LA PAZ--THE PRESENT SEAT OF GOVERNMENT
[Illustration: COAT OF ARMS OF LA PAZ.]
The City of Peace, standing amid the highest summits of the Andes,
under the white light reflected from the snows of Illimani and Sorata,
and flashing back, like the flame of a torch, the dazzling sunshine
that beats upon her towers, not only symbolizes the lofty human
sentiment, which at the beginning of the twentieth century inspires
the world to look for universal concord as the crowning glory of
civilization, but also typifies the ideal for which her brave sons were
the first to suffer martyrdom in the vanguard of the struggle for South
American independence. If the white-robed Illimani is a worthy sentinel
to guard the sanctuary of Peace, the blue sky itself is a fitting cap
of Liberty for the fair goddess whose torch, glowing above the clouds,
showed a continent the way to freedom a century ago. Very slowly at
first, the ideals of tranquillity and liberty developed under the
stifling influences of tyranny and greed, and there was little in the
early history of the city which in 1548 the Spanish governor christened
“Our Lady of Peace” to give promise of the fulfilment of her destiny.
During nearly three centuries of colonial rule, the red ribbon of war
fluttered more conspicuously upon the breast of Our Lady than did the
pure emblem of her benign mission, and the sunshine blazing on her
walls often typified a funeral pyre rather than the torch of liberty.
But her people were brave and resolute, and if her history is full of
incidents of vital struggle, full of tragic episodes, and the records
of scenes worthy of Homeric description, it is also a history of
victories and triumphs and of a continued march onward in the direction
of progress. The Paceños are strong and fearless in their patriotism,
whether leading the battle in the national cause or resisting an attack
against it, and their influence has long been powerful in shaping the
destinies of the country. Unity is a notable characteristic of the
people, and genuine sympathy exists between the highest and the lowest
when they are inspired to deeds of devotion for the _patria_. It
has been very beautifully said that “whether in the _palacio_ of
luxury or in the _choza_ of poverty, there is but one voice and
one heart, one soul and one duty; the defence of the country and the
maintenance of its independence, the lustre of its honor in peace and
the brilliancy of its arms in war, is the constant preoccupation of its
loyal sons.”
[Illustration: POST OFFICE, LA PAZ.]
Now that the times of change and confusion have given place to a period
of steady activity, La Paz is growing rapidly as a metropolitan centre,
with increasing political, social, and commercial importance, which
is enhanced by its advantageous situation, in comparison with that of
other cities of Bolivia; with the exception of Oruro, it is as yet
the only city of importance having direct railway connection, and the
route via Lake Titicaca, across which steamers travel twice a week,
places it within easy access of the Peruvian seaport, Mollendo. Within
a short time it will have a quicker route, requiring only a few hours,
to the seaport of Arica. The approach to the city by railway from
Guaqui, the port of Lake Titicaca, through which passengers from Peru
enter Bolivia on their way to La Paz, is a surprise which impresses all
tourists by its novelty. After a two hours’ ride across the plateau,
with the great Andean range always in view and the snowy peaks of
Illimani and Sorata claiming special attention as they stand out in
pristine splendor against the bluest of skies, suddenly a great pit
yawns in front of the traveller, one thousand five hundred feet deep,
walled on three sides, and opening into a _quebrada_, or cañon,
on the fourth; in its depth, sloping toward the cañon and appearing
like a cluster of miniature dwellings, as seen from the heights above,
lies La Paz, twelve thousand five hundred feet above the level of
the sea, one of the highest cities of the world. The great Titicaca
plateau which stretches a hundred thousand square kilomètres around
the lake, approaches its limit at La Paz, where the Andes rise in
towering majesty, the rugged depths of their _quebradas_ giving
picturesqueness to a scene of imposing grandeur. The descent from the
railroad terminus at El Alto, as the station on the heights above La
Paz is called, to the city, is made in an electric car, built after the
latest modern style, and having a capacity equal to that of the cars
used in the service of the large North American cities. The panorama
presented to view as the car glides down the mountain and around its
curves is ever-varying and unique, the red-tiled roofs of the city,
the patches of green where parks and gardens have been carefully
cultivated, and the generally foreign appearance, lending a charm
which the quaintness of gayly dressed figures that move along the road
behind groups of llamas or donkeys loaded with produce, on their way to
market, renders still more absorbingly interesting. The Indian of the
plateau is as gorgeous a spectacle as the imagination can dream of, his
_poncho_, or shawl, suggesting a splash of red, yellow, or green
against the most sombre of backgrounds, for there is nothing hilarious
in the manner of the Aymará; he takes his pleasures, like his troubles,
with a more stoic indifference than his neighbor, the Quichua, who
seems more gentle and more volatile in character. These are differences
often noted between the inhabitants of high altitudes and those of the
valleys; at twelve thousand feet above sea level one learns not to be
too demonstrative.
[Illustration: STREET SCENE, SHOWING HILLS IN THE DISTANCE,
LA PAZ.]
[Illustration: HOSPITAL AND MUSEUM, LA PAZ.]
The city of La Paz is located at the source of the Chuquiapu River,
which flows through a cleft in the Andean range, believed to have
formerly connected Lake Titicaca with the Amazon system. The history
of the city is as old as the records of time. Under the Aymará
dynasties it was called Chuquiabo, and was celebrated as one of the
most ancient towns in the province of Collasuyo; later, when the Incas
conquered this territory, the name was changed to Chuquiapu, by which
it was known until upon its site was founded the City of Our Lady of
Peace, the name being again changed, after the crowning victory of the
Independence, to La Paz de Ayacucho, by which the city is now known.
From the most ancient times it has been famous as the centre of a
rich gold-producing region, the name Chuquiapu signifying “the place
of gold”; and in primitive days the people of this town worshipped
with especial reverence a _guaca_, or idol, which they called
Choque Guanca,--“the lord of gold never decreasing.” Another object of
adoration among the earliest inhabitants was the snow-capped Illimani,
its name meaning “everlasting,” though the origin of the word is said
to be Hillemana,--“where the sun rises,”--from the location of the
mountain, which stands eastward of the city. After the conquest, the
cupidity of the Spaniards soon attracted them to the locality where
gold was known to be abundant; and Francisco Pizarro himself visited
the place in 1540, setting apart as his own one of its principal gold
mines, which produced for him a large fortune. During the quarrels
and fighting that marked the years following the conquest, when the
struggle for supremacy separated the conquerors into opposing forces,
Chuquiapu was a central battlefield, from its position midway between
Charcas and the Spanish strongholds in Peru; and it was appropriately
chosen as the site upon which to commemorate the establishment of peace
after the defeat and death of the disturbing warrior, Gonzalo Pizarro.
Consistently with Spanish custom, the founders, after taking possession
in the name of King Charles V., began the building of a church, which
they dedicated to San Pedro; later, King Charles presented the city
with an image of the Virgin of Pilar de Zaragoza as _patrona_,
which to-day is revered as Our Lady of the Assumption. The present
church of San Sebastian is a reconstruction of the San Pedro church.
[Illustration: PRINCIPAL ALTAR IN THE JESUIT TEMPLE, LA PAZ.]
At the time of its foundation the city numbered fifty Spanish
residents; and so slowly did colonists arrive in this remote mountain
retreat, even with the powerful attraction which its mineral resources
held for the adventurous fortune seekers of those days, that a quarter
of a century later the citizens of pure Spanish blood numbered only a
little more than two hundred. Gradually the city was built up, with
plazas, streets, and roads to the outlying country districts, and some
of the buildings erected at that time are still in existence. The
renowned Spanish historian Pedro Cieza de León visited La Paz soon
after the conquest, and the Inca historian Garcilaso de la Vega, to
whom the modern writers on this and previous periods of South American
culture are chiefly indebted, spent some time in the study of its
events. The coat of arms presented by Charles V. is still preserved
as a precious heritage; surmounted by a helmet on which rests a dove
with the olive branch in its beak, the centre shows a garland of roses
intertwined with four serpents, and in the distant perspective a snow
mountain, from the base of which a river flows, having on its opposite
banks the lion and the lamb in peaceful and friendly attitude; the
entire design is emblematic of peace, the border of the shield bearing
the legend: “Discords in harmony, they united in peace and love and
founded the city of La Paz for perpetual memory.”
Although La Paz had its _triste_ scenes of conflict and disaster
in colonial days, it had also its events of great rejoicing and
magnificent display, as upon the occasion when the most illustrious of
the viceroys, Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa, visited the city
in 1572, attended with all the pomp and ceremony that distinguished
a viceregal reception in those days of abounding formalities; the
short residence of his court in its midst converted the City of Peace
into a scene of splendor and gayety, and constituted a social triumph
which remained a proud recollection for years afterward. The viceroy
enacted notable reforms in the administration of the city and province,
especially regarding the government of the Indians, whom he desired,
above all things, to bring within the influences of civilization and
Christian teaching.
[Illustration: AVENIDA ARCE, LA PAZ.]
It was the exception and not the rule when the Spaniards devoted
themselves to the interests of the conquered race; and as the first
century passed, the injustice which had begun against the Indians
was further directed against all the American born, the Spanish
authorities showing favor to immigrants from their own country,
regardless of merit, while the natives of the new country were
oppressed and downtrodden. It was this disposition which first divided
the colony into two opposing parties, and which finally accomplished
its independence from Spain. To La Paz, as has been stated elsewhere,
belongs the honor of having numbered among its sons the redoubtable
hero who raised the standard of “America for the Americans” more
than two hundred years ago. The same city supported one of the most
determined and terrible sieges recorded in history, fighting day and
night for one hundred and sixty-nine days against the memorable attack
of the Indian Tupac-Catari. In recognition of such noble heroism,
the city received from the Spanish crown in 1794 the royal decree
bestowing upon it the title of “most noble, valorous, and faithful.”
The brave commander of the besieged city, Don Sebastian de Segurola,
was made first Governor-Intendent of La Paz, in reward for his services.
Among the precious archives of the city is preserved the story of one
of the greatest heroes of the New World, the patriot Murillo, whose
martyrdom set the seal of glory upon a career of unfailing devotion to
the cause of liberty, and proved a beacon light to illumine the field
of battle and bring courage to the hearts of struggling patriots,
from the Titicaca plateau to the remotest corners of Spanish dominion
in America. Indeed, La Paz was one of the chief centres around which
gathered the lovers of liberty among the oppressed during all the
centuries of colonial rule in Alto Peru; and though the systematic
efforts of the few cultured leaders of republicanism, whose training
had been received in the University of Chuquisaca and fortified by
European travel, brought to a climax the final preparations for the
revolution that swept the Spaniards from the continent, the persistent
and determined fight of the Paceños, through long centuries, had its
powerful effect upon the spirit of the revolution from the beginning.
Since the establishment of the republic, La Paz has continued to play
an important part as the aggressive power in politics; the attitude
of the Paceños has never been a negative one, but, whether right or
wrong, they have been unequivocal in the declaration of their purposes
and meaning. There is something modernly “strenuous” in the La Paz
character. This is shown in the predominating qualities of its leading
men, who have been particularly noted for their great energy, resource,
and self-poise.
[Illustration: CONVENT OF THE CONCEPTION, LA PAZ.]
The population of La Paz, according to the last census, is seventy
thousand, of which about one thousand are foreigners, the Germans
leading in number among those of foreign birth here, as in nearly
all other South American cities. Although the city lies within the
tropics, at sixteen degrees south latitude and sixty-eight degrees west
longitude from Greenwich, its altitude so affects the climate that the
weather is cool even in the hottest months and very cold during the
winter season. The most agreeable months for visiting La Paz are those
of spring, which are September, October, and November in countries
south of the equator. Notwithstanding the formerly isolated position
of the city, its great altitude and the difficulties of communication
with the outside world, the degree of progress attained has been in
some respects remarkable. Until 1903 there was no railway out of the
city, the nearest connecting line being that from Oruro to Antofagasta,
reached only after a two or three days’ ride by diligence from La
Paz to Oruro; and it is only about ten years since the Oruro and
Antofagasta Railway was established in complete and permanent service.
Previous to that time, all the inconveniences attending transportation
over long distances, and with the drawbacks inevitable to the nature
of a mountainous country, had to be overcome by the people of La Paz
in their effort to build up and improve their city. The only freight
system was one of carts, mules, and llamas, and the proverbial
disinclination to haste, which is characteristic of the Indian driver,
and excusable at such great altitude, made the process of construction
slower and even more expensive than it would be under favorable
circumstances. Yet the city has many fine buildings, some of them four
or five stories in height, though the general average is of two-story
construction. The streets are well paved, usually of the same width
as the traditional Spanish _calle_; some of them are of quite
modern appearance. As the city is built, for the greater part, on the
sloping hillsides, walking is only pleasant in the parks and avenues,
for the location of which level ground has been chosen. Owing to its
sheltered location, the difficulties attending the culture of trees and
flowers at such a height are less than might be imagined. The Plaza
Murillo is a beautiful garden, perfumed by the sweetest of roses and
other flowers, and shaded by broad-branching trees, while the Alameda
is an ideal _paseo_, arched by many stately trees, and possessing
the charm of an urban park, with its fountains and pools, and handsome
monuments adorning it, erected to commemorate noted historical events,
or to honor the heroes to whose bravery the nation owes a debt of
eternal gratitude.
[Illustration: PLAZA AND GRAN HOTEL GUIBERT, LA PAZ.]
The Plaza Murillo, to-day a popular breathing space between the ascents
of the hilly streets, and brilliant several evenings each week with the
gayety of passing throngs whose light footsteps keep time to the music
of the inspiring military band, occupies the spot where the first
declaration of Bolivian independence from Spain was proclaimed in 1809,
and where the gibbet was erected upon which the celebrated martyr of
liberty, Pedro Domingo Murillo, paid with his life for declaring the
noble principles of patriotism which all the world has since learned to
honor and admire. It has also been the scene of many thrilling episodes
in the history of the republic, and it was the centre around which
culminated some of the most important climaxes of the civil wars which
from time to time disturbed the peace of the country, until government
was finally established upon a firm basis. Through the initiative of
Señor Don Felipe Pinilla in 1894, the plaza was converted into the
present beautiful park; the handsome fountain of marble adorning the
centre was, however, constructed in 1855, the work of an Indian of
remarkable talent, Feliciano Cantula.
[Illustration: CALLE AMERICA, LA PAZ.]
The Alameda, like the Plaza Murillo, has its historical value, having
been the theatre of war upon many notable occasions. But nothing
more suggestive of peace exists in the city to-day than this avenue
of trees, with its broad driveways, promenades, sequestered resting
places, and its numerous attractions for grown people and children
in the graceful swans of its pools, the goldfish that play in its
fountains, and similar charming features. It is divided into five
avenues, the central _paseo_ being particularly beautiful because
of its adornment, while the outer avenues are paved for vehicles and
promenaders. Rows of trees separate the drives and walks, and give
to the Alameda the appearance of a well-wooded park, which is nearly
half a mile in length. At night it is lighted by twenty large electric
lights, placed at intervals down the central avenue. The main arch of
the gateway at the entrance from the suburban Plaza de la Concordia and
the Avenida Arce was taken from a convent cloister and set up in 1828,
the remaining portals being of much more recent date. On passing out of
the Alameda through the picturesque gateway, the popular _paseo_
is prolonged through the Plaza de la Concordia and the Avenida Arce--or
“12 de Diciembre,” as it has been recently renamed--as far as Obrajes,
about a league from the city. To the south from the Plaza de la
Concordia, and a mile distant, lies Sopocachi, a very pretty suburb
located on the hill of the same name and commanding a superb view.
Potopoto, on the road from the city to Obrajes, is one of the most
fertile and picturesque stretches of the _campiña_, or suburbs,
presenting a perspective of exuberant vegetation; and, overlooking it,
the heights of Santa Barbara offer an attractive site for the erection
of pretty chalets. These suburbs are almost as much frequented as the
Alameda; and as they form an extension of this popular thoroughfare
of leisure, they are being continually improved and beautified to
harmonize with it.
La Paz being the present seat of national government, all the palaces
of the administration are located here, with the exception of the
Supreme Court and the archbishop’s palace, which remain at the official
capital, Sucre. The executive palace occupies a handsome three-story
stone building, overlooking the principal plaza; and facing the same
public square, stand the buildings in which are the offices of the
minister of foreign affairs and those of the minister of justice
and instruction. The presidential palace is of modern construction,
having been built in 1883 to replace the old palace, called El Palacio
Terrible, which was destroyed by fire. The old palace was begun by
General José Ballivian in 1845, and completed by President Belzu in
1852, when it was formally occupied for the first time. It was the
scene of most of the dramatic climaxes which diversified the political
history of Bolivia through the years during which the palace existed,
and it witnessed the vagaries of one or two rulers who seem to have
taken the worst of the Roman emperors for their models.
[Illustration: PUBLIC LIBRARY, LA PAZ.]
With the date of its destruction began a period of peace, signalizing
the political regeneration of the country. President Frias, who made
a temporary palace of the ruined edifice, was one of the best rulers
under the new system. He was opposed to the “gold braid” features
which had been so conspicuous among some of his predecessors, and he
possessed none of the affectations of power. A humorous story, which
not only reveals the democratic spirit of the president, but shows
the _amour propre_ of his aid-de-camp as well, illustrates the
point. While passing along the street, on foot, accompanied by his aid,
President Frias became annoyed by the change of position which his
officer made at every turn in order to keep the curb, and, turning to
the young man, he said: “I don’t like this dancing the quadrille on
the street; please keep your place, without changing it at every turn.”
A few moments later the “quadrille” was repeated, and the president
reprimanded his aid, at the same time explaining that he did not object
to walking next to the curb. “Ah! your excellency,” replied the young
officer, “I do not change on your account, but on my own. Everybody
will think that I do not know the etiquette of the street, which
requires me to walk next to the curb when accompanying the president.”
The story may have been embellished in the telling, but it serves to
illustrate two very different, though thoroughly Bolivian, types of
character.
The building now occupied by the chief executive was finished and
opened, on July 24, 1883, for the inauguration of the National
Exposition to celebrate the first centenary of the birth of Simon
Bolivar, the great liberator. It is rather too small for the purposes
of an executive palace, and will be abandoned on the completion of
the new palace, which is being built on an adjoining corner of the
square. But it presents a very attractive appearance, and is of solid
construction, being built of hewn stone; the corridors which surround
the interior _patio_ are supported by stone pillars, the portico
and grand staircase being of marble. The new palace will be two stories
in height, but much more spacious than the present one; the first floor
will be occupied by the executive, and the second by the legislative
bodies. It will be one of the handsomest modern buildings in La Paz.
[Illustration: A BUSINESS STREET IN LA PAZ.]
[Illustration: CHURCH OF LA MERCED, LA PAZ.]
The magnificent cathedral of La Paz, which has been under construction
for three-quarters of a century, and which, when completed, will
probably be the largest and costliest cathedral built in South America
since the Independence, stands beside the present government palace,
occupying the remainder of that side of the principal plaza. The
cathedral was begun in 1835, but many circumstances have combined to
delay the work, the cost of which is enormous, while the facilities
for carrying it to completion are limited. The original design for the
cathedral was made by a Bolivian architect, Padre Manuel Sanauja, who
was also the architect of the beautiful cathedral of Potosí. In 1843,
the foundations were laid and President Ballivian brought stonecutters
from Europe to teach the natives how to chisel and polish the stones,
so that the work might continue without depending upon foreign help.
The Indians proved very apt pupils and their work is quite as good
as that of their teachers. But it could hardly be expected that an
undertaking of such great importance, and essentially a product of
peaceful conditions, would progress rapidly in the troublous times of
the first fifty years of the republic. It was continually interrupted,
and in 1883 an additional delay was caused by the loss of the plans.
An order was sent to an Italian architect of distinction, Count
Vespignani, the principal architect of the Vatican, to make new plans,
and the work was renewed. After several changes, the direction of
the edifice was given, by a resolution of the government in 1900, to
Señor Camponoro, who, finding Count Vespignani’s plans inadequate,
prepared others, which were adopted. The work is now proceeding with
regularity, and will no doubt be completed soon. The edifice will
have capacity for seating twelve thousand people, and will cover a
surface of four thousand square mètres. It is of Greco-Roman style,
and the interior has five naves, all the pillars which support the
arches being of polished stone. The two towers will reach a height of
nearly two hundred feet, and the central cupola will be one hundred
and fifty feet high. The principal altar will be of _berenguela_,
a native marble, which is found in abundance in several provinces.
About one hundred thousand bolivianos are provided annually for this
colossal work. Besides the cathedral, the city possesses many beautiful
churches; according to statistics, there are thirteen churches, five
public chapels, five convents, and three monasteries. Of these the old
church and convent of San Francisco have peculiar interest, as they
occupy the second church building erected in the city in 1547. The
present edifice was built during the eighteenth century and completed
in 1778, when it was dedicated with impressive ceremonies. Next to the
new cathedral, it is the most beautiful church in La Paz, at least as
seen from the outside, as the façade is entirely composed of carved
stone of exquisite design and workmanship. The interior has three
naves, and there are eight altars, besides the main altar which is of
carved cedar in decorative design. The convent, which can accommodate
two hundred inmates, though only fourteen friars occupy it at present,
has recently been reconstructed with funds provided by the legacy of
Señora Maria Galindo, one of the many rich women of La Paz who have
left fortunes to the church and to charities. Its library is one of
the largest in Bolivia. Another old church is Santo Domingo, which
serves as the cathedral. All the great church pageants and the civic
_fiestas_ are celebrated here. There is little variety in the
architecture of the remaining churches and convents, all of which
follow a similar style. Among the more important of the modern public
buildings, the post office and the building occupied by the Direccion
General de Telegrafos attract attention. The penitentiary of San Pedro
is a large modern structure, and a visit to its various wards is an
interesting experience. It was built during the administration of
President Pacheco, who laid the cornerstone on July 15, 1885. It covers
nine thousand square mètres, and the interior is divided into two
separate wings, one for men and the other for women. The ventilation
and sanitary conditions are fairly good, and the inmates are well cared
for.
[Illustration: CALLE DEL COMERCIO, LA PAZ.]
[Illustration: SUBURBS OF LA PAZ, WITH VIEW OF ILLIMANI IN
THE DISTANCE.]
The National Custom House, which occupies what was formerly part of
the cloister of San Francisco, is one of the public buildings which
is constantly increasing in importance as the commercial life of the
city develops and extends. It is the centre of a busy section; just
across the street, an open-air market attracts the miscellaneous crowd
which is a feature of “Cheapside” all over the world. The principal
market occupies the site of the former convent of the friars of Saint
Augustine. It is centrally located, and is a sight worth seeing on
the popular market days. Not only is the market building full to
overflowing, but all the neighboring streets are packed with people
from one end to the other. Groups of vendors sit along the edge of the
curb, with their vegetables, fruits, and flowers spread in front of
them on the ground; and as there is often a whole family in charge of a
bunch of flowers, the conversation necessary to close even the smallest
bargain would tax the vocabulary of a diplomat. Politeness will often
do more than money to accomplish a desirable purchase. The question
of disposing of her stock seems to be the least of the marketwoman’s
thoughts. Apparently, she seeks first a congenial atmosphere, where
she can share in the general gossip, and then she disposes of her
baby,--there is nearly always a baby, a cunning little brown creature,
good-natured and wide-eyed, and wearing little more than a knitted cap
with earflaps, which finishes in a sharp cone on the crown of its tiny
head,--and she is ready for all who come, and equally contented whether
anyone buys or not, so far as one can tell from her countenance. As
the crowd in the market place often includes sightseers and their
friends, it is not unusual to encounter high hats and frock coats,
Parisian daintiness and tourist severity, in the midst of the more
permanent features of the market, and the effect is like a glimpse of
Broadway or Piccadilly in a Turkish bazaar--though the prevailing type
of marketwoman is more Japanese than Turkish. The “color scheme” of
the La Paz market is one of ravishing splendor. It glows and radiates
like a moving prism under the strong light of the sun on the high
plateau. Wherever there is color it seems intensified, and the bright
blues, yellows, and greens of the _ponchos_ and voluminous velvet
skirts are not more persistent than the tones of the adobe walls in
this neighborhood, painted to match the costumes. Even the vegetables
and the flowers appear dyed in the deepest hues; the sky is bluer,
the fleecy clouds are whiter; it is as if Nature amused herself in
this little corner of her domain by putting great splashes of color
on everything, to offset the severity of her grays and browns in the
dreary stretches of highland plain which she has so prodigally bestowed
on Bolivia, and which geographers call the Altaplanicie.
Leaving the market reluctantly, as foreigners usually do, a sightseeing
tour takes one to numerous other buildings of interest, among them
the Military College in the Alameda, the School of Medicine, the
Intendencia de la Guerra, or War Office, the university, the Museum
and Public Library, and the spacious rooms of the Geographic Society
of La Paz, the best-equipped institution of its kind in this part of
the country. The Municipal Theatre is one of the city’s attractive
features, and the principal club is the favorite resort of the most
prominent men in political, financial, and literary circles. It is
exclusively a man’s club, though receptions and balls are given from
time to time to which the families and friends of the members are
invited. A few months ago the distinguished courtesy of honorary
membership was extended to two North American ladies, the first
“petticoats” to invade this Eveless paradise with the rights of
membership. It afforded an opportunity to see the club under the best
auspices; and the experience served to prove that the best clubs, like
the best gentlemen, are much the same the world over, whether housed
in marble palaces or amid more modest, and often more comfortable,
surroundings. The club building overlooks the Plaza Murillo and its
windows command a view of the evening promenade, when La Paz society
takes its outing under the trees of that pretty park. There are ten
plazas in the city, several of them beautiful: the Plaza Alonzo de
Mendoza was the Churupampa of the inhabitants of Chuquiapu before
the Spaniards came, and is a popular resort for the people of this
district; it is in the northwestern part of the city, near the church
of San Sebastian. Although one fails to notice at first that La Paz
is crossed not only by the Chuquiapu, but by other small rivers, this
fact is made prominent as attention is called to the existence of no
less than twenty-one bridges over these streams in various parts of
the city. The bridges are of solid construction, that of San Francisco
being of iron, and of French manufacture. Nearly all the others are of
stone construction.
Commercially, La Paz is the most important city of Bolivia, and
everything indicates an increase in international trade. A Chamber
of Commerce has been organized to promote business interests, and
the existence of six banks and several banking agencies facilitates
commercial transactions. The industrial enterprises of the city are
growing, the annual production from its manufactures being estimated
at five million bolivianos, though industrial development is in its
infancy. To the prefect of the department. General Fermin Prudencio,
is due much of the credit for public improvements inaugurated within
the past few years. A Municipal Council, composed of twelve members,
has charge of the affairs of the municipality. The city is lighted by
electricity, and has a complete telephone system. It has some modern
conveniences which would be entirely unlooked for in the far-away city
of La Paz, even at the present period of universal progress. Imagine
the surprise of finding a trolley car waiting at the Alto station when
one arrives from Lake Titicaca, ready to take one “coasting” down an
incline of one thousand five hundred feet and around swinging curves,
at a rate of speed that makes automobiling tame sport! A telegraph
system which permits a private conference at one’s leisure with the
remote department capitals, while seated in a comfortable _sala_
of the director-general’s office, is a modern convenience not to be
improved upon. Hotels provided with electric lights and electric bells,
with telephone and messenger service, as at the Gran Hotel Guibert, are
not so behind the times as we are taught to believe everything must be
which is encountered beyond the highways of travel. We are very proud
of the modern conveniences which we enjoy in the great cities of North
America and Europe, such as manufactured ice in summer, and fruits
shipped from the tropics for the Christmas treat; but La Paz sends
messengers in the morning to the ice fields of Illimani and to the
fruit farms of her valleys, and these luxuries are brought back in time
for dinner, fresh from the source of production.
There are few cities of South America which look out on a brighter
prospect than the City of Peace. La Paz lies in the heart of South
America, and when modern enterprise shall develop the vast resources
of that almost unknown continent, then all railroads crossing it must
pass through Bolivia and close to the door of its Andean metropolis. A
few years may be expected to work many changes, but though the patron
saint of the Titicaca plateau may lose a very picturesque identity in
the evolution of a more modern type, there will always be a rare and
peculiar charm about this eloquent symbol of New World ideals, “Nuestra
Señora de La Paz.”
[Illustration: INSTITUTE OF HYGIENE AND BACTERIOLOGY, LA PAZ.]
[Illustration: CHURCH AND PLAZA OF SAN FRANCISCO, LA PAZ.]