The old and the new Peru

by Marie Robinson Wright

Beautiful paseos also lead from Lima to its suburban watering places, the Avenida de Magdalena being one of the most picturesque of these shady drives. Another popular highway is the road from Lima to Callao, along which the viceroys used to make their splendid processions in former days. It is lined part of the way with shade trees and presents an animated spectacle on feast days and holidays, though it is not so generally used since the advent of the railway, as that service has converted into a twenty minutes’ trip what was formerly a journey of hours. It is the chosen route for farmers and fruitsellers on their way to market, and is thronged in the early morning hours by these picturesque venders, usually on donkeys, which bear the products in huge panniers slung at each side. Lima has four market places, the Mercado Concepcion being the largest and most important; it occupies an entire block and has a spacious interior, two stories in height, admitting of the best ventilation. It is considered one of the largest in South America, both as regards the edifice and the abundance of the market supply.

The scene at the market is bright and entertaining, as it is the favorite meeting place for gossip among the market women, and one may hear many a clever bit of repartee between the bargaining purchaser and the nonchalant vender. Local color is vivid in the Mercado Concepcion, as it is wherever there are popular gatherings of the mestizo and the Indian, who give the dominant note; the customs of the Spanish-American of to-day differ little from those of North America, whatever differences exist being due to climate and temperament rather than to traditions. The climate of Lima is very equable, the thermometer seldom rising above seventy degrees or going below sixty degrees Fahrenheit, in the shade. In winter, from May to November, the garúa, a damp fog, prevails, arriving with the morning breeze, which blows from the westward, but passing away when the sun is high, except on cloudy days.

CHURCH OF SANTO DOMINGO.

As the capital of the republic, Lima is the chief centre of political as well as social progress. The president of the republic, his ministers, and the high officials of the various administrative offices reside in Lima, in which are located the national treasury, the mint, and the post office. The mint is an interesting institution, and visitors find its archives both instructive and entertaining. The first money coined in Lima consisted of silver disks, marked on both sides with a cross made by means of a hammer; later, it was stamped with the royal arms on one side and the bust of the reigning monarch on the other. Since the inauguration of the republic, the mint has been entirely reorganized, and provided with modern machinery, constructed in England. It occupies the same site as the original building, erected in 1565. The records of the establishment show that four hundred million silver coins have been turned out in that time, besides gold pieces. At present both gold and silver money is coined, the gold pieces being the libra and the media libra (pound and half pound), equivalent to the English sovereign and the half sovereign; the silver coins are the sol, equivalent to half a dollar gold, and the smaller pieces, the one-half sol, the one-fifth sol, the real (worth five cents, gold), and the one-half real. Copper coins are used, equivalent in value to the English half-penny and farthing. The Lima Mint is to-day one of the best establishments of its kind in South America.

SAN PEDRO, THE FASHIONABLE CHURCH OF LIMA.

Lima is the seat of Congress, of the Supreme Court, and of the general staff of the army, the buildings in which these branches of the government are conducted belonging, not to the municipality, but to the nation. The construction of a new house of Congress is now occupying the attention of the administration. The metropolitan dignitaries of the Church also reside in Lima, His Grace Archbishop Garcia Naranjo, having his palace next to the Cathedral. As Lima is not only the national capital but also the capital of a department and of a judicial district, it is the residence of the prefect and the seat of the superior courts. It is, furthermore, the chief city of the province of Lima and the headquarters of the sub-prefect, as well as of the staff of the six police districts into which that service is divided. The provincial council, or municipality, with all its dependencies, constitutes the local government.

During the administration of the present mayor of Lima, Dr. Federico Elguera, who was recently reëlected for the sixth time, in token of the appreciation of the citizens for his good government, the municipal improvements have been greater and more generally satisfactory than ever before; and each year finds the city more modern in appearance, with better sanitary conditions, and added conveniences of transportation. The electric street car routes now cover the city very thoroughly and connect it with the suburbs by means of a rapid and commodious service. Electricity is also used for lighting, the system being modern and convenient. As a metropolis, Lima provides the usual comforts of city life, in good clubs and hotels; the cab service is excellent, the telephone is found in all public buildings and residences; theatres are open all the year, and a handsome new national theatre is now under construction.

Lima has a population of one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. The general character of the masses is peaceable and the percentage of crime is not large. The police service has been greatly improved during the present administration, the mounted police being recruited and organized by the army authorities, though serving under the orders of the chief of police, who has charge of the entire force. The penitentiary of Lima, the first of its class to be built in America, is a spacious edifice, equipped with modern conveniences, including a complete system of electric lighting; a good library was recently installed for the use and education of the inmates. For protection against fires, Lima has a volunteer brigade, the companies of which are maintained by personal subscription. There are about five hundred volunteer firemen in the capital, divided into companies, which, by their names, reveal the cosmopolitan character of this service. In addition to the “Lima,” “Salvadora,” and “Cosmopolita” companies, the brigade includes also the “Roma,” “Francia,” “Victoria,” and others.