GUATEMALA, THE COUNTRY OF THE FUTURE 



601 



lavish expenditure as during the four 

 days when our officers were this nation's 

 guests. The city was gay with flags, 

 flowers, and illuminations. The ball 

 given by the city, and at which 800 guests 

 sat down to supper in the beautiful 

 "patio" of the Municipal Palace, was the 

 most gorgeous affair of its kind I have 

 attended. 



These patios, or courts, are character- 

 istic of the buildings, public or private, 

 throughout the country. Here indeed a 

 man's house is his castle. 



The windows looking onto the streets 

 are rarely opened, and for good reason. 

 What in our country are known as sneak 

 thieves here have an original way of ob- 

 taining their spoils. A long string with 

 a fish-hook at the end is the instrument 

 employed, and this, thrown in between 

 the bars with a dexterity equal to the 

 lasso-throwing of the cowboy, falls un- 

 erringly upon the chosen object, which 

 in a twinkling is whisked away. Woe to 

 the person who, leaving his things scat- 

 tered around, goes out of the room with- 

 out closing the window. 



THE SE:i.]?-APPOINTED regulators OF THE 

 PUBEIC HEAETH 



"The National Health Department," 

 as it is amusingly nicknamed, is also most 

 original. Sopolotes, or buzzards, are the 

 scavengers of the land, keeping country 

 and city scrupulously clean. One soon 

 becomes accustomed to the long rows of 

 these solemn but ungainly birds patiently 

 waiting to pounce upon any morsel 

 thrown out. Soap is their favorite 

 dainty, and, as they are great thieves, it 

 is impossible to keep a piece of this par- 

 ticular article unless well hidden. 



Living is cheap here and housekeeping 

 not difficult, particularly if one knows a 

 little Spanish. The markets, besides be- 

 ing attractive and picturesque, are excel- 

 lent. There is no fixed price for any- 

 thing, and one soon learns to offer just 

 half of what is asked. Then naturally 

 follows more bargaining, and one finally 

 gets the goods for at least two-thirds less 

 than the original price. The servants are 

 mostly Indians and are exceptionally 



AIOVING PICTURE POSTER ADVERTISEMENT 

 SEEN IN CARIB VIEEAGE 



good. They learn quickly, and with a 

 little patience can soon be converted into 

 model domestics. Their wages are about 

 50 pesos, or some $3 gold, a month. 



The signs over the shops are some- 

 times puzzling and often amusing. I 

 remember one in particular, which trans- 

 lated reads, "Milk from the cow's foot." 

 It meant that the cow would be brought 

 to the door and milked before one's eyes. 

 Whether this improved the quality of the 

 milk I was never able to determine. 



The most original sign seen in Guate- 

 mala was a poster advertisement of a 

 moving-picture show. This was on the 

 wall of a native school-house in the 

 Carib village at Livingston. It read : 



"Tonight, in the Practical School, 

 the Life and Passion of Christ 

 and other comic moving pictures." 



THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF ANTIGUA 



In strange contrast to the modern city 

 of Guatemala is the old ruined one of 



