiled and untrouble,
in Latin America-and that Guate
rnala, colored by their gay costumes
fiestas and picturesque villages, viii
have something to offer tourist
which no other country can provide
In hemisphere beset with man,
complications, the Quiches seem t,
have found the answer to a primitiv
but serene independence. Journey
ing among them is like stepping
back into the days of our own an
cestors, when each member of tn
family had a task and learned
craft and our communities wer
basically self-sustaining. hav
never met a traveller to their volcan
country who did not want to go bacl
and spend another vacation anon
"the happiest people in Latil
America"
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Newspaper Alliance, Inc)