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Show ills Hifflsewt , I , -r..r-r r t r ' i v 5 ' , v ,J Scene in La Paz. ish proved to bo as great lovers of golden ores as the natives, and in 151.j history records the fact that the Span-lard, Span-lard, Alon.o de Meniioza, and 12 companions com-panions founded the present city of La I'az on the silo of the old village. In the City's Streets. As ulready observed, the canyon in which La I'az lies long and narrow; nar-row; it Is also exlremely rugged and interspersed with many small tablelands table-lands nnd mountain peaks, the whole dominated by majestic Illimanl, rearing rear-ing its snow-covered crest to 21,350 feet. In consequence of this uueveu-ness uueveu-ness the streets of the city running parallel with the larger stream are fairly level (Avenida Arce, for Illustration), Illus-tration), while cross streets are necessarily neces-sarily short and In many cases elevated ele-vated at the ends as they approach the sides of the canyon. Some of these streets are extremely steep, while others have been constructed in conformity with the configuration of the hills und are therefore more or less winding. One of the city's widest and most popular residential streets lies in the southeast section and is known us the Alameda, extending half a mile along a level course and adorned with willow, wil-low, eucalyptus, and other handsome trees. Shrubs and flowers are also to be seen, but the extremely high altitude alti-tude appears to have a somewhat blighting effect upon such growth. The Alameda, always more or less animated, ani-mated, is especially alive in late afternoons af-ternoons and on Sundays and holidays, when the elite of social and official life are to be seen walking, driving, or motoring along its course. On passing through a picturesque gateway this popular avenue is prolonged through Plaza Concordia und the Twelfth of December Street to Obrajes. The Iat- ter is three miles distant, and the rid over a very fair motor road or by electric elec-tric line is through an extremely picturesque pic-turesque canyon abounding in novel views for the stranger. The more Important Im-portant streets are well lighted by electricity, the use of which has been expanding considerably in recent years as the motive power for numerous numer-ous industries. Where Murillo Is Honored. La Paz is not unlike other Latin-American Latin-American cities in providing numerous and attractive plazas. The most noted one of the city is that known as Murillo, Mu-rillo, so named in honor of the hero of independence, Pedro Domingo Murillo who gave up his life on this sacred spot in ISO!). The torch of liberty there lighted, however, spread over the continent, and finally resulted in the independence of Bolivia as well as the sister nations by which she is surrounded. sur-rounded. Today in the center of this plaza stands a beautiful monument to Murillo, the patriot honored in the past as at present as one who surrendered sur-rendered life rather than the cause of the people. Once or twice a week a military band, grouped near the monument, monu-ment, discourses soul-stirring if somewhat some-what plaintive airs that please stranger strang-er and citizen alike, as around and around they stroll or sit comfortably on the seats provided for the public A few large trees and many varieties of flowers suited to high altitudes are found in this park. The buildings of La Paz usually strike the stranger with interest. Although Al-though many have been constructed along the lines of Spanish or Spanish-Moorish Spanish-Moorish architecture, the extremelj rugged topography of the place hat been responsible, for local modified tions and unusual features of construction. construc-tion. The cathedral of La Paz, whicS has been building for a number of years, promises to be one of the finest and largest of such structures in all Latin-America. It covers an area ol more than 43,000 square feet and is tc seat at least 12,000 people. Greco-Roman Greco-Roman in style, its great walls have now reached considerable heights, and ; these will be surmounted by towers and a central cupola, the former rising ris-ing to a height of 200 feet above th-Plaza th-Plaza Murillo, upon which the building fronts. LA PAZ, the city of peace, and the metropolis of P.ollvla, stands amid great und majestic majes-tic mountains and In a region of the earlh over which some of the earliest people trod. Only .r0 miles from the country's capital of today lie the ruins of Tlahiianacii, universally conceded to be among mini's most ancient an-cient habitations. The" whole region mirroundlng I'.ollvla's unique capital Is so hoary with age that n man's imaginative imagi-native brain Is puzzled In attempting to conjecture the era of prehistoric construction, says Wllllum A. Keld in the I'.ulletln of the Pan American Union. Scientists further tell us that once upon a time the Andean plateau was scarcely more than half as elevated us today, and that In lands where Po-livla's Po-livla's present gold and silver lie secluded se-cluded the prehistoric Inhabitant tilled his holds of grain. Gradually rising higher and higher with the passing of geological ages, we find the Bolivian plateau at too great an elevation today to-day for the majority of agricultural crops, but a region of the earth lavishly lav-ishly endowed by nature witli almost every variety of mineral. It is near what might lie termed the heart of this mineral plateau, an ureu of (jo.OOO square miles, that Bolivia's modern eapital has grown to be a flourishing city of 82,000 people. Lu I'az de Ayucjtcho, to use the full name adopted after the country attained at-tained its independence (proclaimed Aug. (i, 1S25), is not only unique in its undent surroundings, but the city lies so completely hidden In an enormous canyon or vent in the plateau that in Journeying thither we come very suddenly sud-denly to the great abyss und are held breathless for the irtoment until one's senses nre collected and the beauty of the panorama takes the place of awe ami surprise. This great canyon is about ten miles long, three miles wide, l.fiOO feet deep, and In form somewhat like that of an exaggerated letter U, opening southward. Some scientists believe that in past ages it was the outlet of Lake Titicaea, when possibly that body of water was connected w!th the upper Amazon river. Approaching Ap-proaching La Paz by any of the three railways leading thither the sides of the canyon appear to be almost perpendicular; per-pendicular; yet engineering skill has marvelously wound two railroads down these precipitous sides, presenting at every turn u gorgeous panorama. The clear, crisp uir, the mineral colorings of the mountain sides, the red tile roofs and the bright shades of the houses in the distance, the green patches of trees here and there, the flowing rivulets and larger streams, the snow-covered peaks, together with the gay colors always worn by the humbler natives, combine to form a pleasing and lasting picture. , Fl Alto, a terra used to designate the llttie railroad station near the edge of the canyon, stands as already noted about 1,500 feet above the city, while the latter is 12,700 feet higher than the sea. La Paz being only 300 miles from the Pacific, we can form an idea of the steep climb made by the railways in order to reach this inland in-land country. Supplanted Sucr! as Capital. We speak of La Paz as being the capital of Bolivia and thereby confuse the minds of those not fully acquainted acquaint-ed with the facts. Sucre, formerly called Charcas, is the legal capital of the republic, but largely on account of accessibility and growing commercial importance La Paz became the actual seat of government more than 20 years ago. In the latter city the president and his official advisers reside, the nation's na-tion's congress meets there, and it is the residence of the foreign diplomats accredited to Bolivia; but the supreme court of the country still holds its sessions ses-sions at Sucre. The distance between the two cities is about 300 miles ; but the more rapid growth of La Paz, especially es-pecially since the completion of the three rail routes to the Pacific, seems to accentuate the desirability of La Paz over Sucre as the capital of the nation. The coming of the first settlers to the location where La Paz now stands is enveloped in the mists of time. It Is said, however, that specks of gold In the streams that flow down from the mountain sides and through the valley were a sufficient attraction to draw thither the aborigines during the reign of the fourth Inca ; and in former form-er days, as at present, shelter was one of man's comforts and necessities. Gradually little huts made their appearance ap-pearance along the streams, and thus Chuchlabo and Chuquiyapu, as it was called in turn, had its origin from j ubout 1185 to 1190. Later, the Span- |