SonsonateA Street in Sonsonate (Calle de Mercado).
A Street in Sonsonate (Calle de Mercado).
A Street in Sonsonate (Calle de Mercado).
QuintaType of "Quinta" or country house in Santa Tecla (New San Salvador).
Type of "Quinta" or country house in Santa Tecla (New San Salvador).
Type of "Quinta" or country house in Santa Tecla (New San Salvador).
The Indian gatherers obtain the balsam from the tree by scraping the skin of the bark to the depth of one-tenth part of an inch, using for the purpose a sharp native knife, ormachete. This scraping is done in small patches, extending to 12 or 15 inches square, the incisions being made both across and along the trunk and the largest branches of the tree. Immediately after the operation of scratching is completed, the portions scraped are heated with burning torches, which are made out of the dried branches of a tree known locally aschimaliote; and after burning the surfaces are covered over with pieces of old cotton cloth, under which they are left for a time. By punching the edges of the cloths pressed against the tree with the point of themachete, they are made to adhere. In this condition they are again left for a space of twenty-four hours, and even as long asforty-eight hours (especially in the month of January), when the rags are gathered and submitted to a strong and hot decoction in big iron pots. While still hot the rags are put under a great pressure in a primitive kind of machine, which is made by the Indians themselves, and composed of a combination of wooden levers and strong ropes, worked entirely by hand. The balsam juice then oozes out, and drips slowly into a receptacle, where it is allowed to cool. It is then in the stage known as "raw balsam." Afterwards it has to be refined, which means boiling it again and draining off all impurities, when it is packed in iron cans and sent away to market.
There is another method, which was explained to me, for extracting the balsam—namely, by entirely barking the trees and heavy branches, a process which, of course, kills the tree outright, or at least renders it valueless for a good many years. The bark is ground down to a coarse kind of powder; it is then boiled, the juice or gum floating to the top, and is thus collected. But this process, although speedy, really destroys the full value of the gum, which only realizes a low price when treated in this manner. The Government forbids this method to be adopted, as a matter of fact; but the Indians, on the "get rich quick" principle, practise it all the same. The balsam, as seen in the market, looks like a thick, fatty, viscid resin, of a deep brown or black colour, and emitting a delicious odour.
The analysis is—Cynamic acid, 46; resin, 32; benzylic alcohol, 20, per cent. Balsam is used in making perfumery and soaps, and as an unguent; while for asthma and other pectoral complaints its odour is considered very beneficial.
The personal appearance of the Salvadorean peasant, as will be seen from the group shown in the photograph given, is unquestionably an agreeable one. The men are short in stature as a rule, but they possess regular and amiable features—those who are not of the pronounced negro type; while the women are also usually physically attractive, especially when young.
In regard to native costume, in the villages and smaller towns the men still wear the same attire as they have adopted for some hundred years past—namely, loose and baggy trousers of cotton spun and woven locally, mostly on the native hand-looms; a shapeless coat or loose jacket of the same material; and a large palm-leaf hat without any ribbon, binding, or other ornamentation. The women's ordinary attire consists of a dark blue cotton or cloth woven skirt, a loose cotton blouse with very short sleeves, and the native shawl worn gracefully over the head. To-day many affect the European style of costume, and almost generally they do so in the Capital and the larger towns.
The Indians are very domesticated, and are naturally of an affectionate and amiable disposition. It is quite a common occurrence to find several generations living together in one small but cleanly-kept hut, married and single members of the family occupying the same room, the oldest member—grandfather or great-grandfather—being much deferred to, and, as a rule, governing his extensive family with a firm but gentle hand. Parental authority is greatly respected in this country among the natives, and family life is often found very beautiful in some respects, offering, indeed, a marked contrast to what one finds existing in European countries, especially in England, among the working classes of the population.
The Indian inhabitants of Salvador are supposed to be lineal descendants of the Nahwals, whose other branch are found in Mexico and Guatemala. Certainly there is a strong connection both in their physical attributes and their ancient dialects. Naturally, the aboriginal population has been much modified by nearly four centuries of contact with the whites, and an almost equally long subjugation to the Spanish rule. Nevertheless there are some towns in the Republic which to-day retain their primitive customs, and in such, to all appearances, the aboriginal blood has undergone scarcely any, if indeed the slightest, intermixture. In most places, however, the original language has fallen into disuse, or merely a few words, which have also been partially adopted by the whites, are retained. The original names of places have in some localities been preserved with the greatest tenacity, and afford a sure guide in defining the extent of territory over which the various aboriginal nations have been spread.
I have visited several of the towns situated in the neighbourhood of Sonsonate, where the inhabitants are almost exclusively Indians, and I was then told that the language which they habitually speak to one another is also aboriginal. So curiously attached are some of these people to their ancient speech and government that in the year of 1832 a number of the inhabitants of San Vicente arose in revolt against the new government which was then imposed, and attempted to restore their ancient dominion, at the same time threatening to kill all the whites as well as everyone showing a trace of European blood in their veins.
The new census of the country will have been taken on July 1, 1911 (too late for inclusion in this volume,which will have gone to press), in accordance with instructions of the President, the officers engaged being attached to the General Bureau of Statistics. Every effort has been made to render the returns in as accurate a form and as complete as possible. The present population, according to the statistics of 1910, showed that the number of inhabitants stood at 1,084,850, of whom some 200,000 were foreigners.
Departments—Capital cities—Population—Districts—Salvador Department—City of San Salvador—Situation—Surroundings—Destruction in 1854 by earthquake—Description of catastrophe—Loss of life actually small—Evacuation of city—Recuperative faculty of the people.
Departments—Capital cities—Population—Districts—Salvador Department—City of San Salvador—Situation—Surroundings—Destruction in 1854 by earthquake—Description of catastrophe—Loss of life actually small—Evacuation of city—Recuperative faculty of the people.
The Republic of Salvador is divided into 14 Departments, which are again subdivided into 31 districts, 27 cities, 51 towns, 164 villages, and 215 hamlets. The following table shows the names of such Departments, with their respective capital cities, their population, exclusive of foreigners, and the number of districts which they contain:
Departments;Capital CitiesPopulationNumber ofDistricts.Capitals.Departments.San SalvadorSan Salvador32,00065,0003La LibertadNew San Salvador11,00049,0002SonsonateSonsonate11,50041,5002AhuachapánAhuachapán12,00037,0002Santa AnaSanta Ana33,75080,5003ChalatenangoChalatenango6,00054,0002CuscatlánCojutepeque8,00062,0002CabañasSensuntepeque10,00035,0002San VicenteSan Vicente11,00040,5002La PazZacatecoluca6,50070,0002UsulutánUsulután6,00042,0002San MiguelSan Miguel23,00060,0002MorozánGotera3,10035,1003La UniónLa Unión3,70035,7002[5]Total177,550707,300—
Cities.—San Salvador, Tonacatepeque (2).
Towns.—Mejicanos, Apopa, Nejapa, Santo Tomas, Panchimalco (5).
This was one of the first of the original divisions into which the Republic was divided in the year 1821, at which period the separation from the neighbouring kingdom of Guatemala took place. San Salvador is bounded on the north by the Departments of Chalatenango and Cuscatlán, on the east by Cuscatlán and La Paz, on the south by La Libertad and La Paz, and on the west by La Libertad. A great variety of scenery is met with, and no portion of the country can be described as anything but beautiful and romantic. In the southern part is encountered the rugged and picturesque coastal range of mountains; the central portion is broken up into a number of small, fertile valleys of surprising scenic beauty and fertility; while the northern section is covered with hills, which, although always green, are destitute of large trees. The Department contains two volcanoes—San Salvador, or Quezaltepeque, as the Indians name it, and Ilopango, which is situated upon a lake bearing the same name. Surrounding the capital are an immense number of prosperousfincas, or agricultural estates, market-gardens, and great stretches of tobacco, coffee, sugar, rice, corn and bean plantations. The whole population are engaged in these industries, the amount of labour necessary being abundantly supplied, and to all appearances the people seem extremely prosperous and contented. I failed, indeed, to observe any signs of either poverty or disorderliness, while, on the contrary, nearly everyone encountered appearedmerry, well fed, and decently dressed. There is little reason to suppose that these evidences were deceptive.
In spite of the fact that San Salvador has been visited by so many different volcanic eruptions, it has really suffered less from earthquakes or their effects than either Costa Rica or Guatemala, its immediate neighbours. There are still living in Salvador those who remember and speak of the great seismic catastrophe which befell the Capital City in the month of April, 1854, by which that place was almost completely ruined. Previous to this catastrophe, the city, in point of size and importance, had ranked third in Central America, Guatemala City, in the State of the same name, being first, and Leon, in Nicaragua, second. In regard to the first named, Guatemala City still remains the capital of its State; but Leon, although ranking as the largest city in the Republic of Nicaragua, has had to yield to Managua the pride of place as capital and seat of Government.
The name of "San Salvador" was chosen by its pious but pitiless founder, Don Jorge de Alvarado, who conquered the territory for the Spanish Government after Columbus had located it, in commemoration of his final decisive victory over the Indians of Cuscatlán, which battle was gained on the eve of the festival of San Salvador. During the long dominion of Spain in South and Central America, the city was the seat of the Governor, or Intendente, of the province of San Salvador, who, again, was subservient to the Captain-General of Guatemala. After its independence San Salvador became the capital of the new State, and it was early distinguished for its thorough devotion to the principles of the Liberal party in Central America.
Even as far back as 1853, a notable writer of the day who was travelling in Salvador described the city as "a very beautiful town," and also spoke of the general intelligence, the industry, and the enterprise of its inhabitants, who, in his opinion, "surpassed in these respects the people of any of the other large towns in Central America." This visitor, as are all who sojourn for any length of time in San Salvador, became much impressed by the picturesque position of the city, which, as already indicated, lies in the midst of a broad but elevated plain, situated on the summit of a high tableland or coast range of mountains, which intervene between the valley of the River Lempa and the Pacific.
By barometrical admeasurement, San Salvador lies 2,115 feet above the sea. As a consequence, its climate is found pleasantly cool as compared with that of coast alluvians, although unfavourably modified in this respect by a low range of hills on the southern border of the plain, which shuts off the full benefit of the sea-breeze. Were it not for this obstacle, the winds blowing from the ocean, which is only twenty miles distant, would reach the city. As an indication of the kind of temperature one meets with, it may be said that in August the maximum of temperature rarely exceeds 80° Fahrenheit, the minimum 70°, and the mean average 76.3°, which, as will be generally recognized, constitutes a delightful climate.
The hills which surround the plain of San Salvador are covered with verdure, which keeps its colour and freshness owing to the heavy dews which fall and the absence of dust, while a fair amount of rain can always be depended upon.
Not more than three miles to the westward of theCapital City, and watching over it like a gigantic sentinel, stands the magnificent volcano of San Salvador. In this respect one is reminded of some other Spanish-American cities, such as La Paz in Bolivia, with the superb Misti; and, again, of Mexico City, with its two ever-watchful volcanic guardians—Ixtaccihuatl, which stands 16,060 feet in height, and Popocatepetl, which towers to 17,782 feet in the air. The cone of San Salvador volcano, which rises on the northern border or edge of the crater, is, however, approximately but 8,000 feet in height.
Some fifty or sixty years ago San Salvador, judging from contemporary pictures, must have been even more charming in appearance than it is to-day; then its population, however, scarcely exceeded 25,000. With the exception of the central and paved part of the city, it was eminently sylvan, being literally embowered in masses of tropical fruit-trees. The red-roofed dwellings, closely shut in with evergreen hedges of cactus, shadowed over by palm and orange trees, with a dense background of broad-leaved plantains, almost sinking beneath their heavy clusters of rich golden fruit, must have presented a delightful scenic picture, at once romantic and peaceful.
From contemporary reports, it is pitiful to read that this exquisite scene was subsequently completely devastated in the brief space of ten seconds, for precisely that period elapsed between the beginning and the end of the awful earthquake of April 16, 1854. I have been shown pictures of the ill-fated city which were painted a year or two before the disaster, as well as one which showed San Salvador as it stood in 1839, the date of a previous similar disaster. The appearance in both cases was singularly attractive in regardto the character of the buildings and their scenic surroundings. In the freshness of their affliction the inhabitants determined never again to return to the city, but, as history has proved, they did so in exactly the same manner as the ever-faithful inhabitants of Mount Vesuvius have returned again and again to the scene of their numerous previous misfortunes. The people of Guatemala were somewhat wiser. Soon after 1773 they deserted their capital, which stood at the foot of the volcanoes Agua and Fuego (Water and Fire), and which was overwhelmed by a volcanic eruption, for they then built themselves a new place of abode, which is the present handsome city and Capital of the Republic.
I have been afforded the following interesting account of the destruction of San Salvador, a description which was published in a small Government organ dated May 2, 1854, and which provides so graphic a description of what occurred that I make no apology for reproducing it in these pages.
The chronicler of that day says:
"The night of April 16, 1854, will ever be one of sad and bitter memory to the people of Salvador. On that unfortunate night our happy and beautiful capital was made a heap of ruins. Movements of the earth were felt on the morning of Holy Thursday, preceded by sounds like the rolling of heavy artillery over pavements, and like distant thunder. The people were a little alarmed in consequence of this phenomenon, but it did not prevent them from meeting in the churches to celebrate the solemnities of the day. On Saturday all was quiet, and confidence was restored. The people of the neighbourhood assembled as usual to celebrate the Passover. The night of Saturday was quiet, so also was the whole of Sunday. The heat, it is true, was considerable, but the atmosphere was calm and serene. For the first three hoursof the evening there was nothing of unusual occurrence, but at half-past nine a severe shock of an earthquake, occurring without the usual preliminary noises, alarmed the whole city. Many families left their houses and made encampments in the public squares, while others prepared to pass the night in their respective courtyards."Finally, at ten minutes to eleven, without further premonition of any kind, the earth began to heave and tremble with such fearful force that in ten seconds the entire city was prostrated. The crashing of houses and churches stunned the ears of the terrified inhabitants, while a cloud of dust from the falling ruins enveloped them in a pall of impenetrable darkness. Not a drop of water could be got to relieve the half-choked and the suffocating, for the wells and fountains were filled up or made dry. The clock-tower of the cathedral carried a great part of that edifice with it in its fall. The towers of the church of San Francisco crashed down upon the episcopal oratory and part of the palace. The Church of Santo Domingo was buried beneath its towers, and the College of the Assumption was entirely ruined. The new and beautiful edifice of the University was demolished. The Church of the Mercéd separated in the centre, and its walls fell outward to the ground. Of the private houses, a few were left standing, but all were rendered uninhabitable. It is worthy of remark that the walls left standing are old ones; all those of modern construction have fallen. The public edifices of the Government and the city shared in the common destruction."The devastation was effected, as we have said, in the first ten seconds; for although the succeeding shocks were tremendous, and accompanied by fearful rumblings beneath our feet, they had comparatively trifling results, for the reason that the first jar left but little for their ravages."Solemn and terrible was the picture presented, on the dark, funereal night, of a whole people clustering in theplazas, and, on their knees, crying with loud voices to Heaven for mercy, or in agonizing accents calling for their children and their friends, whom they believed to be buried beneath the ruins. A heaven opaque and ominous; a movement of theearth rapid and unequal, causing a terror indescribable; an intense sulphurous odour filling the atmosphere, and indicating an approaching eruption of the volcano; streets filled with ruins or overhung by threatening walls; a suffocating cloud of dust, almost rendering respiration impossible—such was the spectacle presented by the unhappy city on that memorable and awful night."A hundred boys were shut up in the college, many invalids crowded the hospitals, and the barracks were full of soldiers. The sense of the catastrophe which must have befallen them gave poignancy to the first moments of reflection after the earthquake was over. It was believed that at least a fourth part of the inhabitants had been buried beneath the ruins. The members of the Government hastened to ascertain as far as practicable the extent of the catastrophe, and to quiet the public mind. It was found that the loss of life had been much less than was supposed, and it now appears that the number of the killed will not exceed one hundred, and of wounded fifty. Among the latter is the Bishop, who received a severe blow on the head, the late President, Señor Dueñas, a daughter of the President, and the wife of the Secretary of the Legislative Chambers, the latter severely."Fortunately, the earthquake has not been followed by rains, which gives an opportunity to disinter the public archives, as also many of the valuables contained in the dwellings of the citizens."The movements of the earth still continue with strong shocks, and the people, fearing a general swallowing up of the site of the city, or that it may be buried under some sudden eruption of the volcano, are hastening away, taking with them their household gods, the sweet memories of their infancy, and their domestic animals—perhaps the only property left for the support of their families—exclaiming with Virgil: 'Nos patriæ fines et dulcia linquimus arva.'"
"The night of April 16, 1854, will ever be one of sad and bitter memory to the people of Salvador. On that unfortunate night our happy and beautiful capital was made a heap of ruins. Movements of the earth were felt on the morning of Holy Thursday, preceded by sounds like the rolling of heavy artillery over pavements, and like distant thunder. The people were a little alarmed in consequence of this phenomenon, but it did not prevent them from meeting in the churches to celebrate the solemnities of the day. On Saturday all was quiet, and confidence was restored. The people of the neighbourhood assembled as usual to celebrate the Passover. The night of Saturday was quiet, so also was the whole of Sunday. The heat, it is true, was considerable, but the atmosphere was calm and serene. For the first three hoursof the evening there was nothing of unusual occurrence, but at half-past nine a severe shock of an earthquake, occurring without the usual preliminary noises, alarmed the whole city. Many families left their houses and made encampments in the public squares, while others prepared to pass the night in their respective courtyards.
"Finally, at ten minutes to eleven, without further premonition of any kind, the earth began to heave and tremble with such fearful force that in ten seconds the entire city was prostrated. The crashing of houses and churches stunned the ears of the terrified inhabitants, while a cloud of dust from the falling ruins enveloped them in a pall of impenetrable darkness. Not a drop of water could be got to relieve the half-choked and the suffocating, for the wells and fountains were filled up or made dry. The clock-tower of the cathedral carried a great part of that edifice with it in its fall. The towers of the church of San Francisco crashed down upon the episcopal oratory and part of the palace. The Church of Santo Domingo was buried beneath its towers, and the College of the Assumption was entirely ruined. The new and beautiful edifice of the University was demolished. The Church of the Mercéd separated in the centre, and its walls fell outward to the ground. Of the private houses, a few were left standing, but all were rendered uninhabitable. It is worthy of remark that the walls left standing are old ones; all those of modern construction have fallen. The public edifices of the Government and the city shared in the common destruction.
"The devastation was effected, as we have said, in the first ten seconds; for although the succeeding shocks were tremendous, and accompanied by fearful rumblings beneath our feet, they had comparatively trifling results, for the reason that the first jar left but little for their ravages.
"Solemn and terrible was the picture presented, on the dark, funereal night, of a whole people clustering in theplazas, and, on their knees, crying with loud voices to Heaven for mercy, or in agonizing accents calling for their children and their friends, whom they believed to be buried beneath the ruins. A heaven opaque and ominous; a movement of theearth rapid and unequal, causing a terror indescribable; an intense sulphurous odour filling the atmosphere, and indicating an approaching eruption of the volcano; streets filled with ruins or overhung by threatening walls; a suffocating cloud of dust, almost rendering respiration impossible—such was the spectacle presented by the unhappy city on that memorable and awful night.
"A hundred boys were shut up in the college, many invalids crowded the hospitals, and the barracks were full of soldiers. The sense of the catastrophe which must have befallen them gave poignancy to the first moments of reflection after the earthquake was over. It was believed that at least a fourth part of the inhabitants had been buried beneath the ruins. The members of the Government hastened to ascertain as far as practicable the extent of the catastrophe, and to quiet the public mind. It was found that the loss of life had been much less than was supposed, and it now appears that the number of the killed will not exceed one hundred, and of wounded fifty. Among the latter is the Bishop, who received a severe blow on the head, the late President, Señor Dueñas, a daughter of the President, and the wife of the Secretary of the Legislative Chambers, the latter severely.
"Fortunately, the earthquake has not been followed by rains, which gives an opportunity to disinter the public archives, as also many of the valuables contained in the dwellings of the citizens.
"The movements of the earth still continue with strong shocks, and the people, fearing a general swallowing up of the site of the city, or that it may be buried under some sudden eruption of the volcano, are hastening away, taking with them their household gods, the sweet memories of their infancy, and their domestic animals—perhaps the only property left for the support of their families—exclaiming with Virgil: 'Nos patriæ fines et dulcia linquimus arva.'"
I have witnessed scenes in Valparaiso, in San Francisco, and in Kingston, Jamaica, almost precisely similar to these so graphically portrayed; but in allthese cases the loss of life was considerably greater than occurred in San Salvador. To-day the capital of the Republic bears not a single trace of the disaster, nor yet of some subsequent visitations; for the recuperative faculties of these optimistic peoples are as astonishing as they are thorough and instantaneous in the manner in which they assert themselves.
City of San Salvador—San Salvador as place of residence—Theatres—Parks—Streets—Hotels—Domestic servants—Hospitality of residents—Societies and associations—Educational establishments—Government buildings—Religion and churches—Casino—Hospitals and institutions—Disastrous conflagrations—Public monuments.
City of San Salvador—San Salvador as place of residence—Theatres—Parks—Streets—Hotels—Domestic servants—Hospitality of residents—Societies and associations—Educational establishments—Government buildings—Religion and churches—Casino—Hospitals and institutions—Disastrous conflagrations—Public monuments.
There are few more pleasant cities as a place of residence for all the year round than San Salvador. The climate is very agreeable, while the situation of the city, scenically speaking, is exceptionally beautiful, being located as it is 2,115 feet above the level of the sea in the valley of Cuscatlán, or, as it is called in the vernacular, "Valle de las Hamacas" (the Vale of the Hammocks). This district has been so named, I understand, because it lies directly in the line of the severest earthquake action, and has many times in the past been "rocked and swung" by the waves of movement, and which have been rendered unusually destructive by the reflex action of the high hills which half encircle the place.
San Salvador was founded, as already observed, by Don Jorge de Alvarado, brother of the famous Spanish conqueror, Don Pedro de Alvarado, on April 4, 1543, and from 1834 to 1839 it was the capital of the new Republic, a dignity which was in later years transferred to the city of San Vicente; while Cojutepeque upon three separate occasions, as pointed out more fully elsewhere, was also used as the Federal Capital.In the year 1840, however, San Salvador became the designated metropolis, and has since remained so. Here are located all the Government Departments, as well as the Supreme Civil and Military Courts, in addition to the headquarters of the Ecclesiastical Government.
In the year 1854, the city having been ruined, as we have seen, the Government as a consequence ordered the founding of Nuéva San Salvador, or Santa Tecla, which lies some eight miles to the south-west, and about 800 feet higher, as a city of refuge. To this place many families transferred their homes, and it is now a very prosperous place, with a population exceeding 11,000 inhabitants. Many good people of San Salvador, however, were not so much discouraged by their misfortune after all, and they very pluckily rebuilt the city, only, however, to again see it laid low by the even greater catastrophe of March 19, 1873. Gradually, and for the third time, this city rose from its ruins, and there are to-day no traces in its streets of any of the various disasters which have visited it.
San Salvador is altogether a well-constructed and even a handsome city, with several notable public buildings which would grace any European capital. Among these are the Casa Blanca, the Artillery Barracks, the National Institute, the University, the Theatre, the Market, the Orphans' Home, the Polytechnic School, the Normal School, the new Cathedral, and a large number of other handsome churches.
The Government have constructed a handsome official building in the city of San Salvador, to provide thoroughly up-to-date and modern quarters for the various Government Departments, in addition to which it adds considerable beauty to the Capital City. Thisedifice is built in the Continental style of architecture, and has been occupied for some two years past.
There are also many attractive private residences, consisting of one or two stories, with handsome interiors and beautiful gardens. The usual style of building adopted is theadobehouse, with tiled roof; and what lends particular attraction to the appearance of the city is the variety of the architecture adopted for both private and public buildings; additionally, a large number ofplazas, parks, and open spaces, prevent anything approaching an appearance of monotony. The whole city is extremely well lighted by electricity, the roads are well paved and as well maintained, while the drainage is excellent. The material of which the sidewalks are built consists mostly of large slabs of the basaltic rock, which is freely and cheaply quarried from the famous Guarumál Cañon.
This elegance and good taste are displayed almost generally in the city of Salvador regarding the arrangement of the public parks and gardens, as well as in connection with the private residences of the well-to-do inhabitants. The beautiful Parque Bolívar, which was completed and opened to the public in January, 1881, and the no less attractive Parque Barrios, which was inaugurated in the same month of 1901, and for a second time in 1909, are cases in point.
Public ParkPublic Park in San Salvador, where throngs of well-dressed people assemble in the evening to listen to an excellent military band.
Public Park in San Salvador, where throngs of well-dressed people assemble in the evening to listen to an excellent military band.
Public Park in San Salvador, where throngs of well-dressed people assemble in the evening to listen to an excellent military band.
The Parque Dueñas is centrally situated, and is a favourite rendezvous with all classes. In the Parque Morazán is to be seen the handsome monument erected in 1882 to the hero of the same name. The attractive thoroughfare known as Avenida do la Independencia was inaugurated in December, 1901, and the Central Markets in October, 1887. The new Cathedral, commenced in June, 1881, was completed and solemnlyconsecrated seven years later—namely, in June of 1888. It is a fine edifice, and contains some handsome ecclesiastical plate and beautiful mural decorations.
The Cathedral is altogether a fine specimen of Latin-American ecclesiastical architecture, but is distinguished from many others of the same period by the feature of pointed arches, instead of the usual square or rounded arches usually prevailing in this class of buildings. It is dedicated to the patron saint of Salvador.
The prevailing religion in the Republic, as a natural consequence of the long ascendancy of the Spanish domination, is Roman Catholic. Previous to the Liberal revolution of 1871 no other kind of religion was tolerated. Since then, and to-day, the greatest freedom and toleration prevail in all religious matters; while so far has the hand of reform stretched that the cemeteries are freed from the control of the clergy; civil marriages are legalized without the addition of any religious ceremony; education is non-clerical, and all monastic institutions have been abolished. All these changes are embodied in the Constitution promulgated on August 13, 1886, and under which the country is governed to-day. Nevertheless, the Church is greatly respected by the people, and the attendances at Mass are invariably large and representative. The bishopric of San Salvador was created in 1842.
A very handsome thoroughfare is Santa Tecla Avenue, a broad and beautifully laid-out thoroughfare, linking up this favourite residential place with the City of Santa Tecla, locally known as the "City of Flowers." Already one of the most favourite suburbs, it is growing rapidly in favour as a residential quarterwith the people of San Salvador, being situated from it only a few miles distant.
The tramway system is as yet only at the commencement of its development, and electricity has yet to play an important part in its equipment. There are two companies running regular services of cars, one being the Concepción and Western Tramway Company, which sends out its cars at intervals of ten minutes during the busiest parts of the day, and conducts a service till fairly late at night. Usually, however, the last cars have gone back to the garage before theatre-goers have left their places of entertainment. Fortunately, the fares demanded by the local Jehus are reasonable, and it is therefore an easy matter for belated passengers to reach home.
The new theatre, which will soon adorn the city in place of that which was burned down last year, should form a handsome addition to the architecture of San Salvador. The Municipality very wisely invited competition for erecting and designing the building, which is to have a seating capacity of some 1,200. The structure is to be equipped with the latest improvements and appliances, and will be made as fireproof and as earthquake-proof as modern science can effect. The cost will be between 800,000 and 1,200,000 francs, or, say, £32,000 and £48,000. All construction materials are to be imported free of duty, which should lessen the cost immensely. Two prizes were offered, of 800 francs (£32) and 400 francs (£16) respectively, for the best plans, and when the last day for sending these, in—namely, March 15, 1911—had passed, the judges had several handsome designs to choose from.
In the month of March last the number of competitiveplans which were sent in to the Department of Fomento for the new National Theatre in the capital amounted to thirteen, of which three came from Paris, one from New Orleans, one from Canada, four from San Salvador, one from Monaco, one from Italy, and others from New York. The whole of the designs were exhibited in a public gallery.
While one may admit freely that the hotels in Salvador are conducted for the most part upon infinitely better lines than are those in the neighbouring Republic of Guatemala—which, indeed, may be pronounced, without undue harshness, as possessing about the worst in Central America—the Salvadorean hostelries are not as yet absolutely perfect. In this regard, however, it is only fair to remember the extreme difficulties which the proprietors are called upon to face. The servant problem is, perhaps, the hardest of all, and there is hardly one, among the many hotel managers of various nationalities with whom I discussed matters, but who confessed to me that he was weary to death of his efforts to conduct his business with the aid of native domestics. I have myself upon different occasions been witness to the curiously perverse nature of some of these servants; when, like others, I have been travelling through or resident in the interior of the country, I have likewise observed their spirit of robust independence.
Where the cost of living is so low, and the question of supply and demand in regard to domestic service is so overwhelmingly in favour of the latter, anything like efficient service is practically impossible to find. The domestic servants in Salvador are recruited almost entirely from among the Indians; and while these latter are by no means lacking in intelligence, andcan by kind treatment be won to some degree of fidelity, they are naturally slow, and even indolent, while an extreme sensitiveness and spirit of resentment at once asserts itself should blame or abuse be offered by the employer. Under such circumstances, or even for less provocation, the domestic will forthwith take leave, and even forfeit the few shillings in wages that may be due. Usually, however, the wages question is in favour of the servant, since payment has probably been anticipated, and the domestic is the debtor, and not the creditor, of the master. This hold, therefore, is a somewhat feeble one to depend upon, and in nine cases out of ten fails to apply.
There are a number of European and native families who possess the traditional "treasure" in the person of an old and faithful retainer; but not infrequently the history of such "treasure," when probed, shows that the employer is over-indulgent, being fearful of losing the much-prized services of the domestic in question, permits all kinds of privileges, and submits to all sorts of exactions, in order to preserve peace in the household. Perhaps it may be good policy to do so; but I have witnessed instances of downright tyranny upon the part of some native servants—not by any means confined to Salvador—which, in my opinion at least, could never have been warranted, and never should have been condoned, no matter how valuable the services rendered may have been. The absolute helplessness of the lady of the house may be accepted as some excuse, but peace may be purchased at too high a price, and in the instances which I have in mind I fancy such was the case. But, then, I was not personally concerned in the results, and thereforemy judgment may be at fault, and even regarded as valueless.
Salvador seems to be a particularly favourite visiting-place with itinerant theatrical companies. All the year round, practically, a theatrical troupe of some kind may be found touring the country, which is usually included, with Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica, in the "Central American" road programme. As a general rule, however, the companies are of a somewhat indifferent quality—poor Italians and Spaniards, whose precarious existence often excites commiseration from even the hard-hearted. It is pitiable to see them upon occasions moving from State to State and from town to town—lean, hungry, dirty, and depressed in spirits, as they well may be; women and children, many of the latter being born on the road, having to undergo very great physical privations and serious personal inconveniences. The men, probably more habituated to the roughness of life, mostly accept their hard lot with philosophy and resignation; but it is cruelly severe upon the women and little children. The public of Salvador are somewhat capricious in their support of the different theatrical companies, and at times the playhouses are practically empty, and even the cheaper portions deserted.
It was in the month of January, 1910, that the City of San Salvador lost its handsome Teatro Nacional through fire—a disaster which was caused, it being charged, by incendiarism, although this has never been proved. There is at present but one other place of entertainment—El Teatro Moderno, belonging to the same proprietary, and which is but a large-sized barn, capable of accommodating at the most some 200 people.It was used originally for cinematograph exhibitions, which, by-the-by, with all Latin-Americans would seem to be a very popular and profitable form of entertainment. The place is structurally fit for no other sort of performance, but is now perforce being utilized for dramatic and musical representations.
In few cities of its size will be found a larger number of Societies than San Salvador possesses, these associations being representative not only of various classes of organized labour, but of literature, music, art, religion, science, and even insurance. Among those which have their headquarters in the Capital are—"Sociedad Unión Nacional de Amigos," "Sociedad Estudiantil Minerva," "Sociedad Carlos F. Dárdano," "Sociedad de Medicina Emilio Alvarez," "Academia de Ciencias, Letras y Artes de El Salvador," "Sociedad Pedagógica Francisco Menéndez," "Sociedad de Artesanos La Concordia," "Sociedad de Obreros Gerado Barrios," "Sociedad La Buena Prensa," "Sociedad de Artesanos del Salvador," "Sociedad Co-operativa El Ahorro," "Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura," "Logia Masónica."
The Provinces have also their respective associations, many possessing a long and influential subscription list; among the most prominent may be mentioned: "Sociedad de Obreros" and "Sociedad literaria José Cecilio del Valle," both having their headquarters in Santa Ana; "Sociedad de Obreros El Porvenir," in Santa Tecla; "Sociedad de Obreros Rafael Campo," at Sonsonate; "Club Unionista," at Ahuachapán; "Sociedad de Obreros" and "Logia Masónica," at Cojutepeque; "Sociedad de Obreros," at Sensuntapeque; and "Sociedad La Protección," at Zacatecoluca.
Tho principal educational establishments of theRepublic are located in the Capital, and comprise the National University, of which Dr. Hermógenes Alvarado is the Deacon and Dr. Adrián García is the Secretary; the National Institute, of which Dr. Darío González is the Director; the National Library, of which Don Francisco Gavidia is the Director; and the Municipal Library, of which Dr. Don José Dols Corpeño is the Director. There are in addition the Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory, directed by Dr. Santiago I. Barberena, and the Museum and Botanical Gardens, both under the direction of Dr. David J. Guzmán.
Among the many excellent charitable institutions of which the Capital is possessed are the Orphans' Asylum, directed by Don Francisco Escobar; the Sara Asylum, directed by Dr. Alfonso Quiñónez; the Orphans' Hospital, which is under the same control as the Asylum of that name; and the well-known Hospital Rosales, which is controlled by a number of the most eminent medical men in the Republic. It is an admirably-managed institution, and has effected a great deal of sound charity since its inauguration some years ago.
A great amount of unobtrusive but sound charity and benevolence are practised in Salvador. The people as a whole are, perhaps, not very wealthy in the accepted sense of the word, and there are probably few great family fortunes to be found there; while I was never fortunate enough to come across a full-blown millionaire—at all events, considered in sterling money. On the other hand, there are many very well-to-do families, many handsome privately-owned properties, and several highly-prosperous businesses, especially among the coffee and sugar planters. No doubt in the halcyon days of the indigo industry Salvadorcould boast of many very opulent residents; but with the invention of the aniline dyes much of this indigo wealth passed away. The wide diffusion of charity and benevolence is, therefore, all the more noteworthy and all the more commendable.
Most of the charitable institutions are not alone the creation, but remain the special care, of the Government, and successive Presidents have very properly devoted both their personal attention and the country's funds to the maintenance of these institutions. The charge of these charities is in the hands of the Minister of Education, Public Works and Benevolence. I visited several of the hospitals during my stay in the country, and I was pleasurably impressed with their generally cheerful and always cleanly appearance.
The foremost institution of this kind is the magnificent building presented, with its entire equipment, to the nation by the late Don José Rosáles, a distinguished and very wealthy Salvadorean, who not only sustained the hospital during his lifetime, but bequeathed to its funds no less than $4,000,000. The institution bears the name of its generous founder, and it is admirably conducted in every way. A large staff of competent physicians and a full body of male and female nurses are always maintained, and as a rule the hospital is very well patronized, the kindness and the skill of the authorities having obtained a wide notoriety. The Rosáles is, however, but one of several similar institutions, the Government having of late years added similar necessary buildings to the towns of Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Ahuachapán, Santa Tecla, Zacatecoluca, San Vicente, San Miguel, Alegria, Chalatenango and La Unión. It is difficult to speak too highly of the thoroughly efficient manner in whichmost of these establishments are maintained; and among the many patients whom I saw, and with whom I conversed, I met with not one who had anything but praise and gratitude to express for the benefits which had been received.
As an evidence of the use to which these institutions are put, I am able to say that during the year of 1892 some 3,198 patients were treated, of whom 2,798 were discharged completely cured, 203 died, and the rest remained under treatment. The total amount expended in this year was a little over $81,000. Including all of the hospitals established throughout the country, there are annually admitted and treated about 8,000 patients, of whom an average of 8 per cent. die. This cannot be considered a high rate of mortality, considering the climate and the many tropical diseases which have to be treated.
In the vicinity of San Salvador, upon a beautifully-situated and very healthful spot, has been established a tuberculosis Sanatorium. Here the open-air treatment is employed in conformity with the latest recognized therapeutic and hygienic methods for the alleviation and cure of consumption, which, as in Mexico, is unfortunately a common complaint. The expenses of this Sanatorium are met by appropriations by the Federal and Municipal authorities; by contributions from industrial companies, which are usually very open-handed in such matters; and by voluntary donations from benevolent people and institutions. A library is maintained for the use of the patients, and all possible measures are employed, to mitigate the sad condition of resident invalids. So far, I understand, the Sanatorium is free from debt, and it is so excellently managed an institution, and is productiveof so much real good, that it is sincerely to be hoped that it may remain so.
How admirable have been the attempts made, and how successful the results achieved, to overcome the ravages of tuberculosis, are best shown by the following comparative statistics, which give the figures for Spanish-American towns: