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--- a/44692-0.txt
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-The Project Gutenberg eBook, Journeys and Experiences in Argentina,
-Paraguay, and Chile, by Henry Stephens
-
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
-almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
-re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
-with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
-
-
-
-
-
-Title: Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile
-       Including a Side Trip to the Source of the Paraguay River in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, and a Journey Across the Andes to the Rio Tambo in Peru
-
-
-Author: Henry Stephens
-
-
-
-Release Date: January 18, 2014  [eBook #44692]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-
-***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN
-ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE***
-
-
-E-text prepared by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed
-Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made
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-
-
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44692 ***
 
 Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
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@@ -13236,363 +13200,4 @@ Transcriber's note:
 
   On page 407, "cue" should possibly be "clue."
 
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+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44692 ***
diff --git a/44692-0.zip b/44692-0.zip
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@@ -1,13598 +0,0 @@
-The Project Gutenberg eBook, Journeys and Experiences in Argentina,
-Paraguay, and Chile, by Henry Stephens
-
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
-almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
-re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
-with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
-
-
-
-
-
-Title: Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile
-       Including a Side Trip to the Source of the Paraguay River in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, and a Journey Across the Andes to the Rio Tambo in Peru
-
-
-Author: Henry Stephens
-
-
-
-Release Date: January 18, 2014  [eBook #44692]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
-
-
-***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN
-ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE***
-
-
-E-text prepared by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed
-Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made
-available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org)
-
-
-
-Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
-      file which includes the original illustrations.
-      See 44692-h.htm or 44692-h.zip:
-      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44692/44692-h/44692-h.htm)
-      or
-      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44692/44692-h.zip)
-
-
-      Images of the original pages are available through
-      Internet Archive. See
-      https://archive.org/details/journeysexperien00step
-
-
-Transcriber's note:
-
-      Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
-
-
-
-
-
-  [Illustration: Henry Stephens, Ph.D.]
-
-
-  [Illustration: Locust Pest in Argentina
-
-   Estancia, Santa Isabel, Province Buenos Aires]
-
-
-  [Illustration: Snow in the Tropics
-
-   Plaza Pringlés, San Luis, July, 1913]
-
-
-  [Illustration: Reflection of Aconcagua Volcano in the Clouds above
-   Valparaiso
-
-   This rare phenomenon is occasionally seen in April and September at
-   dawn. The mountain itself is invisible from Valparaiso.]
-
-
-JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE
-
-Including a side trip to the source of the Paraguay River
-in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, and a journey
-across the Andes to the Rio Tambo in Peru
-
-by
-
-HENRY STEPHENS
-
-Harvard, A.B., Vienna, Ph.D.
-
-FIRST EDITION
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-The Knickerbocker Press
-New York
-1920
-
-Copyright
-By
-Henry Stephens
-1920
-
-
-
-
-     TO
-     MR. H. L. MENCKEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
-     WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE AMERICA'S FOREMOST CRITIC
-     OF LITERATURE I GLADLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK OF TRAVELS
-
-
-
-
-CONTENTS
-
-
-  CHAPTER I
-
-                                                                    PAGE
-
-  MONTEVIDEO                                                           1
-
-  Experience in landing. Population of the city. Conservativeness
-  of the inhabitants. Gambling establishment at Playa Ramirez.
-  Train ride to Colonia.
-
-  CHAPTER II
-
-  BUENOS AIRES                                                        21
-
-  Population of the city. Streets and architecture. High cost of
-  living. Hotels. Beverages. Street beggars and vagabonds. Mariano
-  Moreno College. Habit of not bathing. Jews. La Plata.
-
-  CHAPTER III
-
-  SAN LUIS                                                            62
-
-  Appearance of the city. Capitol. Plazas. Hotels. Neighboring
-  country. Character of the natives. Train ride to Mendoza.
-
-  CHAPTER IV
-
-  MENDOZA                                                             78
-
-  Viticulture. Fruit growing. Wheat. Population and appearance of
-  the city. Earthquake of 1861. Cerrito de la Gloria. Hotels.
-  Aconcagua. Cacheuta. Across the Andes. Arrival in town of Los
-  Andes.
-
-  CHAPTER V
-
-  SALTA AND TUCUMÁN                                                  101
-
-  Train ride to Salta. Lerma Valley. Province of Salta. Chuchu
-  fever. Population of the city of Salta. 20th of February Club.
-  Churches and San Francisco Monastery. Population of the city of
-  Tucumán. Capitol. Governor Padilla. Heat of the city. Hotel
-  Savoy. Kirwin the photographer. Villa Nougués.
-
-  CHAPTER VI
-
-  CÓRDOBA                                                            130
-
-  Province of Córdoba. Description of the city of Córdoba. Great
-  number of consumptives. Breweries. Streets, religious edifices,
-  and hotels. Sierra de Córdoba. Cosquin. Locust pest. Rosario; its
-  hotels. Pergamino. Mercedes.
-
-  CHAPTER VII
-
-  ASUNCION                                                           155
-
-  Train ride from Buenos Aires. Population of Paraguayan districts
-  and towns. Don Eduardo Schaerer. Currency. Colonnades. Pavement
-  of Asuncion's streets. Oratory of Lopez. Climate, rains, and
-  reptiles. Madame Lynch. Hotels. Mangrullo Cemetery. Market-place.
-  Cigars. Low cost of living. Asuncene womanhood. Unmorality.
-  Ypacara-i.
-
-  CHAPTER VIII
-
-  TO THE SOURCE OF THE PARAGUAY RIVER                                195
-
-  River scenery. Villa Concepcion. San Salvador. State of Matto
-  Grosso. Corumbá. Lawlessness. By water to Cuyabá. City of Cuyabá.
-  Huber. Detour to source of river. Bog and pool. Huber becomes
-  ill; his death. Diamantino. Return to Buenos Aires by river.
-  Yerba maté.
-
-  CHAPTER IX
-
-  SANTIAGO                                                           226
-
-  Republic of Chile. Central Valley. Longitudinal railways. Paucity
-  of factories. Breweries. The Chileno. Illegitimacy. Fiesta of the
-  Angelito. Reception in Santiago. Compactness of the city; its
-  streets. Installation of the president. Military parade. American
-  ambassador. Hotels. High death rate. General Cemetery. Apoquindo.
-
-  CHAPTER X
-
-  BATHS OF CAUQUENES. CHILOÉ ISLAND. LAKE NAHUEL. HUAPI              263
-
-  Rancagua. Baths of Cauquenes. Hostelry. Horseback ride to Los
-  Lirios. Linares. Panimávida. Araucania and its native
-  inhabitants. Temuco. Valdivia. Osorno. Fire at Osorno. Ancud.
-  Castro. Lake Llanquihue. El Tronador Puella. Puerto Blest. Lake
-  Nahuel Huapi. San Carlos de Bariloche.
-
-  CHAPTER XI
-
-  CHILLÁN. ASCENT OF THE VOLCANO CHILLÁN                             312
-
-  Description of the city. Hotel de France. Earthquake. Chillán
-  Viejo. Birthplace of O'Higgins. Journey to Las Termas de Chillán.
-  Establishment of Las Termas. Gambling. Episode of the
-  administrator's brother. Snowfields and glaciers. Eruption of
-  volcano. Don Vicente Mendez U. Curicó.
-
-  CHAPTER XII
-
-  NORTHWARD TO ANTOFAGASTA BY RAIL. COPIAPÓ, ANTOFAGASTA, AND        347
-  IQUIQUE
-
-  Greenberg's adventure. San Felipe. Jahuel. Palm groves. Choapa
-  Valley. Illapel. La Serena. Vallenar. Oasis of Copiapó.
-  Retrogressant provincial capital. Professor Platner. Desert.
-  Prosperity of Antofagasta. Strict prohibition laws. Bubonic
-  plague. Pestilential Tocopilla. Description of Iquique.
-
-  CHAPTER XIII
-
-  ARICA TO ILO OVERLAND, VIA TACNA, TARATA, AND MOQUEGUA. MOLLENDO   387
-
-  Dr. Petit. Morro of Arica. Dispute between Chile and Peru over
-  Tacna and Arica. Architect Pitaud. Description of Tacna. Peculiar
-  architecture. Hotel Raiteri. Don Santiago Carmona. Caplina
-  Valley. Ascending the Andes, Tarata. Parish priest. Tales of
-  buried treasure. Hacienda Carmona. Ticalco and Sama Valleys.
-  Stupidity of Peruvian jefe politico. Ilabaya. Dishonest cholo and
-  Prat's spree. Don José Vergara. Moquegua. Ilo. Stinking Mollendo.
-  Arrival at Callao.
-
-  CHAPTER XIV
-
-  LIMA                                                               434
-
-  Architecture of Callao. Mixed population of Lima and its seaport.
-  Origin of Lima. Rimac River. Interesting city. Its population.
-  Confusion of street names. Concepcion Market. Religious edifices
-  and procession of El Milagro. Hotels and cafés. Difficulty in
-  getting money changed. Crookedness of post office officials.
-  General Cemetery. Viceroys of Peru.
-
-  CHAPTER XV
-
-  ACROSS THE CORDILLERA TO THE RIO TAMBO                             470
-
-  Departure from Oroya. Across the Cumbre. Tarma. Valley of the Rio
-  Palca. Huacapistana. Tropical vegetation. Swinging bridges. San
-  Ramon. La Merced and the Chanchamayo River. Chuncho, Campas, and
-  Cashibo Indians. Perené Colony. Down the Ucayali. Iquitos. Head
-  hunting Indians.
-
-  CHAPTER XVI
-
-  BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE               496
-
-  Knowledge of Spanish and of the Latin character a necessity.
-  Companies should be fully capitalized. Wheat belt of Argentina.
-  Argentina poor in fuel and in minerals. Zona del Riego. Flour
-  mills and beef canning factories. Stock raising and great
-  ranches. Tannic acid factories. Grafting politicians. Breweries
-  and sugar mills. Yerba maté industry in Paraguay. Bright outlook
-  for Chile. Topography of the country. Nitrate, minerals, and
-  viticulture. Breweries. Enamel works. Railroads of Chile. Great
-  need of good hotels.
-
-
-
-
-ILLUSTRATIONS
-
-
-                                                         PAGE
-  Henry Stephens, Ph.D.
-  Locust Pest in Argentina
-  Snow in the Tropics
-  Reflection of Aconcagua in the Clouds above
-    Valparaiso  _Frontispieces_
-  Colonia, Uruguay                                         19
-  Congress Building, Buenos Aires                          23
-  Buenos Aires Types                                       25
-  Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires                            27
-  Mr. Oliver H. Lane                                       29
-  Calle Bartolome Mitré, Buenos Aires                      31
-  Fireman and Policeman, Buenos Aires                      33
-  Zoölogical Garden, Buenos Aires                          35
-  Scene on the River at Tigre                              53
-  Station of the Southern Railway, La Plata                55
-  Old Railway Station, La Plata                            56
-  Bank of the Argentine Nation, La Plata                   57
-  Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires, La Plata           58
-  Allegorical Statue of La Plata                           59
-  Unfinished Cathedral, La Plata                           60
-  Plaza San Martin, Mercedes                               63
-  Street in San Luis                                       65
-  Bank of the Argentine Nation, San Luis                   66
-  Capitol, San Luis                                        68
-  Matriz Church, San Luis                                  70
-  Estancia near San Luis                                   73
-  Statue of San Martin, Mendoza                            84
-  Avenida San Martin, Mendoza                              85
-  Monument to the Army of the Andes, Mendoza               89
-  Waiting for the Train at Cacheuta                        94
-  On the Terrace at Cacheuta                               95
-  Thermal Establishment at Cacheuta                        97
-  One of the Diversions at Cacheuta that is neither
-    Bathing nor Gambling                                   98
-  Steps at Cacheuta Leading from the Railroad
-    Station to the Hotel                                   99
-  Güemes                                                  107
-  Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, Salta                    109
-  Tomb in Cemetery, Salta                                 113
-  Calle Mitre, Salta                                      116
-  Capitol, Tucumán                                        121
-  Calle Laprida, Tucumán                                  123
-  Residence of Dr. Juan C. Nougués, San Pablo             127
-  Country House at Villa Nougués                          128
-  Northern Market, Córdoba                                133
-  Cathedral of Córdoba                                    137
-  Residence of Martin Ferreyra, Córdoba                   138
-  Church of Santa Teresa, Córdoba                         139
-  Zoölogical Garden, Córdoba                              141
-  Corner of Plaza San Martin, Córdoba                     142
-  Bridge on Road to Dique San Roque                       144
-  Courthouse, Rosario                                     147
-  Street Scene, Rosario                                   148
-  Plaza 25 de Mayo, Rosario                               149
-  Street Scene, Rosario                                   150
-  Calle San Nicolas, Pergamino                            151
-  Plaza 25 de Mayo, Pergamino                             152
-  Street in Mercedes                                      153
-  Scene from Railroad Station at Villa Rica               162
-  Casa de Gobierno, or Capitol, Asuncion                  167
-  Drawing Showing Construction of Colonnades on
-    a Paraguayan Building                                 170
-  Cabildo, or City Hall, Asuncion                         171
-  Plazoleta del Puerto, Asuncion                          172
-  Calle Palmas, Asuncion                                  173
-  Calle 15 de Agosto, Asuncion                            174
-  Street Scene, Outskirts of Asuncion                     175
-  Mangrullo Cemetery, Asuncion                            184
-  Street Scene, Cuyabá                                    205
-  Street Scene, Outskirts of Cuyabá                       206
-  Source of the Paraguay River                            213
-  House in Diamantino where Huber Died                    220
-  Diagram Showing Idea of Central Valley of Chile
-    in Relationship to the Andes Mountains and
-    the Coast Range, with Course of Streams               227
-  Scenery, Central Valley of Chile                        229
-  Village Scene, Central Chile                            230
-  The Valdivia Breweries Company, Valdivia                233
-  Santa Lucia Hill, Santiago                              239
-  General View of Santiago from Santa Lucia Hill          241
-  Alameda, Santiago                                       242
-  Calle Huerfanos, Santiago                               243
-  Modern Residence on the Alameda, Santiago               244
-  Calle Ejercito Liberador, Santiago                      245
-  Fountain in Santiago                                    247
-  President Don Juan Luis Sanfuentes of Chile with
-    Cabinet                                               248
-  Monument of Don Pedro Montt, Cementerio Jeneral,
-    Santiago                                              249
-  View Looking West on Compañia Street from
-    Estado at the Plaza de Armas, Santiago                251
-  Cathedral Street, Santiago                              252
-  Mapocho River near Santiago                             256
-  Street in Nuñoa, Chile                                  261
-  Plaza O'Higgins, Rancagua                               264
-  Calle Bresil, Rancagua                                  265
-  Street in Rancagua                                      266
-  Gorge of the Cachapoal at Baños de Cauquenes            268
-  Main Street of Linares                                  277
-  Panimávida                                              278
-  Bridge over the Malleco River at Collipulli             283
-  Street in Temuco                                        287
-  Plaza de la Republica, Valdivia                         289
-  Calle-Calle River at Valdivia, Showing Flour
-    Mills                                                 291
-  Street in Valdivia                                      292
-  Riñihue Landscape, Southern Chile                       293
-  Osorno                                                  295
-  Scenery on the Railroad between Osorno and
-    Puerto Montt                                          297
-  Indian Belles, Chiloé Island, Chile                     301
-  Lake Todos Santos from Petrohué                         304
-  Puella                                                  306
-  El Tronador, Chile                                      308
-  San Carlos de Bariloche                                 311
-  Plaza O'Higgins, Chillán                                314
-  Calle Roble, Chillán, Looking East from Calle
-    Arauco                                                315
-  Street in Chillán                                       316
-  Market Place, Chillán                                   317
-  Scene at the Station at Pinto                           322
-  Post Station at La Dehesa                               323
-  Harvesting Scene at La Dehesa                           324
-  Mountain in the Renegado Canyon, Chile                  325
-  Corral of Las Trancas                                   326
-  Forest in the Province of Ñuble, Chile                  327
-  Scene on the Road to Termas de Chillán                  328
-  Termas de Chillán                                       329
-  Casuchas at Termas de Chillán                           330
-  Mr. Henry Stephens                                      333
-  Mr. Hugo Gumprecht                                      333
-  View towards the Argentine Frontier from the
-    Slopes of Volcano Chillán                             334
-  Glacier Covered with Fresh Snow on the Volcano          335
-  Rim of the Crater of Volcano Chillán During
-    Eruption                                              337
-  Snow Fields of Volcano Chillán                          337
-  From the Slopes of Volcano Chillán                      339
-  Savedra, Gumprecht, and Prat on Lava Fields of
-    Volcano Chillán                                       339
-  Mountain Scenery and Waterfall at Las Trancas           343
-  Church in San Felipe                                    348
-  City Hall, San Felipe                                   349
-  Street in San Felipe                                    352
-  Street in Almendraz                                     353
-  Jahuel                                                  356
-  Ocoa                                                    359
-  Street in Vallenar                                      362
-  Alameda in Copiapó                                      363
-  Monument Erected in Honor of Atacama's Illustrious
-    Dead, Copiapó                                         364
-  Main Street of Copiapó                                  365
-  Main Street of Copiapó                                  366
-  Outskirts of Copiapó                                    367
-  Hovels on the Outskirts of Copiapó                      368
-  Cemetery, Copiapó                                       369
-  Plaza Colon, Antofagasta                                374
-  Provincial Capitol Building, Antofagasta                375
-  Street in Antofagasta                                   377
-  Street in Tocopilla                                     380
-  Cemeteries at Tocopilla                                 382
-  Street in Iquique                                       384
-  Street in Iquique                                       385
-  Cemetery, Iquique                                       386
-  Custom House, Arica                                     388
-  Street in Arica                                         389
-  Capitol Building at Tacna                               392
-  Street in Tacna Showing Earthquake Proof Houses         393
-  Calle Bolivar, Tacna                                    394
-  Fountain in Tacna                                       395
-  Unfinished Cathedral in Tacna                           396
-  Style of Tacna Architecture                             397
-  Old Residence, Tacna                                    398
-  Street in Tacna                                         399
-  Calle Miller, Tacna                                     400
-  Alameda, Tacna                                          401
-  Street in Tarata                                        406
-  Street in Ilabaya, Peru                                 423
-  Alameda, Moquegua                                       426
-  Street in Moquegua                                      428
-  Street in Moquegua                                      429
-  Callao Harbor                                           435
-  Puente Vieja, Lima, as Seen from the Bed of the
-    Rimac                                                 438
-  Calle Huallaga, Lima                                    440
-  Plaza Italia, Lima. Vendors of Bread                    441
-  Plazuela de la Inquisicion, Lima                        442
-  Boulevard in Lima                                       444
-  Façade of San Augustin Church, Lima                     447
-  Procession of the Milagro, Lima                         449
-  Cercado Church, Lima                                    460
-  Tomb of the Goyeneche Family, in the General
-    Cemetery, Lima                                        461
-  Mr. Kurt Waldemar Linn of New York                      462
-  Mr. Linn of New York Rising out of the Tomb
-    Erected in Honor of the Peruvian Heroes of
-    the Pacific War, 1879-1882                            463
-  Corpse Bearer, General Cemetery, Lima                   464
-  Putting a Coffin into a Niche, General Cemetery,
-    Lima                                                  465
-  Llamas at Casapalca                                     474
-  Tarma, Peru                                             477
-  Cemetery, Tarma                                         479
-  Argentine Plazas. Plate No. I                           521
-  Argentine Plazas. Plate No. II                          523
-  Chilean Plazas. Plate No. III                           525
-  Map Showing Route Taken by Author                  _At End_
-
-
-
-
-Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I
-
-MONTEVIDEO
-
-
-In my former book, _South American Travels_, I made a statement
-relative to the pronunciation of the word "Montevideo" as follows:
-"Many foreigners make the mistake of pronouncing the name of the
-city with the accent on its penultima 'e'. Each syllable should be
-pronounced alike, with no distinction made as onto which syllable
-the accent falls." I have since found out that I was wrong, and am
-convinced so by my losing a ten-dollar bet with a gentleman relative
-to the pronunciation of the Uruguayan metropolis. Montevideo has its
-accent on the penultima. The word is derived from the Latin "_Montem
-video_" the final _m_ in _montem_ having been dropped to facilitate
-pronunciation. Its site was first discovered by Magellan in 1520, and
-as the 493 feet high dun-colored _cerro_, which dominates the western
-side of the harbor on whose shores the city is now built, appeared on
-the occidental horizon, somebody at the bow of the ship yelled out,
-"Montem video" ("I see a mountain"), which words gave the city its
-present name. It can be safely assumed that the man at the bow who
-uttered the Latin exclamation was a priest or a friar because who
-amongst a crew of sailors and adventurers would have a knowledge of
-Latin unless it was a man who had taken Holy Orders? The Spaniards
-and Portuguese in those days never embarked on any expedition without
-taking some of these gentry along.
-
-Montevideo is sometimes called "Queen of La Plata" on account of its
-cleanliness, haughty reserve, and aristocratic appearance; more often
-has it been styled "Modern Troy" due to decades of internecine strife,
-anarchy, revolutions, and a Ten Years' War. Now that there has been
-quietude for several years, with prospects of continued peace, it is
-unfair to its inhabitants to liken it to the prehistoric city at the
-southeastern end of the Hellespont.
-
-Several times during the years 1915 and 1916, I visited Montevideo,
-having made occasional trips from Buenos Aires, but an episode
-connected with my last advent on Uruguayan shores will take an
-indefinitely long time to erase it from my memory. It was like this:
-
-On February 17, 1916, I had embarked on the Lamport & Holt steamship
-_Vestris_ at La Plata for Montevideo to bid farewell to friends
-returning to the United States. The steamer was scheduled to sail from
-Montevideo at 2 P.M. the next day.
-
-When that time came I was in the dining room, and was so engrossed in
-a conversation that appealed to me that I never heard the ringing of
-bells and the blowing of whistles that denote that an ocean leviathan
-is about to get under way. Suddenly an acquaintance, Mr. Lynn B. Packer
-of Norwich, N. Y., ran into the dining room calling out: "The ship is
-in motion, Stephens, we are in for it!" We both ran up the stairs and
-onto the deck. True enough, the _Vestris_ was sailing but at a snail's
-pace, and the anchor was being pulled up. The lighter containing the
-visitors had left and was now but a black speck behind the breakwater.
-Not even a fishing boat was in sight. We ran to the port side, and saw
-a few hundred feet away a rowboat in which were two men pulling away.
-We yelled to them and waved our handkerchiefs; they stopped. We took
-off our coats and waved them also; they swung their rowboat around
-and rowed back towards us. A steward and a couple of sailors got a
-rope-ladder which they hung over the railing of the deck, and down
-this Packer and myself clambered, and jumped into the rowboat which had
-now reached the sides of the _Vestris_. The two men of the rowboat now
-pulled out to let the ocean liner pass by, so as not to get caught in
-the vortex of water caused by the propellers.
-
-The sea was rough; a leaden sky cast a gloomy canopy over the leaden
-water; to the left rose the dun-colored cerro crowned by its prison
-and lighthouse. In the background nearly two miles away, seemed to rise
-in tiers, the somber buildings of drab Montevideo, the twin towers of
-the cathedral, the Gothic steeple of a church, and a large rectangular
-pile at the water's edge, which was formerly the university, being
-silhouetted against the sky line. Black hulls of ships, merchantmen,
-and freighters flying the flags of most civilized nations, besides the
-interned German ships of the Kosmos Line, dotted the harbor and the
-open sea outside of the breakwater, but we were at least half a mile
-from the nearest one of them.
-
-We now began to size up the two boatmen. They were a villainous
-looking pair. The one who acted as the boss was an undersized man about
-thirty-five years old. He wore a black moustache, and about two weeks
-stubble of beard. His hair was unkempt, and white mucus had collected
-at the corners of his mouth and eyes. He stunk of garlic, and his
-clothes were dirty and greasy. His companion was a tall and slender
-man, a few years his junior. His appearance was likewise unkempt,
-although his long face, covered with pimples, was clean shaven, except
-for an occasional straggling whisker on his chin which his razor had
-overlooked.
-
-The boss boatman, knowing me to be a North American, attempted to
-converse with me in English, but his knowledge of that tongue was
-so execrable that he soon had to desist; he knew but a few words of
-Spanish. By mixing lingoes we made ourselves understood and he informed
-me that he was a resident of Rio de Janeiro, of which city he was a
-native, and that he was at present employed as a doctor on a Brazilian
-passenger ship in Montevideo, and that his regular trips were from
-Manaos on the Amazon to Montevideo, touching at all the seaports; his
-comrade, he informed me, was a Paulista and was the Marconi operator on
-the same ship. Both had been making a visit to the different ships now
-anchored in Montevideo harbor, having had chats with the doctors and
-Marconi-men of said ships, and were returning to their own vessel when
-hailed by us.
-
-This yarn I refused to believe, for no man that I had ever seen had
-a more unmedical appearance than the boss boatman; moreover instead
-of attempting to row us to the docks, both men were rowing towards
-the Brazilian vessel, which we were approaching, and which belied its
-title of a passenger ship, having more the appearance of a freighter.
-The sea, as I said, was rough, and I yelled to the boatmen to swing
-around as I had no desire to be carried into the South Atlantic in an
-open boat; my misgivings were not so much on account of the elements,
-as for the thought that I became obsessed with, namely that these two
-vagabonds were trying to shanghai us, endeavoring to get us aboard
-the Brazilian ship. Montevideo, Valparaiso, and Callao are noted as
-tough ports, where shanghaiing is rife, and many of these stories were
-brought to my mind. To Packer, who lay reposing in the stern, I told
-my doubts. He replied that he had been thinking the same thing for
-some time. I told him the best thing for us to do would be to ask for
-the oars so that we could row back to shore ourselves; in case the
-boatmen refused, to rush them, and lay them out. He said he was game
-for a fight but refused to row, giving some excuse which I interpreted
-in meaning that he was too lazy. I had nothing but a pocket knife with
-me, and in case of a fight, meant to plant the blade in some vulnerable
-spot in the anatomy of the boss boatman, whom I took to be the boss
-villain.
-
-We had gradually been drifting out in the open sea, and the waves were
-becoming rougher. These were also unpleasant thoughts, especially since
-during the last few minutes the Brazilians had developed a streak of
-laziness. Packer gave me a wink which was the cue, and I asked for the
-oars. Great was my astonishment and also relief of mind, when instead
-of refusing my request which would have brought on a sanguinary fight
-with possible loss of life to one or more of us, the boss boatman
-handed me the oars. The Paulista, ready for a siesta, even though the
-sea was rough, dropped his oars beside his comrade, and turned over
-on his side for a snooze. All alone, with no help, I had to row the
-three occupants back, as each refused to labor any more. It took me two
-hours, hard pulling, before we again reached the dock at Montevideo.
-Believing that the "doctor" stunt was a lie, and that both were sailors
-from the Brazilian vessel, I offered the boatmen a piece of change for
-their aid in bringing us to terra firma, for unless they had taken us
-in their rowboat we would by this time be well under way for Santos.
-The boss boatman was indignant and informed me that I was insulting
-him. I then handed out some silver to the "Marconi" operator; he was
-on the point of accepting it, but withdrew his hand at a growl of
-disapproval from the "doctor."
-
-"You had better have some refreshment," I said to them, leading the way
-to a nearby bar. They followed me and seating themselves at the same
-table with us, ordered some raspberry soda. This was astonishment No.
-2, for I could hardly conceive such villainous-looking rascals imbibing
-anything milder than one hundred proof whiskey.
-
-"See this ring," quoth the Fluminense, turning a finger to me so
-that I could see within the gold setting, a black stone in which was
-chiselled the image of a serpent: "It denotes the cult of Æsculapius.
-Most Brazilian doctors wear them. I have been on the same ship for
-three years. Here is my card." The man pulled a book out of his pocket
-similar to a lodge pass-book at home, and true enough I saw that he was
-telling the truth, and that he really was a bona fide physician.
-
-We must have sat at the table for about fifteen minutes, when the
-Marconi operator got into a row with the waiter, whom he claimed
-overcharged him the day before on a dish of ice cream. The waiter
-called the proprietor and a big rumpus occurred. It wound up by the
-Paulista pulling a fist full of nickle-in-the-slot machine slugs out
-of his pocket and hurling them with great force into the face of the
-outraged proprietor. Before he could recover his astonishment, both
-Brazilians "beat it" in the direction of the docks. Packer and I,
-anticipating trouble, also "beat it," but up the hill. No man likes
-to chase another up hill. In case any reader of this article should go
-to Montevideo, and would like to know where this particular café is, I
-wish to inform him that it is situated at the southwest corner of the
-streets, Rampla and Alzaibar.
-
-That same night as I was standing on the Plaza Matriz in front of
-the Hotel Lanata, I was accosted by a very clean-looking gentleman,
-immaculately dressed in black, wearing spats, and carrying a small
-cane. I thought it was a case of mistaken identity and was about
-to pass on, when to my amazement I recognized the doctor. The
-transformation was complete. He could now pass for a boulevardier while
-before he had the air of a cutthroat. He informed me that he had rowed
-back to his ship, changed his attire, and had returned to shore by a
-motor boat.
-
-The city of Montevideo has about four hundred thousand inhabitants
-exclusive of suburbs, and stretches over quite an area of land, due to
-the broad streets and lowness of its houses. It is built around the
-harbor and also along the Atlantic Ocean which is separated from the
-harbor by a hill in the shape of a whaleback. At the western end of the
-harbor is the cerro which marks the mouth of the La Plata and which is
-the only hill worthy of the name until that of Lambaré is reached one
-thousand miles up the river, the landmark for Asuncion. The whaleback
-is the business part of the city, although the shopping district has
-now a tendency to spread more eastward. The gradient to the top of
-the whaleback on which lies the Calle Sarandi, one of the principal
-streets of the city, is gentle, but yet I have several acquaintances
-who refused to walk it, preferring to go from the docks to the Plaza
-Matriz in a taxicab. One of these men is Mr. Oliver H. Lane, formerly
-of Washington before that city was made "dry," but who, because that
-calamity befell the National Capital, moved to Boston. One day in
-December, 1915, he, Packer, and I started from the docks uptown on
-foot. After we had gone two blocks, Lane planted his back against the
-wall of a building and said:
-
-"What do you take me for? Do you think I want to walk to Paraguay?"
-
-As there were no taxicabs around, Packer and I were obliged to walk
-about three-quarters of a mile to the Plaza Matriz to get one to return
-for Lane, whom we found in the same identical spot with his back still
-against the wall.
-
-Montevideo ranks according to the tonnage of vessels entering and
-clearing its harbor as the ninth port in the world, surpassing all
-South American cities in this respect. Until about fifty years ago,
-it was the metropolis of the La Plata watershed. About that time
-Buenos Aires passed it, and to-day the population of the Argentine
-metropolis is four times larger. Montevideo has a fine harbor; Buenos
-Aires has none. The Uruguayan back country is richer than the country
-behind Buenos Aires. Montevideo has a wonderful climate, cool,
-invigorating, with a fresh breeze always blowing; Buenos Aires has
-a humid, enervating, somewhat depressing climate. With these natural
-superiorities, one would think Montevideo would outrank Buenos Aires
-but not so. Buenos Aires has always had a spirit of progression, which
-has become contagious and has spread to Rosario, and to Bahia Blanca;
-Montevideo has always been conservative, entirely wrapped in herself,
-indifferent to other cities. Uruguay, which is the smallest republic in
-South America, has an area of only 72,210 square miles, not as large
-as the province of Buenos Aires alone. Of its population of 1,042,668
-inhabitants, one half live within a radius of twenty miles from the
-center of the city of Montevideo. The difference between Buenos Aires
-and Montevideo is so great that it is difficult to realize that they
-are separated only by a night's run of 190 knots.
-
-The topography of the city is a succession of low hills which flank
-the harbor. They continue to the cerro, seven miles around the
-semi-circular harbor, and on their sides and summits are built a
-succession of villages not included in the incorporation limits of
-Montevideo. On the cerro rise the whitewashed houses of the town of
-Villa del Cerro, while at its bottom slopes near the La Plata mouth
-there is a large eucalyptus grove of dark green color, a landmark for
-many miles at sea.
-
-There was but little building done in Montevideo between the years 1912
-and 1916; in fact I could see no change, although I have no doubt but
-that the population is increasing on a normal scale. The monotony of
-the appearance of the residential streets is impressing. Each street
-has the same cobblestone pavement; on each street there are sycamore
-trees between the pavement and the sidewalk; the houses are mostly the
-same, one and two stories high, built of the same material and offering
-absolutely no contrast in architecture, in size, or color to the
-thousands like them in the Uruguayan metropolis. This same condition
-must have existed since the Colonial times, because one writer, whose
-book written about 1830 I recently read, said in his description of
-Montevideo that on account of the great similarity of the houses and
-absence of street numbers, drunken men frequently mistook houses of
-other people for their own and entered them at different times of the
-day and night causing much embarrassment and confusion.
-
-The residences of the wealthier inhabitants do not have this monotonous
-uniformity. They are villas, set back from the street in large gardens
-and lawns, enclosed by low brick walls. In architecture they are light
-and resemble the houses of the aristocracy of Rio de Janeiro. Compared
-with the palatial homes of the Buenos Aires millionaires they are
-inexpensive. The Avenida Agraciada is the main residential street, but
-the Avenida Brazil in the suburb of Pocitos has many fine homes, some
-of which are the summer abodes of Argentinos who like to spend the
-hottest months of the summer by the seashore. The very finest mansion
-in the city is on the Plaza Zabala, the loafers' park, in the business
-section on the whaleback, and not far from the docks. It is owned by an
-Italian who wished to have his residence near to his place of business.
-
-The main shopping streets are Sarandi and Rincon. These are parallel
-and are but one block apart. The Avenida 18 de Julio, like the Avenida
-de Mayo in Buenos Aires, is the parade street. It is a beautiful broad
-avenue about a mile and a half long, and runs eastward from the Plaza
-Independencia. Seven blocks up it is interrupted in its course by
-the Plaza Libertad, formerly named Sagancha. It is one of the finest
-streets in South America. Many of the streets have old Indian names
-peculiar to the country such as Timbo, Yaro, Tacuarembo, Yaguaron, Yí,
-Cuareim, Ibicui, Ituzaingo, Guarani, etc. It is pleasant to see this
-change in street names after a sojourn in Argentina where in each city
-the nomenclatures of the streets never vary, with the omnipresent San
-Martin, Tucumán, Córdoba, Corrientes, La Rioja, and many others.
-
-Montevideo and its suburbs on the ocean are the great bathing resorts
-of South America and are visited annually by more people than Mar del
-Plata, the latter place being exclusively for the rich. On account
-of its proximity to Buenos Aires, it is resorted to daily by great
-numbers of tourists, who make the night trip across the La Plata River.
-Pocitos is the most popular bathing resort. The poor natives do their
-swimming from the rocks on the ocean front near the heart of the city.
-They are invariably garbed _à la_ Adam, and are visible by all the
-occupants of the electric tramcars that pass along that shore. The most
-aristocratic beach in Montevideo is the Playa Ramirez but people do
-not flock to that section as much for bathing as they do for gambling.
-Everything goes in Montevideo. The exclusive and expensive Parque
-Hotel at the Playa Ramirez, the show place of costly raiment, and of
-sparkling gems which embellish the figures of their wearers, has in
-connection the finest gambling house in America, roulette and baccarat
-being the attractions. The Parque Hotel, which was formerly under the
-management of a naturalized United States citizen, Edward Aveglio, is
-now under the same management as the Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires, and
-is considered to be one of the best seashore hotels in South America.
-It is patronized largely by Argentine aristocracy.
-
-The gambling establishment, probably after those of Monte Carlo and
-San Sebastian the most luxurious edifice of its kind in existence,
-opens at 5 P.M. and closes at 7.30 P.M. It reopens at 9 P.M. and closes
-at 2 A.M. A fee of one peso ($1.04) is charged to enter. One peso is
-the lowest permissible play on any single number at roulette and one
-hundred pesos is the highest. Unlike the Argentine roulette wheels
-which have a 0 and a 00, this one has but a single zero which gives the
-player (or rather the victim) one nineteenth of a better show to win,
-if successful.
-
-The same class of crowd that graces most European casinos is seen
-here at its zenith. There is present the nervous individual, who
-wants the public to think he has a system. To make them believe it, he
-pretends to study a chart and makes pencil notations. When he loses,
-he mutters an unintelligible exclamation. There also grace the scene
-fat dowagers with paste diamond necklaces. Some women who have wasted
-their allowance on bridge and poker, and are now in the clutches of
-the moneylender, come here to attempt to retrieve their fortune on
-one final coup, in most cases their swan song. Bankers, diplomats,
-millionaires, and cabinet officers from Buenos Aires, a president of
-one of the Latin republics are to be seen. Young fops are in evidence,
-not to play, but to ogle the raft of glorious girls always to be found
-in propinquity to tables of chance.
-
-The casino does a great bar business in champagne cocktails to the tune
-of forty-one cents a glass. This champagne cocktail, regardless of its
-high price, seems to be one of the favorite strong drinks there. The
-soft drink that tickles the palate of the Montevideanos is a nauseating
-concoction named _palta_. It is made of orange juice, pineapple juice,
-sugar, and the yolk of an egg; to it is added siphon water. It is
-then stirred, and served in a large goblet. I tried some of it as an
-experiment and am sorry that I did not stick to beer, for the egg that
-the mixologist used in my palta was rotten. In R. Bibondo's Brazilian
-coffee house on Suipacha Street in Buenos Aires, I once received a
-piece of cake in whose making a rotten egg was likewise used.
-
-Although the Grand Hotel Lanata cannot be called first-class in any
-respect, excepting the restaurant which is the best in the city, it
-is far better for the unaccompanied male visitor to stop there than at
-the Parque, on account of its central location. It takes twenty minutes
-by electric car to reach the Parque from the Plaza Independencia. It
-costs $1.20 to reach it by taxicab. The Grand Hotel Lanata of Ximines
-and Santamarina is in the central part of the city on the Plaza
-Constitucion (formerly called the Plaza Matriz) and is convenient
-for shoppers and sightseers. The Oriental near the docks is a good
-hotel, but the glass-roofed parlor and lobby is malodorous from poor
-ventilation. Other good hotels are the Colon, Barcelona, and Florida
-Palace. Regarding the last-mentioned place, I must state that its
-proprietor is a Brazilian who does not draw the color line as to his
-clientele.
-
-Worthy of interest are the cathedral, the Solis theatre, the central
-market, the colonnaded buildings on the Plaza Independencia, the new
-university, the central cemetery, and the Uruguaya brewery.
-
-The cathedral is a twin-towered and domed majestic structure on the
-Plaza Constitucion with an elaborately decorated chapel. Four golden
-suns (the sun is the emblem of Uruguay) are painted on an azure
-background on the wall beneath the dome. The rays of the natural sun
-above, penetrating the yellow and blue skylights of the dome, cast
-weird and ghostly lights in the interior.
-
-The Uruguaya brewery is on the Calle Yatai, to the west of the center
-of the city, but nearly two miles from the downtown business section.
-It is best reached by electric tramcar. The reason for a visit to it is
-the large beer hall like the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, and whose replica
-is to be found nowhere else in the Western Hemisphere. There are
-large bare tables, with chairs and benches. The visitor sits at one of
-these. He need not give an order for no sooner is he seated than a full
-schuper of foaming elixir is placed in front of him. When he has had
-enough, he turns his empty mug bottom up, otherwise it is a sign that
-his thirst has not been quenched and that he is in line for another
-one, which is immediately set in front of him.
-
-The specialties of Montevideo are the polished agates and stones common
-to Uruguay. These are found in abundance in the department of Minas,
-and although expensive are fine souvenirs. No tourist should visit
-the city without taking some away as they make admirable gifts to
-friends at home. They are made into paper weights, paper cutters, stamp
-holders, buttons, etc. The best ones are dark blue; next come the smoky
-gray. Also beautiful, but cheaper, are the brick red ones, and those
-that are a combination of black and white.
-
-A beautiful pink lily graces the lawns of the Avenida Agraciada. In
-shape it is like our common orange red milk lily but unlike the milk
-lily which grows in racemose clusters on a single stalk this Uruguayan
-lily has but one blossom. It is hardy and should thrive in the United
-States.
-
-A gastronomic delicacy of Montevideo is the lobster which is caught on
-the Uruguayan littoral, and which is seldom to be procured in Buenos
-Aires restaurants.
-
-Montevideo vies with Rio de Janeiro as being one of the cleanest cities
-in the Western Hemisphere; like Rio de Janeiro, its taxicabs and
-public automobiles for hire are the best in the Western Hemisphere.
-The Montevideano drivers are reckless, and one day while out driving
-in the suburbs in a hired motor car, the chauffeur tried to drive his
-machine through a narrow place with the result that he drove into a
-five-mule-power wagon and smashed the left headlight and dented the
-hood for his pains. Returning by the same road shortly afterwards,
-he met the same wagon, and angered drove into the mules for revenge.
-This caused much annoyance as the mule driver, not knowing that the
-automobile was a public vehicle; believed that it belonged to me and
-that I had set the chauffeur up to this nefarious trick. The latter,
-being a cur, stood safely to one side while I and the teamster had
-the altercation. Although we nearly came to blows on account of the
-chauffeur's scurvy stunt, the latter never opened his mouth to help me
-out of the difficulty.
-
-The Uruguayan metropolis is the congregating place of desperadoes,
-ruffians, and other gentry of similar character from Argentina, and
-other nations. They loiter about the entrances of the disreputable
-saloons and sailors' dives and by their drunken actions and foul
-speech make it impossible for a respectable woman to pass down any of
-the streets near the docks without an escort. Argentina, glad to be
-ridden of this class of social outcast, makes no effort to extradite
-them unless they have committed some major crime. Here in Montevideo,
-they "raise hell" and scarcely a day goes by without the newspapers
-mentioning some murder, assault, or burglary that has taken place.
-
-One of these gentry, a Cockney, evidently mistaking me for one of
-his kind, approached me one day as I sat in front of a café under the
-colonnades in the Plaza Independencia, and asked me for a job. He said:
-
-"I ham not a bit particular what kind of a job it be," and drawing near
-to my ear, he let his voice drop as he spoke: "I hax no questions. If
-there be hanybody you'd like to put out of the way, Hi'm the man to do
-it."
-
-Not many people traveling between Montevideo and Buenos Aires ever
-think of making the trip otherwise than on one of the palatial steamers
-of the Mihanovich Line which ply between the two ports in a night's
-run. The luxurious steamers _Ciudad de Buenos Aires_ and the _Ciudad
-de Montevideo_, and the smaller but admirable _Londres_ and _Lisboa_,
-are in the height of the season jammed with passengers nearly to
-overcrowding. Tired of gazing upon the sluggish and muddy La Plata
-River and eager to see the Uruguayan landscape, I decided to make the
-trip by rail as far as Colonia and thence make the twenty-five mile
-crossing to Buenos Aires on one of the smaller boats.
-
-Colonia, capital of the department of the same name, is 153 miles
-distant by rail from Montevideo. Trains run thrice a week only, on
-Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, making the return trip the next day,
-and their running time is seven hours and fifteen minutes, the speed
-including stops being slightly over twenty-one miles an hour.
-
-I left Montevideo on the Central Railroad one morning at 6.15 A.M., and
-thirty-five minutes later entered the department of Canelones at the
-large village of Las Piedras. The landscape during that short distance
-and even as far as 25 de Agosto, where the department of San José is
-entered was a monotonous succession of low rolling hills, with low,
-long red brick and whitewashed _estancia_ buildings set back from the
-country roads, at the edge of eucalyptus and pepperberry groves. Herds
-of fat cattle and sheep browsed in the pastures tended by shepherd
-boys with long-haired dogs. Between Las Piedras and 25 de Agosto a
-small city was passed. Its name is Canelones and was formerly called
-Guadelupe. It is the capital of Canelones and lies to east of the
-railroad between it and a river named the Canelon Chico. The rivers,
-Canelon Grande and Canelon Chico give the name to the province.
-
-25 de Agosto is nothing but a railroad junction with some repair shops.
-The main line of the Central Railroad runs north to the Brazilian
-frontier at Rivera, and is here joined by the branch that goes westward
-to Colonia. The department of San José which is now entered, presents a
-different aspect than Canelones for the trees which had hitherto been
-present in abundance around the estancias, had now disappeared. The
-country had become more rolling, and to the westward a low range of
-hills appeared on the horizon. As far as the eye could see, a canopy of
-yellow dried prairie grasses bedecked the parched and blistered soil,
-sweltering beneath the scorching rays of the hot February sun. All
-over this seething landscape, roamed at will, half wild cattle, long
-and gaunt. It is as much as a man's life is worth to venture on foot
-amidst a herd of these Uruguayan cattle. They seldom attack a horseman,
-knowing that he has them at an advantage, but the foot traveler should
-be wary, for the quadrupeds know the tables are turned, and will
-charge and gore him to death on sight. Birds of the genus Struthio,
-spoken of as ostriches, but which in reality belong to the branch named
-cassowaries, as they have three toes instead of two like the ostrich,
-and no tufted tail feathers like the latter, mingle with these nomadic
-cattle; so does the timid deer, unafraid and on terms of comradery, for
-it is only against man that these beasts have animosity.
-
-The city of San José, one of the largest in Uruguay, whose population I
-imagine is about fifteen thousand inhabitants, is reached at 9.11 A.M.
-It is pleasantly situated on a river of the same name at the base of
-some high hills, which rise at the west of the city. The town itself
-is intersected by the railroad which in a Uruguayan city is unusual as
-most are generally at quite a distance therefrom. At Mal Abrigo, which
-is reached about an hour after leaving San José, the railroad branches
-out again, the other one going to Mercedes, a pleasant city on the
-Rio Negro, and the capital of the department of Soriano. Continuing
-on the Colonia line, we enter the department of Colonia and keep on
-till we reach a small place named Rosario which is the junction for
-another branch line to a La Plata port named Puerto del Sauce. Colonia
-is reached at 1.30 P.M. Connection is made with small boats of the
-Mihanovich Line which sail one hour later, making the crossing to
-Buenos Aires in three hours to the tune of $2.89.
-
-Colonia is a fine little town with about eight thousand inhabitants
-lying directly across the La Plata River from Buenos Aires from which
-city I imagine it to be about twenty-five miles distant. It is cool,
-with a fresh breeze generally blowing and, owing to this, is much
-visited by the inhabitants of the Argentine metropolis as a health and
-summer resort. It has two good hotels, the Esperanza and the Ruso.
-Besides the boats that ply daily between Buenos Aires and Colonia,
-there are excursion steamers Sundays; also those that make nightly
-trips returning at an early hour of the morning. The reason for this
-last mentioned service is that in Uruguay gambling is permitted, and
-at San Carlos, near Colonia and reached by a narrow gauge railway, is
-another casino where the click of the ball as it revolves on the disk
-of the roulette wheel disturbs the nocturnal air.
-
-My friend Packer had an obsession for this kind of pastime, and
-many were the nightly visits he made to San Carlos. On one of these
-trips, while watching the game in the casino, an Englishman had made
-a considerable winning, but owing to his inability to converse in the
-Spanish language, the croupiers were endeavoring to cheat him out of
-his winnings. He appealed to Packer, who helped him out and got his
-money for him. On the trip back to Buenos Aires that same night, he and
-Packer were seated opposite to one another in the dining-room. Packer
-tried to enter into conversation with him. The Englishman puckered up
-his lips and said: "I no speeka Engleesh." He deserved to be thrashed.
-It is a very common occurrence in most countries of South America,
-especially in Argentina for Englishmen to try to hide their nationality
-and pass off as a native. Why they do this odious act, I do not know,
-but any foreigner no matter how ignorant he is, can always spot an
-Englishman by his mispronunciation of the language he is trying to hide
-himself under.
-
-  [Illustration: Colonia, Uruguay]
-
-A syndicate was formed with $800,000 capital to start a bull ring
-at San Carlos. It would have undoubtedly been a great money-making
-transaction drawing innumerable people from Buenos Aires, but the
-socialistic government of the Banda Oriental, as Uruguay is frequently
-spoken of, very wisely put a ban on this cruel sport.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II
-
-BUENOS AIRES
-
-
-Buenos Aires which should have been named Malos Aires, on account
-of the enervating, depressing humidity of its summer climate when
-the thermometer sometimes registers as high as 104° Fahrenheit, and
-when not a breath of air is stirring, is a city of nearly 1,750,000
-inhabitants and rivals Philadelphia towards being the third in
-population in the New World. This capital of Argentina, built upon
-the west bank of the muddy La Plata River in latitude 34° south is
-the entrepôt and distributing point for all merchandise and goods
-that enters and leaves the vast territory which comprises the La Plata
-system and in fact of all southern South America east of the Andes. It
-is a city of marble statues, of elegant public buildings, of sumptuous
-palaces, of parks and boulevards, and is often spoken of as the "Athens
-of America." It is also a city of narrow streets, of _conventillos_
-(poorer class tenements) teeming with Hebraic and Sicilian life, of
-confidence men, lottery ticket vendors, Greek and Syrian peddlers,
-fugitives from North American justice, bewhiskered Irish bums, and
-Galician Jews reeking of garlic, adorned with corkscrew sideburns.
-Down its avenues parade the same sort of crowd seen in Naples, also the
-pompous banker, the bespatted fop with slender cane, the staid business
-man, the artizan, beggars galore, and a galaxy of prostitutes, both
-Iberian and _criolla_.
-
-The most remarkable thing about Buenos Aires is how fast one can get
-rid of one's money with so little received for it in return. Everything
-costs half as much again as what it should, with the possible exception
-of clothes and shoes. Meals, hotel rooms, beverages, lingerie,
-photographic material, drugs, theater admissions, and in fact nearly
-everything under the sun is sky high. The entertainments for a stranger
-to indulge in are but few and mediocre. It is every day the same
-routine after the first week of novelty of sight-seeing has worn off.
-Unless in Buenos Aires on business, the stranger absolutely kills time
-unprofitably by getting into a rut from which he does not extricate
-himself until it is time for him to sail for home. He finds himself
-two or three times a day at the same table in front of the same café,
-watching the same people promenade by, the only variation being an
-occasional visit to a burlesque show, the race track, the post office,
-or to the zoölogical garden.
-
-  [Illustration: Congress Building, Buenos Aires
-
-   This is the finest building in South America. It cost $20,000,000. All
-   the marble for its facing was imported from Italy]
-
-In a previous book, I stated that the sycamore trees on the Avenida
-de Mayo were sickly and did not think that they would live. I first
-saw them in January, 1913. In December, 1915, when I again beheld
-them, I was astonished at their appearance. They were a third again
-as large, and they begin to show prospects of becoming elegant shade
-trees. The subway was completed in 1914. It begins at the Plaza de
-Mayo, on which square the Casa Rosada, or Capitol, faces, and continues
-underneath the Avenida de Mayo to the mile-distant Congress Building,
-thence underneath the next parallel street to the north, Rivadavia,
-the bisecting thoroughfare of the city, to the Once railroad station,
-the terminus of the Western Railway. An extension runs three miles
-farther to a section of the city named Caballito. Caballito is the name
-that the Naón estancia went by years ago before the city grew up. The
-part of the city where the estancia once stood still retains the name.
-Compared to subways in other cities, this one of Buenos Aires is poorly
-patronized. It resembles the Budapest subway, more than it does the New
-York or Boston ones, and its cars make but little better speed than do
-those in the Budapest tube. Cab fare and taxicabs are cheap, which are
-undoubtedly some of the primal causes of the subway's not excessive
-patronage.
-
-After his first few days in Buenos Aires, when the novelty of a strange
-city had worn off, a friend and brother Elk, Mr. Oliver H. Lane,
-remarked to me:
-
-"Buenos Aires looks to me just like a big Italian city. Her Avenida de
-Mayo, however, is a poor imitation of the Parisian boulevards."
-
-In the first respect, I agree with him. The architecture of the
-buildings, the attire of the male inhabitants, the way the moustaches
-are trimmed, the cafés, the _toscanos_, the wax matches, the lottery
-tickets, the dirty paper money, the confectionery stores, the ice
-creams, and the beggars all savor of the Lavinian shores. In the second
-respect I cannot agree with him. The Avenida de Mayo is physically
-somewhat similar to the Parisian boulevards, but in character it is
-widely different. If it is supposed to ape them, it is then a poor
-imitation, but so different is it in most respects, that as a first
-impression I would only call it a physical imitation. The oftener and
-the longer one sits in front of the cafés and watches the people pass
-by, the further apart he draws the comparison of this street to any
-street in the world. I would designate the Avenida de Mayo as original.
-The buildings that flank it are much taller than those of Paris; the
-street is also considerably narrower than those in the French capital;
-the crowd that parade the sidewalks is also not the same.
-
-  [Illustration: Buenos Aires Types]
-
-Rivadavia is the street which runs at right angles to the La Plata
-River, and continuing westward into the country, divides the city into
-two parts, its intersectors having different nomenclatures south of
-it than they have north. For instance, a cross street has the name
-Santiago del Estero south of it, and Talcahuano north of it: another is
-named Piedras south of it, and Esmeralda north of it, etc. In the old
-section of Buenos Aires, where the buildings are almost entirely given
-up to wholesale and retail trade, the streets are exceedingly narrow. A
-decade and a half ago, in order to give the people a breathing space,
-and to relieve the congestion of traffic in this part of the city,
-houses one half a block south of Rivadavia were torn down, and the
-Avenida 25 de Mayo was put through. It starts at the Plaza de Mayo
-on which is the Capitol, and ends at the Plaza Congreso, on which is
-the new white marble Congress Building, the finest and most expensive
-building in all South America. The length of this boulevard is about
-one mile.
-
-Architecturally the exterior and façades of the Buenos Aires
-buildings are as fine as any in the world; the style of architecture
-predominating is original, but the contagion has spread, and the new
-structures of Montevideo, Rosario, and Mar del Plata have copied the
-ornate and domed style that is preëminently Bonaerense. In order to
-compare the architecture of Buenos Aires to that of another city,
-let us choose Paris or Vienna because the Argentine capital is a city
-that is fundamentally European. Although more beautiful in buildings
-than either Paris or Vienna, it can hold no comparison to them in the
-massiveness and solidity of the edifices in either of them. Nearly
-all the buildings in Argentina are built of the poorest imaginable
-brick, loosely fitted together, but little mortar having been used.
-To these is given a coating of plaster, which on the façades is
-worked into ornaments. On account of the climatic effects on the cheap
-material, these buildings in a few years' time take on a weather-beaten
-appearance. On account of the poor foundations on a muddy soil, many
-structures sink after a few years.
-
-  [Illustration: Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires
-
-   This view is looking west from Calle Santiago del Estero]
-
-With the exception of the modern steel and trussed concrete edifices,
-the old patriarchal houses of the colonial times and days of the early
-republic are the best built. Hundreds of these are to be seen to-day
-on the side streets. They have marble-paved, glass-roofed patios onto
-which open the doors of the parlor, dining room, and living rooms.
-These rooms are likewise dependent on the patio for their light. Behind
-the first patio is generally a second one, open to the sky, but on
-rainy and on sunny days decked with an awning. Here sit the family in
-their leisure hours; from this patio open the doors to the bedrooms.
-A small garden is invariably at the rear; the kitchen and servants'
-quarters are in its proximity. The handsome villas and private
-residences of the wealthy inhabitants differ but little in architecture
-from the same class of buildings the whole world over. It must not be
-imagined that because the material and construction are poor that they
-are cheap. They cost nearly double to build what their duplicates would
-be in the United States. Brick, stone, iron, sand, lime, and lumber are
-much more expensive than at home.
-
-The cost of living in Buenos Aires is higher than in New York, with
-the exception of some articles I have already named. The hotel rates
-are, however, cheaper. On the Avenida de Mayo, Calle Florida, and Calle
-Callao, the show streets, one is obliged to pay Fifth Avenue prices
-for articles purchased; on the side streets the same goods are much
-cheaper. The average native does not patronize the show places. At
-any of the Avenida de Mayo cafés, a small cordial glass of Benedictine
-costs twenty-one cents. At one of the side-street _almazens_ (grocery
-stores), which have a dispensary, the same glass costs nine and one
-half cents. A pint of Guinness' stout at the Hotel Savoy costs sixty
-cents; at the Avenida de Mayo cafés it sells for forty-three cents,
-while in the almazens it can be bought for twenty-six cents.
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Oliver H. Lane
-
-   This photograph was taken on roof garden of the Hotel Majestic]
-
-Regarding hotels, Buenos Aires has some very fine ones. Most have table
-d'hôte service, which in Argentina is taken in preference to meals à la
-carte, for most of the guests take their rooms _en pension_ unless they
-intend to make a short stay only.
-
-The Plaza Hotel, which is the best known and widest advertised, is
-operated by the Ritz-Carlton Company. It was built by the banker
-Ernesto Tornquist and leased to them. It is nine stories high, and cost
-nine million pesos ($3,843,000.00). Its rates are excessive for the
-service rendered. The rooms are small, its location is not central,
-and there is nothing to it that gives it the tone of comfort to be
-had at the other hotels, although the cuisine cannot be improved upon.
-Imagine paying twenty-five dollars a day for a small room with bath and
-vestibule, lunch and dinner, but not including breakfast. The Plaza is
-in much demand for private balls and teas, and is also much patronized
-by North American commercial travelers who wish to make a splurge,
-and impress their prospective customers with their own importance, or
-with the importance of the firm which they represent. An incident that
-happened in connection with this hotel should be mentioned.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Bartolome Mitré, Buenos Aires
-
-   Looking east from Calle Florida]
-
-When Naón, the Argentine ex-ambassador to the United States, on a
-recent trip home wrote to his family asking them to get suitable
-apartments for him, his sister had a talk with the manager of the
-Plaza Hotel. The latter, seeing a chance for a hold-up, told her that
-Naón could have a certain apartment for five thousand pesos ($2135.00)
-a month. This figures out $71.17 a day. Naón refused to consider the
-matter and engaged a much better suite at the Hotel Majestic at a much
-cheaper rate. A month or so afterwards, while attending a reception
-at the Plaza extended to him by the American Universities Club, the
-manager servilely approached him, and asked him where he was staying.
-Upon Naón answering that he was stopping at the Majestic, the manager
-spoke deprecatorily of the last-mentioned hostelry, and told him he
-would do much better for him at a lesser price at the Plaza. Naón said
-that he should have done so in the first place, but on account of his
-trying to hold him up, he would not stop at the Plaza if he should put
-the whole hotel at his disposal free of charge.
-
-The two best hotels in Buenos Aires, to my notion, are the Majestic and
-the Grand.
-
-The Majestic is on the Avenida de Mayo, at the northwest corner
-of Calle Santiago del Estero, which is but two blocks from the
-Plaza Congreso. It was opened in 1910 at the time of the Argentine
-Centennial. It was rented that year by the government to house the
-foreign diplomats attending the celebration. The prices are reasonable;
-the rooms all have baths, and most of them are suites with parlors.
-The meals are table d'hôte and the food and service are excellent. The
-building is seven stories high, has a roof garden, and a corner tower.
-The parlors and writing room are on the third floor and are lighted
-from a skylight at the top of the five-story courtyard of pillared
-balconies. The Majestic is the residence of many foreign ministers and
-their families; of people of wealth and culture; and of the commercial
-representatives of the best European firms. It is no show place, but a
-hotel of quiet refinement.
-
-  [Illustration: Fireman and Policeman, Buenos Aires]
-
-The Grand Hotel, good but expensive, is on the main shopping street,
-the narrow Calle Florida, one block north of the Avenida de Mayo in
-a very noisy part of the city. The narrowness of the streets makes
-the rooms dark. The Palace Hotel, a large establishment on the Calle
-25 de Mayo, is well spoken of. It overlooks the Paseo de Julio and a
-beautiful park at the river's edge, but the class of people and stores
-always to be found in the neighborhood of the docks makes the location
-poor. Among the older of the modern hotels which are also good are
-the Paris, with a large restaurant and café, the Cecil, the Splendid,
-and the Esclava. The España, patronized by Spaniards, is a lively and
-excellent place with an à la carte dining room. It is a good place for
-the single man to stop at; also the Galileo and the Colon are first
-class, clean, and have good restaurants. The Colon is owned by the
-Gontaretti brothers, who are likewise proprietors of the Hotel Regina
-at Mar del Plata. It has in connection the best confectionery store in
-Buenos Aires, that of Dos Chinos.
-
-Of all the Buenos Aires hotels, the biggest fake is the Savoy, which
-is owned by the da Rossi Company. It is on the southeast corner of the
-streets Callao and Cangallo, but two blocks from the Plaza Congreso.
-It was opened in 1913, at which time the current talk was that the
-district in which it is situated was going to be the best in the city.
-The prices are exorbitant, the food is poor, and the rooms are dirty.
-As in all the large Buenos Aires hotels, the prices here are made
-for the guest according to the financial judgment the scrutinizing
-manager passes on him. The waiters in the Savoy are veritable robbers,
-and there are two prices for drinks, and for the use of the billiard
-table, the North Americans having the benefit in being obliged to pay
-the highest of the two prices. They tried to "put one over" on "yours
-truly" on the price of wet goods one day when the writer was playing
-pool with some friends. The waiters had evidently forgotten that they
-had sold me a couple of bottles of Guinness' stout the day previous at
-a reduction of forty centavos (17 c.) a bottle under the price they now
-anticipated that I would pay. An argument followed in which I won out,
-but only after I had threatened them with a cessation of visits in case
-they insisted on making me pay the excess tax that they had imposed
-upon me.
-
-The Bonaerense restaurants are usually connected with the hotels,
-although there are many that are not. Among the best of the latter are
-the Rotisserie Sportsman, Charpentier's, and the Petit Jardin. Aue's
-Keller, the Kaiserhalle recently opened by the employees of Aue's
-Keller, and the Bismarck are German restaurants and beer halls. There
-are many Italian restaurants, that of Paccatini on Calle Moreno a few
-doors east of Calle Piedras being quite popular.
-
-  [Illustration: Zoölogical Garden, Buenos Aires]
-
-The cafés are excelled by none in the world either in size or in the
-expense of their equipment. Life in them is not as animated as in those
-of Vienna, Budapest, or Paris, and they close about 1.00 A.M. They are
-not patronized much by women, nor do they display moving pictures on
-their walls as in Rosario. They are solely rendezvous for people who
-enter them to talk or drink; many have antiquated billiard tables.
-Among the best are the cafés Paris, Colon, and Tortoni, all on the
-Avenida de Mayo.
-
-As the Argentinos are not as a rule solely addicted to the frequent
-imbibing of strong drinks, soft drinks such as _refrescos_, lemonade,
-beer, coffee, and tea play an important rôle in the dispensing of
-liquid refreshment at cafés. The average Argentino suffers from
-gastric, digestive, and intestinal ailments, not so much from
-overeating alone as from his utter inability to use discretion in
-drinking. For breakfast he will have coffee; before lunch he will
-drink a couple of vermouths with bitters, which he designates as
-an appetizer. (His favorite bitter is a sickening, sweetish syrupy
-liquor of Buenos Aires manufacture named Aperital.) At lunch he will
-either consume a pint of wine or a quart of beer, to be followed by a
-postprandial cup of strong coffee and a liqueur. In the afternoon, he
-will imbibe a bottle of mineral water and two cups of tea. The dinner
-beverages, the same as at luncheon, consist of beer or wine, coffee and
-cordial. After dinner, which is eaten at half-past seven or at eight
-o'clock, he feels "filled up" on food and liquid and has no immediate
-desire for alcoholic refreshment. He now prefers to sit in front of
-a café and watch the crowd pass by, but he would look out of place
-occupying a seat without paying for anything, so he orders a dish of
-ice cream and a refresco. A refresco is a syrup either of currant,
-strawberry, raspberry, or grenadine flavoring, covering an inch in the
-bottom of a tall glass, to which is added either plain or soda water
-and cracked ice. An hour after partaking of this, he orders a whiskey
-and soda followed by a duplicate or a triplicate, unless he switches to
-beer. He caps the whole mess off by a cup of strong coffee.
-
-The Porteño (so is called the inhabitant of Buenos Aires, and which
-means Resident of the Port) is also a heavy eater. For luncheon and
-for dinner, he is apt to eat seven courses, four of which are meat
-and fish, and it makes no difference to him if the fish comes after
-the meat or before it. The dinner tables of the private houses have
-white slates on which is written with a black lead pencil the names of
-the dishes in the different courses as at a table d'hôte in a hotel.
-In this way it leaves no surprise nor conjecture as to which the next
-course will be. Maté is passed around in the afternoon. This vile tea,
-brewed from yerba maté, an herb indigenous to Paraguay, the southern
-states of Brazil, and the Argentine Territory of Misiones, is poured
-into a gourd and is drunk through a metal tube with a spoonlike head,
-closed and perforated with little round holes, named a _bombillo_.
-But one person drinks maté at the same time. When he finishes this
-"slop" the servant takes both gourd and bombillo away from him and
-fills the former for the person sitting next to him. Two rounds of
-it are generally partaken of. This maté drinking, although said to
-be absolutely harmless, is such a habit with the native women of the
-poorer classes that they prefer it to a husband. At Tucumán, while
-I was there, three such wenches got into a fight and one had her
-ear bitten off. While at the police station she started wailing; the
-police thinking she was howling about the pain tried to soothe her. It
-transpired that she was wailing because she left some maté boiling on
-the stove at her home and nobody was left there to tend to it.
-
-The Café Tortoni is on the north side of the Avenida de Mayo between
-the streets Piedras and Tacuari. It extends back to Rivadavia. It
-is the oldest café in Buenos Aires and is owned by a nonagenarian
-Frenchman, Monsieur Curutchet, who is on the job morning and night
-and is still active, although the management of the establishment
-is in the hands of his son, M. Maurice Curutchet. It was in front of
-this café that my acquaintances came at least twice a day, and from
-a marble-topped iron table beneath the street awning we observed
-Bonaerense life to great advantage as it paraded by. We soon became
-so accustomed to the different passers-by, many of whom went by at the
-same time each day, that we soon knew the vocations of many of the folk
-that were but atoms in the large population of the great city.
-
-There was a subway exit but a couple of rods from our table, and it
-was astonishing to see how people when they had reached the top step
-would stop and pant. It was not a deep subway, but so physically poor
-is the average Porteño of the middle classes on account of abuse of
-living that he soon becomes exhausted. He does not live long, and many
-men of forty are like men at home of sixty. The crowd that continually
-passes does so with quick step, neither looking to the left nor to the
-right, but straight ahead, serious and never smiling. I noticed this
-and remarked to an acquaintance about it.
-
-"They are evidently thinking," said he, "of how they can swindle
-somebody out of ten cents."
-
-The Porteños appear to be a sad folk, and if one sees somebody smile
-or hears a sound of laughter on a Buenos Aires street, you may be sure
-that an Italian or a Spaniard is present. Latins from Europe that
-come to Argentina soon become like natives, depressed, excitable,
-and despondent. Many Argentinos of the cities wear black straw hats
-instead of white ones, which still further enhances the funereal
-appearance of the men. This is a sign of mourning, similar to the black
-arm bands that were in fashion in the United States a decade ago.
-I know a Philadelphia jackanapes who wanted to follow the custom of
-Buenos Aires, and seeing the great number of men wearing black hats,
-bought one not knowing that it was a token of respect for the departed
-relatives. He returned to his country evidently never knowing his
-mistake.
-
-The beggars, street fakirs, and peddlers on the Avenida de Mayo are
-terrible. No city in the world has so many. Neither Naples nor Las
-Palmas can compare with Buenos Aires in proportion in this respect.
-A man seated at a table in front of a café is never free a minute
-from annoyance from this rabble. Children from five years old up to
-octogenarians of both sexes systematically make multi-diurnal rounds
-up to the different cafés. Some are insulting. A narrow shouldered
-young man, a mixture of degenerate and of cigarette fiend, came to a
-table where I was seated and offered some chewing gum for sale. Upon
-my refusal to buy any, he backed up a few steps, started calling me
-names, and then walked away. A few hours later I met him accidentally;
-he wilted when he saw there was no escape. I grabbed him by the coat
-collar and nearly shook the eye teeth out of him. I at least put the
-fear of God into him.
-
-The street urchins have a habit of making the rounds of the different
-tables and if you are not watching, steal the cracked ice from the dish
-in which it is kept in front of you to put into your glass of refresco,
-according to your desire. I caught one such boy doing this trick to
-me, and slung the contents of a water pitcher at him which caught him
-squarely, giving him a drenching. Near by was seated a well-dressed
-Argentino who took the boy's part, and started to call the police. As
-a foreigner, especially a North American, has no rights in Argentina,
-I thought it best to walk away.
-
-There are milk depots stationed at various parts of the city and along
-the Avenida where a person may enter and for ten centavos (.042) buy
-a liter of milk either fresh or cooked. These belong to La Martona
-and other companies. Two ragamuffins one night entered the milk depot
-at the northeast corner of the Avenida de Mayo and Calle San José and
-begged some cracked ice from the waiter behind the counter. Upon his
-refusal to comply with his request one of the boys expectorated in
-a gallon jar of fresh milk that stood at one end of the counter, and
-which was for sale to prospective customers, and then ran out. Do you
-think the man behind the counter threw the milk out? I should say not.
-He merely took a large spoon, skimmed off the expectoration, and went
-about his business as if nothing had happened. I sat in a chair and
-watched three other customers, who came in later, be served from the
-same jar.
-
-The lottery ticket sellers are the greatest nuisance. They used to
-annoy Mr. Lane something fierce. Packer, a man named Brown, and I
-noticed it so we put up several jobs on him.
-
-There was a legless man who made the rounds of the cafés, being wheeled
-from place to place in a perambulator by an individual who might easily
-as to appearance be associated with the Black Hand. The cripple who
-was a middle aged, unkempt ruffian had a multitude of lottery tickets
-for sale, and was so persistent that he would absolutely refuse to go
-away until he had displayed all his wares. He seemed to take particular
-delight in tormenting persons who were anxious to have him move on. A
-few seconds before he was ready to be wheeled away, he would open up
-a torrent of abuse upon the person who refused to buy from him, and in
-this propaganda he was ably seconded by his comrade of Black Hand mien.
-Mr. Lane was of a nervous disposition and I do not believe the Canadian
-Club highballs he occasionally indulged in were any amelioration
-to this condition. He therefore was considerably annoyed with this
-particular persistent vagabond and his equally villainous confrère.
-They "got on his nerves." We, noticing his odium for this duo, one
-day when Mr. Lane was absent, hired the two vagabonds to come to him
-every time they saw him seated in front of the Tortoni and refuse to
-leave until ordered to do so by the police or the waiters. A few days
-afterwards while walking along the Avenida, I saw Mr. Lane seated in
-front of the Café Madrid, which is a block from the Tortoni.
-
-"What are you doing over here?" I asked.
-
-"The Tortoni is getting too much for me; I never saw so many vagabonds
-in my life as there, so I changed places. The service and the goods
-are no good here; I've tried this place three days and can't stand it.
-I prefer the Tortoni but if that legless hobo ever tries to sell me a
-lottery ticket again, I am going to tip him out of his perambulator
-into the street even if I hang for it. I believe I shall hire the
-waiters at the Tortoni to give all the street peddlers a thrashing."
-
-Mr. Lane did so. The waiters cuffed up several of the human pests, and
-the policemen arrested a few others, so for about a week everybody was
-free from molestation by the riffraff. Then they gradually came back to
-their usual haunts.
-
-There was a woman who continually made the rounds soliciting alms by
-showing the bare stump of an arm severed about six inches from the
-shoulder. This harridan would take delight in walking between the
-tables of the restaurants while people were at dinner and expose this
-gruesome sight spoiling appetites.
-
-Another nuisance was a woman about thirty-five years old who had once
-been comely. She sold lottery tickets and was also terribly persistent.
-She carried in her arms a baby while a young child clung to her
-skirt. Although this woman was a nuisance, I never thought her to be
-disagreeable, but for some reason Mr. Lane took an aversion for her
-which could be classified in the same category as the detest he had
-for the legless ruffian. One day while being pestered by this woman,
-he made a grab at her tickets, crumpled them up and slung the whole
-outfit in the street. He was sorry for it afterwards and gave her a
-peso to ease her. The next day, while Mr. Lane was absent, one of our
-associates called the woman aside and gave her two pesos if she would
-continue to display her lottery tickets to Mr. Lane. She accepted the
-proposition and did so much to his annoyance. This woman had for a
-husband a whiskered Irish bum. He would come several times a day to
-the subway entrance and make her hand over the proceeds of her sales
-to him. He had a staff of women selling tickets and his sole occupation
-was to make the rounds collecting money from them.
-
-There are many Irish bums in Buenos Aires, men past middle life who
-years ago became stranded in Argentina having deserted sailing vessels
-and who have never had the price nor the desire to return to the Old
-Country. They are strong, powerful men physically, unkempt with long
-beards; their clothes are a mass of rags and teem with vermin. Their
-daily occupation is to walk along the Avenida begging alms which
-goes for strong drink. At night they sleep in the doorways and in the
-gutter. One such man made his rounds on the Avenida about nine o'clock
-every night. Every time he passed our table at the Tortoni, Mr. Packer
-would give him some money, on one occasion the sum being a peso. As
-the man had begged in Spanish, we did not know his nationality until
-a certain incident happened. One particular night, Mr. Packer was
-without funds when this hobo came around, and told him so. The bum
-sarcastically imitated Packer and then broke out into such a tirade
-of profane and obscene invectives and abuse in the English language,
-but with a strong brogue, that I am afraid the apostles turned over in
-their graves.
-
-The policemen of Buenos Aires are efficient. They are mostly of Indian
-descent and come from the far provinces. They seldom make an arrest
-for misdemeanors for there are but few street quarrels when compared
-to the cities of the United States. They occasionally disperse a bunch
-of young beggars who return to their posts as soon as the "cop" has
-vanished. At night they make the drunken bums vacate the street benches
-whither they have repaired to sleep off the fumes of Geneva gin, which
-in Spanish goes by the name of _ginevra_. Quite a few incidents happen
-in the lives of the Bonaerense police, of which here are a couple:
-
-On the Calle Peru there is an old policeman, beloved by nearly
-everybody. The storekeepers in the neighborhood of which he is the
-guardian of the peace hold him in such high esteem that at every
-Christmas they take up a collection for him. For some unknown reason, a
-North American named Woody, who represented the Case Implement Company
-"had it in" for him. Mr. Woody was accustomed to partake of too much
-John Barleycorn and when in his cups always abused this man in strong
-profane English. After awhile the old policeman caught on that he
-was being made the target of abuse which he could not understand, so
-one day changed beats with a big native Argentino policeman who was
-of Irish extraction. At evening Mr. Woody came along, as usual, much
-under the influence of liquor. The fumes of alcohol having dimmed his
-eyesight, he was oblivious of the shift that had been made. Seeing the
-policeman, he opened up with his tirade. The Irishman let him continue
-until Woody was weak from lack of breath and exhausted vocabulary.
-
-"Have yez finished?" the cop then asked him.
-
-Woody astounded at hearing the policeman thus address him, stammered an
-affirmative.
-
-"Then, by Jaysus, come with me!"
-
-Mr. Woody spent the next eight days in jail until his friends learned
-of his predicament and bailed him out.
-
-The other incident is this:
-
-One of my friends was seated one evening in front of the Tortoni
-when a policeman approached him and asked him in Spanish if he spoke
-English. My friend answered in the affirmative and the policeman told
-him to wait there a minute and walked away. Presently the guardian of
-the law reappeared with a young Englishman who could speak no word of
-Spanish. He said he was a sailor from a boat that sailed that midnight
-and becoming lost did not know how to get to it. He came on an electric
-car to the Avenida de Mayo and all that he knew about the line was
-that it bore a board on which was printed the name "Cinzano." Now this
-is the name of a vermouth which is widely advertised in Argentina,
-and he mistook the vermouth sign for the name of the street. After
-considerable difficulty, his ship was located.
-
-One afternoon, while walking down the Avenida with Mr. Atwood Benton of
-Antofagasta, Chile, we saw a crowd collected and on passing by noticed
-that a grown man was slapping a little girl and dragging her around
-by the hair. Not a man in the crowd had made any attempt to prevent
-this outrageous scene, but all stood by with smiles of mirth on their
-faces. Mr. Benton made a rush through them and grabbing the man by
-the nape of the neck gave him a sound beating and held him while I
-called a policeman. When the rabble saw what Benton did, they raised
-an earsplitting cheer of "bravo" for him, yet none of the cowardly
-bunch dared interfere for fear of a poignard stab. A newspaper reporter
-chanced by, shook Mr. Benton by the hand, congratulated him upon his
-bravery, and asked him for his card as he wished to put it in his
-newspaper next day. Mr. Benton put his hand in his pocket and extended
-him a card which he thought was his own, but when the newspaper article
-came out in the _La Nacion_ the next day, it happened that Benton
-had made a mistake and had handed the reporter a card of Mr. Percival
-O'Reilley of Concepcion, Chile.
-
-With the exception of the policemen, one sees but comparatively few
-mestizos or people of mixed white and Indian blood in Buenos Aires,
-when compared to the inhabitants of other Argentine cities, yet
-there are plenty, many being in the employ of the government. Dark
-complexions are not as popular in Argentina as light ones; therefore
-many of the _criollos_ or natives whose facial characteristics
-are those of the original inhabitants of the land, beseech the
-photographers to put chemicals on the plates so as to make their
-visages come out light in the photograph. The descendants of Indians
-are called Indios; negroes are called Negros and Chinamen, Chinos.
-Many of the mestizos are nicknamed Chinos. All these words are terms of
-approbation and it is funny to hear an enraged descendant of an Indian
-call a white person an Indio or a Chino.
-
-There is in Buenos Aires a fine opera house, the Colon, and there are
-many other theaters, but the most patronized by the male public are
-the burlesque shows, the Casino and the Royal. The attraction for the
-men in those places are the "pick ups" that abound in the foyer, making
-these music halls clearing houses for loose moral femininity. There is
-no more vice in Buenos Aires than in any other large city, but there is
-a peculiar system in vogue there which is original.
-
-A woman passes down the Avenida with a basket of flowers on her arm.
-She approaches the boulevardier seated at a table and offers to sell
-him a flower. He buys one and as he stretches out his hand to pay her,
-she slips him a card bearing the address of a brothel but refuses the
-money. These women are the hirelings of the brothel proprietresses.
-Often the _dueñas_ as these proprietresses are called do the florista
-act (flower selling). One night, while seated in front of the Tortoni,
-a famous dueña named Carmen came along and pinned a tuberose on an
-army officer. A minute later, a rival dueña named Matilda passed by and
-seeing the tuberose on him, knew who pinned it there. She tore it off,
-and pinned on him a carnation. Carmen now returning from a neighboring
-table saw the trick and a battle royal like between two enraged tigers
-ensued. When the police put a stop to it, the two dueñas, scratched up,
-and with dishevelled hair, were obliged to make for the subway, holding
-up the remnants of their torn clothing by the middle lest they should
-drop off.
-
-Among the fine buildings of Buenos Aires are the custom house and the
-Central Argentine Railway station at Retiro. This mammoth building,
-not yet completed, is the largest and finest railroad station in South
-America. This honor was formerly held by the Luz station in São Paulo,
-Brazil; that of Mapocho in Santiago, Chile, being second. The new
-Central of Córdoba Railway station is also fine.
-
-There are in Buenos Aires but few skyscrapers in the North American
-sense of the word, a fifteen-story building being the tallest. It is
-the new arcade on Calle Florida and is the largest in America. It ranks
-fourth in the world in ground-floor area; those of Milan, Naples, and
-Genoa being greater. There is a thirteen-story apartment house; the
-Otto Wulf Building is twelve stories high, and there are probably a
-dozen other buildings that exceed in height ten stories. There are any
-number of seven-, eight-, and nine-story buildings.
-
-In Buenos Aires there are a great number of so-called Brazilian
-coffeehouses where about five o'clock afternoons people repair for
-coffee and ice cream. _Casata_ ice creams are a favorite. They are a
-mixture of flavors, and these coffeehouses specialize in two flavors
-of coffee ice cream in the same brick. The best known of these
-establishments are those of Huicque and of Bibondo.
-
-The zoölogical garden is the finest that I have ever had the pleasure
-of visiting, as far as the collection of animals is concerned, but the
-botanical garden is much inferior to that of Rio de Janeiro. Palermo
-Park, the great corso for automobiles, is well kept up but does not
-take my fancy on account of the light shades of green common to all
-trees of the Argentina flatlands. The brilliant and variegated greens
-of the trees of the province of Tucumán are lacking.
-
-As to manufacturing, Buenos Aires is nil. There is but one brewery
-within the city limits, that of Palermo, whose product is vile. There
-was a so-called automobile factory which bought parts and assembled
-them, but it had to go out of business. There is not much future
-for manufacturing unless iron ore is found in paying quantities in
-Argentina. Without iron and without coal in Argentina, but little
-can be done although there are several large oil fields in Northern
-Patagonia. Rosario is a better commercial city than Buenos Aires,
-but the latter will always keep on growing and retain its lead as the
-metropolis of South America.
-
-An institution of learning worthy of mention, and which I visited while
-in the Argentine metropolis is the Colegio Nacional Mariano Moreno. It
-is located at 3755 Calle Rivadavia, and is one of the best institutions
-of secondary learning extant. The course comprises six years, the first
-year corresponding to the ninth grade in North American schools, and
-the last year being the same as the sophomore year in our universities.
-It is therefore more like a German gymnasium than a North American
-high school, although it differs from both in the election of courses.
-Here no Latin nor ancient languages are taught, but other subjects
-such as fencing and drawing are substituted. A good rule of the
-institution which is under the able management of the rector, Dr.
-Manuel Derqui, grandson of a former president of Argentina, is that no
-students under fourteen years are allowed to enter, no matter how their
-preparatory attainments are. This tends to set a better standard to
-the instruction, although a younger one sometimes manages to slip in.
-Their age upon graduation is at least twenty. A diploma will give the
-graduate entrance to any of the Argentine universities of which there
-are four besides that of Buenos Aires, the others being in La Plata,
-Córdoba, Sante Fé, and Tucumán.
-
-What would seem strange to us is that the Mariano Moreno College is a
-government institution, having no connection at all with the state of
-municipality. The interior of the building, with its unprepossessing
-façade of four stories belies its external appearance. Its depth is
-the whole length of the block. It has a swimming tank and baths both
-for the instructors and students. The whole place is kept remarkably
-clean. The spirit of competition and advance is very strong among the
-students. Some of their mechanical drawings, the best ones which are on
-display on the walls are like the work of experts. A student invented
-an adjustable and movable drawing board which has been adopted by the
-drawing classes all through the republic. The department of physics is
-a marvel, although the chemical laboratory falls short of that of some
-private schools in the United States, namely that of Hackley School,
-Tarrytown, N. Y. I was informed, however, that the Mariano Moreno
-College does not specialize in that science, for those that desire to
-get a knowledge of chemistry go to the technical schools. A feature of
-the college is a recreation room for the professors and instructors in
-the basement. Its walls are hung with pictures painted or drawn by the
-professors. The enrollment of students is about 1500 exclusive of 700
-who are taking a university extension course. The faculty consists of
-about 150 members.
-
-While speaking about Buenos Aires, a few words must be said about its
-inhabitants and their habits. The Porteños of the higher classes differ
-but little from those of the same social sphere the whole world over,
-excepting that they are more effeminate than the inhabitants of our
-country. Many of the men have perfumed handkerchiefs, and affect the
-Italian style of moustache. The men of the middle classes, in attire
-ape the aristocracy, but their habits are infinitely more dirty. With
-them a bath is an event. When these Argentinos take a bath they splash
-water around and make a great noise about it so that the people the
-other side of the partitions can hear them at their ablutions. They
-also spout and snort and make a great noise every time they wash their
-faces, especially if anybody is looking. This also applies to certain
-men who mingle in the highest social circles. I know a man of great
-prominence in Buenos Aires who every time he took a bath would tell
-everybody he chanced to meet about it. He met me one day on the street
-as I was coming out of the Majestic Hotel.
-
-"How are you?" I asked as a customary form of greeting.
-
-"I'm feeling fine," he replied. "I just had a nice cold bath."
-
-A few minutes later as we were walking down the Avenida we met another
-acquaintance.
-
-"Good morning, Señor ----," quoth the third party. "You are looking
-fine to-day."
-
-"No wonder," answered the first Argentino, "for I have just gotten out
-of the bath tub."
-
-"How strange, I also have just had a bath."
-
-The habits of the middle and lower classes throughout Argentina are
-very filthy. Clean toilets are unknown outside of a few of the best
-hotels and cafés of Buenos Aires and a few of the other large cities.
-In the Hotel Colon in Buenos Aires, two men were hired constantly just
-to keep the toilet clean and they did this job well.
-
-The men of the lower classes bathe more frequently than those of the
-upper and middle classes and some are really fine swimmers. These are
-mostly Italians, Spaniards, and natives who do the work and are the
-backbone of the Argentine nation as they have not become affected by
-contact with those of the middle classes.
-
-There are in Buenos Aires many Jews of Galician origin. Their ghetto
-is on the streets, named Junin, Ayacucho, and Ombú, but they are
-likewise scattered all over the city. Many wear corkscrew sideburns,
-which they smear with grease and fondle lovingly as they converse
-with you. These vile Kikes are mostly in the lottery ticket and retail
-tobacco business. They have native employees whom they send out on the
-street to hawk lottery tickets on commission. This lottery business
-is overdone. There are too many drawings. One takes place every week
-and it is only occasionally that there is a drawing with high enough
-premiums to make it worth while purchasing them. Lottery is a good
-institution if properly regulated, but the annoyance that everybody is
-subjected to in Buenos Aires by the peddlers of the tickets soon makes
-a person wish that such an institution did not exist. Not only are the
-tickets of the Benificencia Nacional sold about the streets, but also
-those of the Province of Buenos Aires which has drawings at La Plata,
-those of the Province of Tucumán, those of Córdoba, San Juan, and even
-of Montevideo.
-
-These Buenos Aires Jews are the lowest class of riffraff. Their nasty
-children peddle strings of garlic from door to door. The adults are
-always gesticulating and trying to cheat the stranger.
-
-Regarding the morals, the average Porteño of the middle class cannot be
-called immoral. He is unmoral because he never had any morals to begin
-with. His conversation invariably takes a lascivious turn which shows
-how his thoughts runs. Seduction, feminine figures, adultery, etc., are
-his favorite themes of conversation.
-
-Many of the women of Buenos Aires are beautiful. Nowhere have I seen
-such fine-looking women, excepting in Santiago, Chile, and in Budapest.
-They carry themselves well and also know how to dress. Their figures
-and taste are such that they can make the poorest material look well
-on them. Their average stature is that of our North American women;
-most of the young Porteñas are neither fat nor slim, but medium. They
-have wonderful black eyes and well developed busts. It is rare to
-see a poor figure. It really is a treat to sit in front of a café on
-the Avenida and watch them walk by. There was one beautiful girl that
-took the fancy of every man that saw her. She worked in an office and
-every day at noon she would pass the Tortoni; she would repeat this
-again about five o'clock in the evening. This girl was about nineteen
-years old and the dainty way she tripped along absolutely unconscious
-of her grace made the men rave about her. One noon as she walked by
-bound for home, I followed her a quarter of a block behind her. My
-intentions were to find out where she lived and try to arrange to get
-an introduction because she quite fascinated me. I found out that she
-lived with her parents on Calle Montevideo. I had a friend who lived
-in the block beyond her in Calle Rodriguez Peña, but unfortunately
-when I called on him to arrange for an introduction, I found out that
-he was on a business trip to northern Argentina and was not expected
-back for a month. As I intended leaving in a few weeks, I was doomed to
-disappointment and had to swallow my chagrin and content myself with
-gazing at her from the table in front of the Tortoni when she passed
-by.
-
-The amusements of Buenos Aires are few. Of course there are some
-very high-class dance halls with restaurants in connection such as
-Armenonville, but the hours are too late when life begins there.
-
-The race track of the Jockey Club is the best in the world, and
-races are held every Thursday and Sunday, but one soon gets tired of
-continually going to the races. The betting is by mutuals. There are
-some baseball and cricket teams in Buenos Aires which hold matches
-and games on Sunday afternoons. The players are English, American,
-and Canadian residents of Buenos Aires who clerk in the banks and in
-the great importing houses. The article of baseball they put out is
-ludicrous, and they draw no attendance. A good primary school at home
-could trim them.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene on the River at Tigre]
-
-The pleasantest of all pastimes in and about Buenos Aires is boating
-at Tigre. This little town, the Argentine Henley, is twenty-one miles
-north of the capital and is reached by half-hourly service by the
-Central Argentina Railway. Strange to say at this time of writing
-(1917) no electric line has yet been built between the two places.
-Tigre is on the Las Conchas River where it empties into the Lujan,
-one of the tributaries of the La Plata. It is thronged on Sundays by
-crowds from the city, who besides rowing and canoeing, also take in the
-pageant from the awninged verandas of the Tigre Hotel.
-
-Most Argentinos do not care much for North Americans although they are
-invariably polite to them. It appears that there is a chord of jealousy
-somewhere against our nation. Some of this gentry have the gall to
-think that Argentina is the greatest nation on earth and these ideas
-are taught them in school. I have known inhabitants of Buenos Aires who
-believe that Argentina could whip the United States in a war, although
-most of them have an unwholesome fear of Chile. The British nation
-was not especially popular with Argentina because in 1833 it took
-the Falkland Islands from them. In 1916 Great Britain seized a couple
-of Argentine vessels which it claimed were taking contraband to the
-Central Powers. An anti-British demonstration occurred on the streets
-of Buenos Aires most of the participants in which were students.
-Several were cut by sabers in the hands of the police but this affray
-did not prevent roughnecks from yelling at Americans and calling them
-names, mistaking them for Englishmen. I unfortunately was a victim of
-these insults, as I was driving one night in the Plaza de Mayo. Even
-though Great Britain was not popular, neither was Germany a favorite as
-can be testified by the depredations on property of German ownership.
-On the night of Saturday, April 14, 1917, a street mob attacked the
-offices of two German newspapers, _La Union_ and _Deutsche La Plata
-Zeitung_, and broke all the windows. This same mob also demolished the
-delicatessen store of P. Warckmeister at 555 Calle Sarmiento. A few
-months later, following Count Luxburg's iniquity, the mob wrecked the
-Club Aleman, and tried to burn it.
-
-Thirty miles south of Buenos Aires, is La Plata, the capital of the
-Province of Buenos Aires and which has a population of about 120,000
-inhabitants. Till 1880 the city of Buenos Aires was the capital of the
-province of the same name, but in that year it detached itself from the
-province and became the Federal Capital. The province, now lacking a
-capital, decided to build one, and a site having been chosen and the
-plans for the laying out of a city having been approved of, the city
-of La Plata was formally founded and created capital of the Province
-of Buenos Aires, November 29, 1882. In 1885 the population of the city
-was 13,869. The census of 1909 gave it 95,126 inhabitants while that of
-1916 gave it 111,401; the total for the commune being 136,026.
-
-  [Illustration: Station of the Southern Railway, La Plata]
-
-La Plata is a dull, sleepy city of broad streets and low houses of
-light brown and cream-colored hues, with little shade. The sun's hot
-rays scorch the pedestrian as he walks over the sizzling pavement of
-the ultra-quiet and tomblike town. I have known people who, however,
-prefer La Plata to Buenos Aires, but I cannot comprehend how a person
-can live there and not die of ennui. It is laid out much on the order
-of Washington with broad angling avenues cutting off slices of square
-and rectangular blocks.
-
-  [Illustration: Old Railway Station, La Plata]
-
-The most artistic building in the city is the station of the Southern
-Railway. It is an oeuvre of M. Faure-Dujarric, the Frenchman who was the
-architect for the grandstand of the Jockey Club at Palermo Park. It is
-a long and narrow white edifice with an artistic façade surmounted by a
-dome of bright green tiles. Its restaurant is said to be the best in La
-Plata, although I cannot verify this statement. La Plata used to have
-another railway station, even larger than the present one, and more
-centrally located. Why it was abandoned I never knew, but it stands
-downtown on one of the principal squares, absolutely deserted, its long
-dun-colored façade an eyesore to passers-by.
-
-  [Illustration: Bank of the Argentine Nation, La Plata]
-
-Some of the largest and costliest edifices in the republic are in
-this capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, but nearly all are
-weather-beaten and appear much better in photograph than they do in the
-original. In many cases the stucco has fallen off in places, exposing
-the rough red bricks of poor quality. Some of the façades are stained
-and blackened by exposure but nothing has been done to remedy them. The
-whole city is evidently laid out on too grand a scale, and something
-was started that is hard to finish. The Capitol, the governor's
-residence, the city hall, the Argentine theater, the courthouse, and
-many other buildings are far too large for the present need of the
-city, and by the time La Plata has grown to a size where such buildings
-will be adequate (it is doubtful if it ever will) they will have long
-been out of style and antique.
-
-  [Illustration: Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires, La Plata]
-
-  [Illustration: Allegorical Statue of La Plata]
-
-Even the cathedral, if completed, would be too grandiose. It was
-started years ago, but is at present in the unfinished state as is
-shown in the accompanying photograph. The money gave out, and to-day it
-stands on an important plaza, a hideous frame of cheap brick, bearing
-no similarity to the elegant place of worship it was intended to be.
-This tendency to start to erect a fine building, get it half up, and
-then neglect it, is characteristic of all countries where Spanish rule
-has once dominated. For instance, in the same way is the Matriz church
-in Chillán, Chile, the Oratory of Lopez in Asuncion, the church of the
-Encarnacion at Asuncion, a church in Posadas, one in San Luis, and the
-most striking example of all, the church of the Sagrada Familia in
-Barcelona, Spain. In the plaza in front of the unfinished cathedral
-are some marble statues, the best of which is that representing the
-great Argentine river system and named La Plata. It is an allegorical
-female figure with a horn of plenty from which are spilling fruit and
-vegetables, while beneath her are bundles of wheat.
-
-  [Illustration: Unfinished Cathedral, La Plata]
-
-The diocese of La Plata, which comprises the Province of Buenos Aires
-and the territory of the Pampa, is the richest in Argentina. It was
-created in 1896, and has as a bishop, Dr. Juan N. Terreno, who has
-held that office since 1900. This man is a great power in Argentine
-politics.
-
-There are numerous large banks in La Plata, the largest of which is
-that of the Province of Buenos Aires. Regarding hotels, the best is the
-Sportsman with good restaurant. The restaurant of the Hotel Argentina
-is second class. The food is greasy and is sprinkled with flies which
-become ensnared in the meshes of the oil in which the ragoûts and
-filets literally float.
-
-Outside of the Museum of Natural History which has an admirable
-collection of fishes, the zoölogical garden, the wonderful eucalyptus
-avenue, and a charming park, there is in La Plata nothing to interest
-the stranger.
-
-The city owes its importance to its port Ensenada, about five miles
-distant and to which is dug a basin where ships laden with grain and
-canned meats sail for North America and European ports. From here also
-in order to avoid the congestion in the Darsenas and in the Riacheulo
-at Buenos Aires, passenger ships sail, notably the Lamport & Holt Line,
-which keeps up a direct passenger service between Buenos Aires and New
-York. On this basin are two large beef-packing establishments, that of
-Armour and that of Swift.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III
-
-SAN LUIS
-
-
-The average stranger coming to the United States to see the country
-very seldom pays a visit to an obscure state capital. The very contrary
-to this is what I did after I had been but little over a week in
-Buenos Aires, as I maintain that the only way to see a foreign country
-properly is to avoid the show places and get out among the people in
-the smaller cities. Knowing that San Luis was but a short distance
-from the main line of the Buenos Aires Pacific Railway between Buenos
-Aires and Mendoza, and is reached by one through train daily in each
-direction, I decided to stop off there.
-
-I left Buenos Aires at three o'clock one afternoon when the thermometer
-registered 100.4° Fahrenheit and was soon traversing the flat landscape
-remindful of the valley of the River Po. The white, cream-colored
-tile-roofed houses, the small vineyards and vegetable gardens, the
-long rows of Lombardy poplars, and the oxen hitched to the wagons on
-the country roads presented a picture that could just as well be that
-of northern Italy as that of the Province of Buenos Aires. Nearly
-everywhere in eastern Argentina where the country is well settled,
-the landscape is decidedly Italian, due largely to the presence of
-the trees indigenous to the Po Valley, originally brought there by
-immigrants from that part of Europe.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza San Martin, Mercedes]
-
-The train I was on was a very poor one, the first-class compartments
-being no better than third-class ones in Germany. Thirty-four miles
-out of Buenos Aires, we reached the town of Pilar, which lies a short
-distance north of the railroad. Its station is the terminus of the
-Buenos Aires suburban trains. Eight miles farther on is seen on the
-crest of a rise of ground to the south, the insane asylum of Open
-Door, a model of its kind. The method employed for the treatment of
-the patients is freedom from restraint, with the privilege to do what
-they please as long as they keep within bounds. The originator of this
-method of handling the insane believes that by allowing them to follow
-out their whims, they will eventually become tired of them, and that
-the confinement of the demented prisoners tends to aggravate their
-condition. This theory which he put into practice has had good results.
-
-Mercedes, seventy miles from Buenos Aires, with a population of thirty
-thousand inhabitants, is the junction of three railroads, the Central
-of Buenos Aires, the Western, and the Buenos Aires Pacific. It is
-one of the oldest cities in the republic and is the stamping ground
-of Irish settlers who drifted in here a few generations ago and have
-become rich. Unlike most Argentine cities, its streets are numbered.
-Chacabuco, one hundred and thirty-one miles from the capital, was
-reached about 7.30 P.M. It is a stock-breeding center and is in the
-midst of a rich agricultural district. One hundred and seventy-nine
-miles from Buenos Aires is Junin, an important small town from which
-leads a branch of the Central Argentina Railway to Pergamino and
-Rosario. The place was formerly called Fuerte Federacion from a fort
-on the Salado River. As late as 1876 it was attacked by Indians, the
-last attack having been made on December 10th of that year under the
-leadership of Pincen. The Indians were badly defeated and fled, leaving
-behind all the stock they had stolen on the way. A man from Junin who
-sat directly across the table from me in the dining car informed me
-that farm lands in the neighborhood of his city were selling at as
-high as three hundred pesos a hectare. That would make common prairie
-land worth there fifty dollars an acre. During the night we crossed a
-corner of the Province of Santa Fé at Rufino where the dining car was
-taken off. The train then traversed the southern part of the Province
-of Córdoba and entered the Province of San Luis in the early morning.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in San Luis]
-
-Excepting the capital, Villa Mercedes, which was reached at 7 A.M.,
-is the only place of importance in the Province of San Luis. It is a
-well laid out little city with a fairly good hotel, the Marconi. It
-was here that I was met by J. D. O'Brien of Detroit who remained with
-me for some time in the capacity of servant. He had been gymnasium
-steward on the _Vauban_, and not liking the British ship's officers,
-took French leave at Buenos Aires, and decided to try his luck in
-Argentina. I needed a servant as I had considerable baggage so decided
-to hire him. He dropped his grip over the railing of the ship's deck
-one night when nobody was watching, and fearing arrest because he had
-quit the ship after signing a contract to make a round trip, thought
-it would be better to get into the country until after the _Vauban_
-had sailed. Therefore I had him precede me on the journey, he going
-to Villa Mercedes the day before. Dr. M. de Iriondo, president of the
-Bank of the Argentine Nation, had given me a letter to the manager of
-its branch bank in Villa Mercedes, but unfortunately I did not stop off
-there.
-
-  [Illustration: Bank of the Argentine Nation, San Luis]
-
-There was a remarkable change in temperature compared with the previous
-day, because it was now cool and windy. The country that we now
-traversed was very much like that of eastern Wyoming, only the soil was
-better. There seemed to be a lack of water. Cattle grazed the endless
-pampa; here and there buttes and mountains rose from the plains, their
-sides covered with coarse grass and sagebrush. At the wayside stations
-were halfbreeds in ponchos, strong, good-looking fellows. Presently the
-mountains came down to the railroad track and we were in a sort of an
-oasis watered by the Chorillo River.
-
-San Luis, the capital of the thinly settled province of the same name,
-is 493 miles west of Buenos Aires. It is a poor, unpretentious, and
-uninteresting town of fifteen thousand inhabitants with nothing to
-attract the ordinary tourist. Its buildings, with the exception of a
-few on the main streets, seldom attain a height of over one story and
-are for the most part built of coarse red brick, which here sell for 28
-pesos ($11.96) a thousand. Many of these brick buildings are plastered
-over, but most are not, giving them but a half finished appearance on
-account of the poor masonry. The original idea of the man who builds a
-house in most of the cities of the republic is to eventually have the
-brick stuccoed over, but it is frequently the case that his money gives
-out, before he gets that far, and he has to forego that luxury. There
-is also a considerable number of adobe buildings. These are mostly
-in the outskirts of the city. I also saw a few huts in the outlying
-districts whose roofs were thatched.
-
-There are no large fortunes in San Luis although my informants told me
-that there might be one or two men who could boast of possessing the
-equivalent of one million pesos paper ($427,000.00). There are only
-seven automobiles in the city, two of them being Cases; two are Fords.
-The only one that I saw was of the last-named manufacture. When asked
-if the governor of the province, Señor Juan Daract, possessed one,
-I was told he was too poor to own one, although his monthly salary
-is 750 pesos paper ($320.25). This would make his yearly salary from
-governmental sources $3843.00. I was surprised to see horses sell so
-cheaply, mediocre hack ones bringing only thirteen dollars apiece. Good
-mules averaged about thirty-two dollars each.
-
-  [Illustration: Capitol, San Luis]
-
-None of the streets of the city are paved. On the main one, San Martin,
-there are several good buildings, the Bank of the Argentine Nation
-being the best. It is the newest. The post office, the Federal Court,
-and the custom house are also possible, although they are but one story
-high. Nobody should overlook the Casa de Gobierno or Capitol, which is
-in a class by itself. Its Renaissance façade, which faces the Plaza
-San Martin, and its side which faces one of the main streets contain
-sockets for nine thousand electric light bulbs. When the building is
-lighted up in all its external brilliancy, the electric meter which
-controls the other lights of the city has to be shut off because the
-electrical plant has not power enough to keep them both going at the
-same time. So much money was expended on the lavish decorations of the
-Capitol that there was not enough left to furnish the building.
-
-The two large plazas, Pringles and San Martin, each contain an
-equestrian statue in bronze erected to the memory of the heroes of
-their nomenclature. General Pringles, the popular local hero, was born
-here. The square that bears his name is the handsomest in the city.
-It is bordered by giant pepper trees whose fragrance perfumes the air.
-Facing it is the huge unfinished brick basilica, the Matriz, the white
-dome of which is a landmark for quite a distance, and is visible from
-all parts of the city. By the side of the Matriz on the Calle Pringles
-stands a small algorroba tree scarcely twenty feet high. It is enclosed
-by an iron railing and is held in much reverence by the inhabitants
-of San Luis, because to this tree, the Guerrero, General José de San
-Martin, tied his horse in 1816 on his westward march to Chile, where he
-overthrew the Spanish dominion at the battles of Chacabuco and Maipu.
-
-There is an interesting old church in San Luis, that of Santo Domingo.
-It is of Mission style of architecture, and in many respects is similar
-to San Gabriel Mission near Pasadena, California. Taken as a whole, San
-Luis differs much from most Argentine cities. Its buildings are of a
-decided Spanish colonial type of architecture. The city has an antique
-appearance and is nearly gravelike as to tranquillity.
-
-  [Illustration: Matriz Church, San Luis
-
-   The tree in the distance is an algorroba. To it San Martin tied his
-   horse in 1816 on his westward march across the Andes to Chile]
-
-When I stepped out of the fine spick and span, five-year-old depot, I
-was in a dilemma regarding which hotel to go to. My guide book, which
-I never trust, and which I only look at when I desire to kill time,
-favored the Español; the landlord of the Marconi at Villa Mercedes
-recommended to O'Brien the Royal; the sleeping-car conductor on the
-train praised the Comercio; the cab driver extolled the Mitre, so
-thither I went. The German photographer, Streich, whom I met later in
-the day, boosted the Pringles, whose landlady is German.
-
-The Mitre, which is owned by Perez and Iglesias, is leased to two
-brothers whose prenomens are Pedro and Juan; nobody seems to know their
-patronymics, although many persons seemed to be on intimate terms with
-them. I later found out that their surname is Negera. When the fat,
-loquacious cab driver stopped in front of their one-story hotel, he
-announced my arrival by bawling out "Pedro!" The person addressed came
-slouching out of the barroom, unkempt and unshaven, and despite the
-earliness of the morning fairly drunk. He reeked of alcohol. I thought
-he was the porter until differently informed. Several times in the
-course of the morning he came into my room out of curiosity, each time
-making an excuse. In the early afternoon he sobered up, shaved, and
-donned a tuxedo. Drunk or sober, Pedro was a worker. He waited on the
-table, tended bar, made the beds, swept the rooms, and assisted in the
-cooking, besides doing errands for the guests. I never saw a better
-hotel man. The rooms opened onto the patios and were kept scrupulously
-clean, excepting the privy, and even that was much cleaner than in most
-rural South American towns. The chickens had taken refuge in it to keep
-away from the lean cats, which eyed them voraciously. Several times
-I had to drive a yellow cat out of my bedroom. The food would hardly
-remind an epicure of the menu of Oscar of the Waldorf-Astoria, but as
-there were many people eating it in the long rectangular dining room
-with its twenty-five-feet-high ceiling, I imagine it was wholesome.
-Despite the coldness of the weather (the temperature was no more than
-60° Fahrenheit, a drop of 40° from the temperature of Buenos Aires
-the day before) flies abounded in my bedroom and in the country were
-myriads of locusts.
-
-Speaking of the yellow cat that persisted in occupying my bedroom,
-Argentine and Chilean animals have a penchant for human society. They
-seem to take delight in crawling under the beds and other furniture,
-and no matter how often they are driven out they persist in returning.
-A peculiar incident of this nature befell an acquaintance of mine, Mr.
-Osmond of Rosario. Mr. Osmond has lived many years in Argentina and
-his business frequently takes him into the Campo, as the flat, endless
-pampa is called. On one occasion he stopped at an inn no different from
-the general run of inns found in all the small towns of Argentina. A
-fat sow entered his room from the patio as he sat writing. He drove
-her out. Several times during the afternoon he had to repeat the
-performance as the sow was bound to occupy his room. As he lay asleep
-that night he was awakened by a rumpus beneath his bed, and lighting
-a candle to find out the cause of the nocturnal disturbance of his
-slumbers, discovered that the sow had crawled under his bed and had
-given birth to a litter of pigs.
-
-  [Illustration: Estancia near San Luis]
-
-The country in the immediate neighborhood of San Luis is extremely
-fertile, although sometimes it only rains once in a year. The Chorillos
-River, which rises in the Sierra de San Luis, is dammed, and the water
-is drawn off by conduits. The main dam is seven miles east of the
-city and I drove out there to see it. The road passes by the barracks
-and continues by fine fields of blue blossomed alfalfa in which fat
-cattle and horses are grazing knee-high. There is a primitive park on
-the left of the road in which is an artificial lake, on which swains
-enjoy taking their innamoratas for rowboat rides. A crude attempt at
-initiating a zoölogical garden is borne out by two pens, one of which
-contains a three-footed hen, the other one being the prison of two
-sabors, or Argentine lionesses from the Sierra de San Luis. A stranger
-is surprised at the number of fine-looking saddle horses met on the
-roads. Nearly everybody rides horseback, many with good grace and ease
-of movements. The gentry use English saddles; the poorer classes use
-those of Moorish type. The cab drivers as well as the horsemen gallop
-their animals through the streets at a mad pace.
-
-The air of San Luis is healthy and invigorating. I was surprised to
-note the great number of old people to be seen in the city and its
-environs. In this respect it is exactly the reverse of Buenos Aires.
-The men and women are fine looking; the girls are beautiful with
-their laughing black eyes, their faces brown from the sun and wind,
-with a touch of rosiness to their cheeks; their figures are likewise
-good. Argentinos and Spaniards alike call the native-born criollos
-or criollas, according to sex, the word meaning Creoles. It is by no
-means a word of contempt. There is quite a strain of Indian blood among
-the inhabitants. Seeing some dark-skinned people by the roadside, I
-asked my driver if they were Indians. He laughed as he answered: "Son
-Criollos como yo. Son cristianos." ("They are natives like myself. They
-are Christians.") The word Indio, meaning Indian, is one of contempt
-and applies only to the members of the pagan and uncivilized tribes.
-
-There is much natural wealth in the mountains of the province, gold,
-silver, and sulphur, but nobody cares to take the initiative about
-exploiting them. The unsettled country greatly resembles the unfertile
-parts of California, it being a wilderness of mesquite, chaparral, wild
-sage, and juniper. There is also much cactus, the varieties ranging
-from the prickly pear to the Spanish bayonet. Everywhere that water
-strikes the ground, wild flowers and vines spring up in rank confusion,
-the wild cucumber being common. One of the native bushes has pods on
-it like a bean, about the same size and shape, but rather oily. Of the
-fruit trees, the apricot is cultivated; grape vines grow to a large
-size, but their fruit is inferior to that of Mendoza.
-
-Although the inhabitant of the central provinces of Argentina is
-invariably of mixed blood, and is lacking in the culture of the
-inhabitants of the cities, he is more of a gentleman than the majority
-of those who belong to our select aristocracy. He is patient but by no
-means humble. Expecting no money remuneration for extending a favor
-or a courtesy to a stranger, he will willingly go out of his way to
-do so, but spoken to gruffly, will have nothing more to do with him.
-In San Luis I asked a cab driver where there was a good barber shop.
-The one he pointed out was filled, so I went out in search of another
-one. He saw me and driving down the street, overtook me, and offered
-to drive me to another one. Arrived at my destination, he refused any
-remuneration. The son of Pedro Nogera, the hotel proprietor, acted as
-porter. Upon paying my bill, which was trivial when compared with the
-services rendered, I offered the boy a small tip. He refused, saying
-that I had paid for what I had received. Who is there in such stations
-of life at home that would refuse a tip? Most would be angry if it was
-not given, and if the sum was too small, would go off grumbling. One
-of the peasants of San Luis that I consider a gentleman was my regular
-cab driver. Born in San Luis, he had never been out of the province.
-His name is Antonio L. Rójo. In appearance he is of large build,
-somewhat coarse, and inclined to stoutness. For the sum of one and a
-half pesos (61 c.) an hour, he agreed to drive me whenever and wherever
-I wished to go. Although inclined to be loquacious, he showed none of
-that grossness and vulgarity of character that our cab drivers are apt
-to demonstrate. This man knew his position and was most attentive in
-showing me the points of interest of the city and neighboring country.
-He was also well read in politics but never knocked. Occasionally he
-would stop and pick from the roadside fruit or flowers indigenous to
-the country to show me what grew in the neighborhood of San Luis. Upon
-leaving San Luis, I gave him a tip of five pesos ($2.14). This at first
-he refused to accept and only took it finally by my literally forcing
-it upon him. He was so delighted with the money that he took a railroad
-trip to Balde, nine miles distant, to visit some relatives, and on the
-way offered to spend some of it to treat me.
-
-Shortly after leaving San Luis, westward on the railroad to Mendoza
-there is seen to the south the large brackish Lake Bebedero; it keeps
-in view a considerable distance. The short cut of the Buenos Aires
-Pacific skirts its southern end. The second station west of San Luis
-is Balde, a collection of straw and brushwood huts, the abodes of the
-peasants. One well, which supplies the whole community, has been sunk,
-water having been struck at a depth of 2119 feet. It is artesian.
-Fifty-one miles west of San Luis, the Desaguadero River, muddy and
-deep, lying in a chasm between high clay banks, is crossed. This river
-forms the boundary line between the provinces of San Luis and Mendoza.
-The country is a flat wilderness of mesquite which grows much larger
-than in our southwestern States, probably on account of the superiority
-of the soil, which here is a light clay. There is a considerable amount
-of alkali, but not in so marked a degree as in the western plains of
-North America. The mesquite, which grows to a great size, some of the
-trees having veritable trunks, is chopped and is used as cord wood and
-also as fuel on the freight and passenger trains.
-
-La Paz, not to be confounded with the Bolivian metropolis, nor with
-the Entrerieno town of the Paraná River, is reached shortly before
-one o'clock in the afternoon on the daily passenger from San Luis to
-Mendoza. It has two thousand inhabitants and is seventy-four miles west
-of San Luis and eighty-eight miles east of Mendoza. It is important
-for here begins the cultivated zone which extends as far as the Andes
-and which is known as the Zona del Riego. The estancia limits and
-the country roads are all bordered by Lombardy poplar trees, planted
-closely together. Our North American farmer who plants his fence trees
-a rod apart would be astonished to here behold them a yard apart.
-Notwithstanding their proximity to one another, they here attain a
-goodly height. Some pest seemed to have attacked many of these trees.
-Many of the leaves were turning brown and the trees dying. It is
-a curious fact that where this species of tree abounds, goiter is
-prevalent among the inhabitants. In northern Italy, parts of Hungary
-and Croatia, and in certain sections of the United States where there
-are many Lombardy poplars, people are seen with this affliction.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV
-
-MENDOZA
-
-
-From Dr. A. R. Davila, proprietor of _La Prensa_, South America's
-largest newspaper, I received a letter of introduction to one of
-Mendoza's best known and wealthiest men, Dr. Juan Carlos Serú, a lawyer
-and country proprietor, who resides in a fine residence at 1055 Avenida
-San Martin. I went to see him to pay my respects and from him obtained
-some valuable information.
-
-Up to the present time viticulture has been the staple industry of the
-Province of Mendoza, the landscape being covered with vineyards as far
-as the eye can see. This business has been on such an increase that it
-has now reached its climax for Mendoza wines have not been exported out
-of the country to any extent. With the opening up of Neuquen Territory,
-which is likewise adapted to the growing of grapes, the market will be
-more than flooded and there will not be much future in the business
-unless there should be a large export trade. Steps have already been
-taken to introduce Mendoza wines into Brazil which have so far met with
-success. Since the European war, the price of grapes has dropped and
-many of the small proprietors have been forced to the wall. The large
-ones and old established firms have managed to reap the profits. The
-value of the vineyards all depends on their proximity to a railroad
-or to the city of Mendoza. Dr. Serú owns seventy hectares of vineyard
-two stations distant from San Rafael, a wine producing district in the
-southern part of the province, which he values at three thousand pesos
-paper to the hectare; this would bring the value of a vineyard at the
-height of its production to approximately $512.40 an acre.
-
-One of the largest _bodegas_ (wineries) is that of Tomba y Sella in
-Godoy Cruz, a suburb of Mendoza. It was originally a private concern
-owned by Antonio Tomba. A scrap among the heirs caused a division
-and it is now a stock company with Domingo Tomba as president and
-the largest shareholder. The wine is kept in cement casks. The most
-famous bodega, although not one of the largest, is that named Trapiche,
-owned by the Benégas Brothers, situated about three miles southwest of
-Mendoza. It has agencies in Buenos Aires, Rosario, Córdoba, Tucumán,
-Bahia Blanca, and in Paraná. One of the brothers lives in Buenos Aires
-where he conducts show rooms and a sales agency at 420 Calle Florida,
-while the others live in Mendoza, supervising the manufacturing end.
-I went to their bodega with Mr. Serú and was shown through the whole
-institution by the manager. The vineyard comprises 538 acres. The
-winery at the time of my visit was about filled and has the following
-capacity:
-
-  _Casks_                _Liters_             _Total liters_
-   4                     100,000                 400,000
-   2                      40,000                  80,000
-  20                      30,000                 600,000
-  60                      20,000               1,200,000
-  44                      10,000                 440,000
-  30                       8,000                 240,000
-  20                       5,000                 100,000
- ---                     -------               ---------
- 180                     213,000               3,060,000
-
-To this must be added 9000 barrels of 200 liters, total 1,800,000
-liters, which brings the grand total to 4,860,000 liters capacity.
-These 9000 barrels mostly contain a brand of red wine named Reserva
-which sells for $51.24 a barrel. The wine sold in the bottle is 7/10
-of a liter for it takes 280 bottles to fill the barrel. Perkeo of
-Heidelberg surely would have had a high old time if turned loose in the
-Trapiche wine cellars. Seven-tenths bottle of ordinary Reservada which
-retails in Mendoza at ninety-seven cents is selling now in Italy among
-the Mendocino Italians, who have returned home on account of the war,
-at $1.76. The Benégas Brothers manufacture seventeen brands of wine
-and two brands of unfermented grape beverage. The manager, who showed
-me around, must have thought I had a saintly countenance, for when I
-left the institution, instead of handing me some wine to sample, he
-poured out for me a tumbler of grape juice. I do not want the readers
-of this book to draw the conclusion from this that I left Mendoza
-without refreshing myself with some of the real article. The Tomba
-is the largest of all the bodegas, and there are many larger than the
-Trapiche; the Barra Quero being one of them.
-
-Not only do the Benégas Brothers manufacture wine and grape juice, but
-they have lately installed a cold-storage system at their plant for the
-preservation of grapes which are sent to Buenos Aires and other parts
-of the country to be eaten in the élite restaurants and in the homes
-of the wealthy. One kilogram (2-1/5 pounds) of table grapes from their
-vineyards retails in Buenos Aires from 56 cts. to $2.14 according to
-their quality.
-
-Dr. Serú, seeing the results obtained from viticulture in this province
-was one of the first men to conceive the idea of growing fruit for
-canning as has been done in California. On his estate near San Rafael,
-he had some canned which he sent to Buenos Aires to compete with some
-articles from California. His product was found to be superior and
-to-day he has one of the best fruit _fincas_ in the republic. Gath y
-Chaves, the great department firm which has branches in every large
-town in the republic have decided to accept, for their trade, no
-other brands than his. This is a big feather in his cap because Gath
-y Chaves is the largest firm of its kind in South America. Dr. Serú is
-now endeavoring to get North American capital interested in Mendocino
-lands for he is of the opinion that fruit will eventually supersede
-viticulture. Fruit lands average about $51.24 an acre; orchards of
-plums, apricots, peaches, and pears, six years old, will cost the
-purchaser $683.20 an acre. These figures are nearly exact regarding
-their present worth (1917), and if anybody who reads this book goes to
-Mendoza, not knowing conditions there, they should not be bluffed by
-other figures as these are nearly correct, they having been given to me
-by viticulturists and fruit growers of repute.
-
-Mendoza has been hit rather hardly in the question of labor for three
-thousand Italians alone have emigrated from the province to return home
-on account of the European war. Business is now at its lowest ebb, but
-of all the provinces of the republic, it has undoubtedly the brightest
-future. It is going to be a great granary, and wheat is going to play
-an important part in its exports. Everything is grown by irrigation,
-and it has been found that grain grown this way there doesn't rot or
-soften as it does in other districts under similar conditions. Under
-ordinary conditions, the wheat yield in Mendoza is fifty-two bushels
-to the acre; that of the whole republic is only twenty-three. A man on
-an experimental farm grew ten acres that averaged seventy-six bushels
-to the acre; figures that I had hitherto thought impossible. There is
-no flour mill in the province; neither is there one in the neighboring
-province San Juan. Sr. Emilio Vogt, manager of the Molino del Rio de
-la Plata, the largest flour mill in Argentina, which has a capital of
-$14,945,000, tells me that a flour mill either in Tucumán or in Mendoza
-would be a profitable investment. One with a daily capacity of 30 tons
-would cost 300,000 pesos ($138,100.00). It would need 200,000 pesos
-($85,400.00) extra for working capital, bringing the total to 500,000
-pesos ($223,500.00). He says he would guarantee a mill like this to
-make forty per cent. annually on the original investment. It would
-have all it could do to supply Mendoza city alone. Vogt says that in
-the flour business in Argentina, everything depends on the freight.
-The grain belt at the present time is midway between Buenos Aires and
-Mendoza. Wheat is shipped to Buenos Aires to be ground and the flour
-then shipped back over the same rails and beyond to Mendoza. This cuts
-a big hole in the profits. Since Mendoza is destined to be a great
-wheat country, the grain won't have to be shipped far to the mill if
-one is established there.
-
-The city of Mendoza according to the census of 1916 had 59,117 human
-inhabitants. Its neighbor, Godoy Cruz had a population of 16,021.
-The canine population of both of these cities outnumbers that of the
-human in a proportion of at least three to one. Only two dogs out of
-this vast number are of any consequence and they are on exhibit in the
-zoölogical gardens. The other dogs are not worth the powder to blow
-them up.
-
-With the exception of Buenos Aires, Mendoza is undoubtedly the finest
-city in Argentina and is the liveliest of the provincial capitals. It
-is a beautiful place with many broad avenues bordered by symmetrical
-rows of sycamore, plane, and linden trees. All the streets of the
-newer part of the town are well paved with rectangular cobble stones.
-Between the road and the sidewalk are ditches paved with round polished
-stones and spanned by bridges under which rivulets of muddy water flow.
-I have been told that in this respect, Mendoza bears a similarity to
-Guatemala. The sidewalks are paved with tile of various somber colors
-and designs. The residences are mostly one story in height built of a
-brownish brick or of adobe and stuccoed. The town presents an extremely
-verdant and refreshing appearance largely due to the murmuring of the
-running water that is everywhere.
-
-The Plaza San Martin, the principal one, though to me not as charming
-as the Plaza Pringles in San Luis, is the finest in the republic. In
-its center is a large equestrian statue of the guerrero, San Martin,
-looking towards the Andes. From its center, eight walks, the tile
-paving of which cost the city forty thousand dollars, radiate, the four
-center ones containing little islands of flowers. The corners of this
-plaza which are sunk about two feet below the level of the street are
-round. In this neighborhood much of the activity of the city centers
-for here are the Grand Hotel, Hotel Bauer, the cathedral, the Spanish
-Bank of the River Plate; the Bank of the Province of Mendoza (a huge
-building in construction); the Bank of the Argentine Nation and the
-Municipal Theater. Nearby is the post office.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-There is another plaza, that of Independencia, which is still in
-an embryo state. It contains four city squares and when finished is
-expected to be a masterpiece. Work of grading is now in progress but it
-is being done so slowly that I conjecture the year 1920 may not witness
-its completion. In the meantime horses graze on the tall grass and
-alfalfa that will be eventually dug up to be planted to trees and lawn.
-This is supposed to be the exact geographical center of New Mendoza and
-on it faces the capitol and governor's residence. Both these edifices
-are but one story in height; the former covering an entire block.
-
-  [Illustration: Statue of San Martin, Mendoza]
-
-The city is divided into nearly equal parts by a broad avenue, that of
-San Martin, formerly the Alameda which runs north and south.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-These two parts are called by the distinctive names of Mendoza which
-is the western section and Old Mendoza, the eastern one. Old Mendoza,
-which I think contains the greatest population is in the form of a
-trapezoid, while the new city is that of a square. The old city was the
-part that existed before the earthquake of 1861. It was nearly totally
-destroyed and has been rebuilt again. The best to do inhabitants
-instead of repairing their ruined homes, laid out plans for a new and
-better city with wide streets and spacious parks. It is this new part
-that to-day is the most important. Old Mendoza with its one-story,
-primitive adobe buildings, in some respects resembles San José de
-Costa Rica, although it is not nearly as fine and clean a city. Its
-streets are treeless and most of them are never paved. The poor element
-lives here. The old plaza with its dirt walks, which was formerly the
-center of the city, is a full mile from that of San Martin. The ancient
-crumbling unstuccoed adobe pile which was the pristine city hall is
-now an almshouse. There are no residences in Mendoza which can be
-termed palatial, that of my acquaintance, Dr. Serú being the best. It
-is a two-story structure on the wide and shadeless Avenida San Martin,
-hemmed in on both sides by shops. The residence of Domingo Tomba at
-Godoy Cruz is the finest house in the province, but it is in a poor
-location, on the busy and dusty plaza of that small city.
-
-  [Illustration: Avenida San Martin, Mendoza]
-
-Regarding the earthquake in Mendoza, "Until 1861," writes Dr. Martin
-de Moussy, "the Province of Mendoza was not aware of the terrors of
-an earthquake. The violent shocks that had at different times agitated
-the Chilean provinces seemed to lose their intensity on going over the
-chain of the Andes. The inhabitants only knew slight tremblings of
-the earth previous to then. March 20, 1861, one of the most violent
-earthquakes ever recorded destroyed in a few seconds the city of
-Mendoza and buried one-half of its inhabitants under its ruins."
-
-At 8:30 P.M. that night, the town was totally destroyed by one of
-the most violent earthquakes ever experienced. The sky was perfectly
-clear; the atmosphere quiet; the greater part of its inhabitants at
-home, although some of them were enjoying a walk in the Alameda and
-on the plaza. Suddenly a subterranean noise was heard, and at the
-same moment before there was time to escape, all the public buildings
-and private houses were falling in with a tremendous crash. The walls
-fell outward and all sides of the rooms and the roofs came down in
-the center so that the inhabitants, both those who were inside the
-houses and those who were on the streets were all buried beneath the
-débris. The movement was first undulatory from northwest to southeast
-and afterwards seemed to come from below upwards. Its violence was so
-great that in the gardens many people fell down. In the Church of San
-Augustin, where mass was being held, only one person escaped alive. He
-was a drunken man asleep in the vestibule. The pillars fell in such
-a way that he was uninjured. Fire started by broken lamps and from
-kitchen braziers. The débris of the earthquake clogged the canals and
-started a flood. Food ran short and the stench of the corpses which
-could not be taken from the ruins was awful. The fire raged ten days.
-When everything was normal again, it was estimated that at least ten
-thousand people perished. The _Almanaque del Mensajero_ gives the total
-number of victims at fifteen thousand. The shocks were continued at
-frequent intervals until the end of May. There was a suggestion to
-rebuild the city on some granite hills known as Las Tortugas but old
-ties and affections pervaded so a new city was built directly west
-of the Alameda which is now the Avenida San Martin. The ruins of the
-churches of San Francisco and San Augustin should be visited.
-
-The Parque Oeste (West Park) which its name indicates is in the western
-part of the city. It is built on a scarcely perceptible general slope,
-and to my idea out-rivals that of Palermo in Buenos Aires, it being
-more natural and rustic. It is not yet entirely completed, but that
-part of it which is, nearly attains a perfection. It is spacious and
-its broad avenues, cross lawns planted to trees indigenous to the
-country. There is a fine music pavilion and a zoölogical garden there.
-
-Westward from this park and past the hospital in the course of
-construction, a broad road bordered by year-old Carolina poplar trees
-takes one to the mile distant Cerrito de la Gloria a 1300 foot hill
-which rises abruptly from the desert Pampa. Its eastern slope is
-planted to eucalyptus, various generi of cactus, pepperberry, and other
-trees and shrubs. Dependent on water which is forced through a conduit
-to the top of a hill, they have in the three years of their existence
-here attained a marvelous growth on what was formerly a barren waste.
-Serpentine automobile roads with no balustrades coil upwards around
-the hill. It would be no place for a joy ride. A driver in very sober
-senses drove off the road in broad daylight in August, 1915. The only
-occupant of the victoria beside himself was a young girl. They both
-saved their lives by jumping but both the horses rolled over into the
-ravine and were killed.
-
-  [Illustration: Monument to the Army of the Andes, Mendoza]
-
-The summit of this hill is crowned by a gigantic monument of
-granite and of bronze erected in 1914 by the Argentine Republic in
-commemoration of the Army of the Andes which crossed that giant barrier
-and defeated the Spaniards at Maipu and at Chacabuco in Chile. It was
-unveiled on the centennial day on which the army left Mendoza. The
-monument is a Goddess of Victory looking northward. (It was northward
-through Villavicencio that San Martin's army went.) The granite
-pedestal formed from three huge blocks of massive rock has embedded in
-it a bronze bas relief, depicting the cavalry, artillery, and infantry
-of that time with the famous general and his officers and also a
-reception given to the liberators after their victory. On top of the
-bas relief is shown the number of men comprising the conquering army,
-classified as follows:
-
-                _Superior Officers_      _Officers_      _Soldiers_
-  Artillery      4                         16               241
-  Infantry       9                        124             2,795
-  Cavalry        4                         55               742
-  Militia                                                 1,200
-  Engineers                                                 120
-
-
-Total 5310 men including 212 officers. There were 9191 mules and 1600
-horses. The names of the heroes dear to the Argentine and Chilean
-public are engraved on one bronze plate in order as follows:
-
-     San Martin
-     O'Higgins
-     Las Heras
-     de la Plaza
-     Conde
-     Cramer
-     Alvardo
-     Zapiola
-     Beltran
-     de la Quintana
-     Condarco
-     Cabot
-     Paroisien
-     Freire
-     Mansilla
-     Zentena
-     Arcos
-     Martinez
-     Guiraldez
-     Lavalle
-
-As to hotels, Mendoza can boast of none that are first-class according
-to the standard of those of the average European or North American city
-of its size, although the Jewish hotel of Emilio Lévy which tries to
-be international and neutral (but which is not), is the best. It is
-named Grand Hotel San Martin but in colloquial conversation the suffix
-San Martin is usually left out. Lévy is an Alsatian Jew as well as are
-his immediate entourage of hirelings and some of the printed sheets
-of German atrocities in this European conflagration that his clerks
-distribute on the dining-room tables and in the corridor are evidence
-to show the wandering Briton or Frenchman that his money is solicited
-even though he may receive kosher food for it in return. The rooms are
-large and clean, most of them opening on to a patio as is the custom
-of the hotels in provincial Argentina. The food is good but I am sorry
-to say that it is lacking in quantity as well as in variety. Three
-years ago, while I was in Mendoza, this same hotel set a fine meal and
-a large one but one must take into consideration that the greater the
-variety of food as well as the quantity, the greater is the cost, and
-Jews are always out for the money. The Apulian bartender knows how to
-draw a nice schuper of Quilmes beer, but I am told that the barman of
-the Hotel Bauer across the plaza on the Calle General Necochea keeps
-his draught beer better. The only serious objection I have to the Grand
-Hotel is its middle class Yiddish clientele of all nationalities who
-stare rudely at the other guests and while eating, wave their forks and
-knives as they loudly explain some anecdote.
-
-The Hotel Bauer, patronized by Teutons, runs largely to café and
-barroom which are the only departments of this institution in evidence
-from the street. The dining room and the bedrooms are in the rear, but
-the bedrooms are small. The Hotel Italia is "free and easy." They have
-a regular rate but if a person brings a woman companion to his room who
-is not his wife or of any consanguinity, he is charged double.
-
-Mendoza is no smokers' paradise. Cigars dry up in the dry atmosphere
-and become as crisp and brittle as tinder and as dry as powder. As to
-amusements, there are none save a few cinematograph shows and a bagnio
-named Petit Eden. One of these moving picture shows was showing films
-of the Willard-Johnson fight. It was such an attraction that the place
-was jammed. I had seen no moving pictures of the fight as yet, although
-I wanted to, as I had witnessed the genuine article in Havana. I was
-dumbfounded at the finale after the twenty-sixth round to see my visage
-conspicuous in the foreground displayed upon the white canvas, as I did
-not know that I had been within range of the camera while at the fight
-in Havana.
-
-The Province of Mendoza is rich in mineral springs due to the volcanic
-Andes. The most famous of these springs is that of Villavicencio
-about sixty miles northwest of the capital in the fastnesses of the
-mountains. It was through here that San Martin marched his army on his
-way to Chile. He came out at the point where the railroad now lies at
-the farm of Uspallata. The Mendoza agents of the Argentine Brewery have
-bought the spring and transport its waters in bulk to Mendoza where
-they bottle it.
-
-To the north of the Province of Mendoza lies the Province of San Juan
-with an area of 33,715 square miles. It together with Mendoza and San
-Luis, formerly formed the Province of Cuyo which belonged to that part
-of the Spanish dependencies that were governed from Santiago, Chile. In
-character, San Juan is much like Mendoza although it has less fertile
-lands. This is due to the fact that while Mendoza has three rivers
-which serve to irrigate it, San Juan has but one. San Juan is noted for
-the superior quality of its figs which here thrive to perfection. Its
-capital city is also named San Juan. It is ninety-eight miles north of
-the city of Mendoza and is reached by the Buenos Aires Pacific Railway
-which here has its terminus. It is a small town of 14,595 inhabitants
-with shady streets and of ancient appearance. Most of its houses are of
-adobe. It is also the seat of the bishopric of Cuyó. The bishop is José
-Américo Orzali who has held this post since 1912.
-
-Leaving Mendoza westward, the narrow gauge Transandine Railway runs
-parallel to the canal of the Mendoza River and crosses it twice.
-Several kilometers out, the snow-capped peaks of the Andes are
-visible, among them Aconcagua, South America's highest mountain and
-extinct volcano in Argentina near the Chilean line. This great height
-of twenty-four thousand feet was first ascended by E. A. Fitz Gerald
-after several efforts, but since then it has been scaled several times,
-there being guides at Puente del Inca to take mountain climbers to the
-summit.
-
-  [Illustration: Waiting for the Train at Cacheuta]
-
-Twenty miles from Mendoza, we enter the defile of the Mendoza River,
-and are in the midst of the Andes. I left the train at Cacheuta,
-where at that thermal resort, I put in forty-eight hours. There are
-hot springs at Cacheuta and a small establishment was built as they
-were found to contain qualities beneficial for rheumatism and kindred
-ailments. The trade of the place increased until it became necessary
-to drill holes into the ravine bottom to pump the hot water out for
-baths. The patient is apt to get worse for the first five days after
-the beginning of this treatment, but then gets better and improves
-until the course is completed. The Gran Hotel Cacheuta is a sumptuous
-and luxurious affair built on the style of which we are erroneously
-led to believe is Cliff Dweller architecture like the Hotel El Tovar
-at the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. I was not long there before I
-found out that the main attraction of Cacheuta was not the baths but
-instead roulette and nickel-in-the-slot machines. The first mentioned
-game was in full swing; a separate building was given over to that
-form of joy producer. Chips cost a peso apiece, except for the three
-dozen, red and black, and odd and even, where a five-peso chip must be
-thrown on the green cloth. Little girls not more than twelve years old
-watch their beplumed and besapphired mammas win or lose. Long-robed
-priests wander back and forth, occasionally placing a bet where their
-holy inclination tells them to; vermouth glass in hand, they are seen
-in the barroom to walk up to the products of Mills and of Caille and
-to the tune of a twenty-centavo piece watch for their luck. In the way
-of scenery and other attractions besides the bath there is nothing at
-Cacheuta to divert one's time. It is a society place for gambling and
-a place for rest for the tired business man. It is wonderful, however,
-to see what man has done in a place not favored by nature. The barren
-mountains obscure the view in all directions; the sandy soil can
-bear no vegetation. Here and there are to be seen the corrugated iron
-huts of the railroad workmen in front of whose doors their numerous
-brown-skinned offspring are playing. Through the whole scene runs the
-turbulent Mendoza River, muddy with silt and sand.
-
-  [Illustration: On the Terrace at Cacheuta]
-
-Not far above Cacheuta is Potrerillos, where it is pleasant to see a
-speck of green. Steers graze in alfalfa fields enclosed by tall poplar
-trees. A stock company was formed to bore a tunnel two kilometres
-through the mountains to the plain, deviate the stream from its
-course by running it through this tunnel and which once through, would
-irrigate new lands. As it would also render waste the lands now under
-cultivation, the wine growers and agriculturists served an injunction
-on this company stopping them in their undertaking. The tunnel is
-completed, but it is a hundred to one shot nothing will ever come of it
-for the company tried to steal the river.
-
-  [Illustration: Thermal Establishment at Cacheuta]
-
-  [Illustration: One of the Diversions at Cacheuta that is Neither
-   Bathing nor Gambling]
-
-The whole trip to Santiago over the Andes so often described is one
-of great scenic beauty on the Chilean side where the descent is very
-abrupt and where one can look down the whole length of the valley
-of the Aconcagua River which is cultivated where nature will allow.
-That on the Argentina side is grand with the giant peaks in the
-neighborhood, and also awe-inspiring, but it is apt to be tedious.
-The last stop of importance in Argentina is Puente del Inca, where
-there is a thermal establishment and electrical works. Here there is
-a natural bridge under which the Mendoza River flows and which gives
-the place its name. High up on the mountain side are curious groups
-of rocks which from the valley appear like people praying. They are
-named the Penitentes. The crest of the Andes is pierced by a tunnel at
-an altitude of 10,364 feet. This tunnel is 9848 feet long, 5460 feet
-of it being in Argentina and the remaining 4388 feet being in Chile.
-It takes eight minutes to run through it on the train. In the winter
-time when snow blocks the passes so it is impossible for trains to
-run, travelers between Argentina and Chile ride through this tunnel on
-horseback. About 1500 feet above the tunnel at the summit of the Cumbre
-there is a statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), seen by me
-on several occasions as I have crossed the mountains on horseback. It
-was designed by the Argentine sculptor Matteo Alonso. It is of bronze
-and is over twenty-nine feet in height. It was unveiled at a mass said
-on the top of the Cumbre in March, 1904, as a monument of perpetual
-peace between Argentina and Chile in the presence of the presidents of
-the two republics. There had been a scrap over the boundary question
-and both countries were on the verge of war. It was a case of one being
-afraid and the other dare not, Chile probably holding the pole. Chile
-was unable to obtain a loan and therefore war was averted. The image
-of Christ with his arms extended is looking southward and the boundary
-line of the two countries runs through His center. Since the traffic on
-the Cumbre has greatly lessened on account of the tunnel, this bronze
-Christ has fallen into neglect. Storms have knocked the cross out of
-his hands, and in many ways have damaged it. The Chilean mozos who
-cross the Andes to work in the electrical works at Puente del Inca, use
-this statue as a target when they pass by it and when I saw it, it was
-quite pock-marked with the bullets from their revolvers. One hundred
-meters north and one hundred metres south of the statue are two iron
-poles named "itos" which demark the boundary.
-
-  [Illustration: Steps at Cacheuta Leading from the Railroad Station to
-   the Hotel]
-
-The poor travelers still go over the Cumbre. They hire mules for fifty
-pesos Chileno apiece ($4.90) at Los Andes, leaving there early in the
-morning long before daybreak and arriving at the Argentine station of
-Las Cuevas in the afternoon in time to catch the afternoon train to
-Mendoza.
-
-At Santa Rosa de los Andes down the valley of the Aconcagua at an
-altitude of 2698 feet, we changed trains for here we reached the broad
-gauge of the Chilean State Railways. It is a pleasure to be able to
-travel again in clean and comfortable cars. Those of Argentina are
-terrible; they are dirty, old, and worn. The toilets are dirty and the
-lavatories are generally lacking in towels. In Chile are Pullman cars
-of American manufacture; the locomotives are local, or are made in
-Germany. I came from Cacheuta on the special car sent by the Argentine
-Government to convey the special ambassadors and envoys with their
-distinguished guests to the inauguration ceremonies and installation
-of the new President of Chile, Sr. Luis Sanfuentes, who succeeded
-Sr. Ramon Barros Luco, whose term expired December 23, 1915. This
-party included Romulo S. Naón, special ambassador, Colonel Carlos
-S. Martinez, military attaché, Captain José Moneta, naval attaché,
-Sr. Iriondo de Irigoyen and Sr. Albert d'Alkaine, secretaries to the
-Embassy and myself. Brazil was represented by Senhor Luis Martins
-de Souza Dantas, special ambassador. Portugal sent her minister
-to Argentina, Colonel Botelho, a very quiet miniature old man and
-his military attaché, Colonel Martin de Lima, a middle-aged small
-gentleman. At Los Andes, we were met by the welcome committee of the
-Chilean government, its units being the pick of the land politically,
-socially, and from rank in military and naval affairs. After being
-photographed and presented with flowers by comely maidens dressed in
-white, who came to greet us and who sang a song especially composed for
-our honor, we were escorted to a private train where we were dined and
-wined on the way to Santiago.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V
-
-SALTA AND TUCUMÁN
-
-
-Mr. William Boyce, of the Chicago Saturday _Blade_, made a trip to
-Tucumán and wrote a chapter about it in his book, _Illustrated South
-America_. This book I read with pleasure and determined that I should
-visit that city if ever an opportunity presented itself. One morning,
-armed with credentials and letters of introduction to prominent
-personages in the far provinces, I boarded the train for Tucumán. Two
-railroads connect Buenos Aires with Tucumán, the Central of Córdoba
-and the Central of Argentina. I traveled by a train that runs over the
-rails of the latter.
-
-Mariano Saavedra, 288 miles north of Buenos Aires is the town where the
-River Plate scenery ends, and the vast, monotonous plains begin. Up to
-here through the broad expanse of corn fields, whose limits are bounded
-by the horizon; past funereal towns of unpointed red brick buildings,
-the open doors and windows of which have the aspect of morgue entrances
-and apertures; past mournful cemeteries of blackened crosses; and
-past peasant houses embowered in groves of weeping willows, the dirty
-tri-weekly express train sped us by in a cloud of stifling, blinding,
-eye-smarting, ear-filling dust. At Mariano Saavedra we come to the
-unbounded, limitless plain of coarse green grass on which myriads of
-cattle graze. This, the province of Santa Fé, is the true plain of
-Argentina. From history and from fiction we imagine the great plains
-to be the central and the southern provinces, consisting of what is
-geographically the western part of the province of Buenos Aires, the
-Province of San Luis, and the territory of Pampa. This is not the
-true fact. In all these geographical divisions are rolling hills, and
-streams in deep-lying canyons. Here in Santa Fé, I doubt if there is a
-single hill. A broad landscape, dry and dusty but by no means rainless,
-and yet fruitful, meets the eye of the traveler. A dark cloud on the
-horizon approaches, and when overhead breaks into a swarm of locusts,
-which in many instances destroy in a single day the whole untiring
-year's work of the farmers. They are not such a pest as they were in
-former years, but yet a terrible scourge.
-
-At 10:30 P.M. the town of Ceres is reached. This place, a railway
-division point, is built at the corners of the provinces Santa Fé,
-Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero, the last-named province being
-that which the train now enters and which it takes all night to
-cross. Do not imagine that this dusty, smoky town is named after the
-Goddess of Agriculture. It is a synonym of all that is evil among
-human inhabitants, namely overwhelming dust, locomotive smoke, and
-locusts which dart through the empty windows of the coaches like hot
-coals, and are pulled out of ones food, beer, hair, pockets, and even
-underdrawers, of all sizes and shapes from three inches downwards,
-never failing to expectorate a dark brown sputum, like tobacco juice
-but purulent.
-
-I sat in the dining car with a young dentist named Hallmann, of German
-birth but who had an American diploma. He resides at Santiago del
-Estero where he made twenty thousand dollars at his profession during
-the last two years. There is only one other dentist in that city,
-an American, but Hallmann says the latter has no trade because he is
-drunken. He told me that in Santiago del Estero he was always obliged
-to accept cash before he pulled a tooth on account of the swindling
-tendency of the natives. Several months later, I accidentally met
-Hallmann on the Avenida in Buenos Aires. He had made enough money in
-Santiago del Estero and was on his way to Philadelphia, where he had
-formerly practiced, to open up an office.
-
-The Province of Santiago del Estero has an area of 39,764 square miles
-and a population of 264,911. It is a plain varying from 450 to 550 feet
-above sea level. Its climate is extremely hot. Most of the surface of
-the soil is covered with a dense brush of mesquite and quebracho trees,
-which are cut into cordwood and used as fuel on the locomotives. The
-capital city is Santiago del Estero, frequently spoken of in Argentina
-as Santiago. It is an antiquated city of seventeen thousand inhabitants
-and is one of the oldest towns in the republic having been founded in
-1553 by Francisco de Aguirre on the Dulce River. It is the seat of a
-bishopric, which was created in 1908. The present incumbent is Dr. Juan
-Martin de Yañiz y Paz. On account of its isolation, Santiago del Estero
-has not prospered as it should have.
-
-The inhabitants of the Province of Santiago del Estero are mostly
-dependent for a livelihood on the sale of quebracho. This wood which
-rarely attains a growth of thirty feet is of a deep red color and is
-used as a dye wood. Its supply seems inexhaustible but its export is
-now at a standstill on account of a slump in the market. It thrives
-in dry climates for in this province where it frequently goes for
-a stretch of seven months at a time without a rain, it attains its
-perfection. The northern provinces of Argentina have it over its
-southern neighbors in the fact that no matter how dry the country is,
-if it lies within the proper altitudes it is forested.
-
-I have heard the Province of Tucumán spoken of by Argentinos as having
-a tropical climate. Such is not the truth, but it is, in climate,
-the nearest approach to the tropics of any of the other Argentine
-provinces, with the exception of the lowlands of Salta that lie
-within the La Plata watershed. All nations are apt to exaggerate their
-endowments of nature, therefore one should not too sharply criticize
-the Argentinos when they speak of Tucumán as tropical. The Germans call
-part of Saxony, "Sächische Schweiz," when it bears no more resemblance
-to Switzerland than does a pot of ink to a bucket of milk. The
-Uruguayans love to style their land "The Greenland of South America,"
-and even the Paraguayans call their mountains the "Himalaya Mbaracayu."
-The only similarity of Tucumán to the tropics is the excessive heat in
-summer, and the prevalence of fevers, the most noteworthy being a form
-of malaria, named _chuchu_ which is also in Santiago del Estero, Jujuy,
-and Salta. A more fever-free country is hard to imagine from the lay
-of the land, yet I am sorry to say that the Argentine Board of Health
-statistics belie it. Malaria is one of the foremost death-causing
-ailments in northwestern Argentina. I would, however, class these
-provinces as being healthy, as there are no other epidemics excepting
-an occasional sporadic outbreak of smallpox.
-
-Entering Tucumán province from Santiago del Estero, the scenery
-abruptly changes from the quebracho thicket to large open fields of
-sugar cane. It was summer when I visited it and the cane was nowhere
-near its growth. Compared with Cuba, the soil is poorer, the cane
-sicklier, and the establishments smaller. It is a go-between Cuba and
-the other islands of the West Indies.
-
-From the city of Tucumán northward the scenery is beautiful. Seated
-in the dining car of the narrow gauge Central Northern Railroad
-with an overflowing glass of Rubia beer in front of me, and gazing
-at the fleeting landscape, I was entranced by the works of God. An
-endless forest of hardwood, with magnificent spreading tops, yet
-too small to make saw timber, formed an excrescence on the reddish
-clay thicker than bristles on Tamworth swine. The undergrowth is
-thick like that of southern Chile, but here nature is like that of a
-warmer clime. No towns and but few farmhouses are visible, yet this
-is a populous country. The houses are hidden away in the forest, and
-their owners make their living by stock raising, their herds roaming
-at random in the woods. High green mountains grace the landscape,
-their lower reaches wooded, while their tops uplifted above the tree
-line are verdant with grasses. They are like the Paraguayan mountains
-in contour, domed or serrated but never flat. The rainy season is
-from December to April. Then the country looks its best. Under such
-conditions I saw it. The seven months from May through November
-constitute the dry season, and I was told that then the landscape has
-a dreary appearance owing to its parched dryness. The cattle seem to
-thrive even then. They are gaunt, rawboned creatures and even when fat,
-a man can nearly hang his hat upon their haunches. They have great
-endurance and are driven across the northern passes into Chile where
-they sell for nineteen cents a pound live weight. Even with their great
-shrinkage en route there is quite a profit to this. In the Province
-of Salta where land cannot get irrigation, it is worthless except
-for cattle raising owing to the seven months' drought, as water is
-absolutely necessary for their crops.
-
-To the stations, on the approach of the train, lean dogs and fat sows
-come, and standing on the platform in front of the dining car, they
-look longingly at the windows, and with barking and squealing let their
-presence be known. These animals know exactly what time the trains
-are scheduled to arrive and depart, where the dining car stops, and at
-which end of the dining car the kitchen is. This sagacity comes from
-intuition covering a long period. They are at every station and are
-especially noticeable at the stop named Virgilio Tedin. The cook and
-waiters never throw them anything, but instead occasionally douse them
-with the contents of a bucket of dish water. The passengers are more
-compassionate, and always throw a piece of biscuit or bone at these
-animals who pounce upon the castings with squeals of delight. The
-dogs are afraid of the sows, which although fat are of good fighting
-material.
-
-  [Illustration: Güemes
-
-   A typical town of northern Argentina]
-
-Güemes, a town of two thousand inhabitants is the junction for Salta
-and for Jujuy. Although Salta is on a branch line and Jujuy is on
-the main one, all through trains go to Salta for it is the largest
-place. For Jujuy, you have to change. Jujuy, the capital of the
-small province of the same name, is a miserable, squalid place of six
-thousand inhabitants, in a hot but healthy valley. It used to have
-twenty thousand people in the Colonial period, when it was the outpost
-of Spanish civilization of the La Plata provinces; it then did a brisk
-trade with Bolivia. The town has no future. Midway between Güemes and
-Jujuy is the junction of Perico from which place a railroad extends
-in a northeasterly direction to Oran, in the province of Salta. This
-is also an old place with many houses in ruins. It has but twenty-five
-hundred inhabitants and is a shell of its former opulence. It now has
-a good future because a railroad is being built to connect it with
-Formosa on the Paraguay River, and much timber and tropical products
-will be brought in to be exported. Now Oran exports oranges and
-bananas. Another old Colonial town of crumbling houses is Santiago del
-Esteca near Metan, a station of the Central Northern Railroad south
-of Güemes. Santiago del Esteca lies in the midst of a thick forest and
-communication with the outside world is carried on over a rough wagon
-road. The Central Northern Railroad ends at La Quiaca, the frontier
-station at the Bolivian boundary line. From Jujuy northward it is
-a gradual climb to Abrapampa, over thirteen thousand feet above sea
-level and then a drop of about three thousand feet to the terminus.
-The railroad is in some places rack and pinion but the trip for scenic
-beauty affords but little interest to the tourist for it is over bleak
-and barren mountains. The trip from Buenos Aires to La Paz, Bolivia,
-can be made in one week, owing to the excellent stage-coach service of
-a Bolivian company connecting La Quiaca with Uyuni on the Antofagasta
-to Bolivia Railroad.
-
-Live hogs in northern Argentina are shipped in the baggage cars of
-passenger trains, although there seems to be plenty of empty swine
-wagons. The animals are trussed up by a noose slipped over their
-snouts, drawn tightly and slipped around their front feet which are
-bound; the rope is then extended to their hind feet which are already
-hobbled. I saw half a dozen of these creatures bound this way being
-taken from the baggage car at Güemes and laid in the sun on the depot
-platform, when the thermometer stood at 108° Fahrenheit in the shade.
-
-On the spur to Salta the first stop is Campo Santo, meaning "holy
-ground" or "cemetery." I am told that it is very appropriately named as
-the fevers here are exceedingly common and are of great virulence.
-
-He who has been to Argentina and has failed to see the Lerma Valley
-is to be pitied. I have been told that the Cauca Valley in Colombia
-is one of nature's rare masterpieces, and I would like to have it
-compared with that of the Lerma by somebody who has seen both. Midway
-between Güemes and Salta we reach the Lerma River, and the high wooded
-hills narrow down to a defile, coming to the water's edge in some
-places which necessitates the train in some places to pass through
-tunnels. An occasional charcoal burner's hut is seen, but no other
-habitations. Suddenly the defile ends, the river is crossed, and a
-long valley several miles wide is entered, its whole floor in a high
-state of cultivation and dotted with farmhouses. Near at hand are green
-foothills, which afford pasture for stock. Behind are wooded mountains.
-The whole panorama is beautified by the high Andes to the west and
-north whose summits are capped with perpetual snow. The city of Salta
-is approached; its many towers and Gothic spires, together with its
-setting at the base of wooded mountains, brings to one's mind visions
-of cities of Central Europe.
-
-  [Illustration: Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, Salta]
-
-The Province of Salta has an area of 62,184 square miles and had
-185,643 inhabitants according to the last census, that of 1914. It is
-divided into twenty-one departments which are analogous to the counties
-of our states. There is a great variation of soil and climate ranging
-from barrenness and frigidity in the high Andes to exuberant vegetation
-and torrid heats in the department of Oran. The principal industry
-is the exportation of stock into Chile. A railroad to Chile seems to
-be the want of the inhabitants. They say that if one were built to
-Antofagasta, they would need no trade with the rest of Argentina for
-then all their exports would be sent north by the Pacific boats, and
-their imports from the United States would be brought in that way,
-saving a great expense in freight. This is only too true. Argentina
-is willing that such a railroad should be built, but the Chilean
-Government has refused permission on the grounds that there would be
-a great exodus of population from their barren northern provinces to
-the fruitful country across the Andes, namely Salta and Jujuy. There
-has always been more or less enmity between Argentina and Chile over
-a national boundary dispute regarding the limits of the Province of
-Salta, whose productive soil the first-mentioned country is jealous
-of. The question once nearly precipitated a war and the statue of the
-Cristo Redentor is a monument of the pact of peace.
-
-Whenever nature bestows opulence on a country, it invariably endows it
-with setbacks. This it did in Salta by giving it fevers and venomous
-snakes. The chuchu fever is the commonest disease and although not
-so prevalent as in the Province of Tucumán, it is here in a more
-malignant form. It is conveyed by the bite of the mosquito and much
-resembles ague, excepting that the body is racked by pains, each day in
-a different place. It is supposed never to leave the system, quinine
-availing but little. It weakens the heart and in this way death is
-caused, but only after several or more years. Some people never have
-it, and, by the healthy looks of the inhabitants and by the number of
-aged people to be seen in Salta, I do not believe its effects are as
-dangerous as is claimed. Among the snake family there are some venomous
-species, notably the viper and the cascabel. The bite of the latter is
-synonymous with sure death.
-
-The city of Salta, whose population is estimated at twenty-eight
-thousand exclusive of a garrison of two thousand soldiers, is one of
-the best built cities and, for its size, one of the liveliest towns
-in Argentina. Its streets are paved with creosote blocks as in Paris;
-it has an electric car system and all the progressive improvements.
-Its buildings are modern two-story structures, and old houses of the
-Colonial period with ornate carved wood entrances. On February 20,
-1813, General Arenales defeated the Spaniards on a plain north of the
-town, and a few years ago at a Centennial to celebrate the event, a
-handsome monument of stone with bronze martial bas-reliefs, surmounted
-by a female statue of Liberty holding aloft a cross, was unveiled on
-the battle ground and is regarded by the Saltenos as the pride of their
-town. The principal plaza of the city is named in honor of the hero,
-Arenales, and a monument is soon to be placed on the brick base in the
-center of this square which formerly was graced by a squat obelisk. The
-principal club of the city is likewise named after the victory, its
-nomenclature being the 20th of February Club. This edifice faces the
-plaza and is by far the most modern building in Salta; it is the only
-building in the city that is three stories high. Many cities of half a
-million inhabitants cannot boast of so fine a club regarding interior
-furnishings. The wood carving, which is of Salta oak and cedar is of
-native workmanship; the Saltenos are famous in that art and I doubt
-if anywhere woodcarving by hand is done better. The parquet flooring
-of the club ballroom makes the visitor gasp with amazement when he
-is told that the work and the wood are all local. On the furniture of
-this club, which is even equipped with a gymnasium, no expense has been
-spared. The ballroom chairs of Marie Antoinette style are upholstered
-with silk, and the massive candelabra are of the choicest Venetian
-glass. The toilet room, I am pleased to relate, is one of the very few
-that I visited in Argentina that is kept clean.
-
-The buildings around the Plaza Arenales are all arcaded, but the only
-one of architectural interest is the old Cabildo, or city hall, of
-Spanish times. It is a low, squat, long structure of massive walls
-and with rounded arches forming the arcades. A low, pointed tower
-rises above the center. The lower floor of this building is now given
-up entirely to stores while the upper ones are leased for dwelling
-purposes.
-
-  [Illustration: Tomb in Cemetery, Salta]
-
-The Hotel Plaza of Ramon Terres is a two-story building at the
-northeast corner of the square and, although it is by no means a St.
-Regis, it is good enough for Salta. Unfortunately most of the bedrooms
-face a glass-roofed courtyard, which besides making them dark, does
-not allow the entry of much fresh air. The pillows are so hard that
-the guests are apt to wonder if they are stuffed with brickbats. One of
-the curious figures that haunted the hotel café was a very old, tall,
-and thin gentleman of a decidedly noble and dignified appearance. His
-hair which was abundant, and his well-trimmed beard were silvery white.
-His clean features, neat black clothes, and derby hat would deceive a
-person into believing that this old man was a retired Scots professor
-or German scientist. There was something uncanny about his appearance,
-for I had never before seen so well-groomed and active a man of an age
-that I imagined him to be; it was as if he had long ago passed the age
-limit in which old men die, and yet decided that he would remain on
-earth a good spell yet. He was always one of the last persons to leave
-the cafés nights, and the first to enter them mornings; he made the
-rounds with regularity, and always had a drink before him. I asked the
-Spanish bartender who he was:
-
-"He was once a very rich man who made his money by cattle dealing
-in Chile. He spent most of it and now is on an allowance from his
-relations. He has been in Chile over one hundred times trading stock,
-and is thinking of going again soon. He is an expert horseman. He is
-over one hundred years old, and," said the waiter in a confidential
-undertone, "he is a devil with the women. He chases after all
-the servant girls and has lewd designs on the chambermaid." This
-chambermaid, by the way, was terribly good-looking, with dark brown
-eyes, and rosy red cheeks. I admired the old man's choice.
-
-Salta has some remarkable religious edifices. It is the see of a
-bishop, who has a palace adjoining the cathedral. The diocese was
-created in 1806 and comprises the provinces of Salta and Jujuy. The
-present bishop, José Gregorio Romero, has been the incumbent only
-since 1915. The inhabitants have the reputation of being very devout,
-although I observed that all the Catholics with whom I was brought into
-contact with in Salta, ate meat on Friday. This also applies to the
-clergy. In the rich, cool, and lofty cathedral, there is a shrine with
-an image of the crucified Savior, which has a most peculiar history.
-Years ago there was found on a lonely beach in Chile, two boxes, which
-had evidently been washed ashore from an unknown shipwreck. One was
-labeled with the address of a person in Córdoba, and the other was
-addressed to a Señor del Milagro in Salta. On being opened, the box
-destined for Córdoba was found to contain an image of the Virgin, while
-that for Salta contained the Christ. His halo is of wrought gold, and
-the cross on which He is nailed is of iron. As there was no such person
-in Salta as "del Milagro," the church appropriated the image which is
-known as the Cristo del Milagro, and is shown by the sexton.
-
-Two of the oldest churches are those of Merced and of San Bernardo.
-The church of the Candelaria has the finest façade with a detached
-campanile, but the most interesting of all is the church and monastery
-of San Francisco. The cloister has massive walls, seven feet thick.
-It houses fourteen brown-robed monks of the Franciscan order. Most of
-them were an unwashed, unkempt lot; the quantity of empty wine and beer
-bottles in the kitchen yard bore testimony to many libations on their
-part. The whole monastery is a maze of halls, porches, passageways,
-staircases, cupolas, belfries, cells, courtyards, and gardens. This
-confusion arose because a new part was added each time the growth of
-the monastery warranted it. Into the large garden is turned nightly
-a large bloodhound, kept ugly by being constantly fed on raw meat.
-This is to prevent the townspeople from scaling the walls to steal the
-luscious fruit and grapes which the monks cultivate. In the daytime
-the dog is kept chained up, but only two or three of the inmates are
-on friendly enough terms with this modern Cerberus to approach it.
-The tall campanile of San Francisco is the highest church tower in
-Argentina.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Mitre, Salta
-
-   This is the main street of the city]
-
-I had a letter of introduction from Dr. Manuel de Iriondo, president
-of the Bank of the Argentine Nation and one of the most prominent men
-in the republic, to the manager of the Salta branch, Señor Francisco
-Pereyra. I have never met a finer gentleman that Señor Pereyra. Not
-only did he wine and dine me at his own residence, but he went at
-great length to entertain me, introduce me to his friends, to the
-mayor of the city, to the governor of the province, took me out for
-automobile rides, and when I left Salta loaded me with literature, both
-statistical and historical of the province and city. Señor Pereyra made
-me a present of a hardwood cane, the tree from which it is made being
-indigenous to the Province of Salta, and named San Antonio. Mariano
-Posse is the name of Pereyra's eighteen-year-old brother-in-law who is
-going to Buenos Aires in a year to study medicine. I tried to persuade
-the young man to come to the United States to take a course in one
-of our universities, which I think will eventually materialize. At
-the time of this writing, Señor Pereyra has left Salta and is manager
-of the Bank of the Argentine Nation at Catamarca, the capital of the
-Andean province of the same name. He had recently, shortly before
-leaving Salta, the misfortune to lose by death, his wife, an estimable
-lady. I met Dr. Waldino Riarte, a friend of Señor Pereyra's. Both men
-were originally from Tucumán. Dr. Riarte is one of the wealthiest and
-highest standing men in the province, to which position he rose through
-his own efforts. One of the Salteno's with whom I became acquainted
-was Dr. Sola, a graduate of the Ohio State University, class of 1904.
-He has not been in the United States since he graduated. He was sent
-there to study, by the Argentine Government, and liked it so well that
-he wants to go back to the United States. He was anxious to hear the
-results of the collegiate football games for the past few years, as he
-played on the 'varsity while attending Ohio State.
-
-"Chopp" (pronounced _schop_) is a coined word supposed to be the
-Spanish translation of the German word _schoppen_. Its nearest English
-equivalent is our coined word "schuper." Under the arcades of the
-old Cabildo, a German has established a saloon which he has named "El
-Bueno Chopp," meaning "The Good Schuper." A native seeing the volume of
-business which came to the thrifty German, thinking that it all came
-from the name he gave his place, hung out a sign styling his liquid
-refreshment emporium, "El Mejor Chopp," which means "The Best Schuper."
-It happens that in this latter resort, it is impossible to get draught
-beer in schupers, as the proprietor deals only in bottled goods. He
-does a poor business compared to that of the German.
-
-In the Bueno Chopp saloon where I would occasionally go for a libation,
-I met a Dantziger named Holzmann. He inquired of me the names of
-the North American magazines most widely read by the higher classes
-of women, whereupon I told him the _Ladies' Home Journal_, Harper's
-_Bazaar_, and others, giving him their addresses. He later confided
-to me that the reason for his asking was that he wished through their
-columns to make an announcement that he intended to get married and
-he wanted a North American woman for his wife. He said he had taken a
-passion for women of that nationality, and would accept no others. This
-passion, I found, had developed from his having become enamored of the
-photograph of one of our well-known society queens that is frequently
-flaunted before our eyes in the newspaper columns of the Sunday
-supplements. Holzmann told me that when he resided in East Africa, he
-occasionally gave his former wife, when she was unruly, a beating with
-a hippopotamus hide whip; so I see what sort of fate is in store for
-his American bride.
-
-Salta years ago had a brewery owned by a man named Glueck. Through
-mismanagement it failed. The city has 120 automobiles which speaks well
-for a town of its size and isolation in South America. The wine grown
-there is supposed to be the best in Argentina, although there has been
-little done towards putting it on the market.
-
-While I was a guest of the Pereyras' I witnessed a novel sight. After
-dinner a bat was turned loose in the dining room. This phyllostome
-Señor Pereyra kept in a large cage and occasionally turned it loose to
-eat the mosquitoes which are a curse to Salta.
-
-Midway between Salta and Tucumán is the station of Rosario de la
-Frontera near which are some famous mineral baths. It is quite a winter
-resort and its waters are bottled and sold all over the republic. Palau
-is the name of the most widely distributed brand. These waters are
-naturally carbonated, but are not as strong as Apollinaris or White
-Rock. One of the finest waters in Argentina is that of Ghino from
-Tucumán province. It is somewhat like Vichy in taste but is slightly
-medicated. Its sale, however, is unfortunately local.
-
-The Province of Tucumán derives its name from a legendary Indian
-cacique named Tucuma, who is supposed to have lived in the plain of
-the Rio Monteros which flows through the province and which joins
-the Rio Salí near the city of Tucumán. It is the smallest province of
-Argentina, having an area of only 8926 square miles. Three-quarters
-of its surface is level, the remaining quarter which is the western
-part being hilly and mountainous. Tucumán is the most densely settled
-portion of Argentina, its population being, according to the census of
-1914, 373,073. On account of this density of population the Tucumános
-like to call their province "The Europe of Argentina." In most of the
-republic the railroads preceded the settlers; here and also in Salta
-this is the reverse, for the settlers in these provinces came first. In
-1560 the Viceroy of Peru, to whose dominions this part of the country
-had belonged, declared Tucumán an independent state. It then comprised
-what are now the geographical divisions of Santiago del Estero,
-Tucumán, Catamarca, Salta, Jujuy, and Córdoba. In 1782 Salta, Jujuy,
-and Córdoba were separated from it. In 1821 Catamarca and Santiago del
-Estero followed suit.
-
-The capital city, also named Tucumán, was founded September 29, 1565,
-by Diego de Villarroel at the confluence of the Salí and Monteros
-rivers. In 1585 it was moved to the site that it now occupies. It
-is situated near the middle of the province, at an elevation of 1453
-feet above sea level. The city itself has a population of about one
-hundred thousand inhabitants, but it is a distributing point for a
-much greater population for at no great distance from it are numerous
-towns, large sugar factories with their colonies of workmen. In shape
-the city is nearly square. It is eighteen blocks long from north to
-south and fourteen blocks wide from east to west. The streets are wide,
-and the newer ones, especially the boulevards which bound the limits,
-are lined with trees, sycamores being in the majority. Four blocks
-west of the eastern city limits is the Plaza Independencia, the center
-of mercantile, religious, and diverting activity. On it stands the
-cathedral, another church, the capitol, at least ten large cafés, and
-a couple of moving picture shows, while in the neighborhood on a street
-named Las Heras are the best shops.
-
-Las Heras, an east and west intersector, is the main business street,
-although the one which parallels it one block to the south, and
-which is named Calle 24 de Setiembre, is the street which divides its
-intersectors into different nomenclatures in the manner of the Calle
-Rivadavia in Buenos Aires. South of Calle 24 de Setiembre, the streets
-that cross it have different names than the elongations of them that
-run north of it. On Calle Las Heras are the important banks. The next
-business streets in order according to their commercial worth are
-Mendoza, which parallels Las Heras one block north of it, Laprida, and
-Maipu, the two last named being cross streets. Calle Maipu is devoted
-to second class-shops; the third-class shops and the slums, which are
-vile, although not so vile as the slums of Córdoba, are at the extreme
-western end of Las Heras near the Central of Córdoba Railroad station.
-
-The religious edifices, although their external appearances are
-imposing and have double towers and domes of light blue porcelain tile,
-are not worth visiting unless to pray in, as their interiors offer no
-more artistic attractions than thousands of their kind elsewhere.
-
-The capitol is by far the finest building in the city. It is
-three stories high on the outside, and four on the inside (for the
-courtyards are sunk one story below the street level), and occupies a
-considerable area. It is by no means the finest capitol building that
-I have visited, but as it is the newest, having been just completed,
-it is probably the best equipped. Though it is built in the business
-section of the city where it cannot show off to its best advantage, it
-however, makes the capitol at Lansing, Michigan, look like 30 cents. In
-Argentine, as it is almost impossible to get marble, all the provincial
-capitols are built of brick, solidly, so as to stand forever. The
-Argentine brick is not pleasing to the eyes, as it is rough. To
-embellish the buildings of this material they are given a coating of
-drab stucco cement.
-
-  [Illustration: Capitol, Tucumán]
-
-I visited the Governor, Dr. Ernesto Padilla, a tall, handsome, affable
-man about forty years old. He is quite an archeologist, and in a
-room adjoining his private office in the capitol he has installed
-his private collection of Indian antiquities of the province. It is
-a most remarkable collection of pottery, ornaments, etc. Near Tafí
-a large stone has been recently discovered with Indian scrolls,
-hieroglyphics, and drawings. A North American photographer residing in
-Tucumán went out to see this stone. With chalk, he outlined the rather
-indistinct drawings and then took a photograph of it. This photograph
-is reproduced on pages 635 and 637 of my previous work, _Illustrated,
-Descriptive Argentina_.
-
-Dr. Padilla introduced me to General O'Donnell, the military commander
-of the province. A curious fact is that this general cannot speak the
-English language, having been born in Argentina. I held a letter of
-introduction to Señor S. A. Wyss, manager of the Hilaret y Cia sugar
-mill at Santa Ana, the largest in South America, and also one to Mr.
-Stewart Shipton, manager of the Corona mill at Concepción. Both mills
-are several hours' distant from Tucumán, and in trying to catch the
-train for Concepción, I went to the wrong depot. Dr. Padilla afterwards
-told me that it would have been useless for me to have gone to either
-of those places, because there were sugar mills much nearer to the
-city. He wrote me a letter of introduction to Señor Alfredo Guzman,
-the richest man in the province, who has a mill at a town also named
-Concepción, which is only a twenty minutes' drive from the capital. He
-likewise wrote me a letter to Dr. Juan C. Nougués, who has a mill at
-San Pablo, which I visited. There are two kinds of sugar districts in
-the Province of Tucumán, one on the plains like that of Señor Guzman's
-estate, and one in the hills like the one at San Pablo.
-
-Tucumán is a hot place, both climatically and morally. In the latter
-line are the Crystal Palace and the Moulin Rouge, while in the former
-line, the thermometer often rises above the comfortable point. The
-night I arrived it registered 106° Fahrenheit in the shade. It was so
-hot that I thought I would cool off by walking down the Calle Laprida.
-The one-story houses are so constructed that in front of each window
-an iron balcony extends to the sidewalk; the railings of these are
-of wrought iron, or marble. Here sit the belles on hot summer nights
-airing themselves. They certainly need to, for as I strolled down
-the street the stench that was wafted from them to me was nearly
-asphyxiating. It is the odor that is present in the summer when the
-human body is unfriendly to soap, water, and the scrub brush. Some of
-these beauties sat behind shutters in the darkness, but I was aware of
-their presence, although I could not see them.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Laprida, Tucumán
-
-   Behind the iron balconies, such as has the house on the left, the women
-   of Tucumán are seated on hot summer evenings airing themselves]
-
-In 1914, there was founded in Tucumán a university, at the head of
-which is Dr. Juan B. Teran. So far, the university is incomplete,
-for of the five departments of instruction which it will have when
-completed, only two are at present running. These are the pedagogical
-department, and that of mechanics, agriculture, and chemistry. The
-latter has an agricultural experimental station near the city, at
-present in charge of a North American, Dr. William E. Cross. Its
-chemical and bacteriological laboratory is the best in the republic.
-The University of Tucumán to-day is more like a polytechnical institute
-and agricultural combined than that which we generally think of by the
-word "university."
-
-As to hotels, Tucumán has one of the best in South America, the Savoy.
-It, together with two separate buildings, one a roulette casino, and
-the other a large theater, is the property of the Da Rossa Company,
-a Portuguese syndicate. The Savoy is leased to a Frenchman, R.
-Eluchand, and is managed by Señor Scheindl formerly of Vienna. It is
-Mr. Scheindl's sister whose portrait appears on the Austrian twenty
-crown note; she was supposed to be the most beautiful girl in Austria.
-The Savoy is a large affair of 116 rooms, most of which have a bath
-in connection. It is on the Boulevard Sarmiento in an excellent but
-not central location. It is finely equipped, and is like a palace with
-its large courtyard enclosed by pillared balconies. The hotel has been
-a "white elephant" because it is too fine for the city. Mr. Scheindl
-tells me that in the hotel line, the Tucumános always want something
-for nothing, and when the inhabitants give their big balls at the
-Savoy, he either runs behind or else only breaks even; otherwise, if
-he insisted that they pay what he thought would be just, they would
-boycott him in the future. The other hotels which are in the central
-part of the city are the Europe, the Paris, and the Frascati, the
-first mentioned being the best. The Frascati is owned by the Palladini
-brothers, one of them, Attilio, having been former manager of the
-Savoy. When I knew Attilio Palladini several years ago, he was the
-courier of the Parque Hotel in Montevideo, and quit it to be head
-portier of the Hotel Savoy in Buenos Aires.
-
-In Tucumán itself, there is nothing of interest for the sightseer.
-It is only a large commercial town in a fine agricultural district
-dependent on the sugar industry. Contrary to the fabrications the
-stranger will hear elsewhere in Argentina knocking it, saying that it
-is a fever hotbed, it is a sanitary place for the person that has the
-price to indulge in mineral waters as beverages, for its own water is
-not potable, owing to the sediment and dust that it contains. Talking
-with business men about investment of capital in Tucumán, there does
-not seem to be much encouragement in the manufacturing line. A flour
-mill would undoubtedly pay, and there is a splendid opportunity to
-start a steam laundry, as there is a constant complaint about the
-present one. It does its work poorly and charges exorbitant prices. It
-is said that a small ice plant in one of the neighboring towns, which
-would supply the wants of the inhabitants of the thickly inhabited
-districts, would also pay. A brewery has started in Tucumán, named
-the Cerveceria del Norte (Northern Brewery). It is controlled by
-the Quilmes people and has a large enough capacity to supply entire
-Argentina if necessary. Its brands of beer from light to dark are
-Rubia, Tucma, and Oran. Rubia is very palatable.
-
-I became acquainted with a photographer in Tucumán, Mr. Henry A. Kirwin
-of New York. He came down here as a photographer eight years ago, and
-wants to get back home. He says it is much easier for a man to get down
-there than to get back. He seems to have a fair business, photographing
-machinery at the different mills and at the railroad yards at Tafí
-Viejo. Many of his photographs of family groups have yellow chemicals
-smeared over the faces of the clients on the plates. I asked him why
-this was.
-
-"You see," said he, "most of the natives have Indian blood. It is
-supposed to be much nicer if this origin would be unknown, therefore
-I have to put this chemical on the plates so their faces will have a
-decidedly European cast in the photograph."
-
-It is customary for the relatives of dead persons to have photographs
-taken of their once beloved. Mr. Kirwin had a choice collection of
-these local corpses which he insisted on showing me; there were over
-sixty. Among them were some "tasty" specimens, some being victims of
-the bubonic plague in 1913. Some were unrecognizable, charred masses
-of flesh that had been human before the subjects perished in a fire,
-while others were the gruesome countenances of cadavers whose faces
-were partially eaten away by cancer.
-
-While in Mendoza, I thought the canine population was excessive. It is
-small compared with that of Tucumán. In this city every criolla has
-two or more Mexican hairless dogs, and the number of hybrids between
-bulldog, Great Dane, whiffet, and old hound is appalling. Three hundred
-thousand dogs is, I think, a low estimate of the canine inhabitants
-of the city. None are muzzled; but few are fed; and all run after
-bicycles, automobiles, and wagons. They make night hideous by howling,
-and fighting about the possession of putrid bones, mule dung, and
-garbage.
-
-From Tucumán there is a trip that the visitor should not fail to
-miss. This is the twenty-mile automobile ride to the settlement and
-summer resort of Villa Nougués, 4225 feet above the plain on which
-the city is built. Nougués is situated not far from the summit of the
-wooded mountains southwest of Tucumán. The road leads due west, and
-then swerves to the south past populous farming country and through
-the village of Yerba Buena to the sugar mill and colony of San Pablo,
-where Dr. Nougués has his palatial mansion, and private church. His
-beautiful estate lies on gently sloping ground two miles east of the
-wooded mountains. All provisions for the summer colony and hotel at
-Villa Nougués must be taken up by wagon or by automobile from Tucumán.
-Most of the heavy trucking is done by means of ox carts. Early in the
-morning we met at San Pablo several of these oxcarts plodding slowly
-up the country road, and at night on our return to the city we met
-these same teams only halfway up the mountain, so hard is the pull on
-the beasts. When the road reaches the mountains it makes a serpentine,
-and then zigzags upward through the semi-tropical forest abounding
-with orange and crimson cannas. Every so often through the umbrageous
-trees and giant ferns, a panorama is to be had of the plain of Tucumán
-with its rectangular fields of sugar cane and small towns with their
-_usines_.
-
-  [Illustration: Residence of Dr. Juan C. Nougués, San Pablo
-
-   The gentleman in the foreground is Señor Scheindl, manager of the Hotel
-   Savoy in Tucumán]
-
-  [Illustration: Country House at Villa Nougués]
-
-Arrived at the settlement of Villa Nougués is the hotel where parties
-from the city come up on hot days to enjoy the cool invigorating air.
-Seated on the porch of Dr. Teran's house, which is near the hotel, in
-company of Dr. Teran, Governor Padilla, Señor Scheindl, and a rich
-sugar planter named Rouges, we looked across the broad long plain,
-styled the "Europe of Argentina," and I learned many interesting facts.
-The valley of the Rio Salí which crosses the province from north to
-south, is fed by twenty-five rivers which flow into it from the west
-to the east. The Salí flows southward and is finally lost in a large
-brackish lake, the Mar Chiquita in the Province of Córdoba. The great
-industrial and agricultural plain, with its sugar mills among which are
-the usines of San José, San Antonio, San Pablo, Paraiso, and countless
-others and its railroad workshops at Tafí Viejo, has a cultivated area
-of two hundred and fifty thousand acres. It was originally thickly
-forested as can be testified by occasional uncleared patches. Here
-civilization preceded the railroad, and only in the poorer part of
-the province in the direction of Santiago del Estero did the railroad
-come first. This valley is the cradle of Argentine liberty, for here
-the Spaniards having gone through the country like a steam mower, were
-finally decisively beaten in battle, and July 9, 1816, at Tucumán, the
-Argentine Confederation was born.
-
-Three kilometers west of Villa Nougués is the summit of the foothills.
-Looking west from this summit, the vista of the San Javier Valley, with
-its forested mountains, and with its wooded detached hills rising from
-the midst of cultivated river bottoms, Alpine pastures, and numerous
-streams, is like that of the Inn in Tirol, although it is here even
-more beautiful. The Catamarca mountains, snow-capped domed Aconquija,
-and the bleak Andes form the western background, behind which the sun
-sinks in the aureate splendor of a fireball. This is one of the finest
-views in the world and should be seen in the late afternoon.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI
-
-CÓRDOBA
-
-
-Córdoba is the third province of Argentina in population, it having had
-in 1914, 732,727 inhabitants. In area it contains 62,160 square miles.
-It is the heart of Argentina, being situated in the center of the
-republic. The eastern part is pampa while the western part is a high,
-dry plateau, traversed from north to south by mountain ranges notably
-among which are chains of Pocho and Ischilin. These mountain ranges
-which are two hundred miles in length are isolated from the Andean
-system; their southernmost extremities are named the Sierra de Córdoba
-and are a veritable karst like the Kuestenlande of Austria, gray
-granite boulders being everywhere. The eastern slopes of this karst
-are covered with a thick vegetation of mesquite and other shrubs due
-to the moist Atlantic winds, while their western slopes are destitute
-of vegetation. The air here is dry and refreshing and the Sierra de
-Córdoba enjoys the same rôle in Argentina that Colorado does in the
-United States, being the haunt of consumptives. Likewise the Sierra
-is the playground of many wealthy Buenos Aires families, for it is a
-treat to them to get away from the level monotonous plain upon which
-their city is built. West and northwest of the isolated mountain chain
-is a vast barren desert, part of it being called the Salinas Grandes
-on account of the white surface of the soil due to saline deposits.
-Córdoba is watered by five rivers named the Primero, Segundo, Tercero,
-Quarto, and Quinto (which means First, Second, Third, Fourth, and
-Fifth). These rivers are used for irrigating purposes, for water power,
-and for electricity. The whole province is noted for the pureness of
-its well water, artesian wells abounding. Every few years the locust or
-grasshopper plague hits Argentina, and when it comes it strikes Córdoba
-unusually hard. One of the frontispiece photographs shows a locust trap
-on a Córdoba farm. This is the catch of two days, the corrugated iron
-plates having been spread with honey mixed with poison. I consider this
-one of the most remarkable photographs ever published.
-
-The trip from Tucumán to Córdoba is an 11 hours' trip of 340 miles
-by the Central of Córdoba Railroad. The track is narrow gauge, but
-the sleepers, dining car, and service are the best that I have ever
-chanced on in Argentina. All trains between the two cities make the
-trip by night, for in the daytime the heat and glare of the sun on the
-Salinas Grandes, a great salt desert midway between the two cities, is
-unbearable. This desert abounds with rattlesnakes, called "cascabel."
-I met a tramp who walked from Tucumán to Córdoba; he was afraid to lie
-down by the wayside to rest on account of these reptiles. In one day he
-killed over fifty of them.
-
-The first eighty miles of the journey crosses about as pleasant a
-country as can be found anywhere, passing through the cities of Bella
-Vista, La Madrid, and San Pedro. At the latter place, the first town
-in the Province of Catamarca, desolation begins and continues until
-daylight the next morning when the traveler awakes at the large town of
-Dean Funes, the junction for San Juan, capital of the province of the
-same name. Low rocky hills now rise in every direction; the soil, dry,
-parched, and somewhat stony is overrun with pampa grass. It is cool and
-a wind is invariably blowing. The nature of the country continues this
-way almost to Córdoba, although before reaching that city, the hills to
-the southwest take the form and acquire the height of mountains.
-
-Córdoba, the third city of Argentina, has a population, exclusive of
-its suburbs, of one hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants. It was
-founded in 1573 by Luis Geronimo de Cabrera, and has always been noted
-as a seat of learning and of religion. Its university, which vies
-with that of San Marcos in Lima in being the oldest in the Western
-Hemisphere, was founded June 19, 1613, by a Jesuit father, Fernando de
-Trejo y Sanabria. The first printing press in Argentina was brought
-to this university from Lima in 1765. Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia,
-Paraguay's able dictator, was a graduate of Córdoba's university. The
-churches, cloisters, convents, and religious institutions of the city
-are innumerable, and it is estimated that over six thousand of its
-inhabitants are connected with the religious orders and organizations.
-Córdoba is one of the cleanest cities in America, and it is difficult
-to find a place where civic pride, park system, cleanliness of house
-exteriors, public buildings, pavement, hotels, cafés, department
-stores, banks, residences, religious edifices, and water supply taken
-as a whole can equal that of it. Many cities may excel it in one or
-two of the above mentioned institutions but not in the majority.
-Personally I would not care to live there unless engaged in some
-business, as there are too many "lungers," and the surrounding country
-is but a dry and rocky karst; the diversion of street life would soon
-become irksome, for with the exception of cafés, moving picture shows,
-theaters, and an occasional horse race, no Argentine city possesses any
-real live amusement places, excepting those that are synonymous with
-lights seen through carmine transoms, and they happily are not in my
-line.
-
-  [Illustration: Northern Market, Córdoba]
-
-I can see no reason for Córdoba's existence and growth. The soil of
-the country is poor and rocky, while the rainfall is slight. In the
-year 1915, seven months elapsed without a drop falling. The city is
-situated to the west of the productive part of the province, and from
-it westward to San Juan at the foot of the Andes, the country is the
-poorest in the republic. Yet Córdoba has had a rapid growth recently.
-In the manufacturing line, it has three breweries, that of Pollak and
-Brueck, generally called the Córdoba Brewery; that of the Ahrens, and
-the main brewery of the Rio Segundo Company. There is a large flour
-mill owned by Minetti, an Italian, and several brickyards. Here are
-also located the shops of the Central of Córdoba Railroad.
-
-The chief industry of Córdoba is brewing, this being largely due to the
-remarkable pureness of its well water which is artesian. Señor Nicolas
-J. Oderigo, manager of the bank of the Argentine nation, wrote me a
-letter of introduction to Mr. C. Davis, president of the Rio Segundo
-Brewing Company, which I visited in the company of Señor Stange, an
-employee of Oderigo's bank, and whom he had the kindness to send with
-me to accompany me. This large brewery has a branch at the town of
-Rio Segundo, which was the original brewery. The Rio II. Brewery is
-an independent brewery, not being allied to the Quilmes outfit as is
-generally supposed. Mr. Davis received me courteously and after having
-shown me the establishment invited Stange and myself to his house where
-he entertained us at dinner. Señor Stange is either a German or of
-German descent, but when I asked him about it he denied it, and also
-told me he could not speak a word of that language. A day or two later
-I passed by him while he was seated in animated conversation in a café
-with two other men, and the language he was conversing in was German.
-As Mr. Davis is an Englishman, Stange evidently had private reasons
-to cover his nationality. The brewmaster of the Rio II. Brewery told
-me that brewing was not a profitable industry in Argentina, because
-the Quilmes company was a trust and its members being affiliated
-with the political party that is in power, it has the capital and
-the means to drive the smaller breweries to the wall, by stringent
-legislation and usurious taxation. This Rio II. Brewery is smaller than
-the large breweries of Detroit, yet it pays more taxes than does the
-Anheuser-Busch Brewery or the Pabst or Schlitz breweries.
-
-The Córdoba Brewery as I have mentioned is owned by Pollak and Brueck.
-Pollak is an Austrian Jew who married a Córdoba woman, and who turned
-Roman Catholic to get prestige, but like most people who are members of
-the race he abjured, his business methods are not considered synonymous
-with good faith.
-
-His beer, to my idea, is the most palatable of any of the Córdobese
-beers. Amber is the name of his light product, while Muenchen is that
-of his dark. With the townspeople his product is the most popular,
-notwithstanding his personal unpopularity.
-
-The approach to Córdoba by rail is similar on a small scale to that
-of La Paz, Bolivia, for both cities lie in a pocket in the hills and
-their presence is not visible until the ground of the plain above them
-drops away, and they are seen below you. The pocket which contains La
-Paz is ten times deeper, the surprise of the traveler on first viewing
-the city being that of astonishment; but here in Córdoba, although
-the scale is exceedingly miniature, the conditions are analogous. The
-growth of Córdoba has been such that there is no more room left for
-building in the pocket, so now the new resident who wishes to build
-a home of his own is obliged to do so on the plain above the city.
-Several suburbs have sprung up and go by the names of Alta Córdoba,
-Alberdi, and Nueva Córdoba.
-
-Alta Córdoba can be likened to the station Alto de La Paz, although
-here there is quite a large town. Here is situated the Central of
-Córdoba railroad station with the railroad workshops, and a market
-named Mercado del Norte. A fine, broad avenue winds from Alta Córdoba
-in big curves, down a cleft in the hillside, passes under a stone
-railroad bridge, and reaches the river bottom at the beautiful shady
-park of Las Heras. It now crosses the Rio Primero over a new stone
-bridge, named the Centenario, at whose end is the Avenue General Paz.
-This is where begins the city proper, which on the floor of the valley
-is twenty-one blocks wide by thirty-one blocks long, and which does not
-include the other suburbs in the pocket which are named San Vicente at
-the eastern and Villa Paez at the western ends of the original town.
-
-The Plaza San Martin is in the center of Córdoba and is the nucleus of
-the city life. From here run straight streets east and west, and north
-and south which are the busy ones of the capital. On the plaza is the
-cathedral, two of the leading banks, and the best hotels. The business
-arrangement of this particular section is like that of Tucumán. The
-great show street is the aristocratic and superbly beautiful Avenida
-General Paz, beginning at the plaza of the same name at the Centenario
-Bridge and continuing ten blocks southward to the Plaza Velez
-Sarsfield. This street is the handsomest in Argentina. From the Plaza
-Velez Sarsfield there is a continuation of it to the heights beyond the
-city proper, and which is here named the Avenida Velez Sarsfield.
-
-  [Illustration: Cathedral of Córdoba]
-
-From the Plaza Velez Sarsfield the new Avenida Argentina, destined to
-become the most exclusive residential street of the city on account of
-the high price of the terrain, ascends to the plazas Centenario and
-Dean Funes at the entrance of Sormiento Park, Córdoba's playground.
-Halfway up the Avenida Argentina on the left-hand side stands a
-magnificent and imposing mansion, that of Señor Martin Ferreyra. It is
-a landmark, and seen from the plain at the opposite end of the city,
-it looms up as if it dominates over the city and no other building
-seems as large. It has already cost its owner over three million pesos
-($1,281,000) and is not yet completed.
-
-"How did Señor Ferreyra make his money?" I asked the chauffeur.
-
-"His father left a large sum of money which had been handed down from
-several generations. Martin Ferreyra was made administrator of his
-father's estate and cheated the other heirs out of their share," was
-his answer.
-
-  [Illustration: Residence of Martin Ferreyra, Córdoba]
-
-The zoölogical garden at the Parque Sarmiento lies in a cleft of the
-ridge and was laid out in 1914 by a German engineer. It is open to
-the public Thursdays and Sundays and is entered by descending in a
-funicular or by a circuitous way on foot. Although it is planned to
-house many animals, the only large mammals there at present are some
-seals which sport beneath the spray of an artificial cascade, and a
-pair of lions which a Montevideo gentleman presented to an ex-governor
-of Córdoba, who has loaned them to the city, probably at the expense of
-the latter.
-
-  [Illustration: Church of Santa Teresa, Córdoba]
-
-Debreczen, Hungary, is nicknamed locally, "Rome of the Protestants";
-Córdoba is nicknamed "Rome of Argentina" on account of its numerous
-churches, convents, monasteries, other religious institutions, and
-multitude of priests. There are several thousand of the latter body of
-men; they and the soldiers are not reckoned in the national census of
-urban population for they are constantly moving from place to place.
-There are fourteen large churches including the cathedral, and sixteen
-other Catholic Houses of God which would be considered large in the
-United States, but which are here classed as mediocre. In contrast
-with the churches of all the rest of South America, excepting those
-of Brazil, those of Northern Argentina are much more beautiful with
-their splendid façades, domes, and towers, the latter being roofed with
-variegated porcelain tiles; blues predominating. Córdoba, Tucumán, and
-Salta are especially rich in the appearance of their churches, Tucumán
-taking the lead in the ornateness of the tiles. In Córdoba are the
-large churches of Merced, Jesuit Fathers, and Santo Domingo, but by far
-the largest and finest church in all Argentina is the cathedral, three
-centuries old, its architecture being that of the current Spanish style
-that was in vogue at the time it was built. There are a few cathedrals
-in America larger, those of Montreal, Mexico City, Lima, New York,
-Santiago, Bahia, Montevideo, and Rio de Janeiro in order of their size,
-but none excel that of Córdoba in proud richness.
-
-It is one of the finest churches in America with the best mural
-paintings of any. In this latter respect it is only exceeded by those
-of Italy. Its towers and dome are not tiled, as that art was copied
-from the Portuguese and Brazilians only during the last century.
-Decadent Romanesque, it has a solemn dignity of its own.
-
-  [Illustration: Zoölogical Garden, Córdoba]
-
-Of the hotels, the Plaza is the best. It is on the northeast corner of
-the Plaza San Martin, and is new. It is a solid four-story structure,
-with good rooms, and is well furnished but poorly managed. There is
-a sunparlor on the second floor. The manager told me that most of
-the rooms have baths in connection, but in this he lied. I do not
-believe that any of the rooms have a private bath. This same manager,
-an Engadine Swiss, was formerly the head portier of the Hotel Savoy
-in Rosario. I knew him of old, and crookedness is, with him, second
-nature. The restaurant of the Plaza Hotel is the best in the city. It
-is on the ground floor and has a street entrance; in connection with it
-is a café and a confectionery store. The meals are _à la carte_, but
-I understand that people staying at the Plaza for any length of time
-may get _pension_. The café is a large one, on the Viennese style, and
-connects with the restaurant by a passageway under a platform on top of
-which are stationed the orchestra, so that the musical wants of both
-the eaters and drinkers can be satisfied at the same time. The bar is
-on the United States style, and as is seldom the case in South America
-and not frequent enough in North America, the back bar is deep enough
-to give the bartenders working space, and allows them enough room to
-reach for a bottle without getting into each other's way.
-
-  [Illustration: Corner of Plaza San Martin, Córdoba]
-
-Across Calle San Geronimo from the Hotel Plaza is the Hotel San Martin,
-a good house, and managed by the former manager of the Plaza. This
-manager holds the unenviable reputation of cheating his foreign help.
-In Argentina, a native or a naturalized citizen always wins out in a
-lawsuit. When I asked some of the ex-employees of the San Martin why
-they did not sue the manager for their back wages which they claimed
-were deliberately withheld, they said:
-
-"We would look fine as Spaniards and Austrians going up against an
-Argentino in court here. The manager would trump up some lie, and have
-us arrested on some false charge and it would work."
-
-Another good hotel is the Roma, two stories high and built on the patio
-system.
-
-The Central Argentina Railroad and the Central of Córdoba both print
-luxurious illustrated folders and do much advertising relative to the
-beauties and charming mountain scenery of the Sierra de Córdoba, an
-uninteresting range of quasi barren hills in the neighborhood of the
-city. My advice to strangers is to pay no attention to these deceptive
-advertisements and not to go there, for the person that "bites" feels
-afterwards like "the fool with his money parted." This last might apply
-to pecuniary losses that are apt to befall him at the green cloth
-tables in Alta Gracia. This Sierra de Córdoba is an irregular mass
-of rocky hills, which in some places attains the form of mountains.
-The summits are over four thousand feet high and where this altitude
-is reached in the mountains to the west, the Córdobese call them Los
-Gigantes (The Giants) for they have never seen any mountains that are
-greater. They are covered with brush, while here and there is a small
-tree. As for scenic beauty they are not worth three cents.
-
-Alta Gracia is a great gambling establishment licensed by the
-provincial authorities, and as these railroad companies know the bend
-of the native mind, advertise this place which besides the gambling
-house is nothing but a large hotel, a hamlet, and an old mission
-church. I visited all the advertised places which include Dique San
-Roque, Cosquin, La Falda, Tanti, and Capilla de Monte and found none
-worth the while. Dique San Roque is a dam somewhat similar to the
-Sweetwater Dam near San Diego, California, where a greenish lake
-empties its waters into the Calera River to supply electrical power. It
-is twenty miles from Córdoba, the last five being the only part of the
-trip that can come anywhere near to being classified under the title
-scenery. The hills here are wooded with small trees, and the dangerous
-automobile road runs around promontories on ledges where the slightest
-mishap with the steering would shoot both passenger and chauffeur into
-eternity.
-
-  [Illustration: Bridge on Road to Dique San Roque
-
-   Beneath the arch of this bridge some gipsy families have taken their
-   abode]
-
-To go to Cosquin, thirty-seven miles from Córdoba, keep straight ahead
-until you reach the stone marked kilometro 28, which is the turning-off
-place for Dique San Roque. Keep straight ahead and you will come to
-the hamlet of San Roque where is a church and the residence of the
-jefe politico. A road to the left leads to Alta Gracia, but that to
-the right goes to Cosquin. After a long drive over the rocky karst, the
-village of Villa Bialet Masset is reached. It consists of a long dusty
-street flanked by sordid one-story houses. A National Consumptives Home
-on a grandiose scale is here. The scenery has become better as there is
-a green, although dusty valley watered by the Cosquin River. Cosquin is
-an unattractive town of three thousand inhabitants. The Hotel Mundial
-serves good meals but there is no diversion for its guests, who pass
-the time of day reading novels on the veranda or slumber in the garden.
-
-The inhabitants of the Province of Córdoba talk in a sing song manner
-and are known by their fashion of articulation in any part of the
-republic they may chance to find themselves in.
-
-It is a ten hours' ride on the accommodation train from Córdoba to
-Rosario, although the express trains which run by night only shorten
-the time by a couple of hours. The country is a dry but productive
-plain, and is fairly thickly settled; every few miles there is a town.
-These range from a few hundred to a few thousand inhabitants. In the
-summer of 1916 the whole region had been planted to corn, but the
-locust pest had been so busy that there was nothing left but the bare
-stalks. This disaster reached to the outskirts of Rosario. The locusts
-had even eaten all the leaves off the trees, their naked branches
-having the appearance of their winter garb. Millions of dollars had
-gone to waste on account of them, and I know an _estanciero_ in the
-Province of Buenos Aires who in a single year had destroyed by them
-sixty-five thousand dollars' worth of crops. They attack everything but
-the garden truck, and by their sputum poison the streams. A man should
-never buy land for crops in Argentina without reckoning on this plague.
-
-The Province of Santa Fé had, according to the last census, a
-population of 1,111,426, ranking in this line the second of the
-Argentine provinces. Its area is 50,916 square miles and has as its
-capital city, Santa Fé, which has a population of 91,636. Rosario,
-frequently called Rosario de Santa Fé to distinguish it from Rosario
-de La Frontera in the Province of Salta, is the largest city. Its
-population is 316,914, it being the second city of Argentina, and the
-sixth in South America, those larger in order being Buenos Aires, Rio
-de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santiago, and Montevideo.
-
-Rosario was founded by Francisco Godoy in 1725, but its growth dates
-from recent years. Although its aspect was practically the same as
-when I saw it three years previously, I could not help noticing that
-now there were much greater crowds on the streets than formerly, and
-that the principal business street had changed from the Calle General
-San Martin to its intersector, Calle Córdoba. It is the outlet to a
-grain country superior to that behind Buenos Aires, and is the livest
-commercial city in Argentina. There are quite a few local industries
-such as car shops, a sugar refinery, grain elevators, flour mills, and
-breweries. The largest importing house in Argentina, that of Chiesa
-Brothers, is located here as well as the largest drug firm. The city is
-essentially Italian, its influence predominating, although numerically
-the other foreigners and natives together have a larger population than
-the immigrants from the Lavinian shores. Rosario is also a center for
-artisans, their sculptors vying with those of Genoa in the chiseling
-of marble for tombs and statuary in Buenos Aires and in different
-parts of South America. The city is by no means beautiful nor can it
-ever be on account of the flatness of its location. There are eight
-small plazas but none of them are near the center of business. The
-streets are narrow, and are solidly lined with buildings many of which
-are imposing. This with the absence of plazas as breathing spaces,
-together with the street crowds give to Rosario an entirely commercial
-atmosphere. The courthouse is a large, long pile with a high domed
-tower surmounting the center, and is one of the most imposing buildings
-in Argentina. It is on the north side of the Plaza San Martin about
-a mile from the hub of activity of the city. On the east side of the
-same plaza, and just completed, is the Police Headquarters covering an
-entire block and undoubtedly the most modern and largest of its kind in
-the world. Two other fine buildings are the Jockey Club and the Centro
-Español, both also recently completed.
-
-  [Illustration: Courthouse, Rosario]
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Rosario]
-
-The Hotel Italia is the best, although its situation on a side street,
-the Calle Maipu, between Calles Rioja and San Luis is poor. The Savoy
-where I stopped, was formerly Rosario's Blackstone, but it has greatly
-deteriorated in all respects. The only thing attractive about it is the
-chambermaid on the second floor, a pretty giggling Spanish damsel. The
-Hotel de Mayo is a good second-class house and serves the best meals
-of any of the hotels, its restaurant rivaling that of the Rôtisserie
-Sportsman which is above the Bar Victoria. This Bar Victoria is the
-finest refreshment parlor in South America. Its walls are decorated
-with tapestry, its furniture is of mahogany, and its fixtures are of
-brass, kept well-polished. It gave one of the Catalan waiters great
-pleasure to see me cross its threshold after an absence of three years
-and enjoy a glass of foaming Germania in the dull cathedral light of a
-waning day.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza 25 de Mayo, Rosario]
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Rosario]
-
-Tributary to Rosario, which is their shopping center, and inland
-some distance in the heart of good farming lands, are three towns:
-Pergamino, seventy miles to the south, Casilda, thirty-three miles
-to the southwest, and Cañada de Gomez, forty-one miles to the west.
-Pergamino, the largest of all, is in the Province of Buenos Aires,
-being directly across the provincial line and is a railroad town. It
-is the junction of several branch lines of the Central of Argentina
-Railroad and is on the main line of the narrow gauge General Railroads
-of the Province of Buenos Aires. It has a population of twenty-eight
-thousand inhabitants and owes its prosperity to stock raising and corn
-growing.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle San Nicolas, Pergamino
-
-   The building at the right is the Hotel Roma]
-
-This city I visited, choosing it as a good example of _campo_ town
-for such is styled the Argentine prairie, and stopped over night at
-the excellent Hotel Roma, which is not only remarkable as being one
-of the finest buildings in the city, but strange to say is one of the
-few hotels in Argentina, excluding Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Tucumán,
-which has private baths in connection with the sleeping-rooms.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza 25 de Mayo, Pergamino]
-
-Viewed from the housetops, Pergamino appears a city of windmills; they
-rise everywhere. Water being scarce makes them a necessity. The city
-which is compactly built is fundamentally Italian. It is compactly
-built but has only one main street, that named San Nicolás, which
-is paved with wooden creosote blocks. The buildings are mostly but a
-single story high, and the nomenclatures over the store entrances savor
-of the River Po or the Etruscan Hills. With the exception of Calle
-San Nicolás, the other thoroughfares are unpaved. The edifices that
-flank them are of reddish brown brick with a minimum of mortar or lime
-between the cracks. Like the outskirts and side streets of most of the
-small towns of Argentina, the aspect is hideous and dismal, for the
-edifices are mere brick hovels bordering dusty lanes, abounding with
-mongrel curs that munch offal and garbage thrown from the front windows
-of the morgue-like habitations. There is in Pergamino a plaza, named
-25 de Mayo, several blocks from the business section. It is large and
-poorly kept up, and is bordered on all sides by double rows of pine
-trees, which have attained a tall but slender growth, large enough
-however to make saw timber. These trees were planted thirty years ago;
-at home it would take them one hundred years to have attained the same
-proportions.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Mercedes]
-
-From Pergamino to Buenos Aires, 166 miles by the General Railroad of
-the Province of Buenos Aires, only two towns are passed that have
-any pretext for importance. They are Salto, thirty-six miles from
-Pergamino, and Mercedes, sixty-nine miles from Buenos Aires. Mercedes
-has a population of more than thirty thousand inhabitants, and strange
-to say its streets are numbered instead of being named. This system
-is different from ours for 1st Street crosses 25th Street, and 34th
-Street crosses 16th Street, and so forth. It is so arranged that
-the high-numbered streets are in the center of the town while the
-low-numbered ones are on the outskirts. When the trains make their
-first stop it is at the 25th Street station. The stranger traveling
-through is apt to say: "Gee, but this is quite a town," judging by
-the high numbers of its streets, while in reality 1st Street is way
-out in the meadows far from the activity of central life. Mercedes
-was formerly the stamping ground of Irish immigrants. Many of these
-have become rich and powerful, and to-day retain their Hibernian names
-without speaking a word of English. I met a girl in Buenos Aires whose
-patronymic was O'Grady, yet she was conversant in no language but
-Spanish. Some of the Irish settlers did not prosper as well as the
-minority of the rich landed proprietors of Mercedes; this is testified
-by the native born whiskered Irish bums who immigrated from Mercedes to
-Buenos Aires who are seen wandering about the streets of the Argentine
-capital, garbed in rags and invariably drunk on ginevra, a low-grade
-gin.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII
-
-ASUNCIÓN
-
-
-Overeating, oversleeping, and overindulgence in liquid refreshments
-(this applies to soft drinks as well as to others) constitute the
-whole time of the stranger in Buenos Aires, who has nothing else to do,
-than, seated at a table in front of one of the cafés on the Avenida de
-Mayo, to study human nature, and watch the endless stream of humanity,
-horses, cabs, and automobiles pass by. Tiring of this I thought of
-going to Mar del Plata and from some good point of vantage gaze in
-admiration at the attractions of that spa, and look with pleasure at
-the latest Parisian and Bonaerense creations that bedecked and showed
-off to advantage the well-molded female forms of the high aristocracy
-as they pass in parade in front of the Hotel Bristol and the Casino.
-
-Quite suddenly, and very unusual for this time of the year, for it
-was late in February, a great climatic change took place and the
-temperature which had been hovering around the 100° mark dropped into
-the fifties. One gloomy morning, as I stood gazing from the balcony
-of my room into the Avenida de Mayo, watching the boulevardiers being
-hurried along by the strong wind, I decided that Mar del Plata would
-be no place for me. My thoughts diverted to warmer climes, Paraguay
-and Brazil. There is a Paraguayan store on the Avenida, a favorite
-shopping place for ladies and curio seekers. It has displays of egrets,
-feathers, stuffed birds, stuffed toads, crocodiles, iguanos, armadillo
-shells, yerba maté leaves, native headdresses of parrot wings, and
-beetles. But by far the most attractive of anything in the store is
-the fine Paraguayan girl, about twenty years old, who waits on the
-customers. I cannot call her beautiful, yet there is something so
-hypnotically fascinating about her that, after I first saw her, I was
-always returning to the store again to feast my eyes on her with the
-pretense of making some trivial purchase. Whether it was her eyes,
-her face, her voice, her figure or her natural complexion, or all
-these attractions combined that charmed me, I am unable to say, and my
-friends whom I called in to look at her all said that she exerted over
-them the same spell. Every time I saw this girl I had the longing to
-revisit Paraguay, and this, combined with the horrid weather, decided
-me at once to visit the land where San Martin, Francia, and Francisco
-Solano Lopez first saw the light of day.
-
-I had been in Paraguay before, once when Asuncion was under martial
-law, and although I now knew that I would see nothing new in visiting
-the country, there are always some places that the traveler enjoys
-seeing more than once. Upon my leaving there before, great was my
-rejoicing when I saw the blue, white, and blue flag of Argentina
-floating from the flagstaff over the custom-house at Corrientes, for I
-knew that I was once more in a country of law and order. At that time
-Paraguay was at the height of one of the many revolutions that have
-continuously stained her history for the last forty-five years, and
-Asuncion was like a tomb. Now since everything was tranquil I would
-enjoy myself more.
-
-It is now possible to travel from Buenos Aires to Asuncion without
-changing cars on a through vestibuled train with sleeping cars and a
-dining car. The time en route is but fifty-three hours, for the train
-leaves Buenos Aires thrice weekly at 3 P.M., and arrives at Asuncion
-two days afterwards at 8 P.M. Formerly Posadas was the terminus of the
-trains from Buenos Aires, and the travelers were obliged to wait in
-that stamping ground of Heidecker, Rohrsetzer, and Barthe anywhere from
-two to five days in order to make connection with the Paraguay Central
-Railroad, which ran at irregular intervals of time to Asuncion from
-Villa Encarnacion, the Paraguayan river port about two miles across
-the Alto Paraná River from Posadas. The through train is now taken on a
-ferry-boat a short distance above Posadas and is steamed across to the
-Paraguayan railway terminus at Pacu Cua.
-
-Three hours after leaving the Chacarita Station at Buenos Aires, the
-lonesome town of Zarate is reached, where the train is transferred
-onto a car ferry that plies to Ibicui, a trip of nearly five hours
-through the estuaries that form the delta of the Paraná River, past
-marshes abounding in wild fowl who have their nests on the swampy
-islands. Although this delta is but three hours from Buenos Aires, it
-might as well be in the center of the continent as far as civilization
-is concerned. The crossing of this delta is always made obnoxious on
-account of the mosquitoes which abound here. In making this crossing
-most of the passengers were in the dining car. Here one could observe
-types. Most were Paraguayans of the upper classes returning home after
-a week's visit in the Argentine metropolis. Although all had just
-left Buenos Aires that name was but infrequently mentioned. In every
-sentence of their conversation was heard the word "Asuncion," a name
-which to the true Paraguayan means much more to them than does New York
-to us, or Paris to the Frenchman. It is the focus of all Paraguayan
-life, and although it would be but a mediocre city in this country, it
-is the only one of size in Paraguay.
-
-There are two distinct types of Paraguayans. The first type of men
-are good sized, fairly stout, with round faces. Their eyebrows and
-moustaches are straight and have the appearance of being penciled.
-The noses of these people are Roman and their facial characteristics
-are strong and sensual. This type is only met with among the very
-highest social classes such as were the occupants of the dining car the
-night we crossed the delta. One of these men has one of the largest
-importing and general merchandise stores in Asuncion. His surname is
-Angulo. The other type of Paraguayan, which comprises the masses,
-and with whom one does not come into contact in a casual way, are
-swarthy, flat-chested, and narrow-shouldered. They have large ears
-and low foreheads, bushy eyebrows and thin noses. The middle class
-is not native. It is composed of Spanish, German, Italian, and French
-merchants. Mr. James Bryce in his book, _South America: Observations
-and Impressions_, said in speaking of La Paz Bolivia: "It has probably
-a larger aboriginal population than any other city in the New World,
-although the percentage of Indians may be somewhat greater in Asuncion,
-the capital of Paraguay." There are no Indians, and there is but little
-mixed blood in Asuncion. The early settlers originally married with the
-natives but the taint of miscegenation has long run out. The Asuncenos
-are a white folk in every respect. Indians predominate in the Bolivian
-capital and Bryce has never been in Asuncion.
-
-During our evening meal on the dining car, a large beetle or bug, in
-circumference the size of a tea cup, flew in through the open window
-and made a terrific buzzing, the noise being equal to that of those
-toys for children which one winds up and then lets go. It flew all over
-the room and as its bite would undoubtedly be poisonous, it put all the
-occupants of the car in a pandemonium as each one was trying to get out
-of the way of it. It seemed to be in several different places at the
-same time.
-
-It was near midnight when we reached the Entre Rios shore. The
-Entrerrieno landscape as far as Concordia is gently undulating, and
-the soil which is sandy is given over to the pasturing of herds of
-horses. There is not much grain grown and it is just as well, for
-occasionally a dark cloud was seen approaching on the horizon, which,
-when it broke, it was seen to be billions on billions of locusts on
-their way to Uruguay. They flew into the train windows, into the food,
-into the dining car, up one's trouser legs and coat sleeves. The noise
-of their crunching was most disgusting as one trod upon them while they
-littered the aisles of the cars. When seized, they expectorate a dark
-brown fluid of a most nauseating odor. They fly into the streams and
-wells, poisoning the water. Before arriving at Concordia, we crossed a
-palmetto wilderness called, in this part of the country, a _palmar_.
-Concordia, although not the capital, is the largest city of Entre
-Rios. It has passed in population Paraná and now has 48,500 inhabitants
-according to the latest estimate. It is the largest and liveliest town
-in Argentina east of the Paraná River and is connected by a bridge over
-the Uruguay River to Salto in Uruguay, which was only contemplated at
-the time of my visit to these cities three years before. A street-car
-line has been recently built and with its beef-canning establishments
-and as the center of a wine producing region, Concordia has some
-future, although the soil is sandy. This soil is much better adapted
-for fruit than for grain. Oranges, apples, and olives are grown.
-
-From Concordia the train ceases to run over the rails of the Entre Rios
-Railroad but runs on the track of the Northeastern Argentine Railroad
-as far as Posadas. After leaving Chajari, the Province of Corrientes
-is entered and the landscape immediately changes. The country is still
-undulating, but the soil is rich and even soggy in places from frequent
-rains which are prevalent here. Everything is green and as far as
-the eye can see, horses and cattle graze on the short grass. Water is
-everywhere. There are puddles in the fields; there are small lakes;
-numerous streams are crossed. The blue water of the Uruguay River is at
-one's right beyond which, so near that you feel as if you could reach
-out your hand and grab them, are the rolling green hills of Brazil.
-Monte Caseros is reached at 4:20 P.M., a town of about eight thousand
-inhabitants which contains the head offices of the Northeastern
-Argentine Railroad. Paso de los Libres is reached at 7:18 P.M., whence
-one can cross by ferry to Uruguayana, a Brazilian city in the State of
-Rio Grande do Sul on which Francisco Solano Lopez, Paraguayan dictator,
-tried to march his army in 1866. This town has its name handed down to
-posterity by the _cepo uruguayana_, a barbaric method of torture which
-originated there and which was frequently employed by Artigas, Rosas,
-Lopez, and by other tyrants of a similar caliber. At bedtime the train
-stops at Alvear, an important livestock town.
-
-The peasants are now Indians. They live in adobe and cane huts in
-the fields and are a peaceable, pastoral people. The men, both whites
-and Indians, wear great baggy trousers, not unlike a couple of potato
-sacks; these are tied to the leg above the shoe by a leather strap or
-cord. From the discoloration of some of these trousers, I would not be
-surprised to hear that they came over with the Spanish Conquistadores.
-
-At daybreak of the second day, a train was ferried across the Alto
-Paraná River to Pacu Cua. The only change that I noticed relative
-to the train, and this was only a detail, was that the beer now
-served was not the vile concoction brewed in Buenos Aires but a clear
-amber liquid, purer in substance and fresh from the brewery of Villa
-Encarnacion.
-
-The Paraguayan landscape, until the half-way station of Borja is
-reached, is a great semi-swampy plain with low hills and ridges covered
-with tropical undergrowth, here known as "islands." By speaking of
-this plain as swampy, I do not mean that it is under water, for such
-is not the case; some seasons of the year it is quite dry and after
-heavy rains only it is soggy. It is always passable, but is overgrown
-with swamp grass. Countless herds of cattle pasture here; otherwise it
-is uninhabitable. It contains many lakes and lagoons alive with wild
-ducks, plover, curlew, herons, and other water fowl; wild geese fly
-overhead, and when a clump of bushes is passed it is a common sight to
-see the dark plumed, heavy limbed _ñandú_, the native ostrich, shading
-itself under a bough on these wooded islets. Rising from the plain are
-many huts, the estancias of the natives, half hidden by the foliage.
-They are built of cane, plastered over, and with thatched roofs.
-
-At Borja the junction for the village of Charara, the scenery changes.
-The land now high and dry is intersected by numerous rivers. Mountains
-appear to the north, and from here to Asuncion the country has a
-well-settled character with numerous well-built villages. Civilization
-in Paraguay started from Asuncion and followed the high ridge of land
-eastward. The railroad built from Asuncion to Paraguari is one of the
-oldest in South America. From Paraguari onward to Borja, civilization
-preceded the railroad.
-
-Villa Rica has 34,297 inhabitants according to a Paraguayan estimate.
-Personally I think that this should be cut in two. It is a mile
-northeast of the depot. At a station named Tebicuary is a sugar mill;
-at Caballero are the railroad shops.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene from Railroad Station at Villa Rica]
-
-Paraguari, the anti-bellum terminus of the Central Paraguay Railroad,
-has, according to the census 11,328 inhabitants, although I am doubtful
-if its population exceeds five thousand. It is situated in the extreme
-eastern end of the Pirayu valley. This valley is bound by great
-basaltic hills, some of which are mountains. Some are conical in shape,
-but the majority are huge hills, whose tops are great stone outcrops.
-The floor of the valley is high and a cool breeze is generally blowing.
-The clover and grain, together with the mountains and the church
-steeples, remind one of the scenery in Central Europe. Paraguari would
-be the best situated city in Paraguay for its capital, both from a
-natural location and from a military point of view. It was the camping
-ground of the Argentine army under General Belgrano in 1811. Formerly
-the Jesuits had a large stock ranch here.
-
-The railroad, formerly owned by the government, but now controlled
-by a Portuguese, had originally a six-foot gauge. The depots in the
-villages from Paraguari to Asuncion are large and old-fashioned like
-the pictures of those stations depicted in _Harper's Weekly_ Civil War
-Scenes. Their mere duplicates to-day are to be seen in some European
-cities such as those at Caen, Bar-le-Duc, Vicenza, the old station
-at Strassburg, and in the American cities of Savannah and Macon.
-The English company which had control of the railroad before this
-Portuguese got it narrowed the gauge down to the regulation broad
-gauge standard which is narrower than that of the Central Argentina and
-several other lines in that republic.
-
-The Republic of Paraguay is divided into twenty districts exclusive of
-Asuncion. I am giving their names and population together with those
-of their capitals and their population according to the estimate of
-1917 in Héctor F. Decoud's _Geografia de la Republica del Paraguay,
-Asuncion, 1917_. The population of these district capitals includes
-the commune as well as the town, for with the exception of six cities,
-Asuncion, Villa Rica, Caazapá, Villa Encarnacion, Villa Concepcion, and
-Villa del Pilar there are no incorporated places in the republic:--
-
-                 _Population_         _Capital_         _Population_
-  1st District      38,580          Villa Concepcion      15,600
-  2d District       46,425          Villa de San Pedro     9,926
-  3d District       43,195          Altos                  9,715
-  4th District      34,764          Barrero Grande        10,643
-  5th District      35,182          San José               9,120
-  6th District      22,274          Ajos                   7,283
-  7th District      34,297          Villa Rica            34,297
-  8th District      29,886          Hiaty                  8,096
-  9th District      31,531          Caazapá               17,531
-  10th District     32,418          Yuti                  11,953
-  11th District     26,978          Villa Encarnacion     13,496
-  12th District     37,965          San Ignacio            6,621
-  13th District     24,535          Ibicui                11,203
-  14th District     33,454          Quiindy               12,943
-  15th District     46,822          Paraguari             11,328
-  16th District     32,720          Itagoá                 9,932
-  17th District     41,435          Luque                 17,996
-  18th District     43,633          Itá                   13,429
-  19th District     20,843          Villa Oliva            4,504
-  20th District     48,193          Villa del Pilar        7,229
-  Asuncion (est)   125,000
-
-Total population, 828,130 inhabitants exclusive of about 50,000 wild
-Indians living in the Gran Chaco.
-
-The population of Asuncion has been estimated from 80,000 to 125,000
-inhabitants. Personally I think that 100,000 would be more nearly
-correct. Asuncion of 1918 is an entirely different city from Asuncion
-in 1913, so great has been the visible improvement. This is largely
-due to the enlightened ideas of the ex-dictator, Don Eduardo Schaerer,
-a Swiss by birth, and who has infused European progressiveness into
-the Paraguayan nation, whose population was rapidly being exterminated
-by forty-five years of incessant revolutions on top of a five years'
-war which cost Paraguay five hundred thousand lives. Schaerer has
-showed that he is the man for the job. His rule has been benign but
-firm. No sooner had he assumed the executive power than some of his
-dissatisfied opponents tried the tricks on him that have been tried
-on other dictators. This time they failed. The bomb that they touched
-off underneath his residence failed to explode. The conspirators and
-other suspects were immediately clapped into jail. January 1, 1915,
-witnessed the close of two years' peace; it was too much of a good
-thing for the fire-eating populace so they started another revolution.
-This lasted but one day, the revolutionists losing over three hundred
-men in a street fight in Asuncion. No more tricks have been tried on
-Señor Schaerer.
-
-In Asuncion there live numerous ex-presidents, ex-dictators, and
-their political henchmen. No matter who is president of any country,
-there are always a number of people who have grievances against the
-administration, but I have only heard one person express anything
-derogatory against Schaerer. This man, very prominent in Asuncion, and
-the son of an ex-president, said that Schaerer owed his power as Chief
-Executive to the Farquhar Syndicate whose money placed him there in
-order for them to obtain in return valuable concessions. He said that
-Schaerer was not president for his health, but was amassing a fortune
-on the side. If this is true, it is nothing extraordinary, but as far
-as I can glean, he is one of the most able presidents the country has
-ever had. Results show it. Paraguay has a good constitution, but it
-is never used. Changes have been constantly made to suit the whims of
-each dictator. The presidential term is for three years. Schaerer's
-term should have expired November 25, 1915, but he saw to it that there
-would be no elections and two years after that date he retained his
-office.
-
-Since Señor Schaerer became president, there have been many changes
-for the better in Asuncion. Formerly one had to go to the post office
-to mail a letter; now letter-boxes are on nearly every corner. The
-stranger is no longer subjected to surveillance, neither are his
-valises searched in the hotels, nor are his letters opened and read
-in the post office before transmission. The police have new crash
-uniforms as well as many of the soldiers; previously their garments
-were nondescript. It is necessary in Paraguay to maintain a semblance
-of an army, for otherwise a dictator's life would hang on the thread of
-Damocles. In order to pay this army, the present government was obliged
-to sell their two gunboats, as the country is in a bad financial
-condition. Its unit, the _peso fuerte_ is worth only 2½ cents American
-currency. Five years ago it was worth 7 cents. This depreciation of
-money is current all over the southern republics of South America with
-the exception of Uruguay and Argentina. The Chilean peso was worth 23
-cents in 1913; now it is worth 17 cents; the Brazilian milreis which
-was then worth 33-1/3 cents is worth now only 25 cents. In Brazil, and in
-Chile although the currency depreciated, the price of articles dropped
-in ratio, so that now in those countries the articles for sale can be
-bought cheaper than formerly. Not so in Paraguay. When the peso fuerte
-took a drop, the staple goods remained the same in price, so now a
-person has to pay three pesos for what formerly cost him but one.
-
-The electric lighting system of Asuncion is excellent, and it now
-has the best trolley car service of any South American city. Every
-principal street has car tracks and the tramcars run in the daytime
-every five minutes. There is also a suburban system. Before Schaerer's
-ascendancy, the city had mule cars, and a suburban steam road that ran
-through the streets of the city, as in Debreczen, Hungary, the engine
-of which puffed and emitted much smoke to the tune of squeaks and much
-whistling. The lawn is kept up in front of the Capitol; new streets
-have been opened and paved; statues have been unveiled in public
-places, and there has been considerable building done.
-
-  [Illustration: Casa de Gobierno, or Capitol, Asuncion]
-
-At first sight, Asuncion seems small. This is due to the grass that
-grows between the stones of the street pavement, and to the fact
-that cows graze in the plazas. On account of the richness of the
-soil and the frequent rains it is impossible to keep vegetation down.
-Unfortunately the plazas are not well kept up, and have gone to waste
-and ruin. The city is compactly built, and covers considerable ground.
-Like Belgrade, Servia, it is built on the side of a hill; like Belgrade
-the stores are similar in window decorations, for their proprietors
-specialize in displaying there articles that are favorite to the
-Paraguayan mind as well as to the Servian: firearms and knives. There
-are a few large buildings of modern construction, but what is most
-observant are the colonnades of pillars and piers which support the
-roofs. If a building has no colonnade along the street, it is sure
-to have one around the patio. These colonnades are built thus (see
-drawing).
-
-  [Illustration: Drawing Showing Construction of Colonnades on a
-   Paraguayan Building
-
-   a. Side wall; b. Pillar; c. Beam; d. Rafter; e. Stringer; f. Tile]
-
-Pillars (fig. b) lower than the main wall (fig. a) are erected about
-twelve feet or less in front of it. Across the tops of these pillars
-and connecting them lies a beam (fig. c) from which rafters (fig. d)
-at regular intervals slant up to the top of the wall of the building.
-Horizontally across these rafters are laid stringers (fig. e) about a
-foot apart. On top of these stringers are laid tiles (fig. f). In many
-cases a thin layer of bricks is laid across the stringers, above which
-are laid the tiles.
-
-The worst feature of Asuncion is the paving of the streets. Black flint
-stones of all sizes and shape are pounded tightly into the ground, and
-their crevices are filled with the red earth of the country; they are
-then treated with a coating of dirt. For the first three months this
-pavement makes excellent driving. Then when the copious rains have
-washed the dirt out, the stones settle or are loosened. An occasional
-wagon-wheel knocks one out of place, and it is seldom replaced.
-Incessant wear now makes ruts among the loosened stones, and in the
-part of the road where there is not much traffic, vegetation grows
-up, likewise forcing the stones up. The city is built on the side of
-a hill sloping down to a lagoon which is separated from the Paraguay
-River by a swamp. There are no conduits to carry away the rain water,
-nor any ditches at the sides of the streets. Accordingly when it rains,
-the water runs down the hill through the crevices between the paving
-stones, and by the time it reaches the main street, Calle Palmas, the
-side streets are turned into rivers. Eave troughs project horizontally
-from the roofs over the streets, and the pedestrians have a choice
-between two evils, walking in the flowing road or getting a dousing
-from many hydrants.
-
-With the exception of an English church in the suburbs and a German
-Lutheran one in the city, both of which are so small that it seems
-a shame to rank them under the title of church, there are only three
-Houses of God in Asuncion, the cathedral, San Roque, and that of the
-Church of the Encarnacion. The cathedral is an old, weather-beaten
-affair facing the lagoon. San Roque is very old and faces a small plaza
-of the same name behind the railway station. The most imposing building
-in the city is the mammoth unfinished red brick pile which goes by the
-name of the Church of the Encarnacion. If ever completed it will hold
-a place among the world's great religious edifices. It is built on
-the summit of the hill above the business section of the city and is
-a landmark for many miles. It is reached by a double flight of steps
-from the street. It was started during the reign of Francia, and the
-money having long since given out, it is left but half completed. It is
-built very solidly of tightly fitting red brick, and was intended to be
-stuccoed over. A place is left for a tower each side of the main door
-but they have never been commenced. The interior is plain, has been
-given a fresh coat of plaster, and exudes the funereal tuberose smell
-which is present in the casino at Monte Carlo to counteract the aroma
-of corpses in the private morgue beneath the roulette room of that
-establishment. As matters now stand the Church of the Encarnacion is a
-hideous pile. The earthly remains of Dr. Gaspar Rodrigues de Francia,
-Paraguay's most famous dictator, 1816-1840, were buried beneath
-the vestibule of this church. The relatives of a person whom he had
-executed had his bones dug up and desecrated them by flinging them into
-the lagoon.
-
-The plazas of Asuncion are a disgrace to the city. The Plaza Uruguaya
-is the largest. It is planted with trees which are scattered at random.
-A brick wall separates one side of it from the street. At the opposite
-side is the large, graceful, colonnaded, battle-scarred railway station
-with its illuminated clock tower. Pedestrians avoid traversing this
-plaza after nightfall on account of footpads, many of whom would
-commit murder for a paper peso. In the center of the plaza stand the
-fragments of a marble statue shot to pieces in the revolution of 1904.
-The Plaza de la Republica is on top of the high banks that skirt the
-swampy ground that forms the shores of the lagoon. In some places it is
-like a big field, especially that part of it in front of the artillery
-barracks where it is the dumping ground of tin cans and refuse, and
-is traversed by cattle paths. Near the House of Congress, a morbid
-appearing porticoed edifice, it assumes the nature of a lawn which in
-turn becomes a park in front of the ancient cathedral. In this plaza is
-a cheap looking brick column named the Statue of Liberty. This monument
-is surmounted by the image of San Blas, the patron saint of Paraguay,
-in whose honor is celebrated on February 3d of each year an orgy that
-beggars description. The base of the statue has the dates of different
-events and revolutions painted in black letters on each of its four
-faces. One of these dates tells the reader that Asuncion was founded
-August 15, 1536. Another date tells of the ousting of the Spanish
-domination. A third one informs us of the end of Francia's rule, while
-the fourth bears testimony of the end of the reign of Lopez II.
-
-  [Illustration: Cabildo, or City Hall, Asuncion
-
-   This building was formerly the capitol]
-
-One of the features that attracts the eyes of strangers is that there
-is scarcely a building in the downtown district that is not pitted with
-holes from a Gatling gun. In some sections whole walls have been shot
-away by cannon balls. One of the beautiful trees common to Paraguay is
-the dark fern-leaved _paraiso_ tree. There are a great many of these in
-Asuncion, especially in the Plaza San Roque. Their foliage is thick and
-gives delightful shade.
-
-  [Illustration: Plazoleta del Puerto, Asuncion]
-
-One of the landmarks is the brick domed basilica on the Calle Palmas
-called the Oratory of Lopez. The tyrant had it built for the receptacle
-of the image of the Virgin of the Assumption (Asuncion). The Five
-Years' War came on, and the oratory was never completed. It stands
-to-day without a coat of stucco, with the carpenters' scantling around
-its dome in the same condition now as when work suddenly ceased in
-1865. It is owned by the government which is too poor to complete it;
-its floor is used for the storage of municipal timber, brick, plaster,
-and so forth, in charge of an ancient pensioner. Bats roost beneath its
-dome, and the _amberé_ lizards crawl between the cracks of the bricks.
-The oratory is surrounded by a wall over which projects a papaya tree
-whose luscious golden fruit, shaped like a woman's teat, hangs in
-pendulent clusters from its crown. This fruit is known in Paraguay as
-_mamon_ which in the Guarani language means tit.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Palmas, Asuncion
-
-   The dome in the background is that of the Oratory of Lopez]
-
-The Asuncenos are early risers. The stores open at 6 A.M., and an hour
-later is when the greatest crowds are to be found on the streets. The
-stores close again at 11 A.M., and remain so till 2 P.M. They close
-for the day at 7 P.M., and remain shut all day Sunday as well as on
-the numerous holidays. During the three midday hours there is hardly a
-person to be seen on the streets. Asuncion is never activity, excepting
-during periods of revolution and at the annual yearly carnival; on
-Sundays the liveliness of the streets can be compared with that of
-the interior of a cemetery receiving vault. It is a trifle better than
-Valparaiso, Chile, or Detroit, Michigan, on those days because at least
-the cafés are open. The amusements of the city are paltry, the main one
-being to sit evenings in one's shirt-sleeves on a chair placed on the
-sidewalk in front of one's residence and by the illumination of the
-electric lights watch the great _cucurús_ (large, disgusting looking
-native toads) hop along the sidewalk in search of bugs. The other
-amusements are two moving picture shows, one at Belvedere and the other
-at the Café Bolsa.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle 15 de Agosto, Asuncion
-
-   This is a typical side street. The photograph was taken from the
-   balcony of the second story of the Hotel Hispano-Americano]
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, outskirts of Asuncion]
-
-The climate of Asuncion is hot, terribly so, and damp. In heat it
-compares very favorably with Panama. It is enervating and gives the
-people amorous inclinations, especially when it blows from the north
-and east. Many foreigners cannot become acclimated on account of
-their inability in adapting themselves to a change in their mode of
-life, and many of the wives of foreign diplomats have to return home
-on account of the heat. Many people have red spots on their faces and
-bodies caused by the heat. The hottest month is December. The rainfall
-is heavy, and in Asuncion it is regular. March is the wettest month,
-with April and October following in order. July is the driest month.
-The average annual rainfall is 60.2 inches. (The average for Detroit
-is 37 inches.) The driest year recorded in Asuncion was 1883 when 44.7
-inches fell and the wettest year was 1878 with a precipitation of 101.9
-inches. The rains are of short duration, but several are apt to occur
-in one day. They are tropical and come straight down in sheets as if a
-bucket of water had been turned upside down in the sky. These rains,
-which are heaviest in summer, come up suddenly, and if there are any
-clouds to be seen, it is advisable to carry an umbrella for it often
-happens that these showers are local, there being a great downpour in
-one part of the town and no rainfall at all in the other. After and
-between rains, the sun comes out and steam arises from the earth. Many
-a hacking cough heard from behind the shutters of a window and many
-a gob of phlegm seen on the street sidewalk has its origin from this
-climatic change. Hurricanes are unknown although water spouts are an
-occasional phenomenon. The thunder makes terrific crashings, and at
-each loud blast, the inhabitants make the sign of the cross. Even on
-days when it does not rain, the sky is frequently overcast and the
-atmosphere has the muggy feeling that is always present before a storm.
-
-Perspiration runs from one in streams, not like the heavy sweat of
-the hard-working laborer but a malodorous vitality sapping sweat
-which takes the place of urine, making it necessary to change one's
-under-clothing several times daily and to indulge in frequent shower
-or sponge baths. For the omnipresent prickly heat, one should never
-besmear himself with ointment nor take cold baths; these have the
-tendency to augment it. One should bathe in warm or lukewarm water.
-Clothes sent to the laundry come back damp and the bed linen seldom
-dries. The houses are covered with a black mold which no amount of
-frequent painting can stop coming back. During the summer if you draw
-your finger across the wall of a church interior it will leave a streak
-on the dampness. Regardless of the heat, for sanitation's sake, hot air
-furnaces should be installed in the hotels and residences and a drying
-out should be given them once a week.
-
-With the rains come myriads of bugs and beetles. A black-winged
-one, half as big as a saucer, whose aviation produced a noise
-like a rip-saw, assailed me one night while at dinner in the Hotel
-Hispano-Americano. It flew on my coat, and as I tried to brush it
-away it implanted a sting on the back of my hand that made me wince in
-agony. A lady, at a neighboring table, thought it was funny, for she
-smiled at my discomfiture. God punished her, for presently a huge green
-darning-needle shaped bug lighted on her neck and the sting it gave her
-made her emit squawks that rivaled in rancorousness those of a carrion
-crow. Bugs, beetles, reptiles, etc., the Paraguayans and Correntinos
-call _bich_ and the large ones they call _gran bich_ without any
-distinction as to their specie. A person cannot fondle with impunity
-the cucurú as one can the common American garden toad. The cucurú will
-bite you and then close its jaws. It has to be killed to pry its mouth
-apart and its bite is said to be poisonous. The suburban sidewalks of
-Asuncion teem with them evenings. The village of Areguá near Asuncion
-is especially prolific in this variety of amphibian. It would not take
-many of them to fill a bushel basket. I got about a dozen of these by
-dropping my hat over them and chloroforming them. I had them stuffed
-and brought them home as mantelpiece presents for my friends. Paraguay
-is also abundant in ophidians; the nasty, poisonous _mboy-chumbé_ or
-black, white, and red-ringed coral snakes being the most common. There
-is _mboy-jhoby_, a green snake; the _ñuazo_, a dark brown snake; the
-viper; the _ñandurié_, a small stick-like snake and the rattlesnake
-are common venomous species, while the huge boa, or _curiyu_, and the
-_mboy-yaguá_, or water snake, belong to the unpoisonous kind. The great
-viper called _ñacaniná_ is semi-poisonous. Among the quelonians is
-the _carumbé_ a Brobdingnagian snapping turtle and in the hydrosaurian
-class is the crocodile, cayman alligator, and the iguana or _teyú_, the
-latter being esteemed for its white meat not unlike spring chicken in
-taste.
-
-There are two species of jaguar called tiger by the natives, the
-_aguareté_ and the _yaguareté-popé_. The word jaguar is derived from
-the Guarani _yaguareté_. There are several kinds of wild-cat, misnamed
-by the natives "lions," plenty of tapirs or _mborevi_, ant-eaters, wild
-pigs, armadillos, deer, monkeys, besides many species of phlebotomists
-such as the vampire-bat and the common belfry-bat. The trees are
-alive with owls, macaws, parrots, toucans, zorzals, and wild-pigeons,
-while in the swamps and clearings are found egrets, martinets, sarias,
-cassowaries, flamingoes, herons, and ibises.
-
-Asuncion has several fair hotels; the best in my estimation being the
-Hotel Hispano-Americano, the property of the firm of Rius & Jorba
-which is rented to the present proprietors, the Grau Brothers, two
-Spaniards, to the tune of ten dollars a day, which, for Asuncion, is
-an exorbitant sum. This hotel is not recommended to strangers by the
-natives for the innate jealousy that the average South American has for
-the Spaniard, who is his business superior, is not lacking in Paraguay.
-The foreigners recommend to the stranger the Hotel Saint-Pierre, a
-French hotel, or the Cancha (formerly the Gran Hotel del Paraguay), a
-stock company hotel under German management.
-
-The Hispano-Americano was built by the dictator, Francisco Solano Lopez
-for his mistress, Madame Elisa Lynch, and here he lived with her and
-here were his offsprings by her brought up. As I lay in my bed, or
-walked the arched galleries of this edifice, I could nearly see the
-festivities, banquets, and parties that took place in the great salon
-(now the dining room) fifty-three years ago, hear the laughter of the
-beautiful women in hoop skirts and the popping of corks of champagne
-bottles, and smell the somniferous perfume of the _ñandeyara-guazús_
-(high grade Paraguayan cigars) as their aroma was wafted upwards with
-the smoke. Visions came to me of officers, their uniforms resplendent
-with epaulettes and gold braid, brave men who met valiant deaths on the
-field of battle or through exposure in the soggy palmetto and mangrove
-swamps of the interior, of foreign diplomats, of dark, beautiful women
-wearing delicate, luxuriant _ñanduti_ lace shawls, of the short and
-corpulent bearded dictator with the perpetual strong cigar between his
-lips, and of the Irish asp, his mistress, whose power and influence
-upon her naturally progressive and ambitious paramour was greater than
-that of Theodora on Justinian. J. F. Masterman in his _Seven Years'
-Adventures in Paraguay_ states that Madame Lynch could drink more
-champagne than any person he ever knew and not seem to feel any effects
-therefrom. I would like to have matched her in a contest with a friend
-of mine, now dead, whom I saw drink six quarts of champagne one after
-another standing at a bar in San Francisco one evening in September,
-1910.
-
-The Hispano-Americano is a large structure two stories high of imposing
-appearance on a corner of Calle Palmas, the main street. It is well
-situated for it is near all the banks, business houses, and government
-buildings. It has a large patio paved with black and white tiles,
-where the dining tables are placed. Bedrooms open off from this patio.
-On each side of the entrance thirty-four marble steps lead up to the
-second story which has a balcony surrounding the patio, the arches
-of which are supported by stone Doric columns. Onto this balcony open
-tile-floored, high, and cool bedrooms. The balcony is paved with brick
-and from it rise more Doric columns surmounted by arches which support
-the roof. There is a second patio, this one open, which is reached by
-a short hall behind the first patio. On this are the cheaper rooms. On
-my former visit this hotel was not well kept up nor overclean, but now
-it was all that could be desired and the Paraguayan cooking, with its
-abundance of oil, peppers, tomatoes, and hot sauces, was excellent.
-
-The proprietors own two Case automobiles, and one evening as I sat in
-conversation with the Señor Grau, who assumes the active management
-of the hotel, he suggested that I should take a ride with him for a
-couple of hours. This was fine and I hastened to accept. The machine
-was brought in front of the door, Grau and myself had got into it, when
-the assistant manager came out and said something in an undertone to
-Grau. The latter replied in a loud voice:
-
-"Give everybody a room that asks for one except the Spanish consul.
-Give him nothing."
-
-I thought this was queer but said nothing, thinking that later on
-Grau would explain what was up. He did not do so, however, until we
-returned which was about ten o'clock at night. There were about a dozen
-people in front of the hotel; on the threshold stood a tall, thin,
-good-looking man about thirty-five years old, dressed in black. When
-Grau got out this man approached him and said:
-
-"What is the matter with this fellow?" pointing at the assistant
-manager. "He refuses to give me a room."
-
-"My instructions!" bellowed Grau. "You can get nothing here!"
-
-A small crowd began to collect. The Spanish consul, for he was the tall
-man in black, asked Grau to explain.
-
-"Explain nothing!" yelled Grau. "You can get no more service here. You
-have come to this hotel three or four different times, each time with a
-different woman, and each time you have registered as man and wife. How
-many wives have you anyway? I am not running a house of prostitution.
-What do you take me for? Get out!"
-
-There was a general peal of laughter from the crowd at this. The
-Spanish consul, unabashed, with a smile walked away, stating that there
-were other hotels in the town, where he could take his women, that were
-just as good as Grau's and that he would do so now.
-
-The Hotel Saint-Pierre is near the harbor on the Calle Colon, a cheap
-business street. Many people prefer it for their sojourn in Asuncion
-as it has the reputation for having the best cooking. In this respect
-I found it lacking in the abundance and in the variety of that of
-the Hispano-Americano. There is no bar; the rooms are small, and the
-proprietor frequently tells the guests to retire to their rooms by a
-side entrance as he is engaged entertaining friends in the hotel parlor
-and main entrance. The proprietor is named Saint-Pierre, hence the name
-of the hotel. He claims to be a French count, but the consensus of most
-people is that he is crazy. He is a little, bald-headed old man about
-sixty-five years old, with a gray moustache and imperial. He orders
-the guests around as if he was bestowing upon them a favor for allowing
-them to get lodging there. Many people desiring to obtain rooms there
-are expected to furnish a pedigree. Colonel David Brainard, U. S.
-A., military attaché to the United States Embassy at Buenos Aires, a
-very distinguished man and one of the survivors of the famous Greely
-expedition that attempted to discover the North Pole some time ago, was
-on an extended trip through Paraguay with his friends. From Villa Rica
-he telegraphed to Monsieur le comte de Saint-Pierre engaging rooms. The
-latter worthy before he would allow his distinguished guests-to-be to
-take up their domicile at his establishment looked up their character
-and antecedents much to the amusement and disgust of Colonel Brainard
-and friends.
-
-The Gran Hotel del Paraguay occupies several single story buildings in
-a large lawn on a hill, a twenty minutes' ride by cab from the business
-section of Asuncion. For a man it is too far away to be handy, but
-it is an ideal place for ladies with yarn to knit and novels to read.
-The American consul rooms there. The bad feature of this hotel is that
-the pedestrian at night in walking or driving there should never take
-his finger from the trigger of his Derringer, for thieves often lurk
-behind the giant locust trees on the Avenida España. After 2 A.M. the
-street lights go out; walking then up the umbrageous road is nearly
-impossible.
-
-Natives stop at the Hotels Kosmos, Español, Palermo, and other similar
-dumps conducive to vermin, mosquitoes, and malodorous toilets.
-
-A Dutchman runs an excellent high-class pension named Villa Colombia,
-where Argentine highbrows such as Don Nicolas Mihanovich sojourn while
-visiting the city. This is in a large lawn across the street from the
-Belvedere gardens. While I was in Asuncion, there was a big hullabaloo
-because some thief stole eleven thousand dollars which the Dutchman had
-hidden in an envelope in his residence.
-
-The Capitol is a large barnlike rambling building with broad verandas
-and is crowned with a square cupola. It was built by Carlos Antonio
-Lopez and is the pride of the inhabitants; its picture adorns the
-postage stamps of high denominations and also the two peso paper
-currency.
-
-Asuncion is the only South American city which has stone sidewalks.
-They were originally built during the regime of Lopez I., who was the
-patron of modernity. Asuncion as well as Villa Encarnacion has brick
-sidewalks like the Massachusetts towns. The bricks and tile are of good
-quality and shape. The brick layers and stone masons do better work
-here than in Argentina and the rough brick buildings do not look as
-dilapidated as in the last named republic. The red soil of Paraguay is
-adapted to the manufacture of good bricks and a specie is turned out
-akin to Bradford red.
-
-There are three breweries in Paraguay: the one owned by Bosio Brothers
-being the large fine one at the port. There is a branch brewery at a
-suburb named Puerto Sanjonia which is now closed down. This brewery and
-that of the Cerveceria Montevideana at Montevideo, Uruguay, brew the
-best beer in South America. The 14 de Mayo brewery at Villa Encarnacion
-likewise turns out a good product and there is a small German brewery
-at San Bernardino in whose beer spring water is used. This last
-mentioned brewery caters solely to family and local trade like that
-of Ahrens in Córdoba and those of Peters and of Degen in San Antonio,
-Texas. The Asuncion drinking water of the hotels is the limit. They
-have no wells but instead they have tanks on their roofs to catch the
-rain water. These tanks are never cleaned and the sides are covered
-with green fungus. A dead cat bloated beyond recognition was found in
-the tank of the Hispano-Americano. I drank the water without knowing
-it. At home we eat frog's legs. The Asuncenos delight in eating the
-body of the cucurús, the great garden toad. The Chaco Indians rejoice
-in stewed monkey and fried slices of _gran vibora_, a snake peculiar to
-that swamp, while the iguana is held in edible estimation by the white
-population. Locust pies and boiled parrot also find their way down the
-alimentary canals of the aborigines.
-
-The two places of the greatest interest to the stranger in Asuncion are
-the cemetery of Mangrullo and the market-place. The former is located
-beyond the city limits on the road to Puerto Sajonia. It is on a
-high-road hill from which an excellent panorama can be had of the city,
-the river, and the Chaco beyond. The origin of the name is unknown,
-but the word "Mangrullo" is always used to denote the military lookout
-tower.
-
-This cemetery is redolent with the thoughts of spooks, banshee,
-ghosts, and other phantomic gentry of like species. In daytime it
-is a lugubrious place nearly surrounded by high walls, from above
-which tower slender cypress trees, and at night it must be doubly so,
-especially when the moon plays on the mortuary chapel from the tree
-limbs. This cemetery is where the poor people are buried; the wealthy
-are interred in the aristocratic Recoleta.
-
-  [Illustration: Mangrullo Cemetery, Asuncion]
-
-On the path, long before reaching Mangrullo, wailing is heard coming
-from within the enclosure. At the entrance seated on the ground are
-aged women selling fruit with _poguazú_ cigars in their mouths. A
-leper or two adds charm to the scene. They are not begging, but expect
-everyone waiting for somebody to slip a peso bill (2½ c.) into their
-spotted hands. From the iron entrance, the only road in the cemetery
-leads to the chapel in the center. Black clothed persons wander
-ghoulishly among the tombstones, their hats in their hands. A concourse
-of people is assembled in front of the building. Nearby is a wooden
-tower, and on a platform underneath its roof a hunchback is ringing the
-bell, making it peal at slow intervals. The bell stops and the wailing
-of the bare-headed assembly begins. This lasts about five minutes; the
-hunchback then tolls the bell anew, this time in a rapid succession of
-clangs. The men lift up the rude box containing the dead person from
-which the olfactory aroma of putrid flesh arises and carrying it to the
-shallow grave, they bury it to the tune of the great bell which has
-again started ringing. When the bell stops, the women start wailing
-again and the men stand aside to smoke, talk politics, and watch the
-scene. The wailing is not caused so much through grief as it is to see
-who can make the loudest noise.
-
-A woman had lost her two weeks' old baby and her relations as far
-removed as the fourth generation of cousin had come to mourn. The
-shrieks emitted were not human. They sounded more like the snarling
-and growling of animals, the howling of hyenas and ululations of
-owls. The women worked themselves into a frenzy of hysteria, and the
-bereaved mother threw herself on the grave and, lying on her back,
-kicked, struggled, and writhed until she became unconscious through
-her own emotions. One of these wailing fests that I witnessed came to a
-sudden and untimely end. While the family and relatives of a murdered
-man had reached a soprano in the shrieking test, a ñacaniná (large
-viper) crawled from a hole beneath a tombstone and, frightened at the
-lugubrious wails, attempted to escape by safely crawling away. It took
-its course among the mourners, and the hurried scamper of footsteps
-to the tune of blasphemous and ungodly oaths was now the order of the
-funeral aftermath.
-
-The graves in the Mangrullo cemetery are so multitudinous and so close
-together that it is impossible for a funeral procession to reach the
-newly dug grave without crossing numerous mounds. There are but few
-monuments, iron crosses painted black taking their places. Iron fences
-surround the graves of those who have well-to-do relatives. But few
-inscriptions tell the age of the beloved deceased; instead there hangs
-at each cross a photograph likeness of the dead.
-
-The market-place of Asuncion probably offers more attractions to
-the stranger than in any other city. It is situated in the middle
-of the town and has a large covered frame building where meats are
-hung. Making a circumvallation of the butcher shop are benches where
-sit women, white, black, Indian, and mixed breed, offering for sale
-cigars of their own manufacture. Outside on the ground squat the
-rabble who cannot afford a chair at the benches. They sell parrakeets,
-divers song-birds, the succulent stubby native banana, curiously
-shaped peppers, avocados, herbs, pineapples, and cooked viands. At
-the entrance to the market are kiosks where caña or native rum is
-dispensed. At 8:00 A.M. the market-place represents great animation.
-Lazy, fat lousy dogs, hundreds in number, their bellies gorged with
-rare meat and offal, lie in glutinous stupor in the aisles and under
-the shade of large stationary umbrellas. They lick the grease from the
-roasted meat for sale and urinate in the frying pans. Ignorant natives
-purchase these meat roasts and greedily devour it, unconscious of
-its flavoring. This is the one place in Asuncion where meat and fresh
-vegetables are for sale, and the private families and hotel guests are
-obliged to partake of it or starve.
-
-But few foreign women visit Asuncion; it should be their paradise
-because here for a song can be purchased the ñanduti, the most delicate
-silk and cotton embroidery in existence woven by the native women. This
-wonderful texture represents much labor and is in great demand. The
-_guayaba_ flower is a popular design, a round blossom with a starlike
-center. Stuffed alligators and cucurús adorn the store windows and live
-parrots sell for a few cents apiece. In buying a parrot, one should
-previously enlist the services of a native. Birds under one year are
-most precious and those with the yellow head command the highest price.
-In order to make the old birds appear wild and hearty, the natives feed
-them with rum. This makes them flutter and their antics then create a
-grand show off. En voyage a few days later they die of old age and the
-innocent purchaser is unaware that rum was used to produce unnatural
-activity. It is better to purchase parrakeets in Buenos Aires because
-the pick of Paraguay is exported to the bird stores on the Calle
-Moreno. At San Bernardino can be bought lovely egrets and butterfly
-wings. Monkeys cannot stand transportation and soon die.
-
-The physicians of Asuncion are poor and but few hold genuine degrees.
-Every bowel or stomach complaint that the patient gets, they are likely
-to diagnose as appendicitis, and they are anxious to operate with dirty
-instruments which they carry loosely in their pockets. I know of a
-case of a woman having a dull pain high up on her left side which they
-claimed was appendicitis and they wanted to operate on her for it,
-telling her it was a reflex pain, when in reality it was nothing but a
-common fatty tumor.
-
-One of the curses in Asuncion and so acknowledged by the English
-residents are the missionaries from Australia classed as the
-Plymouth Brethren, which belief is akin to that of the Methodists.
-No missionaries are needed in Paraguay. These Plymouth Brethren,
-numbering two families, were sent to Asuncion with free transportation
-and a monthly salary of twenty pounds to teach religion to the poor
-benighted heathen which there does not exist. They hold services
-at their pleasure in a room in their houses to a congregation that
-scarcely reaches six in number. The remainder of their time they spend
-in indolent ease, for a person in Asuncion can live like a king on
-one hundred dollars per month. One of the chief Paraguayan industries
-is the manufacture of cigars. The native women make two classes, the
-_poguazú_ and _pohí_. The first mentioned are long, large, strong
-cigars which sell at 2½ c. per half dozen. This is a favorite one with
-the native women who invariably have one poked half-way down their
-muzzle, the ashy end just protruding. The pohís are small cigars with
-outside wrapper grown from Havana seed. They are more aromatic and sell
-for 2½ c. a dozen. The factories made five cigars, that of La Veguera
-turning out one named "Don Alfonso" which sells for 120 pesos ($3) for
-twenty-five, or 12 c. apiece. This same brand sells in Buenos Aires for
-50 c. apiece and is equal to the best Havanas that sell in the United
-States for $1 apiece. The ñandeyara guazú is a fine cigar that sells
-for 30 pesos (75 c.) a hundred. Paraguay is a smoker's paradise and
-the advantage of the tobacco is that it never causes sore spots on the
-tongue nor any other vocal irritation.
-
-The inhabitants are extremely lazy, and on the estancias the men
-live in indolent ease, their many concubines doing the real labor.
-Strangers living in Paraguay become in time like the natives, taking
-their siesta at noon and putting off all work until the morrow. The
-business is in the hands of the Spaniards, Germans, and Italians. There
-are over five thousand Germans in the republic but like the Spaniard
-they are unpopular with the natives. There is much wealth in Asuncion
-according to the Paraguayan standard but very little according to the
-European standard. The town teems with millionaires but a million pesos
-Paraguayan amounts to only twenty-five thousand dollars. These people
-can make a great splurge and live in great style in Asuncion where food
-is plentiful and good, qualifying a luxury. The women of these people
-assume great airs. There are only two real millionaires according to
-their wealth in North American currency. One is Saccarello, an Italian
-estanciero and the other is Jorba, a Spaniard, who has a general store
-and who is an extensive exporter with an office in Barcelona. Angulo,
-another exporter and storekeeper, is wealthy as well as Urrutia and
-Uguarte, bankers; but these last named people are not millionaires.
-For $7500 can be built a palace of a house. Land is cheap all over the
-republic. There is a market for all native products which are lumber,
-cattle, mandioca, sugar cane, tobacco, yerba maté, and tannic acid. But
-little is exported on account of the scarcity of labor for the men will
-not work. What labor there is, is cheap. For example, the old Spaniard
-who is bartender, table waiter, floor sweeper, and general factotum of
-the Hotel Hispano-Americano only receives $10 a month, with practically
-no income from tips. With this, he supports his English wife and four
-children. Poverty in Paraguay is unknown. About 5000 acres of rich soil
-can be purchased for $10,000.
-
-Paraguay is one of the few South American countries which has iron but
-as yet it is not exploited, although in the period of the Five Years'
-War it furnished material from which the cannon were manufactured in
-Asuncion. The language of the country is Guarani, phonetic, expressive
-and rich in vowels. Foreigners learn it easily and it is the vernacular
-of all excepting those people dealing with strangers. The newspaper
-was formerly published in it and Lopez was at one time thinking
-seriously of making it the official language of the country. Outside of
-Asuncion it is essentially spoken throughout the country and in certain
-districts Spanish is of no avail.
-
-Some of the Asuncenas are gems. If the reader of this work has
-previously read my _South American Travels_ he may remember of my
-stating that I saw in the telegraph office in Asuncion, working
-as clerks, two of the most beautiful girls that I have ever gazed
-upon. This time while in the city I returned to the telegraph office
-ostensibly to send a message, but in reality to see if the same maidens
-were still on the job. The youngest was there, a marvelous work of
-God, but three years' lapse of time had slightly undermined her beauty.
-Although we had seen each other but one brief moment before and had met
-thousands of people in the interval, recognition was at once mutual. I
-told her how beautiful she was, how she attracted me and how I longed
-to make her acquaintance. She reciprocated my attentions, told me that
-her name was Marcelina Espinosa and that I had permission to call on
-her. This happened on the eve of my departure for Motto Grosso, and
-I assured her that when I returned to Asuncion in the course of two
-months that I certainly should avail myself of the pleasure of her kind
-invitation.
-
-Not wishing to seem egotistical in making this statement, I was not
-long in Asuncion, before I discovered that I appealed to Paraguayan
-womanhood. Oftentimes of an evening while passing along the residential
-streets I would notice women in the act of closing the doors or the
-shutters. On seeing me they would desist from this occupation and
-regard me longingly and sympathetically until I had disappeared from
-sight. At a printing establishment which had picture postal cards for
-sale, a fine looking woman on whose face was depicted latent passions
-which only needed encouragement to become a reality, waited on me.
-As I paid her for a trivial purchase, she let her hand linger in mine
-looking at me appealingly for reciprocation.
-
-An old native woman in the market-place admired a gold ring with jade
-setting which I always wear as a lucky stone. She was not content only
-in admiring it, but she went through the market and got her friends to
-come and look at it. Many of these were comely girls. They not knowing
-that I understood a word of Guarani remarked on its beauty, and then
-fell to discussing me in most charming terms.
-
-Although most Paraguayans are born out of wedlock, the inhabitants
-are not immoral. Like the majority of Latin Americans they are unmoral
-because they never had any morals to begin with. It is quite the thing
-in Asuncion for men forty years old and more to have lustful intentions
-on twelve-year old girls. Women frequently marry at fourteen years
-of age, but men seldom do so before they are thirty years old. Many
-women remain single for there are nine women to every man in Paraguay,
-owing to the decimation of the latter in the numerous revolutions
-that have taken place, and with such a disproportionate ratio on the
-side of the women, it is easy for the men to satisfy their desires
-without marriage. Excepting among the highest social classes virtue
-among women has no value and men who are old enough to be grandfathers
-lasciviously ogle girls that have scarcely reached the age of puberty.
-This great disparity of ages does not have the evil results that are
-often the case in colder countries. The women soon lose their good
-looks while the men seldom change until they reach old age. The girls
-for generations have been taught to marry men considerably older
-than themselves; thus the caned and bespatted young fops that haunt
-the cafés and moving picture shows are obliged to form mesalliances
-with young half-breed girls. The latter are too ignorant to make any
-objection to being seduced as they have been taught that it is the
-natural state of affairs. No matter how unmoral the people are, a
-Paraguayan girl is rarely to be found in a brothel. Many men going
-by different names are half brothers, having had the same mother but
-different fathers. As in all countries of lax morals, syphilis is rife.
-But very few of the inhabitants show outward symptoms of it, for it is
-so much inbred in the people that it has lost its virulence.
-
-I had met on the train coming from Buenos Aires a man who was so
-Teutonic in appearance and in style of his clothes that I had supposed
-him to be fresh from Germany. He sat across from me at the table in
-the dining car after leaving Villa Encarnacion, and I was surprised to
-hear him answer "Chileno" when the Paraguayan immigration inspector
-asked him his nationality. He was the grandson of a German who had
-settled in Southern Chile. This man that I met was about forty years
-old and is so prominent in financial circles that his name is famous
-all over Southern Chile. He was now on his way to Asuncion to look
-over one of the two Paraguayan gunboats which the government wished
-to sell in order to obtain sufficient funds to pay off the army with.
-If the gunboat suited him he could have it shipped to Chile and have
-it remodeled as a freighter or a passenger ship. His name for obvious
-reasons I shall designate as M----.
-
-Señor M---- was a very entertaining man, had traveled all over the
-world, and appeared to have a good knowledge of sociology. I invited
-him to the Hispano-Americano to have dinner with me and he in turn
-invited me to dine with him at the Saint-Pierre where he sojourned. We
-went a couple of times to the moving picture shows and to the Belvedere
-gardens. His discourse was always of the most moral and elevating
-character which was a marked contrast to that of the natives. One
-night I suggested that we should take in a vaudeville entertainment
-that was being staged at the Belvedere. He agreed and I went to the
-Hotel Saint-Pierre to meet him. As it was a nice evening he suggested
-that we should walk, although it was nearly two miles there. Soon
-after starting out, a tropical thunder storm, so common to southern
-latitudes, came up, and rain fell in such a deluge that we were obliged
-to take shelter in a doorway. The street became a veritable river and
-owing to the violence of the downpour the street cars stopped running.
-Just as suddenly as the storm had broken, it stopped. It was too wet
-to continue walking and as we were trying to arrive at a decision as to
-how we could best get to Belvedere, a little girl about fourteen years
-walked by. M---- noticed her and straightway walked out of the shelter
-where we were standing to say something to her. I supposed that he
-had gone to question her about the car service, but as they conversed
-at length and as I saw her smile, I thought I would walk up to see
-what the joke was. Imagine my astonishment when I heard M----, whom I
-had supposed to be so moral and before whom I was always choosing my
-language, in conversation with this child inducing her to allow him
-to seduce her. My astonishment was still greater when she accepted
-his approaches and walked off with him in the direction of the Hotel
-Saint-Pierre where we had just come from.
-
-About two o'clock the next afternoon as I was returning to my hotel
-from a walk, I saw M---- on the marble stairs of the Hispano-Americano
-offering pecuniary inducements to any of the old women (none were
-under fifty) who daily sat on the bottom steps displaying _ñanduti_
-embroidery for sale, if one would come up to a bedroom for a half hour.
-M---- did not make such a hit with these _ñanduti_ women as he did with
-the little native girl, for none would accept his terms.
-
-I upbraided M---- roundly for his actions telling him that he should
-be ashamed of himself for making such propositions to young girls.
-"Es costumbre" ("It's the custom") he would answer, and that was all
-the excuse he could give for his actions. He informed me that he had
-discovered that the Paraguayan native was much like the Chilean of the
-lower stratum, and that for a few pesos he could "fix" any policeman or
-irate parent in Asuncion the same way as he could at his home town in
-Chile. This man thought he was doing nothing unnatural or to be ashamed
-of. I later found out that M---- was telling the truth as far as it
-was "costumbre," for Chile and Paraguay have among their respected
-citizens, men who emulate the same acts as M---- and are not arrested
-for them, while here in North America they would be safely behind the
-bars of some institution for doing the same thing.
-
-About twenty miles northwest of Asuncion is the entrancing Lake
-Ypacara-i, twelve miles long by five broad. Its shores are dotted with
-the summer residences of the Asuncene aristocracy. San Bernardino is a
-German colony and is the most delectable place in all Paraguay. It is
-reached by train from Asuncion to Areguá, another summer resort where
-cars are changed. A couple of miles from Areguá is a station named
-Kendall, whence one can cross by launch to San Bernardino, where are
-located the Hotel del Lago and the Hotel Rasmussen, the first mentioned
-being the best. The scenery is beautifully pastoral and brings to one's
-mind Virgil's _Bucolics_, for here like the scenery he described in his
-immortal work, shepherd boys watch their ovine flocks playing melodies
-on slender reeds.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII
-
-TO THE SOURCE OF THE PARAGUAY RIVER
-
-
-Strolling down to the dock one day I saw a sign stating that the
-steamer _Asuncion_ would be sailing for Corumbá, Brazil that same
-evening at six o'clock. I inquired how long it took to reach its
-destination, and upon being told four days, bought a ticket. I once
-had the misfortune of being a passenger on the S. S. _Asuncion_
-when it ran aground on a mud bank in the Paraná River and was moored
-twenty-six hours in midstream. It is one of the older ships of the
-Mihanovich Line and formerly plied between Buenos Aires and Asuncion.
-It has no salon and the guests are obliged to sit in the dining room.
-Two other steamship companies run to Corumbá. The Brazilian Lloyd with
-fortnightly service and the Vierci Line owned in Asuncion. The latter
-boats and those of the Mihanovich Line touch at all the river ports,
-while the only stop besides Asuncion that the Brazilian Lloyd makes in
-Paraguay is Villa Concepcion.
-
-It became dark soon after sailing, and at nine o'clock we tied up to
-the dock at Villa Hayes, a small town on the Chaco side of the river
-and named in honor of Rutherford Hayes, ex-president of the United
-States, who was the arbiter in a boundary dispute between Argentina and
-Paraguay. He rendered a decision in favor of the latter country. A high
-wind blew all night, and without it the heat would have been nearly
-unbearable.
-
-The next morning when I awoke I saw that the sides of the river were
-bounded by a tropical forest. The steamer hugged the east bank for
-here, the river a mile wide at this point, was the deepest. Beautiful
-racemose clusters of red lilies grew from tall slender stalks; from
-water oaks were suspended air plants and purple orchids; lianas
-ropelike, hung from the tree tops to the ground. At ten o'clock the
-steamer anchored off the mouth of a small stream named the Cuarepoti
-up which, a mile or so, is the settlement of Rosario. Several rowboats
-came up with passengers. About two o'clock in the afternoon, the
-wide and swiftly flowing Jejuy River is reached on which is the now
-dismantled fort of San Pedro. The Paraguay River widens out and is
-filled with many islets, some of them large. The forest had receded
-and the swampy land was flooded; from the islets in the marshes rose
-groves of hiaty palms and the lagoons were covered by the wonderful
-aquatic plant, the Victoria Regia. The leaves of this plant are round
-and flat, and they resemble huge floating dishes. Where the edges are
-turned, turtles crawl up on the leaves and bask in the sun. Besides
-the Victoria Regia there are lotus plants and I saw a reed resembling
-papyrus. As the steamer passes, crocodiles flop in the river with a
-heavy thud and hissing ñacaninás crawl into the dank undergrowth.
-
-At ten o'clock that night, Villa Concepcion was reached where we
-remained nearly two hours. I stopped at that hellfire town for three
-days on my return trip and regretted it. I imagine that in the winter
-it is a pleasant enough place as far as climate goes, but at the time
-of my visit it was fierce. The rains had swollen the river, which
-had overflowed its banks and practically left the town an island in a
-fresh water sea from which emerged tree trunks. It was hotter than the
-fictitious Hades and a low gray vapor shrouded everything from sight
-mornings and evenings. The sun came out torrid several times a day,
-alternated by thunder showers. Bugs, reptiles, and insects were galore.
-
-Villa Concepcion is the fourth city in Paraguay in population, although
-the unincorporated place of Luque is larger. Its estimated population
-is 15,600 although I think one half these figures would be nearer the
-mark. In importance, it is the second town in the republic for in the
-hinterland are sugar mills to which a railroad extends. The terminus
-is Horqueta, about forty miles inland. Concepcion is built on the left
-bank of the Paraguay River which here is a mile wide, and facing the
-town is an island. A few miles south of it, the Ipané River empties
-into the Paraguay.
-
-The Ipané gives the name to Concepcion's main street, a miserable
-thoroughfare of one story brick and wood buildings plastered over.
-There are, however, a few buildings of size on this street and on the
-other principal street, whose name is Aquidabán. A ditch runs along
-each side of Calle Ipané, and there is one in the middle of Calle
-Aquidabán. These are crossed by planks being thrown across them.
-The water had washed some of the planks away which made the streets
-impassable. Strange to say, Villa Concepcion boasts of one automobile,
-a Ford. As in Asuncion the market-place is of interest, although it is
-on a much smaller scale than that of the capital. The main breathing
-place is named Plaza de Libertad from the Statue of Liberty which
-graces its center. It stands on an octagonal base with funeral wreaths
-in bas-relief, while on a ledge on top of the base are perched eight
-cement lions. The allegorical goddess reposes her hand upon a shield.
-Her picture, taken from this statue adorns the Paraguayan jubilee
-postage stamps of a few years back.
-
-Sometime during the night that we left Villa Concepcion, we passed by
-the mouth of the Aquidabán River. It was up its valley that Francisco
-Solano Lopez retreated with the remnants of his brave army in 1870
-closely pursued by the Brazilian cavalry, and it was at the base of
-a mountain named Cerro Corá at the headwaters of the Aquidabán, many
-miles distant in the tropical forest that he met his death, being
-pierced through the body by the lances of the enemy. Among his retinue
-was his mistress, Madame Lynch and some of her henchwomen. Strange to
-say when they were captured they were found clad in silken dresses of
-the latest Parisian creation and wearing low ballroom slippers, and
-this in the midst of the deepest imaginable water-soaked jungle miles
-away from civilization.
-
-Early in the morning we reached the village of San Salvador with its
-beef-packing plant. The _saladero_ is a stock company composed of
-North American and German capital. They slaughter the long-horned
-native cattle, which are cheap here. At the outbreak of the World
-War, the British Government ordered from them $240,000 worth of canned
-beef which was delivered and consumed by the British Army. This beef
-is still unpaid for. Great Britain refuses to pay on account of the
-majority of the shares of stock being held by Germans. By this refusal
-it is also hurting the interests of the North Americans who have stock
-in the company, which amounts to nearly one half. This defalcation of
-payment has put the saladeria on the hummer and it is now in the hands
-of a receiver.
-
-At the time of my visit, the whole town of San Salvador was wrought up
-by an incident that had occurred the day before, and which was the only
-topic of conversation. The foremen of the saladero pay off the laborers
-with time checks which they present at the company office for currency.
-A native forged one of these checks and made such a poor job of it that
-he was refused payment and threatened with arrest. Angered, he whipped
-out a big knife, long and thin with a razor edge, with the intentions
-of annihilating the manager, a North American. The latter grabbed a
-revolver which scared the Paraguayan, who started to run down the road.
-
-Leaning against a fence post, with his hand on the rail, stood another
-North American, a mere boy, and a friend of the manager who had arrived
-from the United States, but three days before on a visit, and not
-at all connected with the company. The route of the fleeing native
-led by this young chap, and as he ran by him, he raised his arm and
-aimed a blow with his knife at the young fellow's hand, which was so
-powerful that it completely severed it at the wrist. The Paraguayan
-was caught and lodged in a temporary jail. The next morning, the day of
-my arrival, he was to be taken in a rowboat to Villa Concepcion to be
-tried.
-
-The sequel to this event which I heard on my return trip was as
-follows: His guards not relishing the long rowboat trip to Concepcion,
-for it would take them several hard days rowing upstream on the return
-journey, pitched the native overboard in midstream. A few bubbles came
-up as a _saurian_ closed its jaws upon him, and a red tinge rose to the
-surface of the river.
-
-From San Salvador northward, occasional round hills are met. The first
-of these is Itapucumi (sleeping giant), two hours above the settlement.
-Here the Paraguay River makes a great bend and narrows to one-half
-mile in width. It is studded with green islands, some of them floating.
-Puerto Max, where there is another saladeria, is stopped at and farther
-on, we passed the stockade of an old penal settlement. At dusk we
-passed another cluster of isolated hills on the east bank; the west
-bank is now a great dismal swamp. The River Apá is reached which is the
-boundary line between Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Matto Grosso.
-We now have Brazil on the right and the Paraguayan Chaco on the left.
-
-Next to Amazonas, Matto Grosso is the largest state in Brazil. Its
-area is 539,092 square miles and its population is estimated at about
-245,000. Only three South American republics (excepting Brazil, of
-which this state is a part), Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru have a larger
-area than Matto Grosso. It occupies the very center of South America
-and its capital, Cuyabá, is more geographically situated in the center
-of that continent than any other town. The main industry of Matto
-Grosso is stock raising, there being over 2,500,000 head of cattle
-within its confines. In this respect it is third among the Brazilian
-states, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Geraes outranking it. The name
-given to the native cattle is _cuyabára_; they are noted for their
-viciousness, are red and unlike the Paraguayan breed, are short-horned.
-A saladero or saladeria (the name for the whole establishment), is in
-Brazil named a _charqueada_ and there are several of these in the state
-besides a factory where beef extract is made at São Luiz. The eastern
-part of the state is a plateau with several high ranges of hills; the
-western part is a forest; great areas being flooded at certain seasons
-on account of poor drainage. The word Matto Grosso means "big forest,"
-_matto_ being a covering of trees and bushes. Besides stock raising,
-rubber plays an important part of the state's industries but this
-latter is confined to the northwestern region where is located the
-Madeira-Mamoré Railroad. The only other railroad in the state is a few
-miles of track outside of Corumbá. It will form part of the Mogyana
-system when completed, as the present intentions are to connect Corumbá
-with São Paulo. There was a telegraph line to Cuyabá and to Corumbá,
-via Goyaz but it is frequently out of commission. It takes three weeks
-of travel to reach Cuyabá from Rio de Janeiro and this trip is made by
-the Paraná and Paraguay rivers.
-
-On the third morning we reached an estancia, the settlement of Porto
-Murtinho with its swampy background. There were numerous wild ducks and
-plover to be seen. This is the starting place for egret hunters; many
-of these birds abounding in the back country. Shortly after leaving
-the place, two hills rise on each side of the river. The one on the
-right being so much higher that the eminence on the left appears low.
-These are respectively Pao d'Assucar and Fecho dos Morras. Further
-up and on another hill is the Brazilian Fort Barranco-branco and
-beyond it on an eminence on the Paraguayan side is Fort Olimpo. In
-the afternoon, we stop at Puerto Ledo, Puerto Esperanza, Puerto 14 de
-Mayo, and Puerto Boggiani, all in Paraguay, and at dark reach a place
-where the river widens into a lake which is named Bahia Negra. This
-is formed by the junction of the Paraguay and the Otuquis rivers. The
-last mentioned stream being commonly called Rio Negro. We here left
-Paraguayan territory as the Brazilian boundary line is arrived at on
-the left bank. In the night we passed Fort Coimbra and when I awoke
-the following morning there were hills on the west bank. The river
-had narrowed down to one quarter of a mile. In the afternoon we passed
-Fort Albuquerque and late at night arrived at the wretched but lively
-city of Corumbá, commercial center of Matto Grosso and the synonym of
-lawlessness and disorder.
-
-This vile town with its diseased population and a jumping-off place
-of commercial riffraff, has a population of nearly twenty thousand
-inhabitants. It is built on the high banks of the west shore of the
-Paraguay River. The water is six feet deep at the docks when the river
-is low but the project has long been contemplated of deepening the
-channel so that vessels drawing twenty feet can anchor there. Nineteen
-hundred and eighty-six miles from the mouth of the La Plata River,
-it is the head of navigation for large boats and it has an immense
-trade, considering the size of the place, on account of its being
-the sole distributing point for southern Matto Grosso. The tortuous
-muddy road leads up the bank to the town which is well built with
-morgue-like edifices. The structures are mostly of one story and many
-have semicircular round-top windows, which are uncommon in all South
-American countries excepting Brazil, where they are characteristic.
-The Hotel Paris, where I stopped, was nothing at all like Paris and the
-slovenly waiters had a cutthroat appearance.
-
-Corumbá has a widely established reputation for disorder. It is so far
-from the Federal capital of Brazil that it might be anywhere else in
-the world as far as the inhabitants having any fear from that quarter
-of punishments for their misdeeds. Matto Grosso is run very much as if
-it were an independent country, and on account of the low caliber of
-the native potentates and politicians, lawlessness is rampant. Nearly
-every man in the city carries a long thin razor-edged knife and many
-of the population give testimony of a one-time fight with this kind of
-weapon by the scars to be seen on their visages. There are some whose
-nose has been severed and others who are minus an ear. There is but
-little public safety there from murder or robbery or both on the back
-streets after nightfall. The natives like to pretend that they are
-atheists but I have noticed that this same tribe either slink away in
-a hangdog fashion when they see a priest approaching or else are quick
-to drop on their knees and make the sign of the cross.
-
-As to industry, besides having a charqueada, Corumbá has a brewery
-and the Ladario naval arsenal. The town, I think, has a good future
-on account of its central location. The surrounding country is swampy
-so there is apt to be malaria but otherwise it is fairly free from
-epidemics. Most of the inhabitants are syphilitic or are afflicted with
-other diseases due to lax morals. The climate, though hot, is better
-than that of Villa Concepcion, and it is doubtful if in the summer
-months the thermometer rises as high as it does in Asuncion.
-
-The 280-mile trip from Corumbá to Cuyabá is made in anywheres from
-four days to a week and one half on small steamers of fifty tons. At
-their very best, they make an average of seventy miles a day of twelve
-hours as they tie up to the bank at night. These boats, owned locally
-and also by the Vierci Brothers of Asuncion, carry twenty first-class
-and fifty third-class passengers. Since the traffic is heavy, it is
-necessary for the traveler to board the steamer the day before to
-obtain a convenient place to sling his hammock and then hire some
-roustabout to watch it for him. Otherwise somebody else would be apt
-to remove it. If a person waited until the morning of departure before
-slinging his hammock, he would find all the suitable places occupied.
-It is impossible to sleep in one of the few cabins which have bunks on
-account of the heat from the ship's engines combined with that of the
-atmosphere.
-
-Corumbá is 384 feet above the sea level; Cuyabá is 401; thus the drop
-in 280 miles is only 17 feet or 7/10 of an inch to a mile. The swampy
-pasture which is entered and which continues until the day Cuyabá is
-reached is one of the hell holes of this earth. This immense marsh,
-which is 350 miles across in an east to west line, extends into Bolivia
-and is a flat piece of ground grown to marsh grass in which countless
-herds of semi-wild cattle fatten. There are occasional stunted trees
-whose penurious shade affords the sole protection against the powerful
-sun and blinding rays. In the afternoon of the first day, we passed a
-few huts named Tres Barras and at night pulled up to shore at a cape
-formed by the confluence of the Cuyabá and Paraguay rivers. On account
-of the low drop in altitudes, there is such poor drainage that branches
-of the Paraguay and Cuyabá shoot out in all directions, forming
-numerous channels in a great delta. The Paraguay is considerably wider
-than the Cuyabá and has a much greater volume of water as well as a
-swifter current. It is navigable for small vessels as far as São Luiz
-de Caceres about 250 miles farther up.
-
-The whole trip was uneventful through a most monotonous country. About
-a day and one half before we reached the capital, another river flowing
-from the northeast and about the same size as the Cuyabá entered it.
-This river was named the São Lourenço although I understand that the
-natives are in the habit of giving this same name even to the Cuyabá
-River below its confluence. The heat was fierce but strange to say
-there were but few mosquitoes. It is most peculiar that of the whole
-La Plata river system mosquitoes are most abundant in the delta of
-the Paraná River between Rosario and Buenos Aires, and that up in the
-tropics of northern Paraguay and Matto Grosso where one would think
-they would be most likely to be found, they are noticeable by their
-absence. In other parts of Matto Grosso where the rivers belong to the
-Amazonian watershed, I understand they are legion. At night fireflies
-came out in bunches and the swampy plain was resonant with the croaking
-of frogs. One afternoon nearly a week after leaving Corumbá, hills
-appeared on the right which took on the form of low mountains and these
-continued in view until the capital in the midst of a thickly settled
-country was approached.
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Cuyabá]
-
-Cuyabá is an old city of one-story houses, strongly built, and boasts
-of wide grass-grown streets, and a spacious shadeless plaza on which
-faces the cathedral. It is said to have been founded a couple of
-hundred years ago by Portuguese prospectors who started out from São
-Paulo. During the eighteenth century it was the center of the placer
-district and the headquarters of the miners who equipped themselves
-here for their trips to the remote parts of Brazil and what is now
-Bolivia. It was a lively place in those days, but a hundred years
-ago became decadent until recently when the cattle industry took a
-boom. In the last decade it has picked up, and its population to-day
-numbers not far from twenty thousand. It is the seat of a bishopric,
-is electric lighted (on the main street), and is in telegraphic
-communication (sometimes) with Rio de Janeiro. The Mogyana Railroad
-system from São Paulo is expected to extend here shortly which will
-be a great benefit to the place, as well as facilitate exportation.
-In many respects Cuyabá is a fine city although it falls far below
-the standard of a North American city of the same size. It has many
-fine residences, and an air of proudness and of aristocracy enthralls
-it. It is the residence of quite a few persons of wealth, and I am
-told that among its inhabitants are three millionaires, who by the way
-prefer to live in Paris and in Lisbon rather than in the stagnant town
-where they first saw the light of day. Cuyabá is very nearly in the
-center of South America and it seems incredible that in this region so
-little known, the surrounding country is so thickly populated and well
-cultivated. It is said that three quarters of the entire population of
-the tremendously large State of Matto Grosso inhabit a radius of fifty
-miles from Cuyabá as the center. The Chapada Mountains to the east
-rise to a height of 2733 feet. Cool breezes blow from the plateau of
-which they form the western barriers, causing the temperature not to be
-over-oppressive. There is but little malaria away from the river; the
-diseases common to the country seem to be beri-beri and leprosy. Many
-people afflicted with the last-named malady are found in all parts of
-Matto Grosso, but not so much so in the cities as in the country. This
-form of leprosy is not supposed to be contagious. Many of its victims
-also have elephantiasis.
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Outskirts of Cuyabá]
-
-I was told that the springs that form the source of the Paraguay River
-were about four days' horseback ride distant, and as it has always been
-my ambition to gaze upon them, I decided to visit them. I had already
-seen the source of the Amazon, and considered that my travels in South
-America would be far from complete if I failed to also see the place
-whence the second greatest water system in that continent took its
-source. I had seen ancient woodcuts of the source of the river, the one
-which defined itself in my mind being from a drawing in the works of
-Dr. Martius, 1832. It depicts a flat, grassy plain in which is a pool,
-of irregular shape, about a stone's throw wide by the same dimension
-long, encircled by sixty-three hiaty palms with slender trunks.
-Martius' works are long out of print but a copy of his woodcut is
-reproduced on page 60 of _Album Gráfico de la República del Paraguay_
-by Arsenio Lopez Decoud, Buenos Aires, 1911. Many times during the
-long winter nights in my Northern Michigan home I have sat in front of
-the fireplace and gazed at this woodcut, always hoping that it would
-be my fortune to gaze upon the original. I became obsessed with this
-fixed idea in Buenos Aires, which was augmented in Asuncion, and it
-was solely for this reason that I went first to Corumbá and thence to
-Cuyabá, getting nearer and nearer the goal of my quest. In Cuyabá I
-was told that the source lay not many kilometers from the main traveled
-road from there to Diamantino, and was easily accessible. Little did I
-think that in seeing it, the trip would be responsible for the loss of
-a life.
-
-The second day after my arrival in Cuyabá I met a German commercial
-traveler named Huber who represented a Rosario importing house of
-harvesting machinery. He was bound to Diamantino and having heard that
-I had the same destination, suggested that we should make the trip
-together as he had but little use for the natives, thinking that they
-might murder and rob him en route. I agreed but said that in case he
-accompanied me he would have to deviate from his route for a day to see
-the source of the Paraguay. He said that it was a lot of nonsense and
-that I could see these springs on my way back. I replied that I had no
-object to go to Diamantino excepting to rest a day or so after having
-seen the springs, and that having come so far to see them I would do
-so anyhow, regardless of whether he would accompany me or not. Huber
-became disgruntled and told me he would let me know that night whether
-he would go to the unnecessary trouble to view this "dummheit" as he
-called it. He spent most of the day interviewing the foreign element
-of Cuyabá inquiring if anyone else in the place had the intention
-of setting out for Diamantino within the next couple of days. His
-inquiries evidently were met with negative answers for as I was about
-to retire he came to my room and stated that he was ready to set out
-with me the following morning.
-
-Early in the morning we set out with two guides which we had engaged
-through the medium of the Italian consular agent and followed a cart
-road along the east bank of the Cuyabá River, which was becoming so
-narrow that one could easily heave a good-sized stone across it. At
-noon we stopped at a miserable leper-infested place named Guia, the
-center of a stock country, and by nightfall reached the hamlet of
-Brotas. Not wishing to share my bed with the vermin that infested the
-_botequim_ which went by the name of hotel, I hung my hammock between
-two trees in the rear of the establishment.
-
-At the end of the second day we arrived at dusk at the large village
-of Rosario da Cuyabá, finely situated on a height of land on the west
-bank of the Cuyabá River which we forded below the town. This Rosario
-is at the foot of some low mountains and is a pleasant place although
-but a wreck of its former self. It was once quite a placer center, and
-some diamonds were found here that are now among the crown jewels of
-Austria. There is a fairly comfortable four-bedroom hotel where I spent
-the night, but got but little sleep on account of the hooting of an
-owl in a nearby bush. The hotel is owned by a Spaniard who has resided
-for over thirty years in the country. In the meantime he took one trip
-back to Spain but returned as he preferred Matto Grosso. Rosario is 998
-feet above sea level, being 597 feet higher than Cuyabá. I think its
-population is in excess of two thousand. There is a project on hand to
-inaugurate an electric lighting plant and to build a charqueada.
-
-From here to Diamantino it is a hard two days' ride if one wishes
-to visit the source of the Paraguay owing to the detour of about six
-hours. The road that wound up the low mountains named the Serra Azul
-is no better than a cow path, and was extremely rocky and slippery. The
-shrubbery is very thick and is covered with thorns, although there are
-no large trees. Occasionally a clearing is met where languid natives
-have attempted to grow enough legumes for their meager wants, together
-with the omnipresent sugarcane patch which supplies them with enough
-_cachaca_ for their frequent debauches. Their huts are painted pink
-or white and can be seen from a great distance, at which point of
-vantage they always appear at their best. At one of these fazendas, as
-the farms are called, we stopped for the night. A small stream but a
-couple of inches deep, filled with pebbles and where pools were formed
-with watercress, trickled through the fazenda. It served the farmer
-with his supply of drinking water, water for his stock, the washing
-place of his clothes, as well as the washing place for the feet of his
-numerous offspring. On each side of the rivulet were trees and from
-them we slung our hammocks. One end of my hammock was tied to a tree
-on the left bank, the other end to a tree on the right bank; if the
-rope had broken or come loose, I would have dropped into the creek. The
-hospitality of the inhabitants of the tropics of South America is in
-marked contrast to the stinginess and mean actions of those people that
-inhabit the Andean uplands. Nowhere in Paraguay or Brazil have I been
-subjected to the discourtesy and suspicion that greet every traveler
-in the mountains of Peru or Bolivia. This particular fazendado not
-only insisted upon helping our guides cook the meals, but also added
-canned goods which he had bought in Cuyabá, and refused to accept any
-pecuniary remuneration therefor. The next morning he accompanied us for
-a few miles on his pony and also went to much trouble to point out to
-us where the best paths were.
-
-From the top of the Serra Azul near where the fazenda was situated,
-a broad valley was seen to open out at our feet. It was swampy, and
-was carpeted with marsh grasses and rushes which were yellow. To the
-northwest the sun reflected on a tortuous silver thread which was
-the river. In several places the stream lost itself behind islets of
-mangrove while in front of us it was barely perceptible on account of
-the tules in the bog which screened it from view. Our guides pointed
-out what seemed to be a group of palmettos several kilometers to
-the east and informed us that there were the springs from which the
-Paraguay had its source. Leaving the cart track we galloped over the
-oozing sod of black muck at the risk of getting our horses stalled
-in the mire. Great blue herons, startled at our approach, rose from
-the tules, emitting shrill cries, and flew away to a place of safety,
-the noise of their flapping wings sounding like that made by a person
-beating a rug. Near the tops of some trees resembling water oaks
-we observed some egrets, but unfortunately they were at too great a
-distance to bring down with a revolver shot.
-
-The appearance of the source of the Paraguay River was much different
-in details from Dr. Martius' woodcut, yet in general aspects it had
-quite a resemblance. The drawing that I saw was made nearly a century
-ago, and during that lapse of time the features of the immediate
-landscape may have changed. It may have been that the drawing in
-Martius' work was made from memory, away from the spot, and that not
-being present at the pool when the drawing was made, his memory was
-not accurate. Some of the hiaty palms may in the meantime have died
-and rotted. It was impossible for me to photograph it on account of
-the noonday shadowless sun, but I made a rough pencil sketch of the
-scenery.
-
-Picture to yourself a great bog of yellow rushes waving in the
-sweltering noonday heat with no trees in sight, excepting a nearly
-perfect circle of eleven hiaty palms; inscribe in this circle a pool
-of dark steel-blue transparent water. This pool is about 150 feet in
-diameter, and on its surface float several gigantic pan-like leaves
-of Victoria Regia. From where I stood I saw that the pool abounded
-with small fishes. Looking into the water, I saw several feet beneath
-the surface something that appeared to be a rocky ledge. At its side
-and beneath it from which bubbles constantly rose was a black hole of
-Stygian darkness. This I conjectured was the main spring. On a branch
-of one of the palm trees perched an owl, the only living thing in
-sight excepting ourselves and our horses. I was seized with a desire
-to take a plunge and a swim in this pond, the zenith of my quest and
-the goal of many years' thoughts. Yet I had the feeling that this
-harmless-looking water might conceal some reptile, an alligator or
-giant turtle, so I quickly gave up the idea, but lying on my belly I
-gulped down several large swallows of the water, which sad to relate
-was not as cool as I had imagined it to be and also had a rank taste as
-of decaying vegetable matter.
-
-The water flowing from the pool does not take any definite bed, but at
-first spreads out over quite an area, a few inches deep, between the
-thousands of marshy islets, mere detached tufts of sod but a few feet
-wide. A quarter of a mile below the pool the numerous channels unite
-into two watercourses, which at a short distance farther converge into
-a single creek. This creek is but a few feet wide, and is clear and
-clean, a remarkable phenomenon on account of the muddy swamp which it
-traverses.
-
-Leaving the pool we made for the northern horizon defined by a height
-of land resembling low hills, but had some difficulty on account of
-the horses continually stumbling and tripping themselves on the roots
-of a species of creeper that had white blossoms and which covered the
-landscape at the edge of the marsh. After an hour's ride we reached the
-hills and came upon a distinct cattle path which wound through a jungle
-and finally brought us out on a cart road.
-
-  [Illustration: Source of the Paraguay River]
-
-At the pool Huber never dismounted from his pony, but sat leaning over
-in his saddle resting his head on his hand. I asked him why he did
-not get down but beyond muttering a few words about "such nonsense" he
-neither said nor did anything. Several times on the ride from the pool
-to the hills he complained of having a headache, and although I gave
-him a couple of acetphenetidin tablets they did him no good. He became
-feverish and said he felt as if he were burning up. He gradually became
-worse, and his pupils narrowed down to the size of a pin head while
-his eyes began to shine like coals. It was with difficulty that he kept
-his saddle, and the last few miles into Diamantino he had to be propped
-into position by his guide.
-
-Diamantino, whose name should not be confused with the flourishing
-mining-center of Diamantina in the state of Minas Geraes, is a town
-of about three thousand inhabitants built on the side of a red earth
-hill but a short distance to the north of the Paraguay River, here
-a few rods wide. From a distance it resembles Tallahassee on account
-of the red color of the soil, and the similarity of their respective
-townsites. It is one of the oldest towns in central Brazil. Formerly it
-was important in the mining annals of the country on account of gold
-and diamonds having been discovered in its vicinity, but mining has
-long since played out, and it is only important commercially at the
-present time through the exportation of vanilla beans. It is also the
-starting place for laborers to the rubber district in the forests of
-the north and northwest. Diamantino is at the base of the great central
-plateau of Brazil, which extends eastward into Goyaz, its limits being
-defined by the Serra Azul. The latter is the watershed between the
-Amazon and the La Plata river systems. Beyond these mountains is a vast
-impenetrable forest inhabited by Indians. The proximity is evident
-by the great number of members of this race, which I believe exceeds
-the white population of the village. But a day's journey northward,
-I understand, is the town of Porto Velho on the Arinos River which
-farther on becomes the Tapajos, the latter being the boundary line of
-the extensive States of Amazonas and Para; the Tapajos finally flows
-into the Amazon at Santarem.
-
-Diamantino is one of the most funereal towns imaginable. Its houses
-are neatly whitewashed, but the absence of panes in the windows gives
-the impression of tombs. The doors are like black holes in a vault.
-The streets are wide and are grown to grass on which horses graze; the
-lawns of the better-class houses are set back in rank gardens enclosed
-by walls which have pillars at the gates. The whole impression is that
-of a country cemetery.
-
-The three inns of the place, if such they can be called, run more to
-botequim (barroom) than to looking after the culinary welfare and
-lodging of their guests. A rubber train had just entered the town;
-the laborers had just been paid off and were now riotously and in good
-humor making the streets and botequims resound with their merriment.
-They were fast filling up on _piraty cachaca_, a fiery rumlike liquid
-made from sugar cane. A glass of this beverage will make an ordinary
-man "fall under the table" and it is so cheap that it is within the
-reach of all. On it a man can get one of the cheapest jags known,
-and like a few other intoxicants it goes down like oil. Only the
-peasants indulge in it, although it can be obtained in the better-class
-botequims of Rio de Janeiro. If a well-dressed stranger should stroll
-into a café in Rio and ask for some of it, the waiter would be apt to
-look at him in astonishment, wondering what sort of a common fellow he
-was and how he got his fine clothes, for it is the drink of the lower
-stratum of society. It is kept on the boats of the Brazilian Lloyd; at
-Montevideo Brazilian roustabouts swim out to them, buy the beverage,
-and in a drunken stupor have to be rowed ashore.
-
-At the mediocre and filthy inn which was the best of the three at
-Diamantino, where I obtained a lodging no better than a hen coop,
-I tried to get the best room in the place for Huber who was now so
-sick that he could not stand. The landlord gruffly remarked that his
-place was no hospital, and would not take him in. Watching over him,
-I sent the guides to the other two places but they likewise refused to
-shelter him. Somebody suggested that the priest might find a habitation
-for him, and upon my instructions set out to find that worthy, who
-presently arrived in a semi-state of inebriation. The holy man, with
-filthy robes and an unshaven countenance, scrutinized Huber minutely
-through his bleary eyes, and in a sottish voice said he could be taken
-to the end house in the village where upon his recommendation and
-for about thirty thousand reis ($7.50) he would receive "everything
-that was to be desired." The price was terribly exorbitant, but
-owing to the condition the commercial traveler was in, there was no
-time to argue, so we set off to the place indicated, the two guides
-carrying him, while the drunken priest, myself, and what seemed to
-be half of the male population of Diamantino followed. An old woman,
-toothless and humped, with the eternal black cigar between her lips,
-discolored with nicotine, came to an aperture which served as the door
-and gesticulating frantically refused admission. The priest called
-her aside, and said something to her which we could not hear, but it
-evidently appeased her for she came back saying that it would be all
-right for him to stay there provided she was paid in advance. I was on
-the point of accepting the offer when a tall, handsome man in uniform
-appeared, and asked what the rumpus was about. A hundred voices tried
-to answer at the same time. He motioned them to be silent, and heard
-me out. No sooner had I stopped speaking than the crowd again began to
-speak. He ordered them to stop, and addressing me said that he was the
-chief of police as well as the mayor of the town, and that his house
-was at our disposal gratis. I accepted his kind offer, much to the
-dismay of the priest and toothless hag who were now begging me to let
-Huber stay with them.
-
-The two guides, who had laid the German down with a coat under his head
-as a pillow in the shade of a wall, picked him up and we set out toward
-the mayor's residence, but a short distance away. The crowd started to
-follow, but the mayor with some harsh oaths ordered them away. They
-all dispersed excepting a curious few who eyed us from a distance.
-The mayor's house was a long one-story building facing a common grown
-to grass and milkweed. It had in front a wide tile-paved veranda
-whose heavy roof was supported by square pillars. On this veranda
-were benches where the family sat evenings, and where the functionary
-entertained his guests. The room in which he ordered Huber placed was
-tile paved, high, and cool, with two windows, one of them at the side
-nearly covered with vines. In it was an iron bedstead, a couple of
-chairs, a table, and a wash basin. All the front windows of the house
-had vertical iron bars. The mayor, a perfect gentleman, sent a boy whom
-I imagined to be his son for a doctor while he invited me to be seated
-on a bench and chat with him till the medico arrived. He was particular
-to inquire when and how Huber had been taken sick, as he said he did
-not care to have anybody in his place who had a contagious disease.
-
-The doctor was slow in coming, so slow that in the meantime Huber had
-become delirious. He took his temperature, looked grave, and sent a
-halfbreed servant away to soak some towels and rags in cold water,
-which when she returned he ordered her to place on Huber's head and
-change every few minutes for fresh ones. There is no ice in Diamantino,
-and the _olla_ from which the water had been poured had been standing
-all the afternoon in the sun, consequently it was not cool enough to
-suit the physician. He gave instructions for more ollas to be filled,
-and as night had come on, to be left on the porch in front of the room
-in which the patient lay.
-
-When the doctor came out, he sat on the bench between the mayor and me,
-and informed us that Huber had a sunstroke, and that it was doubtful
-if he would live. "Anyhow," he said, "if he recovers, he will have to
-remain here for weeks before he is well. He shouldn't have come here in
-the first place. My opinion is that he won't survive twenty-four hours
-longer." I returned to the botequim where I lodged for dinner, although
-the mayor was insistent that I should dine with him. I excused myself;
-saying that I had things to attend to and that I would return later on
-to see how Huber was getting on. "He will get on all right if human
-agencies can help, but in this case they are of little avail. I have
-seen such cases before," were his parting words to me, as I turned up
-the moonlit street towards the middle of the town from which shouts and
-ribald laughter emanating from the drunken rubber men were audible in
-the otherwise sleepy town.
-
-At the botequim where I roomed there was an orgy going on. Most of the
-rubber men were soused and our two guides were rapidly filling up.
-Rum, gin, and brandy were spilled all over the room, on the tables,
-on the chairs, and on the floor. A couple of bums lay in a corner of
-the room and one on a soap box, his feet dangling over it into space.
-The brutal-appearing ruffian who was the landlord was his own best
-customer yet he was intent enough on business to charge two prices, one
-to the badly drunk individuals, and a cheaper one to those in a lesser
-maudlin state. I was hungry but as it was impossible to eat in this
-barroom, in which on other occasions meals were served, I repaired to
-the shed which served as a kitchen and asked if anything to eat could
-be had. Two slatternly halfbreed female servants informed me that in
-a few minutes dinner would be served. I waited for over half an hour
-and was so impatient with hunger that I was at my wits' end, when the
-youngest of the two approached me and whispered that the proprietor
-had the keys to the storeroom in his pocket and that he would beat her
-if she disturbed him. Disgusted I set out to buy some canned goods to
-sup on at one of the stores which combine the selling of groceries with
-that of light hardware and dry goods, when I felt a pull at my sleeve
-and looking around saw the same halfbreed standing there as if she had
-something to tell me.
-
-"I hope the _senhor_ does not want me to sleep with him to-night," she
-whispered to my great astonishment; "Manoel is here from the rubber
-country, and if he finds it out he will kill me. Manoel is my fellow
-and he is crazy jealous over me."
-
-This was the first time that I was apprised of the fact that the custom
-of Bohemia was likewise prevalent in Matto Grosso.
-
-For an exorbitant price, I bought two cans of salmon which I washed
-down with a bottle of warm beer. I had been counting for the past
-three days on a square meal at Diamantino. I returned to the mayor's
-house and found that Huber had steadily become worse, and at times was
-so violent that he had to be held down on the bed. Late that night he
-took a turn to the better, so the doctor said, which lasted about seven
-hours. About five o'clock in the morning he steadily grew worse and at
-eight-thirty died in the presence of the mayor, his family, the doctor,
-the priest, one of the guides, and myself. He had only been sick twenty
-hours. Although the mayor had said he had seen cases of sunstroke
-before, I had never seen one in the tropics. Moreover as sunstroke is
-most frequent in the first hours after sunrise and in those preceding
-sundown, it must have been that he was exposed in the morning of the
-day before, even before we reached the pool, for it was then that the
-hot rays shone on his head.
-
-  [Illustration: House in Diamantino where Huber Died]
-
-At about eleven o'clock in the morning of the day on which he died,
-Huber's lich was interred in the gruesome cemetery of plain black
-crosses on the hillside, a mile beyond the town, I officiating by
-throwing the last few shovelfuls of dirt on his eternal resting place.
-The town authorities took charge of his possessions and notified his
-employers who knew the address of his relations in Stettin. The mayor
-would accept no pay, but expressed the desire that he would like
-Huber's revolver, belt, and cartridges. I could not very well refuse
-seeing that he and the officials already had possession of all the
-deceased man's articles; I would not have refused anyway on account
-of the courtesy he showed. I paid the doctor and the priest, but I
-also have no doubt that they got their share for their services from
-the money that Huber had in a wallet as well. I stayed that night at
-the mayor's house, but the morbidity of the affair depressed me so
-much that I left Diamantino early the following morning for my return
-trip, being accompanied by Huber's guide as well as my own to Cuyabá.
-I saved a day by traveling the regular track and leaving the source of
-the Paraguay River a six hours' ride to the east. I stopped a day at
-Cuyabá, another one at Corumbá, and three weeks later left Asuncion.
-
-Four passenger steamers of the Mihanovich line now ply weekly between
-Asuncion and Buenos Aires. They are the _Bruselas_, the _Berna_, and
-the two smaller ships, the _Lambary_ and the _Guarany_. The downstream
-trip takes over three days. I left Asuncion a Sunday morning on the
-_Bruselas_. The scenery is intensely tropical, but after the first few
-miles flat. On the left bank soon after leaving Asuncion are passed the
-tumulus of Tucumbú and the conical-shaped hill, Lambary, the latter
-a landmark. Soon on the right we reached the Argentine frontier post
-of Pilcomayo, on the long and narrow river of that name. It rises
-in the high and bleak plateau of Bolivia and flows through the Gran
-Chaco, where for a long space it loses itself in the marshes only to
-reappear broader, lower down. From now on we have Paraguay on the left
-and the Argentine territory of Formosa on the right. The only stops of
-any importance the first day are Villeta, Formosa, Villa Oliva, Villa
-del Pilar, and Humaita. All are Paraguayan, except Formosa which is
-the capital of the Argentine territory of the same name. At Villeta,
-small boats laden with cigars, plants, and fruits are rowed out to the
-steamers, and the leprous hags to whom these mixed cargoes belong drive
-bargains with the sailors, who are crazy to buy pineapples. Before
-reaching Villa Oliva, a palmetto swamp is passed on the Paraguayan side
-which stretches backward as far as the eye can see. Villa del Pilar
-is the most important Paraguayan town stopped at. A railroad track on
-which are flat cars drawn by horses leads from the town to the dock;
-these cars are usually laden with tobacco leaf to be exported to Buenos
-Aires. A crowd was at the dock and it much resembled the crowds seen on
-the docks of the Great Lakes ports, with the exception that among its
-members were sportily attired youths with high collars, roaring ties,
-Panama hats, and patent-leather shoes. It was ludicrous to see such
-people in such out-of-the-way places.
-
-On the second day out, the broad Paraná River is entered; the water
-unlike the blue Paraguay is muddy, and it is so wide that it is much
-like an inland sea. Numerous islands are passed. The shores on the
-Correntine side are high and there is no luxuriance of vegetation
-like in Paraguay, which republic was left behind when the Paraná was
-entered. The aspect is drier and the vast plains extend back to the
-eastern horizon. The Chaco and Santa Fé side is a vast wilderness
-of cane and brush. The city of Corrientes, famous for internecine
-strife, and the birthplace of Sergeant Cabral, a hero of the War of the
-Liberation, was reached in the early hours of the morning of the second
-day. The rocks in the quiet water of the roadstead, overhung with trees
-above which appeared church steeples and the domes of the government
-buildings, made a fine picture. Soon after leaving Corrientes the boat
-anchored at Barranqueras, the port for Resistencia, capital of the
-territory of Chaco, and at nightfall in a pouring rain it anchored
-again off Puerto Goya, from which a railroad runs to Goya and to San
-Diego. On the third day the boat stopped in the morning at the ancient
-capital of Argentina, Paraná, built high on the left bank of the river,
-and at night at Rosario. Buenos Aires was reached on the morning of the
-fourth day.
-
-Another line of steamships plies also between Asuncion and Buenos
-Aires, that named the Empresa Domingo Barthe, but the Mihanovich Line
-is the best. Domingo Barthe, the controller of the rival line, is a
-French adventurer who made a fortune in Argentina and in Paraguay. He
-acquired a large _yerba maté_ concession from the Paraguayan government
-which has made him rich. The trademark of the tea from his _yerbales_
-bears the name Asuncion. Another large firm competed with him, putting
-out yerba maté with a different trademark. Barthe then had some of his
-tea put up in similar packages to theirs, and stealing their trademark
-had it sold widely in Argentina under their name. The rival company
-brought suit against Barthe which went against him. A heavy fine was
-imposed upon him with the alternative of a year in jail. Barthe neither
-paid the fine nor went to jail. He has simply kept out of Argentina.
-Nevertheless Barthe is a man who has done a lot for Argentina, and the
-court may have in view of this fact been too stiff with him; anyhow
-that is what the public thinks. Not only has Barthe been the means of
-facilitating transportation between these two countries but he has
-opened much of the waste lands of the territory of Misiones and put
-them under production, besides being in a large way responsible for the
-growth of Posadas, his home town.
-
-It is pleasant to make the return trip to Buenos Aires from Asuncion
-by water after having seen the fields of Entre Rios and Corrientes
-from the car window. The study of faces, the stops at the small towns,
-the unloading and loading of cargo make the river trip extremely
-interesting. The cargo of the passenger boats is worth inspection but
-the odor of the poultry and of the parrot cages is nauseating. The main
-deck becomes a storage room for sacks of yerba maté, the vile tea that
-the Argentine natives are crazy about. Much of this on passenger boats
-goes to Goya for consumption by the poor _chinos_, as the civilized
-Indians and halfbreeds of the Correntine hinterland as well as in the
-rest of the republic are called. The freight boats handle the Buenos
-Aires and Rosario supply. Besides the maté there are numerous pails,
-tin cans, and molasses tins filled with plants from Matto Grosso
-and the Paraguayan Chaco, mild-eyed deer for the museum at La Plata,
-mangy sarias, martinets in cages, a bedlam of parrots, and bottles of
-home-made _cana_, which gives the imbibers murderous intentions.
-
-I sat between two Spaniards at the dining room table. One had become
-involved in a domestic scandal, the day before we left Asuncion, and
-the wronged husband was looking for him with a gun, besides having
-invoked the aid of the police to find him. The foxy Spaniard, a
-middle-aged aristocrat, escaped across the river to Pilcomayo at
-night, and as there is no extradition treaty with Argentina, he was
-safe. He boarded the _Bruselas_ at that stop. Both the Spaniards fell
-to discussing the charms of the various lady passengers and would
-occasionally ask me my opinion. I could not agree with them as they
-would pick out some fat type of woman and exclaim: "Que linda mujer"
-("Oh, what a beautiful woman!"). I was fascinated by the looks of the
-recently married Brazilian woman who with her groom sat across the
-table from us. She was of that dark type of beauty so common in Matto
-Grosso where one meets women of dark complexion, black gorse-like hair,
-black flashing eyes, with strong virile mouths and chins.
-
-In South America it is not considered a breach of table etiquette to
-be continually picking one's teeth and no sooner did the meals on the
-_Bruselas_ begin than the snapping of wooden toothpicks rent the air.
-Some of the guests were ambidextrous as to the use of forks and knives,
-the latter especially; they would shovel so much food into their mouths
-that they could not contain it all, and consequently goulash would
-drop from their mouths onto the tablecloth. One young barbarian, when
-passed the menu, kept it, and instead of passing it on, amused himself
-by reading the advertisements on the reverse. He had never seen one
-before.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX
-
-SANTIAGO
-
-
-It is not the intention of the writer in these pages to go into
-a detailed and minute historical, geographical, and statistical
-description of Chile. This will appear in a later work. Therefore
-here will be taken up only those statistics, political conditions, and
-geography that the reader should digest in following me on my trips.
-
-The Republic of Chile, whose total length of 2660 miles is included
-between latitudes 18° and 56° south, averages in width but 150 miles
-which is the territory embraced between the summits of the Andes on the
-east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It is divided into twenty-four
-provinces and one territory. Each of these provinces is in turn divided
-into departments. Each of the provinces has its own governor and each
-has its own representation in the national government at Santiago.
-Of the twenty-four provinces, fifteen are latitudinal, stretching
-the whole width of the country. From north to south these are Tacna,
-Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Choapa, Aconcagua, Santiago,
-Colchagua, Curico, Talca, Concepcion, Cautin, Valdivia, and Llanquihue.
-Four provinces are maritime, Valparaiso, Maule, Arauco, and Chiloé;
-their eastern limits are defined by the summits of the Coast Range and
-do not extend to the central valley. Chiloé is an archipelago. In the
-littoral provinces the climate is cooler than in others whose latitude
-is farther south owing to the breezes that blow from the Pacific. Four
-provinces are Andean, O'Higgins, Linares, Ñuble, and Bio-Bio. These
-extend from the Argentine frontier westward to the central valley but
-in no part do they ever reach the coast. There is only one interior
-province, Malleco; it is absolutely surrounded by other provinces, and
-neither extends to the ocean on the west nor to the mountain peaks on
-the east.
-
-  [Illustration: Diagram Showing Idea of Central Valley of Chile in
-   Relationship to the Andes Mountains and the Coast Range, with Course of
-   Streams]
-
-From Santiago southward 350 miles to the Bio-Bio River there is what
-is known as the central valley; here in the cities, villages, and
-country between the Andes and the Coast Range live two thirds of the
-entire population of the republic. Although this central valley is
-but one long valley and traversing it longitudinally from Santiago
-to the Bio-Bio there is no marked difference in elevation, yet it is
-not the valley of one single river, nor do any rivers run through it
-lengthwise as do the San Joaquin and the Sacramento in California. This
-valley is formed by the valleys of countless small rivers which cross
-it and widening out midway between their sources and their mouths form
-one large valley which has an average width of about sixty miles. The
-geological theory is that in the pre-glacial period the small rivers
-like to-day rushed headlong from the Andes into the ocean. The Coast
-Range sprang up, but the rivers worked faster than the mountains grew,
-so that their courses were not altered, and the Coast Range instead of
-being one continuous range of mountains, even though it is a mountain
-chain, became bunches of land islets, separated from one another by
-streams.
-
-Of the thirteen largest cities of Chile, only four are found in this
-valley, Santiago, the metropolis, Talca, the sixth city in population,
-Chillán, the seventh, and Curico, the twelfth. This signifies nothing
-for although less than one third of the large towns are situated
-here, yet the valley teems with towns that have between 1500 and
-4000 inhabitants. The central valley is of remarkable fertility, but
-although the soil is highly productive, irrigation is resorted to for
-it seldom rains during the summer months. In the winter there is plenty
-of rainfall. Owing to the great number of streams, most of which,
-however, are unnavigable and all of which rise in the Andes, there
-is plenty of water for irrigation. In their course to the ocean they
-bring much silt which gives them a muddy color. In contrast to them
-are the clear streams of transparent water which feed them. The latter
-are mostly from springs in the foothills, and not having to cut their
-way for any great distance carry no silt. The products of the central
-valley are wine, fruits, cereals, and stock. A Californian whom I met
-in Santiago said to me: "This central valley of Chile reminds me of
-California, but it is more productive, and in a much more advanced
-state of cultivation."
-
-Southern Chile, as that part of the republic south of the Bio-Bio is
-termed, is a rolling and mountainous land, originally forested and
-still so in some sections. The altitude of perpetual snow is lower
-here than farther north, and some of the mountain scenery excels that
-of Switzerland. It has an abundance of rainfall not restricted to
-seasons so irrigation is unnecessary. The country is largely devoted to
-the growing of cereals, especially barley, and to dairy farming. The
-climate, never too warm in summer, is in winter that of the Central
-States of the Union. No tropical fruits and plants grow there, but
-many apples are grown. The farmers are mostly Germans who have lived
-there for three generations and have still retained the customs of the
-fatherland.
-
-  [Illustration: Scenery, Central Valley of Chile]
-
-Of northern Chile, nothing much needs to be said. From La Serena
-northward it is one large sterile tract of land, with the exception
-of a few river valleys where there is verdure and vegetation, such as
-at Tacna, Copiapó, and Vallenar. It is one large desert and ranges of
-barren mountains rising to a great height, and on whose lower slopes
-on plateaus is found most of the world's nitrate of sodium supply. In
-the higher altitudes are borax fields and great mineral deposits of
-copper, silver, and gold. The coast is absolutely rainless and water is
-unobtainable by wells. It seldom rains even in the interior. The small
-rivers formed by the melting of the snow on high mountain peaks lose
-themselves in the sands and seldom reach the ocean. Near their upper
-reaches water is piped from them to the coast towns, which are at a
-great distance. It is thus that Iquique, Tocopilla, and the thriving
-port of Antofagasta get their water supply.
-
-  [Illustration: Village Scene, Central Chile.]
-
-The area of Chile is 289,829 square miles, about the size of the
-States of Texas and Arkansas combined, but the opposite to them in
-geographical contour. The population December 31, 1915, was 3,641,477
-or 12.57 inhabitants to the square mile.
-
-Each locality in Chile is famous for some special natural production
-or manufacture. Bywords denote the superiority of one article over
-others of a like species such as: Black pottery from Chillán, reed
-baskets from Linares, beer from Valdivia, marble from Valparaiso, cider
-and butter from Osorno, figs from Huasco, and frutillas from Puerto
-Varas. (Frutilla is the name given to a diminutive and highly flavored
-strawberry that grows both wild and in the domestic state.)
-
-Chile has a system of longitudinal railways, nearly completed, which
-are of the greatest military value. Nearly two thousand miles from
-Puerto Montt in the south to Tacna in the north, with the exception
-of a short stretch between Pisagua and Arica, are open to traffic,
-and at no place do they touch the sea excepting at Coquimbo and their
-terminals. In quick time troops and ammunition can be moved to any
-part of the republic. There are many spurs and branch lines that run
-to the coast, to the mining centers, and to the numerous inland towns.
-Most of the railroads are broad gauge; some are both broad and narrow;
-others are narrow, while in the central valley there are a few light
-railways, for example the one between Linares and Panimávida, and
-the coöperative railway in the Province of Ñuble. There is a heavy
-traffic both in freight and in passengers, but sad to relate, most of
-the railways owned by the government, which constitute the majority,
-are run at a loss. This is caused in a great measure by the large
-personnel employed, most of whom are the henchmen of the politicians
-in power in Santiago. To overcome the monetary loss, one half of
-the regular number of trains have been taken off from the service
-schedule so that at the time of this writing one cannot enjoy a ride
-from Santiago to Concepcion on an express train or in a Pullman car as
-previously. The only express trains are those that run between Santiago
-and Valparaiso and vice versa. Even though but one half of the trains
-are still in operation, the State lines are still showing a deficit,
-and there is talk of leasing them to private corporations. The cars
-are mostly of American manufacture although some of the sleeping cars
-are English. The locomotives, formerly German, are now for the most
-part manufactured in Valparaiso. The narrow gauge lines in the north,
-which are in the nitrate regions, all pay for they are of private
-ownership and there is no chance of giving unnecessary employment. The
-Transandine Railroad, narrow gauge, which formerly had trains running
-thrice a week from Los Andes to Mendoza, Argentina, now has through
-trains only once a week, and the trip is made in the daytime on account
-of dangerous curves.
-
-  [Illustration: The Valdivia Breweries Company, Valdivia
-
-   Formerly the Anwandter Brewery]
-
-There is but little manufacturing in Chile, most of it being
-centralized in Valparaiso. The great drawback is on account of the lack
-of iron; some of this mineral has been discovered in the Province of
-Coquimbo, and I understand that the property known as La Higuera is on
-a paying basis. There is plenty of coal, the mines at Lota being the
-largest, but it is of an inferior quality. Outside of Valparaiso, the
-only manufactures of importance are those of beer and flour. In this
-respect the manufacturing conditions are similar to those of Argentina.
-Nearly every small town in the grain belt, the country lying south of
-the Bio-Bio, has its flour mills; as the brewing business is in the
-hands of a trust, there is but a small opportunity in this field unless
-one starts with considerable capital. The beer trust, capitalized at
-18,000,000 pesos ($3,070,800) paid in, includes all the large breweries
-in Chile excepting two firms, that of Aubel in Osorno which is
-flourishing as an independent brewery and that of Keller which has two
-breweries, one in Concepcion and the other in Talca. Those belonging
-to the trust are the United Breweries Company in Limache-Cousiño, the
-Valdivia Breweries Company in Valdivia, the Andres Ebner Brewery in
-Santiago, the Calera Brewery in Calera, and the Floto Brewery in La
-Serena, the last named being a small one. Scattered through Chile are
-a good number of independent breweries all run on a small scale and
-catering only to local trade such as Horstmann's Brewery in Santiago, a
-brewery in San Felipe, one in Chillán, one in La Union, one in Puerto
-Montt, and two in Punta Arenas. Since the Anwandter firm in Valdivia
-sold out to the trust their successors brew a much better beer than
-previously was brewed there, but I am sorry to say that the product of
-one of the trust breweries, that of Calera, is vileness incarnate. Beer
-is cheap in Chile, three cents buying a schuper, but it likewise is
-apt to go to the head and make the imbiber see double lamp-posts. The
-German residents claim that it is mild, yet I have seen many of them
-unable to pace a crack in the floor after imbibing a few libations of
-it. The saloons in Santiago do a big business but they have to pay a
-high rent which cuts into their profits.
-
-Regarding the inhabitants, the Chileno is called the Yankee of South
-America. He is not afraid of work, consequently steamship companies
-like to employ him, because for less pay he will do more work than
-any person of any nationality will do, including North Americans. He
-is the only native south of Texas who if hit will come back at his
-aggressor. In behavior he is apt to be rough and coarse (this does not
-apply to the aristocracy), but rarely is he uncivil. Many Chilenos ape
-the tonsorial adornment of a man who died in the year 33 A.D., but I do
-not believe their actions jibe with his if what we read in history is
-true. The women are beautiful; they have no comparison anywhere else in
-the whole world. They have dark complexions, are finely featured, and
-are voluptuous. A poor figure is unknown among them. If a man prefers
-a different type than the average he can go to southern Chile and have
-the choice of a dark red-cheeked Araucanian maiden or a native girl
-of German extraction, whose eyes are like the still deep water of a
-pool, and whose cheeks have that rosy tinge of a ripening apple. In
-the railway eating-house in Rancagua, I met a man from Thomasville,
-Georgia, who said that on account of the looks of the Chilean women, he
-would lose his religion if he remained much longer in the country. I do
-not know what his religion was, but their beauty is enough to affect a
-man's head.
-
-One of the Chilean institutions that bears comment is that of the table
-waiters in the hotels and restaurants. It needs serious improvement.
-The waiters are a white-aproned, moustached, whiskered set who go
-after and bring back food on the run. They never walk and vie with
-one another to make the most noise and bring their feet down heaviest
-after taking orders. The waiter takes your order on the run, slams the
-food in front of you on the run, takes your money on the run, accepts
-his tip and thanks you on the run. In Europe and in the United States,
-these actions would not be tolerated in a first-class café. In Chile,
-however, these are the instructions given to the waiters when they seek
-employment.
-
-In the larger towns, especially in Santiago and in Valparaiso, there
-is a great illegitimacy of births among the lower classes. This is
-due to the inconstant actions of the men. For instance a poor laborer
-will marry a girl and live with her several years, during which time
-she will become the mother of several children. The husband in the
-meantime finding that the support of a family leaves him with no
-pocket money to indulge in his periodical debauches, all of a sudden,
-without saying anything to his wife, deserts her and strikes out for
-the country where he obtains employment. He rarely comes back. The
-poor wife, left destitute with several offspring, has a hard time
-making a living. Other young women, cognizant of the fickle actions of
-the men, prefer living with them outside of wedlock, for if the man
-deserts her a woman still has a chance of getting married, while if
-she was once married, it would be impossible for her to marry again,
-because there is no divorce law in Chile. I have known of people in
-Chile who desired a divorce being obliged to go to Uruguay to live as
-I understand that is the only republic in South America where divorces
-are granted. As to morals I imagine Chile is no worse off than any
-other country, excepting among the lower element. Speaking of them to a
-friend of mine, one of the most prominent men in Valparaiso and a high
-official of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, he said: "Among the
-lower class there is but little distinction between the women who are
-virtuous and those who are not. The former are always on the _qui vive_
-to increase their income providing they do not get caught at it."
-
-Among this stratum the Fiesta of the Angelito (Feast of the Little
-Angel) plays an important rôle. They maintain that if a child dies it
-becomes a little angel, and many of the poor to whom the expense of
-rearing a superfluous child is a burden welcome its decease although
-they do much wailing at the funeral. They welcome it for they have a
-chance to make some money and also indulge in an alcoholic debauch.
-When the child dies the parents invite all their friends to their
-home. Great quantities of cheap wine are ordered and consumed. Each
-friend gives as much money as he can afford toward the burial expenses
-and towards the purchase of the liquid refreshments. A drunken orgy
-lasting all night takes place. After it is over and the body is buried,
-the parents have money left over. Owing to the high mortality among
-infants, on account of neglect, malnutrition, and ever present typhoid
-fever, these Fiestas of the Angelito are of frequent occurrence in
-every neighborhood.
-
-Chile is the only country in South America which has strict prohibition
-laws. There are quite a few localities that are "dry." Saloons are
-closed all day Sundays; bars also close early at night. The penalties
-for breaking these laws are heavy, yet in no other country in South
-America, with the exception of Peru, is there as much drunkenness as
-in Chile, and all these other countries have no prohibition laws, and
-their towns are wide open.
-
-The reception given at Santiago to the occupants of the private train
-from Buenos Aires bearing the special ambassadors and their staff to
-the installation of Chile's president was tremendous. As the train
-rolled into the great and high vaulted Mapocho station amid the
-fanfare and beating of drums, martial music broke out and rent the
-air with the national march. Great sturdy, powerfully built blonde
-officers, helmeted, in their full dress uniforms, exact replicas of
-the German army of a decade ago, grouped themselves on the platform
-to greet the guests. Their subordinates stood at attention until the
-last of the officers who had boarded the train at Los Andes left
-the train. In the background stood symmetrical rows of policemen
-parting a human aisle down which we passed to the vigorous blasts
-of a band. Thousands of people cried "Hurrah" which was echoed and
-reëchoed through the lofty waiting room of the great building. At the
-windows and on the street behind the iron grating of the train shed
-were squeezed myriads of faces endeavoring to catch a view of the
-impressive spectacle. At the curb outside the station doors, to where
-the guests had already advanced, stood dignified statesmen in Prince
-Alberts awaiting the arrival of the automobiles from the Ministries
-of Brazil and of Argentina which were to drive the envoys of those
-two respective countries away. Soon several limousines arrived, their
-chauffeurs decorated with large rosettes of green and yellow, and blue
-and white, the symbolical colors of those two large South American
-republics. There was no car whose driver was adorned with red, the
-color of Portugal, for that last-named country has no minister to Chile
-solely (their representative to Buenos Aires looks after the affairs
-of Portuguese in Chile), so little Botelho was obliged to take a
-non-decorated automobile which drove him and de Lima to the Hotel Oddo,
-to which place Mr. Alexander and myself also went.
-
-The military pageant which continued throughout the ensuing week
-was most impressive. The Chilean army, trained by German officers,
-and their navy by British officers, are always prepared and on the
-alert for any infringements on their national rights. Chile is the
-strongest fighting power in South America, and has the best military
-organization. Its men are born fighters who have the advantage of
-superior training. The whole personnel and equipment of their army can
-undoubtedly put in the background any country in the world which has a
-population double that of Chile. The Brazilian and Argentine officers
-and soldiers taken as a whole show up mighty poorly compared to those
-of Chile. Here we have a reproduction of the German army on a small
-scale. The uniforms are similar to those that Germany had before the
-latter country adapted the gray color. It is interesting to note that
-von der Goltz, who reorganized the Turkish army at the time of the
-Balkan War, had been once loaned by Germany to Chile to bring its army
-to a state of efficiency.
-
-  [Illustration: Santa Lucia Hill, Santiago
-
-   This is a veritable land mountain. It rises abruptly about 200 feet
-   from the floor of the Mapocho Valley, the latter being as flat as a
-   table top. Its area in size of a few city blocks has been transformed
-   into a park. From the summit the vista is superb.]
-
-The city of Santiago is compactly and massively built within the
-small area which constitutes that part of terrain included within
-the city limits. The streets are invariably straight, forming square
-and rectangular blocks of houses whose average height of two stories
-forms an even sky line. Although there are several different styles
-of architecture prevailing in the residences, the old Spanish type
-predominating, yet there is a great and unmistakable similarity as
-to the appearance of the streets. The business section is a direct
-contradiction to the residential part in so far that it is modern and
-is becoming more so. Here the buildings are three and four stories in
-height and a look down either of the streets that are named Ahumada and
-Estado leaves an impression of Vienna although it is a concrete instead
-of a stone one. In several other parts of the city this similarity
-is present for the long fronts of divers beneficial societies and the
-towers of churches and convents present a scene very much like that of
-the Austrian capital.
-
-The population of Santiago is slightly over four hundred thousand.
-The growth of the city as well as of the other towns of the central
-valley is imperceptible. It has been this way for ages. There is little
-immigration to Chile, and that which does come in, goes either to the
-northern or southern provinces of the republic where labor conditions
-are better. With the exception of the business section, Santiago is
-an extremely reserved, conservative, and quiet old place. It can also
-be called serious. After nine o'clock at night, even on the Ahumada,
-all is quiet, a pleasant contrast to the din and racket of Buenos
-Aires, which murders the darkness, making sleep impossible. There is
-but little gayety about the Chilean metropolis; the aristocracy of
-the city, which can boast of the purest white blood of any American
-capital, form a society into which a foreigner, no matter how prominent
-his antecedents are, is seldom admitted. This dignified aristocracy
-constitute the brains of the country and control the politics.
-Prominent in the affairs of state, finance, and daily doings are the
-names Vergara, Edwards, Sanfuentes, Subercaseaux, Sotomayor, Balmaceda,
-Montt, Tocornal, and Luco. Their mansions, the pride of Chile, are not
-located on show places like the Alameda or in what we would call the
-fashionable suburbs, but are situated on those downtown streets which
-fringe the business section. Their stateliness seems to exhale an air
-of their own. Excepting Buenos Aires no South American city has as fine
-a collection of private residences.
-
-  [Illustration: General View of Santiago from Santa Lucia Hill]
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda, Santiago]
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Huerfanos, Santiago
-
-   This is one of the principal side streets of the Chilean metropolis. It
-   crosses the two main streets, Ahumada and Estado, and after these two
-   is the principal retail street of the city]
-
-The Avenida de las Delicias, called the Alameda, runs east and west,
-and divides Santiago into two nearly equal parts. The quarter of the
-city lying north of it is the mercantile part, while that south of it
-is the residential district. This broad avenue, which inside the city
-limits is two miles long, is in some places at least one hundred yards
-wide. Its center is a broad unpaved parkway, bordered by ancient trees;
-its hard dirt walks constitute the rambla of the inhabitants evenings.
-At short intervals are statues, some of them being very fine. Vendors
-of cigars, cakes, soft drinks, and magazines have established booths
-here, and it is a very common sight to see men freezing ice cream under
-the trees. The benches are of concrete and are plastered over; when a
-person with a dark suit sits on one of them he generally departs with a
-white daub on the seat of his trousers. Along both sides of the parkway
-are wide carriage roads, the paving of which is full of holes and ruts,
-making driving uncomfortable. On the whole the Alameda falls short of
-what can be called beautiful for although it is flanked by some very
-handsome residences yet between them are sandwiched many second-class
-shops. This avenue is essential for Santiago for it affords a breathing
-space for the overpopulated city as the parks are quite a distance
-from downtown and the Plaza de Armas is nearly always crowded during
-the heat of the day. At the western city limits where the name of
-the Alameda changes from that of Avenida de las Delicias to Avenida
-Latorre is the large glass-roofed train shed and station of Alameda,
-the principal one of Santiago, whence all passengers for southern Chile
-depart. Near the eastern city limits the Alameda becomes the Avenida de
-la Providencia. It here reaches the muddy Mapocho River, whose southern
-bank it skirts, and continuing into the country enters the defile of
-its headwaters.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Ejercito Liberador, Santiago
-
-   This is one of the main residence streets. The residence on the right
-   is that of Don Luis Tocornal]
-
-  [Illustration: Modern Residence on the Alameda, Santiago]
-
-One of the most curious freaks to be found anywhere is the Cerro de
-Santa Lucia which rises abruptly about two hundred feet from the very
-center of the plain on which Santiago stands, and is well within the
-city limits. This hill has been created into a beautiful park with
-every imaginable species of native tree, and has within its confines
-grottoes, groups of rocks, lookout towers, and statues, those of
-Caupolican and of Valdivia being the best. No stranger to Santiago
-should fail to walk to its summit, especially at evening when the sun
-casts its rays on the high Andes in the background. There is a small
-admission fee to be paid on entering the park at the Cerro de Santa
-Lucia, but it is well worth it. On the hill is a restaurant café which
-is popular with the public on summer nights, for on its terrace one can
-take meals out-of-doors.
-
-I was specially fortunate in being able to see the ceremonies
-pertaining to the installation of the new President, Señor Don Juan
-Luis Sanfuentes, having obtained an excellent seat through the kindness
-of the American Ambassador, Honorable Henry Prather Fletcher. I
-acquired a reserved seat in the Capitol in close proximity to the whole
-proceedings. There is no inauguration like in Washington. In a lofty
-rectangular hall of the Capitol, called the Camara de Diputados, there
-are arranged, on both sides of a carpeted open space, seats in order,
-which during the sessions of Congress are occupied by deputies. These
-seats on December 23, 1915, were occupied by their proper holders.
-In seats of honor near the west end of the hall sat the ambassadors,
-ministers, and attachés of the foreign powers. At the extreme west end
-was a platform with several arm-chairs. On all four sides of this high
-room rose balconies, those on the north and south having two tiers
-while those on the east and west had one tier. They were packed to
-overcrowding with the invited guests of the deputies and statesmen,
-many of the occupants of the seats being ladies. At two o'clock sharp
-there was a sudden hush to the conversations of those present. The
-ranks at the north door stood aside, and through their opening tottered
-the aged Ramon Barros Luco in dress suit, the red, white, and blue
-tricolor of Chile fastened obliquely on his white stiff bosomed shirt.
-The applause was great. Following quickly in his footsteps came several
-members of his cabinet; all crossed the carpeted room and seated
-themselves on the platform.
-
-  [Illustration: Fountain in Santiago
-
-   The magnificent residence on the left is that of the Subercaseaux
-   family]
-
-  [Illustration: President Don Juan Luis Sanfuentes of Chile with Cabinet]
-
-The applause started again and amidst yells, cheers, and the stamping
-of hundreds of feet there came through the again opened ranks of the
-crowd at the north door a large, stout, red-faced man past middle
-age with gray hair and moustache of the same color, Don Juan Luis
-Sanfuentes, followed by his new cabinet, a mitered archbishop in robes
-of purple and red, and several purple-robed bishops. Sanfuentes took
-his seat on the platform to the right of Luco. Two short speeches were
-made by statesmen; Luco then rose and taking off his tricolor handed
-it to Sanfuentes who pinned it on himself and changed seats with the
-former President. Thus at this transmission of command which takes the
-place of our presidential inauguration, Sanfuentes became President
-of Chile; his term does not expire until December 23, 1920. The whole
-ceremony lasted less than twenty minutes.
-
-  [Illustration: Monument of Don Pedro Montt, Cementerio Jeneral,
-   Santiago]
-
-From the Capitol the procession went to the cathedral where the
-archbishop held mass and delivered his blessing, for Chile is still
-allied to the Roman Catholic Church. There was a great street parade
-after this ceremony. I viewed it from a balcony on the Ahumada down
-which street it marched. It was really very good. Helmeted German
-officers galloped back and forth giving orders, while a cordon of
-blue-jacketed, white-trousered policemen held the sidewalk mob back
-by means of ropes strung lengthwise the whole block. No procession
-ever lacks something of the ridiculous. It was in evidence this
-day. Scarcely had the presidential victoria passed when a limousine
-automobile containing high officials appeared. To its running board
-clung a large, middle-aged, drunken monk, his black and white garments
-tied together by a cord, flowing in the breeze. This hideous spectacle
-had reached a spot underneath the balcony where I was standing, when
-a dignified man wearing a silk hat stepped from the crowd and grabbed
-the inebriated fool, dragging him from the running board. A good-sized
-crowd hissed the monk as with staggering steps he betook himself to the
-sidelines.
-
-  [Illustration: View Looking West on Compañia Street from Estado at the
-   Plaza de Armas, Santiago
-
-   The large building prominent in this picture is the Portal Fernans.
-   Its ground floor beneath the arcades is given up to small shops
-   and vendors' booths. It faces the south side of the Plaza de Armas,
-   Santiago's most prominent square]
-
-With the exception of two military parades which I had previously seen
-in Europe, that which took place at 6 P.M. the next day at the Parque
-Cousiño in front of the temporary grandstand and which was reviewed
-by the President was the finest that I had ever witnessed. Picture
-to yourself a large hard dirt oval parade ground, half a mile long
-by nearly as wide; imagine this oval to be bristling with the lances
-of cavalry and glittering with the bright light of polished weapons.
-Picture in the foreground a small grandstand of lumber draped with the
-red, white, and blue Chilean flags; imagine this grandstand filled with
-beautiful ladies in gowns of the latest creations, whiskered gentlemen
-in silk hats, and army officers in full dress uniform. Behind this
-scene imagine a forest of pine and eucalyptus above whose dark green
-crests tower high brown, barren, snow-capped mountains. This is the
-scene that unfolded itself to the spectator of that memorable military
-review.
-
-  [Illustration: Cathedral Street, Santiago
-
-   This view is looking west from the Plaza de Armas. The edifice with the
-   twin towers is the cathedral; that in the immediate foreground on the
-   right is the city hall; the building beyond it with the clock tower is
-   the post office.]
-
-Long before the President drove up in his victoria, the buzzing of
-airships caused one to look up and there at a height of two thousand
-feet five of these mechanical birds were disporting themselves. All
-hats came off, and there was a great clapping of hands when Sanfuentes
-arrived. He drove twice around the parade ground and finally stopped in
-front of the grandstand. First came in review before him four companies
-of the military school in uniform of light blue coats with white
-trousers and white horsehair high hats; next came innumerable infantry
-companies each preceded by a brass band which stood to one side as the
-columns marched by. The infantry was followed by the artillery which
-came by at a gallop, smothering the field in a cloud of dust. This
-and the cavalry which followed seemed to be the most admired by the
-spectators, judging from the cheers which greeted them.
-
-I wish to state that in the choice of Honorable Henry Prather Fletcher,
-who at the time of this writing is United States Ambassador to Mexico,
-he having left Chile in 1916, our government should be credited with
-having made such an admirable selection. He is as fine a representative
-of man as exists in the diplomatic service of any country. When I was
-in Chile in 1912, a certain gossiping old woman, the daughter of one of
-Chile's former presidents, knocked him to me, and I being a stranger
-was fool enough to believe her. At my first meeting with Mr. Fletcher
-in December, 1915, I at once saw what caliber of man he is, and have
-felt like kicking myself ever since for believing Doña Anna Swinburne
-de Jordan. I came to Santiago in 1915 absolutely unknown to Mr.
-Fletcher, and he showed me great kindness in procuring for me admission
-to the different ceremonies pertinent to the installation of the new
-President besides entertaining me at his own residence.
-
-I met two of his secretaries to the embassy, a Mr. Martin, who seemed
-to be a fine clean-cut young man, and a fellow named Johnston or
-Johnson, I being mixed in his surname because I never took the trouble
-to recall it. This Johnston was the worst snob that I ever recollect to
-have met. While I was at the embassy in the presence of Mr. Fletcher
-he was extremely cordial and agreeable, and even invited me to dine
-with him at his club to which he was going to procure me a card. The
-next day Mr. Henry Alexander of Philadelphia and I were walking along
-Bandera Street near the Capitol when we happened accidentally to meet
-Johnston who was approaching us from the direction we were walking in.
-He was dressed in a Prince Albert and a high silk hat crowned his tall,
-slim figure. We greeted him but he returned our salutations with the
-curtest imitation of a nod possible. I met him a dozen times afterwards
-by accident, sometimes on the street and sometimes at the Grand Hotel
-where he generally dined at noon. All these times he cut me dead as if
-he had never seen me before. Later I had the next seat to him on the
-Pullman car on a train but he did not deign to recognize my presence,
-even though he had been most affable in his treatment of me while I was
-a guest of Mr. Fletcher.
-
-Santiago, although it is a pleasant and agreeable place with a most
-benign climate, I am sorry to say is none too clean nor are its streets
-well kept up. In the Alameda there are big holes in the asphalt, and
-the cobblestones on the side streets are uneven and out of place. Many
-of the streets are not paved. There are holes in some of the sidewalks
-where a pedestrian is apt to sprain his ankle, and there is much refuse
-dirt and filth accumulated along the curbs. There are no alleys in the
-city so the inhabitants deposit the swill in iron pails. The garbage
-man comes along with his wagon every morning and stopping in front of
-every house rings a bell to let the inmates know of his presence so
-that they can bring out the pails. On the poorer lighted side streets
-inhabitants perform the calls of Nature on the sidewalks, in the middle
-of the road, and against the sides of the buildings, which besides
-being unsanitary causes hideous stenches. There is always a good
-complement of typhoid fever in the Chilean and Peruvian towns so while
-on my visit at the time of the presidential installation I warned my
-servant, O'Brien, to drink mineral water instead of that of the city
-supply. The latter evidently interpreted other drinks in the clause for
-when I came to settle my bill at the Hotel Oddo, I found that he had
-run up a considerable wine bill which necessitated me to dispense with
-his services.
-
-The stature of the Santiaguinos is much greater than that of the
-inhabitants of Buenos Aires. It is in every respect equal to the North
-American standard. The _profanum vulgus_ are apt to be rough, showing
-their independence. One observes quite a few red-haired natives, which
-denotes that in the course of genealogy one or more of their maternal
-ancestors have been chased by Irishmen. The women outnumber the men and
-are well formed and comely, many being beautiful. I prefer the looks
-of the Chilenas to those of any other women in South America. In 1912
-in Santiago there were but few Germans and the number of foreigners
-was exceedingly small. In 1916 the city was teeming with Germans and
-they outnumbered all the other foreigners put together. In Valparaiso
-in 1915 the English and German residents of that port had a street
-fight. The tram company was a German syndicate and the natives, angered
-by the car fare rates, which they thought were excessive, sided with
-the English and rose against the Teutonic element. A riot followed in
-which some windows were broken and there was a certain local sentiment
-against the Germans which became so strong that it caused an exodus
-of a great many of them to Santiago. Also many of the crews of the
-interned German merchantmen left their ships and came to Santiago and
-other towns of the interior where they have established themselves
-in business, many of them having become proprietors of hotels,
-restaurants, and beer saloons. They have prospered and have taken out
-citizenship papers, preferring to remain in Chile than in their own
-country.
-
-  [Illustration: Mapocho River near Santiago]
-
-There was a German immigration to Chile in 1848, and another one in
-1866. Both of these exoduses were due to the oppression of the military
-system in the old country and it is safe to surmise that there will be
-another such exodus to Chile at the end of the present war. I have read
-statements that one quarter of Chile's population is either German or
-of direct German extraction. This seems to be an exaggeration, although
-I believe that one fourth of the population has some German blood.
-
-The Grand Hotel, which is on Calle Huerfanos, not far from the main
-business section is the only first-class hotel in Santiago. It is owned
-by Emil Kehle, an American. He and his sister have the Hotel Royal in
-Valparaiso which is the best hotel in that port. This Grand Hotel which
-is comfortable has good rooms, and board and is homelike in atmosphere.
-I liked it so well that in the spring of 1916, I stopped there two
-months. The Willard party, which was the family of our ambassador to
-Spain, and Kermit Roosevelt, arrived in Santiago while I was there and
-likewise stopped at Mr. Kehle's hostelry.
-
-On my trip to Santiago in 1915, I was not aware that Mr. Kehle had a
-hotel in that city, so I went to the Oddo where I had previously stayed
-on a former visit. The rooms in the Oddo were good but I am sorry to
-say that the cuisine and dining room service was execrable. Unkempt
-and unshaven waiters dropped food from the platters onto the floor,
-and clumsily running to serve a guest would slip in the spilled soup
-and drop plates of unsavory and indescribable edibles to the din of
-broken dishes. For seventy years this hotel had been in existence, the
-last twenty-five of them under the proprietorship of the French family
-of Girard. The bung-eyed but accommodating daughter told me that on
-January 3, 1916, this hotel would close its doors for good. "We are
-returning to France to live as we have worked long enough," she said.
-Yet, however, when I came back to Santiago in March, 1916, they hadn't
-returned to France and the Oddo was still running, though minus its
-dining room. The other hotels are the Milan, well spoken of, and the
-Melossi near the Alameda Station, poorly located as it is too far from
-the center of activity.
-
-The restaurants are fair, that named the Club Santiago being good.
-The Restaurant Niza is fair. It is owned by a Spaniard who, if the
-guest does not understand the local name of the meat on the menu,
-will demonstrate on his own fat physiology that part from which the
-succulent morsel is taken. There is a good restaurant in the Palacio
-Urmaneta. It must be taken under consideration that ladies do not
-frequent these places unaccompanied for no other reason solely than
-that it is the custom of the country. They generally take their meals
-in the hotel dining rooms.
-
-I met a North American university professor in Santiago who was always
-kicking because he did not know enough Spanish to order what he wanted
-to eat. He was stopping at the Oddo and the food there was so vile that
-he could not digest it. He was wishing that there was an American hotel
-in the city and this being in 1915, and I not knowing that Mr. Kehle
-had the Grand Hotel, knew of no place where I could recommend him to
-go. One morning, however, he burst into my room and proffering me a
-card told me to read it.
-
-"See what I've got," he cried in glee; "a nice-looking woman handed it
-to me on the street."
-
-I took the piece of pasteboard that he so eagerly extended to me. It
-was about an inch long and half as wide. The printed inscription on it
-read: "Pension Norte Americana" giving street name and number. I turned
-to the professor and said: "It reads, North American boarding-house
-with the number of the street."
-
-"Just what I thought," he said. "It's the very thing I want. I
-certainly would like to be among my fellow countrymen again, and
-now that the Oddo is closing its doors, I shall go there at once and
-inquire about the terms." He did, and immediately upon admittance was
-pounced upon by four ladies of pleasure.
-
-This is an example of one of the means by which brothels are touted in
-Santiago.
-
-The Chilean capital is a rat warren; rodents abound everywhere. Most
-of the buildings being adobe, these animals have bored holes all
-through the walls and have perforated the foundations. I do not believe
-that New Orleans in its rattiest days ever had anywhere near such a
-large population of the family Muridæ as Santiago at the present time
-possesses. Lying in bed nights one is kept awake by the patter of their
-little feet as they run across the corrugated iron roofs mingled with
-their sharp squeals. Oftentimes looking out of the window at night,
-their long tails can be seen silhouetted in the moonlight hanging over
-the window-tops.
-
-The death rate of Santiago is high, excessively so in infantile
-diseases which cause the largest mortality toll. The rate for all Chile
-is 29.4 per thousand inhabitants, while that of Santiago alone is 36.7.
-Only one South American city of which any record is kept surpasses it
-in this negligible respect, that being Lima, Peru, with a death rate of
-51 per thousand inhabitants. Even Guayaquil, notorious for yellow fever
-and bubonic plague, has a better record than these two last-mentioned
-cities, which have no yellow fever, and Santiago minus bubonic plague.
-Typhoid fever is always prevalent in the Chilean capital, but I doubt
-if it is as malignant as in North America, on account of its being so
-common. This large death rate is mostly among the lower classes who are
-ignorant and have no knowledge of sanitation. Longevity is more common
-than in any other South American capital with the possible exception of
-Rio de Janeiro which is testimony that if a person survives childhood,
-a healthy old age is allotted him.
-
-The cemetery named the Cementerio Jeneral is the largest in
-Christendom, not in area but in the number of bodies interred. It is
-exceeded in size by only one other cemetery in the world, that one
-being the Mohammedan cemetery in Scutari in Asia across the Bosporus
-from Constantinople. In fineness of its monuments it is only surpassed
-by the Campo Santo in Genoa and the Recoleta in Buenos Aires. The
-nature of the Santiago cemetery is entirely different from these
-last-mentioned two. It is not a rivalry between the grave lot owners
-who shall have the most expensive allegorical marble sculpture as in
-Genoa, but is a vast conglomeration of brick tombs, some of them being
-veritable mausoleums. Here are buried the most famous families of
-Chile. The Chilenos make a great deal of ceremony about their dead. A
-poor family will stint itself for years to accumulate enough lucre to
-erect a proper sepulchre. It will spend $10,000 to build a monument,
-while for $1000 it could place in their dwelling a modern sanitary
-system, which when installed would do away with the cause that would
-lead the person to be buried beneath the monument. This cemetery is
-divided by straight walks into square blocks; at the intersection
-of each of these walks is a cross or a fountain. Cedars, pines,
-eucalyptus, cypresses, boxwood, and other funereal trees abound; there
-are also beds of brilliant flowers. The tomb of ex-president Don Pedro
-Montt who died in Bremen, August, 1910, is here; it is a tall monolith
-with a glazed green and brown tile frieze. There is a morgue near the
-left entrance to the cemetery and the stench of the ripe corpses is
-decidedly odoriferous.
-
-About ten miles northeast of Santiago on the slopes of the Andes
-are the springs of Apoquindo, visited much by the inhabitants of
-the capital Sunday afternoons. The trip is worth while making once,
-but that is sufficient, for the poor condition of the country roads
-together with the dust take away much of the pleasure of the drive.
-The best road leads through the city of Providencia, which adjoins
-Santiago on the east and which is so much like a continuation of the
-capital that it is impossible to tell without looking at a map where
-the boundary line between the two cities is. At the Avenida Pedro de
-Valdivia, a broad boulevard on which are magnificent villas and the
-summer homes of the wealthy Santiaguinos one turns to the right and
-keeps straight ahead until the main street of Nuñoa is reached. Nuñoa
-is a town of nine thousand inhabitants, a mixture of wealth and poverty
-with well shaded streets, poor shops, and adobe buildings.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Nuñoa, Chile]
-
-A few miles beyond Nuñoa is a roadhouse named the Quinta Roma, which
-was formerly the mansion of an estanciero but is now the terminus for
-joy-riders, many of whom are to be met with returning to the capital
-late afternoons in a highly hilarious condition. To the credit of the
-Chileno joy-rider, he does not hit up the great speed of his North
-American brethren; thus there are but few automobile accidents. The
-roadhouse stands in a garden of flowers well back from the thoroughfare
-in a nicely kept lawn. Here is a liquid refreshment dispensary where
-I have seen gay youths hoist comely maidens upon the bar, and seated
-there clink glasses with their standing male affinities whose arms
-encircle their waists to the tune of popping corks and the metallic
-ring of beer caps as the latter fall to the floor. In the garden behind
-the bar is a bamboo thicket planted in the form of room partitions. It
-is so dense that no peeker can look through its foliage to observe the
-love affairs being enacted in these natural chambers which correspond
-to the European "separées" or the so-called "private dining rooms" of
-the North American roadhouses.
-
-At Apoquindo there are several soda springs with baths and a swimming
-pool all of which are kept in a filthy condition. Like at Cacheuta and
-at Cauquenes but few people come to take the baths and none to drink
-the water. Most everybody congregates at the bar in the hotel across
-the street--the baths are but the name of an excuse.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X
-
-BATHS OF CAUQUENES. CHILOÉ ISLAND. LAKE NAHUEL HUAPI
-
-
-In Lady Anne Brassey's nonpareil book, _Around the World in the Yacht
-Sunbeam_, published by Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1882, she
-describes on pages 159-161 her visit to the Baths of Cauquenes where
-she sojourned two days, October 23-25, 1876. When I was in Chile in
-1913, I never heard of these baths and returned home ignorant of their
-existence. In the interim I thoroughly read Lady Brassey's book and
-determined that if the opportunity ever presented itself that I would
-likewise visit them. Darwin visited them in 1836. While in Santiago
-in 1915, on looking at a map, I found that there was a city named
-Cauquenes in the Province of Maule in south-central Chile, it being the
-provincial capital. I had made up my mind to go to that place, when
-the bung-eyed girl who managed the Hotel Oddo showed me my error and
-informed me that the Cauquenes I was seeking, was not a great distance
-from Santiago and was reached by train from Rancagua.
-
-One morning I left the Alameda Station at 9.30 and two hours later
-arrived at Rancagua. The ride was through a fertile country, well
-tilled and with great vineyards. Only two towns of importance were
-passed, San Bernardo with 8269 inhabitants which also has street-car
-connection with Santiago and Buin whose population is 2713 inhabitants
-and is the county seat of the Department of Maipo in the Province of
-O'Higgins. The Andean and wine-producing province of O'Higgins, named
-in honor of the father of Chilean independence lies directly south
-of the rather large Province of Santiago, its boundary line being the
-Maipo River. Its population is 92,339.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza O'Higgins, Rancagua]
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Brazil, Rancagua]
-
-Rancagua, the provincial capital, is a dirty, odoriferous, dilapidated
-adobe city of 10,380 people with the outward appearance of decay. A
-walk down the main street which is named Brazil belies the general
-appearance of the town for its sidewalks throng with peasants from
-whose shoulders hang multicolored shawls. Horsemen wearing red ponchos,
-their spurs clanking, trot down the pebble-paved street that is lined
-with squalid one-story shops. Although only fifty-four miles south
-of Santiago, the place is a good market town; of the numerous shops
-those that deal in dry goods, draperies, and saddles appear to do the
-most lucrative trade. There is only one respectable appearing spot
-in the city, and that is the small plaza in the urban center which
-is embellished by a bronze equestrian statue of O'Higgins, his horse
-trampling a Spaniard. Of the several apologies for hotels, none were
-inviting and rather than to eat at one of their restaurants, it is best
-to go hungry. The only decent place to eat is at the railroad station.
-One of the taverns is named "The North American" with a proprietor of
-our own nationality but its business is mostly bar trade, catering to
-the incoming and outgoing trade of the miners at El Teniente Mine. The
-day I was at Rancagua was Sunday which I was told was the day on which
-the prisoners of the jail were allowed to receive guests. I imagine
-that nearly everybody in the town either had relatives or friends in
-jail for in front of the building which is on the main street a mob had
-collected to await admittance.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Rancagua]
-
-The inhabitants of the town are tanned dark brown, and although
-strongly built and powerful I noticed several who were afflicted with
-the same malignant blood disease which the Swiss guards imported into
-France from Italy during the Middle Ages. I was also surprised to see
-a little girl about twelve years old on the street who had the leprosy,
-the only case I have ever seen in Chile.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-The Braden Copper Company of North American ownership has a 2½-foot
-gauge railroad that runs up to their copper mine, El Teniente, which
-is about forty-five miles up the Cachapoal River above Rancagua; the
-Baths of Cauquenes is one of their stations. This mine which was opened
-in 1907 now has six hundred employees, many of whom are from the United
-States and Canada.
-
-From Rancagua the train ride of an hour and a half first crosses the
-Plain where fat cattle graze in knee high clover, and then skirts along
-the ledge of the mountains overlooking the broad terraces or selvas
-of the Cachapoal River, winding around promontories on a roadbed no
-wider than the coaches; any mishap would be sufficient to send the
-train rolling down the mountainside killing all the occupants of the
-cars. The station of Baños, (meaning Baths) is high above the gorge
-of the river. Across the canyon on a ledge of rocks can be seen the
-buildings of the thermal establishment, but before the pedestrian gets
-there he must walk a good half-mile. A foot path zigzags to the canyon
-bottom and an arm of the river is crossed by a cement bridge to a
-rocky islet. Another bridge, this one a swinging one, suspended above
-a whirlpool brings one again to terra firma on the left bank. One now
-ascends another zigzag path to a forest of elm, ash, and locust, the
-foliage being so thick that the sun's rays never penetrate it. Another
-suspension bridge which spans a silvery cascade is reached and beyond
-it is the hotel, a low, squat adobe building painted red, whose many
-rooms open onto two patios.
-
-The name Cauquenes is Araucanian meaning _wild pigeon_. This bird, the
-_ectopistes migratorius_, sometimes called the voyager pigeon or the
-wood pigeon originally had its range from Labrador to the Straits of
-Magellan. Half a century ago they were numerous in the United States,
-but in this country they have been absolutely exterminated due to their
-having been killed off by hunters; great numbers which escaped the gun
-were burned in the Arkansas forest fires four decades ago. Chile is the
-only country on the face of this earth where they still exist, and it
-is probable that they will continue to live there as the inhabitants
-are extremely averse to killing them, the ignorant classes believing
-that they bring good luck and that it is an ill omen to kill them.
-At the present time they are not found in Chile north of Cauquenes;
-formerly there were great numbers in the vicinity of the Cachapoal
-hence the name of the baths.
-
-  [Illustration: Gorge of the Cachapoal at Baños de Cauquenes]
-
-The Baths of Cauquenes are situated in the Department of Caupolican in
-the Province of Colchagua on the south or left bank of the Cachapoal
-River in Latitude 34° 14´ 17´´ south and in Longitude 70° 34´ 5´´ west
-of Greenwich. The altitude of the place above sea level has been a
-matter of argument. Eight different professors claim its altitude in
-different figures from 2200 feet which is the lowest and which is said
-by Domeyko to be correct, to 2762 feet which is the highest and is
-said by Gillis to be correct. 2490 feet which is the altitude claimed
-by Guessfelt seems to be the most exact and is the figure accepted by
-Dr. Louis Darapsky in his book, _Mineral Waters of Chile_. The season
-for the baths is from September 15th to May 31st, and in midsummer the
-place is generally crowded. Describing the scenery, Don José Victorino
-Lastarria, an illustrious newspaper man of Santiago, says:
-
-"I have never seen a more impressing, and at the same time, a more
-charming landscape than that of the Baths of Cauquenes, nor have I
-ever seen in so small a space so many different kinds of views nor
-such surprising details. Nature has grouped there her most beautiful
-accidents. In sight of the snowy Andes, here rise in the foreground
-rounded hills covered with vegetation; there rise barren rocks through
-whose clefts rushes the turbulent Cachapoal. Here are gardens filled
-with flowers; there are impenetrable thickets. Light and shadows
-everywhere, colors without end, harmony and contrast which reflect or
-darken the rays of the sun."
-
-The temperature is consistent and the variation during the day is
-neither rapid nor extreme although the mornings and evenings are cool
-and it is warm at midday. Even in the hottest months the heat is not
-irksome, due to the fresh breezes which blow down the valley from
-the cordilleras. In winter there is snow; the cold, however, is not
-excessive.
-
-The baths have been known since 1646, and were described by Padre
-Ovalle in his _History of the Kingdom of Chile_. There are three
-hot springs issuing from the porous and shaly rock, named Pelambre,
-Solitario, and Corrimiento. Their temperatures are 122°, 113°, and
-107°6' Fahrenheit respectively. They are walled up and the waters of
-the first-mentioned two are run by pipes into a swimming tank and
-into tubs in the thermal establishment. During their course in the
-pipes Pelambre loses 3°6' Fahrenheit of its heat and Solitario 5°4'.
-Their waters more than supply their use so the water of Corrimiento is
-allowed to go to waste. The thermal establishment, though by no means
-primitive, is rather old-fashioned. I was surprised to see such an
-attractive place as the Baños de Cauquenes not made more of for in hot
-springs and natural scenery it is the zenith of God's works. Man also
-has done his share well but much improvement can be made, all of which
-requires capital. The natural lay out of the place is a paradise. It is
-something like the Cserna Valley in southeastern Hungary, but wilder
-and grander with also a soft touch of nature. The hills covered with
-live oak, laurel, and mesquite resemble those of California, yet are
-more fertile. A shaded walk leads from the hotel to an artificial lake
-bordered by fifty-five of the largest eucalyptus trees that I have ever
-seen. In its center rising from the water stand two willows. One is
-never absent from the swiftly flowing Cachapoal which murmurs like the
-Tepl at Carlsbad, only louder.
-
-The baths are supposed to be beneficial in cases of gout, diuretics,
-rheumatism, anemia, and so forth, although one of the guests of the
-hotel evidently came there for relief for consumption. He was a bearded
-man about sixty years old and he made an unholy spectacle of himself
-by coughing and expectorating on the floor of the dining room while the
-other guests were eating dinner.
-
-When I arrived at the place I was met at the door by a young man
-wearing white duck trousers and a blue double-breasted yachting coat.
-With the exception of his large yellow moustache he had a most cherubic
-countenance with a smooth, pink, babylike face without a wrinkle or
-blemish. I afterwards discovered that this cherubic individual had an
-inordinately strong passion for whiskey, gin, and beer as well as for
-any drink which had as a fundamental principle among its ingredients,
-alcohol. On several trips which I made later to the Baños de Cauquenes
-in 1916 I became fairly well acquainted with this Señor Hermann
-Manthey. He had arrived two years previously on one of the German
-merchantmen on which he was a steward. The ship was interned and he
-struck up-country to make a living and finally evolved in becoming
-manager of this hotel, as the proprietor, an old doctor had leased
-it for a few years and was too wrapped up in his own private affairs
-and also too lazy to give it his attention. Señor Manthey was doing
-well on the small salary and large tips he was getting but was not
-without ambitions. A few months afterwards I ran across him on a few
-days' vacation in Santiago, and he then was planning to get the owner
-to lease the establishment to him upon the expiration of the present
-lease to the doctor. The hotel with its grounds, fine fruit orchard,
-springs, lake, and six thousand acres of hilly grazing land, across
-which several rushing streams of transparent water flow headlong into
-the Cachapoal is owned by a gentleman in Santiago who leases it out
-as he has several other large properties. He will sell it for eighty
-thousand dollars which is dirt cheap. Some day I expect to buy it and
-make it my home.
-
-At the hotel there are horses to let. On one of these I rode up a
-narrow valley and discovered that with nothing but mere bridle paths
-leading to them, and miles from the nearest houses, were lonely
-thatched and adobe huts, the homes of poor people and charcoal burners
-situated in mountain wheat fields or in clearings of a few acres. All
-of a sudden while riding I had a sensation as if the horse was trying
-to squat on its haunches. I reached for a stick from a nearby limb
-to put life into it and nearly lost my balance. A noise like distant
-thunder that I had already heard twice that afternoon, although the
-sky was cloudless, was audible, and in all directions stones and
-small boulders came rolling down the mountain side. It was a slight
-earthquake which the natives call _temblor_ in order to distinguish it
-from the great ones which they call _terramoto_.
-
-In the center of one of the myrtle-carpeted patios at the hotel
-is a fountain encircled by an ivy-covered wall. Here evenings bats
-congregate and flap their wings in the vicinity of the faces of the
-guests. A party of Canadians, employees of El Teniente Mine, were
-stopping at the Baths when I was there. They filled up on liquor
-and made sleep impossible for the other guests by their sacrilegious
-bawling of _Onward Christian Soldiers_ and other hymns of the Episcopal
-Church.
-
-On leaving Baños de Cauquenes I decided to take the twenty-three-mile
-horseback ride to the station of Los Lirios and from there take the
-train to southern Chile. The country road was very stony; in some
-places it was a mere cart track, while in others it was a broad avenue.
-During the first part of the ride it windingly followed the south
-bank of the Cachapoal and crossed two streams of transparent water,
-each known by the same name, Rio Claro. This means Clear River, and
-evidently the natives thought that if the name would do for one, it
-would be appropriate for the other. At every turn of the road a small
-freshet was crossed, for out of every cleft or dent in a hill gushed
-forth a spring. These small streams the peasants deviated from their
-courses by turning them into their gardens for irrigating purposes.
-The natives were very poor all living in adobe hovels with thatched
-roofs. A few acres of cattle, a dog or two, two acres of cultivated
-land, and some pear trees represented all their worldly belongings; yet
-they seemed very content. These peasants as a class were the poorest
-people that I have ever seen as far as worldly possessions go, yet
-every one of them always had a full meal at dinner time. They ate what
-they raised, and where they grew crops they worked them with infinite
-care. As they were too poor to buy fertilizer, they worked a new piece
-of land each year, coming back to the original piece after five years'
-time, because it had then enriched itself by remaining idle. There were
-many wheat fields, ripe and yellow, the sixty bushels to an acre kind.
-Central Chile gets plenty of rain but as it gets it only in the winter
-months, irrigation has to be resorted to in the summer.
-
-Halfway to Los Lirios I arrived at the hamlet of Colihue (mispronounced
-by the natives Collegua) with its adobe hovels bordering the now
-broad and extremely dusty road. Everybody in rural Chile travels on
-horseback, and the people I met riding were many. A man loses caste if
-he journeys on foot. At Colihue another road turns off to the left to
-the Lake of Cauquenes in the mountains and which teems with fish. The
-road now left the Cachapoal and after skirting some barren hills on
-the right-hand side for a couple of miles it reaches the settlement of
-Cauquenes a most queer place. It consists of a great square compound
-of dirt which is surrounded on all four sides by a five-foot-high adobe
-wall excepting where there is a church on the west side and a few open
-sheds on its east side. An estancia house stood beyond the wall on the
-south side and there were some buildings beyond the wall on the north
-side where the priest and his servants lived. The highroad both entered
-and left this compound by openings rent in the adobe wall. It may be
-possible that this place once held a Spanish garrison, and that the
-compound was the parade ground, and that the open sheds were former
-stables. Everybody that I asked knew nothing about the early history of
-the place.
-
-A broad avenue one mile long bordered by giant plane trees led westward
-from here. Their foliage was so thick that it made the road dark,
-and not seeing my way well I rode my horse onto a pile of bricks, the
-impact being so great that it nearly brought us both down. The road
-emerged to a pebble river bed, then forded a river, and wound around
-the sides of some high hills. Every horseman in Chile takes a slight
-upward grade at a gallop and I saw ahead of me a group of horsemen
-doing the same; behind us came galloping around the curves six horses
-pulling a carriage. These horses were three abreast and on each outside
-leader two lackeys were mounted. It was the doctor's wife from the
-Baños en route to Los Lirios where her sister has a post station.
-Chileans frequently travel on horseback, accompanied by their servants
-who follow a couple of horse lengths behind mounted on inferior
-animals. When the master stops, the servant likewise does so, but with
-the same distance between the two.
-
-Los Lirios consists only of a small wooden railway station, a
-warehouse, a large open horseshed around a yard filled with wagons
-which is the post station, a small store, and a saloon. To this latter
-place I repaired, after dismounting, to get a glass of water after the
-hot dusty trip. The building and its stock of goods were poorer than
-the poorest backwoods blind pig, and yet for a third-class license the
-congenial and friendly proprietor, who was likewise barber and plied
-that trade in an adjacent room in the same building, had to pay yearly
-two hundred pesos ($34.12). From the appearance of the shack it did not
-look as if he took in that much money a year. Some of the moustached
-clientele that happened along, I called up to the bar to have a treat
-on me. The proprietor brought forth two goblets, each one being of
-a quart capacity, and filled them to the brim with red wine which
-he poured from a big jar. The contents of one of these goblets sells
-for 8½ cents, the cheapest wine that I have ever seen. If my surprise
-was great in seeing men take a quart of wine for one drink, it was
-even greater when I saw them drink it in nearly one gulp and put the
-goblet back on the bar in anticipation of a duplicate. I treated them
-two or three times and never once did they renege. I know what would
-have happened to me if I had followed suit, yet it seems incredible
-when I must state that it had absolutely no effect on the imbibers.
-It is inconceivable why a man in that part of Chile need ever touch an
-intoxicant, for the sweet, balmy air and the voluptuous appearance of
-Chile's maidens are sufficient to intoxicate any normal, healthy man.
-
-An hour after leaving Los Lirios the train arrived at San Fernando,
-population 9150, the capital of the Province of Colchagua where we had
-lunch. Colchagua which has a population of 159,030 is one of the most
-productive provinces of Chile, but the next two provinces south of
-it, Curicó and Talca are not. It is a sorry sight after having passed
-through the well-tilled, highly productive country ever since leaving
-Santiago, to come suddenly upon land that is going to waste on account
-of lack of settlement. With the exception of the six northernmost
-provinces of Chile, Curicó and Talca are to me the least attractive of
-any of the republic. South of San Fernando the first town of importance
-is Curicó, its name meaning "Black Water" in the language of the
-aborigines; then are reached Molina, population 4327; Talca, the sixth
-city of Chile with a population of 42,088 inhabitants, and San Javier
-in the Province of Linares which has 4898 people. This town lies about
-three miles east of the railroad track but is connected to the depot by
-horse cars and to Villa Alegre, the next town south of it, by trolley.
-
-The Andean Province of Linares and its southern neighbor Ñuble are very
-important agriculturally, both being two of the best in the republic.
-Their crops are diversified, run high in percentage of measure to the
-hectare and are of good quality. The capital of the Province of Linares
-is the city of Linares with a population of 11,122. It has good stores
-and buildings most of which are painted pink. Like in Rancagua the
-samples of merchandise on display in the shops are cloth, ponchos,
-and drygoods. Although but slightly larger than Rancagua it is a much
-finer town, and even though its streets are none too clean they are
-far superior to those of the capital of the Province of O'Higgins.
-In comparing the two cities it is fair to say that Rancagua presents
-more activity in street life and in business. There is one hotel
-which is fair, the Comercio. A peculiarity about Linares is that on
-the streets, especially that one on which the railroad station faces,
-native women are seated in front of portable stoves offering for sale
-cooked edibles which should be eaten on the spot. I saw one man who,
-when he had finished eating, left the spoon on the table near the
-stove. The woman who owned it licked it dry, and after having wiped
-it on her undershirt, replaced it in a dish that would be sold to the
-next customer. The native women have an art peculiar to Linares and
-nonexistent anywhere else in the world of weaving a certain delicate
-fiber into small baskets, jugs, and ornaments. These woven wares are
-very diminutive and are valuable only as ornaments and curiosities.
-They are multicolored and are in much demand by strangers. It is
-possible to buy them in Santiago but at an exorbitant price for all
-that are on sale there are imported from Linares.
-
-A two-and-a-half-foot gauge railroad runs from a station a block and a
-half north of the main depot to the springs of Panimávida, two hours
-distant to the northeast. Having seen those of Cauquenes, in order
-to augment my education along thermal lines, it was up to me to see
-Panimávida and to especially sample its mineral waters, as its bottled
-water is the most widely drunk of any mineral water in Chile. It
-corresponds to White Rock and to Still Rock.
-
-  [Illustration: Main Street of Linares]
-
-The place Panimávida is nothing. It is just as if somebody had erected
-a big hotel in the middle of an Illinois or a Wisconsin landscape. The
-attractions are absolutely nil. There are six practically tasteless
-lukewarm springs covered over with glass tops which supply the popular
-table water of Chile. These springs are the property of the Sociedad
-Vinos de Santiago (Santiago Wine Company), and as that stock company
-is well capitalized the Panimávida waters are well advertised by
-them. As people like to dilute their wine with seltzer, this company
-has installed a carbonizing plant here, which changes the still water
-into a sparkling one. The plant with hotel is leased to a man named
-Hernandez, a fine, fat, young fellow with a flowing beard. He is a good
-and accommodating hotel man and gets the trade, even having his runners
-meet the trains at Linares. Panimávida is an excellent old-maids'
-paradise. Under the shady roof of the patio porch they can sit, gossip,
-and knit. The proverbial parrot is present and a black cat could be
-easily imported. President Sanfuentes arrived during my visit to rest
-up after the strenuous strain connected with his installation. It was
-an ideal place for this with nothing to distract his attention except
-the broad meadows and the corrugated-iron, yellow-painted Catholic
-chapel.
-
-  [Illustration: Panimávida]
-
-Said His Excellency to me: "What Chile needs is population. Here we
-have thousands upon thousands of acres of the richest land in the world
-lying idle, because there is nobody to cultivate it. Until we have the
-proper number of inhabitants there is no use to cultivate these lands,
-because Chile produces four times more of an abundance of fruit than
-she can consume. You see how cheap fruit and wine is; there is an over
-production. Every year a million tons go to waste because there is no
-market. She cannot export them because the United States and Argentina
-are nearer to the European markets and the freight rates would eat up
-the profits. As there is a great demand for grain, people have gone
-more and more into the growing of cereals but as yet this industry is
-in its infancy. It should be encouraged for now there is grown just
-enough wheat to meet the internal demand."
-
-"Supposing," I asked, "that Chile had four times more population than
-she now has, would she not have to import her wheat?"
-
-"Never," he replied, "as there are here millions of hectares of the
-best wheat lands in the world that can be bought for a song. They are
-now lying idle. Something has to take the place of the timber of the
-southern provinces. When it is gone it will have to be cereals."
-
-"I believe," he continued, "in encouraging a large immigration,
-chiefly from the northern countries--the United States, Germany,
-Scandinavia, and Great Britain. Their inhabitants have more initiative
-than the Latins and intermarried with the natives make a strong
-blood. Our people and those of all the Latin countries excepting the
-Frenchmen lack initiative and that is what we need. The Chilenos are
-content to live as they have lived for decades, which is all very
-well but it is unprogressive. Thanks to the British we now have a
-fairly large merchant marine; to the Germans is due the credit of the
-prosperous condition of the southern provinces. The only drawback to
-the foreigners here is that they run too much to cliques. They should
-scatter more. We should also have more capital to start factories, but
-I do not believe in, nor shall I encourage, any industry that will reap
-the profits here to spend outside of the country."
-
-A couple of hours south of Panimávida are the springs of Quinamávida.
-They are said to be equally as good as those of Panimávida, but the
-hotel there is poorly managed and there is a lack of capital to well
-advertise its waters.
-
-On the return to Linares something went wrong with the locomotive,
-which in appearance was similar to the dinky engines one sees in the
-lumber plants at home used in hauling lumber through the yards. A
-priest on the train who had a mechanical turn of mind got out of the
-car, and jumping into the engine cab soon had the locomotive in running
-order, much to the amazement of the train crew.
-
-Southward from Linares the main line of the railroad passes through
-Parral, population 10,047, San Carlos, population 8499, Chillán,
-and Bulnes, population 3689. San Carlos is famous for its melons and
-Bulnes is likewise so for its wines. At San Rosendo, 315 miles south
-of Santiago, the train crosses a branch of the Bio-Bio River, which is
-named the Rio Claro in want of another name and Araucania is entered.
-
-By the name Araucania is known that part of Chile bounded on the north
-by the Bio-Bio River and on the south by the Calle-Calle River. Its
-eastern limit is the peaks of the Andes and its western one is the
-Pacific Ocean. In area it is about the size of the State of Maine
-and comprises the provinces of Arauco, Malleco, Cautin, and portions
-of those of Bio-Bio and Valdivia. The Spaniards always spoke of this
-region as the _frontera_, meaning frontier, and so to-day all Chile
-lying south of the Bio-Bio is spoken thus of.
-
-The original inhabitants of this country, the Araucanian Indians were
-the bravest and most warlike of any of the South American tribes, and
-it was not until 1883 that they were finally subdued after 340 years
-of warfare. Caupólican, Lautaro, and Colo-Colo, their great warriors
-have been immortalized in the poem "La Araucana" by Alonso de Ercilla.
-The Araucanians have intermarried so much with the whites that their
-race is fast becoming extinct although their facial characteristics and
-figures are prevalent in a multitude of South Chileans. Their political
-organization was as follows:
-
-A large geographical division was called an _aillarehue_. These
-aillarehues were divided into nine smaller parts, each part being named
-a _rehue_. Ruling over each rehue were two _toquis_ or caciques who
-were responsible to the two _gulmens_ who ruled over the aillarehues.
-One gulmen ruled in wartime, the other in times of peace. So also with
-each toqui. The office of toqui was hereditary and many became famous
-through warfare or by their wealth, for example Colipí, Mariluán,
-Catrileo, and Huinca Pinoleví.
-
-The Araucanians had no gods with anything definite attributed to
-them, nor did they have temples and idols, but they were exceptionally
-superstitious. Their principal god was Pillan, god of thunder, light,
-and destruction. He lived in the highest peaks of the Andes and in the
-volcanos. Dependent upon him were the Huécuvus, malignant spirits.
-Epunamun was the god of war. They also practised the cult of stone
-worship. Their most superstitious ceremony was Machitun or cure of the
-sick. The Araucanian does not believe that a man should die unless he
-is killed in battle, and when he dies a natural death through old age
-or sickness they believe that some of their own people inimicable to
-the deceased caused him to die. In order to discover the malefactor,
-they consult a witch doctor, generally an old hag named a _machi_.
-After having indulged in a number of ridiculous contortions and jumps
-she names the supposedly guilty party. Without any further ceremony
-they pounce on him and amidst a great drunken orgy and libations of
-_chicha_ (a native intoxicant) dedicated to Pillan they torture the
-innocent victim to death. When a man dies they generally perform
-a post-mortem examination upon the corpse to endeavor to extract
-the poison from it which caused death. The burial takes place with
-great lamentation and imbibitions of oceans of chicha to the tune
-of a lugubrious musical instrument somewhat like a drum and named a
-_trutruca_. They believe in an everlasting future devoted to earthly
-pleasures. They formerly believed that the deceased came to life again
-and dwelt on the island of Mocha off the coast, but they changed their
-thought when they discovered that the Spanish pirates formerly used
-that island as their base for excursions on the mainland. Marriage
-among the Araucanians has for some time past been a true compact, the
-father of the bride having to give his consent. It is not necessary for
-any other members of the family to be consulted, but it often happens
-that after the marriage has taken place, fights arise between the groom
-and the brothers-in-law who objected, several parties being severely
-wounded in these affrays. The plight of woman is miserable; she is
-practically a slave and the husband enjoys the fruits of her labor.
-Polygamy exists among them.
-
-  [Illustration: Bridge over the Malleco River at Collipulli]
-
-South of the Bio-Bio the landscape changes nearly entirely. The flat,
-cultivated plains of the river pockets which form the great central
-valley now give place to rolling hills intersected by small streams
-which lie deep in canyons spanned by bridges. At first there are
-evidences of viticulture on the side hills but these soon disappear
-as well as the trees, which now only are seen near the river beds.
-This absolutely treeless country of rounded hills swelters in the hot
-sun as it beats down upon the infinite miles of yellow wheat fields.
-In the villages frame houses take the place of adobe ones. There are
-numerous small lumber yards and sawmills which bear testimony that in
-the distant mountains there is still timber. Occasionally a deserted
-sawmill is passed which shows that the lumbermen are in the same fix as
-those at home, namely that a new location must be found.
-
-At Santa Fé, the junction of a branch railway that runs to Los Angeles,
-of typhoid-fever fame, and the capital of the Province of Bio-Bio,
-a curious incident happened. A coffin had been taken off an incoming
-train to be put in our baggage car. Coffins in Chile are kite shaped
-and are not placed in boxes when transported. The top is not nailed but
-is fitted into a groove. I stood a couple of yards away watching the
-train crew lift this coffin into the baggage car. They had to lift it
-slantingly as some baggage stood in the way. Suddenly the train gave a
-jolt causing one of the baggage men to lose his footing. Since there
-was nobody now at the head of the coffin it fell onto the platform,
-the lid came off, and the malodorous and semi-decomposed cadaver
-rolled on top of the baggage man who emitted awful shrieks and howls.
-The two other men helping him immediately took to their heels. Women
-screamed, men ran, natives crossed themselves, and Germans laughed. The
-pinned-down baggage man howlingly extricated himself from beneath the
-corpse and made all haste to jump on the train which had now started,
-leaving the lich on the platform since nobody would go near it.
-
-At Renaico where there is a large frame depot and restaurant, a branch
-line runs southwest to Angol, capital of the Province of Malleco and
-continues to Traiguén. At Collipulli, meaning "Red Earth" which has
-3005 inhabitants, the train crosses the great viaduct over the Malleco
-River which lies deep at our feet, bordered by a dark fringe of oaks.
-This is the most beautiful vale in Chile. The clear, narrow, foaming
-river is a refreshing sight. A rich man has built a villa on the rise
-of ground overlooking the stream which gives the scenery a touch of the
-Rhein.
-
-The landscape now changes again. Oak, laurel, and _lingue_ appear, at
-first scattered, then in groves, and later in forests, while everywhere
-possible in clearings are oat fields, the grain just turning color. The
-farther south we go the greener the grain is, until we reach Victoria,
-population 9840, where the grain has not begun to change color. Every
-three years the farmers cut off the branches from the laurels; these
-they scatter over their fields and set fire to. Among the ashes they
-drag the grain into the ground for by this procedure they are supposed
-to harvest better crops. Land here is worth eighty dollars an acre.
-The landscape is decidedly like that of our Northern States, and
-the climate is much the same as that of Oregon and Washington. At
-dusk Lautaro in the Province of Cautin was reached. This town has a
-population of 5968 and is named after Valdivia's Araucanian horse boy
-who murdered him and as tradition says ate him. As I mentioned before
-all the towns that we passed through south of the Bio-Bio are built of
-wood, but up to here their roofs were of tile, with a few exceptions
-of corrugated iron, tin, and shingles. The tile roofs now entirely
-disappear and their place is taken by those of shingles or slabs of
-lumber. The houses are unpainted and as to external appearances are
-veritable hovels. They resemble those dilapidated structures of the
-nigger villages in our Gulf States. Many towns resemble the one-time
-lumber settlements of the upper peninsula of Michigan.
-
-On the train I became acquainted with the Reverend Steerer, a divine of
-the Church of England who had resided for twenty-six years in Temuco
-and who gave me valuable information about the country. He had just
-returned from a trip to the mountains at the request of the British
-Consul in Concepcion who had sent him there to inquire into the mystery
-surrounding the murder of an Englishman who was stabbed to death in bed
-by some natives who wanted the money he had on him.
-
-At Temuco the Cautin River is reached. The country around here has
-had a troubled history in the wars between the Araucanians and the
-whites. One of the anecdotes is that on July 31, 1849, the bark
-_Joven Daniel_ ran into some rocks near the mouth of the river and was
-shipwrecked. The cacique Curin lived near the spot and with the help of
-his tribesmen they saved the lives of the crew and passengers together
-with the cargo which was given to them out of gratitude. In the cargo
-was liquor which they immediately attacked. Under its influence they
-murdered every survivor except an eighteen-year-old girl, Elisa Bravo
-of Valparaiso, whom Curin selected to be one of his wives. She was
-betrothed to a Ramón Bañados of Valparaiso. His family immediately took
-up the matter with the government which immediately got into action to
-chastise the Araucanians. Dissentions had in the meantime arisen among
-the Indians, and two caciques, Loncomilla and Huaquinpan took the side
-of the whites. The Araucanians were beaten but no trace of Elisa Bravo
-was ever found as it was supposed that Curin married her and took her
-to a place of safety.
-
-Another incident happened in 1861. A French adventurer named Aurelie de
-Tournes proclaimed himself King of Araucania under the title of Orelie
-I. He promised to free the Indians from the Chilean rule and had the
-ability to get the aid of several caciques and quite a large following.
-In a battle he was taken prisoner; he was tried for menacing public
-safety and would likely have been executed if it had not been for the
-intercession of the members of the French colony in Santiago, and of a
-judge who has previously declared him to be insane.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Temuco]
-
-Temuco is the capital of the Province of Cautin and is the geographical
-capital of Araucania. It is the largest city of Chile south of the
-Bio-Bio and has a population of 29,557, ranking ninth in the republic.
-It is 422 miles south of Santiago, and owes its origin to a fort
-which was built here in 1881. In recent years its growth has been
-rapid. The city is situated west of the mainline of the longitudinal
-railroad, and is the junction for a branch line that runs to the
-town of Imperial. There is a considerable English colony which has
-a church and two schools, but like all over in southern Chile, the
-Teutonic element outnumbers all the rest of foreigners in a ratio of
-ten to one. The business is mostly in the hands of the Germans as can
-be seen by the names over the stores. Somebody with a Yiddish streak
-must have strolled in from somewhere because I noticed the sign of
-Benjamin Goldenberg over the door of a second-hand clothing shop. The
-city is a long-strung-out place of frame unpainted buildings presenting
-a most unattractive appearance; only in the center of the town one
-gets away from these eyesores for there brick and cement structures
-abound, especially in the neighborhood of the Plaza Anibal Pinto. The
-principal streets, Jeneral Bulnes, Arturo Prat, and several others are
-well paved with cobblestones over which horse cars rattle in the long
-ride to the railroad station. Driving from this station to the town the
-hotel omnibuses race each other much to the fright of the uninitiated
-stranger. Temuco boasts of an excellent hotel, the Central, owned by a
-large, fat German named Finsterbusch, whose facial adornment is a big
-aureate moustache. Like most of the Chilean hotels owned by Germans the
-place is clean, the beer good, and the cuisine excellent.
-
-The 109-mile train ride from Temuco to Valdivia is made in four and
-a quarter hours through a country entirely different from any that
-is passed through from Santiago to this point. The low mountains come
-in such close proximity to the railroad track that one is pierced by
-a tunnel. They are heavily timbered with trees of good saw-log size,
-laurel and oak abounding. The only place of importance on the stretch
-is the sawmill town of Loncoche. The valley bottoms are impenetrable
-jungles of vines, bushes, thorns, and berry plants which reach a height
-of about twenty-five feet. It took the pioneers a month to traverse ten
-miles of this wilderness whose bottom is soggy muck, the average day's
-penetration being but one third of a mile. Antilhue is the junction for
-trains running south. The Calle-Calle River is crossed and its south
-bank is followed into Valdivia through a fragrant country covered with
-scarlet wild fuchsias, honeysuckles, snapdragons, and morning-glories.
-On all sides are the green mountains covered with primeval forests.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza de la Republica, Valdivia]
-
-Valdivia has had its share of the world's vicissitudes and calamities.
-It was founded in 1552 by Pedro de Valdivia and was abandoned in
-1554 on account of the attacks on it by the Araucanians who captured
-its founder and put him to death by torture. It was destroyed by an
-earthquake in 1575, and when rebuilt was sacked by Elias Harckmans, a
-Dutchman who fortified it. In 1645 the Dutch were worsted in a fight
-with the troops of the Peruvian viceroy, the Marquis de Mancera who
-drove them out. There was another earthquake in 1737 which again
-destroyed the place. Rebuilt, it was burned in 1748. In 1837 a third
-earthquake destroyed it. Since then it has burned down three times, in
-1840, in 1885, and in 1911, the last one being an especially bad fire,
-wiping out the entire city. Thus it has been destroyed by earthquakes
-three times and burned four times.
-
-It is beautifully situated on the south bank of the Calle-Calle which
-is navigable for small boats. The city is uninteresting as it is
-absolutely modern. In character it is German, for it is the leading
-German center in Chile. No other language is heard spoken on the main
-streets. The natives who slightly outnumber the Teutons and also speak
-German are to be found mostly on the back streets; they are employed
-by the Germans in the different industries. The population of Valdivia
-which is the tenth city in Chile is 24,743.
-
-When one alights at the railroad station, it is better to take a launch
-to the city to the tune of sixty centavos (10 cents) than by the more
-arduous and long trip by cab over rough plank pavements. These launches
-owned by a man named Oettinger give the stranger a pleasant ride down
-the river and disembark him at a new cement quay near the center of the
-city from which place boys carry the grips to the various hotels. One
-is immediately impressed by the cleanliness of the cobble stone-paved
-streets of the business section and by the handsome though inexpensive
-structures. It is by far the cleanest city in Chile. With the exception
-of the buildings on the streets near the Plaza de la Republica, which
-are of cement construction, all the other buildings are of frame or
-corrugated iron, or of both, but painted freshly over. The side streets
-are paved with wooden planks, and in some places with wooden beams,
-six by sixes. The main industry is brewing. The colossal brewery named
-Compañia Cerveceria Valdivia, formerly that of Anwandter Brothers,
-one of the largest in Chile, looms up majestically on the water front
-across the narrow river opposite the landing quay. The storerooms for
-this amber and nut-brown beverage are on the city side of the river at
-the dock. The best hotel in Valdivia is the Carlos Bussenius, named
-after the host who in appearance could pass as a twin brother of
-Finsterbusch in Temuco.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle-Calle River at Valdivia, Showing Flour Mills]
-
-A pleasant trip from Valdivia is the two hours' ride down the river to
-Corral but another and far grander is that to Lake Riñihue and across
-the mountains to the wretched hamlet of San Martin de los Andes in the
-greatly overrated southern part of Argentina known as Patagonia.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Valdivia]
-
-I left Valdivia about the middle of an afternoon and got off the train
-an hour and a half later at the station of Collilelfu where I put up
-for the night at a wooden shack with a tin roof which was an apology
-for a hotel. Early the next morning I arose to catch the seven-thirty
-train for Huidif, the railroad terminus of the branch line which
-will in time be continued to Lake Riñihue. The ride of an hour only
-brought the train to its destination where the passengers alighted to
-change into carriages which cover the six remaining miles to the lake
-in three quarters of the time. The whole landscape is rolling and is
-semiforested, and as the lake is approached vast marshes abounding in
-wild fowl are traversed. Lake Riñihue is about fifteen miles long by
-four miles broad and is a favorite summer resort for the inhabitants
-of Valdivia. The landscape is beautified by vistas of the snow-capped
-volcanos, Choshuenco and Mocho.
-
-  [Illustration: Riñihue Landscape, Southern Chile]
-
-The seventy-five-mile trip to Osorno from Valdivia consumes four hours
-and lies through a smiling farming country with villages, farms,
-and soils characteristic to those of the best part of Wisconsin.
-It was dusk when I arrived at Osorno, metropolis of the Province
-of Llanquihue. The city has a population of about 12,000 and is 601
-miles south of Santiago. A daily train makes the entire distance in 25
-hours and 40 minutes, a sleeper being attached to the train as far as
-Renaico. Osorno is a miserable-looking place of frame buildings built
-close together as is the custom in all the towns of southern Chile
-where lumber plays the main rôle in the erection of edifices; but few
-of the houses and stores are painted. Valdivia is the only place in
-this section of the country where the inhabitants take enough pride in
-the appearance of their town to give the houses a fresh coat of paint.
-I was told by Bussenius to go to a German hotel which had just been
-opened by a former chef of one of the interned Kosmos Line steamers.
-I did not go there, however, because Americans do not stand in good
-repute with the Germans and Chilenos of German descent in southern
-Chile. Although the United States was not at war with Germany at the
-time of my visit, nevertheless the Teutonic inhabitants of that section
-took pains to show their dislike of North Americans. Although I was
-subjected to no personal discourtesy at either Temuco or Valdivia,
-but on the contrary was treated well, I was obliged to listen to much
-tirade against the United States and the inhabitants of our country
-in general. The Germans were angered because North American firms
-were supplying the Entente with munitions of war and it was a current
-topic of conversation among them that the United States was afraid to
-declare war upon Germany, saying that if it did so there would be an
-uprising there against its Government by the great number of Germans
-and Americans of German extraction. They anticipated a Bürgerkrieg or
-Civil War in the United States if the latter joined sides with Great
-Britain.
-
-As there were a couple of spruce-looking runners at the railway
-station for the Hotel Royal, a native hostelry, I gave them my grips
-and was driven through the unprepossessing streets of the city. The
-cab eventually stopped in front of a building that has the outward
-appearance of a certain large residence on the outskirts of Ashland,
-Wisconsin, where lumberjacks and sailors were wont to congregate after
-pay days and sojourn until their savings were gone. I was wondering
-whether this establishment was of the same nature. Fortunately it
-turned out to be a very good and comfortable hotel, absolutely Chilean.
-Osorno has several other hotels, all German. Osorno has more Teutons
-in proportion to its size than any city in Chile. In numbers, Valdivia
-has a larger German population, but the ratio is smaller for Valdivia
-is the larger place. Three-quarters of Osorno's population is German,
-their numbers here being in excess of nine thousand. In southern
-Chile where most of the hotel-keepers are German, the inns all have
-the Gastzimmer or Bürgerzimmer as in Germany, where the merchants and
-clerks assemble nights to discuss news and the events of the day over
-large schupers of health-giving beer. A non-trust brewery has recently
-been inaugurated in Osorno by a man named Aubel and his wet goods
-certainly hit the right spot when partaken of. Outside of his brewery
-there is no manufacturing in the town excepting the large flour mill of
-Williamson and Balfour. Both these enterprises were born in 1914.
-
-  [Illustration: Osorno]
-
-While standing on the plaza one night listening to the military band,
-all at once was heard the pealing of bells and booming of gongs.
-Everybody started to run in all directions and not knowing what was
-taking place, thinking it was either an earthquake or a revolution,
-I followed suit and hid behind a maple tree. This scare turned out to
-be a fire alarm. The whole crowd now raced and tore down a street that
-leads across the railroad track, and I presently saw by the blaze that
-the fire was of no small importance. Slipping up to my room I took my
-valuables from my valise, and putting them in my pocket joined the
-crowd. Above the din of conversations, orders from the police, and
-the noise from the fire pumps, could be heard the agonizing screams
-of four victims that were being burned to death at the windows of
-the second story of a dwelling. They were caught like rats in a trap
-while asleep, and when aid came they were beyond all mortal help. The
-policemen standing in the road with drawn sabers suddenly ordered the
-crowd to run for their lives, which they did in all directions. An
-intonation like the sound of a cannon boomed, followed by two or three
-sharper reports. Impossible for the firemen to stop the fire which was
-spreading to all the neighboring closely packed frame dwellings, the
-police had started dynamiting. This last process which was successful
-claimed another victim and blinded another person. I saw the remains
-of the dynamite victim; what remained of him resembled a pudding. No
-vestige of either teeth or bones was found of the four persons who
-perished in the fire and whose heart-rending screams are now ringing in
-my ears.
-
-  [Illustration: Scenery on the Railroad Between Osorno and Puerto Montt]
-
-All the small towns of southern Chile have flour mills and grain
-elevators; throughout the countryside on the farms and in the towns are
-seen tall block houses, reminiscenses of the days of Indian warfare.
-From Osorno the railroad continues ninety-three miles southward to
-Puerto Montt, the terminus of the longitudinal railroad southward.
-Puerto Montt, with 5408 inhabitants, is the capital of the Province
-of Llanquihue. It lies on the north end of Reloncaví Bay, 694 miles
-south of Santiago, and is an uninteresting modern frame town, inhabited
-mainly by Germans. When a southeaster blows the breakers beat with
-terrific force against the docks.
-
-Small vessels belonging to a local navigation firm ply thrice weekly
-between Puerto Montt and Ancud, the capital of the Province and the
-Island of Chiloé which lies eighty miles to the southwest on the
-extreme northern end of the Chiloé archipelago, on the Bay of Ancud.
-Large ships of the Compañia Sud-Americana de Vapores, generally known
-as the Chilean Line, also make both Puerto Montt and Ancud weekly,
-while those of intermediate size sail from Puerto Montt and make all
-the small ports on the Gulf of Corcovado en route to Punta Arenas. At
-eight o'clock in the morning following the day that I arrived in Puerto
-Montt, I boarded the steamer _Chacao_ in a blinding downpour of rain
-with a ticket for Ancud which cost about $1.20 in the equivalent of
-our currency. The sea was not rough but was rather choppy, while the
-rain prevented the passengers from remaining on deck. Unfortunately the
-clouds hung too low to permit me to get a good view of the mainland.
-The islands of Maillen and Guar were skirted and three hours out we
-anchored off the port of Calbuco, county seat of the Department of
-Carelmapu in the Province of Llanquihue. This town is situated on a
-peninsula at the south end of the Bay of Reloncaví and from the steamer
-deck resembled the lumber villages of Puget Sound. It is connected
-with Puerto Montt by a rough wagon road and there is talk of extending
-the railroad here, although I can see no reason for its necessity,
-excepting that the harbor at Calbuco is sheltered while that of
-Puerto Montt is not. The difficulties of engineering and the cost of
-construction, I imagine, would never make it pay. Shortly after leaving
-Calbuco we entered the Gulf of Ancud and after skirting the south end
-of Llanquihue entered the narrow roadstead of Chacao, and arrived at
-the hamlet of that name about two o'clock in the afternoon. Chacao was
-founded in 1567 and until about fifty years ago was the principal port
-of Chiloé when it was practically deserted in favor of Ancud whose
-growth at that time had been rapid, and which owing to its being a port
-on the Pacific Ocean was fast getting the commerce.
-
-Ancud was reached about four o'clock in the afternoon after a trip that
-consumed eight hours. It lies at the south end of the bay of the same
-name, an indentation of the ocean, and is protected from the dreaded
-southeasters by a mountainous headland named Lacui. The bay is filling
-up so fast with mud which is washed into it by the rains, that vessels
-of large draught have to anchor from one to two miles out. Our ship
-anchored about half a mile out and we were transferred to terra firma
-by gasoline launches. The village has 3424 inhabitants and is a dirty
-settlement smelling of dried fish, built on the side of a hill. It is
-the seat of a bishopric, the frame cathedral being the best building
-in the town. There is absolutely nothing to do in the place which for
-amusement has but one moving picture theater. Numbers of mixed bloods
-and Indians are in evidence seemingly outnumbering the whites, many of
-the latter being Germans.
-
-Chiloé has an area of 8593 square miles, being larger than the State of
-Massachusetts; its population is slightly in excess of eighty thousand
-inhabitants many of whom are Indians. These Indians are not warlike
-like the Araucanians nor are their physiques as good. Their numbers are
-on the decrease owing to alcoholism and to diseases which always follow
-in the wake of the advent of the white men. A continuation of the Coast
-Range, the Cordillera de Pinchué runs the extreme length of Chiloé from
-north to south, its summits from 1500 to 2000 feet in altitude being
-near the Pacific Coast which is inhospitable and has no harbors. The
-east coast of the island, separated by the thirty-five-mile-wide Gulfs
-of Ancud and Corcovado abounds in good harbors and it is here that the
-settlements are. These gulfs teem with small mountainous islands, most
-of them being uninhabited.
-
-A railroad runs southward from Ancud sixty-five miles to Castro, the
-distance being made in four hours. There are no towns on the route
-but numerous stops are made at small settlements such as Quichitue,
-Puntra, Quildico, and Dalcahue. Midway between Ancud and Castro are
-the Puntra and Putalcura River valleys of great fertility. Here are
-many farmhouses with fields of green oats and with pastures of clover
-in which feed droves of cattle and swine. Hides are one of the chief
-exports of the island. Where there are no clearings the forests are
-primeval and are beautiful in their green coloring. It is a dripping
-forest of moisture with lianas, giant ferns, purple and crimson
-fuchsias, and species of orchids. The bark of the tree trunks and
-of the windfalls are covered with inch-deep moss. The density of the
-woods and the exuberance of plant growth is the nearest approach to a
-tropical forest imaginable in a temperate zone for the whole island of
-Chiloé lies south of Latitude 42° South.
-
-  [Illustration: Indian Belles, Chiloé Island, Chile]
-
-Next to Ancud, the most important place on the island is Castro which
-was the capital until 1834. It is the oldest town on Chiloé and here
-the Spaniards made their last stand. It is a well-built village of 1243
-inhabitants, situated on the west side of the long and narrow Putemun
-Bay, and is well sheltered from the winds by the ten-mile-distant
-mountains to the west. It consists of several parallel streets running
-lengthwise along the bay. A wagon road runs southeastward from here
-about thirty miles to the settlement of Ahoni. I only remained a
-few hours in Castro because there arrived in the afternoon a steamer
-from Punta Arenas on its way to Puerto Montt. Its route lay through
-the channel which separates the large island of Lemui from Chiloé,
-and then took a course eastward between several islands and rounded
-Cape Chegian at the southeastern extremity of Quinchao Island. This
-last mentioned island is about twenty miles long and is very narrow
-excepting at its northwestern end where it broadens out, and is
-separated from Chiloé by the Strait of Quinchao. It and an archipelago
-of smaller islands form a political department of which the town of
-Achao, where we anchored at dusk, is the county seat. Achao has a
-population of 1571 inhabitants and has taken away much of Castro's
-former trade. It is a long-strung-out fishing village on the side of a
-hill, the forest on which comes down to the water's edge. Shortly after
-leaving Achao, the ship sailed westward to Chiloé again and stopped at
-Dalcahue on the Strait of Quinchao. Dalcahue has a road leading to a
-three-miles-distant railroad station on the Ancud-Castro line. During
-the night, Quincavi was touched at and after a steam through the Gulf
-of Ancud and the Bay of Reloncaví, Puerto Montt was again reached at
-11 A.M. It was a nice clear morning and the snow-capped Andes on the
-unexplored mainland were resplendent in sunlit brilliancy.
-
-On the mainland southeast of the Island of Chiloé is Chile's largest
-river, the Palena. It rises from Lake General Paz, whose waters are
-traversed by the international boundary line of Argentina and Chile; it
-flows northward through western Patagonia and bending to the west after
-a course of about thirty miles finally empties itself into the Gulf of
-Corcovado. North of the Palena and at its source, separated from it by
-a low range of hills in Patagonia, is the Futaleufu River whose origin
-is in the Argentine Valley of the 16th of October. It flows westward
-through the Andes into Lake Yelcho which in turn empties into the
-Yelcho River. This river finds its way into the Gulf of Corcovado south
-of the Quinchao Archipelago.
-
-The person who visits Chile and returns home without having seen the
-Llanquihue lake region has made his trip in vain. Here is a country as
-grand as Switzerland, which although its mountains are not quite so
-high, they seem higher and are better for vistas for the valleys are
-lower. Moreover the snow line is here lower. In Switzerland one gets
-the best views of the giant peaks from altitudes of valley bottoms
-that are themselves six thousand feet and over above sea level; here
-one gets the same view from low-lying rivers and lakes which makes
-the sheer abruptness grander. There are no great thick forests in
-Switzerland which are here omnipresent, garbing the mountain sides
-from the barren, snow-capped peaks down to the very water's edge. This
-Llanquihue country is beginning to become popular with excursionists
-and it will not be long before it will be one of the world's famous
-playgrounds.
-
-Twenty-one miles north of Puerto Montt on the railroad to Osorno is the
-large triangular Lake Llanquihue, much indented with bays and coves
-on its western shore. Its breadth is over thirty miles, and it is
-the largest freshwater lake in Chile. Its outlet is the Maullin River
-which flows in a southwesterly direction into the ocean to the north
-of the Bay of Ancud. The scenery in the neighborhood of the lake is
-most charming. The west and north shores is a rolling country much of
-which is cleared into farms, well kept up and showing a high degree of
-prosperity. From the south shore rises a steep incline tapering towards
-the top into the conical snow-capped volcano, Calbuco, whose lower
-reaches are embowered in forests of hardwood. Many small streams rush
-from its sides and pour into the lake. At the eastern extremity rises
-the mighty, majestic dome of the volcano, Osorno, rising 8645 feet,
-nearly perpendicularly from the clear waters.
-
-  [Illustration: Lake Todos Santos from Petrohué]
-
-Puerto Varas at the southwestern end of the lake is the summer resort
-where the travellers leave the train. It is a clean little village of
-frame houses in the heart of a country renowned for its frutillas, or
-diminutive wild strawberry which grows here in abundance, and whose
-name should not be confounded with _fresas_, which is the name for
-the strawberry of larger size which we are acquainted with. The whole
-region is a German settlement, and this is especially true at Puerto
-Varas where scarcely anybody of any other nationality is seen excepting
-some of the laborers. The Bellavista is the best hotel. It is a clean,
-comfortable house where the proprietor is a professional landscape
-photographer. Transportation of passengers to San Carlos de Bariloche
-in Argentina is effected thrice weekly during the summer season and
-once a week the remainder of the year. A little steamer belonging
-to the South Andes Transportation Company leaves Puerto Varas at 8
-A.M., and after a four hours' steam across the placid waters of Lake
-Llanquihue brings one at Ensenada at the base of Mount Osorno in time
-for luncheon. Here one now has the choice of a carriage or horseback
-ride to the twelve-mile-distant Lake of Todos Santos (All Saints). This
-short journey crosses a saddle of the divide between Lake Llanquihue
-and the valley of the Petrohué River, of which Lake Todos Santos and
-its tributaries are its source. This ride is over a road which in wet
-seasons is poor and full of ruts but is decidedly charming on account
-of the darkness of the forest which comes down to both sides of it. The
-Petrohué River of unsurpassing beauty winds in a gorge between the high
-Santo Domingo Mountain and the Calbuco Volcano, and empties itself into
-the fiord like Reloncaví River. Behind a mountain chain to the west of
-which Calbuco is the culminating pinnacle, is the large and beautiful
-Lake Chapo, nearly inaccessible owing to the steepness of the mountain
-sides which have to be climbed first in order to get a view of it.
-
-  [Illustration: Puella]
-
-At Petrochué which is reached at 3 P.M. there is nothing but a dock
-from which one embarks on another small steamer that takes one in
-four hours more to Puella at the eastern end of Todos Santos Lake.
-The lake is long and narrow with several arms running like the legs
-of a spider up into the pockets of the mountains which are formed as
-their sides dip to unite with one another. The verdure of the forests
-is dark and primeval, while the water itself is dark blue with barely
-a ripple on its surface. The appearance of the entire landscape is
-somber and mysterious. A small round island, named Isla de las Cabras,
-rises precipitously in woodland glory from the center of the lake.
-Ever present in the distance are snow-crowned domes, those of Osorno
-and Santo Domingo behind us to the west, while in front of us rises
-the awe-inspiring rugged peak of El Tronador (the Thunderer) white in
-its icy altitude of glaciers. At Puella is a primitive hotel where the
-traveller stops for the night. This place is at the very foot of the
-Thunderer, so named from the loud intonations caused by the glaciers
-breaking off at their edges and falling with roars into the ravines.
-El Tronador is 11,278 feet high; its summit is only ten miles from
-the deep-lying lake. Thus one can imagine its great perpendicular
-steepness. This continues downward for an infinite depth in the lake,
-whose banks are so sheer in many places that it is impossible to
-obtain a foothold. The bottom of Todos Santos Lake has never been found
-although it is believed to exceed a thousand feet in depth. The water
-made by mountain springs and eternal snows is so cold that swimming is
-impossible. About a third of a mile from the hotel at Puella is a large
-waterfall, while at frequent intervals throughout the sublime landscape
-are numerous falls and cascades.
-
-Taking an early start from Puella, one arrives by carriage or mules
-in two and a half hours' time at Casa-Pangue, a small frame chalet
-where are stationed the Chilean custom-house officers. From here to
-the international boundary at the top of the divide is an ascent of
-about two thousand feet, the road lying through a thick forest. It
-takes two hours to reach the summit where there is an iron post with
-a sign on one side of which is the word Chile while on the other side
-is Argentina. The divide is covered with snow from May till September
-which on the hillsides reaches a great depth. Not far from the
-international boundary marker on the descent is a crude wooden cross,
-which denotes the burial place of workmen who died in a snowstorm while
-constructing the road.
-
-About halfway down the descent one suddenly perceives through the
-thick foliage the turquoise blue of Lake Frio. This lake fed by the
-torrential Frio River derives its name from the frigidity of its waters
-whose origin is the glacier on the east slopes of El Tronador. A launch
-is waiting at a pier to ferry passengers across it which takes about
-twenty minutes. A road follows the left bank of the lake, but it is
-not passable for carriages; it is used now for freight only. Rounded
-rails lie on it parallel to each other and over them pass the concave
-surfaces of bullock carts. All passengers were formerly transported
-this way. A couple of miles beyond Lake Frio the western extremity of
-Lake Nahuel Huapi, Argentina's largest lake is reached at the hamlet of
-Puerto Blest by means of a mule-back ride.
-
-  [Illustration: El Tronador, Chile
-
-   As seen from Casa-Pangue]
-
-Puerto Blest consists only of a dock and a frame building which is
-the rest house for travelers and which is owned by the South Andes
-Transportation Company. Here one stops for the night to continue
-on the following morning the four-hours' steamer trip to the
-thirty-mile-distant Argentine town of San Carlos de Bariloche. Lake
-Nahuel Huapi is over fifty miles long by seven miles wide at its
-broadest place, and is very irregular in shape, having many antennæ
-or arms which reach into the mountain depressions. In its center is a
-large island whose proper name is Victoria Island. It is long, wooded,
-and mountainous and comprises about ten thousand acres. The Chileans
-call it Menendez Island after the wealthy family of Menendez whose
-seat is in Punta Arenas, and who formerly owned much property across
-the Chilean frontier not far from the lake. The Argentine government
-made a present of this island to a Señor Anchorena of Buenos Aires upon
-condition that in ten years time he would expend on it for improvements
-eighty-eight thousand dollars which was the amount that they considered
-it worth. His own idea, which he has carried out, was to make Victoria
-Island a private game reservation and to this end he has imported
-wild animals from the north of Europe which have here thrived and
-propagated. It abounds in deer, huanacos, and pheasants, but so far he
-has not improved it commercially.
-
-The farther eastward that one goes on Lake Nahuel Huapi, the less
-beautiful and interesting the scenery becomes. The mountains become
-lower, rockier, and more treeless, until the trees become stunted
-and finally disappear so that the eastern end of the lake instead of
-having the beautiful sylvan nature that was omnipresent in Chile has
-now the sterile aspect of the west end of the Argentina pampa with
-barren mountains and plains of dried grass. San Carlos de Bariloche
-is a lonesome, God-forsaken village of about five hundred inhabitants
-on the south shore of the lake. On the wide semblance of a street are
-rough brick, adobe, and frame buildings with two churches, a parochial
-school, a bank, and a government office. The inn which goes by the
-name of Hotel Perito-Moreno is as much a disgrace to a hostelry as San
-Carlos de Bariloche is to the name town. The paper was falling off the
-walls and the broken windowpanes were repaired by having newspapers
-pasted over the apertures. Straw mattresses with blankets, which I
-imagine teemed with vermin, took the place of regular beds, while the
-food was so execrable that it was nauseating. As the place is rarely
-visited by anybody excepting cattle-buyers, it is not supposed to be up
-to date.
-
-The inhabitants of wind-swept San Carlos, however, are not complaining.
-They have passed that stage and have resigned themselves to face
-whatever misery might present itself to them. There is talk of
-the Southern Railroad continuing from Neuquen to make the town its
-terminus. This would effect another Transadine route and open up the
-country to civilization. Not far from San Carlos de Bariloche the
-Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe has an eighty-thousand-acre ranch. It is
-said that he bought this to make his home on in case he should be
-deposed in Germany. For manager he has Baron von Bülow, the nephew of
-the former Chancellor of the German Empire.
-
-  [Illustration: San Carlos de Bariloche]
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI
-
-CHILLÁN. ASCENT OF VOLCANO CHILLÁN
-
-
-While in Santiago in 1915 I met at the Hotel Oddo, a Señor Hugo
-Gumprecht who was a guest there. He is a German by birth, but in his
-youth emigrated to Australia where he married, became a naturalized
-British subject, and lived there for some time. He then went to South
-Africa and at the time of the Boer War enlisted in the British Army,
-became an officer, and received the Victoria Cross. When the war was
-over he went to Argentina and in the village of General Alvear in
-the Province of Mendoza, started a hardware store. Here he became
-naturalized as a citizen of the Argentine Republic and lived there
-up to a few days previous to my meeting him. Business had become dull
-in Argentina and as he is an experienced engineer he went to Chile to
-see if there was an opening for him there in his line, in the meantime
-leaving his family in Argentina until he would establish himself. He is
-an educated man about forty-eight years old, is comfortably well off,
-and in appearance is a double of Lloyd George, or rather looks like the
-pictures of Lloyd George that were taken ten years ago. When I returned
-to Santiago in 1916, Gumprecht was still in Santiago but living in a
-private house. As he had not yet found anything to his liking, he was
-about to make some trips to different parts of the republic to see
-what there was doing. I intended visiting the baths of Chillán out of
-curiosity and invited him to join me, which he did. I have never yet
-found a person that I have cared more to travel with than with him.
-
-One morning we left Santiago and eleven hours later found ourselves in
-the 253-miles-distant Ñuble metropolis. Owing to an excess of traffic
-the train was two hours late. From the train in the afternoon we saw
-the irregular peak of the volcano Yeguas, 11,885 feet high, in the
-Linares Andes on the eastern horizon; soon afterwards appeared in
-the hazy background the volcano Chillán, 9438 feet high, whose whole
-conical contour is perpetually covered with snow. Seen at the setting
-of the autumn sun the central valley of Chile presents a view so
-pastorally charming that its replica is difficult to be conjured by the
-imagination. Broad fields of melons, intermingled with vineyards and
-separated from each other by rows of Lombardy poplars and blackberry
-hedges, decked the valley floor. On the western horizon rises a chain
-of hills, which occasionally has an outcrop in the form of an isolated
-mountain. The sun, which had just sunk behind them, made the sky
-saffron, as its rays, invisible behind the western peaks, played upon
-the snowy summits of the Andes to the east.
-
-The crowd on the platform at the covered train shed of the Chillán
-station is the most animated to be found at any railroad station in
-Chile with the possible exception of that at Llai-Llai. Landscape
-gardeners have endeavored to enhance the depot approach by planting
-cedar trees in square holes in the middle of the sidewalk. These trees
-have attained the growth of three feet. Leaving the depot, Gumprecht
-was walking on my left. Presently he uttered an oath and upon my
-looking around I was just in time to see his carcass take a plunge
-and land on his belly in front of the astonished crowd. When he picked
-himself up, he said:
-
-"I felt something rise between my legs and I jumped, but it was this
-_verdammter_ tree."
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza O'Higgins, Chillán]
-
-Chillán is the capital of the Province of Ñuble, and has a population
-of 39,113, being the seventh city of Chile. Next to Santiago and Talca
-it is the largest city in the central valley. It would be larger than
-Talca if it took in its suburb, Chillán Viejo. But although a paucity
-of manufacturing is done, it owes its existence as a market town to
-its being the center of an agricultural district to which it is the
-distributing point. There are but few foreigners, unlike the towns
-farther south, so that the city is essentially Chilean and here native
-life and customs can be seen and studied at their best. There are
-several specialties of home-made manufacture that owe their origin to
-Chillán, preëminent among which are untanned leather accoutrements and
-caparisons for the equine and muline genera, such as bridles, whips,
-and spur leathers. Chillán pottery is famous throughout the republic.
-It is black, thin, and brittle, and is invariably adorned with scroll
-work of pink, lemon, or white. Last in importance is the charcoal fan,
-woven by natives from corn husks. The brewery of Julius Jenson is not
-large enough to play a rôle in the financial equilibrium of the place
-for its proprietor brews but an ordinary beer for local trade.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Roble, Chillán, Looking East from Calle Arauco]
-
-Although the city has no electrified street car system, its horse cars
-are a duplicate of the Santiago and Valparaiso trolley cars. They have
-double decks, the top being reserved for those who prefer to travel
-second class. In other means of transit there is nothing to boast of.
-The hacks are antiquated, closed black wooden boxes, while the saddle
-horses at the livery stables are of the antediluvian variety.
-
-The main streets are well paved with cobblestones, but the side ones
-are poorly paved with small smooth stones, very distressing to walk
-upon with thin-soled shoes. The buildings are well built and red
-brick is more common than in the cities farther north. However, there
-are in Chillán frame houses, which in the neighborhood of Santiago
-are conspicuous by their absence. There are several plazas, but the
-principal one, O'Higgins, is the best, and in my estimation is the
-loveliest in Chile. It has no grassy sward but its great trees give
-a delightful umbrage that is refreshing during the heat of a summer
-day. In this respect it is not unlike the Plaza Pringles in San Luis,
-Argentina. A military band plays here thrice weekly at night and it is
-then a treat for tired eyes to watch from a bench the procession of
-well-formed girls in the latest creations pass by in review on their
-_corso_ around the octagonal park.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Chillán]
-
-The market place, paved with pebbles, is a broad area, bustling with
-life. Nearly every known variety of vegetable is represented, and of
-such a quality that I know nowhere else where they are excelled unless
-it is at the market at Belgrade, Servia. Chillán is the greatest
-onion mart in South America, and here are seen cartloads of that
-nerve-soothing vegetable heaped on the ground. Many marketeers come
-to town Sunday afternoon and sleep that night in their stalls so as
-to be alert with their wares and produce at daybreak on Monday, on
-which day the place is thronged. On the fringe of the area are canvas
-booths. Here sit toothless hags and buxom virgins offering for sale at
-fabulously low prices, quirts, riatas, hobbles, spur-straps, and other
-leathern productions of their deft fingers.
-
-  [Illustration: Market Place, Chillán]
-
-Regarding hotels, Chillán has some good ones, but unless the
-prospective lodger telegraphs beforehand, he is likely to find shelter
-beneath a shade tree for the rooms are in constant demand. This speaks
-well of the city. In the summer the natural trade is augmented by
-the tourists en route to and en retour from the Termas de Chillán
-(Baths of Chillán), a watering place, who spend a night or two in the
-Ñuble metropolis in transit. At the exit of the old-fashioned railway
-station, a runner meets the stranger and touts for the Hotel Central,
-a large new building, a block from the center of the city.
-
-I prefer the Hotel de France and believe it is the best in the central
-valley. Its proprietor, Monsieur Pierre Heguy, is the super-bantam
-cock. This handsome little man with his coal-black beard trimmed to
-a goatee meets you at the door with a smile and a bow. "_Voilà_,
-monsieur," he says, and with a stately sweeping gesture he stands
-aside to allow you to inspect the best hotel bedroom in Chile. His
-single-story hotel is of frame and adobe. "But what does that matter?"
-he inquires and then concludes: "In case of fire or earthquake it is
-much safer than the stupendous Hotel Central. Moreover, do water colors
-and oil paintings of landscapes adorn the walls of the bedrooms at
-the Central the same as in the Hotel de France? Have the Jews at the
-Central any knowledge of liqueurs and champagne? _Sapristi_, no!" and
-then he spat.
-
-My bedroom on the street corner was grand and large enough to house the
-august presence of an emperor and for it I paid the equivalent of $3.40
-a day, which included meals. The carpet was of the old-fashioned kind
-with pink roses whose replicas are only found to-day in the farmhouses
-and in the old residences of the country towns whose furnishing dates
-back two generations. The massive wooden washstand with mirror, chest
-of drawers, and the bedstand were all crowned with marble slabs. The
-bed was a four-poster and the "crazy quilt" was that of bygone days.
-The same bed that I occupied probably once creaked under the weight of
-Lady Brassey's expatriated figure when she visited Chillán, having left
-the yacht _Sunbeam_ at Talcahuano.
-
-The cuisine is perfect and the liquid refreshments are of the finest
-quality. Monsieur Heguy is a connoisseur of those substances which
-tickle the palate. He does not indulge in liquid refreshment. He did so
-when I first made his acquaintance in 1913 but had to quit as it was
-injuring his health. At the time of my previous acquaintance with him
-he would drink everything on the bill of fare as long as somebody else
-was paying for it, but he never treated when it came his turn.
-
-One night while I was at the Hotel de France there was a temblor or
-slight earthquake. I was awakened from a sound sleep a quarter of an
-hour before midnight by a noise at my door as if somebody was trying
-to break into my room. Lighting a candle I saw that the key tag was
-rattling. I yelled out, "Who's there?" and opened the door but saw
-nobody. I jumped back into the bed again but no sooner had I done so
-than I saw a streak of light underneath the door to my right, and I
-heard through the open transom of the door that opened onto the patio
-the patter of feet as they crossed the tiled walk and the voice of
-the young Englishwoman who occupied the adjoining room talking to her
-brother and brother-in-law whose room adjoined mine on the left.
-
-"I think the man next door" (meaning me) "is trying to enter my room,"
-she said.
-
-"Really, Mary, you don't say so," I heard a male voice reply.
-
-"What do you think he would do to me if he entered my room?" asked Mary.
-
-"I am sure I do not know," the male voice replied.
-
-"Do you think he would murder me?"
-
-"Hardly that," was the reply. There was a continuance of the
-conversation which I could not distinctly understand, then the same
-voice continued: "Take this revolver, and if you hear any further
-disturbance, shoot through his door."
-
-Now this was a pretty pickle. My bed was in range of a revolver shot.
-I thought that some sneak thief had tried to get into both bedrooms
-and had tried her door as well as mine. Mary had supposed that it was I
-who wanted to enter her room. It happened that Mary was not good enough
-looking for me to have any such designs towards her. She was slim and
-angular, highly colored and commonplace, with a pointed nose and little
-eyes like those of a pig. I moved my bed out of revolver range and went
-to bed again. The next morning there was considerable excitement in the
-town about the temblor, for it was this that caused the rattling noise
-at the doors. I approached Mary and her male relatives while they were
-sitting in the patio, and telling them that I heard their conversation
-of the previous night, roundly upbraided them for their conduct, but
-like most unmannered persons they were too ill-bred to apologize.
-
-Besides the Plaza O'Higgins, another beautiful one is that named
-Victoria or Santo Aldea. It is not well kept up because the irrigation
-ditch which runs along the side of an adjacent street often overflows
-and causes the walks of the plaza to receive a deluge.
-
-An interesting excursion on foot is a visit to the less than a league
-distant suburb of Chillán Viejo (Old Chillán). This foul village of
-five thousand inhabitants was the original city before the earthquake
-of 1833 which caused the survivors of the catastrophe to build on
-the present townsite. There was an Indian settlement here before the
-advent of the Spaniards. The name of their cacique was Chiquillanes,
-from which the name Chillán is derived. At Las Toscas Creek at the
-southern city limits of Chillán the broad Avenida O'Higgins, which
-is no more than a dusty turnpike, leads in a southwesterly direction
-to another creek, that of Paso Hondo, on whose filthy banks repose
-adobe reconstructions of the original town. This place on the whole is
-the most poverty-stricken and squalid town that I have ever visited,
-although in this respect and in filth, it cannot compare with certain
-sections and suburbs of stately Santiago. It is nine blocks wide with
-an average of ten blocks long, has narrow streets paved with sharp
-stones on which face tumbledown adobe hovels. Its inhabitants are
-drunken, and many possess loathsome sores on their faces. The odors
-rising from the decaying matter thrown from the house doors, the swarms
-of flies, and the full-bellied whippets basking in the sun-baked offal
-make a person ask, "Can such things be possible?" In those parts of the
-town where such pleasantries are in the minimum, the air is redolent
-with the fragrant odor of rats.
-
-Yet Chillán Viejo is a place of reverence in the hearts of loyal and
-patriotic Chilenos, for in this old town was born the father of Chilean
-independence, Bernardo O'Higgins, who with the aid of San Martin broke
-the Spanish dominion in Chile. A school has been built where stood his
-house, but a room of the old building has been preserved with some of
-his furniture and keepsakes. A marble tablet on the wall of the school
-has the following inscription which translated into English reads:
-
-"This house entombs a sublime echo, the whining of a little child which
-was transformed into the yells of victory at Chacabuco and Maipo.
-
-"Here was born the father of our Independence, Don Bernardo O'Higgins,
-August 20, 1778.
-
-"Chileans, honor his memory!
-
-"Strangers, remember our history!"
-
-In the center of the dusty ill-kept plaza of the town, abundant with
-giant ash and pepper trees, is another memorial to this hero in the
-form of a bust on a pedestal erected by a loving populace. Let it be
-known that Bernard O'Higgins was one of the most unselfish and lovable
-characters in military history. Born of Irish parentage in the squalid
-village of Chillán Viejo, he donated his whole career for the welfare
-of his country. After whipping the Spaniards he was made Supreme
-Dictator. Unlike most other dictators he was not vainglorious nor was
-he personally ambitious for power or wealth.
-
-The church on the plaza of Chillán Viejo is said to be 285 years old.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene at the Station at Pinto]
-
-The Province of Ñuble, of which Chillán is the capital, has an area of
-3407 square miles and a population of 166,245, being the fifth in Chile
-as to the number of its inhabitants. Its eastern part is mountainous
-and very sparsely settled, the great bulk of its population living in
-the highly cultivated central valley. Its level lands are a fine rich
-country given up to the growing of cereals, principally wheat, and to
-all the vegetables known to the temperate zone. There are also many
-vineyards.
-
-The Baths of Chillán, as those hot springs are known, are fifty-seven
-miles east of the city Chillán at the headwaters of Renegado Creek
-on the slopes of the volcano Chillán, 5850 feet above sea level. One
-leaves Chillán at 5.30 A.M. and rides for two hours on a light railway
-which runs in a sort of a semicircle eastward to the station of Pinto,
-a distance of but twenty-two miles. At Coihueco, six miles before
-reaching Pinto, the farmers are building a mutual railway which will be
-a branch of the narrow gauge, the government furnishing the rails. This
-is being done so that the farmers may get their crops into Chillán.
-Pinto is a large village lying about a league south of the railroad
-station of the same name across the Chillán River.
-
-  [Illustration: Post Station at La Dehesa]
-
-  [Illustration: Harvesting Scene at La Dehesa]
-
-At Pinto passengers change from the train into carriages and are driven
-to the three-miles-distant post station of La Dehesa, where one can
-either continue optionally by a seven-hour carriage drive to Las Termas
-(The Baths) or by a continuation of the light railway to the hamlet
-of Resinto and thence by carriage four hours to Las Termas. The round
-trip by carriage costs $11.05; by train it is $1.36 extra. I went by
-train which took nearly four hours on account of the presence on board
-of two inspectors who had the locomotive stop every few minutes to
-give instructions to construction gangs; from Resinto I went to Las
-Termas by coach. The railroad followed the north bank of the Chillán
-River until the station of Esperanza was reached where a fine view of
-the smoking volcano ahead of us was to be had; it then crossed the
-river and wound along a precipice up the west bank of the Renegado
-Creek, which lay below us in a forest of oak. I rode on a flat car
-which by means of hay wire was coupled to the box which served as the
-train coach. Resinto, formerly named Posada, on account of the former
-saloon and rest house (which in Spanish is _posada_), is the present
-terminus of the light railway although it is being continued so that
-in this year (1918) it is expected that it will be opened to traffic
-as far as the corral of Las Trancas. The carriage road is very rough,
-stony, and steep, and in some places extremely dangerous where it winds
-around promontories. For the first few miles after leaving Resinto it
-follows the creek bed; at a ranch house where guides are to be obtained
-for mountain excursions, a trail leads off to the south, which if one
-follows it for a day and a half will bring the traveler into Argentina
-over the Buraico Pass. It is only advisable to cross the divide on mule
-back on account of the steepness. From the boundary a few days' ride
-will bring one to the wretched God-forsaken Patagonian settlement of
-Chos Malal, in the Argentine Territory of Neuquen.
-
-  [Illustration: Mountain in the Renegado Canyon, Chile
-
-   This mountain has its double in the Martinswand, near Zirl, in Tirol]
-
-The first stage of the drive is monotonous although the scenery is
-good. There are a few scattered ranch houses in openings in the oak
-woods; the country could scarcely be called a forest, nor is it an open
-country. Mountains come down abruptly to the canyon and one of them
-is a double of the Martinswand near Zirl in Tirol. The whole trip is
-dusty in summer, which is the only season in which it is possible to
-visit Las Termas. After leaving Las Trancas, the station where the five
-horses are changed, and from which is seen a silvery waterfall several
-hundred feet high, the road enters the primeval forest of oak, elm, and
-laurel, decidedly beautiful, and then winds up the cool but dusty glen
-of the Renegado, which is fed by numerous trout streams. The roaring of
-many cascades and waterfalls is heard, the double one of The Lions, an
-hour's ride before Las Termas is reached, being the most beautiful.
-
-  [Illustration: Corral of Las Trancas]
-
-The springs, bathing establishment, and hotel known as the Termas de
-Chillán are at the highest limit of the tree line. They are owned by
-the municipality of Chillán, and at the present time are leased to
-a Basque, Monsieur Bernard Paguéguy, the French consul at Chillán,
-for the sum of $12,240 for the season of four months, which is at
-the rate of $3060 a month. In order to make a profit Paguéguy runs a
-gambling establishment in conjunction with the hostelry. People are
-not desired as guests who have no lust for the green baize. Baccarat,
-petits chevaux, and slot machines operate at full swing regardless
-of the strict anti-gambling laws of the country. A policeman recently
-lost $204, his whole worldly possessions, and had to borrow $17.50 to
-get away. While I was at Las Termas a man dropped $2040 in one evening
-which though not much to lose at either Montevideo or at Mar del Plata
-is a fortune to lose in Chile.
-
-  [Illustration: Forest in the Province of Ñuble, Chile]
-
-At Las Termas there is a main building and about thirty huts called
-_casuchas_, where lodgers room _en famille_. There are stables and a
-long barrack where the peons live. The bathhouses are about a quarter
-of a mile up the ravine.
-
-The main building is of stone and is three stories high in front and
-two stories high in the rear as it is built on the slope of the hill.
-Besides the dining room and the coffee room, it has a barber shop,
-telegraph office, doctor's office, and rooms for guests. To one side is
-the administration office, bar, two gambling rooms, writing room, and
-kitchen. The ladies congregate evenings in a well-furnished hut which
-has for furniture red cloth covered chairs, a sofa, and a pianoforte.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene on the Road to Termas de Chillán]
-
-The casuchas all have at least three connecting rooms and are
-preferable to the main building. There has been considerable criticism
-in the Chillán newspapers about the treatment of the peons at the
-barrack. These poor people, afflicted with rheumatism and other
-ailments, and too poor to afford to pay the regular price for food and
-lodging, walk to Las Termas or come a whole family in an ox-cart or on
-mule back. They tether their animals in the woods or turn them loose
-in a corral. They bring their own food and bedclothing with them and
-pay eighty-five cents a day for the privilege of shelter. Sometimes a
-hundred of them are jammed nondescriptly into the dirty barrack which
-serves as a dining room, kitchen, and bedroom for dirty and diseased
-humanity of both sexes. Some of these poor fellows are seen nightly
-sleeping hunched up on the floor against the walls of the buildings
-near the kitchen and huddled close against one another for warmth, for
-the nights are apt to be frightfully cold. They are unwelcome to the
-host because they do not gamble.
-
-  [Illustration: Termas de Chillán]
-
-A steep climb takes one to the bathing establishment. These are two
-houses, one for a steam bath and the other for a tub bath. The price
-of an ordinary bath is seventeen cents, but there are some private tub
-baths where it costs double. The waters are iron, manganese, sulphur,
-mercury, and potassium, such a variety as these being hard to find
-in so small a radius. Although the waters are good for rheumatism and
-gastric troubles they are supposed to cure syphilis as effectively as
-salvarsan. Many guests were here for this last-named ailment, although
-they showed no visible outward signs. An acquaintance, a doctor from
-Rancagua, was constantly urging me to take a mineral bath, which I
-refused at first to do as I thought it best to let well enough alone.
-By mountain climbing I soon got so dirty that I was obliged to indulge
-in one for the sake of cleanliness. As I passed with a towel over
-my arm by the tennis court where a match was in progress in front
-of a crowd of lady spectators, the doctor saw me. With a roar that
-temporarily stopped the game and which made me the cynosure of all
-eyes, he bellowed:
-
-  [Illustration: Casuchas at Termas de Chillán]
-
-"Ha! Ha! Stephens is going to take a bath, although he advises against
-it."
-
-"Yes, doctor," I answered, "I am taking a bath for cleanliness sake.
-Fortunately I am not afflicted with----"
-
-"Syphilis," roared the doctor, cutting me short, which brought screams
-of mirth from the spectators, more than half of whom were ladies. I was
-going to terminate my sentence with "any malady" but the doctor did not
-give me time.
-
-On the mountain above the bathhouses are some mud volcanoes and steam
-spouts named fumiroles, but they cannot compare with those of the
-Yellowstone.
-
-On the day of my arrival, I had not been more than ten minutes at the
-hotel when an Englishman and a Frenchman approached me and said that
-they intended making the ascent of the volcano Chillán the next day,
-and having heard that Gumprecht and I intended doing the same thing
-thought that it would be best to arrange a party as there was but one
-guide at the establishment. I said that I would decide later on and let
-them know. I did not relish the appearance of the Frenchman, who had
-a tough face, and would have preferred to make the ascent without his
-company, so I went to Monsieur Paguéguy, the lessee and administrator,
-and asked him if there were more guides than one. He told me that there
-were several. This settled the question, for I would not be obliged
-then to make the ascent in company with the "butters in."
-
-"Why do you not wish to go with the two gentlemen?" inquired Paguéguy.
-
-"I am not accustomed to forming acquaintances with strangers who force
-themselves upon me," I answered. "Moreover that Frenchman has a bad
-look. He looks as if he would kill a man for a five-peso (87½ c.)
-note."
-
-"Sacré! Sacré!" yelled Paguéguy, "he is my brother. Sacré! Sacré!"
-
-The administrator raved around like a madman. I told him that it made
-no difference whether it was his brother or not, and that the proper
-thing for him to have done would have been for him to have introduced
-himself in the first place; that the Termas had a bad reputation for
-being a rendezvous for card sharps, and that since his brother had the
-appearance of one, how was I to know the difference?
-
-Paguéguy told his brother and the Englishman about it. They caught me
-alone that evening and tried to pick a quarrel with me. The odds were
-against me for the Englishman was much larger than I, and the Frenchman
-was also a strong, powerfully built man. The loud altercation attracted
-the attention of Gumprecht and a Barcelona friend of mine named
-Florencio Prat, who both came running up. The tables were now turned in
-my favor, so my two antagonists prudently walked away.
-
-"I think they mean to make trouble; let's follow them and hear what
-they say?" suggested Prat.
-
-The duo walked to a casucha and after entering it closed the door. We
-three walked around the building and getting below an open window did
-some necessary eavesdropping. It was well that we did so for we heard
-them planning to catch one of us alone and give the prospective victim
-a beating up. It was now time to show our teeth, which we did. Without
-knocking we entered the casucha much to the astonishment of the duo and
-told them that if they tried any funny business we would shoot them
-like dogs regardless of the consequences, and for them to mind their
-own business as we intended minding ours, otherwise something would
-happen. We also showed them our revolvers. Nothing more developed.
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Henry Stephens]
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Hugo Gumprecht]
-
-When Gumprecht, Prat, and myself left early the next morning to make
-the ascent of the volcano Chillán we took as a guide a native named
-Savedra. The hotel servants lied to us, telling us that there was no
-water to be had en route and that we had better take along plenty of
-liquid refreshments. This is their old trick of trying to sell a lot
-of beer and whiskey. When Gumprecht told the head-waiter to put in two
-drinks of whiskey for himself, the knight of the apron put in twelve.
-I saw it and did not like the idea for I thought that Gumprecht really
-had ordered twelve shots of whiskey and was going to go on a drunk on
-top of the volcano, which could cause a mishap. As neither Prat nor
-myself drink whiskey and since I would not permit Savedra to drink
-any, I was horrified at Gumprecht, for the amount of spiritus frumenti
-exceeded a quart. I approached him and said:
-
-  [Illustration: View towards the Argentine Frontier from the Slopes of
-   Volcano Chillán]
-
-"What in hell are you going to drink those twelve shots of whiskey for?
-I think it's a bad scheme."
-
-"I only ordered two drinks," he replied.
-
-"The waiter put in twelve."
-
-"Impossible."
-
-"It's the truth," I replied.
-
-A search of Savedra's saddlebag testified to my statement. The
-head-waiter was brought.
-
-"I thought you ordered twelve drinks," he said. Spanish for twelve is
-"_doce_" and for two is "_dos_," the pronunciation being near enough
-for a man to misunderstand purposely. The head-waiter did this trick.
-
-We left the hotel on horseback and for the first few kilometers it was
-the steepest climb that I have ever made on the back of an animal. The
-narrow path zigzagged up the nose of a mountain, exceedingly dangerous,
-and as my beast had an English saddle, I several times slid off onto
-his rump while making the ascent. I did not know that it was possible
-for horses to climb like that, and I thought that I had previously been
-in very steep places in California.
-
-  [Illustration: Glacier Covered with Fresh Snow on the Volcano]
-
-After riding some distance we came to a small glacier, and dismounted
-to cross a creek at its mouth. The horses were panting, puffing, and
-sweating but when we came to the creek Savedra let them drink all they
-wanted of the cold ice water. This astonished me, but he said that
-they were used to it. This glacier was cavernous for the stream flowed
-out of a hole at its mouth. Soon another glacier was reached, this one
-fairly long, which we crossed and then came out upon a lava field. We
-had to dismount before coming to the lava field and feel our way, for
-some fresh snow had fallen on the glacier, which was in some places up
-to the horses' bellies. From the lava field we got our first good view
-of the volcano summit. It was several miles off in front of us up a
-direct steep ascent over glaciers, snow fields, lava, and ashes. It was
-in eruption and was making a terrible noise. A great column of white
-smoke rose to half a kilometer high until the air currents caused it to
-be borne horizontally away in white cloud patches. I was frightened and
-expressed my thoughts that we were near enough to the crater.
-
-"It is nothing," said Savedra.
-
-"I am afraid of nothing," said Prat.
-
-A league-wide glacier stretched in front of us; we crossed it, keeping
-near the edge of some lava fields. Three long crevasses crossed the
-glacier, one of which was dangerous so we dismounted and jumped it,
-holding the horses by the bridle to let them jump it. Prat's horse
-was the only animal that jumped it without either falling with its
-fore feet or hind feet into it. My beast fared the worst and I thought
-that it was a "goner." The crevasse seemed bottomless and to extend
-to infinity. The glare of the sun on the fresh snow was terrific
-and caused us all to have sore eyes which lasted several days not to
-mention that our faces were burned so much that the skin peeled off.
-The sky appeared to be indigo instead of azure. Since leaving the
-lava fields there had been several volcanic eruptions of five minutes'
-duration, each one louder as we approached. I had now become used to
-them and was no longer afraid.
-
-  [Illustration: Rim of the Crater of Volcano Chillán During Eruption]
-
-  [Illustration: Snow Fields of Volcano Chillán]
-
-Looking in any direction the scene was enough to imbue any mortal with
-a wholesome fear of God. Grand is not the word for the description; it
-was superlatively wild, lonesome, and awful. It is nearly impossible to
-realize the terrible loneliness and awesomeness of the great peaks of
-the Andes, uninhabited by man or beast or bird which mark the boundary
-between Central Chile and Northern Patagonia, their great snow-clad
-serrated or conical summits towering thousands of feet into the
-cloudless ether. The terrible view makes a man feel his insignificance.
-I have been to the top of Misti, Ararat, and Mont Blanc, the first
-mentioned two having an altitude double that of Chillán, but from their
-summits the view is incomparable with that seen from the mountain on
-whose slopes I now was. To the southeast probably fifty miles as a
-crow flies rose the conical snow-capped extinct volcano of San José,
-and beyond it the precipitous anvil top of twenty thousand feet high
-Quemazones (Burnt Places) inaccessible, both lying in Argentina.
-
-Early that morning a certain Carlos Michaelis from Punta Arenas had
-left the Termas on foot for the summit of the volcano, so after we had
-gazed with astonishment upon the awe inspiring works of Nature just
-described, we turned our attention to the higher slopes of Chillán to
-see if we could see him, for up to now we had seen no sign of him. We
-finally saw a black spot high up on a snow-field which with binoculars
-proved to be a man. He was plodding upward through the thick snow
-laboriously, and at every few steps he would stop.
-
-The glacier now became so steep that the slightest stumble of one of
-the horses could have easily sent us rolling hundreds of feet down its
-icy slopes to eternity. We had to dismount twice again and feel our
-way on account of the deep snow before we reached the final lava field
-where equestrian ambulation had to cease.
-
-  [Illustration: From the Slopes of Volcano Chillán]
-
-  [Illustration: Savedra, Gumprecht, and Prat on Lava Fields of Volcano
-   Chillán]
-
-Arrived at the end of the trail, a kilometer below the crater, a
-whistling noise accompanied by steam rose again from the summit; then
-there came sounds as of a mighty priming followed by a fierce eruption
-which threw rocks as big as bath tubs in all directions. Fortunately
-they did not go far, but their bombardment was enough to scare Prat who
-was "afraid of nothing" and also Savedra who had previously said "It is
-nothing." These two men brave at a distance now refused to go on, so
-Gumprecht and I alone started on the ascent with difficulty, picking
-our way among the multitude of rocks and shoe high ashes. Finally
-tired we sat on a bowlder and waited for Michaelis whom we could see
-a short distance below us. When he came up, throwing his weight on his
-alpenstock, we ascended to the crater.
-
-It happens that this crater has changed three times during the past
-year, and that the present explosions do not rise from the crater,
-but from some holes and fissures of rocks that form the north wall
-and which are above it. A new crater is forming here, and although
-considerable smoke issues from the regular one, the danger lies higher
-up. At any time there is liable to be a violent eruption and the whole
-north wall will then be torn asunder.
-
-The crater is about an eighth of a mile across with precipitous sides.
-I could not see its bottom on account of the vapors, but the ledges
-of its interior were piled high with rocks. Michaelis planted some
-trigonometrical instruments to take observations here, while Gumprecht
-and I tried to climb the north wall. We could now see the country to
-the north. The high volcanos Yeguas, Descabezado, and Peteroa were
-visible in the blue distance while near at hand the detached white peak
-of the Nevado de Chillán, so called from its crown of perpetual snow,
-higher than the volcano soared its lofty dome into the heavens. This
-is the peak that is seen from the floor of the Central Valley and from
-that distance it appears as if the smoke were issuing from it.
-
-As Gumprecht and I neared the apex, he was overcome by sulphur fumes
-which issued from holes all about us, and was obliged to lie down. I
-tried the ascent alone, and it took me nearly twenty minutes to climb
-twenty meters, an average of approximately six feet to the minute.
-This slowness was due to the slippery dampness of the ground which
-was here covered with a greenish mold caused by its constant wetting
-by the steam. This ground was so hot that it was nearly impossible to
-touch it with the hands and the intensity of the heat soon made itself
-felt through the soles of my shoes. I was obliged to crawl from rock
-to rock. Eventually I arrived at a sort of natural platform where some
-previous explorers had placed a few rocks denoting the limit of safety.
-This place was about eight yards from the rock pile from which the
-explosions took place. The whole ground was soft. The explorers might
-just as well have placed their small stone pile half a mile down the
-mountain side because it is dangerous anywhere near the summit. A few
-years ago some people were badly hurt on account of flying rocks.
-
-There had been no explosion for several minutes, so thinking I was safe
-I sat down to rest. Suddenly without the slightest warning, and with
-the most horrible roar that I have ever heard, like a mighty geyser,
-the sulphur fumes shot upwards followed by a gush of fire combined
-with a pelting of large stones which shot out of a large hole with the
-impetus of a catapult. The air sang with inflammable material which
-sizzled as it struck the wet rocks. I tried to run, but fell and slid
-on my bottom ripping off the seat of my trousers. A rock hit me on
-my right foot which, although I did not feel much pain from it at the
-time, later on developed into an ailment which several times during the
-two following years kept me confined in bed for at least three weeks
-each time. In less than a few seconds I covered the distance to where
-Gumprecht was lying. I yelled to him to hurry down the mountain to save
-himself.
-
-"Vait a minute," he yelled, "I can't breath this Gott damn schmoke."
-
-When he got up we hurried down the mountain in quick time, stopping at
-the old crater where Michaelis was taking observations. That man did
-not return with us, but waited two hours until the explosions stopped;
-he then ascended to the stone pile, but no sooner had he arrived there
-than an explosion took place followed by such a pelting that he had
-to remain until dark behind some cliffs, waiting for the violence to
-diminish.
-
-When we had descended to where the horses were, Prat and Savedra
-rejoiced upon seeing us return alive, for they had a fright on seeing
-me do the slide, and later both Gumprecht and I running, thinking
-that we were done for. This did not prevent Savedra from drinking
-Gumprecht's whiskey after we had left them to make the ascent. We
-chided them for their cowardice in not coming any farther.
-
-"I am too young to die," was Prat's excuse. Savedra said nothing; he
-evidently could see no reason why he should undergo strenuous exercise
-besides running the risk of getting blown up, when he could see the
-explosions from where he was. It was hot when we had left Las Termas in
-the morning and I wore a summer suit of clothes and a straw hat. Near
-the summit of the volcano in snowy defiles where the sun never reaches
-it was around the zero mark which I keenly felt if I stood still a
-minute. When we arrived back at the hotel, the crowd gathered around us
-and asked us all about the trip. The Englishman and the Frenchman with
-whom we had quarreled started out the next day to make the ascent, but
-overcome with a "streak of yellow" went only as far as the end of the
-glacier. Their game was ping-pong.
-
-  [Illustration: Mountain Scenery and Waterfall at Las Trancas]
-
-When we finally left Las Termas we walked to Resinto, a distance of
-twenty miles, and drove to La Dehesa stopping en route a few minutes
-at the post house of La Quila to change horses. The road is rocky and
-is bordered by blackberry bushes whose vines grow to a prodigious size.
-The Chilean blackberry, named _sarsamorra_, is different from our wild
-blackberry in the fact that it is sweeter, has a milder flavor and in
-shape is wider, shorter, and rounder. When I made this trip, the bushes
-were bent down with the weight of this succulent fruit which was now
-ripe. The sarsamorra is a pest in Chile, as it springs up everywhere,
-and spreading over the fields is hard to stamp out. It forms natural
-hedges for estate boundaries and field limits.
-
-In all this Ñuble country overcoats and thick underwear come in handy.
-The nights are cool in summer while in winter there is snow in the
-hills. I saw people in the plaza in Chillán in March, which corresponds
-to September in countries north of the Tropic of Cancer, wearing
-overcoats. Not that it was really cold enough to wear them, but it is a
-fad with South Americans to don overcoats upon the slightest occasion.
-
-I was obliged to stop a day at the Hotel Central on my return to
-Chillán owing to the failure of the administration of the Termas to
-telephone to Monsieur Heguy reserving me a room at the Hotel de France.
-The Central is not bad, but it seems to have no proper management; it
-is a costly establishment but is not as clean as the Hotel de France.
-As the hotel was filled, I was obliged to sleep in a sample room.
-Because I presented an uncouth appearance upon my arrival, due to a
-week's "roughing it," the obsequious boy who acts as head push, hotel
-runner, etc., thought that I was a bum and intended giving me a cot
-in a room with a couple of "drunks" on the top floor, to which I made
-serious objections. At the Central the better a person is dressed upon
-arrival, the better a room he gets. The size of a piece of meat served
-in the dining-room is equal to that of a walnut.
-
-At Pinto I met Don Vicente Mendez U, governor of the Province of Ñuble.
-He was returning from a tour of inspection of the farmers' mutual
-railway. He was very much interested in North American customs which he
-wanted to see introduced in Chile especially in his province, chiefly
-the prohibition propaganda of which he had read much. He thought that
-it would be a good thing to have the Province of Ñuble go dry and
-advocated it strongly. Later on in conversation with him when I told
-him that I was in Chile to look the country over in view of starting
-up a new industry, stating that I thought that a brewery would pay in
-Chillán, he changed his views and said that it would be quite the thing
-because the Julius Jenson brewery did not do a big enough business to
-satisfy the wants of the inhabitants, and that the inhabitants of the
-city had to import beer from Valdivia and Talca. He made an appointment
-to meet me the next day and brought with him the mayor of the city
-and some of the important officials. There was proposed to me that if
-I would build a brewery in Chillán, I should receive as a concession
-a track of land on the railroad besides an exemption from taxes for a
-number of years. They were very enthusiastic about the proposition. The
-governor also said that it would pay in Chillán to found a hypothecary
-agricultural bank. I doubt the feasibility of this because crops often
-go to waste on account of no market. My friend the doctor from Rancagua
-grew twenty thousand bushels of barley in 1916; of this he was only
-able to dispose of one carload.
-
-In 1916 there was a great railroad strike on the State Railroads of
-Chile; owing to it trains were invariably late and did not run nights.
-I was therefore obliged to stop off overnight at Curicó en route to
-Santiago. At the stations of San Carlos and Villa Alegre there were
-enough watermelons, here called _sandias_, piled up to supply the
-entire republic. There are no freight sheds at the stations large
-enough to store the crops about to be exported, so it is not uncommon
-for a farmer to have his whole grain crop spoiled by rain as it lies in
-sacks near the platforms.
-
-We arrived at Curicó at night and stopped at the Hotel Curicó, which
-is run in connection with the eating-house at the depot. It is a large
-brick old-fashioned building. The daughter of the landlady is one of
-the most attractive girls I have ever had the fortune of meeting, and
-in the two days that I was there I had a feeling for her that can be
-described as infatuation. She was rather tall and slender but well
-built, a brunette, and about twenty-two years old. She was also refined
-and possessed good sense. I did not try to become well acquainted with
-her as I had no desire to play with fire, but these attractions of hers
-I was able to perceive without intimate acquaintanceship.
-
-Curicó is the capital of the province of the same name. This province
-and that of Talca are the two poorest in Central Chile in agriculture,
-although the land is fertile and in some parts is highly cultivated.
-The city lies in the center of the Central Valley and owing to its
-geographical situation it has become quite a busy town. Its population
-in 1917 was 22,452 inhabitants against 17,573 in 1907. It is the
-twelfth city of Chile. Curicó has far better government, public and
-private buildings than Chillán, and its main streets teem with life.
-The streets are narrow and are paved with small sharp stones. The Calle
-Prat is the street that leads to the railroad station and is one of the
-main ones. Four blocks east of the station it is intersected by another
-main street which runs north and south. Following this street south
-one arrives at a beautiful plaza, on which is the severe but stately
-Capitol and several other large buildings which are of the Georgian
-type of architecture. Besides the Hotel Curicó, there are six or seven
-other hotels, the Central, the Comercio, etc. Of these the Central is
-the best. It has two patios above one of which is a grape trellis from
-which, when I saw it, dangled bunches of fruit, blue, red, and green.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII
-
-NORTHWARD TO ANTOFAGASTA BY RAIL. COPIAPÓ, ANTOFAGASTA, AND IQUIQUE
-
-
-I remained a couple of months in Santiago after returning from Chillán
-which I put in profitably by making excursions and foot tours to the
-nearby mountain canyons, visiting the small towns in the neighborhood
-and studying the business possibilities of the future as applied to the
-Chilean capital.
-
-One night as I sat having my shoes shined in a bootblack stand
-underneath the Portal Fernans on the south side of the Plaza de Armas,
-I noticed passing by an Englishman named Greenberg, an old acquaintance
-whom I last saw in Arequipa, Peru, in 1913. Greenberg was a salesman
-for the Browning Arms Company, originally hailing from Liverpool but
-had been quite a few years on the West Coast. In Arequipa we were
-introduced to a wealthy family named Larramendi and were frequent
-guests at their house. They had three charming daughters. One night
-while Greenberg and I were calling on the Larramendi girls, I overheard
-him proposing marriage to the oldest one, Felipa. I was considerably
-annoyed at this because Greenberg had already a wife and children in
-the old country. I upbraided him for his actions but was surprised when
-he answered me that he was sincere in his proposal and that since he
-and his wife did not get along very well together, he intended marrying
-Felipa and settling down in Arequipa. I knew that sooner or later he
-would be found out and as I did not care to be a witness of such an
-act towards a family that had shown me so much consideration, I quietly
-left Arequipa saying nothing to Greenberg about my departure.
-
-  [Illustration: Church in San Felipe]
-
-Now after an elapse of three years without having heard anything about
-the outcome, curiosity got the best of me so I hailed Greenberg. I
-invited him to a quiet café and heard his story.
-
-  [Illustration: City Hall, San Felipe]
-
-Greenberg married Felipa and shortly after the marriage, old Larramendi
-sent him with his bride to live on an upland estancia about fifty
-miles east of Arequipa in the high Andes, which estancia Greenberg
-became the manager of. He had lived there for two years rarely coming
-to Arequipa and had become the father of a child by this new union. He
-made considerable money for his father-in-law, who in turn gave him no
-salary nor wages, and this latter fact coupled with the life of ennui
-that he was leading caused him to have a talk with the old man about
-his future. He demanded a salary but this Larramendi refused to give
-him saying that he himself was an old man and would not live for more
-than fifteen years more, and that when he died Greenberg would inherit
-the bulk of his fortune on account of his business ability, so what
-more could he ask for?
-
-Greenberg than told Larramendi that if a change did not immediately
-forthcome, he would quit the managership of the estancia and would
-leave there with his wife to resume his old calling of salesman which
-paid him well.
-
-"If you do," said Larramendi, "I shall have you arrested for bigamy."
-
-"What is that you said?" yelled Greenberg, scarcely believing his own
-ears.
-
-Larramendi then went on and told him that he had carefully looked
-him up before inviting him to his house and had found out that he
-was married and had a wife and children in Liverpool whose address he
-had. He said that he did not care a rap for that part of the business
-for he wanted to see his daughters married to Anglo-Saxon stock. "It
-will improve the race," he said, "especially that of my own immediate
-family." He told Greenberg that for this reason and also for the fact
-that he knew him to be a good business man he had urged the marriage
-and was willing to keep his mouth shut provided Greenberg would keep
-on living as he had the past two years, but that if he attempted to
-run away he would have him arrested for bigamy. Greenberg returned
-home to the bleak mountain estancia and confessed the whole thing to
-Felipa. She stood by him and both thought out a scheme to get away. A
-year afterwards their plan matured when Larramendi was on a business
-trip to Lima. They went to Bolivia and thence to Chile where Greenberg
-obtained a position as manager of a mercantile house in Valparaiso.
-Fortunately for him, his first wife not having heard from him in over
-three years had divorced him on grounds of desertion and had married
-another man. Greenberg communicated this news by letter to Larramendi
-who was now inducing him by offers of a most lucrative salary to return
-to Arequipa. This Greenberg had so far refused to consider because he
-did not know what new trick Larramendi had in store for him.
-
-"You were lucky, Stephens," he said, "to have left Arequipa when you
-did. Larramendi was planning to catch you for his youngest daughter,
-and likewise had you looked up. He thought you would have made a good
-match for her and has many times deplored that you went away. He was
-very fond of you and I honestly believe Anastasia loved you and still
-hopes you will return. However if you married her, you would be in the
-same mess that I was in. Larramendi is not so old as he likes to make
-out and I doubt if he will cash in his checks for twenty-five years
-yet. That is a long time waiting for dead men's shoes. I am satisfied
-where I am and when I reached Chile I knew that I was safe for even if
-my first wife hadn't obtained a divorce the Peruvian extradition laws
-are a joke and the Chilean government would never have given me up to
-be sent back to Peru to stand trial for bigamy there."
-
-  [Illustration: Street in San Felipe]
-
-The time was approaching when I had to return to the United States;
-Prat was just as anxious to return to Barcelona, and Gumprecht
-was getting restless in Santiago and wanted to see more of Chile,
-especially the northern part. We accordingly made arrangements to go
-north by rail taking our time to the trip stopping off at different
-places. Prat and I had a great impedimenta of baggage constituting
-curiosities that we had collected on our travels besides live parrots,
-toads, turtles, etc. indigenous to South America not to mention a
-couple of trunks full of bulbs and seeds which I intended to experiment
-with by planting at home. We also had baskets, pottery, and Indian
-blankets. We did not care to be encumbered with them and as we met a
-roustabout in Santiago who was recommended to us for his honesty, and
-who was anxious to get to Lima to accept a position that was offered
-him there, but could not make the grade through lack of funds, we
-told him we would pay his passage to that port if he would take our
-baggage with him. This proposition he jumped at so we made arrangements
-for him to sail on a boat that was to leave Valparaiso the following
-month. That would make him reach Lima about the same time Prat and I
-would arrive. This roustabout's name was Angel Larrain. He was a tough
-looking customer about thirty-eight years old, was broad shouldered,
-and wore a full beard which he seldom kept trimmed. His facial
-appearance was adorned by an ugly scar on his right temple which he
-received in a saloon brawl some years previously in one of Valparaiso's
-waterfront dives.
-
-Not far out of our route northward are the Springs of Jahuel which are
-so well known that we determined to take them in. To reach them it is
-first necessary to take the train to San Felipe, three hours distant
-from either Santiago or Valparaiso, and then drive twelve and a half
-miles.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Almendraz]
-
-San Felipe, with a population of 14,426 inhabitants, is the capital and
-largest city of the Province of Aconcagua which lies directly north of
-the Province of Santiago. This large province is Andine in character
-although it extends to the ocean and in its confines are the highest
-mountains in Chile. It is semi-arid although in its narrow valleys the
-largest vineyards in the republic are located. It is famous for its
-wines and its chicha. This last is a sort of grape cider, muddy brown
-in color, sweet and heavy and is apt to give the partaker indigestion.
-It should not be confused with the chicha of Peru. Peruvian chicha is
-an alcoholic beverage made from cereals and is akin to moonshine or
-corn whiskey.
-
-San Felipe is a dull, old-fashioned town with a good hotel, the Europa.
-A couple of hours is sufficient to see all the attractions of the city
-unless the visitor is religiously bent for the city boasts of several
-large churches. The original city was square, its sides being about
-three-quarters of a mile long and was bounded by an alameda with a
-double drive on each side of a pedestrian promenade in the center. The
-trees between the roads and the walk are giant elms and maples. The
-city has outgrown its original boundary and extends some distance on
-the outward sides of the alameda; this growth has not been recent as
-can be testified by the crumbling appearance of the houses which are
-of adobe and have a height of but a single story. The appearance of the
-place is that of stagnation; a small brewery is the only manufacturing
-interest but like that of Julius Jenson in Chillán, its product does
-not meet the wants of the local trade.
-
-The plaza is lovely and cool which is a great contrast to the alameda
-where the dust is insupportable. In it are statues of mythological
-goddesses which are of Carrara marble. In its center is a fountain
-surrounded by a large round pool while in the plots of earth grows a
-profusion of calla lilies. There are also some fine palms and a great
-trumpet vine. Situated on the plaza is a big church. It is adobe and
-has a frame top and steeple. It is painted pink, and on its façade
-cracks caused by an earthquake are in evidence. The interior is poor
-and on its walls hang cheap paintings. When any prominent citizen dies
-a marble slab is mounted in the church for his memory. At the eastern
-end of the city is a papier maché imitation Grotto of Lourdes, the alms
-box at its gates being the most visible of its sights.
-
-The drive to Jahuel is devoid of interest. For a couple of miles the
-road runs eastward along a turnpike bordered by mud walls so high
-that it is impossible to see over them. The dust is terrible. Soon
-the village of Almendraz is reached with its narrow streets, ancient
-yellow church with a clock tower surmounted by a dome, and a Calvary
-on a high rock at the end of the main street. The turnpike has swung
-to the north and continues in this direction all the way to Jahuel. A
-large village named Santa Marta is traversed and the dry bed of a river
-is followed. Although there are plenty of small farms and the land is
-thickly settled, it is nevertheless a much poorer country than in the
-Central Valley. The mountains are devoid of all vegetation excepting
-a few sage bushes here and there. In the valley cactuses are abundant,
-but everything has a dry, parched look.
-
-Jahuel, which is the name given to the hotel, bathing establishment,
-and water is the property of Delano and Weinstein of Valparaiso.
-The place is sadly overrated. The hotel building is good and modern
-although the food at the meals is scarcely enough for a mouse; the
-rooms are small and plain, but clean. I remarked about the scantiness
-of the meals to the manager. "We can't have such luxuries as chicken
-every meal," he replied. "Nobody said anything about chicken," I
-retaliated; "anyhow who considers that a luxury in Chile when it is
-the commonest of meat? What I was kicking about is why you don't serve
-a square meal." A splendid vista of the Aconcagua Valley at one's feet
-can be had from the terrace and the verandas.
-
-The altitude of Jahuel is 3835 feet above sea level, but strange to say
-the nights are not cool. The water comes from the near by Los Pajaritos
-Springs and its bottled carbonated adulteration is shipped all over
-Chile. There is a swimming tank and a sun bath at the establishment. A
-South American sun bath is a boarded-in yard with some wooden benches
-on which people recline in the Garden of Eden garb. A partition divides
-the sun bath into spaces for both sexes, the men being on one side of
-the wall and the women on the other. Some young Actæons had placed a
-ladder against the partition on the men's side at Jahuel in order to
-gaze upon the contours of female figures on the women's side.
-
-  [Illustration: Jahuel]
-
-At the present time there is nothing to see at Jahuel. In ten years'
-time it may develop into a lovely park. The trees are too young yet to
-afford shade. The lawn and flower beds are well arranged but they are
-now in the transition stage between a desert and a garden spot. Many
-of the famous California health and society spots to which thousands
-of tourists make their invernal hegira were worse twenty years ago
-than Jahuel is to-day. The establishment savors of Teutonic cliques.
-The majority of guests are of German extraction and pair off into
-groups. Some of the maidens that nightly promenade the terrace are such
-past mistresses in the art of cigarette smoking that their bodies and
-clothes reek with the odor of nicotine. This does not appear to have
-the effect of depreciating their charms for on several occasions in the
-_bosque_ I inadvertently caught amorous swains clandestinely exchanging
-kisses with these foul-breathed virgins.
-
-One of the great advertised sights is the bosque. The word bosque
-means jungle of small trees. Trees are so scarce in that part of the
-country that when there is a similacrum of one it becomes famous and is
-advertised. This bosque is no better than a brush heap but it attracts
-visitors by a well-kept trail and painted signs. It is distant from
-the hotel by a seven and a half minutes' walk; nonagenarians walk it in
-fifteen minutes. The signs, therefore, read "To the Bosque of Quillayé,
-15 minutes." Nonagenarians leave more money at Jahuel than young people
-because the former are so old that they spend at least two weeks there,
-while the latter, driven to distraction by ennui rarely remain more
-than a day, unless to enjoy the attractions of the cigarette-smoking
-German maidens.
-
-It is possible to make the trip from Santiago to Pisagua, one of the
-northernmost ports of Chile by rail. Through trains run only as far
-as Iquique. It takes four days this way from Santiago to Iquique which
-includes a stop of one and a half hours at Illapel, a half hour's stop
-at La Serena, two and a half hours at Vallenar, one and a half hours at
-Copiapó, nine hours at Catalina, and four hours at Baquedano. Nineteen
-and a half hours are wasted at these stations yet the travel consumes
-less time than that by ocean steamer from Valparaiso to Iquique. I
-think that I am the first North American not officially connected with
-the railroad that made the trip as far as Antofagasta. The through
-train runs every Friday, and after the first day out the journey is
-most tedious and enervating, hot and dusty with vistas of the most
-desolate desert imaginable. I broke the journey at Copiapó, continuing
-thence by local trains.
-
-The Northern Longitudinal Railway begins at the town of La Calera
-which is on the Santiago-Valparaiso Railroad. As far as Copiapó it is
-a narrow gauge but after leaving that town it has three rails for some
-distance in order to carry both broad gauge and narrow gauge traffic.
-The original railroads of Chile which ran from the interior to the
-coast towns were all broad gauge and as it is cheaper to lay another
-rail inside the already existing two rails to accommodate narrow
-gauge traffic than to lay a new roadbed this triple rail phenomenon
-is met with in many places in Northern Chile. The train composed of
-two sleepers and other coaches leaves La Calera upon the arrival of
-the Santiago-Valparaiso express. To reach La Calera from San Felipe
-I was obliged to change cars at Llai-Llai midway between Santiago and
-Valparaiso. The first day's ride is interesting, although the country
-is sparsely populated and semi-arid. It is a continuous slowly winding
-up the canyons, passing through tunnels at the Coast Range summits,
-and a mad race around curves down other canyons. The first summit
-is reached an hour after leaving La Calera; the train goes through a
-tunnel under the pass of Palos Quemados and enters the Valley of La
-Ligua. This is followed upward to Cabildo where the river is crossed.
-Then by means of sharp zigzags another summit is reached and we descend
-into the fertile but narrow Valley of Petorca. The small city of
-Petorca lies about fifteen miles up the river of the same name beyond
-where we turn up the Estero de las Palmas (Palm Creek). This brook
-gets its name from the great abundance of palms which grow wild all
-over the sides of the mountains at its source. There are several of
-these palmares in Chile, which are botanical freaks for this particular
-mountain specie is found in their natural state nowhere else in South
-America. The largest of these palmares is that of Ocoa near La Calera;
-another one is at Concon, at the mouth of the Aconcagua River. They
-are valuable for their honey. A hole is drilled into the tree near its
-base, a tube is inserted and the sap is extracted which is made into
-honey.
-
-  [Illustration: Ocoa]
-
-Across the mountains north of the Estero de las Palmas is the mournful
-desolate mountain pocket of Tilama, the headwaters of the Quilimari
-River. The Indians hereabouts weave rugs, blankets, and table-cloths
-of a fine durable texture which are in great demand. They are red with
-white flower designs. The Tilama ridge is crossed and finally two more,
-one to the Pupio River and one to the Choapa River before darkness sets
-in.
-
-The Choapa is a fertile valley and the river of the same name forms
-the boundary line between the provinces of Aconcagua and Choapa. The
-Province of Choapa was created by an Act of Congress in December 1915,
-and to define it a large area of land was taken from the southern part
-of the Province of Coquimbo. Up to the time of this writing (1918)
-the limits of its various departments have not been defined. Illapel,
-the new capital, on a river of the same name was reached about 8 P.M.
-It has a population of about five thousand inhabitants and is filled
-with life owing to its sudden acquisition of importance. Salamanca
-and Combarbalá are the only other towns worthy of mention in the new
-province. Los Vilos in the Province of Aconcagua is the seaport of
-Illapel with which it is connected by railroad. I took a walk up the
-main street of Illapel. It is an old-fashioned town, very long and
-narrow. Its houses, mostly one story in height, are painted white. The
-streets were crowded and a band was playing.
-
-I awoke the next morning at Ovalle, a growing stock town in the
-southern part of the Province of Coquimbo. It had by the census
-of 1907, 6998 inhabitants but I understand that it has increased
-considerably in population since then. It lies on the Limari River
-just below the junctions of the Grande and the Hurtado rivers which
-uniting form the Limari. For its port it has Tongoi on the bay of the
-same name to which place it is connected by rail, but now much of the
-freight goes to Coquimbo. At Coquimbo, which was reached a couple of
-hours later, I obtained my first unhindered view of the Pacific Ocean
-on this South American trip. From Ancud on the Island of Chiloé, I
-could look across the great expanse of bay to the headlands which
-formed the promontories beyond which the ocean was, but owing to the
-rain the ocean proper there was invisible. Coquimbo is a busy and dirty
-port of 12,106 inhabitants and has no attractions such as possesses the
-eight miles distant city of La Serena, the capital of the Province of
-Coquimbo.
-
-La Serena is named in honor of the last viceroy of Peru. His name
-means serene. The city is also serene. It is one of the oldest towns
-in Chile, has 15,966 inhabitants and is admirably situated on a
-height of land overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Elqui
-River to the north. It is a quiet town of handsome buildings and is
-the residence of many retired men of wealth and of intellectuals. In
-this respect it can be compared with Paraná in Argentina and Graz in
-Austria. Its population has decreased slightly in recent years yet
-the city is stable and will always remain so. Its only industry is
-the Floto Brewery. To any Michiganders reading this book, I wish to
-call attention to the fact that it was visited in 1906 by Hon. Chase
-S. Osborn. The level country about La Serena and Coquimbo and the
-neighboring valleys are fertile and well-watered. Fields are given
-up to the cultivation of grain and vineyards abound. A native fruit
-named the pepina, akin to the papaya is grown and from it a soft
-drink is made which although palatable is rather insipid. About twenty
-miles south of the city among the foothills is the mineral spring of
-Andacollo famed locally, while thirty miles north of La Serena are the
-newly opened iron mines of La Higuera, controlled by North American
-capital.
-
-After leaving La Serena, the all-day ride northward to Vallenar is
-for the main part uninteresting although it has a recompense in the
-wild mountain scenery when the train winds up the canyon known as the
-Quebrada del Potrerillos. At nine o'clock at night, Vallenar the second
-city of the Province of Atacama was arrived at. The train was scheduled
-to remain here for two and a half hours but there was some trouble
-with the locomotive which kept us here all night and part of the next
-morning. It happened that a telegram had to be sent to Coquimbo for an
-extra locomotive to be sent up to Vallenar.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Vallenar]
-
-Vallenar is the original home of the patio process for the extraction
-of silver from the ore by means of crushing. Mercury is added forming
-an amalgam and the silver is obtained by heating the amalgam, which
-evaporates the mercury leaving as a residue the crude silver. It is
-no longer a mining-town but is the center of the fruit growing Huasco
-district. Figs of Huasco are famous. Quite a trade is carried on by
-the exportation of raisins, here named _tapas_. Vallenar has 5561
-inhabitants. It is on the Huasco River and is connected by rail with
-Freirina and the seaport, Huasco. It was pleasant to again see trees.
-It seldom rains in this region. When I alighted from the train at the
-railroad station there was such a heavy mist it resembled rain. It
-accumulated into drops where it had fallen on the leaves and as such
-fell onto the sidewalks. Near the depot is a large finca surrounded
-by gum and poplar trees, and the sound of running water in the
-irrigation ditches behind the high adobe walls was refreshing. It takes
-thirty-five minutes to walk the length of the main street, but the city
-is only six blocks wide. A half mile up this street is a plaza with a
-stagnant pool in its center where are gold fishes. A miniature Eiffel
-Tower whose top is crowned by an illuminated clock that does not keep
-time soars above a stand where an infantry band was playing. When a
-crowd had collected to listen to the music the band moved off up the
-street until it came to a moving picture show, whose proprietor had
-hired it for the evening as an advertisement. Nowhere in my travels
-have I seen so many bands both military and private as in Chile.
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda in Copiapó]
-
-  [Illustration: Monument Erected in Honor of Atacama's Illustrious Dead,
-   Copiapó]
-
-The streets of Vallenar are narrow, and although lighted with
-electricity, they are dark. The city is ancient in appearance and as
-one passes by the gloomy structures in the misty night, a feeling is
-present that one of the doors leading into the adobe hovels might open
-and that the pedestrian will be yanked by unknown hands inside, where
-he will be robbed and murdered by disembowelment which is the favorite
-trick among Chileno thugs. Vallenar has not the street life of Illapel,
-yet I must say in its favor that never elsewhere in a town of its size
-have I seen so much beauty among women.
-
-  [Illustration: Main Street of Copiapó
-
-   The building at the left is the city hall. It is also used for
-   moving-picture shows]
-
-At Copiapó I stayed four days. It is the capital of the Province
-of Atacama and has a population of 10,287 inhabitants although it
-looks considerably larger. Fifty years ago it had fourteen thousand
-inhabitants. At that time it was a mining center, and much of the
-wealth among the leading families of Santiago to-day has its origin
-from mines formerly located here. The railroad to the fifty-two miles
-distant seaport of Caldera was opened to traffic in 1850 and is one of
-the oldest in South America. The original locomotive used is now to be
-seen in the National Museum at Santiago.
-
-The city is situated in an oasis in the desert; this oasis is
-twenty-five miles long by two miles broad and is cultivated to an
-amazing degree. It is traversed by the turbulent muddy and narrow
-Copiapó River which furnishes irrigation to the many _quintas_.
-Peaches, figs, grapes, and apricots grow in profusion as do also
-loquats and other local fruits whose names are unfamiliar to me. A
-specie of willow is indigenous to the valley which in form is not
-unlike a Lombardy poplar and from a distance is often mistaken for one
-of them.
-
-The environs of the city have a decidedly oriental appearance due to
-the high mud garden walls which shut off from the passer-by the rich
-verdure of the enclosed terrain, making the only objects visible to
-him the dusty windowless backs of sheds with an occasional tree rising
-above an adobe wall.
-
-  [Illustration: Main Street of Copiapó]
-
-Copiapó is retrogressant and will become even more so. Work has
-long since stopped at the mines and the only thing that keeps the
-place alive is that it is the capital of a province. If asked for a
-description of the city, I would say that it is an old adobe town in
-an oasis surrounded by barren mountains, with a broad alameda bordered
-with giant pepper trees. This brief description is accurate. The pepper
-trees are the largest I have ever seen and some of them are nearly
-eight feet in diameter. The alameda has an abundance of statues to
-Atacama heroes with a soldiers' monument to the illustrious Atacama
-dead. The house roofs rise to a slight gable and nearly all are of
-adobe. This mode of construction could not be possible in a country
-where rain falls frequently, because in 1915 when there was a hard
-rainfall in Copiapó, the first time that it had rained in eight years,
-many of the roofs became mud puddles and were washed in.
-
-  [Illustration: Outskirts of Copiapó
-
-   Note the Oriental setting]
-
-There are only two hotels in the Atacama metropolis, the Atacama and
-the Ingles. I stopped at the former which is the best. It is owned by
-a Boer named Bosman who married a native woman. Since the proprietor
-finds mining more profitable than hotel business, he leaves the
-management of his inn in the charge of his younger son. The hotel
-is fair as well as the meals, although it has none of the modern
-conveniences. The primitive privy is reached by crossing a barnyard
-and is a favorite place for poultry which roost here. I discovered a
-tarantula on the seat. To reach this place one has to run the gauntlet
-of semi wild swine some of which were ugly. The Ingles is owned by
-a native who is the son of a once famous Spanish opera singer. This
-man thinks well of himself although his only claim for distinction is
-evidenced by a disgusting ringworm on his right cheek which is larger
-than a dollar. In his emporium coarse obscene jests and loud words are
-the order of the day. There are only two bars in Copiapó and these are
-in each of the hotels. It is needless to say that the proprietor of the
-Ingles does the most business in that line because he consumes half of
-his sales. Copiapó is a poor saloon town because the natives make their
-own wine and chicha. They often repair to a section of the oasis named
-the Chimba, where they roast a lamb, hog or an ox and there amidst a
-copious supply of fermented beverages indulge in an orgy that baffles
-description.
-
-  [Illustration: Hovels on the Outskirts of Copiapó]
-
-Some of the hovels near the river bank are the extremity of poverty.
-Any self-respecting sow in the United States would shun these shanties
-of mud, straw, and tin cans which here house Atacama's humblest
-natives. The open space in front of these hovels are littered with
-bones, garbage, dead rats, and excrement.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemetery, Copiapó]
-
-The cemetery is lugubrious, and in many a grave there is a cavity
-beneath the tombstone where can be seen the grinning skull of its
-occupant. It was founded in 1848 and a motto over the entrance denotes
-it as a place of peace. I cannot realize how this motto is appropriate
-because visitors are constantly perturbing the bones with their canes.
-The hook and ladder and fire engine date from 1868 but the Matriz or
-large church on the Plaza Arturo Prat antedates it fifty years. It is a
-large edifice with a square tower of New England colonial architecture.
-The church of San Francisco is after the style of the French Cathedral
-at New Orleans. Although the city has but a population of slightly
-over ten thousand inhabitants, it nevertheless boasts of five daily
-newspapers, none of which by the way are worth reading as their columns
-deal solely with local events such as a man stumbling on a toad and
-spraining his ankle, etc.
-
-Taking a walk with Gumprecht down the railroad track we saw behind a
-wall a large tree laden with luscious purple figs. We climbed upon the
-wall to reach some when I noticed a girl driving some sheep across a
-trestle. I called Gumprecht's attention. He was startled thinking the
-owner of the quinta was coming and fell from the wall into the garden.
-In falling he accidentally tripped me up and I took a header in the
-opposite direction landing me into a bush which had prickly burrs
-which littered my clothing, clinging tenaciously to them. In extracting
-them I got my hands full of the barbed nettles which these burrs were
-composed of. As I fell I heard a yell from the other side of the wall
-and upon climbing it again saw that Gumprecht was having a lively
-fight with an enraged bull dog which had bitten him a couple of times.
-I came to his rescue with my revolver. In the meantime Gumprecht had
-drawn his revolver and between us we made short work with the bull dog.
-The shooting aroused the neighborhood and we could see farm laborers
-running to the scene with pitchforks. We took to our heels and finally
-hid by lying down in a dry irrigation ditch where we remained half an
-hour. When the hunt had somewhat subsided we struck out for the town by
-a detour but lost ourselves at a river which we forded. We started up
-a trail between some Kaffir corn when we suddenly came to another fig
-tree. When we were devouring this fruit we were caught by the owner of
-this quinta which was a full mile from the one where the bull dog was.
-We offered to pay him for it, but in excellent English he told us to
-help ourselves.
-
-This man was Professor Platner, president of the Chile College of Mines
-whose three-story yellow institution we could see through the trees.
-He was a German, had lost a fortune in mining, owned a fine quinta,
-had lived in Copiapó for twenty-five years and was anxious to sell out
-and get away on account of being tired of the place. He showed us his
-quinta, gave us all the fruit we could eat, and revealed to us much
-information about the mining past and present in the province. He had
-installed an ore crusher on his place which he rented to miners on
-the percentage system. It was the Chilean process of gold extracting
-originated at Copiapó. There were several stone bottom tubs each
-holding a wheel perpendicular to the base and which is revolved by
-means of a large horizontal wheel which fits into grooves. The large
-wheel is set into motion by water power from the river. The tubs are
-filled with a layer of ore and the crushing begins; mercury and water
-are then added. The mercury and the gold form an amalgam which is
-carried off by a pipe into another tub along with the water. After
-straining, the amalgam is put into a retort which is heated at its
-base. The mercury escapes through a tube and is caught in a pail of
-water to be used again. Platner said that either gold or copper was
-mined according to the value of copper. When copper falls below fifty
-pesos a ton, gold is mined. At the time of my visit, copper was worth
-112 pesos a ton.
-
-During the colonial times the silver mines in the neighborhood of
-Copiapó were worked by the Spaniards, and it is said that more than
-twenty thousand Indians were exterminated through overwork in these
-mines. About four generations ago these mines became the properties of
-about a dozen individuals, most of whom lived in Santiago. They were
-worked successfully until they died. The mineral property was then
-divided among their heirs and when these heirs died, there were other
-divisions among new heirs. On account of these divisions work soon
-ceased. Now in order for a man to get a clean title to any of this
-mineral property all the heirs have to agree to the sale and there
-are a multitude scattered all over the world which makes getting a
-deed nearly impossible. There have been instances when nearly all the
-heirs were found and agreed to a sale only to have it held up at the
-last minute by one or more parties backing out. A bill is before the
-Chilean senate for the state to take over all mineral lands that have
-not been worked for fifty years; if it passes these mines will again be
-in operation.
-
-Copiapó boasts of one millionaire. He lives in a ramshackle
-salmon-colored house of stuccoed adobe which has been cracked by
-an earthquake. The city is also the birthplace of Martin Rivas, the
-hero of Blest-Gana's novel _Martin Rivas_ which is considered to be a
-classic of Spanish literature.
-
-From Copiapó northward the longitudinal railroad to Iquique runs over
-a great arid desert winding its way across sandy plateaus hemmed in
-by barren mountains. The southern part of this desolation is named the
-Atacama Desert and here on the high mountainsides are seen the shafts
-and settlements of the gold and copper mines. Dulcinea is the first
-large mine reached. San Pedro is reached in the afternoon and later
-on Pueblo Hundido, the junction for Chañaral, and the headquarters
-of the Andes Copper Company. The next morning the train arrives at
-Catalina, the junction for Taltal and now enters the nitrate country.
-The same day it stops at Aguas Blancas, the junction for Antofagasta,
-Chuquicamata, the newly opened copper mining town of the Guggenheim
-interests, and Bolivia. The railroad from Catalina northward goes
-through the center of the nitrate country and has several branches
-running down to the seaports such as that from Toco to Tocopilla. Toco
-is passed in the middle of the night as well as Quillagua, the last
-mentioned place being an oasis in the Desert of Tararugal. Pintados
-which is reached forty-eight hours after leaving Copiapó is the
-terminus of the longitudinal railway and here trains must be changed
-for Iquique and Pisagua, the northernmost nitrate port.
-
-Although my ticket was bought for Iquique, I was obliged to leave
-the train at Aguas Blancas and go direct to Antofagasta. I had the
-misfortune to break a blood vessel in my right foot in Copiapó shortly
-before boarding the train, which dolorous accident was due to the
-injury I received when a rock hit my foot as I was trying to escape
-from the catapult of stones that were shot from the crater of Volcano
-Chillán. I consider that my quickness in reaching Antofagasta was what
-saved me from crossing the River Lethe. I was flat on my back in that
-prosperous seaport for three weeks.
-
-Antofagasta, the commercial metropolis of Northern Chile has a
-population of 60,297 inhabitants although it does not look nearly so
-large. It is the fourth city of Chile and has in recent years taken
-away much of Iquique's trade, although the latter place does not appear
-to be dull. The downtown business streets of Antofagasta are paved
-with asphalt and work is now under way to pave the whole city. Sewers
-have been extended and the mule power street cars have been discarded
-for autobuses; a man named Yankovich having obtained the concession
-for this means of passenger traffic. The old buildings of adobe,
-wood, corrugated iron, and stuccoed cane are fast being replaced with
-metropolitan structures of brick and cement. Among these new edifices
-can be mentioned the city hall, the fire department, the Mercantile
-Bank of Bolivia, the Victoria Theater, and Luksic's Hotel Belmont.
-
-The city from being a pestilential port in the past is now scrupulously
-clean, although in its suburbs improvements can be made. The
-municipality has waged war against the butchers and vegetable dealers
-compelling them to screen their goods from the flies. Protesting mass
-meetings were of no avail. A new railroad station has been built on
-the heights above the city and the old ramshackle wooden structure
-which is an eyesore to the city will be torn down to make way for the
-opening of a new street. Antofagasta is proud of its cemetery. To me
-it is a nightmare. Most of the graves are marked with wooden crosses
-painted white, many of them being enclosed by picket fences. The bodies
-of the poor are thrown naked into a pit and covered with quicklime.
-The stench emanating from this spot is appalling and the litters for
-the transportation of the cadavers which are much in evidence in this
-neighborhood do not add any attraction to the scene.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza Colon, Antofagasta]
-
-In 1910 a mania struck each resident foreign colony to donate to the
-city a reminder of themselves. The British colony erected an ornate and
-useful clock tower in the Plaza Colon; in the same park the Spaniards
-built a bronze monument signifying the Union of the Waters; the Slavs
-built a bandstand. In the Plaza Sotomayor the Germans erected a column
-to Germania, and the Greeks gave a statue of a couple of wrestlers. The
-Chinamen donated the expensive entrance to the cemetery while the Turks
-gave the city the benches which are in the parks. The North Americans
-are not represented in these donations, because at that time the city
-had only one of our countrymen as a resident, Mr. William Stevenson,
-and it could not be expected that he himself would pay out of his own
-pocket a sum of money equivalent to what a whole colony did out of
-theirs.
-
-  [Illustration: Provincial Capitol Building, Antofagasta]
-
-The best hotel in Antofagasta is that named the Francia y Inglaterra
-of Nowick and Dutrey; the Grand and the Belmont are also good. On
-Sunday Antofagasta is drier than a powder horn; at least it is supposed
-to be. But like in most towns where unwelcome laws are imposed on
-the people, they are made to be broken. I judged this to be the case
-here from the number of Sunday "drunks" that I saw being led off to
-jail, or else encumbering the sidewalks of the suburbs by reclining
-on them in a horizontal position. The lid goes on promptly at five
-o'clock Saturday afternoon and the clamp is not taken off until eight
-o'clock Monday morning. For violations of the liquor law the names of
-those men arrested for being drunk during this period of drought are
-published in the Monday newspapers and stiff fines are imposed upon the
-vendors of liquid refreshments that contain an alcoholic percentage. On
-Sunday, April 30, 1916, 120 saloon proprietors were fined for selling
-drinks. The Quinta Casale proprietor was fined 1000 pesos (about
-$200.00), the proprietor of the Hotel Maury was fined 500 pesos and
-another saloon-keeper the same amount. One Saturday night during this
-enforcement while I was a guest at the Hotel Francia y Inglaterra,
-the three _mozos_ of the second floor of the hotel got hold of a case
-of Guinness' stout to which they proceeded to make short shift of. In
-their inebriated condition they started a fight which at first was as
-near to the Marquis of Queensbury rules as a triangular affair of its
-kind could be. It soon developed into a rough and tumble and all the
-participants were put _hors de combat_. This occurred during the dinner
-hour and the unedifying expletives used which generally accompany such
-a fracas were audible to the diners much to the mortification of Nowick
-and Dutrey. One of the combatants repaired home where he attempted
-to assail his better half with his fist; she retaliated by seizing a
-chair and breaking his head. I related this affair to a North American,
-a Mr. Rowe, a resident of Antofagasta. Rowe then told me that a year
-previous in La Paz, Bolivia, he was stopping at the Hotel Guibert. Mr.
-Guibert did him a trick that angered him, so he in turn filled up all
-the servants of Guibert's hotel to get even. For a whole day there was
-no service at the Hotel Guibert for all the domestics from the manager
-to the cook were roaring drunk and all the guests were forced to seek
-other quarters.
-
-One of the famous characters of Northern Chile and Bolivia was a brutal
-bully named McAdoo who was continuously quarreling with everybody. He
-died in 1915, and on his tombstone in Antofagasta his acquaintances had
-the inscription carved: "May he rest in peace."
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Antofagasta]
-
-In 1916 the Antofagasta public was indignant at the way some of its
-indigent dead were handled. When an unknown man or a pauper died, he
-was dumped into a sack and a carter was hired to carry the bundle to
-the cemetery. These carts are two-wheeled open affairs. If the cemetery
-happened to be closed, the carter was apt to drop his unwholesome
-burden anywhere. Two or three of these lichs were found tied up in
-sacks in different parts of the city during my sojourn in Antofagasta,
-which perpetration was severely excoriated by the newspapers. Speaking
-of it to Captain Rowlands of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's
-steamship _Guatemala_, he related to me an incident which happened on
-his ship.
-
-A man died of bubonic plague in one of the nitrate ports but before
-dying he told a relative that he wished to be buried in Santiago.
-This relative was returning to that city so he tied the corpse in a
-sack and carried it on shipboard. As the lower-class Chilenos all
-carry their possessions in burlap sacks slung across their backs
-while traveling, he managed to get his burden on board unnoticed. He
-stowed it underneath his berth, but the odor was such that he could
-not sleep so he made friends with the bartender and hired him to hide
-it until the ship reached Valparaiso. The bartender placed the cadaver
-underneath the sink in the service bar. The next day Captain Rowlands
-smelt a stench while he was making the inspection, and opening the door
-of the sink discovered the body, which he had thrown overboard. The
-frightened bartender owned up to his part of the transaction but the
-passenger, the relative of the defunct when taken to task retaliated
-by threatening the captain with arrest upon the ship's arrival at
-Valparaiso. Rowlands told him that he could start anything he wanted
-to, but if any arresting was to be done, it would be the passenger who
-would be arrested for breaking Chile's sanitary law.
-
-The harbor of Antofagasta is never quiet owing to a heavy swell and a
-project is now on hand to build a breakwater. I boarded the _Guatemala_
-at that port with a ticket for Iquique. It had been over three years
-since I was a passenger on that boat and the great improvement on
-it was marvelous. In 1913 the food, service, and filth on it were so
-abominable, combined with the slipshod actions of the officers, that I
-made up my mind never to embark upon it again. Since Captain Rowlands
-has been its skipper everything has changed, and it is now one of the
-cleanest and most comfortable steamers on the coast. The food cannot
-be beaten. One of the passengers on board I found to be Angel Larrain,
-the efficient but villainous looking bearded roustabout whom Prat and
-I had delegated to bring our baggage to Lima upon consideration of his
-passage.
-
-The morning after leaving Antofagasta we arrived at Gatico, a copper
-port, where the mountains came down to the ocean. About a league south
-of it was seen the small village of Copoapa on a narrow sandy plain
-at the foot of the barren cliffs. Gatico and Tocopilla are the only
-towns on the Pacific Coast of South America where copper is found near
-to the ocean. There is a smelter at Gatico and it is up a canyon here
-that run the wires of the electrical power plant at Tocopilla to the
-Chuquicamata mines.
-
-Tocopilla is a two hours' run north of Gatico. We reached it in the
-early afternoon and remained there all night taking on cargo. According
-to the last census it had 5366 inhabitants, although it does not appear
-to have half that number of people. Next to Salaverry and Mollendo it
-is the vilest hole that I have ever stepped foot into, although I am
-told that it is a paradise compared to Pisagua. It is a long, narrow
-place, built on a sandy fringe between the mountains and the sea. Its
-houses are mostly one-story frame shacks, the majority unpainted.
-A point juts into the ocean off which are two small guano islands.
-Near the end of the point is the large electrical power plant of the
-Chuquicamata mines. It gets its power from the ocean, a tunnel having
-been dug out under the water and thence upwards so as to cause great
-pressure. There has been much trouble on account of the tunnel getting
-clogged with seaweed. The Siemens-Schukert Company of Germany installed
-the machinery, which has given such poor satisfaction that I understand
-the Chuquicamata Mining Company (Guggenheim interests) have taken it
-over under protest.
-
-Tocopilla has a comparatively large German element, most of the male
-members being employees of the Sloman Copper Smelter. This plant is on
-the side of a mountain and some of its mines are visible from the port.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tocopilla]
-
-The town is not only exceedingly wretched in appearance but also has
-the reputation of being pestilential. The captain of the Chilean
-vessel _Condor_ landed here in 1912 sick with the yellow fever.
-He recovered but this pestilence nearly wiped out the whole town.
-There is no verdure of any description hereabouts with the exception
-of a few plants in front of the houses, the country being a sandy
-and a stony waste; the same is true about Antofagasta, yet in both
-places mosquitoes thrive. This yellow fever epidemic was singular
-because south of Lima the West Coast of South America has always been
-absolutely free from it. In 1915 Tocopilla was a closed port for four
-months on account of bubonic plague, which is ever present in the
-seaport towns from La Serena northward to Panama.
-
-In company with Mr. B. Brice of Valparaiso, accountant for the Pacific
-Steam Navigation Company, I took a walk to the cemetery. The two gates
-were locked so we started to walk around it to see if there was another
-entrance. Since walking was obnoxious in its neighborhood on account
-of tin cans and nondescript rubbish, we made a detour by going out
-onto the plain. Suddenly our nostrils were assailed by a disgusting
-odor which caused us to hold our breath. "Look here," said Mr. Brice,
-pointing to a myriad of mounds which we had previously taken to be
-rubbish piles; we found that they were graves for at the head of some
-were wooden crosses and desiccated bouquets.
-
-"I believe that we are in the yellow fever burial ground," I said.
-
-"Possibly," answered Mr. Brice. "Let us ask that individual,"
-indicating a man in the distance who was scraping with a stick among
-the mounds and whose actions savored of those of a ghoul.
-
-Upon asking the "individual," whose appearance was that of a
-degenerate, we were informed that we were in the bubonic plague
-graveyard.
-
-"The yellow fever cemetery is there," he exclaimed, pointing with
-evident pride to a large square enclosure bristling with white crosses.
-
-The degenerate creature was carrying a burlap sack which he dragged
-on the ground. Through a large hole in it, we saw red meat and the
-knee-cap of some animal.
-
-"What have you got there?" I asked.
-
-The degenerate pointed to the distant carcasses of mules rotting in the
-sun and above which soared carrion. Said he:
-
-"I have just cut off a hock of mule."
-
-"What for?"
-
-"To eat. One must live, of course."
-
-This disgusting habit of feeding on the carcasses of animals that
-have died a natural death or through disease is prevalent among
-the inhabitants of the arid zones of Peru and Northern Chile; where
-probably nowhere else on earth is the human race so degraded.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemeteries at Tocopilla
-
-The mounds in the foreground are the graves of the victims of bubonic
-plague. The white wall in the distance encloses the burial ground of
-the people who died of yellow fever in the epidemic of 1912. These
-gruesome cemeteries are the pride of the natives of the wretched town
-of Tocopilla.]
-
-Shortly after leaving Tocopilla, I chancing to be on the starboard
-deck of the _Guatemala_ ran into the bearded ruffian Angel in deep
-conversation with an English divine. He was gesticulating during his
-conversation and would occasionally point towards land in the direction
-of the cemeteries fast vanishing in the distance. I walked up to the
-pair, and after turning the topic of conversation to things commonplace
-when I approached, Angel made some excuse and disappeared.
-
-"A real brilliant man that," said the Anglican, turning to me. "It is
-curious how often a rough exterior reveals great brains."
-
-"How do you mean?" I inquired.
-
-"You noticed that uncouth bearded man in conversation with me when you
-approached. A person unacquainted with him would imagine him to be one
-of the great number of vagabonds that abound on this coast. He belies
-his appearance for he is a distinguished professor of the University of
-Buenos Aires. He is making a tour of the West Coast towns studying the
-causes of bubonic plague. He is a member of the Argentine Commission
-on Bubonic Plague and many interesting things he has told me about this
-malady that I have never heard of before."
-
-I did not spoil Angel's story by revealing to the Anglican his real
-nature. The roustabout had been listening to a conversation the
-previous evening between Captain Rowlands, Mr. Brice, an English
-army officer, and myself about bubonic plague and had remembered
-everything he heard. Owing to this knowledge he was able to carry on a
-fairly intellectual exchange of words on the subject with the English
-minister.
-
-The so-called harbor of Iquique is no more than a roadstead with a
-barrier of rocks jutting into the ocean, which breaks in two places
-forming narrow entrances to a natural basin. The waves beat with
-violence against the rocks so the _fleteros_, as the boatmen are
-called, are obliged to wait until a wave has broken and then by quick
-rowing speed past the entrances before another wave has the chance to
-dash against the barrier.
-
-Iquique's population numbers 46,216. In 1907 its population was 40,171,
-which shows that although Antofagasta has taken away a great deal of
-its trade, yet the city has had a slight increase. There is a great
-rivalry between the two cities which is soon bound to cease on account
-of Antofagasta having a good commercial future ahead of it. The nitrate
-industry of Iquique is on the wane, and is now confined to the Iquique
-and the Pisagua pampas while that of Antofagasta is in its prime.
-As a residential place most people prefer Iquique; there is a large
-British colony here and the foreigners are of a better class; among the
-foreigners in Antofagasta the Slavs (mostly from Croatia and Dalmatia)
-predominate and these were originally the scum of their countries. In
-Iquique's favor also are better residences, pretty plazas, and a fine
-_malecon_ or sea boulevard with a nice beach. Nevertheless I prefer
-Antofagasta because it is cleaner, its streets are paved, its buildings
-are more substantial, and it does not seem so remote, having better
-railroad facilities.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Iquique]
-
-Iquique is built in the form of a square on a sandy point of land.
-All of its buildings are frame, many of them being painted brown or
-dark red. Quite a few have ornamental balconies, some being of Moorish
-design. The streets, on some of which run horse cars, are narrow and
-straight. Many have irregularities for some buildings are set farther
-back than others and the curbs in these places likewise recede. The
-main street is named Tarapacá from the province of which Iquique is
-the capital, while the next important commercial street is that named
-Anibal Pinto. Ordinarily the dust on these thoroughfares would be
-insupportable, but the municipality has inaugurated the sprinkling of
-the streets with sea water. This causes much dampness in places where
-the sun does not reach.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Iquique]
-
-Like most of the West Coast towns of the arid zone, Iquique is devoid
-of edificial interest. It has, however, an imposing opera house, a good
-city hall, a Moorish tower in the center of the plaza, and a rather
-pretty cemetery, besides some good residences, that of the governor
-with broad verandas and large plate glass windows being the finest.
-The Hotel Phoenix, owned by an Italian, Sorbini, is not at all bad. Here
-and in Tacna no fruit is served with the meals provided by the hotel,
-but native women perambulate between the tables carrying baskets from
-which they sell fruit to the diners. Sometimes these greasy hags become
-insulting when a guest refuses to buy from them.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemetery, Iquique]
-
-Late at night of the evening after leaving Iquique the lights of
-two towns close together were visible on shore. These were Junin and
-Pisagua, the last mentioned being a few miles north of its neighbor.
-Pisagua is a nitrate port with 4089 inhabitants. Bubonic plague was
-formerly so bad there that the town had to be burned down twice.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII
-
-ARICA TO ILO OVERLAND, VIA TACNA, TARATA, AND MOQUEGUA
-
-
-Arica is seven hours north of Pisagua. Its population is 4886. It is
-the pleasantest port on the rainless coast for in its neighborhood is
-verdure due to irrigation from the Lluta River. It looks nice from the
-steamer's deck, which appearance is not belied by a visit to the lower
-town. The upper town, which extends to the desert, is a compactly built
-place of low buildings, but is far superior to the other coast towns
-of its size. In the lower town are the banks, shipping offices, and
-government buildings. Its streets are bordered with pepper trees and it
-has two cool and pleasant plazas in one of which the Italian residents
-have erected a bust to Columbus. Arica is the port of the provincial
-capital, Tacna, but its present importance is due to the opening in
-1913 of a railroad to La Paz, Bolivia, of which city it is also a port.
-A traveler is carried to the Bolivian metropolis in twenty-four hours
-over a pass thirteen thousand feet high.
-
-One of the first things that I did when I arrived in Arica was to go to
-the steamship office to find out about the sailings of the ships on the
-Chilean Line and of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. The agent for
-both these lines was the American consul, a man whose name I believe
-was Smith. As I was waiting for information, Smith himself appeared and
-he was in an ugly mood. He was a thin blonde man about fifty years old,
-bespectacled, and had red blotches on his face which showed that he was
-a heavy drinker. In fact he stunk of liquor. He was an Englishman and
-was acting as representative for the United States.
-
-  [Illustration: Custom House, Arica
-
-   This building was designed and built by Eiffel, who built the tower
-   named after him in Paris.]
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Arica
-
-   This is in the upper town.]
-
-"Can't you read the schedule?" he inquired, indicating a time card
-which hung on the wall of the outer office.
-
-"Yes, but owing to the ships being overcrowded, I want to make
-reservations."
-
-"Wait until the ship arrives, then we will sell you a ticket," he
-answered hastily and then left the room. This was a nice fix because if
-I returned to Arica a few hours before sailing, it might happen that
-there would be so much loading and unloading of merchandise that it
-would be too late for me to buy my ticket after getting my passports
-viséd. There was no use of arguing with such self-important and
-gin-soaked individuals as Smith so I went away trusting to chance. It
-turned out that I did not return to Arica to catch the steamer because
-I traveled overland to Ilo, the port of Moquegua in Peru. A half hour
-after leaving the shipping office I saw Smith coming out of a _cantina_
-or saloon in the lower town and after walking for about a block he
-entered another one. Later on in the afternoon, happening to be in the
-barroom of the Hotel Francia, I arrived in time to see him gulp down
-a tumbler of gin and follow it up with a brandy chaser. I stepped up
-to him and offered to treat him, mainly to see what mood he would be
-in, and was surprised to hear him acquiesce by ordering a half pint of
-Guinness' stout. This performance he kept up all day and I was told by
-the brother of the hotel proprietress that it was a daily trick of his.
-
-When the _Guatemala_ anchored at Arica a French Calvinist minister,
-Dr. Petit, came on board to visit one of the passengers, the Reverend
-McLaughlin, a Methodist Episcopal minister from Buenos Aires.
-McLaughlin introduced me to Petit and during the following days at
-both Arica and Tacna I became fairly well acquainted with him. Petit
-had a degree as a physician but changed his profession to that of
-minister of the gospel. He had done considerable missionary work in
-South America and had a church in Arica where he preached. He did not
-believe in war but was a strong advocate for divorce; in fact he was
-contemplating divorcing his wife whom he claimed was unfaithful. He was
-at the present prevented from doing so because there is no divorce law
-in South America excepting Uruguay, and he did not have enough money
-to go to Montevideo to start proceedings. He also informed me that if
-the husband of the proprietress of the Hotel Francia was onto his job
-he would divorce her because that woman had driven him to distraction
-by her amours and her extravagances, so that to avoid domestic scenes
-the poor fellow had returned to France, hoping to be killed in battle
-to relieve him of his mental anguish. The husband I understand is an
-officer. Petit was a truly conscientious man and was wrapped in his
-work as missionary; he did not practice religion as a cloak to cover
-his sins. In build he was an athlete.
-
-None of Arica's hotels are highly recommendable although the Hotel
-de France, or Francia as the natives call it, is the best. It is run
-by an accommodating peroxide or lemon juice blonde Frenchwoman about
-forty years old who is heartily sick of Arica and is anxious to sell
-out. This is the woman whom Dr. Petit had no respect for. The real
-manager of the hotel is her brother, a good-for-nothing, powerfully
-built creature about her age whose chief pleasure is to emulate Smith's
-example by overindulgence in alcoholic refreshments and to argue and
-quarrel with the guests.
-
-A landmark for miles around is the solitary rock named the Morro de
-Arica which towers above the town. It is a duplicate of Gibraltar,
-and was one of Peru's last strongholds during the Pacific War. It was
-defended in 1880 by a regiment of Bolognesi's troops under Colonel
-Uguarte. In the face of a violent storm of rifle bullets, the Chilenos
-took the Morro by landing a short distance down the coast and climbing
-it from behind. When Uguarte saw that he had lost he spurred his horse
-to the brink of the precipice and jumped to his death several hundred
-feet below. Many of his followers did likewise because the Chilenos
-had the reputation of taking no captives. The Morro is now strongly
-fortified. People are forbidden to make its ascent and the day before
-I arrived two men were thrown into jail for attempting it. In front
-of the Morro is a small, low guano island. It is used as a fort and is
-honeycombed so that it can hold a force of five hundred men.
-
-The day after we arrived a northbound Chilean steamer put into the
-harbor of Arica. On it was Kermit Roosevelt returning to the United
-States after having spent some time in the employ of the National City
-Bank at Buenos Aires. We did not know he was on the ship until walking
-down one of the streets a man breathlessly hurried towards us and asked
-us if either one of us were Señor Roosevelt. Thinking that some wag had
-told the gentleman one of us was Teddy, Prat answered saying that he
-was Colonel Roosevelt. Now Prat is a slender, medium-sized man about
-thirty years old and clean shaven and I cannot understand what kind of
-an ass that Arica gentleman was when he accepted Prat's statement and
-believed him. He stated that there was a delegation already to meet
-him and that he himself would accompany him to the _cabildo_ where a
-banquet was being arranged. A crowd gathered around Prat and would have
-carried him off by force if an Italian blacksmith had not appeared on
-the scene who had seen Colonel Roosevelt and told the natives that a
-joke was being played on them.
-
-  [Illustration: Capitol Building at Tacna]
-
-The province of Tacna, the most northern in Chile, formerly belonged
-to Peru. At the close of the Pacific War in 1880, Chile, the victor
-over Peru and Bolivia, annexed to her already long seacoast the
-Bolivian province Antofagasta and the Peruvian province Tarapaca;
-Tacna it was only supposed to annex temporarily. Chile was to occupy
-it for twenty years; a vote of the inhabitants was then to be taken
-to determine which country it should go to. Thirty-eight years have
-passed by and still no vote has been taken. The chances are that it
-will always remain Chilean. To keep it so, Chile has seven regiments in
-the province, five of which are stationed at Tacna, the capital city.
-The present government has tried to Chilenize the province by planting
-within its confines men from the south of the republic so that even in
-the event of a vote, which is doubtful, the majority will be in favor
-of the present ownership. It is another Alsace and Lorraine question
-because Peru is always thinking of the day when it will get it back and
-its inhabitants are Peruvian sympathizers. Peru even goes through the
-sham of having Tacna and Arica represented in its congress at Lima.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tacna Showing Earthquake Proof Houses]
-
-Tacna is thirty-eight miles north of Arica. The connecting railroad is
-the oldest in South America having been completed in 1844. The railroad
-at first skirts a fertile fringe near the seashore and then crosses a
-sandy desert until within a few kilometers of Tacna when it enters an
-oasis caused by irrigation from the Caplina River, all of whose water
-is drawn off for the gardens so that none of it empties into the ocean.
-
-Tacna lies at an altitude of 2820 feet above sea level but so
-imperceptible is the rise that one can imagine it to be on the same
-level plain as Arica. The population is 14,176, including five thousand
-soldiers. The city appears much larger. The ordinary transient would
-carry the impression that it is a town of twenty-five thousand people.
-It is a healthy place yet the death rate exceeds the birth rate, which
-state of affairs is true in many old settled towns all over the world.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Bolivar, Tacna]
-
-Tacna is a beautiful place and is well worth a visit. It is the best
-built city in Chile and is the only one where the buildings are of
-stone. It is opulent,--a rarity in Chile,--its inhabitants are refined,
-educated, and wealthy. There are handsome public buildings, large
-stores, and spacious houses. In many respects Tacna has a European
-appearance. The most noticeable object that strikes one's vision in
-the city is a large stone shell of an incompleted cathedral with two
-massive stone towers. The square trimming stones are of a pinkish hue
-while the ordinary ones are the dun-colored ones of the country. This
-huge shell will never be completed. It was built from the plans of
-the French architect, Charles Pitaud, when Tacna was a Peruvian city.
-Then came the Pacific War and the money for its completion was turned
-into other channels. Monsieur Pitaud returned to France; Chile took
-Tacna, and used much of the iron for the framework of the cathedral
-for military purposes. When everything again became normal, the people
-wished again to complete the cathedral. Pitaud in the meantime had died
-and his drawings were never found so it was impossible to complete the
-building. In design it was to be much like the Duomo in Florence.
-
-  [Illustration: Fountain in Tacna
-
-   Built by Pitaud.]
-
-Another of Pitaud's works of art is the bronze fountain in the Plaza
-Colon. It was cast in 1868 and is the finest in the Western Hemisphere.
-There are more expensive ones, elaborate sculptures of marble, but none
-its equal artistically.
-
-  [Illustration: Unfinished Cathedral in Tacna
-
-   This building was designed by the French architect Pitaud, when Tacna
-   was Peruvian. The Chilean War came on, Pitaud died and the cathedral
-   was never finished.]
-
-The streets of Tacna are paved, most of them with round polished
-stones, and many are bordered with trees planted along the curbs. There
-is much verdure and the city has several shady plazas with statues.
-There is a marble one to Columbus in the plaza of the same name. The
-Alameda Anibal Pinto is a garden spot. It is a well-kept-up lovely
-parkway. A peculiarity of Tacna is the architecture of many of its
-residences. These are gabled, but by far the most have "sawed off"
-gables. In these the sides slope upwards as if to form a gable, but
-about a yard or more below the imaginary peak, they terminate in a flat
-roof. This style is supposed to make them earthquake resisting.
-
-[Illustration: STYLE OF TACNA ARCHITECTURE.
-
- HOUSES WITH SAWED OFF GABLES, SUPPOSED TO BE EARTHQUAKE PROOF]
-
-Of the six Courts of Appeals in the republic, one is at Tacna. Both
-Antofagasta and Iquique for a long time have been trying to get it
-away for themselves, but so far have been unsuccessful. Of the five
-regiments stationed at Tacna, two are artillery, two are infantry, and
-one is cavalry. There was an engineer corps but it has been moved to
-Copiapó.
-
-Tacna has a good hotel, the Raiteri, owned by an Italian of the same
-name. His business, which has somewhat fallen off since the Arica-La
-Paz railroad has been completed, is large enough, however, for him to
-keep two annexes running. His hotel is one of the best in rural Chile.
-The coffee is the best I have had served to me in South America. There
-is another hotel named the Tibios Baños (Warm Baths). It is of the
-free and easy sort where when you engage a room the landlord asks you,
-"With or without?" and governs the price accordingly. It has a cool
-grape arbor where it is pleasant to repair hot Sunday afternoons for a
-schuper of beer.
-
-In an obscure corner of the province not far from the Peruvian line
-lies the high, broad mountain valley of the Ticalco River, hemmed in
-on all sides by snow-capped mountains, the lowest of which is higher
-than the highest mountains of North America save McKinley, St. Elias,
-and Popocatepetl. The Ticalco is joined by numerous freshets from the
-melting snow and like a silver thread flows through this valley and by
-great jumps cuts its way through a gorge before it finally joins with
-the Salado at Talapalco to form the Sama, the national boundary with
-Peru. Although very high, of all the valleys of the Province of Tacna,
-the Ticalco is the most fertile. It is cold; no fruit excepting the
-apple thrives, but as a recompense it is rich in oats and in alfalfa.
-In this valley and on a small stream about a mile above where it flows
-into the Ticalco River lies the town of Tarata, 9919 feet above sea
-level. Its population probably numbers five hundred souls. It is the
-third town in size in the Province of Tacna. It is the capital of a
-department, newly created, has a court house and a barracks.
-
-  [Illustration: Old Residence, Tacna]
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tacna]
-
-To Tarata I went. Don Santiago Carmona, a rich _haciendero_ of Tarata,
-was in Tacna with a caravan of thirty-one mules and six horses.
-Accompanying him were five muleteers. One of the horses he himself
-rode. Several times a year he made these trips. He would drive a herd
-of cattle the two days' trip into Tacna, sell them, and return with his
-mules laden with flour, oil stoves, kerosene, beans, onions, beds, and
-blankets. On the narrow streets of Tacna his caravan made a picturesque
-sight. I expressed a desire to see Tarata, and the man to whom I
-expressed it, a resident of Tacna but a stranger to me whom I stopped
-in front of his residence to inquire into the history of the unfinished
-cathedral and with whom I entered into a general conversation, said
-that he would speak to Señor Carmona asking his permission for me to
-accompany him on his return trip. He would let me know the result later
-at my hotel. True to his word, late in the afternoon he appeared at
-the hotel bar (the place where most business is transacted in Chilean
-small towns) bringing with him a tall, wind-tanned, thin man of about
-fifty-five years of age who wore a straggling grayish beard and a
-moustache of the Don Quixote type. This man was Don Santiago Carmona.
-He said that he was returning home the next morning and with great
-politeness and dignity invited me to accompany him as his guest. This
-invitation I gladly accepted and for their kindness I treated both
-gentlemen to as much Fernet Branca and vermouth as they could handle,
-and then some.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Miller, Tacna]
-
-I made arrangements with Signor Raiteri for three horses, a mozo,
-provisions, and blankets. It is certain that Señor Carmona would have
-shared blankets with Prat and myself, but since I did not care to
-impose upon him we brought our own equipment which in reality belonged
-to Raiteri. As it was Carmona refused to allow me to use any of the
-provisions I brought along, but made me eat from his larder, his mozos
-doing the cooking.
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda, Tacna]
-
-At eight o'clock in the morning we started from a courtyard across
-the street from the market. Now the direct way out of the city was
-to follow the Alameda, but Carmona evidently wishing to inspire the
-inhabitants with a reverence for his own importance had his caravan
-of mules cross the Alameda and turn up the main street, which indeed
-created a general diversion for all the clerks ran to the sidewalk and
-the pedestrians halted to view this extraordinary cavalcade. At the
-parochial church we again turned into the Alameda and followed that
-avenue the length of the extremely long town.
-
-The valley of the Caplina is narrow, fertile, and is a veritable
-garden. One thing I noticed as we left the city behind. We would come
-to fields in the height of production with irrigation ditches full of
-water. Adjoining them we would see parched fields of bushes trying to
-eke out a meager existence. The flow of water from the Caplina is not
-sufficient to supply all the arable land in the valley. A farmer will
-raise crops for several years in one field; then when the soil has run
-out he will cultivate an adjoining field, neglecting the first one,
-and will deviate the water to the new one. After a few years he will
-give up the new field and return to the first one which in the meantime
-has been fertilized by nitrate. Since there are but few cattle on the
-coastal plain, no manure is used to bring up the land, but nitrates
-are easily imported from Pisagua. On account of nitrates washing away
-they are put on the uncultivated land during the period that the fields
-are not in use. The road follows the right bank of the stony river bed
-whose water has been turned aside to water the quintas as the small
-gardens are called. In some spots there is an intermission of the
-cultivation where the sandy desert comes down to the river bed, but the
-trees and green gardens always begin again. From this valley Iquique
-receives most of its fruits and vegetables.
-
-Calientes which we reached after six hours' travel but which can be
-reached in one and a half hours by automobile and in two and a half
-by carriage, is the place where we left the road. On our way there we
-passed through three hamlets--Calana, La Vilca, and Pachia. Each has a
-cantina and thither Don Santiago, Prat, and myself repaired to moisten
-our dusty throats with native red wine while the mules took a breathing
-spell. The thirsty mozos stood humbly at one end of the cantina
-drinking their wine in silence while we stood at the counter which
-served as a bar. Calientes is so named from some hot springs which here
-gush forth from the sides of a barren mountain. They are sulphurous and
-when the rivulet which springs from them enters the Caplina, the water
-is turned black caused by the precipitate the sulphur of the rivulet
-makes with the copper properties of the Caplina. There are at Calientes
-but a few huts. Here we unsaddled the beasts and in the hour's rest the
-mozos cooked a stew which served as a midday repast.
-
-An hour after leaving Calientes we arrived at a couple of huts which
-are called Tacuco and two hours later in the dim light of the waning
-day reached the end of the first day's ride at the hamlet of Challata
-deep down in the valley at the foot of Mount Pallagua. The night was
-cool and the bountiful meal of cazuela, stew, and vegetables eaten
-before a roaring camp-fire with the murmuring of the rapidly flowing
-stream at our feet made me rejoice that I was far away from the sham
-and inane conventions of modern city life. A peon offered us his only
-bed in his hut but Don Santiago and myself spread our blankets on some
-straw pallets in an open shed with the starlit sky for a canopy, and
-there we slept until awakened by the sonorous grunting of sows at dawn.
-
-"We have a hard day ahead of us," remarked Señor Carmona after we
-forded the Caplina and started the steep ascent up the sandy side of
-Pallagua. A high mountain range to the right had shut off a vista of
-the snow peaks of the Cordillera, but upon reaching a stony plateau,
-suddenly the high dome of the extinct volcano Tacora, 19,338 feet high
-reared its lofty summit above the whole eastern mountain chain. To the
-northeast appeared Uchusuma, 18,023 feet high, while near at hand were
-the ice fields of the Cordillera del Baroso. These high mountains are
-visible from Arica, at which port the Andes come nearer the ocean than
-at any other place on the South American continent except Puerto Montt.
-After two hours' climb up the barren ridge we reached a spine and then
-descended by zigzags to the canyon formed by the Quebracho de Chero in
-which grew a few mountain shrubs not unlike chaparral. In Indian file
-we followed the narrow trail between the mountains Pallagua (altitude
-13,065 feet) on the right and Palquilla (altitude 12,415 feet) on
-the left and arrived at midday at the Pass of Caquilluca about 12,000
-feet above the sea level where we rested a couple of hours and had our
-dinner.
-
-Behind us all was desert and as we looked westward past the numerous
-creases of the earth's surface which were arid canyons and valleys we
-could see the limitless expanse of the blue Pacific Ocean. At our feet
-to the north and west lay a valley as green as an emerald traversed by
-silvery streams, and dotted with light blue farmhouses. In the distance
-was a cluster of buildings which I was told was Tarata. Hemming in the
-whole valley were the mountains whose snowy bulwarks formed a circle
-leaving only one gap that in the northwest through which the Ticalco
-flowed. These mountains from west to east were Cumaile (altitude 17,095
-feet), Vivini (altitude 17,733 feet), Chilicolpa (altitude 18,303
-feet), Chiliculco (altitude, 16,835 feet), Barroso, and Uchusuma.
-
-It was six o'clock in the evening when the caravan, having clattered
-over the narrow pebbly streets of Tarata, pulled up at the Casa de
-Huespedes (Guests' House) where I was to spend the night. Señor Carmona
-made me acquainted with the fat mixed-breed Vargas who owns the tambo,
-and after admonishing him to take good care of me, he galloped off to
-his three-league-distant ranch saying that he would look me up the next
-afternoon.
-
-Tarata does not lie on level ground as it appears from the mountains
-above the town. The streets slope steeply down to the Ticalco which
-is no more than a creek. Near its banks is a narrow level stretch of
-land where the plaza, town hall, and church stand. This stream not only
-serves for irrigating purposes but it is likewise the sole supply for
-potable water and for washing purposes. Every morning its banks are
-cluttered with half-breed and Indian women who lay their laundry on
-the stony slopes of the stream to dry. On the plaza which is bordered
-by Lombardy poplars is a bandstand where twice a week a six-piece band
-plays. Beneath these trees is a fringe of alfalfa where the village
-cows graze. Like in Tacna the houses have the same sawed-off gables,
-and like in that city they are painted tones of salmon and blue. The
-town hall is the only two-story building in the place and with the
-exception of the church belfry it is the tallest. The church is a
-cream-colored affair with a domed steeple rising from the center of its
-façade. On it painted in red is the inscription "Anno 1808," the date
-of its founding.
-
-Strolling about the village I was surprised to see, through the windows
-of the residences, pianos, and one saloon had a billiard table. It
-required much labor to bring them here for all transportation of
-merchandise is done by mule back. In the fields were many llamas.
-They are never used in carrying burdens to the low altitudes because
-they sicken while at work below six thousand feet elevation. In the
-high altitudes both llamas and mules are used for beasts of burden.
-Horses are employed only for pleasure riding as they cannot stand the
-lightness of the atmosphere to work in. Llamas refuse to carry more
-than one hundred pounds burden, and no matter how much beating they
-receive, are persistent in their refusal to be laden with more. They
-are not so docile as they look. Their method of fighting is to run
-up and strike one with their forefeet; they also spit a nauseating
-substance at a stranger if he approaches too close to one of them. One
-of them did this trick on me and when I assailed it with my riding
-crop it struck at me with its forefeet. A kick from me in its belly
-only gave me the satisfaction of making it grunt. Its disgusting saliva
-nearly ruined a suit of my clothes.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tarata]
-
-In the afternoon on the day after my arrival in Tarata, Señor Carmona
-came to the Casa de Huespedes and asked me to call on the priest with
-him. The latter, Padre Albarracin lived in an adobe house which had a
-broad verandah adjoining the cream-colored church. When we entered he
-was sitting in the patio behind a morning-glory vine talking with two
-officers of the Chilean army, Captain Frias and Lieutenant Guzman. They
-had evidently been "hitting it up" as was evidenced by several empty
-quart bottles of chicha (grape cider) lying about, and also for the
-fact that each of the trio held a glass half-filled. We were invited
-to join with them in the libation and I discovered that this drink,
-ordinarily a temperance beverage, had fermented to such an extent as to
-make the imbiber feel as if he were walking on wires. Shortly after we
-arrived the two officers left and the priest invited us to remain for
-dinner.
-
-He clapped his hands to which a chola girl appeared.
-
-"Kill the two game cocks that got whipped last week, and throw them in
-the kettle," he commanded.
-
-Our conversation turned to hidden treasure and antiquities which the
-neighboring mountains are said to be full of if we can believe legend.
-Tarata is in the heart of what once was the great Inca Empire. Upon the
-advent of the Spaniards the Incas hid from them the greater part of
-their ornaments of silver and gold where they remain undiscovered to
-this day. The Spaniards worked the mines of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia,
-but they in turn for three centuries were a prey to the pirates
-which ravaged the coast and many of the inhabitants were obliged to
-bury their wealth to keep it from them. The Catholic Church in South
-America was always wealthy in its amount of gold ornaments, so when
-the Inquisition was overthrown, it was in vogue for the citizens to
-loot the churches. In order to save its wealth from rapinous hands,
-the clergy sequestered much of its treasure in the mountains. Priests
-were murdered by pillaging bands of Indians and with their death was
-lost the cue to the hiding-places. Enough treasure has been found,
-practically stumbled upon, to give authenticity that vast amounts have
-been hidden, but the only person in modern times that made a fabulously
-rich haul was Valverde in Ecuador, who was wise enough when he found
-his treasure to return to Spain and die in opulence.
-
-Padre Albarracin excused himself and soon returned bringing with him
-two images several inches long which he said were Inca idols of silver.
-He also stated that they were in good hands because the pagans could
-not get them as long as they were in his possession; the drunker he
-got the oftener he would repeat this and utter quotations from the
-Scripture such as this: "Their idols are of silver and gold, the
-work of men's hands. Eyes have they, but they see not," etc. When he
-finished he would ask me: "It applies, does it not? These idols are of
-silver."
-
-Then with a sweep he would send them flying from the table. Once I
-ran to pick them up. "Do they please you?" he asked. I answered in the
-affirmative. "Then you may have them," he said. He then expounded on
-the great sacrifice he was making saying that these two manikins were
-the identical ones Holy Writ referred to and that they were priceless
-on account of it.
-
-After supper when I was examining one he grabbed it away from me,
-climbed on a chair, and placed it on top of a wardrobe. When I asked
-him why he did that he replied that he was hiding it because he feared
-that I would worship it. I told him that there was little chance, which
-made him quote more Scripture such as: "Let the heathen rage, and the
-people imagine a vain thing."
-
-When he went to get another bottle of chicha, I removed the idol
-from the wardrobe. The other one was lying on the mantlepiece and I
-took them both because he gave them to me. I have shown these idols
-to many people and although I have had them stolen several times by
-acquaintances, I have always got them back. Regarding antiquities Señor
-Carmona made me a present of a plate of solid silver hand wrought
-in Cuzco in the end of the sixteenth century. On its face are the
-portraits of Pizarro and of Atahulapa carved in silver. Although it was
-of no value to Carmona, who would have been unable to sell it for more
-than its intrinsic value of metal, I have been offered three thousand
-dollars for it which I refused to consider.
-
-Padre Albarracin was getting so drunk that both Don Santiago and myself
-excused ourselves soon after supper. Coming out of the house, Prat
-stumbled over something lying in the garden. It was Lieutenant Guzman
-in full dress uniform, soused and dead to the world. Things were just
-as bad at the Casa de Huespedes. Captain Frias was asleep with his
-head on the dining room table, and Vargas fell down the stairs trying
-to show Carmona his room. The cause of the debauch was due to the fact
-that Don Santiago brought up much wine, gin, vermouth, and grape chicha
-with his mule caravan. The shaking the chicha got en route augmented
-its fermentation which made it as bad as hard cider. The night before
-when we arrived he had left six cases to be distributed to the priest,
-the alcalde, the intendente, Captain Frias, Vargas, and the notary.
-
-The next day I rode to Carmona's hacienda which is located about nine
-miles up the Ticalco River on a level expanse of land which stretches
-northward to the stony slopes of the barren mountain Cumaile. The
-house itself is a long, low, rambling affair of adobe which was once
-whitewashed, but that so long ago that but little of the white color
-is left on its sides. It rains in this region and the broad tiles of
-the roof are the only things, I take it, which prevented the building
-from being melted by the rains. A compound originally enclosed the
-whole building, flower garden, and adjacent peon and work sheds, but
-at the present time only pieces of wall of this compound remain. It
-was destroyed in 1881 by the Chilean soldiers who here besieged the
-Peruvian landlord who had fortified himself and held out behind the
-walls. Everywhere on the landscape steers grazed in tall alfalfa,
-fattening themselves for the butcher shops of the coast towns.
-
-Most of the civil inhabitants of Tacna and Tarata are of Peruvian
-origin having either been born there when the Chilean Province of Tacna
-formed part of the Peruvian Province of Moquegua, or are descendants
-of people born before the Pacific War. Tacna is an old town of stone
-buildings, not at all Chilean in character, but very much like the
-larger towns of south central Peru. The natives have strong Peruvian
-sympathies and are always living in hope that some day or other
-Tacna and Arica will be returned to Peru. Now this is ridiculous
-because Chile has no intention of giving these places up, although
-the resources of the Province of Tacna are small. The most important
-feature is that Arica is the seaport of La Paz, Bolivia, and it is well
-for Chile to retain possession of it. Tacna was a poor town when it
-was Peruvian; the majority of its inhabitants lived in poverty. Since
-it has become Chilean, it has prospered and is to-day very wealthy.
-This is largely due to live regiments which are stationed there and
-which bring money into the town. For the past thirty years Peru has
-passed through many changes of governments, and revolutions have been
-frequent; it has been misgoverned and unprogressive. Chile, although it
-cannot be called progressive has aims that way but has been handicapped
-from the want of money and immigration. It has only had one revolution;
-that a small civil war started by Balmaceda, but in government,
-progress, and in everything else is so far ahead of Peru that it seems
-incredible that the natives of the Province of Tacna are desirous of
-again returning to Peru's revolutionary and mediæval yoke.
-
-Don Santiago Carmona was an exceptional haciendero in so far that he
-is a native Chileno. He left his birthplace, La Serena, forty years
-ago and never once has he returned. His military service was spent
-not far from Temuco where his regiment was quartered as a protection
-to the settlers against the Araucanian invasions. For this reason he
-took no part in the Pacific War. His father died when he was in the
-service and he was left with a small fortune. With this money he bought
-from the Chilean Government the hacienda that he now resides upon. The
-latter had originally confiscated it from the Peruvian landlord who had
-fortified himself there against him. Carmona married a Peruvian girl
-from Tacna who had long since died after having borne two sons. One
-of these sons is a haciendero in Ovalle and the other is a priest in
-Spain. The latter is figuring on returning shortly to Chile because he
-has been offered a sacerdotal office in Santiago. Carmona has become
-wealthy and is thinking of making a a trip for a half-year's duration
-to his birthplace, thence to Ovalle, Santiago, and Araucania. He also
-has a desire to see Punta Arenas.
-
-Prat suggested that since we had come thus far towards Peru by land
-that it would be as well to continue it this way. He had a mortal fear
-of seasickness to which malady he was a prey every time he put foot
-upon a ship no matter how calm the water was. Now I had no maps with
-me and did not know how to get to Peru, although I knew that Tacna
-was the northernmost province of Chile and the boundary line was no
-great distance away. To get information on the subject I went to Don
-Santiago who told me that Moquegua was the nearest Peruvian city, but
-that it was a week distant over a hot, sandy desert, and that the best
-way would be for me to return to Arica and go up the coast by steamer.
-He said that in Tarata there were people who had made the horseback
-ride to Moquegua and that it would be possible for me to hire a _cholo_
-to accompany us. I had heard about bandits in the interior and asked
-him about it. He answered that highwaymen existed only in the high
-mountains near the Bolivian frontier, and that I would find the few
-inhabitants in the country I was contemplating traveling through very
-docile. Beyond the Sama River which was Peru, he knew nothing about
-the inhabitants but imagined them to be much the same as on the Chilean
-side of it. The Peruvian boundary was not fifteen miles away, yet the
-hacienderos of the neighborhood seldom crossed it, and it was as much
-of a _tierra incognita_ with them as is the interior of Chihuahua to
-the ordinary citizen of El Paso, Texas.
-
-At Tarata, through the services of the notary who was an intimate of
-Don Santiago, we procured an overgrown boy of the cholo variety who,
-after considerable haggling, proposed to take us to Moquegua for the
-sum of one hundred pesos Chileno (less than $20.00). He was to fetch
-back the beasts that we were to procure as a loan from Don Santiago.
-Having shipped my valise to Lima from Tacna, I was unencumbered save
-for the blankets and a few edibles which I carried. Prat was attired in
-a Palm Beach suit and wore a straw sailor hat which looked as much out
-of place in this part of the country, where everybody rode in spurred
-boots, were clad in ponchos, and wore as head gear broad-brimmed
-pointed felt hats, as a snowball in hell.
-
-We descended the valley formed by the Ticalco, and after riding for
-over an hour came to a place where a stream from the north, named the
-Ticaco, joined the Ticalco and formed the Pistala River. The valley
-narrowed in and presently the mountains came down to the stream so
-closely that one could with ease throw a stone across the canyon. A
-rocky promontory on the left was rounded and the green, fertile pocket
-in which Tarata nestles was shut from view. A half-score of adobe
-huts with red-tile roofs were arrived at. These constitute the hamlet
-of Pistala, all of whose inhabitants are Indians. The horse trail,
-instead of descending with the river, keeps on an even altitude so
-that it is soon a sheer height of several hundred feet about it, its
-way having been dug out of the shaly rock that constitutes the side
-of the mountains. Around a bend is a narrow canyon and down this it
-zigzags for half a mile and finally crosses a tiny stream named the
-Jaruma, which a mile farther down, jumps into the Pistala forming a
-new river--the Tala. At the ford of the Jaruma is a primitive mill
-with a huge water wheel. From here on to the Sama River is a very
-steep descent by a narrow bridle path and very dangerous on account
-of the precipices which form a gorge through which the waters of the
-Tala rush from shelf to shelf with a roar. On the narrow mountain
-path we met a troop of llamas laden with sugar cane and tubers in
-charge of three _arrieros_. At our approach they leaped onto the rocks
-above as nimbly as goats. The arrieros and ourselves had to dismount;
-they backed their horses to a ledge and we led ours past them before
-mounting again. Where the Tala joins the Sama it must be two thousand
-feet lower than Tarata. This is in a broad valley well cultivated to
-corn, potatoes, and alfalfa in which are many mud huts of the natives
-and an occasional chapel. The river bed is wide but the stream itself
-is narrow and forks out in many channels which every little way unite
-again. The Chilean or south side slopes gently down to the stream in
-some places leaving a plain of a mile wide at the water's edge, while
-the Peruvian side is mountainous, precipitous, and uncultivated. The
-mountains are absolutely destitute of any cultivation. We continued
-all day down this river, following the Chilean side, and camped at
-night beside a ruined stone wall across the stream from the Peruvian
-hamlet of Sambalai Grande, at an altitude of 3025 feet. During the
-afternoon the mountains had receded and their places were taken by
-high sandy hills the essence of lonesome desolation. The water in the
-river had much diminished having been used largely for irrigation. I
-was told that what little there is left is used for the cane-fields
-which are plenty about twenty-five miles farther down. This cane is
-not made into sugar but into rum; also much of the cane is cut and is
-sent up on mule back to the high country where the natives themselves
-ferment it, using the pulp as fodder. Estevan, the cholo guide,
-although polite and humble, would never talk unless spoken to and
-then he would answer in monosyllables. Prat and I had no idea how far
-Moquegua was for we had no map; Carmona said it would take a week, but
-he had never been there. I knew it could not be that far because Ilo,
-its port, is only a half-day's steam north of Arica, and we were now
-considerably north of that last-mentioned place. I several times asked
-Estevan how far Moquegua was, but to each query he would answer the
-highly unintelligent reply of "muy lejo," which translated into English
-means "very far," but fails to designate whether the distance is two
-kilometers or two thousand miles. This is an example of a conversation
-between Estevan and myself.
-
-"How far is Moquegua?" I asked him.
-
-"Muy lejo" (very far), he answered.
-
-"How far?"
-
-"Lejo" (far), was his brilliant answer.
-
-"Is it a week's journey?"
-
-"Quien sabe" (who knows).
-
-"Is it three days away?"
-
-"Dios sabe" (God knows).
-
-"Can we make it in one day?"
-
-"No, señor."
-
-"Can we make it in two days?"
-
-"I do not know, señor."
-
-"Can we make it in three days?"
-
-"I do not know, señor."
-
-"You have made the trip to Moquegua before?"
-
-"Si, si, señor" (yes, yes, sir).
-
-"And yet you don't remember how long it took you to make it?"
-
-"I have forgotten, señor."
-
-The country across the river did not look very inviting to us
-and it was decidedly exasperating to be met with answers of such
-unintelligence especially as we had to cross what appeared to be a
-duplicate of the Mohave Desert. We forded the shallow Sama to some
-mud huts in a field of alfalfa, from one of which waved the washed-out
-and dirty cloth which once was the red, white, and red flag of Peru.
-No sooner had we reached high ground than a fat, dirty half-breed,
-barefooted and wearing filthy linen trousers beneath a faded blue
-military coat on the shoulders of which were red epaulettes, planted
-himself in our way and assuming a grandiose air of mock dignity
-inquired our business.
-
-"We are travelers for Moquegua," I told him.
-
-"What is your business there?" he asked insolently.
-
-"To visit the town."
-
-This reply took some time to penetrate his thick skull. He pondered
-over it and then a gleam of intelligence spread over his fat
-countenance which, by the way, was smeared yellow with the yoke of an
-egg he had just been eating, as he replied in an interrogative kind of
-a way:
-
-"Ah, Ustedes son Judios!" (Ah, you are Jews!)
-
-This fat guardian of the frontier had taken Prat and myself for
-itinerant Jews. This gentry as well as Turks and Armenians occasionally
-make the rounds of the remote towns peddling their wares, such as cheap
-finery, pencils, looking-glasses, buttons, and so forth. To be called
-a Jew without an inflection of the voice is, in Catholic South America,
-the height of insult, because it is considered the vilest reproach one
-man can give another in the heat of an argument. The manner in which
-this officer put the question to us was meant in the form of a query.
-Prat, however, being a Spaniard and a none too amiable one at that when
-dealing with the cholos and other mixed breeds, went into a towering
-rage and upbraided the official in the purest and most blasphemous
-Castillian that he ever before heard and which caused his overbearing,
-insolent, and stupid countenance to change to one of servility.
-
-"A thousand pardons, señor," he cringingly broke in, "but you must
-understand that I have received my commands to interrogate strangers
-entering Peru. Not that I am in the least interested myself, but the
-government, alas----"
-
-"We will pardon you this time but not the next," interposed Prat,
-curtly starting to ride off.
-
-"Señor, señor," pleaded the official calling to him. Prat paid no
-attention. I swung around in my saddle asking him what he wanted.
-
-"Your papers," answered the official. "I would lose my position if I
-let you pass without seeing them. The pay is very small and it is my
-sole income; the illustrious señores would not be so ungracious as to
-wish to see me lose that?" he entreated.
-
-I showed him my passport which he looked at, then turned upside down,
-frowningly trying to figure out what it was.
-
-"What nationality are you?" he inquired.
-
-"North American."
-
-"What language is this paper written in?"
-
-"English," I replied.
-
-A puzzled look spread over the stupid face of my interlocutor.
-
-"How is it then that you have an English passport since you are a North
-American?"
-
-"English is the language of North America."
-
-The official was astounded. "Pardon, señor, but I thought Spanish was
-the language of entire America."
-
-"You are mistaken," I replied.
-
-"How is it then that you gentlemen speak such good Castillian. You
-speak it much better than I do."
-
-"I learned it in Spain," I answered. "The señor with me is a Spaniard."
-
-"Ah, I understand," answered the official. I could see by his amazed
-and ignorant look that he did not understand but was unwilling to have
-us know the extent of his ignorance.
-
-"We are in a hurry to be on our journey to Moquegua; you had better
-return the passport," I said as I tendered him two silver pieces of
-the one sol denomination, the standard monetary unit of Peru. A sol is
-worth fifty cents.
-
-"Mil gracias, señor, mil gracias," answered the official thanking me
-profoundly. Prat, who had ridden on, now turned back and wanted to know
-what was delaying me. He was on the point of letting off steam anew
-at the cholo, but upon seeing me give him a tip, he threw a piece of
-silver on the ground at the fat official's feet. It was comical to see
-the latter grovel in the dust to pick it up.
-
-"Adios, señores," he yelled after us as we spurred our horses into a
-gallop and were soon lost to sight.
-
-Upon our reaching the top of a high, barren hill, a vista of a
-parched and sandy, barren imitation of the Sahara unveiled itself
-before us. Everywhere lay the bones of oxen and mules. This was the
-horrible desert of Pampa Zorra about twenty miles wide, which it
-took us over four hours to cross, in a hot, desiccating, blazing sun.
-The thermometer must have been in excess of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
-With our eyes smarting with dust and our throats parched (we partook
-sparingly of the water from our canteens), we arrived shortly after
-midday at a dry ravine named the Coari. Following this downwards
-between high hills of shale rock we came in half an hour to the
-Curibaya River at the cluster of mud huts and ranch house of Coari.
-Here were some green fields of alfalfa surrounded by eucalyptus trees.
-
-The Curibaya River is much like the Sama, only its river bed is
-narrower. It also has more water, there being plenty to wet one's feet
-in. The reason for this is that cultivation does not extend as high in
-its bottom as in the Sama so less is drawn off for irrigation. About
-twenty miles below Coari it widens out into a broad valley of great
-fertility; most of its water is used at that point to supply the large
-vineyards in that neighborhood. The small remainder loses itself in the
-sand and never reaches the ocean excepting during times of cloudbursts
-in the mountains. In the fertile valley is the small city of Locumba,
-which is famous for its grapes and wines said to be the best in Peru.
-We forded Curibaya before we reached Coari and then turned eastward
-again, ascending the valley. This soon forked the Ilabaya joining it
-from the north. The latter is a swiftly rushing and jumping rivulet;
-our trail lay up its defile and we must have crossed it two dozen times
-in the eight miles that it took us to reach the town of the same name
-which is situated in a high open valley, surrounded on all sides with
-hills not entirely devoid of vegetation. The landscape instead of being
-sandy was rocky and abounded with gray boulders. There were several
-varieties of cactus and a plant not unlike the yucca.
-
-Ilabaya is a typical town of the coastal region of Peru, differing
-greatly from Andean cities in so far that the houses were all built of
-adobe. The roofs instead of being of mud, were tiled, because it rains
-several times a year in the summer months and the mud roofs would be
-washed away. In Copiapó, where it rains only once in a decade, and
-in Tacna where it never rains, the roofs are of mud, but in Tarata
-and here, tiles were in evidence. Ilabaya is a larger place than
-Tarata, but is a dirtier, and more poverty-stricken place. It is also
-a terribly hot place, and swarmed with flies and vermin; mangy curs
-abounded and the odor of the streets abounding with house slops and
-garbage was disgusting. There were numerous street stands in front of
-which Indian women sat offering for sale melons, oranges, and pears,
-but not once during the part of the afternoon that I was there, did I
-see any purchaser.
-
-Arrived at Ilabaya, Estevan said that we had better spend the night
-there because he thought there would be no water the next stage. We
-dismounted at a primitive blacksmith shop where the cholo boy was
-apparently known, and carried our grips inside. Our arrival excited
-considerable curiosity because much of the male populace soon arrived
-on the scene, and at a respective distance looked us over, and then
-began to become interested in our grips and saddlebags. One urchin
-tried to undo the straps of my suit case but a threatening blow with
-my stick made him desist and seek shelter behind one of the grownup
-half-breeds. The usual questions were asked to which Prat and myself
-deigned to reply, but strange to say Estevan found his tongue among
-those of his own breed and there was let loose a volume of Babel in
-the Quichua language which was surprising to me since I did not realize
-that language had such a large vocabulary. I had forgotten temporarily
-that the early padres had translated the Bible in Quichua and had them
-printed in that language. I saw one of these books among the church
-relics in Cuzco.
-
-I interrupted Estevan's garrulity with a prod of my stick, and asked
-him where we were to find lodging.
-
-"Quien sabe" (who knows), he whiningly replied in the singsong tones
-used by all cholos in their conversation with their superiors. If a
-stupid cholo or Indian does not know what answer to give he invariably
-says "quien sabe" and lets it go at that. I expostulated with him
-telling him that he must procure for us lodging. This he translated
-into his native language to the crowd of spectators. A small boy in the
-group said that he thought that a certain old woman who lived at the
-end of the town would take in lodgers and offered to direct us there
-and carry our grips. We set out down the long straggling street of
-adobe hovels and arriving at our destination found the door was shut.
-The boy knocked but no response came. I then banged on the door with my
-stick. Presently the head of a withered hag appeared at a shutter and
-asked what we wanted.
-
-"We want lodging for the night," I answered.
-
-"Ah, señores, but I am too old," she said. "At the next street to the
-right in the second house lives Carmen Vargas. She is young and makes a
-business of it!" The old woman was on the point of closing the shutters
-when I called to her again.
-
-"You do not understand. We are travelers on our way to Moquegua and
-wanted to pay for a room to sleep in to-night." I then held up a couple
-of silver soles.
-
-"I see. A thousand pardons, señores. I thought that you were looking
-for some pleasure with the _muchachas_. How much will you pay for a
-room?
-
-"One sol apiece."
-
-"It is not enough."
-
-"We will make it two, if it includes meals."
-
-"Ah, señores, but I am a poor woman and must live. For three soles I
-can accommodate you."
-
-"We agree, but it is expensive."
-
-"Look at your room," she said, as she opened the door. "It is fit for
-a king." She ushered us into a chamber which was semi-storeroom and
-sleeping quarters. Boxes and dusty bottles littered one side of the
-floorless apartment, and spider webs hung from the rafters. There was
-an iron cot in the corner on which was a straw pallet but there were no
-sheets nor blankets. I spoke to her about getting another cot and she
-said she would procure one. As for blankets, she had none, but since
-the señores must have their own, having come from some distance, we
-could naturally spread ours on the cots. In the meantime if we would
-return about seven she would have for us an excellent _comida_.
-
-The comida turned out to be a thin soup whose ingredients were unknown
-to us and in which floated chicken feathers. This was followed by a
-disgusting stew and some meat of an unknown quality, highly seasoned,
-which might have been a camouflage for one of the mangy curs that
-abounded in the village.
-
-There were plenty of cantinas in the small town and I assume that
-they were well patronized from the number of intoxicated Indians that
-I counted. Bottled beer from the Cerveceria Alemana at Arequipa here
-sold for fifty centavos (25 cents) a bottle and was drunk warm. Strong
-liquor was much cheaper than beer and was likewise more favored.
-There were quite a few young dudes in the village and at evening
-they appeared togged up to what they considered perfection, wearing
-carefully polished patent leather shoes, high stiff collars, flowing
-black ties; all carried canes. This stylish dressing among the males
-is in vogue all over South America. It is a sign of caste or class
-distinction. It is the ambition of all young men to be dressed in the
-height of fashion no matter how remote their village is from the beaten
-road of civilization. I have seen this same class of dudes everywhere
-south of Panama, from the isolated mountain towns of Colombia to
-the mosquito-infested hamlets of Paraguay. There is also a class
-distinction in traveling. A man who rides on horseback is superior to
-one who rides on a mule; he who rides on a mule is superior to the one
-who travels on the back of a donkey. But beware not to travel on foot
-in the Andean countries, even though it be a pleasure jaunt for a short
-distance in the country. The pedestrian is looked down upon by the
-lowliest peons and is held by them in greater odium than the hobo is
-held by us at home. Good clothes and high collars cease to show caste
-when applied to the person who makes a foot tour. He will invariably be
-turned down when asking for lodging or meals en route. It is also wise
-not to travel on foot on account of the ferocious dogs to be met with,
-which never run out and bark at the equestrian.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Ilabaya, Peru]
-
-About nine o'clock that night while walking down the only thoroughfare
-that could go by the name of street, I met Prat at a corner conversing
-with a dandy, who like Prat wore a straw hat and sported a slender
-cane. "This is my compatriot," said he; "allow me to introduce you to
-my friend, Señor Güell." The dude bowed and Prat went on to explain
-that his new acquaintance was a Catalonian from Gerona and had been in
-Peru for four years, the last two of which he had spent in the employ
-of a wine merchant of Locumba. Güell said that Moquegua was but a
-short day's ride which was not at all tiresome. He had made the trip
-dozens of times for his firm and was thinking of doing so again in a
-few days. He was at present in Ilabaya collecting some debts for his
-employer. I left the Spaniards on the corner conversing and strode off
-to the hut where I was rooming. I went into the room assigned to us,
-and although there was another cot there, there were no blankets. The
-cholo, Estevan, had evidently forgotten to bring them although at six
-o'clock he had promised faithfully to do so in "un momentito, señor."
-I walked back to the blacksmith shop where we had unsaddled but found
-that like all the other buildings closed for the night. As it would
-have been impossible to find Estevan, I returned to the dingy hut and
-throwing my coat on the cot in the place of a pillow I lay down on the
-iron springs and tried to sleep. This was impossible. At midnight Prat
-had not returned nor had he come back by five o'clock in the morning.
-There was no need worrying about him because he was perfectly capable
-of taking care of himself, but I was at the same time at a loss to
-conjecture where he was. At six o'clock, finding that any attempt to
-slumber would be futile, I went out into the street and walked about.
-
-I went to the blacksmith shop which was about to open for the day to
-inquire about the horses. The blacksmith was already there and when
-questioned about Estevan merely answered, "Quien sabe," and then went
-on about his work. Presently the same boy that had conducted me to the
-house where I obtained lodging appeared and asked me if I was looking
-for my arriero. I replied that I was, whereupon the urchin said in his
-patois, "Se scapo," which in Castillian would be "e scapado," meaning
-"he has escaped."
-
-"What do you mean?" I asked.
-
-"He has run away."
-
-"He has run away? What do you mean by that?"
-
-"He sold the horses and has run away."
-
-At that encouraging piece of intelligence, several other boys appeared
-and from their conversation I gathered that Estevan the previous night
-had sold the horses with blankets to a mountaineer and that he had
-then taken French leave. You may imagine my anger, especially since the
-horses were but a loan to us from Don Santiago Carmona and were worth
-at least seventy-five dollars apiece in North American money. When I
-asked if anybody knew where Prat was, they volunteered the information
-that he and a friend of his were visiting some young ladies. This was a
-new one on me since Prat was absolutely unknown in Ilabaya and no young
-ladies that I knew of would entertain two guests so late as this.
-
-"Which young ladies is he calling on?" I inquired, mystified.
-
-"On la Carmen; she lives near the end of the village."
-
-It now dawned upon me that Prat was at the bagnio of Carmen Vargas and
-that accounted for him not showing up at the hut. I proceeded down the
-street to rout him out but had not gone far before I ran into him and
-Güell, both in a state of intoxication. Prat was just emerging from the
-jovial stage and was entering upon an ugly mood. Save for his bloodshot
-eyes and the reek of alcohol, he was as immaculate as ever, but the
-dude was a sight to behold. His side and back were covered with dust;
-only one flap of his collar was buttoned, the other flying in the air;
-his hair was unkempt, and his hat was awry. He could hardly steady
-himself on his feet and was leaning on Prat to keep his balance. At the
-same time he was trying to sing a stanza from the Cid.
-
-"Hail to the glorious Carmen, the light of Peru!" he yelled upon
-espying me.
-
-I told Prat immediately what had happened. At first he did not
-understand, but when I repeated that Estevan had sold our horses and
-run away, great was his rage. He drew out his knife and shrieked what
-he would do to the cholo when he caught him. The news sobered him up
-considerably, so much so that when Güell burst out again in another
-stanza, he told him to shut up and cease his idiotic prattle in case
-he himself did not care to feel the knife between his ribs instead of
-between Estevan's. We went again to the blacksmith shop where Prat
-started upbraiding the blacksmith, and then went to the alcalde's
-residence. That official was asleep but Prat insisted on having him
-wakened. Presently he appeared attired in his pajamas. He wanted to
-know the meaning of this disturbance and was on the point of telling
-us to go to the infernal regions when he suddenly realized that we were
-foreigners of distinction, due to the stiff collars and quality of our
-wearing apparel. His demeanor changed and he invited us inside, saying
-that he would dress and talk with us directly. He ushered us into a
-well furnished apartment and left us. We heard him ordering breakfast,
-yelling to a servant to prepare three places as he had as guests two
-"milords ingleses."
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda, Moquegua]
-
-During the meal, which was spread on a table beneath a vine trellis
-in the patio, the alcalde, Don José Vergara, asked us the nature of
-our visit, to which narrative he did not reply, stating that he would
-take the matter up with us again after breakfast. In the meantime he
-plied us with many questions about North America, most of which Prat
-answered--wrong. The latter had never been there nor could he speak
-English well, the extent of his vocabulary being "bulldog," "dollars,"
-"all right," "good-night," etc. He now converses fluently in English.
-His ignorance of that language was not known to the mayor, who himself
-spoke an execrable patois although he was a pure-blooded white man.
-When we said that we wanted to start as soon as possible for Moquegua,
-the alcalde implored us to remain a few days in Ilabaya as his guests.
-When we told him it was imperative for us to continue, he promised us
-horses and a man from his stable who would accompany us. He also said
-that he would apprehend Estevan and see that he would be sent to prison
-if he had not already escaped to Chile.
-
-"What will he get?" I inquired.
-
-"At least twenty years," he answered. "I shall see to it."
-
-"Is not that pretty severe?"
-
-"Severe, nothing. One of my friends has an estancia where labor is
-badly needed. You see that he will be put to work profitably."
-
-Don José ordered the blacksmith summoned to his presence, and when that
-individual presently was brought before him, the alcalde, threatening
-him with all sorts of physical evils, elucidated from him that the
-previous night Estevan had called for the horses which were corralled
-behind the shop stating that the "señores ingleses" were about to
-continue to Moquegua, saying they preferred to travel at night instead
-of during the heat of the day. Not long afterwards his boy had seen
-a mountaineer driving them laden with goods up a road that leads into
-the Andes. The boy asked him what he was doing with the horses since
-they belonged to the "señores ingleses," whereupon the mountaineer
-answered that he had bought them from the mozo Estevan for fifteen
-soles each. The mountaineer the blacksmith added was well known to
-him, was an honest man, and frequently came to Ilabaya. The next time
-he came he would inform Don José of his presence so that the latter
-could deal with him. I have always believed that the blacksmith had a
-hand in this deal and that he was hiding Estevan who had mysteriously
-disappeared after the transaction. At Moquegua I wrote Don Santiago
-Carmona telling him what happened. Six months later I received a reply
-when at home in the United States saying that he had never heard a word
-about Estevan and the horses, although he had heard rumors that the
-alcalde of Ilabaya was riding one of them. Since Ilabaya was in Peru it
-was useless to go there for he would receive no justice.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Moquegua]
-
-Although Don José Vergara said that he would loan us the horses, when
-we were about to depart he came to me and said that it would cost us
-twenty-five soles ($12.50) for their rent. This was reasonable enough
-according to the standards of civilization but was exorbitant for that
-locality. It was after ten o'clock in the morning before we got away.
-For about ten miles the trail led over a rocky plateau and then came
-to the edge of a precipice at the bottom of which was the bed of the
-Cinto River, here dry. Here were three mud huts and a cistern half
-full of water, which was drawn from some springs a few miles up the
-valley. We remained here about an hour during which we cooked some
-meat and potatoes that we had brought with us; we pushed on again
-across another plateau similar to the one which we had just traversed
-excepting that it was sandier and smoother riding. At nightfall we came
-out on a nose of a hill and saw below us in the distance the lights of
-a city which we knew was Moquegua. An hour later we clattered over the
-flinty pavement of the narrow streets and pulled up at the portals of
-the Hotel Lima, one of the best in rural Peru. A large well-ventilated
-room, electric lights, and the noise of locomotive whistles made us
-feel that we had again reached civilization.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Moquegua]
-
-Moquegua is a fine old town on a river of the same name and capital of
-the province of Moquegua, lying at an altitude of over four thousand
-feet above sea level in the center of a rich agricultural district,
-abounding in olives. These and raisins are the chief exports of the
-district.
-
-The city has a population of nine thousand and much resembles Tacna on
-account of the substantial buildings; it is not as lively as Tacna,
-due to the former place having stationed there five regiments, but
-otherwise it is a pleasanter town. It is higher, cooler, and there is
-more verdure. The valley itself is a long, broad ribbon of cultivation,
-mostly devoted to the growing of grapes. Moquegua is connected to its
-port, Ilo, by a railroad sixty-five miles long.
-
-Before the Pacific War, Moquegua was a wealthy town and larger than at
-the present time; since then many of the inhabitants emigrated, many
-going to Arequipa and to Lima. The alameda, though much neglected,
-shows signs of former grandeur, which is testified by the broken
-statues and cracked stone benches which formerly were the pride of the
-city. Moquegua has the name of being a very religious place; it has
-many churches and its streets swarm with priests, in this respect being
-much different from the Chilean towns that I had just visited.
-
-Ilo is a small port of about two thousand inhabitants, very poor and
-squalid but not so much so as Mollendo. In both these places bubonic
-plague is rife, but strange to say that malady has never mounted as
-high as Arequipa or Moquegua. At Ilo I boarded a small postal steamer
-of the Peruvian Line and after a few hours' steam we anchored off the
-cliffs of Mollendo, the most dangerous landing place on the Pacific
-Ocean. The swell is so great here that sometimes passengers have to
-wait two weeks before it has subsided enough to permit them to embark
-on the steamers. I had to transfer to another ship here because the
-one I was on touched at all the small ports and took a week to reach
-Callao.
-
-Mollendo is one of the dirtiest towns that I have ever visited and I
-have visited some "hot" ones. It is a bubonic stricken place of about
-five thousand inhabitants, according to the census reports, although I
-doubt if its population is in excess of three thousand. A steep incline
-up a cliff leads from the dock past the custom house to the stinking
-Hotel Ferrocarril, the only hostelry in the town. This ramshackle old
-building, painted dark green, is situated on an eminence at the extreme
-southwest corner of the town, at a street corner. A veranda runs around
-the street sides of it, onto which the rooms open. Beggars, hobos,
-cripples, bums, and dogs bask on the sun-warped boards of its floor,
-and sneak-thieves are ever watching for an opportunity of entering
-the dirty holes which are the guests' rooms. The dining room and the
-barroom are the only adjuncts of the institution which are kept clean,
-and the latter is the most lucrative enterprise to its owners of any
-business establishment in the town. It has several billiard tables of
-doubtful cues and cushions and to them at the noon hour repair all the
-German clerks of the mercantile establishments. There is much liquor
-sold and much drunkenness to be observed. At one corner of the room
-sat a well-dressed aged man. He had the palsy so badly that he could
-not lift a glass to his mouth so he sat there imbibing whiskey and
-soda through a rubber tube that extended from his mouth to the glass.
-The Hotel Ferrocarril is owned by a couple of Italians who are fast
-waxing wealthy. It is hell to stay in Mollendo even for an hour and
-the travelers are to be pitied who stop here days at a time waiting for
-their steamers which run on uncertain schedules.
-
-The place owes its importance to the fact that it is the port of
-the large and prosperous city of Arequipa about seventy-five miles
-inland, and that it is the outlet and port of entry of the Lake
-Titicaca basin, and of the historic and interesting old city of
-Cuzco, the pristine capital of the Inca Empire, three days distant by
-rail. Formerly Mollendo was the seaport of La Paz, Bolivia's quaint
-metropolis, but now traffic has been changed from that city, so that
-Arica and Antofagasta get the bulk of its trade. There has been much
-talk of transferring the port of Arequipa to Islay, a settlement a few
-miles north of Mollendo in a sheltered location, but the merchants at
-Mollendo made a strong kick about it, and bribed the politicians at
-Lima, so that the scheme never matured. At Mollendo, my Peruvian money
-ran out because I did not get enough Chilean money changed at Arica,
-and I had a hard job getting change here. Some Italian bankers to whom
-I applied knew how badly I wanted Peruvian currency, so accordingly
-discounted my Chilean money so much that I must have lost twenty-five
-dollars by the transaction.
-
-As I said before, Mollendo is a hotbed for bubonic plague. Several
-people die daily of it here, but its mention is suppressed by the
-health authorities so as not to give a black eye to the town. When a
-person dies of it, it is kept quiet and the victim is buried at night.
-Northeast of the town is the potter's field. Here graves eighteen
-inches deep are dug. The cadaver is trussed up by having its feet drawn
-back to its haunches by means of a cord tied around the shoulders and
-is thrown into the impromptu grave. I was told by several people that
-so poorly is the job done that sometimes the toes protrude above the
-ground and are nibbled at by buzzards and by starving dogs.
-
-From Mollendo, I went to Callao on the Chilean steamship _Limari_. It
-was a good ship but rolled considerably even in a calm sea. It took
-three days to make Lima's busy port, no stops being made, but from the
-deck I could see the dim outlines of the towns Lobos, Chala, and Pisco.
-An acquaintance of mine, Mr. Kurt Waldemar Linn, of New York, a German
-by birth but a naturalized American citizen, who is connected with the
-International Film Company, told me in Santiago that he expected to be
-on this boat and arrive in Lima at the same time I would. I failed to
-find his name on the passenger list and when I arrived in Lima, he had
-not yet shown up. The next day he appeared, having disembarked from
-the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's steamship _Mexico_. He said he
-was sorry that he had not made the trip on the _Limari_, and that never
-again would he make a trip on any ship of the Pacific Steam Navigation
-Company if he could help it. He said that the service and food on
-the _Mexico_ were vile but to crown his discomfiture one morning at
-breakfast the first officer who sat next to him asked him how he slept
-the previous night.
-
-"I didn't sleep very well," answered Mr. Linn. "There was too much
-noise going on."
-
-"Oh, yes, there was a good bit of noise on board. We caught a German
-spy last night and that caused the racket." At this witty remark the
-officer looked at Linn and winked. The latter did not relish this sort
-of pleasantry even though it was meant in fun.
-
-At Callao the custom house officials are careful to ransack all one's
-belongings looking for things dutiable and those non-dutiable as well;
-on the latter they levy private duties for their own pockets. There is
-much red tape and tipping to be done and nowhere else in my travels
-have I been subjected to so much annoyance at a custom house unless
-it was at Belgrade, Servia. Hotel couriers meet the steamers and it is
-advisable for the traveler to give his possessions in charge of one of
-these men who will relieve him of the trouble connected with the custom
-house and transferal of baggage to Lima. The courier expects a large
-tip, but it is more convenient to give it in one lump sum to him than
-to have to run the gauntlet.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV
-
-LIMA
-
-
-Although the chapters of this book are supposed to treat only of the
-southern republics of South America, it would nevertheless be a shame
-not to mention Lima and the Peruvian hinterland, therefore this and the
-following chapter.
-
-Callao, the port of Lima, where the ships anchor, has a population of
-forty-five thousand. It is here that one first gets an idea of genuine
-Peruvian architecture. The two and three storied houses, many of which
-are adorned by steeples and towers, invariably have enclosed wooden
-balconies projecting from the second floor over the street, giving
-the touch of old Stamboul or other oriental cities. It is difficult
-to conjecture the origin of these balconies. The Moorish style of
-architecture which the Spaniards copied and brought to their colonies
-was plain, with bare outside walls and few windows. This Turkish style
-seen by many tourists for the first time in their lives at Callao is
-that which predominates in Central Peru and is also prevalent to a
-certain extent as far south as Tacna.
-
-In Callao there is but little to interest the stranger. As in most
-seaports, tough characters abound, and there is a bevy of saloons; but
-unlike most seaports, Callao is comparatively clean, especially the
-show places. It has a large church, a few pleasant plazas, and some
-marble statues. In reputation it is one of the toughest towns in the
-world; it formerly was the jumping-off place for criminals and the
-tales of shanghaiing and murders that took place here not so many years
-back would fill volumes.
-
-  [Illustration: Callao Harbor]
-
-The harbor is landlocked by the mainland, a sandy point, and the
-mountainous island of San Lorenzo. The port works of stone are the best
-on the whole Pacific Coast but at the present time no ships anchor at
-them. This is due to the prevalence of bubonic plague (occasionally
-a few sporadic cases) which can be transmitted to the passengers
-and crews through the medium of rats. A reason more vital to the
-municipality for not allowing the ships to anchor at the docks is that
-of providing employment for the _fleteros_, or boatmen, who earn a few
-soles by rowing people and baggage to and from the ships. In the harbor
-are two Peruvian men-of-war. They have lain there several years. Their
-boilers are defective and their machinery needs repairing, but nothing
-is ever done to make them seaworthy. I saw the admiral in a street car.
-He is a big, fat fellow with about a fifty-three inch waist line, and
-resplendent with gold braid. From the servile humility of the conductor
-and the passengers towards him, one might judge that he ranked with von
-Tirpitz and I have no doubt but that he entertained the same opinion of
-himself.
-
-Lima is about five miles distant inland from Callao, to which city
-it is connected by a trolley and two railway lines. The former,
-double-tracked, runs in a straight line through a decidedly Athenian
-landscape. On all sides are green fields, olive groves, black hills,
-and whitish soil. The air, odor, and decisive clearness of the
-atmosphere is Attic; the style of the country houses, nature of the
-crops, and appearance of the live stock is analogous to that of Attica.
-On the south side of the main road are two large country seats that
-would grace any rural scene; they are the residences of the Italian
-families Castagnone and Nosiglia, and are set back at some distance
-from the turnpike.
-
-The population of Lima, Callao, and many of the seaboard Peruvian
-towns is composed of Aryans, Indians, Hamitics, and Mongolians, with
-a conglomerate mixture of all four races. In Lima, people with mixed
-white and Indian blood predominate; those of mixed white and negro
-blood are a close second. The aristocracy and better-to-do classes are
-white and are descended from the Spaniards. They do not marry outside
-of their own race and constitute the ruling element. There is a large
-Italian colony, many of whose male members are leading merchants and
-professional men. Far outnumbering the whites are the various hues of
-mixed breeds, Indians, negroes, and Chinese, which form the rabble. The
-cholo is a scion of an Indian and a white person, while a _chino-cholo_
-is the offspring of a Chinaman and an Indian. To get a good idea
-of Peruvian mixture as applied to the lower walks of society (which
-constitute all the classes not belonging to the white race, and which
-greatly predominate), one can take the following genealogical tree as
-an example. A white man marries a squaw which we can designate as union
-A. A Chinaman marries a negress; we can call this union B. The progeny
-of union A marries the progeny of union B, which is union C. The result
-is a child which has blood one fourth white, one fourth black, one
-fourth Indian, and one fourth Chinese. Although mixtures like this are
-uncommon, they nevertheless exist, but it is of great commonness for a
-person to have the blood of three of these races.
-
-These mixtures diminish the intellect and decrease the vitality of the
-offspring, who are invariably inferior to the pure bloods, even if the
-pure blood is Indian or negro. The children of these marriages inherit
-few of the good qualities of their parents, but all of their vices. The
-cholos, proud of their white blood, tyrannize over the poor Indians and
-subject them to indignities and cruelties such as were never practiced
-in slavery times by their Spanish masters. These same cholos cringe
-like curs before the white man. Their natural disposition is good,
-excepting that they have the trait of dreadfully abusing and misusing
-the poor Indians. The Chinese, of which there are thirty thousand in
-the provinces of Callao and Lima, have not intermarried with the other
-races so much as the other three mentioned ones. They are lawabiding
-and quiet, but the mixed offspring from them is deficient in good
-qualities. The worst of all races in Peru is the offspring of the negro
-and the cholo. The result is a progeny that is downright bad. It is
-these that constitute the riotous mobs that murder and hurl missiles
-every time there is an abortive or a genuine revolution. They do not
-know what the row is about, yet they want to participate in it for
-the main love of wickedness. I saw a crowd of this degenerate gentry,
-evidently "egged on" by some political opponent, hurl legumes and
-bricks at the brother of ex-President Leguia when he was leaving the
-Doric-columned Senate Building. One of these bricks severely injured
-a stranger, and I, an unconscious spectator, had a white duck suit
-discolored by unsavory hen fruit. The Limeno bootblacks are recruited
-from this class, and as a rule when they are not shining shoes or
-up to some deviltry, they stand around the booths singing in an
-undertone obscene stanzas of their own composition to attentive dregs
-of humanity. The "buck-niggers" and their families, of untarnished
-ebony hue, originally migrated into Peru from Jamaica. They do not make
-bad citizens, but their population is fast diminishing, their numbers
-becoming assimilated with the other races.
-
-  [Illustration: Puente Vieja, Lima, as Seen from the Bed of the Rimac]
-
-There is considerable material for argument relative to the origin
-of the name of the Peruvian metropolis, which nobody seems to have
-taken the pains to unravel. Lima was founded January 18, 1535, by Don
-Francisco Pizarro. It was granted its charter and received its seal by
-a royal decree of Charles V. of Spain, December 7, 1537, under the name
-of the Most Noble and Very Loyal City of Kings. The name Lima, which
-the stranger is erroneously told is a corruption of the word Rimac
-(the name of the river which divides the modern city), was said to be
-the name of the Indian village which had its center where the capitol
-building now stands; owing to the shortness of its name, it superceded
-the longer title given to it by the Spanish king. Many of the Spanish
-conquistadores named cities which they founded in the new world after
-cities in Spain from which they hailed. Thus Trujillo in Peru is named
-after Trujillo in Spain, Pizarro's birthplace. There is a town named
-Valladolid in Yucatan, a city named Cartagena in Colombia, a Cordóba
-in Argentina, and a Linares in Chile. All of these places were named
-after places of the same name in the Iberian Peninsula. Likewise there
-is a Lima in Spain. It may be that the capital of Peru was named after
-it, and that the name of the Indian village is legend. To substantiate
-this theory, there is a city in central Brazil named Lima which is an
-old town. This Brazilian city would undoubtedly owe the origin of its
-name to the same source as would Lima, Peru. There is a theory however
-which would knock this out and that is one of my own. Lima, Spain, only
-appears on the modern maps of that country. It is a small town in Leon.
-I have examined many maps and ancient geographies of Spain and do not
-find it there, yet it is inconceivable that Lima, Spain, would be named
-after Lima, Peru.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Huallaga, Lima]
-
-The variety of large bean which at home we are accustomed to call the
-Lima bean is not a native of this place. Their origin is a town named
-Ica, which is about a hundred miles southeast of Lima, and in Peru it
-is called the Ica bean.
-
-Lima is divided into two uneven parts by the Rimac River, which is
-spanned by two traffic bridges, the Puente Vieja, commonly known as
-the Stone Bridge, and the Puente Balta, by a railroad bridge, and by
-a temporary footbridge. The Rimac is a swiftly flowing, transparent
-stream, which jumps over cascades and has a considerable volume of
-water for a mountain stream. Its bed is not well defined as it contains
-many small islands and gravel bars. At the stone bridge it is kept
-within bounds. The river furnishes irrigation for the whole valley in
-which the capital is situated and could even be made to furnish more
-since much of its volume of water goes to waste. This is a crime on
-account of its scarcity.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza Italia, Lima. Vendors of Bread]
-
-Lima should not be passed without a week's sojourn by any visitor
-to the west coast of South America, whether he is a professor,
-antiquarian, commercial traveler, or ordinary tourist. No other city in
-the Western Hemisphere retains in so marked a degree its medievalism,
-yet no other city on the west coast of South America is so advanced
-in modernity. Luxury rubs shoulders with poverty; there are numerous
-palaces and also countless hovels. The great churches, all Roman
-Catholic, bear testimony by their superb interiors to the lavishness of
-devotion. In the shop windows are displayed the silver ornaments and
-utensils of Cuzco and Cajamarca; next door to them are presented the
-baubles and gewgaws of New York and Paris.
-
-  [Illustration: Plazuela de la Inquisicion, Lima]
-
-The population is estimated at two hundred thousand which is probably
-nearly correct. The city is very compactly built and centered so that
-its streets teem with more life than an ordinary city of the same
-number of inhabitants. Although its population is but half that of
-Santiago, this centralization makes it appear to be a larger place.
-The buildings, two, three, and four stories in height, are massive,
-although many are built of adobe, plastered and painted over, and give
-the city a metropolitan appearance. In Santiago many of the merchants
-and well-to-do inhabitants live in the suburbs; in Lima they reside
-near the center of the city. During the past few years, the Peruvian
-capital has made great strides in civic improvement. The main streets
-are now paved with stone; they were formerly paved with sharp pebbles.
-They are kept clean, which is a great contrast to the dusty offal which
-formerly littered them and which in powdered form assailed the eyes
-and nostrils of the pedestrians every time a gust of wind arose. The
-equipages for the transportation of passengers are superior to those
-of Santiago and the street car service, although not frequent enough,
-is better than that of the Chilean capital. There has also been much
-recent building going on, the new edifices being of modern European
-design.
-
-Standing in the Hotel Maury one day I was introduced to a prominent
-Lima business man named Arthur Field, who was born there. He kindly
-offered to show me the city in his automobile. I told him that I was
-already acquainted with Lima, having made previous visits there.
-
-"I am so glad," said he; "most tourists go away with such a poor
-impression of Lima, and some go away after a short sojourn and write
-most uncomplimentary things about it, which hurts it. Ambassador Bryce
-spoke very illy of Lima, and he was only here for a few days. There
-is to my knowledge only one book written recently which gives a true
-description of the city. It was written by a namesake of yours, a
-man named Stephens. My wife and my friends have read it, and they all
-pronounce it as true."
-
-I did not tell him that I wrote the book, but another man in the group,
-an American, spotted me for its author from the frontispiece in it,
-which has my likeness. This last-mentioned man went home that noon,
-and verified his suspicions by again looking at the frontispiece. That
-afternoon he procured his copy of the book and started to the Hotel
-Maury to congratulate me. On the way he got gloriously drunk, and in
-an inebriated condition he showed the paragraph where I mentioned the
-Hotel Maury to one of its proprietors. Since I had spoken poorly of
-the establishment in it (it had improved decidedly since I was there
-before) I thought the result would be a request for me to change
-quarters. The proprietor could speak no English and judging that the
-talk of the American was due to an excess of _batida_ bitters and John
-de Kuyper paid no attention to the subject.
-
-  [Illustration: Boulevard in Lima]
-
-A bad feature about Lima is that the same street has a different
-name for each block. This was the old Spanish custom and it makes it
-necessary for the visitor to buy a plan of the city to memorize the
-nomenclatures of the principal blocks. In recent years the municipality
-has tried to remedy this custom by giving a street one single name, but
-the old appellations still cling and probably always will. The Calle
-Union, Lima's main street, is not so called by the ordinary native,
-and its different blocks are known as Palacio, Portal de Escribanos,
-Mercaderes, Espaderos, Merced, Baquijano, Boza, San Juan de Dios,
-Belen, Juan Simon, and so forth. Its principal sector, Calle Huallaga,
-is known respectively as Judios, Melchormalo, Virreina, Concepcion,
-Presa, Lechugal, and San Andres.
-
-Calle Union presents much life. It begins at the Plaza de Armas and
-is about a mile long, terminating at the Zoölogical Gardens. On it is
-the city hall, several theaters, the Merced church, the Forero palace,
-and the penitentiary. It is the main retail street and is always much
-crowded. Huallaga is a busy street with antiquarian shops, banks, and
-wholesale offices. On it is the Hotel Central, the Bank of Peru and
-London, the Concepcion market, the Concepcion church, and the police
-headquarters.
-
-The Concepcion market is the largest that I have ever seen. Its ground
-area, covering a whole block, is about the same size as the Tacon
-market in Havana, but it is higher. There are many queer vegetables,
-herbs, and fruits offered for sale which are unknown in Europe or
-in North America. The potato, whose origin is Peru, is sold in this
-market, not in the raw state as in our markets, but desiccated. The
-natives soak them in water, sun dry them, and put them for sale in
-this fashion, for this way they will keep indefinitely. In the meat
-department cats crawl over the loins and spare ribs while whippets
-snap at fly-bedizened bones. I attempted to take a time exposure of the
-place but a gawky overgrown boy walked in front of the camera, spoiling
-the picture. A cuff on the ears from me which sent him spinning against
-a basket of eggs nearly caused a small riot.
-
-The Bank of Peru and London is the largest bank building in South
-America. It is a three-story white structure built in a classical style
-of architecture. There are several other large banks.
-
-The Plaza de Armas lacks much of the charm of the plazas in the Chilean
-cities. It is planted to palmetto trees, which I think always look out
-of place outside of their wild native state. On the north side of this
-square is the one-story-high capitol building. Somewhere in its patio
-is the spot where Pizarro was murdered. The exact place is not known on
-account of the many alterations that have taken place in the building.
-His skeleton rests in a white marble sarcophagus in the cathedral.
-
-This cathedral, whose stately and magnificent pile was described by
-me in a previous book on South America, ranks as one of the largest
-religious edifices in the world. Its twin towers, one at each side
-of a broad façade, rise majestically into the heavens and are visible
-from a great distance. Its spacious nave and aisles are crowned by a
-ribbed roof, whose ceiling is painted in symmetrical designs in pink
-and azure. Many mendicants loiter about the interior, and when the
-sexton shows you Pizarro's skeleton, they all solicit alms for such
-trivialities as holding the candle to view the remains, opening the
-door of the chapel, and so forth. In the chapel where his remains
-repose is an altar of pure silver brought from Cuzco.
-
-  [Illustration: Façade of San Augustin Church, Lima]
-
-Lima, always the capital of the Spanish dominion in the New World,
-and the seat of the Inquisition in South America, was and is still a
-pillar of Catholicism. The plaza where the Senate building is located
-is named the Plazuela de la Inquisicion; in its neighborhood were
-perpetrated the barbarous tortures on heretics, written about in Vicuña
-Mackenna's books. Joints were stretched by screws; ear holes were
-filled with molten metal; writhing bodies to whose feet was tied an
-iron hundredweight were hoisted by outstretched arms to the ceiling
-by means of pulleys, the weight causing the body to tear in two at the
-abdomen. The last of these barbarities took place in 1820. In Peru no
-other religion but the Roman Catholic is recognized, although others
-are tolerated. Watching a religious procession one day as it passed
-through the streets of the city, a thirty-second-degree Mason turned to
-me and said:
-
-"A Mason has no more show in this town than a fly on fly-paper."
-
-There are forty-eight large churches in Lima and twenty-two chapels.
-The latter are large enough to be fair-sized churches in the United
-States. The most aristocratic church is that of La Merced adjoining
-the convent of the same name on the Calle Union. It has an opulent
-interior. The nave is high and airy, and the air is laden with
-frankincense. It is my favorite of all the Lima churches and I often
-repaired thither to attend mass or for pious meditation. San Francisco
-church is very rich; its architecture is Saracenic. Another fine church
-is San Augustin. It has a marvelous sculptured façade. According
-to the original plan, it was to have two towers but they have never
-been added. It is here that the president takes his oath of office.
-Other fine churches worthy of visit are San Domingo, San Pedro, and
-Nazarenas, although many others present great interest.
-
-  [Illustration: Procession of the Milagro, Lima]
-
-Easter week in Lima is an unforgettable event. Penitents, carrying
-holy images, processions, and throngs of religious devotees fill the
-streets. One of the pageants which has a touch of barbaric mingled
-with Christianity is that of the Milagro. What gives it a touch of the
-barbaric is the majority of negroes who take part in it. The trail of
-the Milagro lies through the squalid streets in the part of the city
-north of the Rimac. All the people officiating are garbed in purple
-tunics. It is preceded by youths carrying gaudy lamps. Then follow
-negro women, chanting dirges. A stranger looking at it for the first
-time is apt to believe that it is a procession exorcising against the
-plague for after the cantors come black Mary Magdalene's carrying
-lighted hand braziers from which they blow great fumes of incense
-smoke on the onlookers, nearly suffocating many by the intoxicating
-fragrance. There is a brass band of purple-robed devotees playing
-weird music followed by an image of the Saviour in an upright position
-mounted on a metal platform. This image is adorned with wreaths,
-flowers, and ribbons; before it is an altar with lighted candles. The
-platform is very heavy and is borne by sixteen men, four on each side,
-four in front, and four in back, who support its weight on their padded
-shoulders on which rest beams. The procession is very slow, moving at
-a snail's pace, and as it proceeds, the pageant sways with a peculiar
-serpentine rhythm. On account of the weight of the image and its
-accouterments, at every few yards the procession stops and the carriers
-are relayed. Some of them faint under the strain. The expression on
-the faces of the carriers is that of most reverend devotion; the light
-of sanctity is in their eyes, and they walk as if in a trance. This
-carrying of the image is a great honor, and the fortunate ones look
-forward to it for a whole year. Following the image walked a priest,
-his well-fed form protected from the sun by a canopy of cloth of gold
-upheld on poles by six purple-clad boys. His expression was far from
-being that of sanctity. Merciless and unrelentless, his face wore a
-heartless and cold-blooded mien as if he were a graven image of stone.
-Smug and self-centered, he appeared to be greatly contented with the
-position he occupied, the cynosure of all eyes. When the procession
-passed the Calle Trujillo, the main street of the section of Lima north
-of the Rimac, street car and pedestrian traffic was stopped for half
-an hour. As in all places, there was a crowd of procession followers.
-As the pageant merely crawled along, many youths of this class regaled
-themselves with libations of _pisco_ which is offered for sale every
-few doors in that neighborhood. The consequence was that there were
-many staggering steps among the spectators.
-
-Lima is seen to its greatest advantage from the middle of the stone
-bridge at dusk when the electric lights are being turned on or after
-dark on a moonlight night from the same spot. The view is far superior
-to that of Florence as seen from the Arno bridge. In the daytime the
-masses of chrome-colored houses, churches, and towers, the teeming
-street life, the trains arriving at and leaving Desamparados station
-present the aspect of a metropolis both medieval and modern. At night
-when the white moon rising above San Cristobal hill plays on the
-ripples of the Rimac, and reflects on them the myriads of lights from
-the windows, while in the distance the trees along the river bank cause
-an inky blackness, is seen a picture beyond the scope of the greatest
-artists.
-
-The part of Lima north of the Rimac is much the smallest, but it is
-the most thickly settled. It is the dirtiest part and is the favorite
-abode of negroes and Chinamen; here street dogs of all descriptions
-constantinopolize the thoroughfares, and when not basking on their
-bellies on the sidewalks, they devour mule manure and snap at fleas.
-This is the section of the city where the bubonic plague cases
-sporadically occur, as well as being the section most poignant in
-crime. It has a handsome parkway with statues, the Alameda de los
-Descalzos, though it would be better located if it were south of
-the river. On the north side are the two breweries, which with the
-exception of two flour mills are Lima's sole factories. The breweries
-are Backus & Johnston Company, Ltd., and Eduardo Harster's Piedra
-Liza Brewery. Above the suburb of Piedra Liza rises San Cristobal hill
-(altitude 1300 feet) which is 179 feet higher than the hill of the same
-name at Santiago, Chile. Its summit is crowned by a wireless station of
-the Telefunken.
-
-In Lima there is only one hotel at which a North American or a European
-can stop in comfort, the Maury. This hotel, owned by Angel Bertolotto
-and leased to Visconti & Velasquez, is with the exception of some of
-the Buenos Aires hotels the best in South America. Many of the rooms
-have baths and are sumptuously furnished. The prices are high. This
-Hotel Maury started with one building on the corner of Bodegones and
-Villalta but when trade increased, it was necessary to acquire the
-adjoining buildings, so that at the present time the caravanserai
-extends the length of the whole block as far as the cathedral. It is
-as intricate as a maze to find one's way about the upstairs corridors.
-The ground floor is occupied with several tile-paved dining rooms, and
-a large bar where congregate many of the foreign residents to enjoy
-libations. The bartenders are good mixologists, but devote too much
-of their time selling to tourists at usurious prices guide books and
-views of Peru that they obtained for a song. When they are not doing
-this they are busily engaged in drying orange peels that they fished
-out of somebody's already consumed cocktail in order to have it in
-proper condition to put into a cocktail ordered by the next customer.
-The other hotels in Lima, impossible for the foreigner, are the delight
-of the native-born population, as the Maury is too expensive for their
-pocketbooks. There are many pastry and confectionery stores in Lima,
-some being very good ones. These all sell ice cream and specialize
-in preparing banquets. Many have ice manufacturing establishments in
-connection with them. The best known are those named Arturo Field,
-Broggi, Marron, and Parisienne.
-
-The finest café on the west coast of America is the one in Lima named
-Palais Concert and is owned by the Maury proprietors. It is modern
-European, and is supposed to have a Viennese orchestra, none of whom,
-however, hail from Austria. A popular restaurant is the Estrasburgo.
-The peculiarity about it is the sacrilegious mural painting in it,
-which strange to say is tolerated in this most fanatically religious
-country. The painting is an advertisement of a French brandy firm. The
-hideous corpse of Lazarus, with pointed chin and ears, coming to life,
-is rising from a coffin, and with a sardonic grin on his face he is
-eagerly stretching out his hand for a tumbler of brandy which is being
-handed him by a bleached-out Christ, garbed in red, and with glistening
-ringlets of peroxide colored hair. Christ is saying: "Arise, O Lazarus,
-and drink this brandy!" This Estrasburgo is a favorite resort of Jews
-in transit. They go there to view this picture, and when they see that
-no Christian is present, nudge each other and say: "This is fine." The
-Restaurant Berlin is a well furnished place on the Plateros de San
-Pedro. This is all. There is no Berlin about it excepting the name,
-although I understand that the proprietor is a German. The uncouth
-waiters, some with repulsive boils on their faces, shuffle across
-the unswept floor, which is overrun with cockroaches, and slop down
-vile concoctions in front of you, spilling the sticky liquid on the
-fly-infested table. One night while sitting there with a friend, I
-was given a curaçao flavored with turpentine, while he drew a cocktail
-savored with the cholo waiter's dirty thumb.
-
-One of Lima's institutions is drink. Being almost a teetotaler, I
-can give no more information than what I observed. Saloons exist
-everywhere; there are over six thousand of them, some of which are
-really high class. Also there are clubs where liquid refreshments are
-sold. There are no days when the saloons are compelled to close; they
-generally close their doors at night only when business becomes slack.
-Besides the two breweries in Lima there is one in Callao, and although
-there is much beer sold, the predominance of mixed drinks is so much
-greater that the former is put into the background. The beer is vile
-and I was advised not to drink any of it. In the winter of 1916 two
-mozos of the Hotel Maury drank a bottle of Nacional Pilsen (Callao)
-behind a door when the boss was not looking. Five minutes afterwards
-one mozo died from the effects, and the life of the other was
-barely saved. Another man drank some Backus & Johnston beer. Shortly
-afterwards his teeth and tongue turned black. In both these cases it
-was found that the beer was mixed with powerful acids. The reason for
-this has not yet been discovered. It is believed by some people that
-the preparation was faulty; by others that it was the work of a rival
-brewery. Most of the confectionery stores have bars. Broggi invented
-a drink which goes by his name. It is called Broggi bitters. This is
-the recipe:--Aperitàl, cane syrup, and a dash of Angostura. To this is
-added a lemon rind that has been soaked in alcohol. Add cracked ice
-and fill the glass with syphon water. Shake well and pour the liquid
-through a strainer. Broggi bitters may be obtained anywhere in Lima but
-they do not taste like the ones served at the original place. The Maury
-specializes in Peruvian cocktails. This drink is pisco, lemon juice,
-and a teaspoonful of sugar. To it is added a few drops of Angostura;
-it is then shaken with cracked ice, strained, and served with an orange
-rind.
-
-Pisco is a terribly strong native drink and is indulged in by the
-lower classes. It is grape alcohol, and is flavored with pineapple,
-or raspberry, or orange, or prunes. It is seen in the cheap saloons,
-standing in large glass jars, yellow, red, orange, or brown according
-to the flavor of the ingredient syrup. Chicha, far from being like the
-grape cider of Chile, is here a corn alcohol and is indulged in by the
-scum for their debauches.
-
-I was once in Lima when there was much money in circulation. The crowds
-of foreign residents of the mining towns in the Cordillera and the
-floating population used to hie to the Maury bar twice a day to spend
-it, and great orgies were pulled off. This has changed materially,
-for now with less money in circulation, there are no more of these
-parties. Formerly one never saw any paper currency. Now one never sees
-any gold. Several of the banks in consolidation have issued circular
-checks which are considered by the government as legal. They are the
-best looking bills in South America. Their denominations are half
-pound, one pound, five and ten pound notes. The merchants grab all the
-silver soles that fall into their hands, so that it is impossible many
-times to change these circular checks when change is most needed. Some
-merchants place signs in their stores saying that this paper currency
-will not be accepted as tender unless the purchases amount to two
-soles. I was told by the cashier of the Bank of Peru and London that if
-I went into a café, bought and drank a bottle of beer, and offered one
-of these checks in payment, the proprietors would be obliged to change
-it even though they had signs posted to the contrary. He said that if
-they refused to make change for me to walk off without paying and the
-law would be on my side. I told this to a chance acquaintance from
-Montana who had a perpetual thirst. He tried it out by making diurnal
-rounds of many saloons, drinking two or three potations in each place,
-always tendering a circular check of one of the higher values, which he
-invariably found unchangeable.
-
-Lima has the only ice-cream soda fountains that I have discovered south
-of the Equator although I am told that one exists in Buenos Aires. It
-also has a soft drink parlor, Leonard's, called the Hemaglobino, where
-ordinary soda water with the standard, and to us exotic, syrups, such
-as tamarind, are dispensed. As to money making, it is a mint, and as
-Prat remarked to me, in Buenos Aires it would be a veritable gold mine.
-
-A Lima institution that needs to be ameliorated is the post office
-department. None of the South American post offices are any too
-reliable but that of Lima is the limit. A few instances of post office
-irregularities in the Latin republics will serve as an introduction
-before that of Lima is dealt with.
-
-In Paraguay it happens that the post offices frequently run shy of
-stamps. A person in Asuncion would like to mail a letter. He takes
-it to the post office and is told that there are no stamps but that
-if he will pay the money equivalent to the postage the letter will
-be forwarded. He does so, and it is the last he or anybody else ever
-sees of the letter. It is opened by the post office clerk to see if it
-contains money. If it does, the money finds its way into the clerk's
-pocket. In any case the letter is thrown into the waste-paper basket.
-
-In enlightened Argentina, there is also much thievery of mail. A mail
-car was recently wrecked on the Central Argentine Railroad. Between the
-lining of the car and the outside boards hundreds of opened registered
-letters were found. A postmaster in a small Argentine village died
-recently. In remodeling the building which was used as the post office
-there were found in the basement four thousand opened letters.
-
-In Santiago I was advised by my friends to send them no registered
-mail. They told me if I did, they would probably never receive it
-because it was common for the post office clerks to open registered
-mail to see if it contained money. In Argentina and in Bolivia the post
-office clerks are discourteous and hate to make change. They gossip
-with their friends, keeping a row of people waiting indefinitely for
-service. Oftentimes they are busily engaged in reading a newspaper
-and will not look up until the article is read. In Ecuador with the
-exception of the city of Guayaquil there is no money order service, and
-letters are not forwarded if the addressee changes his residence. In
-Peru there is no money order service between Lima and the mining towns
-such as Cerro de Pasco. Many foreigners live in this last-mentioned
-town and it is often necessary for people in the capital to remit money
-to them. In order to do so, it is necessary for the remitter to go to
-a bank and purchase a draft.
-
-Regarding the Lima post office, thievery is rampant. I bought some
-Panama hats in Paita and had them sewed up neatly in several parcels
-which I mailed to friends in the United States. The parcels arrived
-with practically the identical sewing that I had done, but when they
-were opened they were found to contain newspapers. A letter to the
-United States from Lima requires twelve centavos postage and a postal
-card four centavos. When a foreigner goes to this post office and
-looks around for the stamp window he is invariably accosted by several
-individuals who inquire if he wishes to buy any stamps. Upon their
-being answered in the affirmative, they inquire what denomination he
-wants. If he should tell them that he wants to buy some twelve centavo
-stamps they will produce a bunch of them which they will sell him for
-eight centavos. They also sell four centavo stamps for two and three
-centavos. Many of these stamps are minus gum. This shows that the post
-office clerks are in league with these touts. They take off the new
-stamps, throw the letters in the waste-paper basket, hand the stamps to
-their understudies, who whack up the profits with them. These clerks
-also steal new stamps from the drawers and peddle them out the same
-way.
-
-In Lima, Montevideo, and Asuncion, the post office clerks also do a
-lucrative business in selling canceled stamps to collectors. They will
-invariably ask the foreigner if he wishes to buy a set of the current
-issue canceled. If he refuses they are offended.
-
-Peru is very fertile in the stamp issues that it has put forth ever
-since postage stamps have been invented. Fortunately for collectors,
-Peru is considered a good country, as many of its stamps bring high
-prices in London, New York, and Paris. The natives know this and
-there is not to be found a booth in Lima which sells stationery, lead
-pencils, cigars, and lottery tickets which does not also sell canceled
-postage stamps of the past issues of the country. These can be bought
-very cheaply, and can be resold in the United States at fancy prices.
-
-Peru can be called a lawless country. It has a good code but its laws
-are not lived up to. There have been many revolutions and there will
-be a continuance of them due to its lawless, heterogeneous population,
-and the political rivalry between different factions. Most of the
-inhabitants have political ambitions on account of the graft connected
-with the appointments. Although this is true all over the world, it is
-especially true in Peru. The cholo maltreats the Indian, and the white
-man bullies the cholo. The Lima police very seldom arrest a foreigner
-because they can work him for money. I know of an American in Lima who
-through some act of his got into conflict with the police. They led
-him off ostensibly to jail, but when they reached a dark street they
-asked him how much he would give if they let him go. They willingly
-accepted ten pesos. One night I made a purchase in one of the stores.
-After having paid for it, I took my purchase and walked out into the
-street. I had scarcely taken a few steps before the proprietor ran out
-of his store and told me that I had not paid him enough because he had
-discovered that what he sold me was worth more than he charged me. This
-is a favorite South American dodge and is perpetrated by storekeepers
-when they think they can get more for their goods than what they
-sold them for. Even the proprietor of a large importing drug firm in
-Arequipa tried this on me once, and he was a man worth over one hundred
-thousand dollars. I declined to pay the Lima storekeeper any more money
-and also declined to give up my purchase. A half block away stood
-several policemen and he sent a friend after one of these. The cops
-soon appeared on the scene and started to make a big fuss. Ordinarily I
-would have returned the purchase but this happened to be something that
-I wanted. When the policemen, storekeeper, and bystanders were at the
-pitch of excitement, I managed to slip a couple of pesos into the hands
-of the former. They immediately changed their attitude, threatened the
-storekeeper and his friend with arrest, espoused my cause, and even
-went with me as far as the door of the Hotel Maury to "protect me from
-molestation" as they called it.
-
-A certain Lima senator not long ago caught his wife in a compromising
-act with a stranger. He had them both arrested on a charge of adultery.
-He hired the police to castrate the stranger, which was done in the
-jail. No proceedings were ever taken against the senator and the
-stranger was given short notice to leave the city.
-
-  [Illustration: Cercado Church, Lima]
-
-The General Cemetery of Lima is worthy of a visit. It is situated
-outside of the city limits, east of a suburb named Cercado. From the
-Plaza Santa Ana, the best way to reach it is by the long, populous,
-and none too straight Calle Junin on which is passed the ancient
-salmon-colored church of Carmen in front of a shady plazuela. I once
-saw a vulture the size of an eagle perched on the top of one of the
-iron framework crosses that ennoble its exterior. Several long blocks
-beyond it is Cercado, now inside the corporation of Lima but formerly
-a separate village, founded in 1586, and given the name Santiago. Its
-present name, Cercado, is derived from the Spanish _circuido_ meaning
-"surrounded," because the town was formerly surrounded with walls. At
-the end of one of its tortuous streets is an insane asylum of such a
-forbidding character that the epithet over its gate, "Let all who enter
-leave hope behind," can be properly applied. In its garden is a well
-where the attendants duck the refractory imbeciles till bubbles come
-up. Behind the asylum is the Plaza de Cercado, treeless, and traversed
-by an open sewer. Here is situated the ancient, dull drab, towered
-church, also named Cercado. A prolongation of the Calle Ancahs, here a
-broad avenue, bordered on both sides by large trees, leads directly to
-the cemetery.
-
-  [Illustration: Tomb of the Goyeneche Family, in the General Cemetery,
-   Lima]
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Kurt Waldemar Linn of New York
-
-   This photograph was taken in the General Cemetery in Lima]
-
-The General Cemetery possesses some of the finest works of marble
-monumental sculpture in South America. These masterpieces were done
-before the Pacific War in 1879 when Peru was an opulent country, and
-was not in the decadent and revolutionary state that it is in at the
-present time. Personally I do not like this cemetery because it is
-enclosed with high walls into which are set thousands of niches, a
-true Roman columbarium. Even in sunny daylight, it presents an ultra
-mournful appearance, no doubt due to congestion of room. If ever
-there was a City of the Dead, this is one. Near the main entrance is
-a pantheon, which must be passed through before reaching the cemetery
-proper. In front of it is a semi-rotunda bordered by exquisite marble
-busts and likenesses of Peru's famous dead of more than a half century
-ago. These are finely chiselled masterpieces of soft white gypsum-like
-marble, preserving to the present time their original aspects. These
-unblemished, untarnished sculptural likenesses are of statesmen,
-professors, and so forth, dignified, with nothing in common with the
-uncouth rabble of Lima to-day. It is just as well that the men whose
-remains are interred beneath these pedestals have long since died for
-they have not witnessed the humiliating defeat of their fatherland and
-the surrender of the nitrate fields of Iquique, together with the loss
-of Tacna and Arica, nor did they hear the tramp through Lima's streets
-of the Chilean conquerors.
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Linn of New York Rising out of the Tomb Erected in
-   Honor of the Peruvian Heroes of the Pacific War, 1879-1882]
-
-  [Illustration: Corpse Bearer, General Cemetery, Lima]
-
-Beyond the pantheon are some fine mausoleums, that of the Goyeneche
-being remarkable. The cadavers are not sequestered in the tombs, but in
-niches in vaults underneath reached by a descending flight of stairs.
-The niches rent for six soles for two years ($1.50 a year) and in them
-are deposited the remains of those whose means are limited. A white
-marble slab generally covers the front of the niche. On these slabs
-are designs, differing but little from each other in originality. The
-paintings on the slabs are black and depict a willow tree on one of
-whose branches sits an owl. Beneath the tree in attitudes of prayer and
-mourning are shown several human beings grouped about a corpse lying on
-a couch. The infant mortality in Lima must be great as is evidenced by
-the number of fresh cement fillings over the niches that are just large
-enough to permit the coffin of a child to be placed in the aperture.
-I witnessed several burials of poor children. The father, mother,
-and a few relatives appear at the cemetery carrying a coffin, smoking
-cigarettes, and apparently no more absorbed with grief than if a pet
-dog or cat had died. A cemetery employee relieves them of their load
-and finds a niche. He climbs upon some boards stretched across a pair
-of wooden carpenter's horses and slides into the hole that which had
-once been human. He then seizes a cement slab, many of which are lying
-about, having been especially manufactured for the cemetery to be used
-on such occasions, fits it in the niche end, and slaps over it a few
-trowelfuls of wet cement. A scratch on the cement with a pointed stick
-writes the name of the deceased infant and the date of its succumbing.
-The work of interring is so slipshodly done that swarms of insects,
-which delight in making repasts on the putrefying entrails of corpses,
-crawl through the cracks of the cement and seethe on the faces of
-the slabs. Some of these bit me and caused festering sores by their
-undetectable inoculation.
-
-  [Illustration: Putting a Coffin into a Niche, General Cemetery, Lima]
-
-In the west end of this cemetery is another pantheon, this one superb.
-In it are the sarcophagi of General Bolognesi, Admiral Grau, and other
-heroes of the Pacific War. It also contains the bones of the former
-presidents. Protestants, pagans, and freemasons are not interred in
-this cemetery.
-
-Lima has a patron saint, Santa Rosa. She is also the patron saint of
-Callao. She was born in Lima, April 30, 1536, and devoted a life of
-purity to God. She died at the age of thirty-one years, August 23,
-1567. She was canonized by Pope Clement X. in 1671.
-
-There are many legends printed in book form about the city of Mexico,
-but none that I know of about this much more interesting city, Lima.
-Anecdotes and tales of the early history of Buenos Aires and Bahia
-would be worth reading, but I doubt if there is any city of the Western
-Hemisphere which is as rich in romance as Peru's capital. Some of the
-old houses here could tell many interesting tales if walls could speak,
-especially that one still existing called the Torre-Tagle house, where
-the Spanish viceroys formerly resided. It has a beautiful mahogany
-ceiling and balustrades and is the home of the Zevallos family.
-
-No modern book on Peru has the names of the viceroys tabulated. I have
-therefore gathered the names of the best known ones.
-
-1. Blassco Nuñez de Vela. 1544-1551.
-
-2. Antonio de Mendoza. Sept. 23, 1551-July 21,1556.
-
-He founded the University of San Marcos at Lima.
-
-3. Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza. July 21, 1556-March 30, 1561.
-
-4. Diego Lopez de Zuñiga, Count of Nieva. April 17, 1561-Feb. 20, 1564.
-
-5. Francisco de Toledo. November 26, 1569-Sept. 23, 1581.
-
-He is called the Solon of Peru. He established the Inquisition.
-
-6. Martin Enriquez de Almanza. Sept. 23, 1581-March 15, 1583.
-
-7. Fernando de Torres y Portugal, Count del Villar de Pardo. 1586-Jan.
-6, 1590.
-
-8. Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza, Marquis of Cañete. Jan. 6, 1590-July 26,
-1596.
-
-9. Luis de Velazco. July 26, 1596-Jan. 28, 1604.
-
-He established free schools. He had the first census of Lima taken
-January 1, 1600. Its population then was 14,262.
-
-10. Gaspar de Zuñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monterrey. Jan. 28, 1604-Feb.
-16, 1606.
-
-11. Juan de Mendoza y Lima, Marquis of Montesclaros. Feb. 16, 1606-Dec.
-18, 1615.
-
-He built the stone bridge at Lima which is called the Puente Vieja and
-laid out the Alameda de los Descalzos.
-
-12. Francisco de Borja y Aragon, Prince of Esquilache. Dec. 18,
-1615-July 25, 1622.
-
-13. Diego Fernandez de Córdoba, Marquis of Guadalcázar. July 25,
-1622-Jan. 14, 1629.
-
-14. Luis Geronimo Fernandez de Cabrera, Count of Chinchón. Jan. 14,
-1629-Dec. 15, 1639.
-
-During his viceroyalty, the medicinal properties of quinine were
-discovered at Lima.
-
-15. Pedro de Toledo y Leyta, Marquis of Mancero. Dec. 15, 1639-.
-
-16. Garcia Sarmiento de Sotomayor, Count of Salvatierra. -June 26, 1659.
-
-17. Luis Enrique de Guzman, Count of Alba de Liste. June 26, 1659-.
-
-18. Diego Benavides y de la Cueva, Count of Santisteban. -1666.
-
-19. Pedro Fernandez de Castro, Count of Lemu. 1666-1672.
-
-20. Baltazar de la Cueva Enriquez. 1672-.
-
-21. Archbishop Melchor Liñan y Cisneros.
-
-22. Melchor de Navarra y Rocaful.
-
-23. Melchor Portocarrero, Count de la Monclova. -Sept. 22, 1705.
-
-He had a census of Lima taken, Jan. 1, 1700. Its population was 37,234.
-
-24. Manuel de Oms y Santa Pau, Marquis of Castel Dos Rios. Sept. 22,
-1705-Apr. 22, 1710.
-
-25. Diego Ladron de Guevara, Bishop of Quito. Apr. 22, 1710-.
-
-27. Diego de Morcillo, Archbishop of Charcas. -Jan. 11, 1730.
-
-28. José de Almendariz, Marquis of Castel Fuerte. Jan. 11, 1730-.
-
-30. José Antonio Manso de Velasco, Count of Superunda. July 12,
-1745-Nov. 13, 1762.
-
-31. Manuel de Amat. Nov. 13, 1762-. He expelled the Jesuits from Peru.
-
-35. Francisco Gil de Taboada, Lemus y Villamarin.
-
-36. Ambrosio O'Higgins, Marquis of Osorno. -Mar. 18, 1801.
-
-He built the road from Lima to Callao.
-
-37. Gabriel de Avilés y del Fierro, Marquis of Avilés, Nov. 6,
-1801-July 26, 1806.
-
-38. Jose Fernando Abascal. July 26, 1806-.
-
-39. Joaquim de la Pezuela.
-
-He was the last Viceroy of Peru.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV
-
-ACROSS THE CORDILLERA TO THE RIO TAMBO
-
-
-Professor Edward Alsworth Ross in his book _South of Panama_ says of
-Peru:
-
-"Were I to be exiled, and confined the rest of my life to one country,
-I should choose Peru. Here is every altitude, every climate, every
-scene. The lifeless desert and the teeming jungle, the hottest lowlands
-and the bleakest highlands, heaven-piercing peaks and rivers raving
-through canyons--all in Peru. The crassest heathenism flourishes two
-days in the saddle from noble cathedrals, and the bustling ports are
-counterpoised by secluded inland towns where the past lies miraculously
-preserved like the mummy of the saint in a crypt."
-
-The greatest part of Peru lies east of the Andes. It is also the least
-known part of Peru for it is rarely visited by strangers or mining men
-or commercial travelers. The part they see is the desert coast line
-with its dirty, poverty-stricken towns, the bleak barren peaks that
-fringe the Pacific littoral, here and there a spot of verdure at the
-mouth of a river, and Lima, the capital. A few others, mostly mining
-men and engineers, take a trip to the summit of nearby mountains on
-the Oroya railroad, sojourn in the mining towns, suffer from cold and
-lonesomeness, and swear that Peru is the damnedest country on the face
-of the globe, and are heartily glad when the time comes for them to
-leave, vowing never to return again. Barely a handful of these people
-ever cross the passes of the eastern cordillera, and descend the banks
-of the rivulets formed from the melting of the perpetual snows until
-these rivulets become streams, the country opens out, and the climate
-changes from that of the arctic regions to that of the temperate
-zone and finally changes again to that of the tropics. If the tourist
-journeyed farther he would find himself in a vast forest of tropical
-trees, impenetrable, and the home of wild Indians of the blowpipe
-variety, who roam the great swamps and jungles clad not even in a loin
-cloth. He would meet mighty rivers as wide as our widest ones, would
-observe flora such as is only seen in our hothouses, and would see many
-species of fauna which he has never seen except at a zoo. This great,
-and for the most part unexplored, section of Peru is part of the Amazon
-watershed and forms a wilderness of forest which is the continuation
-of that of Brazil. The Amazon and many of its tributaries rise near
-the summits of the Andes, and cutting their passage in deep gorges and
-canyons ever widening in their descent down the eastern slope of the
-great barrier range of mountains, finally reach the lowlands and flow
-peacefully in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean, their volume of
-water being continually augmented by an inpour of thousands of similar
-smaller streams.
-
-A person who is at the mouth of a great river longs to follow it up to
-its source, likewise a person standing at the source or at the side
-of a little stream which he can step across and know that thousands
-of miles away it flows into the ocean as a mighty river, is fascinated
-and a longing comes over him to descend it and follow it to its outlet,
-especially if it happens to be in a country that is new to him and the
-course of the flowing road lies through a stretch of the universe that
-to him is an unsolved mystery. Twice before I have stood at the sources
-of tributaries to the Amazon, and each time I could hardly resist the
-temptation of following them downward. Once was at Huancayo on the
-Mantaro. This river flows eastward and joins the Apurimac, forming
-the Rio Tambo. The latter joins the Urubamba, forming the Ucayali.
-The Ucayali joins the Maranon, forming the main stream of the Amazon.
-The other time was at La Paz at the headwaters of the Chuquillampo.
-This river descends very steeply through a wild gorge named the Yungas
-and flows into the Altamachi. The latter flows into the Beni which in
-turn empties into the Madeira. The Madeira flows into the Amazon. As
-I was limited for time on each of these previous occasions I had to
-forego the pleasure and excitement of such a thrilling expedition. Also
-the descent of either of these rivers would have been impracticable
-without a large expedition because their courses lie through a country
-inhabited by savage Indians which would make traveling extremely
-dangerous.
-
-In Lima this time the idea occurred to me, since I had been twice
-thwarted in my desire to descend the length of the Amazon basin and
-might never have another chance if not at present, that it would be a
-good stunt to obtain all possible information about what route to take,
-and if feasible to make another attempt. I spoke about it to Prat who
-did not fall in with the idea very well as he had a wholesome fear of
-the wild tribes which he was told infested the whole forest region of
-Amazonian Peru. After a considerable palaver he finally agreed to take
-a chance and since we were told at the American consulate that the best
-way to make the trip would be by the way of the Chanchamayo and the
-Perene Rivers, we determined upon this last-mentioned route and then
-started to make preparations.
-
-There lives in Lima one of the best fellows that I have ever become
-a chance acquaintance of. His name is Tomas de Mandalangoitia and
-by occupation he is an official of the Peruvian line of steamers
-plying between Ilo and Panama. He gave me much information about my
-prospective trip and as his intentions were to sail the next week
-for Panama on business for his company, he offered to see that all
-our baggage would get through safely to that port. This he did, and
-to him I am extremely thankful as otherwise I would have never been
-able to make the trip. I left the details of the first stages of the
-trip to Signor Francesco Sansoni, the courier of the Hotel Maury, who
-telegraphed to the different stopping places en route as far as the
-Perene Colony, making reservations for me for horses, and accommodation
-for me, with guides. He arranged my itinerary and also made in Lima
-what necessary purchases we would require. The latter consisted of
-a portable stove, tent, blankets, rifles, revolvers, sack of beans,
-salt, sugar, molasses, and buckskin shoes. I also carried a camera
-and medicine chest. I might as well mention that I went to all this
-expense for nothing because on the Rio Tambo our boat upset and we
-lost everything in the water excepting the clothes we had on, our
-money which with our letters of credit we had tied around our persons
-in a belt, and our revolvers with a box of cartridges which we had in
-our pockets. Prat even lost his hat and was obliged to buy an Indian
-piece of headgear from a native boatman which he wore until we reached
-Iquitos a month later.
-
-  [Illustration: Llamas at Casapalca
-
-   Casapalca is about 14,000 feet above sea level]
-
-The railroad to Oroya, the highest in the world, has been described
-so many times that it is unnecessary to do so now. In even hours one
-is taken from Lima to an altitude of 15,865 feet and then dropped
-down 3686 feet to the junction town of Oroya, from which place a
-railroad runs northward to Cerro de Pasco, and another one southward
-to Huancayo. At Casapalca near to the summit of the Andes west of the
-divide there was a herd of llamas numbering about three hundred behind
-the railroad sheds. I obtained a good photograph of them which is here
-reproduced. Most of the people on the train suffered from _soroche_, a
-mountain sickness akin to vertigo and nausea which is due to the rapid
-change in atmosphere that the traveler undergoes when he is whisked
-into the high, nitrogenous altitudes. It commonly takes several days
-before the unaccustomed person feels all right again. At Oroya there
-is a fair hotel, the Junin, where I was obliged to stop over night and
-where the raw air nearly chilled me through on account of my previous
-sojourn in the sub-tropics. Oroya is 12,179 feet above sea level and is
-a bleak, dismal place at its best. The wind blows something fierce and
-chills one's very marrow. I told Prat that he had better dress warmly
-but the Spaniard said that since we were only to endure a few days'
-frigidity he could stand it. It was laughable to see him shiver in his
-Palm Beach suit and watch him chase his straw sailor hat which a gust
-of wind would occasionally blow off. Even though I was warmly clad, I
-was obliged to crawl under four blankets with all my clothes on when I
-retired that night.
-
-At six o'clock the next morning we were awakened and upon emerging
-from the front door found a cholo guide, who Francesco Sansoni had
-telegraphed for, awaiting us with four mules, one for the baggage. We
-had so much paraphernalia with us that it would have been impossible to
-load it all upon one mule, so I had it divided somewhat in order that
-the three mules which we were to ride would bear some of the burden. We
-were ready to start out at any time after breakfast was served, which
-we had ordered for 6.30 A.M., but seven o'clock slipped by without
-any of the servants having prepared any. I went into the kitchen and
-asked the cook to hurry with it, but he said that the proprietor was
-asleep and had the keys of the pantry. I told him to awaken him, but
-the cholo cook was evidently afraid to disturb the sleep of his Italian
-master. It was nearly nine o'clock before we got away after we had
-partaken of some stale rolls and several cups of poor coffee. For an
-hour and a half after starting we climbed a broad, well-traveled path
-up the western slopes of the barren mountains, until we reached the
-summit where there was a pass at an altitude of 13,975 feet above sea
-level. This pass is the dividing line between the Mantaro and the Palca
-watersheds, both of which belong to the Amazon basin. The Mantaro flows
-in a southeasterly direction out of Lake Junin and as a creek flows
-past the towns of Oroya and Jauja, ever increasing in volume so that
-it is quite respectable in size at Huancayo. Beyond the summit was a
-large uneven plain from which rose many rounded hills and stony buttes
-and which was sprinkled here and there with coarse tufts of bunch
-grass at which we saw llamas grazing. These mountain plateaus are in
-Chile called pampas, in Bolivia and Southern Peru, _punos_, but here
-and farther north as far as Colombia, _paramos_. It took us an hour to
-cross this plain which sloped gently to the east; then began a rough
-descent over stony ground on the eastern slopes of the mountain till
-we reached a formation where a depression of the ground showed us was
-the beginning of a valley. The grasses became more abundant and a few
-shrubs appeared. The lower we descended, the more these shrubs took on
-the appearance of trees so that now the country had a totally different
-aspect from the barrenness of Oroya and the high plateau. The path had
-broadened considerably so that it nearly assumed a road-like width, and
-we met many droves of llamas followed up by drivers on muleback. All
-were carrying merchandise to the railroad. In a few days they would
-return with the products of the civilized world imported from North
-America and Europe. We now came upon the south bank of a fastly flowing
-stream and followed this for about five hours, riding very slowly and
-taking in the landscape which was becoming less wild all the time. A
-few miles before reaching Tarma the banks of the creek were clothed
-with patches of calla lilies, growing wild, in their original native
-state, the dark green of their arrow-shaped leaves forming a brilliant
-color contrast with the creamy whiteness of their blossoms and the
-golden yellow of their petals. A cleft in the mountains was seen ahead,
-which showed us that our creek here joined another river, which was
-true for here the Acomayo was reached. Presently the red tile roofs of
-Tarma were seen among the eucalyptus groves and soon we clattered down
-an avenue bordered by trees and on each side of which ran irrigation
-ditches. At the end of this avenue was an ornamental gate built into
-the solid walls of the buildings and which looked like a triumphal
-arch. Under this we passed and then entered the narrow streets of the
-city, drawing up at the Hotel Roma on the plaza, where rooms reserved
-for us by Sansoni were awaiting our occupancy.
-
-  [Illustration: Tarma, Peru]
-
-Tarma is a very pleasant town of five thousand inhabitants in an ideal
-location in a narrow valley which it seems to fill at the base of high
-mountains. Its altitude is 10,010 feet above sea level but it lacks the
-chill of such highly situated towns east of the cordillera. Here the
-cold winds from the high paramos and ice peaks do not reach owing to
-its sheltered position. The air is fresh, but not raw and reminds one
-of the first breezes of spring. I was told by the accommodating Italian
-hotel proprietor that the climate is that of a perpetual spring.
-
-The city is compactly built with one- and two-story adobe houses, those
-on the main streets being painted light colors or whitewashed. In the
-center of the town is a treeless plaza but beautified with shrubs in
-which is a round cement fountain and an octagonal frame bandstand. At
-one side of this plaza is the parish church in charge of an amiable
-fat priest, a cholo who has but a slight strain of white blood as can
-be observed by his dark, heavy jowled features. He was clad in a white
-robe of coarse wool over which hung a dark cape. He seemed very much
-interested in us and gave us letters of introduction to other priests
-along the road which we would follow. These he handed to Prat who
-accidentally lost them on purpose; the Catalonian in his heart was an
-agnostic, and a Roman Catholic only in his bringing up. He would walk
-a block out of his way to avoid meeting a priest, yet when he was sick
-would always want to have one about him. He would never enter a church
-and would make sacrilegious remarks, yet when a thunderstorm would
-come up, he would cross himself and mumble prayers only to forget them
-as soon as the sky became clear again. Padre Troncoso was the name of
-the Tarma priest and he delighted in having me take his photograph.
-He teaches in the parish school and asked me to take a picture of his
-highest class which consisted of sixteen boys, most of whom were white.
-
-The Hotel Roma is a two-story structure with a carved wooden balcony on
-its second floor; its exterior is much like many buildings in Stamboul.
-It is a very comfortable and clean place with good food. There is
-another hotel in Tarma, the Umberto, which is well spoken of. The most
-curious sight in the small city is the cemetery. It reminds one of a
-Chinese burying ground. It is filled with many grotesque monuments,
-some of them having tiled roofs. These individual tombstones are of
-adobe, and are whitewashed over. They contain several niches into which
-the coffins are placed and they are so narrow that the gruesome burdens
-may be put in them at either end.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemetery, Tarma]
-
-We left Tarma early in the morning and followed the Acomayo River
-a couple of hours to the town of Acobamba, a pretty village much
-resembling Tarma only smaller. We watered our mules here, tarried about
-an hour, and then continued for another two hours to the city of Palca
-which is very much like both Tarma and Acobamba, although smaller than
-the first-mentioned place and larger than the last-mentioned one. It is
-a poorer place than Tarma, but it has a larger church. This building
-is several hundred years old; it is of adobe, and has a broad façade
-from one side of which rises a four-story belfry capped with a steeple.
-The valley is here very narrow but beyond Palca there is a widening
-where the Acomayo flows into the Rio Palca. This river we followed
-the rest of the day. The scenery between Tarma and Palca is much the
-same, and is distinguished by the number of century plants along the
-roadside and the abundance of calla lilies along the river bed. Some
-of these lilies were spotted and likewise had light spots on their
-leaves. Leaving Palca there was a much more varied vegetation. This
-was noticeable when we crossed the river and we proceeded along its
-south bank. The mountains were still barren but were beginning to show
-unmistakable signs by the increased number of bushes on their slopes
-that we were approaching a wetter climate. The river itself had all
-the attractions of a clear, rushing mountain torrent working its way
-among the rocks and bowlders; its banks of shale rock were steep and
-thickly clothed with vegetable life of many species. Among the latter
-were wild verbenas of the brightest scarlet, purple begonias, several
-varieties of fern, wild tobacco plants, and a creeper much like the
-wild cucumber. An hour beyond Palca we arrived at the hill of Carpapata
-down whose sides the road zigzagged in many windings. The natives have
-made a short cut between the zigzags which saves a couple of kilometers
-but which is too steep to be descended in comfort. Up and down this
-short cut they drive their llamas which take readily to its steepness
-like mountain sheep. Arrived near the bottom of the hill the road leads
-along the ledge of a cliff high above the turbulent river. To look
-down or up is apt to cause giddiness. This is the famous scene that
-is portrayed in the geographies of half a century ago where a llama
-train is meeting a mule train on a curve at the side of a precipice.
-The view with the river flowing at the bottom of the gorge is truly
-impressive. The mountains on either side are sheer and rocky, their
-upper slopes covered only with grass, their bases clothed with shrubs.
-Straight before us leading to a veritable land of promise lay the road,
-threading its way on a gentle downward grade, perpetually alternating
-from the convex to the concave on the ledge of the mountains. Ahead of
-us on the other side of the canyon a single mountain appeared clad with
-forest trees up to its very summit, the first that I had seen in Peru.
-As we drew nearer it became a scene of enchanting beauty, with its
-colorings of light green and gray. From the underbrush near its summit
-there was poured forth a large waterfall, which dashed down its entire
-height in three separate cascades for several hundred feet.
-
-Towards evening we reached the rest house named the Huacapistana Hotel,
-at an exact altitude of 5600 feet above sea level. This is the real
-gateway to the tropics. The hotel, owned by an Italian, is built on
-a narrow shelf of land in a flowery meadow above the river and below
-the road. It is a clean well-kept two-story building with half a dozen
-guests' rooms. Adjoining it and separated from the meadow by a stone
-wall is a barn and a corral for horses and llamas. The climate is fresh
-but it is much warmer than at Tarma. A mist gathered over the river
-that night which made the atmosphere rather chilly. This is frequently
-the case and it does not lift until the sun is well out the next
-morning.
-
-We got an early start the next day and found the road, which was now
-smooth, wet, and slippery from the mist. The tree trunks and branches
-were rich in symbiotic life, with ferns, lianas, and orchidaceous
-plants of many species. The wild cotton trees were laden with festoons
-of roseate blossoms, and from the extremities of their slender branches
-would be seen hanging large wasps' nests. Other nests such as those of
-bees and ants of a gray color spotted the rocks or any available bare
-space on the smooth bark of a tree. The effect of the giant tree fern
-spreading its graceful fronds over the path was enchanting; beneath
-its shade grew seemingly every other species of fern which one has
-ever noticed in hothouses at home. We passed several small coffee
-plantations; in the clearings near the houses were banana, orange, and
-papaya trees. The tit-shaped fruit of the latter is so common that it
-is left unpicked for the birds to feed on. The pods attain maturity
-in regular sequence from the lowest to the highest, swelling in size,
-changing from green to yellow, and becoming soft and possessing an
-insipid sweetish odor. In the matter of vegetation generally, the
-above description may be fairly said to characterize the whole region;
-orchids, scarlet cannas, the broad-leafed caladium or elephant's ear,
-purple, white, and pink begonias, scarlet verbenas; creepers, ferns,
-and mosses; forest trees, reeds, grasses, and plant life generally,
-interspersed with huge bowlders and masses of weatherbeaten rock of a
-chalky whiteness, all contributing to the formation of the most perfect
-fairy scene imaginable.
-
-Occasionally one would meet with a blaze of color from some wild cotton
-trees, laden with flowers, pink, yellow, and even blue; and equally
-striking was the effect of a species of wild runner bean with dark
-green leaves and thick bunches of vermilion flowers hanging in tresses,
-and appearing to nearly smother the tree which gave it support.
-
-The road made a sudden double turn to reach a lower level by the side
-of the river, and then became a low-roofed passage cut beneath an
-immense wall of overhanging rock, open and unsupported on the river
-side, and in plain view of the turbulent stream below. The softest and
-most luxuriant vegetation covers this rock, and it is overhung in many
-places with the graceful tape fern, and the snakelike roots of trees.
-Here I saw a large toucan fly across the ravine and its brilliant
-plumage of scarlet and black added a still further charm to the scene.
-The next view after passing beneath the rocky projection is one which
-can never fail to arrest the attention. At a distance ahead, sufficient
-to enable one to take in the whole picture, rises the Pan de Azucar
-(Sugar Loaf), a mountain in the middle of the now broadened river bed.
-Its marvelous shape and mantle of green forest trees, which extend to
-its summit, remind one of the Pitons at Castries, St. Lucia, although
-on a much smaller scale. We came to a place where there used to be a
-swinging bridge but which was some time ago abandoned because the road
-crosses the river by a new stone one farther down. Here on turning
-around in our saddles is a view different in character but equally
-impressive and grand. This is a great perpendicular patch of white rock
-regularly stratified but wrinkled and most strangely contorted into the
-form of an elliptical curve.
-
-The bridges over the river which we had to cross at different stages of
-the journey deserve a word of praise for their construction, combining
-lightness with strength. They are of the suspension type, built of
-strong cables with plank footboards, and sufficient to meet the needs
-of the present light and limited mule traffic. When crossing, it is
-advisable to dismount and walk, because they sway considerably and are
-open at the sides. One such bridge some twelve miles below Huacapistana
-leads to the hacienda of Naranjal, a sugar plantation. The only bridge
-that I know of in North America similar to these swinging bridges of
-Peru spans Capilano Canyon near North Vancouver, in British Columbia.
-Naranjal has an old-fashioned garden with a fountain surrounded with
-mango and orange trees, the latter giving the name to the place. Three
-miles below Naranjal is the ranch house of Milagro, belonging to a man
-named Horquiera.
-
-San Ramon is a little village situated in the heart of the Chanchamayo
-district. The country is here more open and is surrounded at varying
-distances by undulations and rounded hills, thickly covered with virgin
-forest; their lower slopes were, however, cleared for sugar, coffee,
-and cocoa plantations. After the mist had cleared in the early morning,
-the day had been hot, but full of novel interest, and although we had
-made an early start we had progressed at a speed not exceeding three
-miles an hour and had now only completed fifteen miles. The settlement
-of San Ramon although somewhat scattered consists chiefly of one
-street, the houses on which are no more than huts. They are built of
-wood and have thatched roofs, the latter slanting downward in front
-from the ridge of the pole. The hotel is the only substantial building
-of the village. It is a two-story stone and adobe building set back
-from the road in a field which is somewhat overrun with castor beans.
-
-The six miles between San Ramon and La Merced was over fairly level
-ground and through less imposing scenery. On the way we passed through
-several hamlets inhabited by Chinamen and cholos, and small _chacras_
-on which grew papayas and other fruits. All the buildings were of
-mud or cane, thatched and of that rustic and simple character which
-not only harmonizes with a natural environment, but suits the country
-and climate and seems in every way to meet the needs of a primitive
-population. Over the door of one such edifice was the sign which
-denoted that it was used as a school. At the time of our passing, the
-only scholars visible were a boy and a girl, who with their backs to
-the open door, sat at a desk gazing at a monstrous colored diagram
-demonstrating the evil effects of alcohol upon the human system. We
-crossed the very fine Herreria suspension bridge and two hours after
-leaving San Ramon entered La Merced.
-
-La Merced is situated on a flat-topped eminence and commands a good
-view of the surrounding country, but in itself it does not seem to
-possess any characteristics of special interest. It is merely a small
-country town with typical parish church and plaza and is in telegraphic
-communication with the outside world. The inhabitants of the town have
-suffered considerably from malaria which is visible on their wasted
-and parchment-colored countenances. Leaving La Merced it took us three
-hours to reach the Peruvian Corporation's headquarters. This is located
-at the junction of the rivers Paucartambo and Chanchamayo, the combined
-river taking the name of Perené. The road, which was fair, wound
-around the left bank of the Chanchamayo, now a river of considerable
-breadth, and the scenery once more became increasingly beautiful. Tree
-ferns and tree palms of different kinds were again abundant; from one
-of these species, fanlike in leaf, is made the local straw hat, but
-little inferior to the so-called Panama variety. Butterflies, both
-large and small, were omnipresent. The whole distance from La Merced
-to the Peruvian Corporation's headquarters is about fifteen miles. The
-bridge over the Colorado River, a tributary stream, was under repair,
-so leaving the path we saved time and distance by fording it. In the
-rainy season this would have been an impossibility, for it becomes a
-raging torrent, as evidenced by the huge rounded boulders, and width of
-its bed, along which we had to ride. This part, bordered by tall reeds,
-towering above our heads, was now dry and led us to another arm of the
-river, where a fairly strong flow of water wet our mules up to their
-bellies. Regaining our path, we eventually regained the Paucartambo,
-which we crossed by the means of a primitive log raft, while the guide
-took the mules across by a bridge a mile down the river.
-
-Here among the clean-washed stones of the river bed, I got my first
-view of the uncivilized Indian. This was a male Chuncho native,
-rifle in hand, returning from an unsuccessful hunt. At first he hid
-behind some brushwood but was finally induced to come out. He was a
-well-built, sturdy fellow of medium height, attired in a loose brown
-robe of native manufacture. His skin was of the same hue, and his head
-of thick black hair was encircled and held in place by a plain band of
-cane. Sunday is a market day at the Peruvian Corporation's camp; it was
-then that I saw more of these Indians. From them I obtained for a few
-centavos several of their chains of colored seeds, and monkey teeth,
-and ultimately procured a complete outfit, headband, more aboriginal
-ornamental finery, parrots' wings with feathers attached which serve as
-a loin cloth, bows and arrows. They are painted with a facial adornment
-of vermilion, with the occasional addition of grease to keep the flies
-and insects off. This red paint is found ready made in the seeds of
-the achote, a bush of two varieties which produces maroon-colored
-pods and which grows wild in the chacra clearings. These Indians who
-live in the neighborhood of the settlements are mild, peaceful, and
-intelligent, skilled in domestic industries which is the manufacture
-of bows and arrows. They are excellent marksmen. They are somewhat
-small in stature but well built. They take readily to the water and
-learn to swim, and are cleaner in their habits and customs than the
-cholos and mountain Indians. Filial affection is a not deeply implanted
-instinct with them, and among them human life is but lightly esteemed.
-While few serious crimes are committed among them, murder is accounted
-as nothing. If a widow with a young family remarries, it is the all
-but universal practice for the second husband to kill her children
-by a previous marriage. It is also a common occurrence for a family
-to throw their parents into the river when, through the infirmity of
-advancing years, life becomes a burden, either to themselves, or to
-those on whom they should look for support. The manager of the Peruvian
-Corporation's headquarters told me that on one occasion he had the
-greatest difficulty in restraining some Chunchos from throwing into
-the Perené, a man who was suffering from a bad abscess, and who was
-eventually cured by having it lanced. This is the fate they mete out to
-all members of their tribe who are suffering from diseases which they
-consider incurable.
-
-Eighty miles below the camp, where the rivers Perené and Ené unite
-to form the Tambo, dwell a colony of Campas Indians known as the
-Ungoninos. Owing to the outrages perpetrated upon them by the rubber
-gatherers, they offer a stout resistance to the approach of a stranger,
-for they have learned not to trust the white man. Though they are not
-cannibals, it is impossible to enter their territory, and in making the
-cross-country journey to Iquitos, it is necessary to go by the way of
-Puerto Jessup and Puerto Bermudez if one wishes to escape with one's
-life. The Cashibos, on the other hand, are a distinct race of Indians
-who inhabit the plains on the left bank of the Pachitea. They are
-cannibals. These people wear no clothes, shave their heads, and wage
-continual warfare on all the surrounding tribes. Their cannibalistic
-propensities have been explained in the attempt on the part of the
-Cashibo to absorb into his system qualities of the white man which
-he considers to be superior to his own. They, like other tribes,
-have undoubtedly been made worse by the shocking treatment they have
-received at the hands of the caucheros (rubber gatherers), some of whom
-are the lawless descendants of European immigrants whose ostensible
-occupation is the gathering of rubber, but who, at the same time,
-carry on a lucrative trade in the sale of human beings. From what I
-have heard, there prevails a state of affairs which in its recorded
-and unrecorded atrocities, falls nothing short of the darkest page
-of slavery practiced in the days of Leopold II. in Belgian Congo. The
-Cashibos have been a fierce and warlike tribe; now they have learned
-what the crack of the carbine means and quickly get out of the way when
-they hear it. They are, however, very treacherous, and a small party
-traveling through their country would run a great risk of serving as a
-banquet for them. They kill off all the men of the other tribes down
-the Ucayali and sell the women and children whenever they can get a
-market for them. The method may not be humanitarian but it is at least
-practical and remunerative to them.
-
-Coffee does not grow at the Peruvian Corporation's headquarters camp
-but at a half-dozen different chacras some distance from it. This plan
-was adopted to obviate the possible exigencies of blight, but it is
-an unfortunate one, because not only does it augment the difficulties
-of transport but militates against anything like direct personal
-supervision. These haciendas, which produce the most excellent coffee
-and cocoa, are known as La Magdalena, La Margarita, and San Juan.
-These are the largest and most important as well as being the farthest
-away. The difficulties of intercommunication are increased by the
-character of the roads which in the rainy season are nearly impassable
-on account of the mud. The road to La Magdalena needs constant clearing
-to prevent it from becoming an overgrown track; those leading to La
-Margarita and to San Juan are toilsome zigzagging ascents which after
-heavy rains furnish stretches of mire and clay knee deep. In addition
-to this, streams cross the road in many places, and when swollen
-frequently wash it entirely away. All the haciendas are in the Perené
-division of the country, bounded on the south by the main river and
-on the west separated from the Chanchamayo region by the Paucartambo.
-From here eastward stretches two hundred miles of hilly land before
-the general level of the Brazilian plains is reached, and the whole is
-covered with a dense forest, uninhabited excepting by wild Indians.
-It is a wonderful country, stored with natural wealth and capable of
-immense development when it will be opened up. Its climate and general
-conditions are, with the exception of malaria and blackwater fever,
-healthy, and there are but few drawbacks in the way of insect pests.
-
-For four solid days, after arriving at the headquarters' camp, it
-rained, which kept us indoors or near the shelter of the buildings. The
-fifth day broke cloudless with the sun shining, and as we had spent
-enough time loafing about the buildings of the Peruvian Corporation,
-we decided to start out, and try to make the mission station of Jesus
-Maria at the junction of the Perené and the Pangoa Rivers in three
-days' time. From there we could hire some natives to take us in a canoe
-in three more days to Puerto Raimondi, a settlement on the Ucayali
-River at which place we thought it would be possible to board a steam
-launch to take us down the stream to Iquitos. We later on discovered
-that we were wrong because we had to canoe down the Ucayali as far
-as Cumaria a distance of one hundred miles below Puerto Raimondi.
-The trail down the Perené lay through level country, the mountains
-having somewhat receded from the river. Sometimes a spur would extend
-to the banks, but after the first day out they were for the most part
-several miles off to the north. They were diminishing in height, and
-those to the north were called the Cerros de la Sal. The guide that
-had come with us from Oroya returned home from the Perené Colony, but
-the manager at headquarters' camp, Señor Villalta, provided us with
-horses, and sent along with us as far as Jesus Maria, a half-breed and
-two native Indians. He did this because these Indians belonged to the
-tribe that lives beyond Jesus Maria, and through them we would be able
-to continue our journey in safety since they would procure for us at
-the mission station an escort which would see us through to the place
-where we were to board the launch. There were quite a few small chacras
-on the first two days' trip and both nights we managed to find lodging
-at one of them. The first night out, I noticed that the bag of Ica
-beans and most of the canned stuff which Sansoni had bought for us in
-Lima was missing. I spoke to Prat about this because he had carried the
-sack of beans with him on his mount. He professed surprise and gave out
-his theory that the cholo guide from Oroya had stolen them and had gone
-back home with them. I had my doubts about this because the Spaniard
-had been complaining a dozen times every day about the load that he
-had to lug along with him. I said nothing about it until five weeks
-later when we were in the hotel in Manaos awaiting a Brazilian Lloyd
-steamer to take us to Para. Prat was in the barroom slightly under
-the influence of vermouth and bitters, relating to Colonel Constantino
-Nery, governor of the State of Amazonas, our adventures in crossing the
-continent. The governor asked him how we had fared for food, to which
-Prat answered that we had done well considering that we were obliged to
-eat Indian concoctions that the ordinary white man would not sniff at.
-I added that we might have lived better if Prat had not left behind at
-the Perené Colony the sack of beans and the canned goods. The latter
-then went on to relate that the cholo guide from Oroya stole them. I
-interrupted saying that since the trip was now over and we had reached
-civilization safely that it did not matter what had become of them,
-but that I believed Prat had left them behind because he did not want
-to be bothered with them. The Spaniard called for another vermouth
-and then laughingly owned up that he had left them behind saying that
-the temperature was hot enough the way it was without being hampered
-with any burdens. Nery told him that he was quite right and that he
-would have done the same had he been there. This trick of leaving our
-provisions behind has always since appealed to Prat as a huge joke.
-
-Our water trip from Jesus Maria to Para, thence to Cayenne, Paramaribo,
-Georgetown, Bridgetown, Willemstedt, and to Colon is full of enough
-material to fill another book which will appear in the near future.
-This book is only meant to deal with the southern countries of South
-America such as Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay. I have added to
-it a few chapters not dealing on the original subject, but which I
-refrained from leaving out as they were a series of consecutive travel.
-At Jesus Maria we hired a canoe which took us down the Rio Tambo to
-Puerto Raimondi which is situated on the west bank of that stream at
-its junction with the Urubamba which here forms the Ucayali. Behind
-us inland was the Cashobi country so in continuing our canoe trip
-to Cumaria we always camped on the right bank of the river. It took
-us one week of stiff paddling to reach Cumaria. One day our canoe
-capsized, making us lose everything we had with us, necessitating us
-to partake of such delicacies as stewed monkey and parrot which the
-Indian stomach craves for and which are nearly always to be purchased
-at the Indian encampments on the right bank of the Ucayali. Cumaria is
-the head of river navigation. It is an Indian settlement at which a few
-_caucheros_, or rubber gatherers, live. Here we were fortunate enough
-to become passengers of a gasoline launch which took us in a week to
-Contamana. We had been told at Jesus Maria that the launches were steam
-power, but were surprised when we arrived at Cumaria to find that they
-were gasoline ones, and this in the wilderness, many hundred miles from
-civilization. At Contamana we changed into another gasoline launch.
-Here we entered that part of the river which is called the Bajo or
-Lower Ucayali. It differs much from the Alto or Upper Ucayali in so far
-that the distant mountains have altogether disappeared, the stream is
-much broader, has many channels, and is filled with large islands some
-of them being fifty miles long. Also settlements are more plentiful,
-and at the docks near the hamlets crude rubber in balls is waiting
-for exportation. Two days before reaching Iquitos the Bajo Ucayali is
-joined by the Maranon and the Amazon itself is entered.
-
-Iquitos is a fever-stricken port of twelve thousand inhabitants on
-the left bank of the Amazon. It is built on the high banks above the
-river opposite to some islands of the same name, and not far above the
-confluence of the Nanay and the Amazon. Above the town is a fair-sized
-stream, the Itaya, which makes the city located on a peninsula. It
-is the capital of the Province of Loreto, which comprises the entire
-Peruvian Amazonian lowlands, and has a wireless telegraph communication
-with Puerto Bermudez (which is only a three days' trip from the
-Perené Colony). From Puerto Bermudez telegraph wires run to Lima via
-La Merced. Iquitos is the center of the rubber industry of the Upper
-Amazon and is a booming town in spite of the yellow fever which is
-nearly always prevalent. It has steamship communication with Manaos,
-Para, and the outside world.
-
-Up to a decade ago, if a man in Lima had business in Iquitos, he was
-obliged to take a steamer to England, tranship to Para, and there
-tranship again to Iquitos. He had the alternative of going to Panama,
-across the isthmus to Colon and thence take a steamer to Barbadoes.
-From Barbadoes he would go to Para, and thence to Iquitos. These were
-long trips, several months being endured in the passage. Now Iquitos is
-reached across country from Lima; the trip takes anywhere from three
-weeks to six months, according to which route the traveler chooses.
-It has been done in sixteen days, but from four to five weeks is the
-average allowing time for misconnections. I believe that the shortest
-way to reach Iquitos from Lima is to take a steamer to Pacasmayo,
-which is a day and a half north of the capital. Thence go by rail and
-horseback to Cajamarca. From there go by horseback via Chachapoyas to
-Moyobamba. From Moyobamba one can go in two to three days to Yurimaguas
-on the Huallaga River, whence one can go by launch to Iquitos in a week
-and a half. I know a person who went from Cerro de Pasco to Iquitos.
-He followed the Huallaga to its mouth and it took him six months.
-The common way of reaching Iquitos from Lima is to go to La Merced;
-thence overland through Puerto Bermudez to Puerto Victoria on the
-Sampoya River down which one descends on a canoe to the Ucayali, taking
-a chance of making connection with the launch at Santa Rosa de los
-Canivos, which is about one third of the way downstream between Cumaria
-and Contamana. There is also a northern route which takes about five
-weeks. The eastbound traveler goes from Paita to Piura by rail; thence
-via Huancabamba to Jaen by horseback. Jaen is a day's stage from the
-Maranon which one must descend by canoe.
-
-In the night after the day on which the steamer left Iquitos, the
-Napo River was passed. It flows into the Amazon from a northwesterly
-direction. One of its tributaries is the Curaray which rises in
-the Andes of Ecuador. Along its course live a tribe of head-hunting
-Indians. These savages after they capture a white man or an Indian of
-another tribe, behead them. They boil the head in a concoction which
-loosens the bones. These they take out and fill the cavity with hot
-stones. By some process of their own, they shrink the head until it
-becomes no larger than a large orange, yet retaining the features
-that the victim possessed during life. These they offer for sale, and
-are to be purchased in the curiosity shops of Lima and Guayaquil on
-the Pacific Coast, and even in Para at the mouth of the Amazon. From
-the savage to the curiosity shop proprietor they pass through many
-hands so that it is impossible to arrive at the source of the murder.
-A certain Swede once left Guayaquil for the interior on an exploring
-expedition. A year afterwards a head was purchased in that city which
-was found to be that of the Scandinavian. Since he was never heard
-of after he crossed the Cordillera, it is assumed that his party was
-beset by savages and he was murdered, his skull boiled down, and hawked
-about until it reached the hands of a Guayaquil dealer. The September,
-1918, number of the _South American Magazine_ published in New York,
-has an article which says that there is believed to be a head factory
-in Guayaquil. The dealer in this sketch is undoubtedly in league with
-body-snatchers who supply him with corpses, which he beheads and boils
-down, having obtained the recipe from the Indians. These heads he
-places on sale. One of his relics was the head of an employee of the
-Quito-Guayaquil Railroad who had died the previous year of yellow fever
-in Guayaquil and was supposed to have been given a decent funeral. This
-horrid trick of the Indians cannot be eradicated until the law puts a
-stop to the purchase of these heads. By punishing the dealers and the
-middle-men, the Indians will cease to find a market for these gruesome
-souvenirs.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI
-
-BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE
-
-
-The object of these travels was not to see the country dealt with
-as much as it was to study the business conditions and future
-possibilities in those lines in Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay.
-
-Although there are undoubtedly great opportunities at the present time
-and in the future to enter into business enterprises in the northern
-republics of South America, which as yet, only have their surface
-towards development, the republics farther south which are partially
-developed, offer better inducements owing to their forms of government,
-the character of the races who inhabit them, and the incentives which
-are offered to the foreigner who wishes to start a new industry.
-With the exception of Argentina and Uruguay there is practically no
-manufacturing done on a large scale, such as we are accustomed to see
-on all sides in the United States and in Europe. There are many small
-industries employing from three to twenty men, providing the employers
-with not much more than a good living, and the employees with a mere
-subsistence, but there are no really large ones which are a credit to
-their country.
-
-To start anything in any of these countries, the matter of prime
-importance is for the proprietor and his foreign employees to be able
-to converse fluently, read, and write in Spanish. Next he should
-understand the character of the Latin races which is not at all
-easy if he is prejudiced. Their ways of doing business are totally
-different from ours. Also owing to the scarcity of money in some of
-these republics, the new firm should have plenty of ready capital, and
-should never organize with a limited amount, the outstanding balance
-being made up of notes. To sell preferred stock to the natives would be
-nearly impossible, because no Latin would buy any unless he is "shown"
-first, and this "showing" would have to cover a period of a great
-many years, so susceptible are they of making investments. The company
-should be entirely capitalized with the cash paid in before the first
-stroke of business is begun. Many firms in South America have come to
-grief by being only partially capitalized, and their example is always
-before the native mind. Competing trusts and grafting politicians
-should be reckoned with. Many large firms give as a present to the
-governor of a province, or to the deputy in congress, a few shares of
-their stock. These men in turn make laws which benefit their company,
-and make it impossible for competitors to transact a legitimate
-business.
-
-As Argentina offers less opportunities in the manufacturing line than
-its neighboring sister republics, it is best to deal with it first. To
-begin with, the country is a great expanse of land, for the most part
-in appearance a level plain, gradually rising as one travels westward.
-This rise is but two feet to the mile and is imperceptible. This plain
-is traversed by quite a few rivers, but so slowly does the land rise,
-that these streams are nothing more than sluggish watercourses, muddy,
-and affording no drainage. They often overflow their banks, forming
-muddy ponds and lakes a few inches deep. On account of the slowness
-of their flow they are valueless for waterpower. This part of the
-country is therefore not adaptable for factories; its sole use is for
-the growing of grain and stock-raising. Although this is one of the
-greatest wheat belts in the world, it has no flour mills, and but few
-grain elevators. The wheat is shipped a long distance by rail to the
-seaport towns, whence it is exported to Europe. That which is needed
-for local consumption is ground into flour in the seaports which have
-mills; much of it is shipped back over the same road that it went out
-on to be distributed over the sections where the grain was grown. The
-towns here are small and far apart. Their only excuse for an existence
-is that they are the distributing points for an agricultural section
-and to them the necessities of life are shipped which eventually find
-their way to the large estancias as the farms are called. To these
-towns grain is hauled to be shipped out by the railroad. Stores spring
-up, a hotel or two is built, a few professional men such as doctors
-and lawyers establish themselves, but nobody ever thinks of starting a
-factory. It would be folly to do so, because there is no future besides
-agriculture and stock. There is no fuel, no iron, and no waterpower.
-
-West of the great Argentine plain we reach the mountains. The Andes
-here are the highest peaks in all America. They rise abruptly from
-the plain like a barrier and have no foothills. There are but few
-rivers in this section, and those which do exist are swiftly flowing,
-turbulent streams. They can furnish waterpower and some of them do
-for electricity. Yet there are no factories. It is again the question
-of the scarcity of fuel. So poor is Argentina in her fuel supply that
-most of the locomotives burn wood. The coal used for those which run in
-the eastern provinces is imported from Europe and the United States.
-Oil fields have been opened in Patagonia with a view of decreasing
-the price of fuel, but as yet they are in the embryo stage. It is not
-known whether they will ever be made an economic asset, because the
-quality of the oil is said to be poor. The country at the foot of the
-Andes near the latitudinal center of Argentina which is watered by
-the mountain streams is called the Zona del Riego. It is here that
-are located the extensive vineyards and fruit orchards. There are
-three separate belts each of which is fed by its own river. The two
-southernmost of these are in the Province of Mendoza, at San Rafael
-and Mendoza respectively, while the northern one, is at San Juan in the
-province of the same name. Factories which do not require an excessive
-amount of fuel could be started, but nobody has ever turned over their
-hands in that direction excepting in fruit-canning plants, which have
-not paid well.
-
-In the city of Mendoza a flour mill could be made to pay. There are
-immense flour mills in Argentina, but with the exception of a few
-small ones of no importance and the large one of the Minetti Brothers
-at Córdoba, all are located on the seaboard. The Molino del Rio de la
-Plata at Buenos Aires has a capital of $14,945,000. It is the largest
-in South America. Nearly as large are two flour mills in Bahia Blanca;
-Rosario also has a couple of large mills. For a quarter of a million
-dollars a flour mill could be established at Mendoza, which the manager
-of the Molino del Rio de la Plata, told me would pay forty per cent.
-on the capital from the start, and which would be dependent on no other
-trade than that of the city of Mendoza. At San Juan, one hundred miles
-north of Mendoza, there is a small flour mill which is a lucrative
-investment. The beauty of having a mill in Mendoza is the fact that
-the wheat grown there, although inferior to that which is grown on the
-plains on account of its having to be irrigated, runs forty bushels to
-the acre and would be in close proximity to the mill, thereby saving
-freight. People in the Province of Mendoza who grow wheat ship their
-product to Buenos Aires where it is ground. The flour is then shipped
-back seven hundred miles to Mendoza where it sells for a high price,
-the freight rate being enormous. Tucumán is a city of over one hundred
-thousand inhabitants but has no flour mill worthy of the name. One
-would pay in that city but it would require much more capital both on
-account of the size of the city and its distance from the wheat fields.
-Mercedes, Bragado, Olavarría, Junin, and many other towns of their size
-(twenty thousand population and upwards) could all support flour mills.
-They have none and are in the heart of the grain belt. Wood would
-have to be used for fuel which would be expensive, but the profits
-derived from the flour would offset it. Pergamino is a growing town in
-the grain belt between Buenos Aires and Rosario, with good railroad
-facilities, yet it has not a single manufacturing enterprise. It has
-a population of forty-three thousand inhabitants. Personally I think
-that the flour mill proposition would be the best paying enterprise in
-Argentina. It would pay at all times, war or no war.
-
-One of the leading manufacturing industries in Argentina is that of
-the beef-canning factories, here called saladerias. This is the chief
-industry of Uruguay, and the second in importance in Paraguay, and
-the state of Matto Grosso, Brazil. These saladerias not only can beef,
-but they manufacture beef extract, tallow, and the by-products of the
-hides and fat. They likewise ship cold-storage beef to Europe and even
-to the United States. The River Plate basin is where these factories
-are situated, and in no other parts of South America are they to be
-found. Armour & Company, and Swift have large ones at La Plata. At
-Fray Bentos, in Uruguay, on the Uruguay River a short distance above
-where it flows into the River Plate is the great establishment and
-headquarters of the Liebig Company, the largest of its kind in South
-America and one of the largest in the world. There are beef-canning
-plants at Montevideo, at Colon, Argentina, and at many of the ports
-on the Uruguay, Paraná, and Paraguay Rivers. These plants require much
-capital, especially in Argentina, because here the river is at quite a
-distance from the stock country, necessitating the shipment of cattle
-by rail. It would be prohibitory as far as expense goes to establish
-a beef-canning enterprise inland; by having them at the seaports,
-ocean-going freighters can anchor at the docks and be loaded there.
-This is true about many of the river ports owing to the depth of the
-water which permits ocean steamers to reach them. None of the Argentina
-and Uruguayan saladerias are far enough up the rivers to be beyond
-ocean navigation. The Uruguayan plants have it on those of Argentina,
-because the stock country of the former republic lies directly behind
-the saladerias and is contingent to the river. In Argentina the stock
-have to be transported to the seaboard upwards of one hundred miles,
-and in most cases from two to four hundred miles.
-
-Regarding stock-raising, it is done in Argentina on a large scale.
-The large estancias are owned by people who have inherited their lands
-through several generations and have in the past decades accumulated
-great fortunes which have been sufficient to well stock their estates
-with cattle, sheep, and other live stock. The stock roam the prairies
-the year around, are not winter fed, and require but little care.
-As many of these estancias are forty miles square, the only expense
-incurred are the wages of the herders. Land is held high in Argentina,
-from $15 an acre upwards in the stock country, the average being
-$35 an acre. It would require much capital to buy enough of it for a
-fair-sized ranch. Fifteen hundred acres would cost $45,000. If he put
-1000 head of stock on it, which would be a small ranch, his outlay
-for the investment would be about $90,000. A drought would be likely
-to occur and he would be up against it. The man, however, who has a
-50,000-acre ranch could make money. He could have 10,000 head of cattle
-and if there was a drought he could keep moving them about. Twenty
-thousand acres is but a medium-sized ranch in Argentina and Uruguay.
-It is not uncommon for a man to have 100,000 acres, while in Patagonia
-there are ranches of 1,000,000 acres. Stock-raising is the most
-important industry in Argentina, but the men who have made a success
-of it and those at present engaged in it, started this business years
-ago. Excepting in the Province of Salta, it is well for a company or an
-individual to keep out of this line of business unless he has enough
-money to buy a large tract of land. The figures here are the average
-for estancias contiguous to the average plains towns.
-
-  -----------------+---------------+-------+---------+-------+--------
-        _Town_     |     _Ranch_   |_Acres_| _Horses_|_Sheep_|_Cattle_
-  -----------------+---------------+-------+---------+-------+--------
-  Olavarría        |Santo Domingo  | 12,500|  1,000  | 3,000 |    700
-                   |La Victoria    | 18,375|  1,700  |17,000 |  6,000
-                   |San Antonio    | 12,500|    700  | 2,500 |  1,500
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Coronel Suarez   |La Curamalan   | 43,750|  4,000  | 8,000 |  5,000
-                   |San Jose       | 25,000|    400  |10,000 |    300
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  General La Madrid|La Colina      | 80,000|    400  |60,000 | 20,000
-                   |El Huascar     | 31,250|    200  | 5,000 |  3,000
-                   |La Fe          | 31,250|    300  | 6,000 | 15,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Saavedra         |La Turigueta   | 30,000|         | 5,000 |
-                   |La Landade     | 12,500|         | 2,000 |
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Dorrego          |Tres de Febrero| 37,500|         |16,000 |  3,000
-                   |Las Cortaderas | 52,500|         |13,500 | 15,000
-                   |La Sirena      | 50,000|         |20,000 | 16,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Lobos            |La Florida     |  3,750|         | 3,000 |  1,000
-                   |La Morada      | 18,750|         | 7,000 |  3,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  25 de Mayo       |Huetel         |162,500|  2,000  |10,000 | 15,000
-                   |Santa Clara    |100,000|  1,000  |10,000 |  1,500
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Bolivar          |La Carmelita   | 87,500|     80  |17,000 | 14,000
-                   |La Florida     | 43,750|  1,000  |12,000 |  5,000
-                   |Miramar        | 25,000|    150  | 2,000 |    600
-                   |El Cardon      | 18,750|    250  | 7,000 |  3,000
-                   |Bella Vista    | 12,500|    300  | 5,000 |  2,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Junin            |La Pastoril    | 37,500|         |       | 15,000
-                   |El Cisne       | 75,000|         |       | 25,000
-                   |Las Dos Marias |  6,250|         |       |  4,000
-
-The Province of Salta is about one thousand miles from Buenos Aires and
-the seaport towns. On account of its distance and nature of its land it
-has nothing in common with the provinces farther south. It is a hilly
-and mountainous region bordering on the tropics abounding in forests
-which have a thick matting of grasses. The cattle are large and lean,
-and although their beef is rather tough, there is plenty of it, and
-there is but little shrinkage in transportation. The market for this
-stock is the nitrate region of Chile. The cattle are driven across the
-Andes and lose but little weight on the way. In Antofagasta they bring
-a good price. There are no large ranches in the province and there is
-not much capital. Here a man with moderate means could raise stock at
-a profit, if he dealt only with the Chilean market. If he shipped them
-to the saladerias in the Province of Buenos Aires he would lose money
-on account of the freight.
-
-An embryo industry in Argentina is that of tannin or tannic acid, used
-for dyeing and tanning. The northern part of the provinces of Santiago
-del Estero and Santa Fé, and the greater part of the territories
-of Formosa and the Chaco, are covered with a forest of small trees,
-named _quebracho_. They are too small for saw logs, their wood is hard
-and is used for fuel on the railroads, and they have a reddish bark.
-This bark before the European War was shipped to Germany in great
-quantities where its extract was used in dye stuffs. Unfortunately but
-little of it was exported to other countries. Some tannin factories
-were inaugurated in the Province of Santa Fé, but those controlled
-by foreign capital went haywire. This was due mainly to grafting
-provincial officials who put these companies out of commission by
-their annoyances. A tannin factory would pay in Argentina if the
-government would give it protection. It is a deplorable fact that in
-many new industries in Argentina, they are induced to locate there.
-Once established, the manufacturer is subjected to a burdening taxation
-from the federal government, the province, and the district. There
-is a continuous drain of contributions which have to be handed to
-congressmen, and their henchmen; titles are found to be imperfect; law
-suits are started; the outcome is that the company is apt to go into
-insolvency. This once happened to a large tannin factory that started
-in the Province of Santa Fé. A Buenos Aires bank loaned them money; but
-the owners ran up against so many snags when they started to operate,
-that they were unable to pay their indebtedness and the bank had to
-foreclose. It would be a different story if the company was Argentine
-owned. The Argentino from the highest to the lowest looks upon the
-North American as a person to exploit from. They welcome him mainly to
-relieve him of his money. When we talk about grafting in our American
-cities we do not know what grafting is; one must come to Latin America
-to get the interpretation. George W. Crichfield in his two volumes,
-_American Supremacy_ (Brentano's 1908), gives the true version. He says
-that our best diplomats are to the South American ones in comparison as
-what jackasses are to foxes. This is particularly true about Argentina
-and could apply to the grafting officials as well. Although under
-proper government protection, a tannin factory in Argentina would
-pay, it would be useless to wait for that protection to come, and the
-manufacturer would be far better off if he would start his factory in
-poor, benighted Paraguay where the grafting would be much less than in
-Argentina.
-
-In Argentina there is no such thing as prohibition and local option,
-and there probably never will be. Such issues are not in common with
-the Latin make-up, and the long-haired stump orators and hypocrites
-who advocate this question in the United States for their own personal
-enrichment, would undoubtedly land in insane asylums if they started
-this propaganda anywhere in South America. One might think it strange
-that there is no whiskey distillery there, yet such is the fact, and
-I do not know of any in entire South America. Whiskey is not consumed
-there in anywhere near the quantity that it is consumed in the United
-States and Great Britain, yet enough is indulged in by the higher
-stratum of society who ape the North Americans and the British to
-warrant the establishment of one. There is plenty of grain and there is
-no competition. There are several liqueur factories which seem to pay,
-one of which at Buenos Aires puts out a cordial named Aperital, which
-has a great sale.
-
-There are thirteen breweries in the republic, but lest a person
-should think of starting another one, he should forget the idea at
-the same time that he conceives it. There is a brewery trust heavily
-capitalized, composed of Argentine and British stockholders. Much of
-this stock is in the hands of senators and congressmen, who see to
-it that laws are made which protect them and work to the detriment of
-their competitors. The Argentine Brewing Company at Quilmes, a suburb
-of Buenos Aires, heads this trust, the other members of which are the
-Bieckert Brewing Company at Llavallol, another suburb of Buenos Aires,
-the Palermo Brewery at Buenos Aires, the San Carlos Brewery at San
-Carlos, and the Del Norte Brewery at Tucumán. Those not belonging to
-the trust are the Córdoba Brewing Company at Córdoba, the Rio Segundo
-Brewing Company with breweries both at Córdoba and at Rio Segundo, the
-Ahrens Brewery at Córdoba, the Santa Fé Brewing Company at Santa Fé,
-the Schlau and the Germania Brewery at Rosario, and the Correntino
-Brewery at Corrientes. Both the Ahrens and the Correntino breweries
-are small establishments and only cater to local and family trade and
-therefore have not fell foul of the trust.
-
-Since much beer is drunk in Argentina I have often wondered why there
-were no more breweries. I wondered why Mendoza, Salta, Bahia Blanca,
-Mercedes, Pergamino, Paraná, Concordia, and other towns did not have
-any. I mentioned this fact to the mayor of Salta. "It would not pay,"
-said he. "An old German named Glueck once had a brewery in this town,
-whose product took well with the public. His was a small brewery with
-limited capital. The Quilmes Company, through their representatives in
-congress, had taxes formulated so that only those breweries with much
-capital could stand up under them. Glueck had to go out of business.
-The trust then built the Del Norte Brewery in Tucumán which is so large
-that if all the other breweries in Argentina should shut down, it could
-supply the whole republic with beer. The trust also bought a piece of
-property in Salta and threaten if another brewery starts up in this
-city to put up one that will swamp it. The trust has millions of pesos
-capital, so what can one do?"
-
-While in Córdoba I was a guest of Mr. Douglas, president of the Rio
-Segundo Brewing Company. This company started a brewery on a small
-scale at the town of Rio Segundo, hence the name. The water used for
-the manufacture of its beer came from an artesian well, and the product
-was so superior to that of the other breweries that it was necessary
-to build another brewery, which was done at Córdoba, twenty-three miles
-away. The water in this is also artesian. The output of the Rio Segundo
-Brewery at Córdoba is only sixty thousand barrels a year, but it is
-taxed more than those whose output is six hundred thousand barrels
-in the United States. It has kept its head above water on account of
-the quality of the beer. A former brewmaster of this company started
-a small brewery in Corrientes, the Correntino, but this like that of
-Ahrens at Córdoba have not been molested by the trust because they
-are too small to interfere with the business of the Quilmes Company.
-With the exception of the output of the Rio Segundo breweries, all the
-Argentine beer is vile and not fit to drink. Hops are difficult to get,
-and injurious chemicals are used for its preservation.
-
-Two automobile factories have been started in Buenos Aires but their
-existence was of but a short duration. The parts were shipped there
-to be assembled, but the stockholders thought that it would be more
-lucrative if they manufactured their own parts. Since there is no iron
-in the republic, it was found that its importation was too expensive to
-allow the companies to ship it in, therefore they went out of business.
-
-Hides are not expensive. There are many small so-called shoe factories
-which in reality are but shops; the shoes manufactured in them are
-good and cheap, and are made by hand. They likewise have class, and
-a shoeman from Toronto told me that the shoes manufactured there were
-superior to ours, and the United States has the reputation of making
-the best shoes in the world. This Canadian said that he could see no
-reason why a fair-sized shoe factory would not pay in Buenos Aires and
-was very optimistic about the idea.
-
-In the Province of Tucumán there are considerable sugar factories, some
-of them large ones. The cane is inferior to that of Cuba and the West
-Indies; most of the available land for its growing is taken up, and
-the sugar market is often poor. None of the sugar is refined in the
-district where it grows, there being only one refinery in Argentina
-and that is at Rosario. The product is shipped to England and France
-to be refined. It is doubtful if another mill would pay, but another
-refinery and that in the city of Tucumán might be profitable. There
-are no beet-sugar factories, but much of the land, especially that in
-Entre Rios and Corrientes, is adaptable for beet culture, so there is
-no reason why an establishment of that kind could not be made to pay.
-
-Although Argentina has a great network of railways running throughout
-the republic so that practically no place of any importance is in
-lack of transportation facilities, yet interurban street-car lines
-are nonexistent. The only one in operation is that which runs between
-Buenos Aires and Quilmes, a distance of fourteen miles. One is being
-built to Tigre, twenty-two miles from Buenos Aires, but is not yet in
-operation. There should be electric lines between Buenos Aires and La
-Plata, Buenos Aires and Rosario, either via San Nicolás or Pergamino,
-Buenos Aires and Mercedes, Bahia Blanca and Puerto Belgrano, Mendoza
-and San Rafael, Tucumán and Tafí Viejo, and also a network of lines of
-which Tucumán should be the center of the hub.
-
-There are quite a few cigarette and a few cigar factories. The
-cigarettes manufactured are vile, likewise the cigars. This trade is
-in the hands of Turks, Spaniards, and Italians, and the tobacco used
-is grown in Brazil. There are good tobacco lands in the provinces of
-Salta, Jujuy, Corrientes, and in the Territory of Misiones, but none is
-grown excepting in gardens from which the owner makes cigars for his
-own personal use. The price paid for cigars is exorbitant and a good
-live factory well capitalized might pay. Nobody smokes a pipe nor chews
-tobacco, therefore a tobacco factory would be unsuitable.
-
-There is no field in the newspaper or periodical line in all South
-America. This and the publishing business is overdone. Some towns of
-ten thousand people have four or five daily papers. Every politician
-that can afford it is the proprietor of his own newspaper, in whose
-columns he attacks everybody who does not hold his own political views.
-These newspapers often run foul of the government and wind up by having
-their publications suppressed and the editor thrown in jail.
-
-Paraguay, on account of its small population and scarcity of money,
-offers a much less diversified variety for future enterprises than
-does Argentina. The leading industry is the culture of yerba maté,
-and the exportation of its leaves. This republic lies close to the
-tropics and is covered with a dense vegetation. In the southeastern
-part of the country in the neighborhood of the Alto Paraná River, there
-grows in its native state the plant yerba maté, from whose leaves from
-time immemorial the Indians brewed a tea. The leaves are first dried,
-and then steeped in a kettle or pot. Calabash gourds grow wild in
-abundance. These are dried, the top is cut off, and the insides scooped
-out. The hot tea is poured into these gourds which every individual
-possesses, and the infusion is sucked from them by means of straws and
-reeds, by the poorer classes, and by bombillas by the upper and middle
-classes. A bombilla is a metal tube with a small covered spoonlike head
-which is perforated with small holes. This maté drinking habit, which
-is considered beneficial, is indulged in universally by everybody in
-Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. There are several
-different varieties of yerba maté, and it has been found that that
-which is cultivated is better than that which grows wild. Hence there
-are enormous plantations for its culture which are called yerbales.
-Large companies have been formed for its production and exportation,
-that of Domingo Barthe being the best known. His brand is named
-Asuncion. The next best-known firm is the Industriel Paraguaya. Both
-are capitalized heavily and have their main offices in Asuncion and
-Villa Encarnacion with branch offices throughout Argentina. Barthe is
-a very wealthy man; he was formerly a French adventurer who struck it
-rich through none too scrupulous means. His latest trick was to sell
-a lot of his maté under the trademark of the Industriel Paraguaya.
-This was done at Rosario. He was tried there and found guilty. He
-was sentenced to one year in jail and to pay a fine of two hundred
-thousand dollars. Before they could get him, he got into Paraguay
-where he is immune from the Argentine law. He owns a fleet of steamers
-plying between Montevideo and Asuncion which touch at Argentine ports.
-On these he is safe since his steamship line is not incorporated
-in Argentina. Nevertheless Barthe has helped advance progress and
-industry in Argentina and this should not have been overlooked when
-sentence was pronounced upon him. At that time he was about to build a
-million-dollar hotel at Posadas. Although what he did was unprincipled,
-his sentence was twenty-fold too severe, and shows plainly that the
-Argentine bloodsuckers are out to exploit the foreigners for every cent
-they can get out of them.
-
-There are in Paraguay boundless tracks of virgin soil suitable for
-yerbales. It requires but little expense to work them and there is
-an unlimited market for Paraguayan tea. It is said that the Argentine
-army is going to adopt yerba maté to be distributed among the soldiers
-for their daily rations. This tea-drinking craze among the natives
-is uncanny. To many of them it is life; the foreigner, however,
-rarely acquires the habit, although he partakes of it for the sake of
-sociability while in Paraguay.
-
-Next in line among Paraguay's industries is the saladerias. The
-whole country covered with a thick matting of grasses is a paradise
-for cattle. Land is inexpensive, the pasturage is better than in
-Argentina, and more stock can be raised to the acre. Here and in
-Matto Grosso, a future stock country, the grazing lands come down to
-the great waterways, and although the river boats are of low draught
-necessitating a rehandling at the seaport towns, canned beef can be
-shipped direct from the saladerias in the stock country.
-
-Tannin is a more staple industry than in Argentina although it is still
-in embryo. The writer had an opportunity to engage in this manufacture,
-which he nearly took up; in ordinary times it would have been all
-right, but at this particular time there was a change in Paraguayan
-politics and the manufacture of tannic acid was handicapped by the
-European War. A Barcelona Spaniard, Señor Andres Pujol, president of
-the Banco Constructador del Paraguay and a friend of the writer, was
-held in high esteem by the then dictator, Señor Eduardo Schaerer.
-One of the large brick buildings owned by the Hernandarias and Frias
-Brewery at Puerto Sajonia, on the outskirts of Asuncion, was vacated
-in favor of a modern brewery plant in the city. Its machinery could be
-used in the manufacture of tannic acid and the plant could have been
-bought for a song. It was the idea of Señor Pujol for he and myself to
-buy this building and erect, in connection with it, a sawmill. We were
-to pay for quebracho logs delivered at the plant from which we were
-to strip the bark, from which we were to extract the tannin. At that
-time Asuncion was having most of its new streets paved with quebracho
-blocks. We were to give Señor Schaerer stock in the company and in
-return he was to give us a franchise to furnish the paving material
-which we would manufacture by cutting up the logs at the sawmill. We
-were also to be exempt from taxes for a number of years. Soon after
-this Schaerer was succeeded in the presidency by Dr. Manuel Franco, a
-native, and it was likely that he would undo everything that Schaerer
-did, in which case our franchise would not amount to a picayune. This
-combined with the present prospects of no shipment of tannic acid to
-foreign parts caused me not to inaugurate this enterprise, which will
-still be open to anybody. The best time to start this is soon after
-the election of a popular president, because in the four years during
-which he will hold office, there will be plenty of time in which to
-accumulate a fortune.
-
-The future manufacturing and commercial opportunities in Chile is
-utterly different and far brighter than in any other South American
-country. Chile has a decidedly bright future and at the present time
-only lacks capital to develop her resources. Business conditions are
-much better; there is more snap to her people; there is less graft
-and it is a cheaper country to live in. To this is added the fact that
-the climate is good. Topographically and geographically this republic
-can be divided into three distinct zones. Beginning at its extreme
-north and running down the coast one-third of its whole longitude is
-the rainless zone. This is a vast forbidding desert, interspersed at
-varying distances by a few oases. The mountains begin at the ocean
-and gradually rise in steep ranges until a maximum of twenty thousand
-feet is attained in a hundred and fifty miles at the eastern boundary
-which is the Argentine frontier. Twenty miles back from the ocean are
-plateaus averaging from two thousand to five thousand feet high which
-furnish most of the world's nitrate supply. This nitrate is from two
-to six feet underneath the surface of the soil and is supposed to be
-the manure of birds that infested this region in pre-glacial periods.
-From these fields is derived much of the wealth of the country. Many
-of the older nitrate fields have become exhausted, especially those
-farthest north on the Iquique Pampa, but new ones are constantly being
-opened up to the south of the old workings and from them is due the
-importance of Antofagasta. It was to acquire these nitrate deposits
-that Chile declared war upon Bolivia and Peru in 1879 which caused them
-to change hands. It is a blessing to that part of the country that it
-never rains, because if it did, the nitrate deposits would be washed
-away. This zone is hot.
-
-The second zone is that which begins immediately south of the rainless
-one and which extends another third of the length of the country down
-the coast. It consists of a coast range of mountains timbered with
-conifers and small hardwood trees, the mountain peaks rarely rising
-above three thousand feet in altitude. Beyond them is the great
-longitudinal valley from thirty to fifty miles in width. Here are
-situated most of the towns and two thirds of the country's population.
-This is the granary of the republic, and it is here that are located
-the great vineyards, the fruit farms, and the small manufacturing
-industries. This zone has a sufficiency of annual precipitation but
-climatically is divided into two seasons, the dry and the rainy one.
-During the winter months from May to October there are frequent rains
-while the rest of the year it seldom rains, although showers are likely
-to occur at any time, these being of more frequent prevalence the
-farther south one goes.
-
-The remaining zone which reaches the remaining distance of the coast
-line as far as Cape Horn is an archipelago and a narrow strip of land
-extending inland about fifty miles to the Argentine frontier. This
-district is a mountainous mass, indented by many bays and fiords, well
-timbered, but so steep are the mountains that come down to the water's
-edge that there are no towns and but few places where habitations can
-be built. A great part of this region is unexplored. It undoubtedly is
-rich in mineral deposits but its inaccessibility has kept it from being
-developed. The annual rainfall is great but this diminishes towards the
-southern apex. In winter there are heavy snowfalls, while the tops of
-the mountains possess innumerable glaciers.
-
-Chile is rich in minerals. Some of its mines have been worked ever
-since the Spanish conquest and new fields are constantly being opened.
-In the arid north copper is found behind Gatico and at Chuquicamata,
-the Guggenheim interests being at the latter place. There are copper
-mines in the provinces of Atacama, and Coquimbo, and at the headwaters
-of the Cauquenes River in the Province of Colchagua is the large
-productive mine of the Braden Copper Company. There are iron mines at
-La Higuera in the Province of Coquimbo and coal mines at Lota, in the
-Province of Concepcion. Silver and gold is found throughout the whole
-republic in paying quantities. Next to nitrate and minerals, vineyards
-play the most important part. From the Province of Aconcagua southward
-250 miles, grapes play a great rôle, yet but little wine is exported.
-The southern provinces and the Central Valley produce an abundance
-of wheat, rye, and barley, but owing to an inadequate market, it is a
-gamble whether the farmer will lose or make a profit on his crops.
-
-What Chile needs more than capital is immigration. Her increase in
-population has been small, likewise her immigration. The European
-immigrant lands at Buenos Aires and seeks employment in Argentina,
-while if he crossed the Andes into Chile, he would find a land where
-he could make a better living for himself and buy some of the most
-fertile land in this universe for a cheap price. Southern Chile has a
-large population of German descent who have done remarkably well, but
-the great number of Spaniards and Italians who yearly immigrate to the
-republics of South America's eastern littoral are here conspicuous by
-their absence.
-
-In manufactures, the breweries are Chile's largest industry. There
-is a brewery trust in Chile, like in Argentina, but it is nowhere
-near so strong nor so well capitalized. It consists of La Calera
-Brewery at La Calera, the Valdivia Breweries Company at Valdivia,
-the Andres Ebner Brewery at Santiago, the Floto Brewery at La Serena
-and the Limache-Cousiño Brewery at Limache, which is the largest in
-Chile. A fact which shows that the trust is not strong is that all
-the independent breweries have done well. Aubel's Brewery at Osorno,
-and Keller's Breweries at Concepcion and Talca are large ones. There
-are many small breweries such as Petersen's at Punta Arenas, Julius
-Jenson's at Chillán, and Horstmann's at Santiago. Much beer is drunk
-in Chile, and there is plenty of grain, so after the war there will be
-an excellent opportunity of starting a brewery. The only drawback has
-been the supply of malt and hops which comes from foreign countries and
-which the brewers have been unable to procure in sufficient quantities
-in recent years owing to the freight shortage.
-
-Santiago is a city of over four hundred thousand inhabitants yet only
-has two breweries, that of Ebner which belongs to the trust and that
-of Horstmann which does not. Horstmann before the war got a supply of
-hops large enough to last him six years if his brewery ran at its full
-capacity. He is an old man who has amassed all the money he wants,
-and his heirs have no inclination to continue the business. In 1917 he
-could have been bought out at a very reasonable price and I believe the
-same holds true to-day. His business has been a family trade and his
-beer is said to be the best in Chile. Since there is small likelihood
-of Chile ever going prohibition, here is a chance for somebody.
-Valparaiso has no brewery on account of its water being too hard. I
-have no doubt but that a brewery at either Chillán, which has only one
-small brewery, or at Curicó which has no brewery, would pay. Temuco,
-Los Angeles, San Fernando, and Linares could support breweries. In
-northern Chile there are no breweries excepting one at La Serena, yet
-either Antofagasta or Iquique would be ideal spots for one. The water
-in these cities has to be piped in from a distance of 150 miles, yet
-since there is sufficient to supply other establishments there would
-be enough to supply breweries. Copiapó is likewise well situated for
-a brewery. It could be made the central distributing point for other
-towns such as Antofagasta, Taltal, Chañaral, Vallenar, and Huasco.
-The output could be shipped to its seaport Caldera, and thence along
-the coast to the other towns in case of a shortage of freight cars. In
-Chile as in the United States the breweries buy saloon licenses to put
-into business men who handle only their goods, but unlike in the United
-States, saloons play no part in politics, and with the exception of the
-sailors' dives in the seaports they are run in strict accordance with
-the law. The violations that I have mentioned in this book occurred in
-Antofagasta which has the reputation of being a notoriously tough town.
-
-A business with a future and which could be made profitable is an
-enamel works and tin-ware factory. In all South America, business
-signs, doctors' signs, street names, and house numbers are of enamelled
-tin. Most of the kitchen ware, bathtubs, and chamber sets are of the
-same article. There is an enamel ware works at Valparaiso and another
-one at Santiago. The latter is the Esmaltadera Chilena, managed by Don
-Federigo Reddoehl. This would be a paying proposition but so far lacks
-capital. The heaviest interest is owned by a senator named Charme, but
-the other stockholders could be bought out at par. Chile is dependent
-upon the United States for its sheet-iron and tin supply; the war
-has put a damper on this, but as soon as shipments can be renewed,
-there is no reason why an enterprise of this kind would not be a good
-investment.
-
-Unfortunately Chile's timber is hardwood, so lumber mills would not
-pay. It is dependent on its lumber for building purposes from the
-United States. Although there is much hardwood, the floors are tile or
-cement, which is much cheaper there than oak or maple, and since the
-ordinary pocket-book cannot afford to pay the price of the latter, a
-hardwood flooring plant would be negative.
-
-In the south there are plenty of small flour mills but there are but
-few in the Central Valley. Since much grain goes to waste and since
-flour is in demand, more of these small mills could be started, but
-none of the cities near to the grain supply are large enough to warrant
-large mills.
-
-Chile is not a stock country. Cattle are dear, likewise the hides.
-Therefore a shoe factory would not pay.
-
-The railroads of the Central Valley are owned by the state and do
-not pay on account of it. The personnel is large and is made up
-entirely of political henchmen of the senators and congressmen. The
-government realizes this and there has been talk of renting the lines
-or selling them to private companies. This would be good sense. This
-Central Valley is crossed lengthwise by one main trunk-line touching
-at the important towns. From these at right angles run branch lines
-to places of minor importance. Yet so thickly settled is this valley,
-and so productive is it, that another parallel line from Santiago
-to Concepcion, touching points not on the government railway, could
-possibly be made to pay a profit. From Talca it could run southwestward
-through San Javier, and Cauquenes crossing the coast range between
-Quirihue and Coelemu at no perceptibly steep grade, opening up a
-new country, and saving a distance of seventy-five miles between the
-terminals. The country is mostly level and there would be no difficult
-engineering feats. The railroad from Santiago to Valparaiso is a
-roundabout one and crosses the steep mountain pass of Tiltil. For years
-it has been talked of to shorten this line making it go through Casa
-Blanca, but the government has had no money for expenditures of such
-a sort. I have no doubt but that it would give a private company a
-concession if it meant business. An interurban electric line between
-these two large cities might pay. It would be eighty-five miles long
-and would also open up a new country.
-
-Chile is in need of many first-class modern hotels built on the North
-American style, but not cramped for room like in the United States, and
-with the guests' rooms large enough for comfort. Santiago, Valparaiso,
-and Concepcion have good hotels, but in the other cities they are
-poor. It would not pay a North American to build a hotel south of
-Concepcion because in that region German influence predominates, and
-in many places the German population outnumbers that of the native.
-For years to come after the war the North American would be boycotted
-there. Antofagasta opens an excellent field in the hotel line. There
-are four hotels there where it is possible to sleep and eat, but they
-fall much below the standard for such a busy port. The trade is evenly
-divided between them, but an up-to-date hostelry could easily shift
-that to themselves. Arica is badly off in the hotel line. This is the
-port of La Paz, Bolivia, and traveling men to and from that city are
-often obliged to put in a few days in this most northern seaport of
-Chile while waiting for their steamer. Coquimbo, Talca, and Chillán
-need modern hotels, as well as Los Andes. The latter town which has a
-population of 8097 is important because it is the jumping-off place for
-Argentina. The narrow-gauge railroad from there to Mendoza is of such a
-nature that the trip has to be made in daylight on account of curves,
-bridges, and steep gradients which would be dangerous to traverse at
-night. Passengers en route for Argentina leave Santiago and Valparaiso
-in the evening arriving at Los Andes at night where they stop over,
-and continue the next morning. The train coming from Argentina arrives
-at Los Andes at night and as it is sometimes late, passengers prefer
-to stop over there, continuing to Santiago in the morning, rather
-than to change trains and arrive at Santiago at an unseemly hour.
-The only hotel fit to stop at in Los Andes is the poor one owned by
-the Transandine Railway, and it is nearly always overcrowded. It is
-a flimsy frame structure, dirty, and with poor service. It is some
-distance from the main part of the city, but another hotel built in
-its neighborhood would catch all the transient trade, because most
-of it focuses there instead of in the town. Rancagua has a floating
-population comprised of the mining element from the Braden Copper
-Company. Many of these are North Americans and Canadians, and every day
-some of them are obliged to stop overnight at Rancagua to get a train
-out the following day. Also Rancagua is the station for the Baths of
-Cauquenes to which there is constant journeying to and fro during the
-summer season. The city has a population of 10,380 irrespective of
-transient trade with no hotel fit to stop at.
-
-  [Illustration: ARGENTINE PLAZAS DRAFTED BY HENRY J. STEPHENS
-
-   PLAZA PRINGLES SAN LUIS
-
-   PLAZA SAN MARTIN MENDOZA
-
-   PLAZA ARENALES SALTA
-
-   PLAZA INDEPENDENCIA TUCUMÁN
-
-   PLAZA SAN MARTIN CÓRDOBA]
-
-  [Illustration: CHILEAN PLAZAS DRAFTED BY HENRY J. STEPHENS
-
-   PLAZA O'HIGGINS CHILLÁN
-
-   PLAZA SANTO ALDEA CHILLÁN
-
-   PLAZA IN SAN FELIPE
-
-   SMALL PLAZA IN TACNA]
-
-  [Illustration: SOUTH AMERICA]
-
-  [Illustration: CHILE]
-
-
-
-
-      *      *      *      *      *      *
-
-
-
-
-Transcriber's note:
-
-  Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
-  been preserved.
-
-  Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
-
-  On page 407, "cue" should possibly be "clue."
-
-
-
-***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN
-ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE***
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+<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44692 ***</div>
 <h1 class="pg">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Journeys and Experiences in Argentina,
 Paraguay, and Chile, by Henry Stephens</h1>
-<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
-almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
-re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
-with this eBook or online at <a
-href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></p>
-<p>Title: Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile</p>
-<p>       Including a Side Trip to the Source of the Paraguay River in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, and a Journey Across the Andes to the Rio Tambo in Peru</p>
-<p>Author: Henry Stephens</p>
-<p>Release Date: January 18, 2014  [eBook #44692]</p>
-<p>Language: English</p>
-<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p>
-<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE***</p>
 <p>&nbsp;</p>
-<h4 class="center">E-text prepared by Melissa McDaniel<br />
-    and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br />
-    (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br />
-    from page images generously made available by<br />
-    Internet Archive<br />
-    (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4>
 <p>&nbsp;</p>
 <table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10">
   <tr>
@@ -19801,360 +19784,6 @@ document have been preserved.</p>
 <p>On page 407, "cue" should possibly be "clue."</p>
 </div>
 
-<hr class="full" />
-<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE***</p>
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@@ -1,13599 +0,0 @@
-The Project Gutenberg eBook, Journeys and Experiences in Argentina,
-Paraguay, and Chile, by Henry Stephens
-
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
-almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
-re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
-with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
-
-
-
-
-
-Title: Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile
-       Including a Side Trip to the Source of the Paraguay River in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, and a Journey Across the Andes to the Rio Tambo in Peru
-
-
-Author: Henry Stephens
-
-
-
-Release Date: January 18, 2014  [eBook #44692]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
-
-
-***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN
-ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE***
-
-
-E-text prepared by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed
-Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made
-available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org)
-
-
-
-Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
-      file which includes the original illustrations.
-      See 44692-h.htm or 44692-h.zip:
-      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44692/44692-h/44692-h.htm)
-      or
-      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44692/44692-h.zip)
-
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-      Images of the original pages are available through
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-      https://archive.org/details/journeysexperien00step
-
-
-Transcriber's note:
-
-      Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
-
-
-
-
-
-  [Illustration: Henry Stephens, Ph.D.]
-
-
-  [Illustration: Locust Pest in Argentina
-
-   Estancia, Santa Isabel, Province Buenos Aires]
-
-
-  [Illustration: Snow in the Tropics
-
-   Plaza Pringles, San Luis, July, 1913]
-
-
-  [Illustration: Reflection of Aconcagua Volcano in the Clouds above
-   Valparaiso
-
-   This rare phenomenon is occasionally seen in April and September at
-   dawn. The mountain itself is invisible from Valparaiso.]
-
-
-JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE
-
-Including a side trip to the source of the Paraguay River
-in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, and a journey
-across the Andes to the Rio Tambo in Peru
-
-by
-
-HENRY STEPHENS
-
-Harvard, A.B., Vienna, Ph.D.
-
-FIRST EDITION
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-The Knickerbocker Press
-New York
-1920
-
-Copyright
-By
-Henry Stephens
-1920
-
-
-
-
-     TO
-     MR. H. L. MENCKEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
-     WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE AMERICA'S FOREMOST CRITIC
-     OF LITERATURE I GLADLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK OF TRAVELS
-
-
-
-
-CONTENTS
-
-
-  CHAPTER I
-
-                                                                    PAGE
-
-  MONTEVIDEO                                                           1
-
-  Experience in landing. Population of the city. Conservativeness
-  of the inhabitants. Gambling establishment at Playa Ramirez.
-  Train ride to Colonia.
-
-  CHAPTER II
-
-  BUENOS AIRES                                                        21
-
-  Population of the city. Streets and architecture. High cost of
-  living. Hotels. Beverages. Street beggars and vagabonds. Mariano
-  Moreno College. Habit of not bathing. Jews. La Plata.
-
-  CHAPTER III
-
-  SAN LUIS                                                            62
-
-  Appearance of the city. Capitol. Plazas. Hotels. Neighboring
-  country. Character of the natives. Train ride to Mendoza.
-
-  CHAPTER IV
-
-  MENDOZA                                                             78
-
-  Viticulture. Fruit growing. Wheat. Population and appearance of
-  the city. Earthquake of 1861. Cerrito de la Gloria. Hotels.
-  Aconcagua. Cacheuta. Across the Andes. Arrival in town of Los
-  Andes.
-
-  CHAPTER V
-
-  SALTA AND TUCUMAN                                                  101
-
-  Train ride to Salta. Lerma Valley. Province of Salta. Chuchu
-  fever. Population of the city of Salta. 20th of February Club.
-  Churches and San Francisco Monastery. Population of the city of
-  Tucuman. Capitol. Governor Padilla. Heat of the city. Hotel
-  Savoy. Kirwin the photographer. Villa Nougues.
-
-  CHAPTER VI
-
-  CORDOBA                                                            130
-
-  Province of Cordoba. Description of the city of Cordoba. Great
-  number of consumptives. Breweries. Streets, religious edifices,
-  and hotels. Sierra de Cordoba. Cosquin. Locust pest. Rosario; its
-  hotels. Pergamino. Mercedes.
-
-  CHAPTER VII
-
-  ASUNCION                                                           155
-
-  Train ride from Buenos Aires. Population of Paraguayan districts
-  and towns. Don Eduardo Schaerer. Currency. Colonnades. Pavement
-  of Asuncion's streets. Oratory of Lopez. Climate, rains, and
-  reptiles. Madame Lynch. Hotels. Mangrullo Cemetery. Market-place.
-  Cigars. Low cost of living. Asuncene womanhood. Unmorality.
-  Ypacara-i.
-
-  CHAPTER VIII
-
-  TO THE SOURCE OF THE PARAGUAY RIVER                                195
-
-  River scenery. Villa Concepcion. San Salvador. State of Matto
-  Grosso. Corumba. Lawlessness. By water to Cuyaba. City of Cuyaba.
-  Huber. Detour to source of river. Bog and pool. Huber becomes
-  ill; his death. Diamantino. Return to Buenos Aires by river.
-  Yerba mate.
-
-  CHAPTER IX
-
-  SANTIAGO                                                           226
-
-  Republic of Chile. Central Valley. Longitudinal railways. Paucity
-  of factories. Breweries. The Chileno. Illegitimacy. Fiesta of the
-  Angelito. Reception in Santiago. Compactness of the city; its
-  streets. Installation of the president. Military parade. American
-  ambassador. Hotels. High death rate. General Cemetery. Apoquindo.
-
-  CHAPTER X
-
-  BATHS OF CAUQUENES. CHILOE ISLAND. LAKE NAHUEL. HUAPI              263
-
-  Rancagua. Baths of Cauquenes. Hostelry. Horseback ride to Los
-  Lirios. Linares. Panimavida. Araucania and its native
-  inhabitants. Temuco. Valdivia. Osorno. Fire at Osorno. Ancud.
-  Castro. Lake Llanquihue. El Tronador Puella. Puerto Blest. Lake
-  Nahuel Huapi. San Carlos de Bariloche.
-
-  CHAPTER XI
-
-  CHILLAN. ASCENT OF THE VOLCANO CHILLAN                             312
-
-  Description of the city. Hotel de France. Earthquake. Chillan
-  Viejo. Birthplace of O'Higgins. Journey to Las Termas de Chillan.
-  Establishment of Las Termas. Gambling. Episode of the
-  administrator's brother. Snowfields and glaciers. Eruption of
-  volcano. Don Vicente Mendez U. Curico.
-
-  CHAPTER XII
-
-  NORTHWARD TO ANTOFAGASTA BY RAIL. COPIAPO, ANTOFAGASTA, AND        347
-  IQUIQUE
-
-  Greenberg's adventure. San Felipe. Jahuel. Palm groves. Choapa
-  Valley. Illapel. La Serena. Vallenar. Oasis of Copiapo.
-  Retrogressant provincial capital. Professor Platner. Desert.
-  Prosperity of Antofagasta. Strict prohibition laws. Bubonic
-  plague. Pestilential Tocopilla. Description of Iquique.
-
-  CHAPTER XIII
-
-  ARICA TO ILO OVERLAND, VIA TACNA, TARATA, AND MOQUEGUA. MOLLENDO   387
-
-  Dr. Petit. Morro of Arica. Dispute between Chile and Peru over
-  Tacna and Arica. Architect Pitaud. Description of Tacna. Peculiar
-  architecture. Hotel Raiteri. Don Santiago Carmona. Caplina
-  Valley. Ascending the Andes, Tarata. Parish priest. Tales of
-  buried treasure. Hacienda Carmona. Ticalco and Sama Valleys.
-  Stupidity of Peruvian jefe politico. Ilabaya. Dishonest cholo and
-  Prat's spree. Don Jose Vergara. Moquegua. Ilo. Stinking Mollendo.
-  Arrival at Callao.
-
-  CHAPTER XIV
-
-  LIMA                                                               434
-
-  Architecture of Callao. Mixed population of Lima and its seaport.
-  Origin of Lima. Rimac River. Interesting city. Its population.
-  Confusion of street names. Concepcion Market. Religious edifices
-  and procession of El Milagro. Hotels and cafes. Difficulty in
-  getting money changed. Crookedness of post office officials.
-  General Cemetery. Viceroys of Peru.
-
-  CHAPTER XV
-
-  ACROSS THE CORDILLERA TO THE RIO TAMBO                             470
-
-  Departure from Oroya. Across the Cumbre. Tarma. Valley of the Rio
-  Palca. Huacapistana. Tropical vegetation. Swinging bridges. San
-  Ramon. La Merced and the Chanchamayo River. Chuncho, Campas, and
-  Cashibo Indians. Perene Colony. Down the Ucayali. Iquitos. Head
-  hunting Indians.
-
-  CHAPTER XVI
-
-  BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE               496
-
-  Knowledge of Spanish and of the Latin character a necessity.
-  Companies should be fully capitalized. Wheat belt of Argentina.
-  Argentina poor in fuel and in minerals. Zona del Riego. Flour
-  mills and beef canning factories. Stock raising and great
-  ranches. Tannic acid factories. Grafting politicians. Breweries
-  and sugar mills. Yerba mate industry in Paraguay. Bright outlook
-  for Chile. Topography of the country. Nitrate, minerals, and
-  viticulture. Breweries. Enamel works. Railroads of Chile. Great
-  need of good hotels.
-
-
-
-
-ILLUSTRATIONS
-
-
-                                                         PAGE
-  Henry Stephens, Ph.D.
-  Locust Pest in Argentina
-  Snow in the Tropics
-  Reflection of Aconcagua in the Clouds above
-    Valparaiso  _Frontispieces_
-  Colonia, Uruguay                                         19
-  Congress Building, Buenos Aires                          23
-  Buenos Aires Types                                       25
-  Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires                            27
-  Mr. Oliver H. Lane                                       29
-  Calle Bartolome Mitre, Buenos Aires                      31
-  Fireman and Policeman, Buenos Aires                      33
-  Zoological Garden, Buenos Aires                          35
-  Scene on the River at Tigre                              53
-  Station of the Southern Railway, La Plata                55
-  Old Railway Station, La Plata                            56
-  Bank of the Argentine Nation, La Plata                   57
-  Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires, La Plata           58
-  Allegorical Statue of La Plata                           59
-  Unfinished Cathedral, La Plata                           60
-  Plaza San Martin, Mercedes                               63
-  Street in San Luis                                       65
-  Bank of the Argentine Nation, San Luis                   66
-  Capitol, San Luis                                        68
-  Matriz Church, San Luis                                  70
-  Estancia near San Luis                                   73
-  Statue of San Martin, Mendoza                            84
-  Avenida San Martin, Mendoza                              85
-  Monument to the Army of the Andes, Mendoza               89
-  Waiting for the Train at Cacheuta                        94
-  On the Terrace at Cacheuta                               95
-  Thermal Establishment at Cacheuta                        97
-  One of the Diversions at Cacheuta that is neither
-    Bathing nor Gambling                                   98
-  Steps at Cacheuta Leading from the Railroad
-    Station to the Hotel                                   99
-  Guemes                                                  107
-  Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, Salta                    109
-  Tomb in Cemetery, Salta                                 113
-  Calle Mitre, Salta                                      116
-  Capitol, Tucuman                                        121
-  Calle Laprida, Tucuman                                  123
-  Residence of Dr. Juan C. Nougues, San Pablo             127
-  Country House at Villa Nougues                          128
-  Northern Market, Cordoba                                133
-  Cathedral of Cordoba                                    137
-  Residence of Martin Ferreyra, Cordoba                   138
-  Church of Santa Teresa, Cordoba                         139
-  Zoological Garden, Cordoba                              141
-  Corner of Plaza San Martin, Cordoba                     142
-  Bridge on Road to Dique San Roque                       144
-  Courthouse, Rosario                                     147
-  Street Scene, Rosario                                   148
-  Plaza 25 de Mayo, Rosario                               149
-  Street Scene, Rosario                                   150
-  Calle San Nicolas, Pergamino                            151
-  Plaza 25 de Mayo, Pergamino                             152
-  Street in Mercedes                                      153
-  Scene from Railroad Station at Villa Rica               162
-  Casa de Gobierno, or Capitol, Asuncion                  167
-  Drawing Showing Construction of Colonnades on
-    a Paraguayan Building                                 170
-  Cabildo, or City Hall, Asuncion                         171
-  Plazoleta del Puerto, Asuncion                          172
-  Calle Palmas, Asuncion                                  173
-  Calle 15 de Agosto, Asuncion                            174
-  Street Scene, Outskirts of Asuncion                     175
-  Mangrullo Cemetery, Asuncion                            184
-  Street Scene, Cuyaba                                    205
-  Street Scene, Outskirts of Cuyaba                       206
-  Source of the Paraguay River                            213
-  House in Diamantino where Huber Died                    220
-  Diagram Showing Idea of Central Valley of Chile
-    in Relationship to the Andes Mountains and
-    the Coast Range, with Course of Streams               227
-  Scenery, Central Valley of Chile                        229
-  Village Scene, Central Chile                            230
-  The Valdivia Breweries Company, Valdivia                233
-  Santa Lucia Hill, Santiago                              239
-  General View of Santiago from Santa Lucia Hill          241
-  Alameda, Santiago                                       242
-  Calle Huerfanos, Santiago                               243
-  Modern Residence on the Alameda, Santiago               244
-  Calle Ejercito Liberador, Santiago                      245
-  Fountain in Santiago                                    247
-  President Don Juan Luis Sanfuentes of Chile with
-    Cabinet                                               248
-  Monument of Don Pedro Montt, Cementerio Jeneral,
-    Santiago                                              249
-  View Looking West on Compania Street from
-    Estado at the Plaza de Armas, Santiago                251
-  Cathedral Street, Santiago                              252
-  Mapocho River near Santiago                             256
-  Street in Nunoa, Chile                                  261
-  Plaza O'Higgins, Rancagua                               264
-  Calle Bresil, Rancagua                                  265
-  Street in Rancagua                                      266
-  Gorge of the Cachapoal at Banos de Cauquenes            268
-  Main Street of Linares                                  277
-  Panimavida                                              278
-  Bridge over the Malleco River at Collipulli             283
-  Street in Temuco                                        287
-  Plaza de la Republica, Valdivia                         289
-  Calle-Calle River at Valdivia, Showing Flour
-    Mills                                                 291
-  Street in Valdivia                                      292
-  Rinihue Landscape, Southern Chile                       293
-  Osorno                                                  295
-  Scenery on the Railroad between Osorno and
-    Puerto Montt                                          297
-  Indian Belles, Chiloe Island, Chile                     301
-  Lake Todos Santos from Petrohue                         304
-  Puella                                                  306
-  El Tronador, Chile                                      308
-  San Carlos de Bariloche                                 311
-  Plaza O'Higgins, Chillan                                314
-  Calle Roble, Chillan, Looking East from Calle
-    Arauco                                                315
-  Street in Chillan                                       316
-  Market Place, Chillan                                   317
-  Scene at the Station at Pinto                           322
-  Post Station at La Dehesa                               323
-  Harvesting Scene at La Dehesa                           324
-  Mountain in the Renegado Canyon, Chile                  325
-  Corral of Las Trancas                                   326
-  Forest in the Province of Nuble, Chile                  327
-  Scene on the Road to Termas de Chillan                  328
-  Termas de Chillan                                       329
-  Casuchas at Termas de Chillan                           330
-  Mr. Henry Stephens                                      333
-  Mr. Hugo Gumprecht                                      333
-  View towards the Argentine Frontier from the
-    Slopes of Volcano Chillan                             334
-  Glacier Covered with Fresh Snow on the Volcano          335
-  Rim of the Crater of Volcano Chillan During
-    Eruption                                              337
-  Snow Fields of Volcano Chillan                          337
-  From the Slopes of Volcano Chillan                      339
-  Savedra, Gumprecht, and Prat on Lava Fields of
-    Volcano Chillan                                       339
-  Mountain Scenery and Waterfall at Las Trancas           343
-  Church in San Felipe                                    348
-  City Hall, San Felipe                                   349
-  Street in San Felipe                                    352
-  Street in Almendraz                                     353
-  Jahuel                                                  356
-  Ocoa                                                    359
-  Street in Vallenar                                      362
-  Alameda in Copiapo                                      363
-  Monument Erected in Honor of Atacama's Illustrious
-    Dead, Copiapo                                         364
-  Main Street of Copiapo                                  365
-  Main Street of Copiapo                                  366
-  Outskirts of Copiapo                                    367
-  Hovels on the Outskirts of Copiapo                      368
-  Cemetery, Copiapo                                       369
-  Plaza Colon, Antofagasta                                374
-  Provincial Capitol Building, Antofagasta                375
-  Street in Antofagasta                                   377
-  Street in Tocopilla                                     380
-  Cemeteries at Tocopilla                                 382
-  Street in Iquique                                       384
-  Street in Iquique                                       385
-  Cemetery, Iquique                                       386
-  Custom House, Arica                                     388
-  Street in Arica                                         389
-  Capitol Building at Tacna                               392
-  Street in Tacna Showing Earthquake Proof Houses         393
-  Calle Bolivar, Tacna                                    394
-  Fountain in Tacna                                       395
-  Unfinished Cathedral in Tacna                           396
-  Style of Tacna Architecture                             397
-  Old Residence, Tacna                                    398
-  Street in Tacna                                         399
-  Calle Miller, Tacna                                     400
-  Alameda, Tacna                                          401
-  Street in Tarata                                        406
-  Street in Ilabaya, Peru                                 423
-  Alameda, Moquegua                                       426
-  Street in Moquegua                                      428
-  Street in Moquegua                                      429
-  Callao Harbor                                           435
-  Puente Vieja, Lima, as Seen from the Bed of the
-    Rimac                                                 438
-  Calle Huallaga, Lima                                    440
-  Plaza Italia, Lima. Vendors of Bread                    441
-  Plazuela de la Inquisicion, Lima                        442
-  Boulevard in Lima                                       444
-  Facade of San Augustin Church, Lima                     447
-  Procession of the Milagro, Lima                         449
-  Cercado Church, Lima                                    460
-  Tomb of the Goyeneche Family, in the General
-    Cemetery, Lima                                        461
-  Mr. Kurt Waldemar Linn of New York                      462
-  Mr. Linn of New York Rising out of the Tomb
-    Erected in Honor of the Peruvian Heroes of
-    the Pacific War, 1879-1882                            463
-  Corpse Bearer, General Cemetery, Lima                   464
-  Putting a Coffin into a Niche, General Cemetery,
-    Lima                                                  465
-  Llamas at Casapalca                                     474
-  Tarma, Peru                                             477
-  Cemetery, Tarma                                         479
-  Argentine Plazas. Plate No. I                           521
-  Argentine Plazas. Plate No. II                          523
-  Chilean Plazas. Plate No. III                           525
-  Map Showing Route Taken by Author                  _At End_
-
-
-
-
-Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I
-
-MONTEVIDEO
-
-
-In my former book, _South American Travels_, I made a statement
-relative to the pronunciation of the word "Montevideo" as follows:
-"Many foreigners make the mistake of pronouncing the name of the
-city with the accent on its penultima 'e'. Each syllable should be
-pronounced alike, with no distinction made as onto which syllable
-the accent falls." I have since found out that I was wrong, and am
-convinced so by my losing a ten-dollar bet with a gentleman relative
-to the pronunciation of the Uruguayan metropolis. Montevideo has its
-accent on the penultima. The word is derived from the Latin "_Montem
-video_" the final _m_ in _montem_ having been dropped to facilitate
-pronunciation. Its site was first discovered by Magellan in 1520, and
-as the 493 feet high dun-colored _cerro_, which dominates the western
-side of the harbor on whose shores the city is now built, appeared on
-the occidental horizon, somebody at the bow of the ship yelled out,
-"Montem video" ("I see a mountain"), which words gave the city its
-present name. It can be safely assumed that the man at the bow who
-uttered the Latin exclamation was a priest or a friar because who
-amongst a crew of sailors and adventurers would have a knowledge of
-Latin unless it was a man who had taken Holy Orders? The Spaniards
-and Portuguese in those days never embarked on any expedition without
-taking some of these gentry along.
-
-Montevideo is sometimes called "Queen of La Plata" on account of its
-cleanliness, haughty reserve, and aristocratic appearance; more often
-has it been styled "Modern Troy" due to decades of internecine strife,
-anarchy, revolutions, and a Ten Years' War. Now that there has been
-quietude for several years, with prospects of continued peace, it is
-unfair to its inhabitants to liken it to the prehistoric city at the
-southeastern end of the Hellespont.
-
-Several times during the years 1915 and 1916, I visited Montevideo,
-having made occasional trips from Buenos Aires, but an episode
-connected with my last advent on Uruguayan shores will take an
-indefinitely long time to erase it from my memory. It was like this:
-
-On February 17, 1916, I had embarked on the Lamport & Holt steamship
-_Vestris_ at La Plata for Montevideo to bid farewell to friends
-returning to the United States. The steamer was scheduled to sail from
-Montevideo at 2 P.M. the next day.
-
-When that time came I was in the dining room, and was so engrossed in
-a conversation that appealed to me that I never heard the ringing of
-bells and the blowing of whistles that denote that an ocean leviathan
-is about to get under way. Suddenly an acquaintance, Mr. Lynn B. Packer
-of Norwich, N. Y., ran into the dining room calling out: "The ship is
-in motion, Stephens, we are in for it!" We both ran up the stairs and
-onto the deck. True enough, the _Vestris_ was sailing but at a snail's
-pace, and the anchor was being pulled up. The lighter containing the
-visitors had left and was now but a black speck behind the breakwater.
-Not even a fishing boat was in sight. We ran to the port side, and saw
-a few hundred feet away a rowboat in which were two men pulling away.
-We yelled to them and waved our handkerchiefs; they stopped. We took
-off our coats and waved them also; they swung their rowboat around
-and rowed back towards us. A steward and a couple of sailors got a
-rope-ladder which they hung over the railing of the deck, and down
-this Packer and myself clambered, and jumped into the rowboat which had
-now reached the sides of the _Vestris_. The two men of the rowboat now
-pulled out to let the ocean liner pass by, so as not to get caught in
-the vortex of water caused by the propellers.
-
-The sea was rough; a leaden sky cast a gloomy canopy over the leaden
-water; to the left rose the dun-colored cerro crowned by its prison
-and lighthouse. In the background nearly two miles away, seemed to rise
-in tiers, the somber buildings of drab Montevideo, the twin towers of
-the cathedral, the Gothic steeple of a church, and a large rectangular
-pile at the water's edge, which was formerly the university, being
-silhouetted against the sky line. Black hulls of ships, merchantmen,
-and freighters flying the flags of most civilized nations, besides the
-interned German ships of the Kosmos Line, dotted the harbor and the
-open sea outside of the breakwater, but we were at least half a mile
-from the nearest one of them.
-
-We now began to size up the two boatmen. They were a villainous
-looking pair. The one who acted as the boss was an undersized man about
-thirty-five years old. He wore a black moustache, and about two weeks
-stubble of beard. His hair was unkempt, and white mucus had collected
-at the corners of his mouth and eyes. He stunk of garlic, and his
-clothes were dirty and greasy. His companion was a tall and slender
-man, a few years his junior. His appearance was likewise unkempt,
-although his long face, covered with pimples, was clean shaven, except
-for an occasional straggling whisker on his chin which his razor had
-overlooked.
-
-The boss boatman, knowing me to be a North American, attempted to
-converse with me in English, but his knowledge of that tongue was
-so execrable that he soon had to desist; he knew but a few words of
-Spanish. By mixing lingoes we made ourselves understood and he informed
-me that he was a resident of Rio de Janeiro, of which city he was a
-native, and that he was at present employed as a doctor on a Brazilian
-passenger ship in Montevideo, and that his regular trips were from
-Manaos on the Amazon to Montevideo, touching at all the seaports; his
-comrade, he informed me, was a Paulista and was the Marconi operator on
-the same ship. Both had been making a visit to the different ships now
-anchored in Montevideo harbor, having had chats with the doctors and
-Marconi-men of said ships, and were returning to their own vessel when
-hailed by us.
-
-This yarn I refused to believe, for no man that I had ever seen had
-a more unmedical appearance than the boss boatman; moreover instead
-of attempting to row us to the docks, both men were rowing towards
-the Brazilian vessel, which we were approaching, and which belied its
-title of a passenger ship, having more the appearance of a freighter.
-The sea, as I said, was rough, and I yelled to the boatmen to swing
-around as I had no desire to be carried into the South Atlantic in an
-open boat; my misgivings were not so much on account of the elements,
-as for the thought that I became obsessed with, namely that these two
-vagabonds were trying to shanghai us, endeavoring to get us aboard
-the Brazilian ship. Montevideo, Valparaiso, and Callao are noted as
-tough ports, where shanghaiing is rife, and many of these stories were
-brought to my mind. To Packer, who lay reposing in the stern, I told
-my doubts. He replied that he had been thinking the same thing for
-some time. I told him the best thing for us to do would be to ask for
-the oars so that we could row back to shore ourselves; in case the
-boatmen refused, to rush them, and lay them out. He said he was game
-for a fight but refused to row, giving some excuse which I interpreted
-in meaning that he was too lazy. I had nothing but a pocket knife with
-me, and in case of a fight, meant to plant the blade in some vulnerable
-spot in the anatomy of the boss boatman, whom I took to be the boss
-villain.
-
-We had gradually been drifting out in the open sea, and the waves were
-becoming rougher. These were also unpleasant thoughts, especially since
-during the last few minutes the Brazilians had developed a streak of
-laziness. Packer gave me a wink which was the cue, and I asked for the
-oars. Great was my astonishment and also relief of mind, when instead
-of refusing my request which would have brought on a sanguinary fight
-with possible loss of life to one or more of us, the boss boatman
-handed me the oars. The Paulista, ready for a siesta, even though the
-sea was rough, dropped his oars beside his comrade, and turned over
-on his side for a snooze. All alone, with no help, I had to row the
-three occupants back, as each refused to labor any more. It took me two
-hours, hard pulling, before we again reached the dock at Montevideo.
-Believing that the "doctor" stunt was a lie, and that both were sailors
-from the Brazilian vessel, I offered the boatmen a piece of change for
-their aid in bringing us to terra firma, for unless they had taken us
-in their rowboat we would by this time be well under way for Santos.
-The boss boatman was indignant and informed me that I was insulting
-him. I then handed out some silver to the "Marconi" operator; he was
-on the point of accepting it, but withdrew his hand at a growl of
-disapproval from the "doctor."
-
-"You had better have some refreshment," I said to them, leading the way
-to a nearby bar. They followed me and seating themselves at the same
-table with us, ordered some raspberry soda. This was astonishment No.
-2, for I could hardly conceive such villainous-looking rascals imbibing
-anything milder than one hundred proof whiskey.
-
-"See this ring," quoth the Fluminense, turning a finger to me so
-that I could see within the gold setting, a black stone in which was
-chiselled the image of a serpent: "It denotes the cult of Aesculapius.
-Most Brazilian doctors wear them. I have been on the same ship for
-three years. Here is my card." The man pulled a book out of his pocket
-similar to a lodge pass-book at home, and true enough I saw that he was
-telling the truth, and that he really was a bona fide physician.
-
-We must have sat at the table for about fifteen minutes, when the
-Marconi operator got into a row with the waiter, whom he claimed
-overcharged him the day before on a dish of ice cream. The waiter
-called the proprietor and a big rumpus occurred. It wound up by the
-Paulista pulling a fist full of nickle-in-the-slot machine slugs out
-of his pocket and hurling them with great force into the face of the
-outraged proprietor. Before he could recover his astonishment, both
-Brazilians "beat it" in the direction of the docks. Packer and I,
-anticipating trouble, also "beat it," but up the hill. No man likes
-to chase another up hill. In case any reader of this article should go
-to Montevideo, and would like to know where this particular cafe is, I
-wish to inform him that it is situated at the southwest corner of the
-streets, Rampla and Alzaibar.
-
-That same night as I was standing on the Plaza Matriz in front of
-the Hotel Lanata, I was accosted by a very clean-looking gentleman,
-immaculately dressed in black, wearing spats, and carrying a small
-cane. I thought it was a case of mistaken identity and was about
-to pass on, when to my amazement I recognized the doctor. The
-transformation was complete. He could now pass for a boulevardier while
-before he had the air of a cutthroat. He informed me that he had rowed
-back to his ship, changed his attire, and had returned to shore by a
-motor boat.
-
-The city of Montevideo has about four hundred thousand inhabitants
-exclusive of suburbs, and stretches over quite an area of land, due to
-the broad streets and lowness of its houses. It is built around the
-harbor and also along the Atlantic Ocean which is separated from the
-harbor by a hill in the shape of a whaleback. At the western end of the
-harbor is the cerro which marks the mouth of the La Plata and which is
-the only hill worthy of the name until that of Lambare is reached one
-thousand miles up the river, the landmark for Asuncion. The whaleback
-is the business part of the city, although the shopping district has
-now a tendency to spread more eastward. The gradient to the top of
-the whaleback on which lies the Calle Sarandi, one of the principal
-streets of the city, is gentle, but yet I have several acquaintances
-who refused to walk it, preferring to go from the docks to the Plaza
-Matriz in a taxicab. One of these men is Mr. Oliver H. Lane, formerly
-of Washington before that city was made "dry," but who, because that
-calamity befell the National Capital, moved to Boston. One day in
-December, 1915, he, Packer, and I started from the docks uptown on
-foot. After we had gone two blocks, Lane planted his back against the
-wall of a building and said:
-
-"What do you take me for? Do you think I want to walk to Paraguay?"
-
-As there were no taxicabs around, Packer and I were obliged to walk
-about three-quarters of a mile to the Plaza Matriz to get one to return
-for Lane, whom we found in the same identical spot with his back still
-against the wall.
-
-Montevideo ranks according to the tonnage of vessels entering and
-clearing its harbor as the ninth port in the world, surpassing all
-South American cities in this respect. Until about fifty years ago,
-it was the metropolis of the La Plata watershed. About that time
-Buenos Aires passed it, and to-day the population of the Argentine
-metropolis is four times larger. Montevideo has a fine harbor; Buenos
-Aires has none. The Uruguayan back country is richer than the country
-behind Buenos Aires. Montevideo has a wonderful climate, cool,
-invigorating, with a fresh breeze always blowing; Buenos Aires has
-a humid, enervating, somewhat depressing climate. With these natural
-superiorities, one would think Montevideo would outrank Buenos Aires
-but not so. Buenos Aires has always had a spirit of progression, which
-has become contagious and has spread to Rosario, and to Bahia Blanca;
-Montevideo has always been conservative, entirely wrapped in herself,
-indifferent to other cities. Uruguay, which is the smallest republic in
-South America, has an area of only 72,210 square miles, not as large
-as the province of Buenos Aires alone. Of its population of 1,042,668
-inhabitants, one half live within a radius of twenty miles from the
-center of the city of Montevideo. The difference between Buenos Aires
-and Montevideo is so great that it is difficult to realize that they
-are separated only by a night's run of 190 knots.
-
-The topography of the city is a succession of low hills which flank
-the harbor. They continue to the cerro, seven miles around the
-semi-circular harbor, and on their sides and summits are built a
-succession of villages not included in the incorporation limits of
-Montevideo. On the cerro rise the whitewashed houses of the town of
-Villa del Cerro, while at its bottom slopes near the La Plata mouth
-there is a large eucalyptus grove of dark green color, a landmark for
-many miles at sea.
-
-There was but little building done in Montevideo between the years 1912
-and 1916; in fact I could see no change, although I have no doubt but
-that the population is increasing on a normal scale. The monotony of
-the appearance of the residential streets is impressing. Each street
-has the same cobblestone pavement; on each street there are sycamore
-trees between the pavement and the sidewalk; the houses are mostly the
-same, one and two stories high, built of the same material and offering
-absolutely no contrast in architecture, in size, or color to the
-thousands like them in the Uruguayan metropolis. This same condition
-must have existed since the Colonial times, because one writer, whose
-book written about 1830 I recently read, said in his description of
-Montevideo that on account of the great similarity of the houses and
-absence of street numbers, drunken men frequently mistook houses of
-other people for their own and entered them at different times of the
-day and night causing much embarrassment and confusion.
-
-The residences of the wealthier inhabitants do not have this monotonous
-uniformity. They are villas, set back from the street in large gardens
-and lawns, enclosed by low brick walls. In architecture they are light
-and resemble the houses of the aristocracy of Rio de Janeiro. Compared
-with the palatial homes of the Buenos Aires millionaires they are
-inexpensive. The Avenida Agraciada is the main residential street, but
-the Avenida Brazil in the suburb of Pocitos has many fine homes, some
-of which are the summer abodes of Argentinos who like to spend the
-hottest months of the summer by the seashore. The very finest mansion
-in the city is on the Plaza Zabala, the loafers' park, in the business
-section on the whaleback, and not far from the docks. It is owned by an
-Italian who wished to have his residence near to his place of business.
-
-The main shopping streets are Sarandi and Rincon. These are parallel
-and are but one block apart. The Avenida 18 de Julio, like the Avenida
-de Mayo in Buenos Aires, is the parade street. It is a beautiful broad
-avenue about a mile and a half long, and runs eastward from the Plaza
-Independencia. Seven blocks up it is interrupted in its course by
-the Plaza Libertad, formerly named Sagancha. It is one of the finest
-streets in South America. Many of the streets have old Indian names
-peculiar to the country such as Timbo, Yaro, Tacuarembo, Yaguaron, Yi,
-Cuareim, Ibicui, Ituzaingo, Guarani, etc. It is pleasant to see this
-change in street names after a sojourn in Argentina where in each city
-the nomenclatures of the streets never vary, with the omnipresent San
-Martin, Tucuman, Cordoba, Corrientes, La Rioja, and many others.
-
-Montevideo and its suburbs on the ocean are the great bathing resorts
-of South America and are visited annually by more people than Mar del
-Plata, the latter place being exclusively for the rich. On account
-of its proximity to Buenos Aires, it is resorted to daily by great
-numbers of tourists, who make the night trip across the La Plata River.
-Pocitos is the most popular bathing resort. The poor natives do their
-swimming from the rocks on the ocean front near the heart of the city.
-They are invariably garbed _a la_ Adam, and are visible by all the
-occupants of the electric tramcars that pass along that shore. The most
-aristocratic beach in Montevideo is the Playa Ramirez but people do
-not flock to that section as much for bathing as they do for gambling.
-Everything goes in Montevideo. The exclusive and expensive Parque
-Hotel at the Playa Ramirez, the show place of costly raiment, and of
-sparkling gems which embellish the figures of their wearers, has in
-connection the finest gambling house in America, roulette and baccarat
-being the attractions. The Parque Hotel, which was formerly under the
-management of a naturalized United States citizen, Edward Aveglio, is
-now under the same management as the Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires, and
-is considered to be one of the best seashore hotels in South America.
-It is patronized largely by Argentine aristocracy.
-
-The gambling establishment, probably after those of Monte Carlo and
-San Sebastian the most luxurious edifice of its kind in existence,
-opens at 5 P.M. and closes at 7.30 P.M. It reopens at 9 P.M. and closes
-at 2 A.M. A fee of one peso ($1.04) is charged to enter. One peso is
-the lowest permissible play on any single number at roulette and one
-hundred pesos is the highest. Unlike the Argentine roulette wheels
-which have a 0 and a 00, this one has but a single zero which gives the
-player (or rather the victim) one nineteenth of a better show to win,
-if successful.
-
-The same class of crowd that graces most European casinos is seen
-here at its zenith. There is present the nervous individual, who
-wants the public to think he has a system. To make them believe it, he
-pretends to study a chart and makes pencil notations. When he loses,
-he mutters an unintelligible exclamation. There also grace the scene
-fat dowagers with paste diamond necklaces. Some women who have wasted
-their allowance on bridge and poker, and are now in the clutches of
-the moneylender, come here to attempt to retrieve their fortune on
-one final coup, in most cases their swan song. Bankers, diplomats,
-millionaires, and cabinet officers from Buenos Aires, a president of
-one of the Latin republics are to be seen. Young fops are in evidence,
-not to play, but to ogle the raft of glorious girls always to be found
-in propinquity to tables of chance.
-
-The casino does a great bar business in champagne cocktails to the tune
-of forty-one cents a glass. This champagne cocktail, regardless of its
-high price, seems to be one of the favorite strong drinks there. The
-soft drink that tickles the palate of the Montevideanos is a nauseating
-concoction named _palta_. It is made of orange juice, pineapple juice,
-sugar, and the yolk of an egg; to it is added siphon water. It is
-then stirred, and served in a large goblet. I tried some of it as an
-experiment and am sorry that I did not stick to beer, for the egg that
-the mixologist used in my palta was rotten. In R. Bibondo's Brazilian
-coffee house on Suipacha Street in Buenos Aires, I once received a
-piece of cake in whose making a rotten egg was likewise used.
-
-Although the Grand Hotel Lanata cannot be called first-class in any
-respect, excepting the restaurant which is the best in the city, it
-is far better for the unaccompanied male visitor to stop there than at
-the Parque, on account of its central location. It takes twenty minutes
-by electric car to reach the Parque from the Plaza Independencia. It
-costs $1.20 to reach it by taxicab. The Grand Hotel Lanata of Ximines
-and Santamarina is in the central part of the city on the Plaza
-Constitucion (formerly called the Plaza Matriz) and is convenient
-for shoppers and sightseers. The Oriental near the docks is a good
-hotel, but the glass-roofed parlor and lobby is malodorous from poor
-ventilation. Other good hotels are the Colon, Barcelona, and Florida
-Palace. Regarding the last-mentioned place, I must state that its
-proprietor is a Brazilian who does not draw the color line as to his
-clientele.
-
-Worthy of interest are the cathedral, the Solis theatre, the central
-market, the colonnaded buildings on the Plaza Independencia, the new
-university, the central cemetery, and the Uruguaya brewery.
-
-The cathedral is a twin-towered and domed majestic structure on the
-Plaza Constitucion with an elaborately decorated chapel. Four golden
-suns (the sun is the emblem of Uruguay) are painted on an azure
-background on the wall beneath the dome. The rays of the natural sun
-above, penetrating the yellow and blue skylights of the dome, cast
-weird and ghostly lights in the interior.
-
-The Uruguaya brewery is on the Calle Yatai, to the west of the center
-of the city, but nearly two miles from the downtown business section.
-It is best reached by electric tramcar. The reason for a visit to it is
-the large beer hall like the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, and whose replica
-is to be found nowhere else in the Western Hemisphere. There are
-large bare tables, with chairs and benches. The visitor sits at one of
-these. He need not give an order for no sooner is he seated than a full
-schuper of foaming elixir is placed in front of him. When he has had
-enough, he turns his empty mug bottom up, otherwise it is a sign that
-his thirst has not been quenched and that he is in line for another
-one, which is immediately set in front of him.
-
-The specialties of Montevideo are the polished agates and stones common
-to Uruguay. These are found in abundance in the department of Minas,
-and although expensive are fine souvenirs. No tourist should visit
-the city without taking some away as they make admirable gifts to
-friends at home. They are made into paper weights, paper cutters, stamp
-holders, buttons, etc. The best ones are dark blue; next come the smoky
-gray. Also beautiful, but cheaper, are the brick red ones, and those
-that are a combination of black and white.
-
-A beautiful pink lily graces the lawns of the Avenida Agraciada. In
-shape it is like our common orange red milk lily but unlike the milk
-lily which grows in racemose clusters on a single stalk this Uruguayan
-lily has but one blossom. It is hardy and should thrive in the United
-States.
-
-A gastronomic delicacy of Montevideo is the lobster which is caught on
-the Uruguayan littoral, and which is seldom to be procured in Buenos
-Aires restaurants.
-
-Montevideo vies with Rio de Janeiro as being one of the cleanest cities
-in the Western Hemisphere; like Rio de Janeiro, its taxicabs and
-public automobiles for hire are the best in the Western Hemisphere.
-The Montevideano drivers are reckless, and one day while out driving
-in the suburbs in a hired motor car, the chauffeur tried to drive his
-machine through a narrow place with the result that he drove into a
-five-mule-power wagon and smashed the left headlight and dented the
-hood for his pains. Returning by the same road shortly afterwards,
-he met the same wagon, and angered drove into the mules for revenge.
-This caused much annoyance as the mule driver, not knowing that the
-automobile was a public vehicle; believed that it belonged to me and
-that I had set the chauffeur up to this nefarious trick. The latter,
-being a cur, stood safely to one side while I and the teamster had
-the altercation. Although we nearly came to blows on account of the
-chauffeur's scurvy stunt, the latter never opened his mouth to help me
-out of the difficulty.
-
-The Uruguayan metropolis is the congregating place of desperadoes,
-ruffians, and other gentry of similar character from Argentina, and
-other nations. They loiter about the entrances of the disreputable
-saloons and sailors' dives and by their drunken actions and foul
-speech make it impossible for a respectable woman to pass down any of
-the streets near the docks without an escort. Argentina, glad to be
-ridden of this class of social outcast, makes no effort to extradite
-them unless they have committed some major crime. Here in Montevideo,
-they "raise hell" and scarcely a day goes by without the newspapers
-mentioning some murder, assault, or burglary that has taken place.
-
-One of these gentry, a Cockney, evidently mistaking me for one of
-his kind, approached me one day as I sat in front of a cafe under the
-colonnades in the Plaza Independencia, and asked me for a job. He said:
-
-"I ham not a bit particular what kind of a job it be," and drawing near
-to my ear, he let his voice drop as he spoke: "I hax no questions. If
-there be hanybody you'd like to put out of the way, Hi'm the man to do
-it."
-
-Not many people traveling between Montevideo and Buenos Aires ever
-think of making the trip otherwise than on one of the palatial steamers
-of the Mihanovich Line which ply between the two ports in a night's
-run. The luxurious steamers _Ciudad de Buenos Aires_ and the _Ciudad
-de Montevideo_, and the smaller but admirable _Londres_ and _Lisboa_,
-are in the height of the season jammed with passengers nearly to
-overcrowding. Tired of gazing upon the sluggish and muddy La Plata
-River and eager to see the Uruguayan landscape, I decided to make the
-trip by rail as far as Colonia and thence make the twenty-five mile
-crossing to Buenos Aires on one of the smaller boats.
-
-Colonia, capital of the department of the same name, is 153 miles
-distant by rail from Montevideo. Trains run thrice a week only, on
-Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, making the return trip the next day,
-and their running time is seven hours and fifteen minutes, the speed
-including stops being slightly over twenty-one miles an hour.
-
-I left Montevideo on the Central Railroad one morning at 6.15 A.M., and
-thirty-five minutes later entered the department of Canelones at the
-large village of Las Piedras. The landscape during that short distance
-and even as far as 25 de Agosto, where the department of San Jose is
-entered was a monotonous succession of low rolling hills, with low,
-long red brick and whitewashed _estancia_ buildings set back from the
-country roads, at the edge of eucalyptus and pepperberry groves. Herds
-of fat cattle and sheep browsed in the pastures tended by shepherd
-boys with long-haired dogs. Between Las Piedras and 25 de Agosto a
-small city was passed. Its name is Canelones and was formerly called
-Guadelupe. It is the capital of Canelones and lies to east of the
-railroad between it and a river named the Canelon Chico. The rivers,
-Canelon Grande and Canelon Chico give the name to the province.
-
-25 de Agosto is nothing but a railroad junction with some repair shops.
-The main line of the Central Railroad runs north to the Brazilian
-frontier at Rivera, and is here joined by the branch that goes westward
-to Colonia. The department of San Jose which is now entered, presents a
-different aspect than Canelones for the trees which had hitherto been
-present in abundance around the estancias, had now disappeared. The
-country had become more rolling, and to the westward a low range of
-hills appeared on the horizon. As far as the eye could see, a canopy of
-yellow dried prairie grasses bedecked the parched and blistered soil,
-sweltering beneath the scorching rays of the hot February sun. All
-over this seething landscape, roamed at will, half wild cattle, long
-and gaunt. It is as much as a man's life is worth to venture on foot
-amidst a herd of these Uruguayan cattle. They seldom attack a horseman,
-knowing that he has them at an advantage, but the foot traveler should
-be wary, for the quadrupeds know the tables are turned, and will
-charge and gore him to death on sight. Birds of the genus Struthio,
-spoken of as ostriches, but which in reality belong to the branch named
-cassowaries, as they have three toes instead of two like the ostrich,
-and no tufted tail feathers like the latter, mingle with these nomadic
-cattle; so does the timid deer, unafraid and on terms of comradery, for
-it is only against man that these beasts have animosity.
-
-The city of San Jose, one of the largest in Uruguay, whose population I
-imagine is about fifteen thousand inhabitants, is reached at 9.11 A.M.
-It is pleasantly situated on a river of the same name at the base of
-some high hills, which rise at the west of the city. The town itself
-is intersected by the railroad which in a Uruguayan city is unusual as
-most are generally at quite a distance therefrom. At Mal Abrigo, which
-is reached about an hour after leaving San Jose, the railroad branches
-out again, the other one going to Mercedes, a pleasant city on the
-Rio Negro, and the capital of the department of Soriano. Continuing
-on the Colonia line, we enter the department of Colonia and keep on
-till we reach a small place named Rosario which is the junction for
-another branch line to a La Plata port named Puerto del Sauce. Colonia
-is reached at 1.30 P.M. Connection is made with small boats of the
-Mihanovich Line which sail one hour later, making the crossing to
-Buenos Aires in three hours to the tune of $2.89.
-
-Colonia is a fine little town with about eight thousand inhabitants
-lying directly across the La Plata River from Buenos Aires from which
-city I imagine it to be about twenty-five miles distant. It is cool,
-with a fresh breeze generally blowing and, owing to this, is much
-visited by the inhabitants of the Argentine metropolis as a health and
-summer resort. It has two good hotels, the Esperanza and the Ruso.
-Besides the boats that ply daily between Buenos Aires and Colonia,
-there are excursion steamers Sundays; also those that make nightly
-trips returning at an early hour of the morning. The reason for this
-last mentioned service is that in Uruguay gambling is permitted, and
-at San Carlos, near Colonia and reached by a narrow gauge railway, is
-another casino where the click of the ball as it revolves on the disk
-of the roulette wheel disturbs the nocturnal air.
-
-My friend Packer had an obsession for this kind of pastime, and
-many were the nightly visits he made to San Carlos. On one of these
-trips, while watching the game in the casino, an Englishman had made
-a considerable winning, but owing to his inability to converse in the
-Spanish language, the croupiers were endeavoring to cheat him out of
-his winnings. He appealed to Packer, who helped him out and got his
-money for him. On the trip back to Buenos Aires that same night, he and
-Packer were seated opposite to one another in the dining-room. Packer
-tried to enter into conversation with him. The Englishman puckered up
-his lips and said: "I no speeka Engleesh." He deserved to be thrashed.
-It is a very common occurrence in most countries of South America,
-especially in Argentina for Englishmen to try to hide their nationality
-and pass off as a native. Why they do this odious act, I do not know,
-but any foreigner no matter how ignorant he is, can always spot an
-Englishman by his mispronunciation of the language he is trying to hide
-himself under.
-
-  [Illustration: Colonia, Uruguay]
-
-A syndicate was formed with $800,000 capital to start a bull ring
-at San Carlos. It would have undoubtedly been a great money-making
-transaction drawing innumerable people from Buenos Aires, but the
-socialistic government of the Banda Oriental, as Uruguay is frequently
-spoken of, very wisely put a ban on this cruel sport.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II
-
-BUENOS AIRES
-
-
-Buenos Aires which should have been named Malos Aires, on account
-of the enervating, depressing humidity of its summer climate when
-the thermometer sometimes registers as high as 104 deg. Fahrenheit, and
-when not a breath of air is stirring, is a city of nearly 1,750,000
-inhabitants and rivals Philadelphia towards being the third in
-population in the New World. This capital of Argentina, built upon
-the west bank of the muddy La Plata River in latitude 34 deg. south
-is the entrepot and distributing point for all merchandise and goods
-that enters and leaves the vast territory which comprises the La Plata
-system and in fact of all southern South America east of the Andes. It
-is a city of marble statues, of elegant public buildings, of sumptuous
-palaces, of parks and boulevards, and is often spoken of as the "Athens
-of America." It is also a city of narrow streets, of _conventillos_
-(poorer class tenements) teeming with Hebraic and Sicilian life, of
-confidence men, lottery ticket vendors, Greek and Syrian peddlers,
-fugitives from North American justice, bewhiskered Irish bums, and
-Galician Jews reeking of garlic, adorned with corkscrew sideburns.
-Down its avenues parade the same sort of crowd seen in Naples, also the
-pompous banker, the bespatted fop with slender cane, the staid business
-man, the artizan, beggars galore, and a galaxy of prostitutes, both
-Iberian and _criolla_.
-
-The most remarkable thing about Buenos Aires is how fast one can get
-rid of one's money with so little received for it in return. Everything
-costs half as much again as what it should, with the possible exception
-of clothes and shoes. Meals, hotel rooms, beverages, lingerie,
-photographic material, drugs, theater admissions, and in fact nearly
-everything under the sun is sky high. The entertainments for a stranger
-to indulge in are but few and mediocre. It is every day the same
-routine after the first week of novelty of sight-seeing has worn off.
-Unless in Buenos Aires on business, the stranger absolutely kills time
-unprofitably by getting into a rut from which he does not extricate
-himself until it is time for him to sail for home. He finds himself
-two or three times a day at the same table in front of the same cafe,
-watching the same people promenade by, the only variation being an
-occasional visit to a burlesque show, the race track, the post office,
-or to the zoological garden.
-
-  [Illustration: Congress Building, Buenos Aires
-
-   This is the finest building in South America. It cost $20,000,000. All
-   the marble for its facing was imported from Italy]
-
-In a previous book, I stated that the sycamore trees on the Avenida
-de Mayo were sickly and did not think that they would live. I first
-saw them in January, 1913. In December, 1915, when I again beheld
-them, I was astonished at their appearance. They were a third again
-as large, and they begin to show prospects of becoming elegant shade
-trees. The subway was completed in 1914. It begins at the Plaza de
-Mayo, on which square the Casa Rosada, or Capitol, faces, and continues
-underneath the Avenida de Mayo to the mile-distant Congress Building,
-thence underneath the next parallel street to the north, Rivadavia,
-the bisecting thoroughfare of the city, to the Once railroad station,
-the terminus of the Western Railway. An extension runs three miles
-farther to a section of the city named Caballito. Caballito is the name
-that the Naon estancia went by years ago before the city grew up. The
-part of the city where the estancia once stood still retains the name.
-Compared to subways in other cities, this one of Buenos Aires is poorly
-patronized. It resembles the Budapest subway, more than it does the New
-York or Boston ones, and its cars make but little better speed than do
-those in the Budapest tube. Cab fare and taxicabs are cheap, which are
-undoubtedly some of the primal causes of the subway's not excessive
-patronage.
-
-After his first few days in Buenos Aires, when the novelty of a strange
-city had worn off, a friend and brother Elk, Mr. Oliver H. Lane,
-remarked to me:
-
-"Buenos Aires looks to me just like a big Italian city. Her Avenida de
-Mayo, however, is a poor imitation of the Parisian boulevards."
-
-In the first respect, I agree with him. The architecture of the
-buildings, the attire of the male inhabitants, the way the moustaches
-are trimmed, the cafes, the _toscanos_, the wax matches, the lottery
-tickets, the dirty paper money, the confectionery stores, the ice
-creams, and the beggars all savor of the Lavinian shores. In the second
-respect I cannot agree with him. The Avenida de Mayo is physically
-somewhat similar to the Parisian boulevards, but in character it is
-widely different. If it is supposed to ape them, it is then a poor
-imitation, but so different is it in most respects, that as a first
-impression I would only call it a physical imitation. The oftener and
-the longer one sits in front of the cafes and watches the people pass
-by, the further apart he draws the comparison of this street to any
-street in the world. I would designate the Avenida de Mayo as original.
-The buildings that flank it are much taller than those of Paris; the
-street is also considerably narrower than those in the French capital;
-the crowd that parade the sidewalks is also not the same.
-
-  [Illustration: Buenos Aires Types]
-
-Rivadavia is the street which runs at right angles to the La Plata
-River, and continuing westward into the country, divides the city into
-two parts, its intersectors having different nomenclatures south of
-it than they have north. For instance, a cross street has the name
-Santiago del Estero south of it, and Talcahuano north of it: another is
-named Piedras south of it, and Esmeralda north of it, etc. In the old
-section of Buenos Aires, where the buildings are almost entirely given
-up to wholesale and retail trade, the streets are exceedingly narrow. A
-decade and a half ago, in order to give the people a breathing space,
-and to relieve the congestion of traffic in this part of the city,
-houses one half a block south of Rivadavia were torn down, and the
-Avenida 25 de Mayo was put through. It starts at the Plaza de Mayo
-on which is the Capitol, and ends at the Plaza Congreso, on which is
-the new white marble Congress Building, the finest and most expensive
-building in all South America. The length of this boulevard is about
-one mile.
-
-Architecturally the exterior and facades of the Buenos Aires
-buildings are as fine as any in the world; the style of architecture
-predominating is original, but the contagion has spread, and the new
-structures of Montevideo, Rosario, and Mar del Plata have copied the
-ornate and domed style that is preeminently Bonaerense. In order to
-compare the architecture of Buenos Aires to that of another city,
-let us choose Paris or Vienna because the Argentine capital is a city
-that is fundamentally European. Although more beautiful in buildings
-than either Paris or Vienna, it can hold no comparison to them in the
-massiveness and solidity of the edifices in either of them. Nearly
-all the buildings in Argentina are built of the poorest imaginable
-brick, loosely fitted together, but little mortar having been used.
-To these is given a coating of plaster, which on the facades is
-worked into ornaments. On account of the climatic effects on the cheap
-material, these buildings in a few years' time take on a weather-beaten
-appearance. On account of the poor foundations on a muddy soil, many
-structures sink after a few years.
-
-  [Illustration: Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires
-
-   This view is looking west from Calle Santiago del Estero]
-
-With the exception of the modern steel and trussed concrete edifices,
-the old patriarchal houses of the colonial times and days of the early
-republic are the best built. Hundreds of these are to be seen to-day
-on the side streets. They have marble-paved, glass-roofed patios onto
-which open the doors of the parlor, dining room, and living rooms.
-These rooms are likewise dependent on the patio for their light. Behind
-the first patio is generally a second one, open to the sky, but on
-rainy and on sunny days decked with an awning. Here sit the family in
-their leisure hours; from this patio open the doors to the bedrooms.
-A small garden is invariably at the rear; the kitchen and servants'
-quarters are in its proximity. The handsome villas and private
-residences of the wealthy inhabitants differ but little in architecture
-from the same class of buildings the whole world over. It must not be
-imagined that because the material and construction are poor that they
-are cheap. They cost nearly double to build what their duplicates would
-be in the United States. Brick, stone, iron, sand, lime, and lumber are
-much more expensive than at home.
-
-The cost of living in Buenos Aires is higher than in New York, with
-the exception of some articles I have already named. The hotel rates
-are, however, cheaper. On the Avenida de Mayo, Calle Florida, and Calle
-Callao, the show streets, one is obliged to pay Fifth Avenue prices
-for articles purchased; on the side streets the same goods are much
-cheaper. The average native does not patronize the show places. At
-any of the Avenida de Mayo cafes, a small cordial glass of Benedictine
-costs twenty-one cents. At one of the side-street _almazens_ (grocery
-stores), which have a dispensary, the same glass costs nine and one
-half cents. A pint of Guinness' stout at the Hotel Savoy costs sixty
-cents; at the Avenida de Mayo cafes it sells for forty-three cents,
-while in the almazens it can be bought for twenty-six cents.
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Oliver H. Lane
-
-   This photograph was taken on roof garden of the Hotel Majestic]
-
-Regarding hotels, Buenos Aires has some very fine ones. Most have table
-d'hote service, which in Argentina is taken in preference to meals a la
-carte, for most of the guests take their rooms _en pension_ unless they
-intend to make a short stay only.
-
-The Plaza Hotel, which is the best known and widest advertised, is
-operated by the Ritz-Carlton Company. It was built by the banker
-Ernesto Tornquist and leased to them. It is nine stories high, and cost
-nine million pesos ($3,843,000.00). Its rates are excessive for the
-service rendered. The rooms are small, its location is not central,
-and there is nothing to it that gives it the tone of comfort to be
-had at the other hotels, although the cuisine cannot be improved upon.
-Imagine paying twenty-five dollars a day for a small room with bath and
-vestibule, lunch and dinner, but not including breakfast. The Plaza is
-in much demand for private balls and teas, and is also much patronized
-by North American commercial travelers who wish to make a splurge,
-and impress their prospective customers with their own importance, or
-with the importance of the firm which they represent. An incident that
-happened in connection with this hotel should be mentioned.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Bartolome Mitre, Buenos Aires
-
-   Looking east from Calle Florida]
-
-When Naon, the Argentine ex-ambassador to the United States, on a
-recent trip home wrote to his family asking them to get suitable
-apartments for him, his sister had a talk with the manager of the
-Plaza Hotel. The latter, seeing a chance for a hold-up, told her that
-Naon could have a certain apartment for five thousand pesos ($2135.00)
-a month. This figures out $71.17 a day. Naon refused to consider the
-matter and engaged a much better suite at the Hotel Majestic at a much
-cheaper rate. A month or so afterwards, while attending a reception
-at the Plaza extended to him by the American Universities Club, the
-manager servilely approached him, and asked him where he was staying.
-Upon Naon answering that he was stopping at the Majestic, the manager
-spoke deprecatorily of the last-mentioned hostelry, and told him he
-would do much better for him at a lesser price at the Plaza. Naon said
-that he should have done so in the first place, but on account of his
-trying to hold him up, he would not stop at the Plaza if he should put
-the whole hotel at his disposal free of charge.
-
-The two best hotels in Buenos Aires, to my notion, are the Majestic and
-the Grand.
-
-The Majestic is on the Avenida de Mayo, at the northwest corner
-of Calle Santiago del Estero, which is but two blocks from the
-Plaza Congreso. It was opened in 1910 at the time of the Argentine
-Centennial. It was rented that year by the government to house the
-foreign diplomats attending the celebration. The prices are reasonable;
-the rooms all have baths, and most of them are suites with parlors.
-The meals are table d'hote and the food and service are excellent. The
-building is seven stories high, has a roof garden, and a corner tower.
-The parlors and writing room are on the third floor and are lighted
-from a skylight at the top of the five-story courtyard of pillared
-balconies. The Majestic is the residence of many foreign ministers and
-their families; of people of wealth and culture; and of the commercial
-representatives of the best European firms. It is no show place, but a
-hotel of quiet refinement.
-
-  [Illustration: Fireman and Policeman, Buenos Aires]
-
-The Grand Hotel, good but expensive, is on the main shopping street,
-the narrow Calle Florida, one block north of the Avenida de Mayo in
-a very noisy part of the city. The narrowness of the streets makes
-the rooms dark. The Palace Hotel, a large establishment on the Calle
-25 de Mayo, is well spoken of. It overlooks the Paseo de Julio and a
-beautiful park at the river's edge, but the class of people and stores
-always to be found in the neighborhood of the docks makes the location
-poor. Among the older of the modern hotels which are also good are
-the Paris, with a large restaurant and cafe, the Cecil, the Splendid,
-and the Esclava. The Espana, patronized by Spaniards, is a lively and
-excellent place with an a la carte dining room. It is a good place for
-the single man to stop at; also the Galileo and the Colon are first
-class, clean, and have good restaurants. The Colon is owned by the
-Gontaretti brothers, who are likewise proprietors of the Hotel Regina
-at Mar del Plata. It has in connection the best confectionery store in
-Buenos Aires, that of Dos Chinos.
-
-Of all the Buenos Aires hotels, the biggest fake is the Savoy, which
-is owned by the da Rossi Company. It is on the southeast corner of the
-streets Callao and Cangallo, but two blocks from the Plaza Congreso.
-It was opened in 1913, at which time the current talk was that the
-district in which it is situated was going to be the best in the city.
-The prices are exorbitant, the food is poor, and the rooms are dirty.
-As in all the large Buenos Aires hotels, the prices here are made
-for the guest according to the financial judgment the scrutinizing
-manager passes on him. The waiters in the Savoy are veritable robbers,
-and there are two prices for drinks, and for the use of the billiard
-table, the North Americans having the benefit in being obliged to pay
-the highest of the two prices. They tried to "put one over" on "yours
-truly" on the price of wet goods one day when the writer was playing
-pool with some friends. The waiters had evidently forgotten that they
-had sold me a couple of bottles of Guinness' stout the day previous at
-a reduction of forty centavos (17 c.) a bottle under the price they now
-anticipated that I would pay. An argument followed in which I won out,
-but only after I had threatened them with a cessation of visits in case
-they insisted on making me pay the excess tax that they had imposed
-upon me.
-
-The Bonaerense restaurants are usually connected with the hotels,
-although there are many that are not. Among the best of the latter are
-the Rotisserie Sportsman, Charpentier's, and the Petit Jardin. Aue's
-Keller, the Kaiserhalle recently opened by the employees of Aue's
-Keller, and the Bismarck are German restaurants and beer halls. There
-are many Italian restaurants, that of Paccatini on Calle Moreno a few
-doors east of Calle Piedras being quite popular.
-
-  [Illustration: Zoological Garden, Buenos Aires]
-
-The cafes are excelled by none in the world either in size or in the
-expense of their equipment. Life in them is not as animated as in those
-of Vienna, Budapest, or Paris, and they close about 1.00 A.M. They are
-not patronized much by women, nor do they display moving pictures on
-their walls as in Rosario. They are solely rendezvous for people who
-enter them to talk or drink; many have antiquated billiard tables.
-Among the best are the cafes Paris, Colon, and Tortoni, all on the
-Avenida de Mayo.
-
-As the Argentinos are not as a rule solely addicted to the frequent
-imbibing of strong drinks, soft drinks such as _refrescos_, lemonade,
-beer, coffee, and tea play an important role in the dispensing of
-liquid refreshment at cafes. The average Argentino suffers from
-gastric, digestive, and intestinal ailments, not so much from
-overeating alone as from his utter inability to use discretion in
-drinking. For breakfast he will have coffee; before lunch he will
-drink a couple of vermouths with bitters, which he designates as
-an appetizer. (His favorite bitter is a sickening, sweetish syrupy
-liquor of Buenos Aires manufacture named Aperital.) At lunch he will
-either consume a pint of wine or a quart of beer, to be followed by a
-postprandial cup of strong coffee and a liqueur. In the afternoon, he
-will imbibe a bottle of mineral water and two cups of tea. The dinner
-beverages, the same as at luncheon, consist of beer or wine, coffee and
-cordial. After dinner, which is eaten at half-past seven or at eight
-o'clock, he feels "filled up" on food and liquid and has no immediate
-desire for alcoholic refreshment. He now prefers to sit in front of
-a cafe and watch the crowd pass by, but he would look out of place
-occupying a seat without paying for anything, so he orders a dish of
-ice cream and a refresco. A refresco is a syrup either of currant,
-strawberry, raspberry, or grenadine flavoring, covering an inch in the
-bottom of a tall glass, to which is added either plain or soda water
-and cracked ice. An hour after partaking of this, he orders a whiskey
-and soda followed by a duplicate or a triplicate, unless he switches to
-beer. He caps the whole mess off by a cup of strong coffee.
-
-The Porteno (so is called the inhabitant of Buenos Aires, and which
-means Resident of the Port) is also a heavy eater. For luncheon and
-for dinner, he is apt to eat seven courses, four of which are meat
-and fish, and it makes no difference to him if the fish comes after
-the meat or before it. The dinner tables of the private houses have
-white slates on which is written with a black lead pencil the names of
-the dishes in the different courses as at a table d'hote in a hotel.
-In this way it leaves no surprise nor conjecture as to which the next
-course will be. Mate is passed around in the afternoon. This vile tea,
-brewed from yerba mate, an herb indigenous to Paraguay, the southern
-states of Brazil, and the Argentine Territory of Misiones, is poured
-into a gourd and is drunk through a metal tube with a spoonlike head,
-closed and perforated with little round holes, named a _bombillo_.
-But one person drinks mate at the same time. When he finishes this
-"slop" the servant takes both gourd and bombillo away from him and
-fills the former for the person sitting next to him. Two rounds of
-it are generally partaken of. This mate drinking, although said to
-be absolutely harmless, is such a habit with the native women of the
-poorer classes that they prefer it to a husband. At Tucuman, while
-I was there, three such wenches got into a fight and one had her
-ear bitten off. While at the police station she started wailing; the
-police thinking she was howling about the pain tried to soothe her. It
-transpired that she was wailing because she left some mate boiling on
-the stove at her home and nobody was left there to tend to it.
-
-The Cafe Tortoni is on the north side of the Avenida de Mayo between
-the streets Piedras and Tacuari. It extends back to Rivadavia. It
-is the oldest cafe in Buenos Aires and is owned by a nonagenarian
-Frenchman, Monsieur Curutchet, who is on the job morning and night
-and is still active, although the management of the establishment
-is in the hands of his son, M. Maurice Curutchet. It was in front of
-this cafe that my acquaintances came at least twice a day, and from
-a marble-topped iron table beneath the street awning we observed
-Bonaerense life to great advantage as it paraded by. We soon became
-so accustomed to the different passers-by, many of whom went by at the
-same time each day, that we soon knew the vocations of many of the folk
-that were but atoms in the large population of the great city.
-
-There was a subway exit but a couple of rods from our table, and it
-was astonishing to see how people when they had reached the top step
-would stop and pant. It was not a deep subway, but so physically poor
-is the average Porteno of the middle classes on account of abuse of
-living that he soon becomes exhausted. He does not live long, and many
-men of forty are like men at home of sixty. The crowd that continually
-passes does so with quick step, neither looking to the left nor to the
-right, but straight ahead, serious and never smiling. I noticed this
-and remarked to an acquaintance about it.
-
-"They are evidently thinking," said he, "of how they can swindle
-somebody out of ten cents."
-
-The Portenos appear to be a sad folk, and if one sees somebody smile
-or hears a sound of laughter on a Buenos Aires street, you may be sure
-that an Italian or a Spaniard is present. Latins from Europe that
-come to Argentina soon become like natives, depressed, excitable,
-and despondent. Many Argentinos of the cities wear black straw hats
-instead of white ones, which still further enhances the funereal
-appearance of the men. This is a sign of mourning, similar to the black
-arm bands that were in fashion in the United States a decade ago.
-I know a Philadelphia jackanapes who wanted to follow the custom of
-Buenos Aires, and seeing the great number of men wearing black hats,
-bought one not knowing that it was a token of respect for the departed
-relatives. He returned to his country evidently never knowing his
-mistake.
-
-The beggars, street fakirs, and peddlers on the Avenida de Mayo are
-terrible. No city in the world has so many. Neither Naples nor Las
-Palmas can compare with Buenos Aires in proportion in this respect.
-A man seated at a table in front of a cafe is never free a minute
-from annoyance from this rabble. Children from five years old up to
-octogenarians of both sexes systematically make multi-diurnal rounds
-up to the different cafes. Some are insulting. A narrow shouldered
-young man, a mixture of degenerate and of cigarette fiend, came to a
-table where I was seated and offered some chewing gum for sale. Upon
-my refusal to buy any, he backed up a few steps, started calling me
-names, and then walked away. A few hours later I met him accidentally;
-he wilted when he saw there was no escape. I grabbed him by the coat
-collar and nearly shook the eye teeth out of him. I at least put the
-fear of God into him.
-
-The street urchins have a habit of making the rounds of the different
-tables and if you are not watching, steal the cracked ice from the dish
-in which it is kept in front of you to put into your glass of refresco,
-according to your desire. I caught one such boy doing this trick to
-me, and slung the contents of a water pitcher at him which caught him
-squarely, giving him a drenching. Near by was seated a well-dressed
-Argentino who took the boy's part, and started to call the police. As
-a foreigner, especially a North American, has no rights in Argentina,
-I thought it best to walk away.
-
-There are milk depots stationed at various parts of the city and along
-the Avenida where a person may enter and for ten centavos (.042) buy
-a liter of milk either fresh or cooked. These belong to La Martona
-and other companies. Two ragamuffins one night entered the milk depot
-at the northeast corner of the Avenida de Mayo and Calle San Jose and
-begged some cracked ice from the waiter behind the counter. Upon his
-refusal to comply with his request one of the boys expectorated in
-a gallon jar of fresh milk that stood at one end of the counter, and
-which was for sale to prospective customers, and then ran out. Do you
-think the man behind the counter threw the milk out? I should say not.
-He merely took a large spoon, skimmed off the expectoration, and went
-about his business as if nothing had happened. I sat in a chair and
-watched three other customers, who came in later, be served from the
-same jar.
-
-The lottery ticket sellers are the greatest nuisance. They used to
-annoy Mr. Lane something fierce. Packer, a man named Brown, and I
-noticed it so we put up several jobs on him.
-
-There was a legless man who made the rounds of the cafes, being wheeled
-from place to place in a perambulator by an individual who might easily
-as to appearance be associated with the Black Hand. The cripple who
-was a middle aged, unkempt ruffian had a multitude of lottery tickets
-for sale, and was so persistent that he would absolutely refuse to go
-away until he had displayed all his wares. He seemed to take particular
-delight in tormenting persons who were anxious to have him move on. A
-few seconds before he was ready to be wheeled away, he would open up
-a torrent of abuse upon the person who refused to buy from him, and in
-this propaganda he was ably seconded by his comrade of Black Hand mien.
-Mr. Lane was of a nervous disposition and I do not believe the Canadian
-Club highballs he occasionally indulged in were any amelioration
-to this condition. He therefore was considerably annoyed with this
-particular persistent vagabond and his equally villainous confrere.
-They "got on his nerves." We, noticing his odium for this duo, one
-day when Mr. Lane was absent, hired the two vagabonds to come to him
-every time they saw him seated in front of the Tortoni and refuse to
-leave until ordered to do so by the police or the waiters. A few days
-afterwards while walking along the Avenida, I saw Mr. Lane seated in
-front of the Cafe Madrid, which is a block from the Tortoni.
-
-"What are you doing over here?" I asked.
-
-"The Tortoni is getting too much for me; I never saw so many vagabonds
-in my life as there, so I changed places. The service and the goods
-are no good here; I've tried this place three days and can't stand it.
-I prefer the Tortoni but if that legless hobo ever tries to sell me a
-lottery ticket again, I am going to tip him out of his perambulator
-into the street even if I hang for it. I believe I shall hire the
-waiters at the Tortoni to give all the street peddlers a thrashing."
-
-Mr. Lane did so. The waiters cuffed up several of the human pests, and
-the policemen arrested a few others, so for about a week everybody was
-free from molestation by the riffraff. Then they gradually came back to
-their usual haunts.
-
-There was a woman who continually made the rounds soliciting alms by
-showing the bare stump of an arm severed about six inches from the
-shoulder. This harridan would take delight in walking between the
-tables of the restaurants while people were at dinner and expose this
-gruesome sight spoiling appetites.
-
-Another nuisance was a woman about thirty-five years old who had once
-been comely. She sold lottery tickets and was also terribly persistent.
-She carried in her arms a baby while a young child clung to her
-skirt. Although this woman was a nuisance, I never thought her to be
-disagreeable, but for some reason Mr. Lane took an aversion for her
-which could be classified in the same category as the detest he had
-for the legless ruffian. One day while being pestered by this woman,
-he made a grab at her tickets, crumpled them up and slung the whole
-outfit in the street. He was sorry for it afterwards and gave her a
-peso to ease her. The next day, while Mr. Lane was absent, one of our
-associates called the woman aside and gave her two pesos if she would
-continue to display her lottery tickets to Mr. Lane. She accepted the
-proposition and did so much to his annoyance. This woman had for a
-husband a whiskered Irish bum. He would come several times a day to
-the subway entrance and make her hand over the proceeds of her sales
-to him. He had a staff of women selling tickets and his sole occupation
-was to make the rounds collecting money from them.
-
-There are many Irish bums in Buenos Aires, men past middle life who
-years ago became stranded in Argentina having deserted sailing vessels
-and who have never had the price nor the desire to return to the Old
-Country. They are strong, powerful men physically, unkempt with long
-beards; their clothes are a mass of rags and teem with vermin. Their
-daily occupation is to walk along the Avenida begging alms which
-goes for strong drink. At night they sleep in the doorways and in the
-gutter. One such man made his rounds on the Avenida about nine o'clock
-every night. Every time he passed our table at the Tortoni, Mr. Packer
-would give him some money, on one occasion the sum being a peso. As
-the man had begged in Spanish, we did not know his nationality until
-a certain incident happened. One particular night, Mr. Packer was
-without funds when this hobo came around, and told him so. The bum
-sarcastically imitated Packer and then broke out into such a tirade
-of profane and obscene invectives and abuse in the English language,
-but with a strong brogue, that I am afraid the apostles turned over in
-their graves.
-
-The policemen of Buenos Aires are efficient. They are mostly of Indian
-descent and come from the far provinces. They seldom make an arrest
-for misdemeanors for there are but few street quarrels when compared
-to the cities of the United States. They occasionally disperse a bunch
-of young beggars who return to their posts as soon as the "cop" has
-vanished. At night they make the drunken bums vacate the street benches
-whither they have repaired to sleep off the fumes of Geneva gin, which
-in Spanish goes by the name of _ginevra_. Quite a few incidents happen
-in the lives of the Bonaerense police, of which here are a couple:
-
-On the Calle Peru there is an old policeman, beloved by nearly
-everybody. The storekeepers in the neighborhood of which he is the
-guardian of the peace hold him in such high esteem that at every
-Christmas they take up a collection for him. For some unknown reason, a
-North American named Woody, who represented the Case Implement Company
-"had it in" for him. Mr. Woody was accustomed to partake of too much
-John Barleycorn and when in his cups always abused this man in strong
-profane English. After awhile the old policeman caught on that he
-was being made the target of abuse which he could not understand, so
-one day changed beats with a big native Argentino policeman who was
-of Irish extraction. At evening Mr. Woody came along, as usual, much
-under the influence of liquor. The fumes of alcohol having dimmed his
-eyesight, he was oblivious of the shift that had been made. Seeing the
-policeman, he opened up with his tirade. The Irishman let him continue
-until Woody was weak from lack of breath and exhausted vocabulary.
-
-"Have yez finished?" the cop then asked him.
-
-Woody astounded at hearing the policeman thus address him, stammered an
-affirmative.
-
-"Then, by Jaysus, come with me!"
-
-Mr. Woody spent the next eight days in jail until his friends learned
-of his predicament and bailed him out.
-
-The other incident is this:
-
-One of my friends was seated one evening in front of the Tortoni
-when a policeman approached him and asked him in Spanish if he spoke
-English. My friend answered in the affirmative and the policeman told
-him to wait there a minute and walked away. Presently the guardian of
-the law reappeared with a young Englishman who could speak no word of
-Spanish. He said he was a sailor from a boat that sailed that midnight
-and becoming lost did not know how to get to it. He came on an electric
-car to the Avenida de Mayo and all that he knew about the line was
-that it bore a board on which was printed the name "Cinzano." Now this
-is the name of a vermouth which is widely advertised in Argentina,
-and he mistook the vermouth sign for the name of the street. After
-considerable difficulty, his ship was located.
-
-One afternoon, while walking down the Avenida with Mr. Atwood Benton of
-Antofagasta, Chile, we saw a crowd collected and on passing by noticed
-that a grown man was slapping a little girl and dragging her around
-by the hair. Not a man in the crowd had made any attempt to prevent
-this outrageous scene, but all stood by with smiles of mirth on their
-faces. Mr. Benton made a rush through them and grabbing the man by
-the nape of the neck gave him a sound beating and held him while I
-called a policeman. When the rabble saw what Benton did, they raised
-an earsplitting cheer of "bravo" for him, yet none of the cowardly
-bunch dared interfere for fear of a poignard stab. A newspaper reporter
-chanced by, shook Mr. Benton by the hand, congratulated him upon his
-bravery, and asked him for his card as he wished to put it in his
-newspaper next day. Mr. Benton put his hand in his pocket and extended
-him a card which he thought was his own, but when the newspaper article
-came out in the _La Nacion_ the next day, it happened that Benton
-had made a mistake and had handed the reporter a card of Mr. Percival
-O'Reilley of Concepcion, Chile.
-
-With the exception of the policemen, one sees but comparatively few
-mestizos or people of mixed white and Indian blood in Buenos Aires,
-when compared to the inhabitants of other Argentine cities, yet
-there are plenty, many being in the employ of the government. Dark
-complexions are not as popular in Argentina as light ones; therefore
-many of the _criollos_ or natives whose facial characteristics
-are those of the original inhabitants of the land, beseech the
-photographers to put chemicals on the plates so as to make their
-visages come out light in the photograph. The descendants of Indians
-are called Indios; negroes are called Negros and Chinamen, Chinos.
-Many of the mestizos are nicknamed Chinos. All these words are terms of
-approbation and it is funny to hear an enraged descendant of an Indian
-call a white person an Indio or a Chino.
-
-There is in Buenos Aires a fine opera house, the Colon, and there are
-many other theaters, but the most patronized by the male public are
-the burlesque shows, the Casino and the Royal. The attraction for the
-men in those places are the "pick ups" that abound in the foyer, making
-these music halls clearing houses for loose moral femininity. There is
-no more vice in Buenos Aires than in any other large city, but there is
-a peculiar system in vogue there which is original.
-
-A woman passes down the Avenida with a basket of flowers on her arm.
-She approaches the boulevardier seated at a table and offers to sell
-him a flower. He buys one and as he stretches out his hand to pay her,
-she slips him a card bearing the address of a brothel but refuses the
-money. These women are the hirelings of the brothel proprietresses.
-Often the _duenas_ as these proprietresses are called do the florista
-act (flower selling). One night, while seated in front of the Tortoni,
-a famous duena named Carmen came along and pinned a tuberose on an
-army officer. A minute later, a rival duena named Matilda passed by and
-seeing the tuberose on him, knew who pinned it there. She tore it off,
-and pinned on him a carnation. Carmen now returning from a neighboring
-table saw the trick and a battle royal like between two enraged tigers
-ensued. When the police put a stop to it, the two duenas, scratched up,
-and with dishevelled hair, were obliged to make for the subway, holding
-up the remnants of their torn clothing by the middle lest they should
-drop off.
-
-Among the fine buildings of Buenos Aires are the custom house and the
-Central Argentine Railway station at Retiro. This mammoth building,
-not yet completed, is the largest and finest railroad station in South
-America. This honor was formerly held by the Luz station in Sao Paulo,
-Brazil; that of Mapocho in Santiago, Chile, being second. The new
-Central of Cordoba Railway station is also fine.
-
-There are in Buenos Aires but few skyscrapers in the North American
-sense of the word, a fifteen-story building being the tallest. It is
-the new arcade on Calle Florida and is the largest in America. It ranks
-fourth in the world in ground-floor area; those of Milan, Naples, and
-Genoa being greater. There is a thirteen-story apartment house; the
-Otto Wulf Building is twelve stories high, and there are probably a
-dozen other buildings that exceed in height ten stories. There are any
-number of seven-, eight-, and nine-story buildings.
-
-In Buenos Aires there are a great number of so-called Brazilian
-coffeehouses where about five o'clock afternoons people repair for
-coffee and ice cream. _Casata_ ice creams are a favorite. They are a
-mixture of flavors, and these coffeehouses specialize in two flavors
-of coffee ice cream in the same brick. The best known of these
-establishments are those of Huicque and of Bibondo.
-
-The zoological garden is the finest that I have ever had the pleasure
-of visiting, as far as the collection of animals is concerned, but the
-botanical garden is much inferior to that of Rio de Janeiro. Palermo
-Park, the great corso for automobiles, is well kept up but does not
-take my fancy on account of the light shades of green common to all
-trees of the Argentina flatlands. The brilliant and variegated greens
-of the trees of the province of Tucuman are lacking.
-
-As to manufacturing, Buenos Aires is nil. There is but one brewery
-within the city limits, that of Palermo, whose product is vile. There
-was a so-called automobile factory which bought parts and assembled
-them, but it had to go out of business. There is not much future
-for manufacturing unless iron ore is found in paying quantities in
-Argentina. Without iron and without coal in Argentina, but little
-can be done although there are several large oil fields in Northern
-Patagonia. Rosario is a better commercial city than Buenos Aires,
-but the latter will always keep on growing and retain its lead as the
-metropolis of South America.
-
-An institution of learning worthy of mention, and which I visited while
-in the Argentine metropolis is the Colegio Nacional Mariano Moreno. It
-is located at 3755 Calle Rivadavia, and is one of the best institutions
-of secondary learning extant. The course comprises six years, the first
-year corresponding to the ninth grade in North American schools, and
-the last year being the same as the sophomore year in our universities.
-It is therefore more like a German gymnasium than a North American
-high school, although it differs from both in the election of courses.
-Here no Latin nor ancient languages are taught, but other subjects
-such as fencing and drawing are substituted. A good rule of the
-institution which is under the able management of the rector, Dr.
-Manuel Derqui, grandson of a former president of Argentina, is that no
-students under fourteen years are allowed to enter, no matter how their
-preparatory attainments are. This tends to set a better standard to
-the instruction, although a younger one sometimes manages to slip in.
-Their age upon graduation is at least twenty. A diploma will give the
-graduate entrance to any of the Argentine universities of which there
-are four besides that of Buenos Aires, the others being in La Plata,
-Cordoba, Sante Fe, and Tucuman.
-
-What would seem strange to us is that the Mariano Moreno College is a
-government institution, having no connection at all with the state of
-municipality. The interior of the building, with its unprepossessing
-facade of four stories belies its external appearance. Its depth is
-the whole length of the block. It has a swimming tank and baths both
-for the instructors and students. The whole place is kept remarkably
-clean. The spirit of competition and advance is very strong among the
-students. Some of their mechanical drawings, the best ones which are on
-display on the walls are like the work of experts. A student invented
-an adjustable and movable drawing board which has been adopted by the
-drawing classes all through the republic. The department of physics is
-a marvel, although the chemical laboratory falls short of that of some
-private schools in the United States, namely that of Hackley School,
-Tarrytown, N. Y. I was informed, however, that the Mariano Moreno
-College does not specialize in that science, for those that desire to
-get a knowledge of chemistry go to the technical schools. A feature of
-the college is a recreation room for the professors and instructors in
-the basement. Its walls are hung with pictures painted or drawn by the
-professors. The enrollment of students is about 1500 exclusive of 700
-who are taking a university extension course. The faculty consists of
-about 150 members.
-
-While speaking about Buenos Aires, a few words must be said about its
-inhabitants and their habits. The Portenos of the higher classes differ
-but little from those of the same social sphere the whole world over,
-excepting that they are more effeminate than the inhabitants of our
-country. Many of the men have perfumed handkerchiefs, and affect the
-Italian style of moustache. The men of the middle classes, in attire
-ape the aristocracy, but their habits are infinitely more dirty. With
-them a bath is an event. When these Argentinos take a bath they splash
-water around and make a great noise about it so that the people the
-other side of the partitions can hear them at their ablutions. They
-also spout and snort and make a great noise every time they wash their
-faces, especially if anybody is looking. This also applies to certain
-men who mingle in the highest social circles. I know a man of great
-prominence in Buenos Aires who every time he took a bath would tell
-everybody he chanced to meet about it. He met me one day on the street
-as I was coming out of the Majestic Hotel.
-
-"How are you?" I asked as a customary form of greeting.
-
-"I'm feeling fine," he replied. "I just had a nice cold bath."
-
-A few minutes later as we were walking down the Avenida we met another
-acquaintance.
-
-"Good morning, Senor ----," quoth the third party. "You are looking
-fine to-day."
-
-"No wonder," answered the first Argentino, "for I have just gotten out
-of the bath tub."
-
-"How strange, I also have just had a bath."
-
-The habits of the middle and lower classes throughout Argentina are
-very filthy. Clean toilets are unknown outside of a few of the best
-hotels and cafes of Buenos Aires and a few of the other large cities.
-In the Hotel Colon in Buenos Aires, two men were hired constantly just
-to keep the toilet clean and they did this job well.
-
-The men of the lower classes bathe more frequently than those of the
-upper and middle classes and some are really fine swimmers. These are
-mostly Italians, Spaniards, and natives who do the work and are the
-backbone of the Argentine nation as they have not become affected by
-contact with those of the middle classes.
-
-There are in Buenos Aires many Jews of Galician origin. Their ghetto
-is on the streets, named Junin, Ayacucho, and Ombu, but they are
-likewise scattered all over the city. Many wear corkscrew sideburns,
-which they smear with grease and fondle lovingly as they converse
-with you. These vile Kikes are mostly in the lottery ticket and retail
-tobacco business. They have native employees whom they send out on the
-street to hawk lottery tickets on commission. This lottery business
-is overdone. There are too many drawings. One takes place every week
-and it is only occasionally that there is a drawing with high enough
-premiums to make it worth while purchasing them. Lottery is a good
-institution if properly regulated, but the annoyance that everybody is
-subjected to in Buenos Aires by the peddlers of the tickets soon makes
-a person wish that such an institution did not exist. Not only are the
-tickets of the Benificencia Nacional sold about the streets, but also
-those of the Province of Buenos Aires which has drawings at La Plata,
-those of the Province of Tucuman, those of Cordoba, San Juan, and even
-of Montevideo.
-
-These Buenos Aires Jews are the lowest class of riffraff. Their nasty
-children peddle strings of garlic from door to door. The adults are
-always gesticulating and trying to cheat the stranger.
-
-Regarding the morals, the average Porteno of the middle class cannot be
-called immoral. He is unmoral because he never had any morals to begin
-with. His conversation invariably takes a lascivious turn which shows
-how his thoughts runs. Seduction, feminine figures, adultery, etc., are
-his favorite themes of conversation.
-
-Many of the women of Buenos Aires are beautiful. Nowhere have I seen
-such fine-looking women, excepting in Santiago, Chile, and in Budapest.
-They carry themselves well and also know how to dress. Their figures
-and taste are such that they can make the poorest material look well
-on them. Their average stature is that of our North American women;
-most of the young Portenas are neither fat nor slim, but medium. They
-have wonderful black eyes and well developed busts. It is rare to
-see a poor figure. It really is a treat to sit in front of a cafe on
-the Avenida and watch them walk by. There was one beautiful girl that
-took the fancy of every man that saw her. She worked in an office and
-every day at noon she would pass the Tortoni; she would repeat this
-again about five o'clock in the evening. This girl was about nineteen
-years old and the dainty way she tripped along absolutely unconscious
-of her grace made the men rave about her. One noon as she walked by
-bound for home, I followed her a quarter of a block behind her. My
-intentions were to find out where she lived and try to arrange to get
-an introduction because she quite fascinated me. I found out that she
-lived with her parents on Calle Montevideo. I had a friend who lived
-in the block beyond her in Calle Rodriguez Pena, but unfortunately
-when I called on him to arrange for an introduction, I found out that
-he was on a business trip to northern Argentina and was not expected
-back for a month. As I intended leaving in a few weeks, I was doomed to
-disappointment and had to swallow my chagrin and content myself with
-gazing at her from the table in front of the Tortoni when she passed
-by.
-
-The amusements of Buenos Aires are few. Of course there are some
-very high-class dance halls with restaurants in connection such as
-Armenonville, but the hours are too late when life begins there.
-
-The race track of the Jockey Club is the best in the world, and
-races are held every Thursday and Sunday, but one soon gets tired of
-continually going to the races. The betting is by mutuals. There are
-some baseball and cricket teams in Buenos Aires which hold matches
-and games on Sunday afternoons. The players are English, American,
-and Canadian residents of Buenos Aires who clerk in the banks and in
-the great importing houses. The article of baseball they put out is
-ludicrous, and they draw no attendance. A good primary school at home
-could trim them.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene on the River at Tigre]
-
-The pleasantest of all pastimes in and about Buenos Aires is boating
-at Tigre. This little town, the Argentine Henley, is twenty-one miles
-north of the capital and is reached by half-hourly service by the
-Central Argentina Railway. Strange to say at this time of writing
-(1917) no electric line has yet been built between the two places.
-Tigre is on the Las Conchas River where it empties into the Lujan,
-one of the tributaries of the La Plata. It is thronged on Sundays by
-crowds from the city, who besides rowing and canoeing, also take in the
-pageant from the awninged verandas of the Tigre Hotel.
-
-Most Argentinos do not care much for North Americans although they are
-invariably polite to them. It appears that there is a chord of jealousy
-somewhere against our nation. Some of this gentry have the gall to
-think that Argentina is the greatest nation on earth and these ideas
-are taught them in school. I have known inhabitants of Buenos Aires who
-believe that Argentina could whip the United States in a war, although
-most of them have an unwholesome fear of Chile. The British nation
-was not especially popular with Argentina because in 1833 it took
-the Falkland Islands from them. In 1916 Great Britain seized a couple
-of Argentine vessels which it claimed were taking contraband to the
-Central Powers. An anti-British demonstration occurred on the streets
-of Buenos Aires most of the participants in which were students.
-Several were cut by sabers in the hands of the police but this affray
-did not prevent roughnecks from yelling at Americans and calling them
-names, mistaking them for Englishmen. I unfortunately was a victim of
-these insults, as I was driving one night in the Plaza de Mayo. Even
-though Great Britain was not popular, neither was Germany a favorite as
-can be testified by the depredations on property of German ownership.
-On the night of Saturday, April 14, 1917, a street mob attacked the
-offices of two German newspapers, _La Union_ and _Deutsche La Plata
-Zeitung_, and broke all the windows. This same mob also demolished the
-delicatessen store of P. Warckmeister at 555 Calle Sarmiento. A few
-months later, following Count Luxburg's iniquity, the mob wrecked the
-Club Aleman, and tried to burn it.
-
-Thirty miles south of Buenos Aires, is La Plata, the capital of the
-Province of Buenos Aires and which has a population of about 120,000
-inhabitants. Till 1880 the city of Buenos Aires was the capital of the
-province of the same name, but in that year it detached itself from the
-province and became the Federal Capital. The province, now lacking a
-capital, decided to build one, and a site having been chosen and the
-plans for the laying out of a city having been approved of, the city
-of La Plata was formally founded and created capital of the Province
-of Buenos Aires, November 29, 1882. In 1885 the population of the city
-was 13,869. The census of 1909 gave it 95,126 inhabitants while that of
-1916 gave it 111,401; the total for the commune being 136,026.
-
-  [Illustration: Station of the Southern Railway, La Plata]
-
-La Plata is a dull, sleepy city of broad streets and low houses of
-light brown and cream-colored hues, with little shade. The sun's hot
-rays scorch the pedestrian as he walks over the sizzling pavement of
-the ultra-quiet and tomblike town. I have known people who, however,
-prefer La Plata to Buenos Aires, but I cannot comprehend how a person
-can live there and not die of ennui. It is laid out much on the order
-of Washington with broad angling avenues cutting off slices of square
-and rectangular blocks.
-
-  [Illustration: Old Railway Station, La Plata]
-
-The most artistic building in the city is the station of the Southern
-Railway. It is an oeuvre of M. Faure-Dujarric, the Frenchman who was the
-architect for the grandstand of the Jockey Club at Palermo Park. It is
-a long and narrow white edifice with an artistic facade surmounted by a
-dome of bright green tiles. Its restaurant is said to be the best in La
-Plata, although I cannot verify this statement. La Plata used to have
-another railway station, even larger than the present one, and more
-centrally located. Why it was abandoned I never knew, but it stands
-downtown on one of the principal squares, absolutely deserted, its long
-dun-colored facade an eyesore to passers-by.
-
-  [Illustration: Bank of the Argentine Nation, La Plata]
-
-Some of the largest and costliest edifices in the republic are in
-this capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, but nearly all are
-weather-beaten and appear much better in photograph than they do in the
-original. In many cases the stucco has fallen off in places, exposing
-the rough red bricks of poor quality. Some of the facades are stained
-and blackened by exposure but nothing has been done to remedy them. The
-whole city is evidently laid out on too grand a scale, and something
-was started that is hard to finish. The Capitol, the governor's
-residence, the city hall, the Argentine theater, the courthouse, and
-many other buildings are far too large for the present need of the
-city, and by the time La Plata has grown to a size where such buildings
-will be adequate (it is doubtful if it ever will) they will have long
-been out of style and antique.
-
-  [Illustration: Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires, La Plata]
-
-  [Illustration: Allegorical Statue of La Plata]
-
-Even the cathedral, if completed, would be too grandiose. It was
-started years ago, but is at present in the unfinished state as is
-shown in the accompanying photograph. The money gave out, and to-day it
-stands on an important plaza, a hideous frame of cheap brick, bearing
-no similarity to the elegant place of worship it was intended to be.
-This tendency to start to erect a fine building, get it half up, and
-then neglect it, is characteristic of all countries where Spanish rule
-has once dominated. For instance, in the same way is the Matriz church
-in Chillan, Chile, the Oratory of Lopez in Asuncion, the church of the
-Encarnacion at Asuncion, a church in Posadas, one in San Luis, and the
-most striking example of all, the church of the Sagrada Familia in
-Barcelona, Spain. In the plaza in front of the unfinished cathedral
-are some marble statues, the best of which is that representing the
-great Argentine river system and named La Plata. It is an allegorical
-female figure with a horn of plenty from which are spilling fruit and
-vegetables, while beneath her are bundles of wheat.
-
-  [Illustration: Unfinished Cathedral, La Plata]
-
-The diocese of La Plata, which comprises the Province of Buenos Aires
-and the territory of the Pampa, is the richest in Argentina. It was
-created in 1896, and has as a bishop, Dr. Juan N. Terreno, who has
-held that office since 1900. This man is a great power in Argentine
-politics.
-
-There are numerous large banks in La Plata, the largest of which is
-that of the Province of Buenos Aires. Regarding hotels, the best is the
-Sportsman with good restaurant. The restaurant of the Hotel Argentina
-is second class. The food is greasy and is sprinkled with flies which
-become ensnared in the meshes of the oil in which the ragouts and
-filets literally float.
-
-Outside of the Museum of Natural History which has an admirable
-collection of fishes, the zoological garden, the wonderful eucalyptus
-avenue, and a charming park, there is in La Plata nothing to interest
-the stranger.
-
-The city owes its importance to its port Ensenada, about five miles
-distant and to which is dug a basin where ships laden with grain and
-canned meats sail for North America and European ports. From here also
-in order to avoid the congestion in the Darsenas and in the Riacheulo
-at Buenos Aires, passenger ships sail, notably the Lamport & Holt Line,
-which keeps up a direct passenger service between Buenos Aires and New
-York. On this basin are two large beef-packing establishments, that of
-Armour and that of Swift.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III
-
-SAN LUIS
-
-
-The average stranger coming to the United States to see the country
-very seldom pays a visit to an obscure state capital. The very contrary
-to this is what I did after I had been but little over a week in
-Buenos Aires, as I maintain that the only way to see a foreign country
-properly is to avoid the show places and get out among the people in
-the smaller cities. Knowing that San Luis was but a short distance
-from the main line of the Buenos Aires Pacific Railway between Buenos
-Aires and Mendoza, and is reached by one through train daily in each
-direction, I decided to stop off there.
-
-I left Buenos Aires at three o'clock one afternoon when the thermometer
-registered 100.4 deg. Fahrenheit and was soon traversing the flat
-landscape remindful of the valley of the River Po. The white,
-cream-colored tile-roofed houses, the small vineyards and vegetable
-gardens, the long rows of Lombardy poplars, and the oxen hitched to the
-wagons on the country roads presented a picture that could just as well
-be that of northern Italy as that of the Province of Buenos Aires. Nearly
-everywhere in eastern Argentina where the country is well settled,
-the landscape is decidedly Italian, due largely to the presence of
-the trees indigenous to the Po Valley, originally brought there by
-immigrants from that part of Europe.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza San Martin, Mercedes]
-
-The train I was on was a very poor one, the first-class compartments
-being no better than third-class ones in Germany. Thirty-four miles
-out of Buenos Aires, we reached the town of Pilar, which lies a short
-distance north of the railroad. Its station is the terminus of the
-Buenos Aires suburban trains. Eight miles farther on is seen on the
-crest of a rise of ground to the south, the insane asylum of Open
-Door, a model of its kind. The method employed for the treatment of
-the patients is freedom from restraint, with the privilege to do what
-they please as long as they keep within bounds. The originator of this
-method of handling the insane believes that by allowing them to follow
-out their whims, they will eventually become tired of them, and that
-the confinement of the demented prisoners tends to aggravate their
-condition. This theory which he put into practice has had good results.
-
-Mercedes, seventy miles from Buenos Aires, with a population of thirty
-thousand inhabitants, is the junction of three railroads, the Central
-of Buenos Aires, the Western, and the Buenos Aires Pacific. It is
-one of the oldest cities in the republic and is the stamping ground
-of Irish settlers who drifted in here a few generations ago and have
-become rich. Unlike most Argentine cities, its streets are numbered.
-Chacabuco, one hundred and thirty-one miles from the capital, was
-reached about 7.30 P.M. It is a stock-breeding center and is in the
-midst of a rich agricultural district. One hundred and seventy-nine
-miles from Buenos Aires is Junin, an important small town from which
-leads a branch of the Central Argentina Railway to Pergamino and
-Rosario. The place was formerly called Fuerte Federacion from a fort
-on the Salado River. As late as 1876 it was attacked by Indians, the
-last attack having been made on December 10th of that year under the
-leadership of Pincen. The Indians were badly defeated and fled, leaving
-behind all the stock they had stolen on the way. A man from Junin who
-sat directly across the table from me in the dining car informed me
-that farm lands in the neighborhood of his city were selling at as
-high as three hundred pesos a hectare. That would make common prairie
-land worth there fifty dollars an acre. During the night we crossed a
-corner of the Province of Santa Fe at Rufino where the dining car was
-taken off. The train then traversed the southern part of the Province
-of Cordoba and entered the Province of San Luis in the early morning.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in San Luis]
-
-Excepting the capital, Villa Mercedes, which was reached at 7 A.M.,
-is the only place of importance in the Province of San Luis. It is a
-well laid out little city with a fairly good hotel, the Marconi. It
-was here that I was met by J. D. O'Brien of Detroit who remained with
-me for some time in the capacity of servant. He had been gymnasium
-steward on the _Vauban_, and not liking the British ship's officers,
-took French leave at Buenos Aires, and decided to try his luck in
-Argentina. I needed a servant as I had considerable baggage so decided
-to hire him. He dropped his grip over the railing of the ship's deck
-one night when nobody was watching, and fearing arrest because he had
-quit the ship after signing a contract to make a round trip, thought
-it would be better to get into the country until after the _Vauban_
-had sailed. Therefore I had him precede me on the journey, he going
-to Villa Mercedes the day before. Dr. M. de Iriondo, president of the
-Bank of the Argentine Nation, had given me a letter to the manager of
-its branch bank in Villa Mercedes, but unfortunately I did not stop off
-there.
-
-  [Illustration: Bank of the Argentine Nation, San Luis]
-
-There was a remarkable change in temperature compared with the previous
-day, because it was now cool and windy. The country that we now
-traversed was very much like that of eastern Wyoming, only the soil was
-better. There seemed to be a lack of water. Cattle grazed the endless
-pampa; here and there buttes and mountains rose from the plains, their
-sides covered with coarse grass and sagebrush. At the wayside stations
-were halfbreeds in ponchos, strong, good-looking fellows. Presently the
-mountains came down to the railroad track and we were in a sort of an
-oasis watered by the Chorillo River.
-
-San Luis, the capital of the thinly settled province of the same name,
-is 493 miles west of Buenos Aires. It is a poor, unpretentious, and
-uninteresting town of fifteen thousand inhabitants with nothing to
-attract the ordinary tourist. Its buildings, with the exception of a
-few on the main streets, seldom attain a height of over one story and
-are for the most part built of coarse red brick, which here sell for 28
-pesos ($11.96) a thousand. Many of these brick buildings are plastered
-over, but most are not, giving them but a half finished appearance on
-account of the poor masonry. The original idea of the man who builds a
-house in most of the cities of the republic is to eventually have the
-brick stuccoed over, but it is frequently the case that his money gives
-out, before he gets that far, and he has to forego that luxury. There
-is also a considerable number of adobe buildings. These are mostly
-in the outskirts of the city. I also saw a few huts in the outlying
-districts whose roofs were thatched.
-
-There are no large fortunes in San Luis although my informants told me
-that there might be one or two men who could boast of possessing the
-equivalent of one million pesos paper ($427,000.00). There are only
-seven automobiles in the city, two of them being Cases; two are Fords.
-The only one that I saw was of the last-named manufacture. When asked
-if the governor of the province, Senor Juan Daract, possessed one,
-I was told he was too poor to own one, although his monthly salary
-is 750 pesos paper ($320.25). This would make his yearly salary from
-governmental sources $3843.00. I was surprised to see horses sell so
-cheaply, mediocre hack ones bringing only thirteen dollars apiece. Good
-mules averaged about thirty-two dollars each.
-
-  [Illustration: Capitol, San Luis]
-
-None of the streets of the city are paved. On the main one, San Martin,
-there are several good buildings, the Bank of the Argentine Nation
-being the best. It is the newest. The post office, the Federal Court,
-and the custom house are also possible, although they are but one story
-high. Nobody should overlook the Casa de Gobierno or Capitol, which is
-in a class by itself. Its Renaissance facade, which faces the Plaza
-San Martin, and its side which faces one of the main streets contain
-sockets for nine thousand electric light bulbs. When the building is
-lighted up in all its external brilliancy, the electric meter which
-controls the other lights of the city has to be shut off because the
-electrical plant has not power enough to keep them both going at the
-same time. So much money was expended on the lavish decorations of the
-Capitol that there was not enough left to furnish the building.
-
-The two large plazas, Pringles and San Martin, each contain an
-equestrian statue in bronze erected to the memory of the heroes of
-their nomenclature. General Pringles, the popular local hero, was born
-here. The square that bears his name is the handsomest in the city.
-It is bordered by giant pepper trees whose fragrance perfumes the air.
-Facing it is the huge unfinished brick basilica, the Matriz, the white
-dome of which is a landmark for quite a distance, and is visible from
-all parts of the city. By the side of the Matriz on the Calle Pringles
-stands a small algorroba tree scarcely twenty feet high. It is enclosed
-by an iron railing and is held in much reverence by the inhabitants
-of San Luis, because to this tree, the Guerrero, General Jose de San
-Martin, tied his horse in 1816 on his westward march to Chile, where he
-overthrew the Spanish dominion at the battles of Chacabuco and Maipu.
-
-There is an interesting old church in San Luis, that of Santo Domingo.
-It is of Mission style of architecture, and in many respects is similar
-to San Gabriel Mission near Pasadena, California. Taken as a whole, San
-Luis differs much from most Argentine cities. Its buildings are of a
-decided Spanish colonial type of architecture. The city has an antique
-appearance and is nearly gravelike as to tranquillity.
-
-  [Illustration: Matriz Church, San Luis
-
-   The tree in the distance is an algorroba. To it San Martin tied his
-   horse in 1816 on his westward march across the Andes to Chile]
-
-When I stepped out of the fine spick and span, five-year-old depot, I
-was in a dilemma regarding which hotel to go to. My guide book, which
-I never trust, and which I only look at when I desire to kill time,
-favored the Espanol; the landlord of the Marconi at Villa Mercedes
-recommended to O'Brien the Royal; the sleeping-car conductor on the
-train praised the Comercio; the cab driver extolled the Mitre, so
-thither I went. The German photographer, Streich, whom I met later in
-the day, boosted the Pringles, whose landlady is German.
-
-The Mitre, which is owned by Perez and Iglesias, is leased to two
-brothers whose prenomens are Pedro and Juan; nobody seems to know their
-patronymics, although many persons seemed to be on intimate terms with
-them. I later found out that their surname is Negera. When the fat,
-loquacious cab driver stopped in front of their one-story hotel, he
-announced my arrival by bawling out "Pedro!" The person addressed came
-slouching out of the barroom, unkempt and unshaven, and despite the
-earliness of the morning fairly drunk. He reeked of alcohol. I thought
-he was the porter until differently informed. Several times in the
-course of the morning he came into my room out of curiosity, each time
-making an excuse. In the early afternoon he sobered up, shaved, and
-donned a tuxedo. Drunk or sober, Pedro was a worker. He waited on the
-table, tended bar, made the beds, swept the rooms, and assisted in the
-cooking, besides doing errands for the guests. I never saw a better
-hotel man. The rooms opened onto the patios and were kept scrupulously
-clean, excepting the privy, and even that was much cleaner than in most
-rural South American towns. The chickens had taken refuge in it to keep
-away from the lean cats, which eyed them voraciously. Several times
-I had to drive a yellow cat out of my bedroom. The food would hardly
-remind an epicure of the menu of Oscar of the Waldorf-Astoria, but as
-there were many people eating it in the long rectangular dining room
-with its twenty-five-feet-high ceiling, I imagine it was wholesome.
-Despite the coldness of the weather (the temperature was no more than
-60 deg. Fahrenheit, a drop of 40 deg. from the temperature of Buenos
-Aires the day before) flies abounded in my bedroom and in the country
-were myriads of locusts.
-
-Speaking of the yellow cat that persisted in occupying my bedroom,
-Argentine and Chilean animals have a penchant for human society. They
-seem to take delight in crawling under the beds and other furniture,
-and no matter how often they are driven out they persist in returning.
-A peculiar incident of this nature befell an acquaintance of mine, Mr.
-Osmond of Rosario. Mr. Osmond has lived many years in Argentina and
-his business frequently takes him into the Campo, as the flat, endless
-pampa is called. On one occasion he stopped at an inn no different from
-the general run of inns found in all the small towns of Argentina. A
-fat sow entered his room from the patio as he sat writing. He drove
-her out. Several times during the afternoon he had to repeat the
-performance as the sow was bound to occupy his room. As he lay asleep
-that night he was awakened by a rumpus beneath his bed, and lighting
-a candle to find out the cause of the nocturnal disturbance of his
-slumbers, discovered that the sow had crawled under his bed and had
-given birth to a litter of pigs.
-
-  [Illustration: Estancia near San Luis]
-
-The country in the immediate neighborhood of San Luis is extremely
-fertile, although sometimes it only rains once in a year. The Chorillos
-River, which rises in the Sierra de San Luis, is dammed, and the water
-is drawn off by conduits. The main dam is seven miles east of the
-city and I drove out there to see it. The road passes by the barracks
-and continues by fine fields of blue blossomed alfalfa in which fat
-cattle and horses are grazing knee-high. There is a primitive park on
-the left of the road in which is an artificial lake, on which swains
-enjoy taking their innamoratas for rowboat rides. A crude attempt at
-initiating a zoological garden is borne out by two pens, one of which
-contains a three-footed hen, the other one being the prison of two
-sabors, or Argentine lionesses from the Sierra de San Luis. A stranger
-is surprised at the number of fine-looking saddle horses met on the
-roads. Nearly everybody rides horseback, many with good grace and ease
-of movements. The gentry use English saddles; the poorer classes use
-those of Moorish type. The cab drivers as well as the horsemen gallop
-their animals through the streets at a mad pace.
-
-The air of San Luis is healthy and invigorating. I was surprised to
-note the great number of old people to be seen in the city and its
-environs. In this respect it is exactly the reverse of Buenos Aires.
-The men and women are fine looking; the girls are beautiful with
-their laughing black eyes, their faces brown from the sun and wind,
-with a touch of rosiness to their cheeks; their figures are likewise
-good. Argentinos and Spaniards alike call the native-born criollos
-or criollas, according to sex, the word meaning Creoles. It is by no
-means a word of contempt. There is quite a strain of Indian blood among
-the inhabitants. Seeing some dark-skinned people by the roadside, I
-asked my driver if they were Indians. He laughed as he answered: "Son
-Criollos como yo. Son cristianos." ("They are natives like myself. They
-are Christians.") The word Indio, meaning Indian, is one of contempt
-and applies only to the members of the pagan and uncivilized tribes.
-
-There is much natural wealth in the mountains of the province, gold,
-silver, and sulphur, but nobody cares to take the initiative about
-exploiting them. The unsettled country greatly resembles the unfertile
-parts of California, it being a wilderness of mesquite, chaparral, wild
-sage, and juniper. There is also much cactus, the varieties ranging
-from the prickly pear to the Spanish bayonet. Everywhere that water
-strikes the ground, wild flowers and vines spring up in rank confusion,
-the wild cucumber being common. One of the native bushes has pods on
-it like a bean, about the same size and shape, but rather oily. Of the
-fruit trees, the apricot is cultivated; grape vines grow to a large
-size, but their fruit is inferior to that of Mendoza.
-
-Although the inhabitant of the central provinces of Argentina is
-invariably of mixed blood, and is lacking in the culture of the
-inhabitants of the cities, he is more of a gentleman than the majority
-of those who belong to our select aristocracy. He is patient but by no
-means humble. Expecting no money remuneration for extending a favor
-or a courtesy to a stranger, he will willingly go out of his way to
-do so, but spoken to gruffly, will have nothing more to do with him.
-In San Luis I asked a cab driver where there was a good barber shop.
-The one he pointed out was filled, so I went out in search of another
-one. He saw me and driving down the street, overtook me, and offered
-to drive me to another one. Arrived at my destination, he refused any
-remuneration. The son of Pedro Nogera, the hotel proprietor, acted as
-porter. Upon paying my bill, which was trivial when compared with the
-services rendered, I offered the boy a small tip. He refused, saying
-that I had paid for what I had received. Who is there in such stations
-of life at home that would refuse a tip? Most would be angry if it was
-not given, and if the sum was too small, would go off grumbling. One
-of the peasants of San Luis that I consider a gentleman was my regular
-cab driver. Born in San Luis, he had never been out of the province.
-His name is Antonio L. Rojo. In appearance he is of large build,
-somewhat coarse, and inclined to stoutness. For the sum of one and a
-half pesos (61 c.) an hour, he agreed to drive me whenever and wherever
-I wished to go. Although inclined to be loquacious, he showed none of
-that grossness and vulgarity of character that our cab drivers are apt
-to demonstrate. This man knew his position and was most attentive in
-showing me the points of interest of the city and neighboring country.
-He was also well read in politics but never knocked. Occasionally he
-would stop and pick from the roadside fruit or flowers indigenous to
-the country to show me what grew in the neighborhood of San Luis. Upon
-leaving San Luis, I gave him a tip of five pesos ($2.14). This at first
-he refused to accept and only took it finally by my literally forcing
-it upon him. He was so delighted with the money that he took a railroad
-trip to Balde, nine miles distant, to visit some relatives, and on the
-way offered to spend some of it to treat me.
-
-Shortly after leaving San Luis, westward on the railroad to Mendoza
-there is seen to the south the large brackish Lake Bebedero; it keeps
-in view a considerable distance. The short cut of the Buenos Aires
-Pacific skirts its southern end. The second station west of San Luis
-is Balde, a collection of straw and brushwood huts, the abodes of the
-peasants. One well, which supplies the whole community, has been sunk,
-water having been struck at a depth of 2119 feet. It is artesian.
-Fifty-one miles west of San Luis, the Desaguadero River, muddy and
-deep, lying in a chasm between high clay banks, is crossed. This river
-forms the boundary line between the provinces of San Luis and Mendoza.
-The country is a flat wilderness of mesquite which grows much larger
-than in our southwestern States, probably on account of the superiority
-of the soil, which here is a light clay. There is a considerable amount
-of alkali, but not in so marked a degree as in the western plains of
-North America. The mesquite, which grows to a great size, some of the
-trees having veritable trunks, is chopped and is used as cord wood and
-also as fuel on the freight and passenger trains.
-
-La Paz, not to be confounded with the Bolivian metropolis, nor with
-the Entrerieno town of the Parana River, is reached shortly before
-one o'clock in the afternoon on the daily passenger from San Luis to
-Mendoza. It has two thousand inhabitants and is seventy-four miles west
-of San Luis and eighty-eight miles east of Mendoza. It is important
-for here begins the cultivated zone which extends as far as the Andes
-and which is known as the Zona del Riego. The estancia limits and
-the country roads are all bordered by Lombardy poplar trees, planted
-closely together. Our North American farmer who plants his fence trees
-a rod apart would be astonished to here behold them a yard apart.
-Notwithstanding their proximity to one another, they here attain a
-goodly height. Some pest seemed to have attacked many of these trees.
-Many of the leaves were turning brown and the trees dying. It is
-a curious fact that where this species of tree abounds, goiter is
-prevalent among the inhabitants. In northern Italy, parts of Hungary
-and Croatia, and in certain sections of the United States where there
-are many Lombardy poplars, people are seen with this affliction.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV
-
-MENDOZA
-
-
-From Dr. A. R. Davila, proprietor of _La Prensa_, South America's
-largest newspaper, I received a letter of introduction to one of
-Mendoza's best known and wealthiest men, Dr. Juan Carlos Seru, a lawyer
-and country proprietor, who resides in a fine residence at 1055 Avenida
-San Martin. I went to see him to pay my respects and from him obtained
-some valuable information.
-
-Up to the present time viticulture has been the staple industry of the
-Province of Mendoza, the landscape being covered with vineyards as far
-as the eye can see. This business has been on such an increase that it
-has now reached its climax for Mendoza wines have not been exported out
-of the country to any extent. With the opening up of Neuquen Territory,
-which is likewise adapted to the growing of grapes, the market will be
-more than flooded and there will not be much future in the business
-unless there should be a large export trade. Steps have already been
-taken to introduce Mendoza wines into Brazil which have so far met with
-success. Since the European war, the price of grapes has dropped and
-many of the small proprietors have been forced to the wall. The large
-ones and old established firms have managed to reap the profits. The
-value of the vineyards all depends on their proximity to a railroad
-or to the city of Mendoza. Dr. Seru owns seventy hectares of vineyard
-two stations distant from San Rafael, a wine producing district in the
-southern part of the province, which he values at three thousand pesos
-paper to the hectare; this would bring the value of a vineyard at the
-height of its production to approximately $512.40 an acre.
-
-One of the largest _bodegas_ (wineries) is that of Tomba y Sella in
-Godoy Cruz, a suburb of Mendoza. It was originally a private concern
-owned by Antonio Tomba. A scrap among the heirs caused a division
-and it is now a stock company with Domingo Tomba as president and
-the largest shareholder. The wine is kept in cement casks. The most
-famous bodega, although not one of the largest, is that named Trapiche,
-owned by the Benegas Brothers, situated about three miles southwest of
-Mendoza. It has agencies in Buenos Aires, Rosario, Cordoba, Tucuman,
-Bahia Blanca, and in Parana. One of the brothers lives in Buenos Aires
-where he conducts show rooms and a sales agency at 420 Calle Florida,
-while the others live in Mendoza, supervising the manufacturing end.
-I went to their bodega with Mr. Seru and was shown through the whole
-institution by the manager. The vineyard comprises 538 acres. The
-winery at the time of my visit was about filled and has the following
-capacity:
-
-  _Casks_                _Liters_             _Total liters_
-   4                     100,000                 400,000
-   2                      40,000                  80,000
-  20                      30,000                 600,000
-  60                      20,000               1,200,000
-  44                      10,000                 440,000
-  30                       8,000                 240,000
-  20                       5,000                 100,000
- ---                     -------               ---------
- 180                     213,000               3,060,000
-
-To this must be added 9000 barrels of 200 liters, total 1,800,000
-liters, which brings the grand total to 4,860,000 liters capacity.
-These 9000 barrels mostly contain a brand of red wine named Reserva
-which sells for $51.24 a barrel. The wine sold in the bottle is 7/10
-of a liter for it takes 280 bottles to fill the barrel. Perkeo of
-Heidelberg surely would have had a high old time if turned loose in the
-Trapiche wine cellars. Seven-tenths bottle of ordinary Reservada which
-retails in Mendoza at ninety-seven cents is selling now in Italy among
-the Mendocino Italians, who have returned home on account of the war,
-at $1.76. The Benegas Brothers manufacture seventeen brands of wine
-and two brands of unfermented grape beverage. The manager, who showed
-me around, must have thought I had a saintly countenance, for when I
-left the institution, instead of handing me some wine to sample, he
-poured out for me a tumbler of grape juice. I do not want the readers
-of this book to draw the conclusion from this that I left Mendoza
-without refreshing myself with some of the real article. The Tomba
-is the largest of all the bodegas, and there are many larger than the
-Trapiche; the Barra Quero being one of them.
-
-Not only do the Benegas Brothers manufacture wine and grape juice, but
-they have lately installed a cold-storage system at their plant for the
-preservation of grapes which are sent to Buenos Aires and other parts
-of the country to be eaten in the elite restaurants and in the homes
-of the wealthy. One kilogram (2-1/5 pounds) of table grapes from their
-vineyards retails in Buenos Aires from 56 cts. to $2.14 according to
-their quality.
-
-Dr. Seru, seeing the results obtained from viticulture in this province
-was one of the first men to conceive the idea of growing fruit for
-canning as has been done in California. On his estate near San Rafael,
-he had some canned which he sent to Buenos Aires to compete with some
-articles from California. His product was found to be superior and
-to-day he has one of the best fruit _fincas_ in the republic. Gath y
-Chaves, the great department firm which has branches in every large
-town in the republic have decided to accept, for their trade, no
-other brands than his. This is a big feather in his cap because Gath
-y Chaves is the largest firm of its kind in South America. Dr. Seru is
-now endeavoring to get North American capital interested in Mendocino
-lands for he is of the opinion that fruit will eventually supersede
-viticulture. Fruit lands average about $51.24 an acre; orchards of
-plums, apricots, peaches, and pears, six years old, will cost the
-purchaser $683.20 an acre. These figures are nearly exact regarding
-their present worth (1917), and if anybody who reads this book goes to
-Mendoza, not knowing conditions there, they should not be bluffed by
-other figures as these are nearly correct, they having been given to me
-by viticulturists and fruit growers of repute.
-
-Mendoza has been hit rather hardly in the question of labor for three
-thousand Italians alone have emigrated from the province to return home
-on account of the European war. Business is now at its lowest ebb, but
-of all the provinces of the republic, it has undoubtedly the brightest
-future. It is going to be a great granary, and wheat is going to play
-an important part in its exports. Everything is grown by irrigation,
-and it has been found that grain grown this way there doesn't rot or
-soften as it does in other districts under similar conditions. Under
-ordinary conditions, the wheat yield in Mendoza is fifty-two bushels
-to the acre; that of the whole republic is only twenty-three. A man on
-an experimental farm grew ten acres that averaged seventy-six bushels
-to the acre; figures that I had hitherto thought impossible. There is
-no flour mill in the province; neither is there one in the neighboring
-province San Juan. Sr. Emilio Vogt, manager of the Molino del Rio de
-la Plata, the largest flour mill in Argentina, which has a capital of
-$14,945,000, tells me that a flour mill either in Tucuman or in Mendoza
-would be a profitable investment. One with a daily capacity of 30 tons
-would cost 300,000 pesos ($138,100.00). It would need 200,000 pesos
-($85,400.00) extra for working capital, bringing the total to 500,000
-pesos ($223,500.00). He says he would guarantee a mill like this to
-make forty per cent. annually on the original investment. It would
-have all it could do to supply Mendoza city alone. Vogt says that in
-the flour business in Argentina, everything depends on the freight.
-The grain belt at the present time is midway between Buenos Aires and
-Mendoza. Wheat is shipped to Buenos Aires to be ground and the flour
-then shipped back over the same rails and beyond to Mendoza. This cuts
-a big hole in the profits. Since Mendoza is destined to be a great
-wheat country, the grain won't have to be shipped far to the mill if
-one is established there.
-
-The city of Mendoza according to the census of 1916 had 59,117 human
-inhabitants. Its neighbor, Godoy Cruz had a population of 16,021.
-The canine population of both of these cities outnumbers that of the
-human in a proportion of at least three to one. Only two dogs out of
-this vast number are of any consequence and they are on exhibit in the
-zoological gardens. The other dogs are not worth the powder to blow
-them up.
-
-With the exception of Buenos Aires, Mendoza is undoubtedly the finest
-city in Argentina and is the liveliest of the provincial capitals. It
-is a beautiful place with many broad avenues bordered by symmetrical
-rows of sycamore, plane, and linden trees. All the streets of the
-newer part of the town are well paved with rectangular cobble stones.
-Between the road and the sidewalk are ditches paved with round polished
-stones and spanned by bridges under which rivulets of muddy water flow.
-I have been told that in this respect, Mendoza bears a similarity to
-Guatemala. The sidewalks are paved with tile of various somber colors
-and designs. The residences are mostly one story in height built of a
-brownish brick or of adobe and stuccoed. The town presents an extremely
-verdant and refreshing appearance largely due to the murmuring of the
-running water that is everywhere.
-
-The Plaza San Martin, the principal one, though to me not as charming
-as the Plaza Pringles in San Luis, is the finest in the republic. In
-its center is a large equestrian statue of the guerrero, San Martin,
-looking towards the Andes. From its center, eight walks, the tile
-paving of which cost the city forty thousand dollars, radiate, the four
-center ones containing little islands of flowers. The corners of this
-plaza which are sunk about two feet below the level of the street are
-round. In this neighborhood much of the activity of the city centers
-for here are the Grand Hotel, Hotel Bauer, the cathedral, the Spanish
-Bank of the River Plate; the Bank of the Province of Mendoza (a huge
-building in construction); the Bank of the Argentine Nation and the
-Municipal Theater. Nearby is the post office.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-There is another plaza, that of Independencia, which is still in
-an embryo state. It contains four city squares and when finished is
-expected to be a masterpiece. Work of grading is now in progress but it
-is being done so slowly that I conjecture the year 1920 may not witness
-its completion. In the meantime horses graze on the tall grass and
-alfalfa that will be eventually dug up to be planted to trees and lawn.
-This is supposed to be the exact geographical center of New Mendoza and
-on it faces the capitol and governor's residence. Both these edifices
-are but one story in height; the former covering an entire block.
-
-  [Illustration: Statue of San Martin, Mendoza]
-
-The city is divided into nearly equal parts by a broad avenue, that of
-San Martin, formerly the Alameda which runs north and south.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-These two parts are called by the distinctive names of Mendoza which
-is the western section and Old Mendoza, the eastern one. Old Mendoza,
-which I think contains the greatest population is in the form of a
-trapezoid, while the new city is that of a square. The old city was the
-part that existed before the earthquake of 1861. It was nearly totally
-destroyed and has been rebuilt again. The best to do inhabitants
-instead of repairing their ruined homes, laid out plans for a new and
-better city with wide streets and spacious parks. It is this new part
-that to-day is the most important. Old Mendoza with its one-story,
-primitive adobe buildings, in some respects resembles San Jose de
-Costa Rica, although it is not nearly as fine and clean a city. Its
-streets are treeless and most of them are never paved. The poor element
-lives here. The old plaza with its dirt walks, which was formerly the
-center of the city, is a full mile from that of San Martin. The ancient
-crumbling unstuccoed adobe pile which was the pristine city hall is
-now an almshouse. There are no residences in Mendoza which can be
-termed palatial, that of my acquaintance, Dr. Seru being the best. It
-is a two-story structure on the wide and shadeless Avenida San Martin,
-hemmed in on both sides by shops. The residence of Domingo Tomba at
-Godoy Cruz is the finest house in the province, but it is in a poor
-location, on the busy and dusty plaza of that small city.
-
-  [Illustration: Avenida San Martin, Mendoza]
-
-Regarding the earthquake in Mendoza, "Until 1861," writes Dr. Martin
-de Moussy, "the Province of Mendoza was not aware of the terrors of
-an earthquake. The violent shocks that had at different times agitated
-the Chilean provinces seemed to lose their intensity on going over the
-chain of the Andes. The inhabitants only knew slight tremblings of
-the earth previous to then. March 20, 1861, one of the most violent
-earthquakes ever recorded destroyed in a few seconds the city of
-Mendoza and buried one-half of its inhabitants under its ruins."
-
-At 8:30 P.M. that night, the town was totally destroyed by one of
-the most violent earthquakes ever experienced. The sky was perfectly
-clear; the atmosphere quiet; the greater part of its inhabitants at
-home, although some of them were enjoying a walk in the Alameda and
-on the plaza. Suddenly a subterranean noise was heard, and at the
-same moment before there was time to escape, all the public buildings
-and private houses were falling in with a tremendous crash. The walls
-fell outward and all sides of the rooms and the roofs came down in
-the center so that the inhabitants, both those who were inside the
-houses and those who were on the streets were all buried beneath the
-debris. The movement was first undulatory from northwest to southeast
-and afterwards seemed to come from below upwards. Its violence was so
-great that in the gardens many people fell down. In the Church of San
-Augustin, where mass was being held, only one person escaped alive. He
-was a drunken man asleep in the vestibule. The pillars fell in such
-a way that he was uninjured. Fire started by broken lamps and from
-kitchen braziers. The debris of the earthquake clogged the canals and
-started a flood. Food ran short and the stench of the corpses which
-could not be taken from the ruins was awful. The fire raged ten days.
-When everything was normal again, it was estimated that at least ten
-thousand people perished. The _Almanaque del Mensajero_ gives the total
-number of victims at fifteen thousand. The shocks were continued at
-frequent intervals until the end of May. There was a suggestion to
-rebuild the city on some granite hills known as Las Tortugas but old
-ties and affections pervaded so a new city was built directly west
-of the Alameda which is now the Avenida San Martin. The ruins of the
-churches of San Francisco and San Augustin should be visited.
-
-The Parque Oeste (West Park) which its name indicates is in the western
-part of the city. It is built on a scarcely perceptible general slope,
-and to my idea out-rivals that of Palermo in Buenos Aires, it being
-more natural and rustic. It is not yet entirely completed, but that
-part of it which is, nearly attains a perfection. It is spacious and
-its broad avenues, cross lawns planted to trees indigenous to the
-country. There is a fine music pavilion and a zoological garden there.
-
-Westward from this park and past the hospital in the course of
-construction, a broad road bordered by year-old Carolina poplar trees
-takes one to the mile distant Cerrito de la Gloria a 1300 foot hill
-which rises abruptly from the desert Pampa. Its eastern slope is
-planted to eucalyptus, various generi of cactus, pepperberry, and other
-trees and shrubs. Dependent on water which is forced through a conduit
-to the top of a hill, they have in the three years of their existence
-here attained a marvelous growth on what was formerly a barren waste.
-Serpentine automobile roads with no balustrades coil upwards around
-the hill. It would be no place for a joy ride. A driver in very sober
-senses drove off the road in broad daylight in August, 1915. The only
-occupant of the victoria beside himself was a young girl. They both
-saved their lives by jumping but both the horses rolled over into the
-ravine and were killed.
-
-  [Illustration: Monument to the Army of the Andes, Mendoza]
-
-The summit of this hill is crowned by a gigantic monument of
-granite and of bronze erected in 1914 by the Argentine Republic in
-commemoration of the Army of the Andes which crossed that giant barrier
-and defeated the Spaniards at Maipu and at Chacabuco in Chile. It was
-unveiled on the centennial day on which the army left Mendoza. The
-monument is a Goddess of Victory looking northward. (It was northward
-through Villavicencio that San Martin's army went.) The granite
-pedestal formed from three huge blocks of massive rock has embedded in
-it a bronze bas relief, depicting the cavalry, artillery, and infantry
-of that time with the famous general and his officers and also a
-reception given to the liberators after their victory. On top of the
-bas relief is shown the number of men comprising the conquering army,
-classified as follows:
-
-                _Superior Officers_      _Officers_      _Soldiers_
-  Artillery      4                         16               241
-  Infantry       9                        124             2,795
-  Cavalry        4                         55               742
-  Militia                                                 1,200
-  Engineers                                                 120
-
-
-Total 5310 men including 212 officers. There were 9191 mules and 1600
-horses. The names of the heroes dear to the Argentine and Chilean
-public are engraved on one bronze plate in order as follows:
-
-     San Martin
-     O'Higgins
-     Las Heras
-     de la Plaza
-     Conde
-     Cramer
-     Alvardo
-     Zapiola
-     Beltran
-     de la Quintana
-     Condarco
-     Cabot
-     Paroisien
-     Freire
-     Mansilla
-     Zentena
-     Arcos
-     Martinez
-     Guiraldez
-     Lavalle
-
-As to hotels, Mendoza can boast of none that are first-class according
-to the standard of those of the average European or North American city
-of its size, although the Jewish hotel of Emilio Levy which tries to
-be international and neutral (but which is not), is the best. It is
-named Grand Hotel San Martin but in colloquial conversation the suffix
-San Martin is usually left out. Levy is an Alsatian Jew as well as are
-his immediate entourage of hirelings and some of the printed sheets
-of German atrocities in this European conflagration that his clerks
-distribute on the dining-room tables and in the corridor are evidence
-to show the wandering Briton or Frenchman that his money is solicited
-even though he may receive kosher food for it in return. The rooms are
-large and clean, most of them opening on to a patio as is the custom
-of the hotels in provincial Argentina. The food is good but I am sorry
-to say that it is lacking in quantity as well as in variety. Three
-years ago, while I was in Mendoza, this same hotel set a fine meal and
-a large one but one must take into consideration that the greater the
-variety of food as well as the quantity, the greater is the cost, and
-Jews are always out for the money. The Apulian bartender knows how to
-draw a nice schuper of Quilmes beer, but I am told that the barman of
-the Hotel Bauer across the plaza on the Calle General Necochea keeps
-his draught beer better. The only serious objection I have to the Grand
-Hotel is its middle class Yiddish clientele of all nationalities who
-stare rudely at the other guests and while eating, wave their forks and
-knives as they loudly explain some anecdote.
-
-The Hotel Bauer, patronized by Teutons, runs largely to cafe and
-barroom which are the only departments of this institution in evidence
-from the street. The dining room and the bedrooms are in the rear, but
-the bedrooms are small. The Hotel Italia is "free and easy." They have
-a regular rate but if a person brings a woman companion to his room who
-is not his wife or of any consanguinity, he is charged double.
-
-Mendoza is no smokers' paradise. Cigars dry up in the dry atmosphere
-and become as crisp and brittle as tinder and as dry as powder. As to
-amusements, there are none save a few cinematograph shows and a bagnio
-named Petit Eden. One of these moving picture shows was showing films
-of the Willard-Johnson fight. It was such an attraction that the place
-was jammed. I had seen no moving pictures of the fight as yet, although
-I wanted to, as I had witnessed the genuine article in Havana. I was
-dumbfounded at the finale after the twenty-sixth round to see my visage
-conspicuous in the foreground displayed upon the white canvas, as I did
-not know that I had been within range of the camera while at the fight
-in Havana.
-
-The Province of Mendoza is rich in mineral springs due to the volcanic
-Andes. The most famous of these springs is that of Villavicencio
-about sixty miles northwest of the capital in the fastnesses of the
-mountains. It was through here that San Martin marched his army on his
-way to Chile. He came out at the point where the railroad now lies at
-the farm of Uspallata. The Mendoza agents of the Argentine Brewery have
-bought the spring and transport its waters in bulk to Mendoza where
-they bottle it.
-
-To the north of the Province of Mendoza lies the Province of San Juan
-with an area of 33,715 square miles. It together with Mendoza and San
-Luis, formerly formed the Province of Cuyo which belonged to that part
-of the Spanish dependencies that were governed from Santiago, Chile. In
-character, San Juan is much like Mendoza although it has less fertile
-lands. This is due to the fact that while Mendoza has three rivers
-which serve to irrigate it, San Juan has but one. San Juan is noted for
-the superior quality of its figs which here thrive to perfection. Its
-capital city is also named San Juan. It is ninety-eight miles north of
-the city of Mendoza and is reached by the Buenos Aires Pacific Railway
-which here has its terminus. It is a small town of 14,595 inhabitants
-with shady streets and of ancient appearance. Most of its houses are of
-adobe. It is also the seat of the bishopric of Cuyo. The bishop is Jose
-Americo Orzali who has held this post since 1912.
-
-Leaving Mendoza westward, the narrow gauge Transandine Railway runs
-parallel to the canal of the Mendoza River and crosses it twice.
-Several kilometers out, the snow-capped peaks of the Andes are
-visible, among them Aconcagua, South America's highest mountain and
-extinct volcano in Argentina near the Chilean line. This great height
-of twenty-four thousand feet was first ascended by E. A. Fitz Gerald
-after several efforts, but since then it has been scaled several times,
-there being guides at Puente del Inca to take mountain climbers to the
-summit.
-
-  [Illustration: Waiting for the Train at Cacheuta]
-
-Twenty miles from Mendoza, we enter the defile of the Mendoza River,
-and are in the midst of the Andes. I left the train at Cacheuta,
-where at that thermal resort, I put in forty-eight hours. There are
-hot springs at Cacheuta and a small establishment was built as they
-were found to contain qualities beneficial for rheumatism and kindred
-ailments. The trade of the place increased until it became necessary
-to drill holes into the ravine bottom to pump the hot water out for
-baths. The patient is apt to get worse for the first five days after
-the beginning of this treatment, but then gets better and improves
-until the course is completed. The Gran Hotel Cacheuta is a sumptuous
-and luxurious affair built on the style of which we are erroneously
-led to believe is Cliff Dweller architecture like the Hotel El Tovar
-at the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. I was not long there before I
-found out that the main attraction of Cacheuta was not the baths but
-instead roulette and nickel-in-the-slot machines. The first mentioned
-game was in full swing; a separate building was given over to that
-form of joy producer. Chips cost a peso apiece, except for the three
-dozen, red and black, and odd and even, where a five-peso chip must be
-thrown on the green cloth. Little girls not more than twelve years old
-watch their beplumed and besapphired mammas win or lose. Long-robed
-priests wander back and forth, occasionally placing a bet where their
-holy inclination tells them to; vermouth glass in hand, they are seen
-in the barroom to walk up to the products of Mills and of Caille and
-to the tune of a twenty-centavo piece watch for their luck. In the way
-of scenery and other attractions besides the bath there is nothing at
-Cacheuta to divert one's time. It is a society place for gambling and
-a place for rest for the tired business man. It is wonderful, however,
-to see what man has done in a place not favored by nature. The barren
-mountains obscure the view in all directions; the sandy soil can
-bear no vegetation. Here and there are to be seen the corrugated iron
-huts of the railroad workmen in front of whose doors their numerous
-brown-skinned offspring are playing. Through the whole scene runs the
-turbulent Mendoza River, muddy with silt and sand.
-
-  [Illustration: On the Terrace at Cacheuta]
-
-Not far above Cacheuta is Potrerillos, where it is pleasant to see a
-speck of green. Steers graze in alfalfa fields enclosed by tall poplar
-trees. A stock company was formed to bore a tunnel two kilometres
-through the mountains to the plain, deviate the stream from its
-course by running it through this tunnel and which once through, would
-irrigate new lands. As it would also render waste the lands now under
-cultivation, the wine growers and agriculturists served an injunction
-on this company stopping them in their undertaking. The tunnel is
-completed, but it is a hundred to one shot nothing will ever come of it
-for the company tried to steal the river.
-
-  [Illustration: Thermal Establishment at Cacheuta]
-
-  [Illustration: One of the Diversions at Cacheuta that is Neither
-   Bathing nor Gambling]
-
-The whole trip to Santiago over the Andes so often described is one
-of great scenic beauty on the Chilean side where the descent is very
-abrupt and where one can look down the whole length of the valley
-of the Aconcagua River which is cultivated where nature will allow.
-That on the Argentina side is grand with the giant peaks in the
-neighborhood, and also awe-inspiring, but it is apt to be tedious.
-The last stop of importance in Argentina is Puente del Inca, where
-there is a thermal establishment and electrical works. Here there is
-a natural bridge under which the Mendoza River flows and which gives
-the place its name. High up on the mountain side are curious groups
-of rocks which from the valley appear like people praying. They are
-named the Penitentes. The crest of the Andes is pierced by a tunnel at
-an altitude of 10,364 feet. This tunnel is 9848 feet long, 5460 feet
-of it being in Argentina and the remaining 4388 feet being in Chile.
-It takes eight minutes to run through it on the train. In the winter
-time when snow blocks the passes so it is impossible for trains to
-run, travelers between Argentina and Chile ride through this tunnel on
-horseback. About 1500 feet above the tunnel at the summit of the Cumbre
-there is a statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), seen by me
-on several occasions as I have crossed the mountains on horseback. It
-was designed by the Argentine sculptor Matteo Alonso. It is of bronze
-and is over twenty-nine feet in height. It was unveiled at a mass said
-on the top of the Cumbre in March, 1904, as a monument of perpetual
-peace between Argentina and Chile in the presence of the presidents of
-the two republics. There had been a scrap over the boundary question
-and both countries were on the verge of war. It was a case of one being
-afraid and the other dare not, Chile probably holding the pole. Chile
-was unable to obtain a loan and therefore war was averted. The image
-of Christ with his arms extended is looking southward and the boundary
-line of the two countries runs through His center. Since the traffic on
-the Cumbre has greatly lessened on account of the tunnel, this bronze
-Christ has fallen into neglect. Storms have knocked the cross out of
-his hands, and in many ways have damaged it. The Chilean mozos who
-cross the Andes to work in the electrical works at Puente del Inca, use
-this statue as a target when they pass by it and when I saw it, it was
-quite pock-marked with the bullets from their revolvers. One hundred
-meters north and one hundred metres south of the statue are two iron
-poles named "itos" which demark the boundary.
-
-  [Illustration: Steps at Cacheuta Leading from the Railroad Station to
-   the Hotel]
-
-The poor travelers still go over the Cumbre. They hire mules for fifty
-pesos Chileno apiece ($4.90) at Los Andes, leaving there early in the
-morning long before daybreak and arriving at the Argentine station of
-Las Cuevas in the afternoon in time to catch the afternoon train to
-Mendoza.
-
-At Santa Rosa de los Andes down the valley of the Aconcagua at an
-altitude of 2698 feet, we changed trains for here we reached the broad
-gauge of the Chilean State Railways. It is a pleasure to be able to
-travel again in clean and comfortable cars. Those of Argentina are
-terrible; they are dirty, old, and worn. The toilets are dirty and the
-lavatories are generally lacking in towels. In Chile are Pullman cars
-of American manufacture; the locomotives are local, or are made in
-Germany. I came from Cacheuta on the special car sent by the Argentine
-Government to convey the special ambassadors and envoys with their
-distinguished guests to the inauguration ceremonies and installation
-of the new President of Chile, Sr. Luis Sanfuentes, who succeeded
-Sr. Ramon Barros Luco, whose term expired December 23, 1915. This
-party included Romulo S. Naon, special ambassador, Colonel Carlos
-S. Martinez, military attache, Captain Jose Moneta, naval attache,
-Sr. Iriondo de Irigoyen and Sr. Albert d'Alkaine, secretaries to the
-Embassy and myself. Brazil was represented by Senhor Luis Martins
-de Souza Dantas, special ambassador. Portugal sent her minister
-to Argentina, Colonel Botelho, a very quiet miniature old man and
-his military attache, Colonel Martin de Lima, a middle-aged small
-gentleman. At Los Andes, we were met by the welcome committee of the
-Chilean government, its units being the pick of the land politically,
-socially, and from rank in military and naval affairs. After being
-photographed and presented with flowers by comely maidens dressed in
-white, who came to greet us and who sang a song especially composed for
-our honor, we were escorted to a private train where we were dined and
-wined on the way to Santiago.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V
-
-SALTA AND TUCUMAN
-
-
-Mr. William Boyce, of the Chicago Saturday _Blade_, made a trip to
-Tucuman and wrote a chapter about it in his book, _Illustrated South
-America_. This book I read with pleasure and determined that I should
-visit that city if ever an opportunity presented itself. One morning,
-armed with credentials and letters of introduction to prominent
-personages in the far provinces, I boarded the train for Tucuman. Two
-railroads connect Buenos Aires with Tucuman, the Central of Cordoba
-and the Central of Argentina. I traveled by a train that runs over the
-rails of the latter.
-
-Mariano Saavedra, 288 miles north of Buenos Aires is the town where the
-River Plate scenery ends, and the vast, monotonous plains begin. Up to
-here through the broad expanse of corn fields, whose limits are bounded
-by the horizon; past funereal towns of unpointed red brick buildings,
-the open doors and windows of which have the aspect of morgue entrances
-and apertures; past mournful cemeteries of blackened crosses; and
-past peasant houses embowered in groves of weeping willows, the dirty
-tri-weekly express train sped us by in a cloud of stifling, blinding,
-eye-smarting, ear-filling dust. At Mariano Saavedra we come to the
-unbounded, limitless plain of coarse green grass on which myriads of
-cattle graze. This, the province of Santa Fe, is the true plain of
-Argentina. From history and from fiction we imagine the great plains
-to be the central and the southern provinces, consisting of what is
-geographically the western part of the province of Buenos Aires, the
-Province of San Luis, and the territory of Pampa. This is not the
-true fact. In all these geographical divisions are rolling hills, and
-streams in deep-lying canyons. Here in Santa Fe, I doubt if there is a
-single hill. A broad landscape, dry and dusty but by no means rainless,
-and yet fruitful, meets the eye of the traveler. A dark cloud on the
-horizon approaches, and when overhead breaks into a swarm of locusts,
-which in many instances destroy in a single day the whole untiring
-year's work of the farmers. They are not such a pest as they were in
-former years, but yet a terrible scourge.
-
-At 10:30 P.M. the town of Ceres is reached. This place, a railway
-division point, is built at the corners of the provinces Santa Fe,
-Cordoba, and Santiago del Estero, the last-named province being
-that which the train now enters and which it takes all night to
-cross. Do not imagine that this dusty, smoky town is named after the
-Goddess of Agriculture. It is a synonym of all that is evil among
-human inhabitants, namely overwhelming dust, locomotive smoke, and
-locusts which dart through the empty windows of the coaches like hot
-coals, and are pulled out of ones food, beer, hair, pockets, and even
-underdrawers, of all sizes and shapes from three inches downwards,
-never failing to expectorate a dark brown sputum, like tobacco juice
-but purulent.
-
-I sat in the dining car with a young dentist named Hallmann, of German
-birth but who had an American diploma. He resides at Santiago del
-Estero where he made twenty thousand dollars at his profession during
-the last two years. There is only one other dentist in that city,
-an American, but Hallmann says the latter has no trade because he is
-drunken. He told me that in Santiago del Estero he was always obliged
-to accept cash before he pulled a tooth on account of the swindling
-tendency of the natives. Several months later, I accidentally met
-Hallmann on the Avenida in Buenos Aires. He had made enough money in
-Santiago del Estero and was on his way to Philadelphia, where he had
-formerly practiced, to open up an office.
-
-The Province of Santiago del Estero has an area of 39,764 square miles
-and a population of 264,911. It is a plain varying from 450 to 550 feet
-above sea level. Its climate is extremely hot. Most of the surface of
-the soil is covered with a dense brush of mesquite and quebracho trees,
-which are cut into cordwood and used as fuel on the locomotives. The
-capital city is Santiago del Estero, frequently spoken of in Argentina
-as Santiago. It is an antiquated city of seventeen thousand inhabitants
-and is one of the oldest towns in the republic having been founded in
-1553 by Francisco de Aguirre on the Dulce River. It is the seat of a
-bishopric, which was created in 1908. The present incumbent is Dr. Juan
-Martin de Yaniz y Paz. On account of its isolation, Santiago del Estero
-has not prospered as it should have.
-
-The inhabitants of the Province of Santiago del Estero are mostly
-dependent for a livelihood on the sale of quebracho. This wood which
-rarely attains a growth of thirty feet is of a deep red color and is
-used as a dye wood. Its supply seems inexhaustible but its export is
-now at a standstill on account of a slump in the market. It thrives
-in dry climates for in this province where it frequently goes for
-a stretch of seven months at a time without a rain, it attains its
-perfection. The northern provinces of Argentina have it over its
-southern neighbors in the fact that no matter how dry the country is,
-if it lies within the proper altitudes it is forested.
-
-I have heard the Province of Tucuman spoken of by Argentinos as having
-a tropical climate. Such is not the truth, but it is, in climate,
-the nearest approach to the tropics of any of the other Argentine
-provinces, with the exception of the lowlands of Salta that lie
-within the La Plata watershed. All nations are apt to exaggerate their
-endowments of nature, therefore one should not too sharply criticize
-the Argentinos when they speak of Tucuman as tropical. The Germans call
-part of Saxony, "Saechische Schweiz," when it bears no more resemblance
-to Switzerland than does a pot of ink to a bucket of milk. The
-Uruguayans love to style their land "The Greenland of South America,"
-and even the Paraguayans call their mountains the "Himalaya Mbaracayu."
-The only similarity of Tucuman to the tropics is the excessive heat in
-summer, and the prevalence of fevers, the most noteworthy being a form
-of malaria, named _chuchu_ which is also in Santiago del Estero, Jujuy,
-and Salta. A more fever-free country is hard to imagine from the lay
-of the land, yet I am sorry to say that the Argentine Board of Health
-statistics belie it. Malaria is one of the foremost death-causing
-ailments in northwestern Argentina. I would, however, class these
-provinces as being healthy, as there are no other epidemics excepting
-an occasional sporadic outbreak of smallpox.
-
-Entering Tucuman province from Santiago del Estero, the scenery
-abruptly changes from the quebracho thicket to large open fields of
-sugar cane. It was summer when I visited it and the cane was nowhere
-near its growth. Compared with Cuba, the soil is poorer, the cane
-sicklier, and the establishments smaller. It is a go-between Cuba and
-the other islands of the West Indies.
-
-From the city of Tucuman northward the scenery is beautiful. Seated
-in the dining car of the narrow gauge Central Northern Railroad
-with an overflowing glass of Rubia beer in front of me, and gazing
-at the fleeting landscape, I was entranced by the works of God. An
-endless forest of hardwood, with magnificent spreading tops, yet
-too small to make saw timber, formed an excrescence on the reddish
-clay thicker than bristles on Tamworth swine. The undergrowth is
-thick like that of southern Chile, but here nature is like that of a
-warmer clime. No towns and but few farmhouses are visible, yet this
-is a populous country. The houses are hidden away in the forest, and
-their owners make their living by stock raising, their herds roaming
-at random in the woods. High green mountains grace the landscape,
-their lower reaches wooded, while their tops uplifted above the tree
-line are verdant with grasses. They are like the Paraguayan mountains
-in contour, domed or serrated but never flat. The rainy season is
-from December to April. Then the country looks its best. Under such
-conditions I saw it. The seven months from May through November
-constitute the dry season, and I was told that then the landscape has
-a dreary appearance owing to its parched dryness. The cattle seem to
-thrive even then. They are gaunt, rawboned creatures and even when fat,
-a man can nearly hang his hat upon their haunches. They have great
-endurance and are driven across the northern passes into Chile where
-they sell for nineteen cents a pound live weight. Even with their great
-shrinkage en route there is quite a profit to this. In the Province
-of Salta where land cannot get irrigation, it is worthless except
-for cattle raising owing to the seven months' drought, as water is
-absolutely necessary for their crops.
-
-To the stations, on the approach of the train, lean dogs and fat sows
-come, and standing on the platform in front of the dining car, they
-look longingly at the windows, and with barking and squealing let their
-presence be known. These animals know exactly what time the trains
-are scheduled to arrive and depart, where the dining car stops, and at
-which end of the dining car the kitchen is. This sagacity comes from
-intuition covering a long period. They are at every station and are
-especially noticeable at the stop named Virgilio Tedin. The cook and
-waiters never throw them anything, but instead occasionally douse them
-with the contents of a bucket of dish water. The passengers are more
-compassionate, and always throw a piece of biscuit or bone at these
-animals who pounce upon the castings with squeals of delight. The
-dogs are afraid of the sows, which although fat are of good fighting
-material.
-
-  [Illustration: Guemes
-
-   A typical town of northern Argentina]
-
-Guemes, a town of two thousand inhabitants is the junction for Salta
-and for Jujuy. Although Salta is on a branch line and Jujuy is on
-the main one, all through trains go to Salta for it is the largest
-place. For Jujuy, you have to change. Jujuy, the capital of the
-small province of the same name, is a miserable, squalid place of six
-thousand inhabitants, in a hot but healthy valley. It used to have
-twenty thousand people in the Colonial period, when it was the outpost
-of Spanish civilization of the La Plata provinces; it then did a brisk
-trade with Bolivia. The town has no future. Midway between Guemes and
-Jujuy is the junction of Perico from which place a railroad extends
-in a northeasterly direction to Oran, in the province of Salta. This
-is also an old place with many houses in ruins. It has but twenty-five
-hundred inhabitants and is a shell of its former opulence. It now has
-a good future because a railroad is being built to connect it with
-Formosa on the Paraguay River, and much timber and tropical products
-will be brought in to be exported. Now Oran exports oranges and
-bananas. Another old Colonial town of crumbling houses is Santiago del
-Esteca near Metan, a station of the Central Northern Railroad south
-of Guemes. Santiago del Esteca lies in the midst of a thick forest and
-communication with the outside world is carried on over a rough wagon
-road. The Central Northern Railroad ends at La Quiaca, the frontier
-station at the Bolivian boundary line. From Jujuy northward it is
-a gradual climb to Abrapampa, over thirteen thousand feet above sea
-level and then a drop of about three thousand feet to the terminus.
-The railroad is in some places rack and pinion but the trip for scenic
-beauty affords but little interest to the tourist for it is over bleak
-and barren mountains. The trip from Buenos Aires to La Paz, Bolivia,
-can be made in one week, owing to the excellent stage-coach service of
-a Bolivian company connecting La Quiaca with Uyuni on the Antofagasta
-to Bolivia Railroad.
-
-Live hogs in northern Argentina are shipped in the baggage cars of
-passenger trains, although there seems to be plenty of empty swine
-wagons. The animals are trussed up by a noose slipped over their
-snouts, drawn tightly and slipped around their front feet which are
-bound; the rope is then extended to their hind feet which are already
-hobbled. I saw half a dozen of these creatures bound this way being
-taken from the baggage car at Guemes and laid in the sun on the depot
-platform, when the thermometer stood at 108 deg. Fahrenheit in the
-shade.
-
-On the spur to Salta the first stop is Campo Santo, meaning "holy
-ground" or "cemetery." I am told that it is very appropriately named as
-the fevers here are exceedingly common and are of great virulence.
-
-He who has been to Argentina and has failed to see the Lerma Valley
-is to be pitied. I have been told that the Cauca Valley in Colombia
-is one of nature's rare masterpieces, and I would like to have it
-compared with that of the Lerma by somebody who has seen both. Midway
-between Guemes and Salta we reach the Lerma River, and the high wooded
-hills narrow down to a defile, coming to the water's edge in some
-places which necessitates the train in some places to pass through
-tunnels. An occasional charcoal burner's hut is seen, but no other
-habitations. Suddenly the defile ends, the river is crossed, and a
-long valley several miles wide is entered, its whole floor in a high
-state of cultivation and dotted with farmhouses. Near at hand are green
-foothills, which afford pasture for stock. Behind are wooded mountains.
-The whole panorama is beautified by the high Andes to the west and
-north whose summits are capped with perpetual snow. The city of Salta
-is approached; its many towers and Gothic spires, together with its
-setting at the base of wooded mountains, brings to one's mind visions
-of cities of Central Europe.
-
-  [Illustration: Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, Salta]
-
-The Province of Salta has an area of 62,184 square miles and had
-185,643 inhabitants according to the last census, that of 1914. It is
-divided into twenty-one departments which are analogous to the counties
-of our states. There is a great variation of soil and climate ranging
-from barrenness and frigidity in the high Andes to exuberant vegetation
-and torrid heats in the department of Oran. The principal industry
-is the exportation of stock into Chile. A railroad to Chile seems to
-be the want of the inhabitants. They say that if one were built to
-Antofagasta, they would need no trade with the rest of Argentina for
-then all their exports would be sent north by the Pacific boats, and
-their imports from the United States would be brought in that way,
-saving a great expense in freight. This is only too true. Argentina
-is willing that such a railroad should be built, but the Chilean
-Government has refused permission on the grounds that there would be
-a great exodus of population from their barren northern provinces to
-the fruitful country across the Andes, namely Salta and Jujuy. There
-has always been more or less enmity between Argentina and Chile over
-a national boundary dispute regarding the limits of the Province of
-Salta, whose productive soil the first-mentioned country is jealous
-of. The question once nearly precipitated a war and the statue of the
-Cristo Redentor is a monument of the pact of peace.
-
-Whenever nature bestows opulence on a country, it invariably endows it
-with setbacks. This it did in Salta by giving it fevers and venomous
-snakes. The chuchu fever is the commonest disease and although not
-so prevalent as in the Province of Tucuman, it is here in a more
-malignant form. It is conveyed by the bite of the mosquito and much
-resembles ague, excepting that the body is racked by pains, each day in
-a different place. It is supposed never to leave the system, quinine
-availing but little. It weakens the heart and in this way death is
-caused, but only after several or more years. Some people never have
-it, and, by the healthy looks of the inhabitants and by the number of
-aged people to be seen in Salta, I do not believe its effects are as
-dangerous as is claimed. Among the snake family there are some venomous
-species, notably the viper and the cascabel. The bite of the latter is
-synonymous with sure death.
-
-The city of Salta, whose population is estimated at twenty-eight
-thousand exclusive of a garrison of two thousand soldiers, is one of
-the best built cities and, for its size, one of the liveliest towns
-in Argentina. Its streets are paved with creosote blocks as in Paris;
-it has an electric car system and all the progressive improvements.
-Its buildings are modern two-story structures, and old houses of the
-Colonial period with ornate carved wood entrances. On February 20,
-1813, General Arenales defeated the Spaniards on a plain north of the
-town, and a few years ago at a Centennial to celebrate the event, a
-handsome monument of stone with bronze martial bas-reliefs, surmounted
-by a female statue of Liberty holding aloft a cross, was unveiled on
-the battle ground and is regarded by the Saltenos as the pride of their
-town. The principal plaza of the city is named in honor of the hero,
-Arenales, and a monument is soon to be placed on the brick base in the
-center of this square which formerly was graced by a squat obelisk. The
-principal club of the city is likewise named after the victory, its
-nomenclature being the 20th of February Club. This edifice faces the
-plaza and is by far the most modern building in Salta; it is the only
-building in the city that is three stories high. Many cities of half a
-million inhabitants cannot boast of so fine a club regarding interior
-furnishings. The wood carving, which is of Salta oak and cedar is of
-native workmanship; the Saltenos are famous in that art and I doubt
-if anywhere woodcarving by hand is done better. The parquet flooring
-of the club ballroom makes the visitor gasp with amazement when he
-is told that the work and the wood are all local. On the furniture of
-this club, which is even equipped with a gymnasium, no expense has been
-spared. The ballroom chairs of Marie Antoinette style are upholstered
-with silk, and the massive candelabra are of the choicest Venetian
-glass. The toilet room, I am pleased to relate, is one of the very few
-that I visited in Argentina that is kept clean.
-
-The buildings around the Plaza Arenales are all arcaded, but the only
-one of architectural interest is the old Cabildo, or city hall, of
-Spanish times. It is a low, squat, long structure of massive walls
-and with rounded arches forming the arcades. A low, pointed tower
-rises above the center. The lower floor of this building is now given
-up entirely to stores while the upper ones are leased for dwelling
-purposes.
-
-  [Illustration: Tomb in Cemetery, Salta]
-
-The Hotel Plaza of Ramon Terres is a two-story building at the
-northeast corner of the square and, although it is by no means a St.
-Regis, it is good enough for Salta. Unfortunately most of the bedrooms
-face a glass-roofed courtyard, which besides making them dark, does
-not allow the entry of much fresh air. The pillows are so hard that
-the guests are apt to wonder if they are stuffed with brickbats. One of
-the curious figures that haunted the hotel cafe was a very old, tall,
-and thin gentleman of a decidedly noble and dignified appearance. His
-hair which was abundant, and his well-trimmed beard were silvery white.
-His clean features, neat black clothes, and derby hat would deceive a
-person into believing that this old man was a retired Scots professor
-or German scientist. There was something uncanny about his appearance,
-for I had never before seen so well-groomed and active a man of an age
-that I imagined him to be; it was as if he had long ago passed the age
-limit in which old men die, and yet decided that he would remain on
-earth a good spell yet. He was always one of the last persons to leave
-the cafes nights, and the first to enter them mornings; he made the
-rounds with regularity, and always had a drink before him. I asked the
-Spanish bartender who he was:
-
-"He was once a very rich man who made his money by cattle dealing
-in Chile. He spent most of it and now is on an allowance from his
-relations. He has been in Chile over one hundred times trading stock,
-and is thinking of going again soon. He is an expert horseman. He is
-over one hundred years old, and," said the waiter in a confidential
-undertone, "he is a devil with the women. He chases after all
-the servant girls and has lewd designs on the chambermaid." This
-chambermaid, by the way, was terribly good-looking, with dark brown
-eyes, and rosy red cheeks. I admired the old man's choice.
-
-Salta has some remarkable religious edifices. It is the see of a
-bishop, who has a palace adjoining the cathedral. The diocese was
-created in 1806 and comprises the provinces of Salta and Jujuy. The
-present bishop, Jose Gregorio Romero, has been the incumbent only
-since 1915. The inhabitants have the reputation of being very devout,
-although I observed that all the Catholics with whom I was brought into
-contact with in Salta, ate meat on Friday. This also applies to the
-clergy. In the rich, cool, and lofty cathedral, there is a shrine with
-an image of the crucified Savior, which has a most peculiar history.
-Years ago there was found on a lonely beach in Chile, two boxes, which
-had evidently been washed ashore from an unknown shipwreck. One was
-labeled with the address of a person in Cordoba, and the other was
-addressed to a Senor del Milagro in Salta. On being opened, the box
-destined for Cordoba was found to contain an image of the Virgin, while
-that for Salta contained the Christ. His halo is of wrought gold, and
-the cross on which He is nailed is of iron. As there was no such person
-in Salta as "del Milagro," the church appropriated the image which is
-known as the Cristo del Milagro, and is shown by the sexton.
-
-Two of the oldest churches are those of Merced and of San Bernardo.
-The church of the Candelaria has the finest facade with a detached
-campanile, but the most interesting of all is the church and monastery
-of San Francisco. The cloister has massive walls, seven feet thick.
-It houses fourteen brown-robed monks of the Franciscan order. Most of
-them were an unwashed, unkempt lot; the quantity of empty wine and beer
-bottles in the kitchen yard bore testimony to many libations on their
-part. The whole monastery is a maze of halls, porches, passageways,
-staircases, cupolas, belfries, cells, courtyards, and gardens. This
-confusion arose because a new part was added each time the growth of
-the monastery warranted it. Into the large garden is turned nightly
-a large bloodhound, kept ugly by being constantly fed on raw meat.
-This is to prevent the townspeople from scaling the walls to steal the
-luscious fruit and grapes which the monks cultivate. In the daytime
-the dog is kept chained up, but only two or three of the inmates are
-on friendly enough terms with this modern Cerberus to approach it.
-The tall campanile of San Francisco is the highest church tower in
-Argentina.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Mitre, Salta
-
-   This is the main street of the city]
-
-I had a letter of introduction from Dr. Manuel de Iriondo, president
-of the Bank of the Argentine Nation and one of the most prominent men
-in the republic, to the manager of the Salta branch, Senor Francisco
-Pereyra. I have never met a finer gentleman that Senor Pereyra. Not
-only did he wine and dine me at his own residence, but he went at
-great length to entertain me, introduce me to his friends, to the
-mayor of the city, to the governor of the province, took me out for
-automobile rides, and when I left Salta loaded me with literature, both
-statistical and historical of the province and city. Senor Pereyra made
-me a present of a hardwood cane, the tree from which it is made being
-indigenous to the Province of Salta, and named San Antonio. Mariano
-Posse is the name of Pereyra's eighteen-year-old brother-in-law who is
-going to Buenos Aires in a year to study medicine. I tried to persuade
-the young man to come to the United States to take a course in one
-of our universities, which I think will eventually materialize. At
-the time of this writing, Senor Pereyra has left Salta and is manager
-of the Bank of the Argentine Nation at Catamarca, the capital of the
-Andean province of the same name. He had recently, shortly before
-leaving Salta, the misfortune to lose by death, his wife, an estimable
-lady. I met Dr. Waldino Riarte, a friend of Senor Pereyra's. Both men
-were originally from Tucuman. Dr. Riarte is one of the wealthiest and
-highest standing men in the province, to which position he rose through
-his own efforts. One of the Salteno's with whom I became acquainted
-was Dr. Sola, a graduate of the Ohio State University, class of 1904.
-He has not been in the United States since he graduated. He was sent
-there to study, by the Argentine Government, and liked it so well that
-he wants to go back to the United States. He was anxious to hear the
-results of the collegiate football games for the past few years, as he
-played on the 'varsity while attending Ohio State.
-
-"Chopp" (pronounced _schop_) is a coined word supposed to be the
-Spanish translation of the German word _schoppen_. Its nearest English
-equivalent is our coined word "schuper." Under the arcades of the
-old Cabildo, a German has established a saloon which he has named "El
-Bueno Chopp," meaning "The Good Schuper." A native seeing the volume of
-business which came to the thrifty German, thinking that it all came
-from the name he gave his place, hung out a sign styling his liquid
-refreshment emporium, "El Mejor Chopp," which means "The Best Schuper."
-It happens that in this latter resort, it is impossible to get draught
-beer in schupers, as the proprietor deals only in bottled goods. He
-does a poor business compared to that of the German.
-
-In the Bueno Chopp saloon where I would occasionally go for a libation,
-I met a Dantziger named Holzmann. He inquired of me the names of
-the North American magazines most widely read by the higher classes
-of women, whereupon I told him the _Ladies' Home Journal_, Harper's
-_Bazaar_, and others, giving him their addresses. He later confided
-to me that the reason for his asking was that he wished through their
-columns to make an announcement that he intended to get married and
-he wanted a North American woman for his wife. He said he had taken a
-passion for women of that nationality, and would accept no others. This
-passion, I found, had developed from his having become enamored of the
-photograph of one of our well-known society queens that is frequently
-flaunted before our eyes in the newspaper columns of the Sunday
-supplements. Holzmann told me that when he resided in East Africa, he
-occasionally gave his former wife, when she was unruly, a beating with
-a hippopotamus hide whip; so I see what sort of fate is in store for
-his American bride.
-
-Salta years ago had a brewery owned by a man named Glueck. Through
-mismanagement it failed. The city has 120 automobiles which speaks well
-for a town of its size and isolation in South America. The wine grown
-there is supposed to be the best in Argentina, although there has been
-little done towards putting it on the market.
-
-While I was a guest of the Pereyras' I witnessed a novel sight. After
-dinner a bat was turned loose in the dining room. This phyllostome
-Senor Pereyra kept in a large cage and occasionally turned it loose to
-eat the mosquitoes which are a curse to Salta.
-
-Midway between Salta and Tucuman is the station of Rosario de la
-Frontera near which are some famous mineral baths. It is quite a winter
-resort and its waters are bottled and sold all over the republic. Palau
-is the name of the most widely distributed brand. These waters are
-naturally carbonated, but are not as strong as Apollinaris or White
-Rock. One of the finest waters in Argentina is that of Ghino from
-Tucuman province. It is somewhat like Vichy in taste but is slightly
-medicated. Its sale, however, is unfortunately local.
-
-The Province of Tucuman derives its name from a legendary Indian
-cacique named Tucuma, who is supposed to have lived in the plain of
-the Rio Monteros which flows through the province and which joins
-the Rio Sali near the city of Tucuman. It is the smallest province of
-Argentina, having an area of only 8926 square miles. Three-quarters
-of its surface is level, the remaining quarter which is the western
-part being hilly and mountainous. Tucuman is the most densely settled
-portion of Argentina, its population being, according to the census of
-1914, 373,073. On account of this density of population the Tucumanos
-like to call their province "The Europe of Argentina." In most of the
-republic the railroads preceded the settlers; here and also in Salta
-this is the reverse, for the settlers in these provinces came first. In
-1560 the Viceroy of Peru, to whose dominions this part of the country
-had belonged, declared Tucuman an independent state. It then comprised
-what are now the geographical divisions of Santiago del Estero,
-Tucuman, Catamarca, Salta, Jujuy, and Cordoba. In 1782 Salta, Jujuy,
-and Cordoba were separated from it. In 1821 Catamarca and Santiago del
-Estero followed suit.
-
-The capital city, also named Tucuman, was founded September 29, 1565,
-by Diego de Villarroel at the confluence of the Sali and Monteros
-rivers. In 1585 it was moved to the site that it now occupies. It
-is situated near the middle of the province, at an elevation of 1453
-feet above sea level. The city itself has a population of about one
-hundred thousand inhabitants, but it is a distributing point for a
-much greater population for at no great distance from it are numerous
-towns, large sugar factories with their colonies of workmen. In shape
-the city is nearly square. It is eighteen blocks long from north to
-south and fourteen blocks wide from east to west. The streets are wide,
-and the newer ones, especially the boulevards which bound the limits,
-are lined with trees, sycamores being in the majority. Four blocks
-west of the eastern city limits is the Plaza Independencia, the center
-of mercantile, religious, and diverting activity. On it stands the
-cathedral, another church, the capitol, at least ten large cafes, and
-a couple of moving picture shows, while in the neighborhood on a street
-named Las Heras are the best shops.
-
-Las Heras, an east and west intersector, is the main business street,
-although the one which parallels it one block to the south, and
-which is named Calle 24 de Setiembre, is the street which divides its
-intersectors into different nomenclatures in the manner of the Calle
-Rivadavia in Buenos Aires. South of Calle 24 de Setiembre, the streets
-that cross it have different names than the elongations of them that
-run north of it. On Calle Las Heras are the important banks. The next
-business streets in order according to their commercial worth are
-Mendoza, which parallels Las Heras one block north of it, Laprida, and
-Maipu, the two last named being cross streets. Calle Maipu is devoted
-to second class-shops; the third-class shops and the slums, which are
-vile, although not so vile as the slums of Cordoba, are at the extreme
-western end of Las Heras near the Central of Cordoba Railroad station.
-
-The religious edifices, although their external appearances are
-imposing and have double towers and domes of light blue porcelain tile,
-are not worth visiting unless to pray in, as their interiors offer no
-more artistic attractions than thousands of their kind elsewhere.
-
-The capitol is by far the finest building in the city. It is
-three stories high on the outside, and four on the inside (for the
-courtyards are sunk one story below the street level), and occupies a
-considerable area. It is by no means the finest capitol building that
-I have visited, but as it is the newest, having been just completed,
-it is probably the best equipped. Though it is built in the business
-section of the city where it cannot show off to its best advantage, it
-however, makes the capitol at Lansing, Michigan, look like 30 cents. In
-Argentine, as it is almost impossible to get marble, all the provincial
-capitols are built of brick, solidly, so as to stand forever. The
-Argentine brick is not pleasing to the eyes, as it is rough. To
-embellish the buildings of this material they are given a coating of
-drab stucco cement.
-
-  [Illustration: Capitol, Tucuman]
-
-I visited the Governor, Dr. Ernesto Padilla, a tall, handsome, affable
-man about forty years old. He is quite an archeologist, and in a
-room adjoining his private office in the capitol he has installed
-his private collection of Indian antiquities of the province. It is
-a most remarkable collection of pottery, ornaments, etc. Near Tafi
-a large stone has been recently discovered with Indian scrolls,
-hieroglyphics, and drawings. A North American photographer residing in
-Tucuman went out to see this stone. With chalk, he outlined the rather
-indistinct drawings and then took a photograph of it. This photograph
-is reproduced on pages 635 and 637 of my previous work, _Illustrated,
-Descriptive Argentina_.
-
-Dr. Padilla introduced me to General O'Donnell, the military commander
-of the province. A curious fact is that this general cannot speak the
-English language, having been born in Argentina. I held a letter of
-introduction to Senor S. A. Wyss, manager of the Hilaret y Cia sugar
-mill at Santa Ana, the largest in South America, and also one to Mr.
-Stewart Shipton, manager of the Corona mill at Concepcion. Both mills
-are several hours' distant from Tucuman, and in trying to catch the
-train for Concepcion, I went to the wrong depot. Dr. Padilla afterwards
-told me that it would have been useless for me to have gone to either
-of those places, because there were sugar mills much nearer to the
-city. He wrote me a letter of introduction to Senor Alfredo Guzman,
-the richest man in the province, who has a mill at a town also named
-Concepcion, which is only a twenty minutes' drive from the capital. He
-likewise wrote me a letter to Dr. Juan C. Nougues, who has a mill at
-San Pablo, which I visited. There are two kinds of sugar districts in
-the Province of Tucuman, one on the plains like that of Senor Guzman's
-estate, and one in the hills like the one at San Pablo.
-
-Tucuman is a hot place, both climatically and morally. In the latter
-line are the Crystal Palace and the Moulin Rouge, while in the former
-line, the thermometer often rises above the comfortable point. The
-night I arrived it registered 106 deg. Fahrenheit in the shade. It was so
-hot that I thought I would cool off by walking down the Calle Laprida.
-The one-story houses are so constructed that in front of each window
-an iron balcony extends to the sidewalk; the railings of these are
-of wrought iron, or marble. Here sit the belles on hot summer nights
-airing themselves. They certainly need to, for as I strolled down
-the street the stench that was wafted from them to me was nearly
-asphyxiating. It is the odor that is present in the summer when the
-human body is unfriendly to soap, water, and the scrub brush. Some of
-these beauties sat behind shutters in the darkness, but I was aware of
-their presence, although I could not see them.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Laprida, Tucuman
-
-   Behind the iron balconies, such as has the house on the left, the women
-   of Tucuman are seated on hot summer evenings airing themselves]
-
-In 1914, there was founded in Tucuman a university, at the head of
-which is Dr. Juan B. Teran. So far, the university is incomplete,
-for of the five departments of instruction which it will have when
-completed, only two are at present running. These are the pedagogical
-department, and that of mechanics, agriculture, and chemistry. The
-latter has an agricultural experimental station near the city, at
-present in charge of a North American, Dr. William E. Cross. Its
-chemical and bacteriological laboratory is the best in the republic.
-The University of Tucuman to-day is more like a polytechnical institute
-and agricultural combined than that which we generally think of by the
-word "university."
-
-As to hotels, Tucuman has one of the best in South America, the Savoy.
-It, together with two separate buildings, one a roulette casino, and
-the other a large theater, is the property of the Da Rossa Company,
-a Portuguese syndicate. The Savoy is leased to a Frenchman, R.
-Eluchand, and is managed by Senor Scheindl formerly of Vienna. It is
-Mr. Scheindl's sister whose portrait appears on the Austrian twenty
-crown note; she was supposed to be the most beautiful girl in Austria.
-The Savoy is a large affair of 116 rooms, most of which have a bath
-in connection. It is on the Boulevard Sarmiento in an excellent but
-not central location. It is finely equipped, and is like a palace with
-its large courtyard enclosed by pillared balconies. The hotel has been
-a "white elephant" because it is too fine for the city. Mr. Scheindl
-tells me that in the hotel line, the Tucumanos always want something
-for nothing, and when the inhabitants give their big balls at the
-Savoy, he either runs behind or else only breaks even; otherwise, if
-he insisted that they pay what he thought would be just, they would
-boycott him in the future. The other hotels which are in the central
-part of the city are the Europe, the Paris, and the Frascati, the
-first mentioned being the best. The Frascati is owned by the Palladini
-brothers, one of them, Attilio, having been former manager of the
-Savoy. When I knew Attilio Palladini several years ago, he was the
-courier of the Parque Hotel in Montevideo, and quit it to be head
-portier of the Hotel Savoy in Buenos Aires.
-
-In Tucuman itself, there is nothing of interest for the sightseer.
-It is only a large commercial town in a fine agricultural district
-dependent on the sugar industry. Contrary to the fabrications the
-stranger will hear elsewhere in Argentina knocking it, saying that it
-is a fever hotbed, it is a sanitary place for the person that has the
-price to indulge in mineral waters as beverages, for its own water is
-not potable, owing to the sediment and dust that it contains. Talking
-with business men about investment of capital in Tucuman, there does
-not seem to be much encouragement in the manufacturing line. A flour
-mill would undoubtedly pay, and there is a splendid opportunity to
-start a steam laundry, as there is a constant complaint about the
-present one. It does its work poorly and charges exorbitant prices. It
-is said that a small ice plant in one of the neighboring towns, which
-would supply the wants of the inhabitants of the thickly inhabited
-districts, would also pay. A brewery has started in Tucuman, named
-the Cerveceria del Norte (Northern Brewery). It is controlled by
-the Quilmes people and has a large enough capacity to supply entire
-Argentina if necessary. Its brands of beer from light to dark are
-Rubia, Tucma, and Oran. Rubia is very palatable.
-
-I became acquainted with a photographer in Tucuman, Mr. Henry A. Kirwin
-of New York. He came down here as a photographer eight years ago, and
-wants to get back home. He says it is much easier for a man to get down
-there than to get back. He seems to have a fair business, photographing
-machinery at the different mills and at the railroad yards at Tafi
-Viejo. Many of his photographs of family groups have yellow chemicals
-smeared over the faces of the clients on the plates. I asked him why
-this was.
-
-"You see," said he, "most of the natives have Indian blood. It is
-supposed to be much nicer if this origin would be unknown, therefore
-I have to put this chemical on the plates so their faces will have a
-decidedly European cast in the photograph."
-
-It is customary for the relatives of dead persons to have photographs
-taken of their once beloved. Mr. Kirwin had a choice collection of
-these local corpses which he insisted on showing me; there were over
-sixty. Among them were some "tasty" specimens, some being victims of
-the bubonic plague in 1913. Some were unrecognizable, charred masses
-of flesh that had been human before the subjects perished in a fire,
-while others were the gruesome countenances of cadavers whose faces
-were partially eaten away by cancer.
-
-While in Mendoza, I thought the canine population was excessive. It is
-small compared with that of Tucuman. In this city every criolla has
-two or more Mexican hairless dogs, and the number of hybrids between
-bulldog, Great Dane, whiffet, and old hound is appalling. Three hundred
-thousand dogs is, I think, a low estimate of the canine inhabitants
-of the city. None are muzzled; but few are fed; and all run after
-bicycles, automobiles, and wagons. They make night hideous by howling,
-and fighting about the possession of putrid bones, mule dung, and
-garbage.
-
-From Tucuman there is a trip that the visitor should not fail to
-miss. This is the twenty-mile automobile ride to the settlement and
-summer resort of Villa Nougues, 4225 feet above the plain on which
-the city is built. Nougues is situated not far from the summit of the
-wooded mountains southwest of Tucuman. The road leads due west, and
-then swerves to the south past populous farming country and through
-the village of Yerba Buena to the sugar mill and colony of San Pablo,
-where Dr. Nougues has his palatial mansion, and private church. His
-beautiful estate lies on gently sloping ground two miles east of the
-wooded mountains. All provisions for the summer colony and hotel at
-Villa Nougues must be taken up by wagon or by automobile from Tucuman.
-Most of the heavy trucking is done by means of ox carts. Early in the
-morning we met at San Pablo several of these oxcarts plodding slowly
-up the country road, and at night on our return to the city we met
-these same teams only halfway up the mountain, so hard is the pull on
-the beasts. When the road reaches the mountains it makes a serpentine,
-and then zigzags upward through the semi-tropical forest abounding
-with orange and crimson cannas. Every so often through the umbrageous
-trees and giant ferns, a panorama is to be had of the plain of Tucuman
-with its rectangular fields of sugar cane and small towns with their
-_usines_.
-
-  [Illustration: Residence of Dr. Juan C. Nougues, San Pablo
-
-   The gentleman in the foreground is Senor Scheindl, manager of the Hotel
-   Savoy in Tucuman]
-
-  [Illustration: Country House at Villa Nougues]
-
-Arrived at the settlement of Villa Nougues is the hotel where parties
-from the city come up on hot days to enjoy the cool invigorating air.
-Seated on the porch of Dr. Teran's house, which is near the hotel, in
-company of Dr. Teran, Governor Padilla, Senor Scheindl, and a rich
-sugar planter named Rouges, we looked across the broad long plain,
-styled the "Europe of Argentina," and I learned many interesting facts.
-The valley of the Rio Sali which crosses the province from north to
-south, is fed by twenty-five rivers which flow into it from the west
-to the east. The Sali flows southward and is finally lost in a large
-brackish lake, the Mar Chiquita in the Province of Cordoba. The great
-industrial and agricultural plain, with its sugar mills among which are
-the usines of San Jose, San Antonio, San Pablo, Paraiso, and countless
-others and its railroad workshops at Tafi Viejo, has a cultivated area
-of two hundred and fifty thousand acres. It was originally thickly
-forested as can be testified by occasional uncleared patches. Here
-civilization preceded the railroad, and only in the poorer part of
-the province in the direction of Santiago del Estero did the railroad
-come first. This valley is the cradle of Argentine liberty, for here
-the Spaniards having gone through the country like a steam mower, were
-finally decisively beaten in battle, and July 9, 1816, at Tucuman, the
-Argentine Confederation was born.
-
-Three kilometers west of Villa Nougues is the summit of the foothills.
-Looking west from this summit, the vista of the San Javier Valley, with
-its forested mountains, and with its wooded detached hills rising from
-the midst of cultivated river bottoms, Alpine pastures, and numerous
-streams, is like that of the Inn in Tirol, although it is here even
-more beautiful. The Catamarca mountains, snow-capped domed Aconquija,
-and the bleak Andes form the western background, behind which the sun
-sinks in the aureate splendor of a fireball. This is one of the finest
-views in the world and should be seen in the late afternoon.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI
-
-CORDOBA
-
-
-Cordoba is the third province of Argentina in population, it having had
-in 1914, 732,727 inhabitants. In area it contains 62,160 square miles.
-It is the heart of Argentina, being situated in the center of the
-republic. The eastern part is pampa while the western part is a high,
-dry plateau, traversed from north to south by mountain ranges notably
-among which are chains of Pocho and Ischilin. These mountain ranges
-which are two hundred miles in length are isolated from the Andean
-system; their southernmost extremities are named the Sierra de Cordoba
-and are a veritable karst like the Kuestenlande of Austria, gray
-granite boulders being everywhere. The eastern slopes of this karst
-are covered with a thick vegetation of mesquite and other shrubs due
-to the moist Atlantic winds, while their western slopes are destitute
-of vegetation. The air here is dry and refreshing and the Sierra de
-Cordoba enjoys the same role in Argentina that Colorado does in the
-United States, being the haunt of consumptives. Likewise the Sierra
-is the playground of many wealthy Buenos Aires families, for it is a
-treat to them to get away from the level monotonous plain upon which
-their city is built. West and northwest of the isolated mountain chain
-is a vast barren desert, part of it being called the Salinas Grandes
-on account of the white surface of the soil due to saline deposits.
-Cordoba is watered by five rivers named the Primero, Segundo, Tercero,
-Quarto, and Quinto (which means First, Second, Third, Fourth, and
-Fifth). These rivers are used for irrigating purposes, for water power,
-and for electricity. The whole province is noted for the pureness of
-its well water, artesian wells abounding. Every few years the locust or
-grasshopper plague hits Argentina, and when it comes it strikes Cordoba
-unusually hard. One of the frontispiece photographs shows a locust trap
-on a Cordoba farm. This is the catch of two days, the corrugated iron
-plates having been spread with honey mixed with poison. I consider this
-one of the most remarkable photographs ever published.
-
-The trip from Tucuman to Cordoba is an 11 hours' trip of 340 miles
-by the Central of Cordoba Railroad. The track is narrow gauge, but
-the sleepers, dining car, and service are the best that I have ever
-chanced on in Argentina. All trains between the two cities make the
-trip by night, for in the daytime the heat and glare of the sun on the
-Salinas Grandes, a great salt desert midway between the two cities, is
-unbearable. This desert abounds with rattlesnakes, called "cascabel."
-I met a tramp who walked from Tucuman to Cordoba; he was afraid to lie
-down by the wayside to rest on account of these reptiles. In one day he
-killed over fifty of them.
-
-The first eighty miles of the journey crosses about as pleasant a
-country as can be found anywhere, passing through the cities of Bella
-Vista, La Madrid, and San Pedro. At the latter place, the first town
-in the Province of Catamarca, desolation begins and continues until
-daylight the next morning when the traveler awakes at the large town of
-Dean Funes, the junction for San Juan, capital of the province of the
-same name. Low rocky hills now rise in every direction; the soil, dry,
-parched, and somewhat stony is overrun with pampa grass. It is cool and
-a wind is invariably blowing. The nature of the country continues this
-way almost to Cordoba, although before reaching that city, the hills to
-the southwest take the form and acquire the height of mountains.
-
-Cordoba, the third city of Argentina, has a population, exclusive of
-its suburbs, of one hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants. It was
-founded in 1573 by Luis Geronimo de Cabrera, and has always been noted
-as a seat of learning and of religion. Its university, which vies
-with that of San Marcos in Lima in being the oldest in the Western
-Hemisphere, was founded June 19, 1613, by a Jesuit father, Fernando de
-Trejo y Sanabria. The first printing press in Argentina was brought
-to this university from Lima in 1765. Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia,
-Paraguay's able dictator, was a graduate of Cordoba's university. The
-churches, cloisters, convents, and religious institutions of the city
-are innumerable, and it is estimated that over six thousand of its
-inhabitants are connected with the religious orders and organizations.
-Cordoba is one of the cleanest cities in America, and it is difficult
-to find a place where civic pride, park system, cleanliness of house
-exteriors, public buildings, pavement, hotels, cafes, department
-stores, banks, residences, religious edifices, and water supply taken
-as a whole can equal that of it. Many cities may excel it in one or
-two of the above mentioned institutions but not in the majority.
-Personally I would not care to live there unless engaged in some
-business, as there are too many "lungers," and the surrounding country
-is but a dry and rocky karst; the diversion of street life would soon
-become irksome, for with the exception of cafes, moving picture shows,
-theaters, and an occasional horse race, no Argentine city possesses any
-real live amusement places, excepting those that are synonymous with
-lights seen through carmine transoms, and they happily are not in my
-line.
-
-  [Illustration: Northern Market, Cordoba]
-
-I can see no reason for Cordoba's existence and growth. The soil of
-the country is poor and rocky, while the rainfall is slight. In the
-year 1915, seven months elapsed without a drop falling. The city is
-situated to the west of the productive part of the province, and from
-it westward to San Juan at the foot of the Andes, the country is the
-poorest in the republic. Yet Cordoba has had a rapid growth recently.
-In the manufacturing line, it has three breweries, that of Pollak and
-Brueck, generally called the Cordoba Brewery; that of the Ahrens, and
-the main brewery of the Rio Segundo Company. There is a large flour
-mill owned by Minetti, an Italian, and several brickyards. Here are
-also located the shops of the Central of Cordoba Railroad.
-
-The chief industry of Cordoba is brewing, this being largely due to the
-remarkable pureness of its well water which is artesian. Senor Nicolas
-J. Oderigo, manager of the bank of the Argentine nation, wrote me a
-letter of introduction to Mr. C. Davis, president of the Rio Segundo
-Brewing Company, which I visited in the company of Senor Stange, an
-employee of Oderigo's bank, and whom he had the kindness to send with
-me to accompany me. This large brewery has a branch at the town of
-Rio Segundo, which was the original brewery. The Rio II. Brewery is
-an independent brewery, not being allied to the Quilmes outfit as is
-generally supposed. Mr. Davis received me courteously and after having
-shown me the establishment invited Stange and myself to his house where
-he entertained us at dinner. Senor Stange is either a German or of
-German descent, but when I asked him about it he denied it, and also
-told me he could not speak a word of that language. A day or two later
-I passed by him while he was seated in animated conversation in a cafe
-with two other men, and the language he was conversing in was German.
-As Mr. Davis is an Englishman, Stange evidently had private reasons
-to cover his nationality. The brewmaster of the Rio II. Brewery told
-me that brewing was not a profitable industry in Argentina, because
-the Quilmes company was a trust and its members being affiliated
-with the political party that is in power, it has the capital and
-the means to drive the smaller breweries to the wall, by stringent
-legislation and usurious taxation. This Rio II. Brewery is smaller than
-the large breweries of Detroit, yet it pays more taxes than does the
-Anheuser-Busch Brewery or the Pabst or Schlitz breweries.
-
-The Cordoba Brewery as I have mentioned is owned by Pollak and Brueck.
-Pollak is an Austrian Jew who married a Cordoba woman, and who turned
-Roman Catholic to get prestige, but like most people who are members of
-the race he abjured, his business methods are not considered synonymous
-with good faith.
-
-His beer, to my idea, is the most palatable of any of the Cordobese
-beers. Amber is the name of his light product, while Muenchen is that
-of his dark. With the townspeople his product is the most popular,
-notwithstanding his personal unpopularity.
-
-The approach to Cordoba by rail is similar on a small scale to that
-of La Paz, Bolivia, for both cities lie in a pocket in the hills and
-their presence is not visible until the ground of the plain above them
-drops away, and they are seen below you. The pocket which contains La
-Paz is ten times deeper, the surprise of the traveler on first viewing
-the city being that of astonishment; but here in Cordoba, although
-the scale is exceedingly miniature, the conditions are analogous. The
-growth of Cordoba has been such that there is no more room left for
-building in the pocket, so now the new resident who wishes to build
-a home of his own is obliged to do so on the plain above the city.
-Several suburbs have sprung up and go by the names of Alta Cordoba,
-Alberdi, and Nueva Cordoba.
-
-Alta Cordoba can be likened to the station Alto de La Paz, although
-here there is quite a large town. Here is situated the Central of
-Cordoba railroad station with the railroad workshops, and a market
-named Mercado del Norte. A fine, broad avenue winds from Alta Cordoba
-in big curves, down a cleft in the hillside, passes under a stone
-railroad bridge, and reaches the river bottom at the beautiful shady
-park of Las Heras. It now crosses the Rio Primero over a new stone
-bridge, named the Centenario, at whose end is the Avenue General Paz.
-This is where begins the city proper, which on the floor of the valley
-is twenty-one blocks wide by thirty-one blocks long, and which does not
-include the other suburbs in the pocket which are named San Vicente at
-the eastern and Villa Paez at the western ends of the original town.
-
-The Plaza San Martin is in the center of Cordoba and is the nucleus of
-the city life. From here run straight streets east and west, and north
-and south which are the busy ones of the capital. On the plaza is the
-cathedral, two of the leading banks, and the best hotels. The business
-arrangement of this particular section is like that of Tucuman. The
-great show street is the aristocratic and superbly beautiful Avenida
-General Paz, beginning at the plaza of the same name at the Centenario
-Bridge and continuing ten blocks southward to the Plaza Velez
-Sarsfield. This street is the handsomest in Argentina. From the Plaza
-Velez Sarsfield there is a continuation of it to the heights beyond the
-city proper, and which is here named the Avenida Velez Sarsfield.
-
-  [Illustration: Cathedral of Cordoba]
-
-From the Plaza Velez Sarsfield the new Avenida Argentina, destined to
-become the most exclusive residential street of the city on account of
-the high price of the terrain, ascends to the plazas Centenario and
-Dean Funes at the entrance of Sormiento Park, Cordoba's playground.
-Halfway up the Avenida Argentina on the left-hand side stands a
-magnificent and imposing mansion, that of Senor Martin Ferreyra. It is
-a landmark, and seen from the plain at the opposite end of the city,
-it looms up as if it dominates over the city and no other building
-seems as large. It has already cost its owner over three million pesos
-($1,281,000) and is not yet completed.
-
-"How did Senor Ferreyra make his money?" I asked the chauffeur.
-
-"His father left a large sum of money which had been handed down from
-several generations. Martin Ferreyra was made administrator of his
-father's estate and cheated the other heirs out of their share," was
-his answer.
-
-  [Illustration: Residence of Martin Ferreyra, Cordoba]
-
-The zoological garden at the Parque Sarmiento lies in a cleft of the
-ridge and was laid out in 1914 by a German engineer. It is open to
-the public Thursdays and Sundays and is entered by descending in a
-funicular or by a circuitous way on foot. Although it is planned to
-house many animals, the only large mammals there at present are some
-seals which sport beneath the spray of an artificial cascade, and a
-pair of lions which a Montevideo gentleman presented to an ex-governor
-of Cordoba, who has loaned them to the city, probably at the expense of
-the latter.
-
-  [Illustration: Church of Santa Teresa, Cordoba]
-
-Debreczen, Hungary, is nicknamed locally, "Rome of the Protestants";
-Cordoba is nicknamed "Rome of Argentina" on account of its numerous
-churches, convents, monasteries, other religious institutions, and
-multitude of priests. There are several thousand of the latter body of
-men; they and the soldiers are not reckoned in the national census of
-urban population for they are constantly moving from place to place.
-There are fourteen large churches including the cathedral, and sixteen
-other Catholic Houses of God which would be considered large in the
-United States, but which are here classed as mediocre. In contrast
-with the churches of all the rest of South America, excepting those
-of Brazil, those of Northern Argentina are much more beautiful with
-their splendid facades, domes, and towers, the latter being roofed with
-variegated porcelain tiles; blues predominating. Cordoba, Tucuman, and
-Salta are especially rich in the appearance of their churches, Tucuman
-taking the lead in the ornateness of the tiles. In Cordoba are the
-large churches of Merced, Jesuit Fathers, and Santo Domingo, but by far
-the largest and finest church in all Argentina is the cathedral, three
-centuries old, its architecture being that of the current Spanish style
-that was in vogue at the time it was built. There are a few cathedrals
-in America larger, those of Montreal, Mexico City, Lima, New York,
-Santiago, Bahia, Montevideo, and Rio de Janeiro in order of their size,
-but none excel that of Cordoba in proud richness.
-
-It is one of the finest churches in America with the best mural
-paintings of any. In this latter respect it is only exceeded by those
-of Italy. Its towers and dome are not tiled, as that art was copied
-from the Portuguese and Brazilians only during the last century.
-Decadent Romanesque, it has a solemn dignity of its own.
-
-  [Illustration: Zoological Garden, Cordoba]
-
-Of the hotels, the Plaza is the best. It is on the northeast corner of
-the Plaza San Martin, and is new. It is a solid four-story structure,
-with good rooms, and is well furnished but poorly managed. There is
-a sunparlor on the second floor. The manager told me that most of
-the rooms have baths in connection, but in this he lied. I do not
-believe that any of the rooms have a private bath. This same manager,
-an Engadine Swiss, was formerly the head portier of the Hotel Savoy
-in Rosario. I knew him of old, and crookedness is, with him, second
-nature. The restaurant of the Plaza Hotel is the best in the city. It
-is on the ground floor and has a street entrance; in connection with it
-is a cafe and a confectionery store. The meals are _a la carte_, but
-I understand that people staying at the Plaza for any length of time
-may get _pension_. The cafe is a large one, on the Viennese style, and
-connects with the restaurant by a passageway under a platform on top of
-which are stationed the orchestra, so that the musical wants of both
-the eaters and drinkers can be satisfied at the same time. The bar is
-on the United States style, and as is seldom the case in South America
-and not frequent enough in North America, the back bar is deep enough
-to give the bartenders working space, and allows them enough room to
-reach for a bottle without getting into each other's way.
-
-  [Illustration: Corner of Plaza San Martin, Cordoba]
-
-Across Calle San Geronimo from the Hotel Plaza is the Hotel San Martin,
-a good house, and managed by the former manager of the Plaza. This
-manager holds the unenviable reputation of cheating his foreign help.
-In Argentina, a native or a naturalized citizen always wins out in a
-lawsuit. When I asked some of the ex-employees of the San Martin why
-they did not sue the manager for their back wages which they claimed
-were deliberately withheld, they said:
-
-"We would look fine as Spaniards and Austrians going up against an
-Argentino in court here. The manager would trump up some lie, and have
-us arrested on some false charge and it would work."
-
-Another good hotel is the Roma, two stories high and built on the patio
-system.
-
-The Central Argentina Railroad and the Central of Cordoba both print
-luxurious illustrated folders and do much advertising relative to the
-beauties and charming mountain scenery of the Sierra de Cordoba, an
-uninteresting range of quasi barren hills in the neighborhood of the
-city. My advice to strangers is to pay no attention to these deceptive
-advertisements and not to go there, for the person that "bites" feels
-afterwards like "the fool with his money parted." This last might apply
-to pecuniary losses that are apt to befall him at the green cloth
-tables in Alta Gracia. This Sierra de Cordoba is an irregular mass
-of rocky hills, which in some places attains the form of mountains.
-The summits are over four thousand feet high and where this altitude
-is reached in the mountains to the west, the Cordobese call them Los
-Gigantes (The Giants) for they have never seen any mountains that are
-greater. They are covered with brush, while here and there is a small
-tree. As for scenic beauty they are not worth three cents.
-
-Alta Gracia is a great gambling establishment licensed by the
-provincial authorities, and as these railroad companies know the bend
-of the native mind, advertise this place which besides the gambling
-house is nothing but a large hotel, a hamlet, and an old mission
-church. I visited all the advertised places which include Dique San
-Roque, Cosquin, La Falda, Tanti, and Capilla de Monte and found none
-worth the while. Dique San Roque is a dam somewhat similar to the
-Sweetwater Dam near San Diego, California, where a greenish lake
-empties its waters into the Calera River to supply electrical power. It
-is twenty miles from Cordoba, the last five being the only part of the
-trip that can come anywhere near to being classified under the title
-scenery. The hills here are wooded with small trees, and the dangerous
-automobile road runs around promontories on ledges where the slightest
-mishap with the steering would shoot both passenger and chauffeur into
-eternity.
-
-  [Illustration: Bridge on Road to Dique San Roque
-
-   Beneath the arch of this bridge some gipsy families have taken their
-   abode]
-
-To go to Cosquin, thirty-seven miles from Cordoba, keep straight ahead
-until you reach the stone marked kilometro 28, which is the turning-off
-place for Dique San Roque. Keep straight ahead and you will come to
-the hamlet of San Roque where is a church and the residence of the
-jefe politico. A road to the left leads to Alta Gracia, but that to
-the right goes to Cosquin. After a long drive over the rocky karst, the
-village of Villa Bialet Masset is reached. It consists of a long dusty
-street flanked by sordid one-story houses. A National Consumptives Home
-on a grandiose scale is here. The scenery has become better as there is
-a green, although dusty valley watered by the Cosquin River. Cosquin is
-an unattractive town of three thousand inhabitants. The Hotel Mundial
-serves good meals but there is no diversion for its guests, who pass
-the time of day reading novels on the veranda or slumber in the garden.
-
-The inhabitants of the Province of Cordoba talk in a sing song manner
-and are known by their fashion of articulation in any part of the
-republic they may chance to find themselves in.
-
-It is a ten hours' ride on the accommodation train from Cordoba to
-Rosario, although the express trains which run by night only shorten
-the time by a couple of hours. The country is a dry but productive
-plain, and is fairly thickly settled; every few miles there is a town.
-These range from a few hundred to a few thousand inhabitants. In the
-summer of 1916 the whole region had been planted to corn, but the
-locust pest had been so busy that there was nothing left but the bare
-stalks. This disaster reached to the outskirts of Rosario. The locusts
-had even eaten all the leaves off the trees, their naked branches
-having the appearance of their winter garb. Millions of dollars had
-gone to waste on account of them, and I know an _estanciero_ in the
-Province of Buenos Aires who in a single year had destroyed by them
-sixty-five thousand dollars' worth of crops. They attack everything but
-the garden truck, and by their sputum poison the streams. A man should
-never buy land for crops in Argentina without reckoning on this plague.
-
-The Province of Santa Fe had, according to the last census, a
-population of 1,111,426, ranking in this line the second of the
-Argentine provinces. Its area is 50,916 square miles and has as its
-capital city, Santa Fe, which has a population of 91,636. Rosario,
-frequently called Rosario de Santa Fe to distinguish it from Rosario
-de La Frontera in the Province of Salta, is the largest city. Its
-population is 316,914, it being the second city of Argentina, and the
-sixth in South America, those larger in order being Buenos Aires, Rio
-de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santiago, and Montevideo.
-
-Rosario was founded by Francisco Godoy in 1725, but its growth dates
-from recent years. Although its aspect was practically the same as
-when I saw it three years previously, I could not help noticing that
-now there were much greater crowds on the streets than formerly, and
-that the principal business street had changed from the Calle General
-San Martin to its intersector, Calle Cordoba. It is the outlet to a
-grain country superior to that behind Buenos Aires, and is the livest
-commercial city in Argentina. There are quite a few local industries
-such as car shops, a sugar refinery, grain elevators, flour mills, and
-breweries. The largest importing house in Argentina, that of Chiesa
-Brothers, is located here as well as the largest drug firm. The city is
-essentially Italian, its influence predominating, although numerically
-the other foreigners and natives together have a larger population than
-the immigrants from the Lavinian shores. Rosario is also a center for
-artisans, their sculptors vying with those of Genoa in the chiseling
-of marble for tombs and statuary in Buenos Aires and in different
-parts of South America. The city is by no means beautiful nor can it
-ever be on account of the flatness of its location. There are eight
-small plazas but none of them are near the center of business. The
-streets are narrow, and are solidly lined with buildings many of which
-are imposing. This with the absence of plazas as breathing spaces,
-together with the street crowds give to Rosario an entirely commercial
-atmosphere. The courthouse is a large, long pile with a high domed
-tower surmounting the center, and is one of the most imposing buildings
-in Argentina. It is on the north side of the Plaza San Martin about
-a mile from the hub of activity of the city. On the east side of the
-same plaza, and just completed, is the Police Headquarters covering an
-entire block and undoubtedly the most modern and largest of its kind in
-the world. Two other fine buildings are the Jockey Club and the Centro
-Espanol, both also recently completed.
-
-  [Illustration: Courthouse, Rosario]
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Rosario]
-
-The Hotel Italia is the best, although its situation on a side street,
-the Calle Maipu, between Calles Rioja and San Luis is poor. The Savoy
-where I stopped, was formerly Rosario's Blackstone, but it has greatly
-deteriorated in all respects. The only thing attractive about it is the
-chambermaid on the second floor, a pretty giggling Spanish damsel. The
-Hotel de Mayo is a good second-class house and serves the best meals
-of any of the hotels, its restaurant rivaling that of the Rotisserie
-Sportsman which is above the Bar Victoria. This Bar Victoria is the
-finest refreshment parlor in South America. Its walls are decorated
-with tapestry, its furniture is of mahogany, and its fixtures are of
-brass, kept well-polished. It gave one of the Catalan waiters great
-pleasure to see me cross its threshold after an absence of three years
-and enjoy a glass of foaming Germania in the dull cathedral light of a
-waning day.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza 25 de Mayo, Rosario]
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Rosario]
-
-Tributary to Rosario, which is their shopping center, and inland
-some distance in the heart of good farming lands, are three towns:
-Pergamino, seventy miles to the south, Casilda, thirty-three miles
-to the southwest, and Canada de Gomez, forty-one miles to the west.
-Pergamino, the largest of all, is in the Province of Buenos Aires,
-being directly across the provincial line and is a railroad town. It
-is the junction of several branch lines of the Central of Argentina
-Railroad and is on the main line of the narrow gauge General Railroads
-of the Province of Buenos Aires. It has a population of twenty-eight
-thousand inhabitants and owes its prosperity to stock raising and corn
-growing.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle San Nicolas, Pergamino
-
-   The building at the right is the Hotel Roma]
-
-This city I visited, choosing it as a good example of _campo_ town
-for such is styled the Argentine prairie, and stopped over night at
-the excellent Hotel Roma, which is not only remarkable as being one
-of the finest buildings in the city, but strange to say is one of the
-few hotels in Argentina, excluding Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Tucuman,
-which has private baths in connection with the sleeping-rooms.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza 25 de Mayo, Pergamino]
-
-Viewed from the housetops, Pergamino appears a city of windmills; they
-rise everywhere. Water being scarce makes them a necessity. The city
-which is compactly built is fundamentally Italian. It is compactly
-built but has only one main street, that named San Nicolas, which
-is paved with wooden creosote blocks. The buildings are mostly but a
-single story high, and the nomenclatures over the store entrances savor
-of the River Po or the Etruscan Hills. With the exception of Calle
-San Nicolas, the other thoroughfares are unpaved. The edifices that
-flank them are of reddish brown brick with a minimum of mortar or lime
-between the cracks. Like the outskirts and side streets of most of the
-small towns of Argentina, the aspect is hideous and dismal, for the
-edifices are mere brick hovels bordering dusty lanes, abounding with
-mongrel curs that munch offal and garbage thrown from the front windows
-of the morgue-like habitations. There is in Pergamino a plaza, named
-25 de Mayo, several blocks from the business section. It is large and
-poorly kept up, and is bordered on all sides by double rows of pine
-trees, which have attained a tall but slender growth, large enough
-however to make saw timber. These trees were planted thirty years ago;
-at home it would take them one hundred years to have attained the same
-proportions.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Mercedes]
-
-From Pergamino to Buenos Aires, 166 miles by the General Railroad of
-the Province of Buenos Aires, only two towns are passed that have
-any pretext for importance. They are Salto, thirty-six miles from
-Pergamino, and Mercedes, sixty-nine miles from Buenos Aires. Mercedes
-has a population of more than thirty thousand inhabitants, and strange
-to say its streets are numbered instead of being named. This system
-is different from ours for 1st Street crosses 25th Street, and 34th
-Street crosses 16th Street, and so forth. It is so arranged that
-the high-numbered streets are in the center of the town while the
-low-numbered ones are on the outskirts. When the trains make their
-first stop it is at the 25th Street station. The stranger traveling
-through is apt to say: "Gee, but this is quite a town," judging by
-the high numbers of its streets, while in reality 1st Street is way
-out in the meadows far from the activity of central life. Mercedes
-was formerly the stamping ground of Irish immigrants. Many of these
-have become rich and powerful, and to-day retain their Hibernian names
-without speaking a word of English. I met a girl in Buenos Aires whose
-patronymic was O'Grady, yet she was conversant in no language but
-Spanish. Some of the Irish settlers did not prosper as well as the
-minority of the rich landed proprietors of Mercedes; this is testified
-by the native born whiskered Irish bums who immigrated from Mercedes to
-Buenos Aires who are seen wandering about the streets of the Argentine
-capital, garbed in rags and invariably drunk on ginevra, a low-grade
-gin.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII
-
-ASUNCION
-
-
-Overeating, oversleeping, and overindulgence in liquid refreshments
-(this applies to soft drinks as well as to others) constitute the
-whole time of the stranger in Buenos Aires, who has nothing else to do,
-than, seated at a table in front of one of the cafes on the Avenida de
-Mayo, to study human nature, and watch the endless stream of humanity,
-horses, cabs, and automobiles pass by. Tiring of this I thought of
-going to Mar del Plata and from some good point of vantage gaze in
-admiration at the attractions of that spa, and look with pleasure at
-the latest Parisian and Bonaerense creations that bedecked and showed
-off to advantage the well-molded female forms of the high aristocracy
-as they pass in parade in front of the Hotel Bristol and the Casino.
-
-Quite suddenly, and very unusual for this time of the year, for it
-was late in February, a great climatic change took place and the
-temperature which had been hovering around the 100 deg. mark dropped
-into the fifties. One gloomy morning, as I stood gazing from the balcony
-of my room into the Avenida de Mayo, watching the boulevardiers being
-hurried along by the strong wind, I decided that Mar del Plata would
-be no place for me. My thoughts diverted to warmer climes, Paraguay
-and Brazil. There is a Paraguayan store on the Avenida, a favorite
-shopping place for ladies and curio seekers. It has displays of egrets,
-feathers, stuffed birds, stuffed toads, crocodiles, iguanos, armadillo
-shells, yerba mate leaves, native headdresses of parrot wings, and
-beetles. But by far the most attractive of anything in the store is
-the fine Paraguayan girl, about twenty years old, who waits on the
-customers. I cannot call her beautiful, yet there is something so
-hypnotically fascinating about her that, after I first saw her, I was
-always returning to the store again to feast my eyes on her with the
-pretense of making some trivial purchase. Whether it was her eyes,
-her face, her voice, her figure or her natural complexion, or all
-these attractions combined that charmed me, I am unable to say, and my
-friends whom I called in to look at her all said that she exerted over
-them the same spell. Every time I saw this girl I had the longing to
-revisit Paraguay, and this, combined with the horrid weather, decided
-me at once to visit the land where San Martin, Francia, and Francisco
-Solano Lopez first saw the light of day.
-
-I had been in Paraguay before, once when Asuncion was under martial
-law, and although I now knew that I would see nothing new in visiting
-the country, there are always some places that the traveler enjoys
-seeing more than once. Upon my leaving there before, great was my
-rejoicing when I saw the blue, white, and blue flag of Argentina
-floating from the flagstaff over the custom-house at Corrientes, for I
-knew that I was once more in a country of law and order. At that time
-Paraguay was at the height of one of the many revolutions that have
-continuously stained her history for the last forty-five years, and
-Asuncion was like a tomb. Now since everything was tranquil I would
-enjoy myself more.
-
-It is now possible to travel from Buenos Aires to Asuncion without
-changing cars on a through vestibuled train with sleeping cars and a
-dining car. The time en route is but fifty-three hours, for the train
-leaves Buenos Aires thrice weekly at 3 P.M., and arrives at Asuncion
-two days afterwards at 8 P.M. Formerly Posadas was the terminus of the
-trains from Buenos Aires, and the travelers were obliged to wait in
-that stamping ground of Heidecker, Rohrsetzer, and Barthe anywhere from
-two to five days in order to make connection with the Paraguay Central
-Railroad, which ran at irregular intervals of time to Asuncion from
-Villa Encarnacion, the Paraguayan river port about two miles across
-the Alto Parana River from Posadas. The through train is now taken on a
-ferry-boat a short distance above Posadas and is steamed across to the
-Paraguayan railway terminus at Pacu Cua.
-
-Three hours after leaving the Chacarita Station at Buenos Aires, the
-lonesome town of Zarate is reached, where the train is transferred
-onto a car ferry that plies to Ibicui, a trip of nearly five hours
-through the estuaries that form the delta of the Parana River, past
-marshes abounding in wild fowl who have their nests on the swampy
-islands. Although this delta is but three hours from Buenos Aires, it
-might as well be in the center of the continent as far as civilization
-is concerned. The crossing of this delta is always made obnoxious on
-account of the mosquitoes which abound here. In making this crossing
-most of the passengers were in the dining car. Here one could observe
-types. Most were Paraguayans of the upper classes returning home after
-a week's visit in the Argentine metropolis. Although all had just
-left Buenos Aires that name was but infrequently mentioned. In every
-sentence of their conversation was heard the word "Asuncion," a name
-which to the true Paraguayan means much more to them than does New York
-to us, or Paris to the Frenchman. It is the focus of all Paraguayan
-life, and although it would be but a mediocre city in this country, it
-is the only one of size in Paraguay.
-
-There are two distinct types of Paraguayans. The first type of men
-are good sized, fairly stout, with round faces. Their eyebrows and
-moustaches are straight and have the appearance of being penciled.
-The noses of these people are Roman and their facial characteristics
-are strong and sensual. This type is only met with among the very
-highest social classes such as were the occupants of the dining car the
-night we crossed the delta. One of these men has one of the largest
-importing and general merchandise stores in Asuncion. His surname is
-Angulo. The other type of Paraguayan, which comprises the masses,
-and with whom one does not come into contact in a casual way, are
-swarthy, flat-chested, and narrow-shouldered. They have large ears
-and low foreheads, bushy eyebrows and thin noses. The middle class
-is not native. It is composed of Spanish, German, Italian, and French
-merchants. Mr. James Bryce in his book, _South America: Observations
-and Impressions_, said in speaking of La Paz Bolivia: "It has probably
-a larger aboriginal population than any other city in the New World,
-although the percentage of Indians may be somewhat greater in Asuncion,
-the capital of Paraguay." There are no Indians, and there is but little
-mixed blood in Asuncion. The early settlers originally married with the
-natives but the taint of miscegenation has long run out. The Asuncenos
-are a white folk in every respect. Indians predominate in the Bolivian
-capital and Bryce has never been in Asuncion.
-
-During our evening meal on the dining car, a large beetle or bug, in
-circumference the size of a tea cup, flew in through the open window
-and made a terrific buzzing, the noise being equal to that of those
-toys for children which one winds up and then lets go. It flew all over
-the room and as its bite would undoubtedly be poisonous, it put all the
-occupants of the car in a pandemonium as each one was trying to get out
-of the way of it. It seemed to be in several different places at the
-same time.
-
-It was near midnight when we reached the Entre Rios shore. The
-Entrerrieno landscape as far as Concordia is gently undulating, and
-the soil which is sandy is given over to the pasturing of herds of
-horses. There is not much grain grown and it is just as well, for
-occasionally a dark cloud was seen approaching on the horizon, which,
-when it broke, it was seen to be billions on billions of locusts on
-their way to Uruguay. They flew into the train windows, into the food,
-into the dining car, up one's trouser legs and coat sleeves. The noise
-of their crunching was most disgusting as one trod upon them while they
-littered the aisles of the cars. When seized, they expectorate a dark
-brown fluid of a most nauseating odor. They fly into the streams and
-wells, poisoning the water. Before arriving at Concordia, we crossed a
-palmetto wilderness called, in this part of the country, a _palmar_.
-Concordia, although not the capital, is the largest city of Entre
-Rios. It has passed in population Parana and now has 48,500 inhabitants
-according to the latest estimate. It is the largest and liveliest town
-in Argentina east of the Parana River and is connected by a bridge over
-the Uruguay River to Salto in Uruguay, which was only contemplated at
-the time of my visit to these cities three years before. A street-car
-line has been recently built and with its beef-canning establishments
-and as the center of a wine producing region, Concordia has some
-future, although the soil is sandy. This soil is much better adapted
-for fruit than for grain. Oranges, apples, and olives are grown.
-
-From Concordia the train ceases to run over the rails of the Entre Rios
-Railroad but runs on the track of the Northeastern Argentine Railroad
-as far as Posadas. After leaving Chajari, the Province of Corrientes
-is entered and the landscape immediately changes. The country is still
-undulating, but the soil is rich and even soggy in places from frequent
-rains which are prevalent here. Everything is green and as far as
-the eye can see, horses and cattle graze on the short grass. Water is
-everywhere. There are puddles in the fields; there are small lakes;
-numerous streams are crossed. The blue water of the Uruguay River is at
-one's right beyond which, so near that you feel as if you could reach
-out your hand and grab them, are the rolling green hills of Brazil.
-Monte Caseros is reached at 4:20 P.M., a town of about eight thousand
-inhabitants which contains the head offices of the Northeastern
-Argentine Railroad. Paso de los Libres is reached at 7:18 P.M., whence
-one can cross by ferry to Uruguayana, a Brazilian city in the State of
-Rio Grande do Sul on which Francisco Solano Lopez, Paraguayan dictator,
-tried to march his army in 1866. This town has its name handed down to
-posterity by the _cepo uruguayana_, a barbaric method of torture which
-originated there and which was frequently employed by Artigas, Rosas,
-Lopez, and by other tyrants of a similar caliber. At bedtime the train
-stops at Alvear, an important livestock town.
-
-The peasants are now Indians. They live in adobe and cane huts in
-the fields and are a peaceable, pastoral people. The men, both whites
-and Indians, wear great baggy trousers, not unlike a couple of potato
-sacks; these are tied to the leg above the shoe by a leather strap or
-cord. From the discoloration of some of these trousers, I would not be
-surprised to hear that they came over with the Spanish Conquistadores.
-
-At daybreak of the second day, a train was ferried across the Alto
-Parana River to Pacu Cua. The only change that I noticed relative
-to the train, and this was only a detail, was that the beer now
-served was not the vile concoction brewed in Buenos Aires but a clear
-amber liquid, purer in substance and fresh from the brewery of Villa
-Encarnacion.
-
-The Paraguayan landscape, until the half-way station of Borja is
-reached, is a great semi-swampy plain with low hills and ridges covered
-with tropical undergrowth, here known as "islands." By speaking of
-this plain as swampy, I do not mean that it is under water, for such
-is not the case; some seasons of the year it is quite dry and after
-heavy rains only it is soggy. It is always passable, but is overgrown
-with swamp grass. Countless herds of cattle pasture here; otherwise it
-is uninhabitable. It contains many lakes and lagoons alive with wild
-ducks, plover, curlew, herons, and other water fowl; wild geese fly
-overhead, and when a clump of bushes is passed it is a common sight to
-see the dark plumed, heavy limbed _nandu_, the native ostrich, shading
-itself under a bough on these wooded islets. Rising from the plain are
-many huts, the estancias of the natives, half hidden by the foliage.
-They are built of cane, plastered over, and with thatched roofs.
-
-At Borja the junction for the village of Charara, the scenery changes.
-The land now high and dry is intersected by numerous rivers. Mountains
-appear to the north, and from here to Asuncion the country has a
-well-settled character with numerous well-built villages. Civilization
-in Paraguay started from Asuncion and followed the high ridge of land
-eastward. The railroad built from Asuncion to Paraguari is one of the
-oldest in South America. From Paraguari onward to Borja, civilization
-preceded the railroad.
-
-Villa Rica has 34,297 inhabitants according to a Paraguayan estimate.
-Personally I think that this should be cut in two. It is a mile
-northeast of the depot. At a station named Tebicuary is a sugar mill;
-at Caballero are the railroad shops.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene from Railroad Station at Villa Rica]
-
-Paraguari, the anti-bellum terminus of the Central Paraguay Railroad,
-has, according to the census 11,328 inhabitants, although I am doubtful
-if its population exceeds five thousand. It is situated in the extreme
-eastern end of the Pirayu valley. This valley is bound by great
-basaltic hills, some of which are mountains. Some are conical in shape,
-but the majority are huge hills, whose tops are great stone outcrops.
-The floor of the valley is high and a cool breeze is generally blowing.
-The clover and grain, together with the mountains and the church
-steeples, remind one of the scenery in Central Europe. Paraguari would
-be the best situated city in Paraguay for its capital, both from a
-natural location and from a military point of view. It was the camping
-ground of the Argentine army under General Belgrano in 1811. Formerly
-the Jesuits had a large stock ranch here.
-
-The railroad, formerly owned by the government, but now controlled
-by a Portuguese, had originally a six-foot gauge. The depots in the
-villages from Paraguari to Asuncion are large and old-fashioned like
-the pictures of those stations depicted in _Harper's Weekly_ Civil War
-Scenes. Their mere duplicates to-day are to be seen in some European
-cities such as those at Caen, Bar-le-Duc, Vicenza, the old station
-at Strassburg, and in the American cities of Savannah and Macon.
-The English company which had control of the railroad before this
-Portuguese got it narrowed the gauge down to the regulation broad
-gauge standard which is narrower than that of the Central Argentina and
-several other lines in that republic.
-
-The Republic of Paraguay is divided into twenty districts exclusive of
-Asuncion. I am giving their names and population together with those
-of their capitals and their population according to the estimate of
-1917 in Hector F. Decoud's _Geografia de la Republica del Paraguay,
-Asuncion, 1917_. The population of these district capitals includes
-the commune as well as the town, for with the exception of six cities,
-Asuncion, Villa Rica, Caazapa, Villa Encarnacion, Villa Concepcion, and
-Villa del Pilar there are no incorporated places in the republic:--
-
-                 _Population_         _Capital_         _Population_
-  1st District      38,580          Villa Concepcion      15,600
-  2d District       46,425          Villa de San Pedro     9,926
-  3d District       43,195          Altos                  9,715
-  4th District      34,764          Barrero Grande        10,643
-  5th District      35,182          San Jose               9,120
-  6th District      22,274          Ajos                   7,283
-  7th District      34,297          Villa Rica            34,297
-  8th District      29,886          Hiaty                  8,096
-  9th District      31,531          Caazapa               17,531
-  10th District     32,418          Yuti                  11,953
-  11th District     26,978          Villa Encarnacion     13,496
-  12th District     37,965          San Ignacio            6,621
-  13th District     24,535          Ibicui                11,203
-  14th District     33,454          Quiindy               12,943
-  15th District     46,822          Paraguari             11,328
-  16th District     32,720          Itagoa                 9,932
-  17th District     41,435          Luque                 17,996
-  18th District     43,633          Ita                   13,429
-  19th District     20,843          Villa Oliva            4,504
-  20th District     48,193          Villa del Pilar        7,229
-  Asuncion (est)   125,000
-
-Total population, 828,130 inhabitants exclusive of about 50,000 wild
-Indians living in the Gran Chaco.
-
-The population of Asuncion has been estimated from 80,000 to 125,000
-inhabitants. Personally I think that 100,000 would be more nearly
-correct. Asuncion of 1918 is an entirely different city from Asuncion
-in 1913, so great has been the visible improvement. This is largely
-due to the enlightened ideas of the ex-dictator, Don Eduardo Schaerer,
-a Swiss by birth, and who has infused European progressiveness into
-the Paraguayan nation, whose population was rapidly being exterminated
-by forty-five years of incessant revolutions on top of a five years'
-war which cost Paraguay five hundred thousand lives. Schaerer has
-showed that he is the man for the job. His rule has been benign but
-firm. No sooner had he assumed the executive power than some of his
-dissatisfied opponents tried the tricks on him that have been tried
-on other dictators. This time they failed. The bomb that they touched
-off underneath his residence failed to explode. The conspirators and
-other suspects were immediately clapped into jail. January 1, 1915,
-witnessed the close of two years' peace; it was too much of a good
-thing for the fire-eating populace so they started another revolution.
-This lasted but one day, the revolutionists losing over three hundred
-men in a street fight in Asuncion. No more tricks have been tried on
-Senor Schaerer.
-
-In Asuncion there live numerous ex-presidents, ex-dictators, and
-their political henchmen. No matter who is president of any country,
-there are always a number of people who have grievances against the
-administration, but I have only heard one person express anything
-derogatory against Schaerer. This man, very prominent in Asuncion, and
-the son of an ex-president, said that Schaerer owed his power as Chief
-Executive to the Farquhar Syndicate whose money placed him there in
-order for them to obtain in return valuable concessions. He said that
-Schaerer was not president for his health, but was amassing a fortune
-on the side. If this is true, it is nothing extraordinary, but as far
-as I can glean, he is one of the most able presidents the country has
-ever had. Results show it. Paraguay has a good constitution, but it
-is never used. Changes have been constantly made to suit the whims of
-each dictator. The presidential term is for three years. Schaerer's
-term should have expired November 25, 1915, but he saw to it that there
-would be no elections and two years after that date he retained his
-office.
-
-Since Senor Schaerer became president, there have been many changes
-for the better in Asuncion. Formerly one had to go to the post office
-to mail a letter; now letter-boxes are on nearly every corner. The
-stranger is no longer subjected to surveillance, neither are his
-valises searched in the hotels, nor are his letters opened and read
-in the post office before transmission. The police have new crash
-uniforms as well as many of the soldiers; previously their garments
-were nondescript. It is necessary in Paraguay to maintain a semblance
-of an army, for otherwise a dictator's life would hang on the thread of
-Damocles. In order to pay this army, the present government was obliged
-to sell their two gunboats, as the country is in a bad financial
-condition. Its unit, the _peso fuerte_ is worth only 2-1/2 cents American
-currency. Five years ago it was worth 7 cents. This depreciation of
-money is current all over the southern republics of South America with
-the exception of Uruguay and Argentina. The Chilean peso was worth 23
-cents in 1913; now it is worth 17 cents; the Brazilian milreis which
-was then worth 33-1/3 cents is worth now only 25 cents. In Brazil, and in
-Chile although the currency depreciated, the price of articles dropped
-in ratio, so that now in those countries the articles for sale can be
-bought cheaper than formerly. Not so in Paraguay. When the peso fuerte
-took a drop, the staple goods remained the same in price, so now a
-person has to pay three pesos for what formerly cost him but one.
-
-The electric lighting system of Asuncion is excellent, and it now
-has the best trolley car service of any South American city. Every
-principal street has car tracks and the tramcars run in the daytime
-every five minutes. There is also a suburban system. Before Schaerer's
-ascendancy, the city had mule cars, and a suburban steam road that ran
-through the streets of the city, as in Debreczen, Hungary, the engine
-of which puffed and emitted much smoke to the tune of squeaks and much
-whistling. The lawn is kept up in front of the Capitol; new streets
-have been opened and paved; statues have been unveiled in public
-places, and there has been considerable building done.
-
-  [Illustration: Casa de Gobierno, or Capitol, Asuncion]
-
-At first sight, Asuncion seems small. This is due to the grass that
-grows between the stones of the street pavement, and to the fact
-that cows graze in the plazas. On account of the richness of the
-soil and the frequent rains it is impossible to keep vegetation down.
-Unfortunately the plazas are not well kept up, and have gone to waste
-and ruin. The city is compactly built, and covers considerable ground.
-Like Belgrade, Servia, it is built on the side of a hill; like Belgrade
-the stores are similar in window decorations, for their proprietors
-specialize in displaying there articles that are favorite to the
-Paraguayan mind as well as to the Servian: firearms and knives. There
-are a few large buildings of modern construction, but what is most
-observant are the colonnades of pillars and piers which support the
-roofs. If a building has no colonnade along the street, it is sure
-to have one around the patio. These colonnades are built thus (see
-drawing).
-
-  [Illustration: Drawing Showing Construction of Colonnades on a
-   Paraguayan Building
-
-   a. Side wall; b. Pillar; c. Beam; d. Rafter; e. Stringer; f. Tile]
-
-Pillars (fig. b) lower than the main wall (fig. a) are erected about
-twelve feet or less in front of it. Across the tops of these pillars
-and connecting them lies a beam (fig. c) from which rafters (fig. d)
-at regular intervals slant up to the top of the wall of the building.
-Horizontally across these rafters are laid stringers (fig. e) about a
-foot apart. On top of these stringers are laid tiles (fig. f). In many
-cases a thin layer of bricks is laid across the stringers, above which
-are laid the tiles.
-
-The worst feature of Asuncion is the paving of the streets. Black flint
-stones of all sizes and shape are pounded tightly into the ground, and
-their crevices are filled with the red earth of the country; they are
-then treated with a coating of dirt. For the first three months this
-pavement makes excellent driving. Then when the copious rains have
-washed the dirt out, the stones settle or are loosened. An occasional
-wagon-wheel knocks one out of place, and it is seldom replaced.
-Incessant wear now makes ruts among the loosened stones, and in the
-part of the road where there is not much traffic, vegetation grows
-up, likewise forcing the stones up. The city is built on the side of
-a hill sloping down to a lagoon which is separated from the Paraguay
-River by a swamp. There are no conduits to carry away the rain water,
-nor any ditches at the sides of the streets. Accordingly when it rains,
-the water runs down the hill through the crevices between the paving
-stones, and by the time it reaches the main street, Calle Palmas, the
-side streets are turned into rivers. Eave troughs project horizontally
-from the roofs over the streets, and the pedestrians have a choice
-between two evils, walking in the flowing road or getting a dousing
-from many hydrants.
-
-With the exception of an English church in the suburbs and a German
-Lutheran one in the city, both of which are so small that it seems
-a shame to rank them under the title of church, there are only three
-Houses of God in Asuncion, the cathedral, San Roque, and that of the
-Church of the Encarnacion. The cathedral is an old, weather-beaten
-affair facing the lagoon. San Roque is very old and faces a small plaza
-of the same name behind the railway station. The most imposing building
-in the city is the mammoth unfinished red brick pile which goes by the
-name of the Church of the Encarnacion. If ever completed it will hold
-a place among the world's great religious edifices. It is built on
-the summit of the hill above the business section of the city and is
-a landmark for many miles. It is reached by a double flight of steps
-from the street. It was started during the reign of Francia, and the
-money having long since given out, it is left but half completed. It is
-built very solidly of tightly fitting red brick, and was intended to be
-stuccoed over. A place is left for a tower each side of the main door
-but they have never been commenced. The interior is plain, has been
-given a fresh coat of plaster, and exudes the funereal tuberose smell
-which is present in the casino at Monte Carlo to counteract the aroma
-of corpses in the private morgue beneath the roulette room of that
-establishment. As matters now stand the Church of the Encarnacion is a
-hideous pile. The earthly remains of Dr. Gaspar Rodrigues de Francia,
-Paraguay's most famous dictator, 1816-1840, were buried beneath
-the vestibule of this church. The relatives of a person whom he had
-executed had his bones dug up and desecrated them by flinging them into
-the lagoon.
-
-The plazas of Asuncion are a disgrace to the city. The Plaza Uruguaya
-is the largest. It is planted with trees which are scattered at random.
-A brick wall separates one side of it from the street. At the opposite
-side is the large, graceful, colonnaded, battle-scarred railway station
-with its illuminated clock tower. Pedestrians avoid traversing this
-plaza after nightfall on account of footpads, many of whom would
-commit murder for a paper peso. In the center of the plaza stand the
-fragments of a marble statue shot to pieces in the revolution of 1904.
-The Plaza de la Republica is on top of the high banks that skirt the
-swampy ground that forms the shores of the lagoon. In some places it is
-like a big field, especially that part of it in front of the artillery
-barracks where it is the dumping ground of tin cans and refuse, and
-is traversed by cattle paths. Near the House of Congress, a morbid
-appearing porticoed edifice, it assumes the nature of a lawn which in
-turn becomes a park in front of the ancient cathedral. In this plaza is
-a cheap looking brick column named the Statue of Liberty. This monument
-is surmounted by the image of San Blas, the patron saint of Paraguay,
-in whose honor is celebrated on February 3d of each year an orgy that
-beggars description. The base of the statue has the dates of different
-events and revolutions painted in black letters on each of its four
-faces. One of these dates tells the reader that Asuncion was founded
-August 15, 1536. Another date tells of the ousting of the Spanish
-domination. A third one informs us of the end of Francia's rule, while
-the fourth bears testimony of the end of the reign of Lopez II.
-
-  [Illustration: Cabildo, or City Hall, Asuncion
-
-   This building was formerly the capitol]
-
-One of the features that attracts the eyes of strangers is that there
-is scarcely a building in the downtown district that is not pitted with
-holes from a Gatling gun. In some sections whole walls have been shot
-away by cannon balls. One of the beautiful trees common to Paraguay is
-the dark fern-leaved _paraiso_ tree. There are a great many of these in
-Asuncion, especially in the Plaza San Roque. Their foliage is thick and
-gives delightful shade.
-
-  [Illustration: Plazoleta del Puerto, Asuncion]
-
-One of the landmarks is the brick domed basilica on the Calle Palmas
-called the Oratory of Lopez. The tyrant had it built for the receptacle
-of the image of the Virgin of the Assumption (Asuncion). The Five
-Years' War came on, and the oratory was never completed. It stands
-to-day without a coat of stucco, with the carpenters' scantling around
-its dome in the same condition now as when work suddenly ceased in
-1865. It is owned by the government which is too poor to complete it;
-its floor is used for the storage of municipal timber, brick, plaster,
-and so forth, in charge of an ancient pensioner. Bats roost beneath its
-dome, and the _ambere_ lizards crawl between the cracks of the bricks.
-The oratory is surrounded by a wall over which projects a papaya tree
-whose luscious golden fruit, shaped like a woman's teat, hangs in
-pendulent clusters from its crown. This fruit is known in Paraguay as
-_mamon_ which in the Guarani language means tit.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Palmas, Asuncion
-
-   The dome in the background is that of the Oratory of Lopez]
-
-The Asuncenos are early risers. The stores open at 6 A.M., and an hour
-later is when the greatest crowds are to be found on the streets. The
-stores close again at 11 A.M., and remain so till 2 P.M. They close
-for the day at 7 P.M., and remain shut all day Sunday as well as on
-the numerous holidays. During the three midday hours there is hardly a
-person to be seen on the streets. Asuncion is never activity, excepting
-during periods of revolution and at the annual yearly carnival; on
-Sundays the liveliness of the streets can be compared with that of
-the interior of a cemetery receiving vault. It is a trifle better than
-Valparaiso, Chile, or Detroit, Michigan, on those days because at least
-the cafes are open. The amusements of the city are paltry, the main one
-being to sit evenings in one's shirt-sleeves on a chair placed on the
-sidewalk in front of one's residence and by the illumination of the
-electric lights watch the great _cucurus_ (large, disgusting looking
-native toads) hop along the sidewalk in search of bugs. The other
-amusements are two moving picture shows, one at Belvedere and the other
-at the Cafe Bolsa.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle 15 de Agosto, Asuncion
-
-   This is a typical side street. The photograph was taken from the
-   balcony of the second story of the Hotel Hispano-Americano]
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, outskirts of Asuncion]
-
-The climate of Asuncion is hot, terribly so, and damp. In heat it
-compares very favorably with Panama. It is enervating and gives the
-people amorous inclinations, especially when it blows from the north
-and east. Many foreigners cannot become acclimated on account of
-their inability in adapting themselves to a change in their mode of
-life, and many of the wives of foreign diplomats have to return home
-on account of the heat. Many people have red spots on their faces and
-bodies caused by the heat. The hottest month is December. The rainfall
-is heavy, and in Asuncion it is regular. March is the wettest month,
-with April and October following in order. July is the driest month.
-The average annual rainfall is 60.2 inches. (The average for Detroit
-is 37 inches.) The driest year recorded in Asuncion was 1883 when 44.7
-inches fell and the wettest year was 1878 with a precipitation of 101.9
-inches. The rains are of short duration, but several are apt to occur
-in one day. They are tropical and come straight down in sheets as if a
-bucket of water had been turned upside down in the sky. These rains,
-which are heaviest in summer, come up suddenly, and if there are any
-clouds to be seen, it is advisable to carry an umbrella for it often
-happens that these showers are local, there being a great downpour in
-one part of the town and no rainfall at all in the other. After and
-between rains, the sun comes out and steam arises from the earth. Many
-a hacking cough heard from behind the shutters of a window and many
-a gob of phlegm seen on the street sidewalk has its origin from this
-climatic change. Hurricanes are unknown although water spouts are an
-occasional phenomenon. The thunder makes terrific crashings, and at
-each loud blast, the inhabitants make the sign of the cross. Even on
-days when it does not rain, the sky is frequently overcast and the
-atmosphere has the muggy feeling that is always present before a storm.
-
-Perspiration runs from one in streams, not like the heavy sweat of
-the hard-working laborer but a malodorous vitality sapping sweat
-which takes the place of urine, making it necessary to change one's
-under-clothing several times daily and to indulge in frequent shower
-or sponge baths. For the omnipresent prickly heat, one should never
-besmear himself with ointment nor take cold baths; these have the
-tendency to augment it. One should bathe in warm or lukewarm water.
-Clothes sent to the laundry come back damp and the bed linen seldom
-dries. The houses are covered with a black mold which no amount of
-frequent painting can stop coming back. During the summer if you draw
-your finger across the wall of a church interior it will leave a streak
-on the dampness. Regardless of the heat, for sanitation's sake, hot air
-furnaces should be installed in the hotels and residences and a drying
-out should be given them once a week.
-
-With the rains come myriads of bugs and beetles. A black-winged
-one, half as big as a saucer, whose aviation produced a noise
-like a rip-saw, assailed me one night while at dinner in the Hotel
-Hispano-Americano. It flew on my coat, and as I tried to brush it
-away it implanted a sting on the back of my hand that made me wince in
-agony. A lady, at a neighboring table, thought it was funny, for she
-smiled at my discomfiture. God punished her, for presently a huge green
-darning-needle shaped bug lighted on her neck and the sting it gave her
-made her emit squawks that rivaled in rancorousness those of a carrion
-crow. Bugs, beetles, reptiles, etc., the Paraguayans and Correntinos
-call _bich_ and the large ones they call _gran bich_ without any
-distinction as to their specie. A person cannot fondle with impunity
-the cucuru as one can the common American garden toad. The cucuru will
-bite you and then close its jaws. It has to be killed to pry its mouth
-apart and its bite is said to be poisonous. The suburban sidewalks of
-Asuncion teem with them evenings. The village of Aregua near Asuncion
-is especially prolific in this variety of amphibian. It would not take
-many of them to fill a bushel basket. I got about a dozen of these by
-dropping my hat over them and chloroforming them. I had them stuffed
-and brought them home as mantelpiece presents for my friends. Paraguay
-is also abundant in ophidians; the nasty, poisonous _mboy-chumbe_ or
-black, white, and red-ringed coral snakes being the most common. There
-is _mboy-jhoby_, a green snake; the _nuazo_, a dark brown snake; the
-viper; the _nandurie_, a small stick-like snake and the rattlesnake
-are common venomous species, while the huge boa, or _curiyu_, and the
-_mboy-yagua_, or water snake, belong to the unpoisonous kind. The great
-viper called _nacanina_ is semi-poisonous. Among the quelonians is
-the _carumbe_ a Brobdingnagian snapping turtle and in the hydrosaurian
-class is the crocodile, cayman alligator, and the iguana or _teyu_, the
-latter being esteemed for its white meat not unlike spring chicken in
-taste.
-
-There are two species of jaguar called tiger by the natives, the
-_aguarete_ and the _yaguarete-pope_. The word jaguar is derived from
-the Guarani _yaguarete_. There are several kinds of wild-cat, misnamed
-by the natives "lions," plenty of tapirs or _mborevi_, ant-eaters, wild
-pigs, armadillos, deer, monkeys, besides many species of phlebotomists
-such as the vampire-bat and the common belfry-bat. The trees are
-alive with owls, macaws, parrots, toucans, zorzals, and wild-pigeons,
-while in the swamps and clearings are found egrets, martinets, sarias,
-cassowaries, flamingoes, herons, and ibises.
-
-Asuncion has several fair hotels; the best in my estimation being the
-Hotel Hispano-Americano, the property of the firm of Rius & Jorba
-which is rented to the present proprietors, the Grau Brothers, two
-Spaniards, to the tune of ten dollars a day, which, for Asuncion, is
-an exorbitant sum. This hotel is not recommended to strangers by the
-natives for the innate jealousy that the average South American has for
-the Spaniard, who is his business superior, is not lacking in Paraguay.
-The foreigners recommend to the stranger the Hotel Saint-Pierre, a
-French hotel, or the Cancha (formerly the Gran Hotel del Paraguay), a
-stock company hotel under German management.
-
-The Hispano-Americano was built by the dictator, Francisco Solano Lopez
-for his mistress, Madame Elisa Lynch, and here he lived with her and
-here were his offsprings by her brought up. As I lay in my bed, or
-walked the arched galleries of this edifice, I could nearly see the
-festivities, banquets, and parties that took place in the great salon
-(now the dining room) fifty-three years ago, hear the laughter of the
-beautiful women in hoop skirts and the popping of corks of champagne
-bottles, and smell the somniferous perfume of the _nandeyara-guazus_
-(high grade Paraguayan cigars) as their aroma was wafted upwards with
-the smoke. Visions came to me of officers, their uniforms resplendent
-with epaulettes and gold braid, brave men who met valiant deaths on the
-field of battle or through exposure in the soggy palmetto and mangrove
-swamps of the interior, of foreign diplomats, of dark, beautiful women
-wearing delicate, luxuriant _nanduti_ lace shawls, of the short and
-corpulent bearded dictator with the perpetual strong cigar between his
-lips, and of the Irish asp, his mistress, whose power and influence
-upon her naturally progressive and ambitious paramour was greater than
-that of Theodora on Justinian. J. F. Masterman in his _Seven Years'
-Adventures in Paraguay_ states that Madame Lynch could drink more
-champagne than any person he ever knew and not seem to feel any effects
-therefrom. I would like to have matched her in a contest with a friend
-of mine, now dead, whom I saw drink six quarts of champagne one after
-another standing at a bar in San Francisco one evening in September,
-1910.
-
-The Hispano-Americano is a large structure two stories high of imposing
-appearance on a corner of Calle Palmas, the main street. It is well
-situated for it is near all the banks, business houses, and government
-buildings. It has a large patio paved with black and white tiles,
-where the dining tables are placed. Bedrooms open off from this patio.
-On each side of the entrance thirty-four marble steps lead up to the
-second story which has a balcony surrounding the patio, the arches
-of which are supported by stone Doric columns. Onto this balcony open
-tile-floored, high, and cool bedrooms. The balcony is paved with brick
-and from it rise more Doric columns surmounted by arches which support
-the roof. There is a second patio, this one open, which is reached by
-a short hall behind the first patio. On this are the cheaper rooms. On
-my former visit this hotel was not well kept up nor overclean, but now
-it was all that could be desired and the Paraguayan cooking, with its
-abundance of oil, peppers, tomatoes, and hot sauces, was excellent.
-
-The proprietors own two Case automobiles, and one evening as I sat in
-conversation with the Senor Grau, who assumes the active management
-of the hotel, he suggested that I should take a ride with him for a
-couple of hours. This was fine and I hastened to accept. The machine
-was brought in front of the door, Grau and myself had got into it, when
-the assistant manager came out and said something in an undertone to
-Grau. The latter replied in a loud voice:
-
-"Give everybody a room that asks for one except the Spanish consul.
-Give him nothing."
-
-I thought this was queer but said nothing, thinking that later on
-Grau would explain what was up. He did not do so, however, until we
-returned which was about ten o'clock at night. There were about a dozen
-people in front of the hotel; on the threshold stood a tall, thin,
-good-looking man about thirty-five years old, dressed in black. When
-Grau got out this man approached him and said:
-
-"What is the matter with this fellow?" pointing at the assistant
-manager. "He refuses to give me a room."
-
-"My instructions!" bellowed Grau. "You can get nothing here!"
-
-A small crowd began to collect. The Spanish consul, for he was the tall
-man in black, asked Grau to explain.
-
-"Explain nothing!" yelled Grau. "You can get no more service here. You
-have come to this hotel three or four different times, each time with a
-different woman, and each time you have registered as man and wife. How
-many wives have you anyway? I am not running a house of prostitution.
-What do you take me for? Get out!"
-
-There was a general peal of laughter from the crowd at this. The
-Spanish consul, unabashed, with a smile walked away, stating that there
-were other hotels in the town, where he could take his women, that were
-just as good as Grau's and that he would do so now.
-
-The Hotel Saint-Pierre is near the harbor on the Calle Colon, a cheap
-business street. Many people prefer it for their sojourn in Asuncion
-as it has the reputation for having the best cooking. In this respect
-I found it lacking in the abundance and in the variety of that of
-the Hispano-Americano. There is no bar; the rooms are small, and the
-proprietor frequently tells the guests to retire to their rooms by a
-side entrance as he is engaged entertaining friends in the hotel parlor
-and main entrance. The proprietor is named Saint-Pierre, hence the name
-of the hotel. He claims to be a French count, but the consensus of most
-people is that he is crazy. He is a little, bald-headed old man about
-sixty-five years old, with a gray moustache and imperial. He orders
-the guests around as if he was bestowing upon them a favor for allowing
-them to get lodging there. Many people desiring to obtain rooms there
-are expected to furnish a pedigree. Colonel David Brainard, U. S.
-A., military attache to the United States Embassy at Buenos Aires, a
-very distinguished man and one of the survivors of the famous Greely
-expedition that attempted to discover the North Pole some time ago, was
-on an extended trip through Paraguay with his friends. From Villa Rica
-he telegraphed to Monsieur le comte de Saint-Pierre engaging rooms. The
-latter worthy before he would allow his distinguished guests-to-be to
-take up their domicile at his establishment looked up their character
-and antecedents much to the amusement and disgust of Colonel Brainard
-and friends.
-
-The Gran Hotel del Paraguay occupies several single story buildings in
-a large lawn on a hill, a twenty minutes' ride by cab from the business
-section of Asuncion. For a man it is too far away to be handy, but
-it is an ideal place for ladies with yarn to knit and novels to read.
-The American consul rooms there. The bad feature of this hotel is that
-the pedestrian at night in walking or driving there should never take
-his finger from the trigger of his Derringer, for thieves often lurk
-behind the giant locust trees on the Avenida Espana. After 2 A.M. the
-street lights go out; walking then up the umbrageous road is nearly
-impossible.
-
-Natives stop at the Hotels Kosmos, Espanol, Palermo, and other similar
-dumps conducive to vermin, mosquitoes, and malodorous toilets.
-
-A Dutchman runs an excellent high-class pension named Villa Colombia,
-where Argentine highbrows such as Don Nicolas Mihanovich sojourn while
-visiting the city. This is in a large lawn across the street from the
-Belvedere gardens. While I was in Asuncion, there was a big hullabaloo
-because some thief stole eleven thousand dollars which the Dutchman had
-hidden in an envelope in his residence.
-
-The Capitol is a large barnlike rambling building with broad verandas
-and is crowned with a square cupola. It was built by Carlos Antonio
-Lopez and is the pride of the inhabitants; its picture adorns the
-postage stamps of high denominations and also the two peso paper
-currency.
-
-Asuncion is the only South American city which has stone sidewalks.
-They were originally built during the regime of Lopez I., who was the
-patron of modernity. Asuncion as well as Villa Encarnacion has brick
-sidewalks like the Massachusetts towns. The bricks and tile are of good
-quality and shape. The brick layers and stone masons do better work
-here than in Argentina and the rough brick buildings do not look as
-dilapidated as in the last named republic. The red soil of Paraguay is
-adapted to the manufacture of good bricks and a specie is turned out
-akin to Bradford red.
-
-There are three breweries in Paraguay: the one owned by Bosio Brothers
-being the large fine one at the port. There is a branch brewery at a
-suburb named Puerto Sanjonia which is now closed down. This brewery and
-that of the Cerveceria Montevideana at Montevideo, Uruguay, brew the
-best beer in South America. The 14 de Mayo brewery at Villa Encarnacion
-likewise turns out a good product and there is a small German brewery
-at San Bernardino in whose beer spring water is used. This last
-mentioned brewery caters solely to family and local trade like that
-of Ahrens in Cordoba and those of Peters and of Degen in San Antonio,
-Texas. The Asuncion drinking water of the hotels is the limit. They
-have no wells but instead they have tanks on their roofs to catch the
-rain water. These tanks are never cleaned and the sides are covered
-with green fungus. A dead cat bloated beyond recognition was found in
-the tank of the Hispano-Americano. I drank the water without knowing
-it. At home we eat frog's legs. The Asuncenos delight in eating the
-body of the cucurus, the great garden toad. The Chaco Indians rejoice
-in stewed monkey and fried slices of _gran vibora_, a snake peculiar to
-that swamp, while the iguana is held in edible estimation by the white
-population. Locust pies and boiled parrot also find their way down the
-alimentary canals of the aborigines.
-
-The two places of the greatest interest to the stranger in Asuncion are
-the cemetery of Mangrullo and the market-place. The former is located
-beyond the city limits on the road to Puerto Sajonia. It is on a
-high-road hill from which an excellent panorama can be had of the city,
-the river, and the Chaco beyond. The origin of the name is unknown,
-but the word "Mangrullo" is always used to denote the military lookout
-tower.
-
-This cemetery is redolent with the thoughts of spooks, banshee,
-ghosts, and other phantomic gentry of like species. In daytime it
-is a lugubrious place nearly surrounded by high walls, from above
-which tower slender cypress trees, and at night it must be doubly so,
-especially when the moon plays on the mortuary chapel from the tree
-limbs. This cemetery is where the poor people are buried; the wealthy
-are interred in the aristocratic Recoleta.
-
-  [Illustration: Mangrullo Cemetery, Asuncion]
-
-On the path, long before reaching Mangrullo, wailing is heard coming
-from within the enclosure. At the entrance seated on the ground are
-aged women selling fruit with _poguazu_ cigars in their mouths. A
-leper or two adds charm to the scene. They are not begging, but expect
-everyone waiting for somebody to slip a peso bill (2-1/2 c.) into their
-spotted hands. From the iron entrance, the only road in the cemetery
-leads to the chapel in the center. Black clothed persons wander
-ghoulishly among the tombstones, their hats in their hands. A concourse
-of people is assembled in front of the building. Nearby is a wooden
-tower, and on a platform underneath its roof a hunchback is ringing the
-bell, making it peal at slow intervals. The bell stops and the wailing
-of the bare-headed assembly begins. This lasts about five minutes; the
-hunchback then tolls the bell anew, this time in a rapid succession of
-clangs. The men lift up the rude box containing the dead person from
-which the olfactory aroma of putrid flesh arises and carrying it to the
-shallow grave, they bury it to the tune of the great bell which has
-again started ringing. When the bell stops, the women start wailing
-again and the men stand aside to smoke, talk politics, and watch the
-scene. The wailing is not caused so much through grief as it is to see
-who can make the loudest noise.
-
-A woman had lost her two weeks' old baby and her relations as far
-removed as the fourth generation of cousin had come to mourn. The
-shrieks emitted were not human. They sounded more like the snarling
-and growling of animals, the howling of hyenas and ululations of
-owls. The women worked themselves into a frenzy of hysteria, and the
-bereaved mother threw herself on the grave and, lying on her back,
-kicked, struggled, and writhed until she became unconscious through
-her own emotions. One of these wailing fests that I witnessed came to a
-sudden and untimely end. While the family and relatives of a murdered
-man had reached a soprano in the shrieking test, a nacanina (large
-viper) crawled from a hole beneath a tombstone and, frightened at the
-lugubrious wails, attempted to escape by safely crawling away. It took
-its course among the mourners, and the hurried scamper of footsteps
-to the tune of blasphemous and ungodly oaths was now the order of the
-funeral aftermath.
-
-The graves in the Mangrullo cemetery are so multitudinous and so close
-together that it is impossible for a funeral procession to reach the
-newly dug grave without crossing numerous mounds. There are but few
-monuments, iron crosses painted black taking their places. Iron fences
-surround the graves of those who have well-to-do relatives. But few
-inscriptions tell the age of the beloved deceased; instead there hangs
-at each cross a photograph likeness of the dead.
-
-The market-place of Asuncion probably offers more attractions to
-the stranger than in any other city. It is situated in the middle
-of the town and has a large covered frame building where meats are
-hung. Making a circumvallation of the butcher shop are benches where
-sit women, white, black, Indian, and mixed breed, offering for sale
-cigars of their own manufacture. Outside on the ground squat the
-rabble who cannot afford a chair at the benches. They sell parrakeets,
-divers song-birds, the succulent stubby native banana, curiously
-shaped peppers, avocados, herbs, pineapples, and cooked viands. At
-the entrance to the market are kiosks where cana or native rum is
-dispensed. At 8:00 A.M. the market-place represents great animation.
-Lazy, fat lousy dogs, hundreds in number, their bellies gorged with
-rare meat and offal, lie in glutinous stupor in the aisles and under
-the shade of large stationary umbrellas. They lick the grease from the
-roasted meat for sale and urinate in the frying pans. Ignorant natives
-purchase these meat roasts and greedily devour it, unconscious of
-its flavoring. This is the one place in Asuncion where meat and fresh
-vegetables are for sale, and the private families and hotel guests are
-obliged to partake of it or starve.
-
-But few foreign women visit Asuncion; it should be their paradise
-because here for a song can be purchased the nanduti, the most delicate
-silk and cotton embroidery in existence woven by the native women. This
-wonderful texture represents much labor and is in great demand. The
-_guayaba_ flower is a popular design, a round blossom with a starlike
-center. Stuffed alligators and cucurus adorn the store windows and live
-parrots sell for a few cents apiece. In buying a parrot, one should
-previously enlist the services of a native. Birds under one year are
-most precious and those with the yellow head command the highest price.
-In order to make the old birds appear wild and hearty, the natives feed
-them with rum. This makes them flutter and their antics then create a
-grand show off. En voyage a few days later they die of old age and the
-innocent purchaser is unaware that rum was used to produce unnatural
-activity. It is better to purchase parrakeets in Buenos Aires because
-the pick of Paraguay is exported to the bird stores on the Calle
-Moreno. At San Bernardino can be bought lovely egrets and butterfly
-wings. Monkeys cannot stand transportation and soon die.
-
-The physicians of Asuncion are poor and but few hold genuine degrees.
-Every bowel or stomach complaint that the patient gets, they are likely
-to diagnose as appendicitis, and they are anxious to operate with dirty
-instruments which they carry loosely in their pockets. I know of a
-case of a woman having a dull pain high up on her left side which they
-claimed was appendicitis and they wanted to operate on her for it,
-telling her it was a reflex pain, when in reality it was nothing but a
-common fatty tumor.
-
-One of the curses in Asuncion and so acknowledged by the English
-residents are the missionaries from Australia classed as the
-Plymouth Brethren, which belief is akin to that of the Methodists.
-No missionaries are needed in Paraguay. These Plymouth Brethren,
-numbering two families, were sent to Asuncion with free transportation
-and a monthly salary of twenty pounds to teach religion to the poor
-benighted heathen which there does not exist. They hold services
-at their pleasure in a room in their houses to a congregation that
-scarcely reaches six in number. The remainder of their time they spend
-in indolent ease, for a person in Asuncion can live like a king on
-one hundred dollars per month. One of the chief Paraguayan industries
-is the manufacture of cigars. The native women make two classes, the
-_poguazu_ and _pohi_. The first mentioned are long, large, strong
-cigars which sell at 2-1/2 c. per half dozen. This is a favorite one
-with the native women who invariably have one poked half-way down their
-muzzle, the ashy end just protruding. The pohis are small cigars with
-outside wrapper grown from Havana seed. They are more aromatic and sell
-for 2-1/2 c. a dozen. The factories made five cigars, that of La Veguera
-turning out one named "Don Alfonso" which sells for 120 pesos ($3) for
-twenty-five, or 12 c. apiece. This same brand sells in Buenos Aires for
-50 c. apiece and is equal to the best Havanas that sell in the United
-States for $1 apiece. The nandeyara guazu is a fine cigar that sells
-for 30 pesos (75 c.) a hundred. Paraguay is a smoker's paradise and
-the advantage of the tobacco is that it never causes sore spots on the
-tongue nor any other vocal irritation.
-
-The inhabitants are extremely lazy, and on the estancias the men
-live in indolent ease, their many concubines doing the real labor.
-Strangers living in Paraguay become in time like the natives, taking
-their siesta at noon and putting off all work until the morrow. The
-business is in the hands of the Spaniards, Germans, and Italians. There
-are over five thousand Germans in the republic but like the Spaniard
-they are unpopular with the natives. There is much wealth in Asuncion
-according to the Paraguayan standard but very little according to the
-European standard. The town teems with millionaires but a million pesos
-Paraguayan amounts to only twenty-five thousand dollars. These people
-can make a great splurge and live in great style in Asuncion where food
-is plentiful and good, qualifying a luxury. The women of these people
-assume great airs. There are only two real millionaires according to
-their wealth in North American currency. One is Saccarello, an Italian
-estanciero and the other is Jorba, a Spaniard, who has a general store
-and who is an extensive exporter with an office in Barcelona. Angulo,
-another exporter and storekeeper, is wealthy as well as Urrutia and
-Uguarte, bankers; but these last named people are not millionaires.
-For $7500 can be built a palace of a house. Land is cheap all over the
-republic. There is a market for all native products which are lumber,
-cattle, mandioca, sugar cane, tobacco, yerba mate, and tannic acid. But
-little is exported on account of the scarcity of labor for the men will
-not work. What labor there is, is cheap. For example, the old Spaniard
-who is bartender, table waiter, floor sweeper, and general factotum of
-the Hotel Hispano-Americano only receives $10 a month, with practically
-no income from tips. With this, he supports his English wife and four
-children. Poverty in Paraguay is unknown. About 5000 acres of rich soil
-can be purchased for $10,000.
-
-Paraguay is one of the few South American countries which has iron but
-as yet it is not exploited, although in the period of the Five Years'
-War it furnished material from which the cannon were manufactured in
-Asuncion. The language of the country is Guarani, phonetic, expressive
-and rich in vowels. Foreigners learn it easily and it is the vernacular
-of all excepting those people dealing with strangers. The newspaper
-was formerly published in it and Lopez was at one time thinking
-seriously of making it the official language of the country. Outside of
-Asuncion it is essentially spoken throughout the country and in certain
-districts Spanish is of no avail.
-
-Some of the Asuncenas are gems. If the reader of this work has
-previously read my _South American Travels_ he may remember of my
-stating that I saw in the telegraph office in Asuncion, working
-as clerks, two of the most beautiful girls that I have ever gazed
-upon. This time while in the city I returned to the telegraph office
-ostensibly to send a message, but in reality to see if the same maidens
-were still on the job. The youngest was there, a marvelous work of
-God, but three years' lapse of time had slightly undermined her beauty.
-Although we had seen each other but one brief moment before and had met
-thousands of people in the interval, recognition was at once mutual. I
-told her how beautiful she was, how she attracted me and how I longed
-to make her acquaintance. She reciprocated my attentions, told me that
-her name was Marcelina Espinosa and that I had permission to call on
-her. This happened on the eve of my departure for Motto Grosso, and
-I assured her that when I returned to Asuncion in the course of two
-months that I certainly should avail myself of the pleasure of her kind
-invitation.
-
-Not wishing to seem egotistical in making this statement, I was not
-long in Asuncion, before I discovered that I appealed to Paraguayan
-womanhood. Oftentimes of an evening while passing along the residential
-streets I would notice women in the act of closing the doors or the
-shutters. On seeing me they would desist from this occupation and
-regard me longingly and sympathetically until I had disappeared from
-sight. At a printing establishment which had picture postal cards for
-sale, a fine looking woman on whose face was depicted latent passions
-which only needed encouragement to become a reality, waited on me.
-As I paid her for a trivial purchase, she let her hand linger in mine
-looking at me appealingly for reciprocation.
-
-An old native woman in the market-place admired a gold ring with jade
-setting which I always wear as a lucky stone. She was not content only
-in admiring it, but she went through the market and got her friends to
-come and look at it. Many of these were comely girls. They not knowing
-that I understood a word of Guarani remarked on its beauty, and then
-fell to discussing me in most charming terms.
-
-Although most Paraguayans are born out of wedlock, the inhabitants
-are not immoral. Like the majority of Latin Americans they are unmoral
-because they never had any morals to begin with. It is quite the thing
-in Asuncion for men forty years old and more to have lustful intentions
-on twelve-year old girls. Women frequently marry at fourteen years
-of age, but men seldom do so before they are thirty years old. Many
-women remain single for there are nine women to every man in Paraguay,
-owing to the decimation of the latter in the numerous revolutions
-that have taken place, and with such a disproportionate ratio on the
-side of the women, it is easy for the men to satisfy their desires
-without marriage. Excepting among the highest social classes virtue
-among women has no value and men who are old enough to be grandfathers
-lasciviously ogle girls that have scarcely reached the age of puberty.
-This great disparity of ages does not have the evil results that are
-often the case in colder countries. The women soon lose their good
-looks while the men seldom change until they reach old age. The girls
-for generations have been taught to marry men considerably older
-than themselves; thus the caned and bespatted young fops that haunt
-the cafes and moving picture shows are obliged to form mesalliances
-with young half-breed girls. The latter are too ignorant to make any
-objection to being seduced as they have been taught that it is the
-natural state of affairs. No matter how unmoral the people are, a
-Paraguayan girl is rarely to be found in a brothel. Many men going
-by different names are half brothers, having had the same mother but
-different fathers. As in all countries of lax morals, syphilis is rife.
-But very few of the inhabitants show outward symptoms of it, for it is
-so much inbred in the people that it has lost its virulence.
-
-I had met on the train coming from Buenos Aires a man who was so
-Teutonic in appearance and in style of his clothes that I had supposed
-him to be fresh from Germany. He sat across from me at the table in
-the dining car after leaving Villa Encarnacion, and I was surprised to
-hear him answer "Chileno" when the Paraguayan immigration inspector
-asked him his nationality. He was the grandson of a German who had
-settled in Southern Chile. This man that I met was about forty years
-old and is so prominent in financial circles that his name is famous
-all over Southern Chile. He was now on his way to Asuncion to look
-over one of the two Paraguayan gunboats which the government wished
-to sell in order to obtain sufficient funds to pay off the army with.
-If the gunboat suited him he could have it shipped to Chile and have
-it remodeled as a freighter or a passenger ship. His name for obvious
-reasons I shall designate as M----.
-
-Senor M---- was a very entertaining man, had traveled all over the
-world, and appeared to have a good knowledge of sociology. I invited
-him to the Hispano-Americano to have dinner with me and he in turn
-invited me to dine with him at the Saint-Pierre where he sojourned. We
-went a couple of times to the moving picture shows and to the Belvedere
-gardens. His discourse was always of the most moral and elevating
-character which was a marked contrast to that of the natives. One
-night I suggested that we should take in a vaudeville entertainment
-that was being staged at the Belvedere. He agreed and I went to the
-Hotel Saint-Pierre to meet him. As it was a nice evening he suggested
-that we should walk, although it was nearly two miles there. Soon
-after starting out, a tropical thunder storm, so common to southern
-latitudes, came up, and rain fell in such a deluge that we were obliged
-to take shelter in a doorway. The street became a veritable river and
-owing to the violence of the downpour the street cars stopped running.
-Just as suddenly as the storm had broken, it stopped. It was too wet
-to continue walking and as we were trying to arrive at a decision as to
-how we could best get to Belvedere, a little girl about fourteen years
-walked by. M---- noticed her and straightway walked out of the shelter
-where we were standing to say something to her. I supposed that he
-had gone to question her about the car service, but as they conversed
-at length and as I saw her smile, I thought I would walk up to see
-what the joke was. Imagine my astonishment when I heard M----, whom I
-had supposed to be so moral and before whom I was always choosing my
-language, in conversation with this child inducing her to allow him
-to seduce her. My astonishment was still greater when she accepted
-his approaches and walked off with him in the direction of the Hotel
-Saint-Pierre where we had just come from.
-
-About two o'clock the next afternoon as I was returning to my hotel
-from a walk, I saw M---- on the marble stairs of the Hispano-Americano
-offering pecuniary inducements to any of the old women (none were
-under fifty) who daily sat on the bottom steps displaying _nanduti_
-embroidery for sale, if one would come up to a bedroom for a half hour.
-M---- did not make such a hit with these _nanduti_ women as he did with
-the little native girl, for none would accept his terms.
-
-I upbraided M---- roundly for his actions telling him that he should
-be ashamed of himself for making such propositions to young girls.
-"Es costumbre" ("It's the custom") he would answer, and that was all
-the excuse he could give for his actions. He informed me that he had
-discovered that the Paraguayan native was much like the Chilean of the
-lower stratum, and that for a few pesos he could "fix" any policeman or
-irate parent in Asuncion the same way as he could at his home town in
-Chile. This man thought he was doing nothing unnatural or to be ashamed
-of. I later found out that M---- was telling the truth as far as it
-was "costumbre," for Chile and Paraguay have among their respected
-citizens, men who emulate the same acts as M---- and are not arrested
-for them, while here in North America they would be safely behind the
-bars of some institution for doing the same thing.
-
-About twenty miles northwest of Asuncion is the entrancing Lake
-Ypacara-i, twelve miles long by five broad. Its shores are dotted with
-the summer residences of the Asuncene aristocracy. San Bernardino is a
-German colony and is the most delectable place in all Paraguay. It is
-reached by train from Asuncion to Aregua, another summer resort where
-cars are changed. A couple of miles from Aregua is a station named
-Kendall, whence one can cross by launch to San Bernardino, where are
-located the Hotel del Lago and the Hotel Rasmussen, the first mentioned
-being the best. The scenery is beautifully pastoral and brings to one's
-mind Virgil's _Bucolics_, for here like the scenery he described in his
-immortal work, shepherd boys watch their ovine flocks playing melodies
-on slender reeds.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII
-
-TO THE SOURCE OF THE PARAGUAY RIVER
-
-
-Strolling down to the dock one day I saw a sign stating that the
-steamer _Asuncion_ would be sailing for Corumba, Brazil that same
-evening at six o'clock. I inquired how long it took to reach its
-destination, and upon being told four days, bought a ticket. I once
-had the misfortune of being a passenger on the S. S. _Asuncion_
-when it ran aground on a mud bank in the Parana River and was moored
-twenty-six hours in midstream. It is one of the older ships of the
-Mihanovich Line and formerly plied between Buenos Aires and Asuncion.
-It has no salon and the guests are obliged to sit in the dining room.
-Two other steamship companies run to Corumba. The Brazilian Lloyd with
-fortnightly service and the Vierci Line owned in Asuncion. The latter
-boats and those of the Mihanovich Line touch at all the river ports,
-while the only stop besides Asuncion that the Brazilian Lloyd makes in
-Paraguay is Villa Concepcion.
-
-It became dark soon after sailing, and at nine o'clock we tied up to
-the dock at Villa Hayes, a small town on the Chaco side of the river
-and named in honor of Rutherford Hayes, ex-president of the United
-States, who was the arbiter in a boundary dispute between Argentina and
-Paraguay. He rendered a decision in favor of the latter country. A high
-wind blew all night, and without it the heat would have been nearly
-unbearable.
-
-The next morning when I awoke I saw that the sides of the river were
-bounded by a tropical forest. The steamer hugged the east bank for
-here, the river a mile wide at this point, was the deepest. Beautiful
-racemose clusters of red lilies grew from tall slender stalks; from
-water oaks were suspended air plants and purple orchids; lianas
-ropelike, hung from the tree tops to the ground. At ten o'clock the
-steamer anchored off the mouth of a small stream named the Cuarepoti
-up which, a mile or so, is the settlement of Rosario. Several rowboats
-came up with passengers. About two o'clock in the afternoon, the
-wide and swiftly flowing Jejuy River is reached on which is the now
-dismantled fort of San Pedro. The Paraguay River widens out and is
-filled with many islets, some of them large. The forest had receded
-and the swampy land was flooded; from the islets in the marshes rose
-groves of hiaty palms and the lagoons were covered by the wonderful
-aquatic plant, the Victoria Regia. The leaves of this plant are round
-and flat, and they resemble huge floating dishes. Where the edges are
-turned, turtles crawl up on the leaves and bask in the sun. Besides
-the Victoria Regia there are lotus plants and I saw a reed resembling
-papyrus. As the steamer passes, crocodiles flop in the river with a
-heavy thud and hissing nacaninas crawl into the dank undergrowth.
-
-At ten o'clock that night, Villa Concepcion was reached where we
-remained nearly two hours. I stopped at that hellfire town for three
-days on my return trip and regretted it. I imagine that in the winter
-it is a pleasant enough place as far as climate goes, but at the time
-of my visit it was fierce. The rains had swollen the river, which
-had overflowed its banks and practically left the town an island in a
-fresh water sea from which emerged tree trunks. It was hotter than the
-fictitious Hades and a low gray vapor shrouded everything from sight
-mornings and evenings. The sun came out torrid several times a day,
-alternated by thunder showers. Bugs, reptiles, and insects were galore.
-
-Villa Concepcion is the fourth city in Paraguay in population, although
-the unincorporated place of Luque is larger. Its estimated population
-is 15,600 although I think one half these figures would be nearer the
-mark. In importance, it is the second town in the republic for in the
-hinterland are sugar mills to which a railroad extends. The terminus
-is Horqueta, about forty miles inland. Concepcion is built on the left
-bank of the Paraguay River which here is a mile wide, and facing the
-town is an island. A few miles south of it, the Ipane River empties
-into the Paraguay.
-
-The Ipane gives the name to Concepcion's main street, a miserable
-thoroughfare of one story brick and wood buildings plastered over.
-There are, however, a few buildings of size on this street and on the
-other principal street, whose name is Aquidaban. A ditch runs along
-each side of Calle Ipane, and there is one in the middle of Calle
-Aquidaban. These are crossed by planks being thrown across them.
-The water had washed some of the planks away which made the streets
-impassable. Strange to say, Villa Concepcion boasts of one automobile,
-a Ford. As in Asuncion the market-place is of interest, although it is
-on a much smaller scale than that of the capital. The main breathing
-place is named Plaza de Libertad from the Statue of Liberty which
-graces its center. It stands on an octagonal base with funeral wreaths
-in bas-relief, while on a ledge on top of the base are perched eight
-cement lions. The allegorical goddess reposes her hand upon a shield.
-Her picture, taken from this statue adorns the Paraguayan jubilee
-postage stamps of a few years back.
-
-Sometime during the night that we left Villa Concepcion, we passed by
-the mouth of the Aquidaban River. It was up its valley that Francisco
-Solano Lopez retreated with the remnants of his brave army in 1870
-closely pursued by the Brazilian cavalry, and it was at the base of
-a mountain named Cerro Cora at the headwaters of the Aquidaban, many
-miles distant in the tropical forest that he met his death, being
-pierced through the body by the lances of the enemy. Among his retinue
-was his mistress, Madame Lynch and some of her henchwomen. Strange to
-say when they were captured they were found clad in silken dresses of
-the latest Parisian creation and wearing low ballroom slippers, and
-this in the midst of the deepest imaginable water-soaked jungle miles
-away from civilization.
-
-Early in the morning we reached the village of San Salvador with its
-beef-packing plant. The _saladero_ is a stock company composed of
-North American and German capital. They slaughter the long-horned
-native cattle, which are cheap here. At the outbreak of the World
-War, the British Government ordered from them $240,000 worth of canned
-beef which was delivered and consumed by the British Army. This beef
-is still unpaid for. Great Britain refuses to pay on account of the
-majority of the shares of stock being held by Germans. By this refusal
-it is also hurting the interests of the North Americans who have stock
-in the company, which amounts to nearly one half. This defalcation of
-payment has put the saladeria on the hummer and it is now in the hands
-of a receiver.
-
-At the time of my visit, the whole town of San Salvador was wrought up
-by an incident that had occurred the day before, and which was the only
-topic of conversation. The foremen of the saladero pay off the laborers
-with time checks which they present at the company office for currency.
-A native forged one of these checks and made such a poor job of it that
-he was refused payment and threatened with arrest. Angered, he whipped
-out a big knife, long and thin with a razor edge, with the intentions
-of annihilating the manager, a North American. The latter grabbed a
-revolver which scared the Paraguayan, who started to run down the road.
-
-Leaning against a fence post, with his hand on the rail, stood another
-North American, a mere boy, and a friend of the manager who had arrived
-from the United States, but three days before on a visit, and not
-at all connected with the company. The route of the fleeing native
-led by this young chap, and as he ran by him, he raised his arm and
-aimed a blow with his knife at the young fellow's hand, which was so
-powerful that it completely severed it at the wrist. The Paraguayan
-was caught and lodged in a temporary jail. The next morning, the day of
-my arrival, he was to be taken in a rowboat to Villa Concepcion to be
-tried.
-
-The sequel to this event which I heard on my return trip was as
-follows: His guards not relishing the long rowboat trip to Concepcion,
-for it would take them several hard days rowing upstream on the return
-journey, pitched the native overboard in midstream. A few bubbles came
-up as a _saurian_ closed its jaws upon him, and a red tinge rose to the
-surface of the river.
-
-From San Salvador northward, occasional round hills are met. The first
-of these is Itapucumi (sleeping giant), two hours above the settlement.
-Here the Paraguay River makes a great bend and narrows to one-half
-mile in width. It is studded with green islands, some of them floating.
-Puerto Max, where there is another saladeria, is stopped at and farther
-on, we passed the stockade of an old penal settlement. At dusk we
-passed another cluster of isolated hills on the east bank; the west
-bank is now a great dismal swamp. The River Apa is reached which is the
-boundary line between Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Matto Grosso.
-We now have Brazil on the right and the Paraguayan Chaco on the left.
-
-Next to Amazonas, Matto Grosso is the largest state in Brazil. Its
-area is 539,092 square miles and its population is estimated at about
-245,000. Only three South American republics (excepting Brazil, of
-which this state is a part), Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru have a larger
-area than Matto Grosso. It occupies the very center of South America
-and its capital, Cuyaba, is more geographically situated in the center
-of that continent than any other town. The main industry of Matto
-Grosso is stock raising, there being over 2,500,000 head of cattle
-within its confines. In this respect it is third among the Brazilian
-states, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Geraes outranking it. The name
-given to the native cattle is _cuyabara_; they are noted for their
-viciousness, are red and unlike the Paraguayan breed, are short-horned.
-A saladero or saladeria (the name for the whole establishment), is in
-Brazil named a _charqueada_ and there are several of these in the state
-besides a factory where beef extract is made at Sao Luiz. The eastern
-part of the state is a plateau with several high ranges of hills; the
-western part is a forest; great areas being flooded at certain seasons
-on account of poor drainage. The word Matto Grosso means "big forest,"
-_matto_ being a covering of trees and bushes. Besides stock raising,
-rubber plays an important part of the state's industries but this
-latter is confined to the northwestern region where is located the
-Madeira-Mamore Railroad. The only other railroad in the state is a few
-miles of track outside of Corumba. It will form part of the Mogyana
-system when completed, as the present intentions are to connect Corumba
-with Sao Paulo. There was a telegraph line to Cuyaba and to Corumba,
-via Goyaz but it is frequently out of commission. It takes three weeks
-of travel to reach Cuyaba from Rio de Janeiro and this trip is made by
-the Parana and Paraguay rivers.
-
-On the third morning we reached an estancia, the settlement of Porto
-Murtinho with its swampy background. There were numerous wild ducks and
-plover to be seen. This is the starting place for egret hunters; many
-of these birds abounding in the back country. Shortly after leaving
-the place, two hills rise on each side of the river. The one on the
-right being so much higher that the eminence on the left appears low.
-These are respectively Pao d'Assucar and Fecho dos Morras. Further
-up and on another hill is the Brazilian Fort Barranco-branco and
-beyond it on an eminence on the Paraguayan side is Fort Olimpo. In
-the afternoon, we stop at Puerto Ledo, Puerto Esperanza, Puerto 14 de
-Mayo, and Puerto Boggiani, all in Paraguay, and at dark reach a place
-where the river widens into a lake which is named Bahia Negra. This
-is formed by the junction of the Paraguay and the Otuquis rivers. The
-last mentioned stream being commonly called Rio Negro. We here left
-Paraguayan territory as the Brazilian boundary line is arrived at on
-the left bank. In the night we passed Fort Coimbra and when I awoke
-the following morning there were hills on the west bank. The river
-had narrowed down to one quarter of a mile. In the afternoon we passed
-Fort Albuquerque and late at night arrived at the wretched but lively
-city of Corumba, commercial center of Matto Grosso and the synonym of
-lawlessness and disorder.
-
-This vile town with its diseased population and a jumping-off place
-of commercial riffraff, has a population of nearly twenty thousand
-inhabitants. It is built on the high banks of the west shore of the
-Paraguay River. The water is six feet deep at the docks when the river
-is low but the project has long been contemplated of deepening the
-channel so that vessels drawing twenty feet can anchor there. Nineteen
-hundred and eighty-six miles from the mouth of the La Plata River,
-it is the head of navigation for large boats and it has an immense
-trade, considering the size of the place, on account of its being
-the sole distributing point for southern Matto Grosso. The tortuous
-muddy road leads up the bank to the town which is well built with
-morgue-like edifices. The structures are mostly of one story and many
-have semicircular round-top windows, which are uncommon in all South
-American countries excepting Brazil, where they are characteristic.
-The Hotel Paris, where I stopped, was nothing at all like Paris and the
-slovenly waiters had a cutthroat appearance.
-
-Corumba has a widely established reputation for disorder. It is so far
-from the Federal capital of Brazil that it might be anywhere else in
-the world as far as the inhabitants having any fear from that quarter
-of punishments for their misdeeds. Matto Grosso is run very much as if
-it were an independent country, and on account of the low caliber of
-the native potentates and politicians, lawlessness is rampant. Nearly
-every man in the city carries a long thin razor-edged knife and many
-of the population give testimony of a one-time fight with this kind of
-weapon by the scars to be seen on their visages. There are some whose
-nose has been severed and others who are minus an ear. There is but
-little public safety there from murder or robbery or both on the back
-streets after nightfall. The natives like to pretend that they are
-atheists but I have noticed that this same tribe either slink away in
-a hangdog fashion when they see a priest approaching or else are quick
-to drop on their knees and make the sign of the cross.
-
-As to industry, besides having a charqueada, Corumba has a brewery
-and the Ladario naval arsenal. The town, I think, has a good future
-on account of its central location. The surrounding country is swampy
-so there is apt to be malaria but otherwise it is fairly free from
-epidemics. Most of the inhabitants are syphilitic or are afflicted with
-other diseases due to lax morals. The climate, though hot, is better
-than that of Villa Concepcion, and it is doubtful if in the summer
-months the thermometer rises as high as it does in Asuncion.
-
-The 280-mile trip from Corumba to Cuyaba is made in anywheres from
-four days to a week and one half on small steamers of fifty tons. At
-their very best, they make an average of seventy miles a day of twelve
-hours as they tie up to the bank at night. These boats, owned locally
-and also by the Vierci Brothers of Asuncion, carry twenty first-class
-and fifty third-class passengers. Since the traffic is heavy, it is
-necessary for the traveler to board the steamer the day before to
-obtain a convenient place to sling his hammock and then hire some
-roustabout to watch it for him. Otherwise somebody else would be apt
-to remove it. If a person waited until the morning of departure before
-slinging his hammock, he would find all the suitable places occupied.
-It is impossible to sleep in one of the few cabins which have bunks on
-account of the heat from the ship's engines combined with that of the
-atmosphere.
-
-Corumba is 384 feet above the sea level; Cuyaba is 401; thus the drop
-in 280 miles is only 17 feet or 7/10 of an inch to a mile. The swampy
-pasture which is entered and which continues until the day Cuyaba is
-reached is one of the hell holes of this earth. This immense marsh,
-which is 350 miles across in an east to west line, extends into Bolivia
-and is a flat piece of ground grown to marsh grass in which countless
-herds of semi-wild cattle fatten. There are occasional stunted trees
-whose penurious shade affords the sole protection against the powerful
-sun and blinding rays. In the afternoon of the first day, we passed a
-few huts named Tres Barras and at night pulled up to shore at a cape
-formed by the confluence of the Cuyaba and Paraguay rivers. On account
-of the low drop in altitudes, there is such poor drainage that branches
-of the Paraguay and Cuyaba shoot out in all directions, forming
-numerous channels in a great delta. The Paraguay is considerably wider
-than the Cuyaba and has a much greater volume of water as well as a
-swifter current. It is navigable for small vessels as far as Sao Luiz
-de Caceres about 250 miles farther up.
-
-The whole trip was uneventful through a most monotonous country. About
-a day and one half before we reached the capital, another river flowing
-from the northeast and about the same size as the Cuyaba entered it.
-This river was named the Sao Lourenco although I understand that the
-natives are in the habit of giving this same name even to the Cuyaba
-River below its confluence. The heat was fierce but strange to say
-there were but few mosquitoes. It is most peculiar that of the whole
-La Plata river system mosquitoes are most abundant in the delta of
-the Parana River between Rosario and Buenos Aires, and that up in the
-tropics of northern Paraguay and Matto Grosso where one would think
-they would be most likely to be found, they are noticeable by their
-absence. In other parts of Matto Grosso where the rivers belong to the
-Amazonian watershed, I understand they are legion. At night fireflies
-came out in bunches and the swampy plain was resonant with the croaking
-of frogs. One afternoon nearly a week after leaving Corumba, hills
-appeared on the right which took on the form of low mountains and these
-continued in view until the capital in the midst of a thickly settled
-country was approached.
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Cuyaba]
-
-Cuyaba is an old city of one-story houses, strongly built, and boasts
-of wide grass-grown streets, and a spacious shadeless plaza on which
-faces the cathedral. It is said to have been founded a couple of
-hundred years ago by Portuguese prospectors who started out from Sao
-Paulo. During the eighteenth century it was the center of the placer
-district and the headquarters of the miners who equipped themselves
-here for their trips to the remote parts of Brazil and what is now
-Bolivia. It was a lively place in those days, but a hundred years
-ago became decadent until recently when the cattle industry took a
-boom. In the last decade it has picked up, and its population to-day
-numbers not far from twenty thousand. It is the seat of a bishopric,
-is electric lighted (on the main street), and is in telegraphic
-communication (sometimes) with Rio de Janeiro. The Mogyana Railroad
-system from Sao Paulo is expected to extend here shortly which will
-be a great benefit to the place, as well as facilitate exportation.
-In many respects Cuyaba is a fine city although it falls far below
-the standard of a North American city of the same size. It has many
-fine residences, and an air of proudness and of aristocracy enthralls
-it. It is the residence of quite a few persons of wealth, and I am
-told that among its inhabitants are three millionaires, who by the way
-prefer to live in Paris and in Lisbon rather than in the stagnant town
-where they first saw the light of day. Cuyaba is very nearly in the
-center of South America and it seems incredible that in this region so
-little known, the surrounding country is so thickly populated and well
-cultivated. It is said that three quarters of the entire population of
-the tremendously large State of Matto Grosso inhabit a radius of fifty
-miles from Cuyaba as the center. The Chapada Mountains to the east
-rise to a height of 2733 feet. Cool breezes blow from the plateau of
-which they form the western barriers, causing the temperature not to be
-over-oppressive. There is but little malaria away from the river; the
-diseases common to the country seem to be beri-beri and leprosy. Many
-people afflicted with the last-named malady are found in all parts of
-Matto Grosso, but not so much so in the cities as in the country. This
-form of leprosy is not supposed to be contagious. Many of its victims
-also have elephantiasis.
-
-  [Illustration: Street Scene, Outskirts of Cuyaba]
-
-I was told that the springs that form the source of the Paraguay River
-were about four days' horseback ride distant, and as it has always been
-my ambition to gaze upon them, I decided to visit them. I had already
-seen the source of the Amazon, and considered that my travels in South
-America would be far from complete if I failed to also see the place
-whence the second greatest water system in that continent took its
-source. I had seen ancient woodcuts of the source of the river, the one
-which defined itself in my mind being from a drawing in the works of
-Dr. Martius, 1832. It depicts a flat, grassy plain in which is a pool,
-of irregular shape, about a stone's throw wide by the same dimension
-long, encircled by sixty-three hiaty palms with slender trunks.
-Martius' works are long out of print but a copy of his woodcut is
-reproduced on page 60 of _Album Grafico de la Republica del Paraguay_
-by Arsenio Lopez Decoud, Buenos Aires, 1911. Many times during the
-long winter nights in my Northern Michigan home I have sat in front of
-the fireplace and gazed at this woodcut, always hoping that it would
-be my fortune to gaze upon the original. I became obsessed with this
-fixed idea in Buenos Aires, which was augmented in Asuncion, and it
-was solely for this reason that I went first to Corumba and thence to
-Cuyaba, getting nearer and nearer the goal of my quest. In Cuyaba I
-was told that the source lay not many kilometers from the main traveled
-road from there to Diamantino, and was easily accessible. Little did I
-think that in seeing it, the trip would be responsible for the loss of
-a life.
-
-The second day after my arrival in Cuyaba I met a German commercial
-traveler named Huber who represented a Rosario importing house of
-harvesting machinery. He was bound to Diamantino and having heard that
-I had the same destination, suggested that we should make the trip
-together as he had but little use for the natives, thinking that they
-might murder and rob him en route. I agreed but said that in case he
-accompanied me he would have to deviate from his route for a day to see
-the source of the Paraguay. He said that it was a lot of nonsense and
-that I could see these springs on my way back. I replied that I had no
-object to go to Diamantino excepting to rest a day or so after having
-seen the springs, and that having come so far to see them I would do
-so anyhow, regardless of whether he would accompany me or not. Huber
-became disgruntled and told me he would let me know that night whether
-he would go to the unnecessary trouble to view this "dummheit" as he
-called it. He spent most of the day interviewing the foreign element
-of Cuyaba inquiring if anyone else in the place had the intention
-of setting out for Diamantino within the next couple of days. His
-inquiries evidently were met with negative answers for as I was about
-to retire he came to my room and stated that he was ready to set out
-with me the following morning.
-
-Early in the morning we set out with two guides which we had engaged
-through the medium of the Italian consular agent and followed a cart
-road along the east bank of the Cuyaba River, which was becoming so
-narrow that one could easily heave a good-sized stone across it. At
-noon we stopped at a miserable leper-infested place named Guia, the
-center of a stock country, and by nightfall reached the hamlet of
-Brotas. Not wishing to share my bed with the vermin that infested the
-_botequim_ which went by the name of hotel, I hung my hammock between
-two trees in the rear of the establishment.
-
-At the end of the second day we arrived at dusk at the large village
-of Rosario da Cuyaba, finely situated on a height of land on the west
-bank of the Cuyaba River which we forded below the town. This Rosario
-is at the foot of some low mountains and is a pleasant place although
-but a wreck of its former self. It was once quite a placer center, and
-some diamonds were found here that are now among the crown jewels of
-Austria. There is a fairly comfortable four-bedroom hotel where I spent
-the night, but got but little sleep on account of the hooting of an
-owl in a nearby bush. The hotel is owned by a Spaniard who has resided
-for over thirty years in the country. In the meantime he took one trip
-back to Spain but returned as he preferred Matto Grosso. Rosario is 998
-feet above sea level, being 597 feet higher than Cuyaba. I think its
-population is in excess of two thousand. There is a project on hand to
-inaugurate an electric lighting plant and to build a charqueada.
-
-From here to Diamantino it is a hard two days' ride if one wishes
-to visit the source of the Paraguay owing to the detour of about six
-hours. The road that wound up the low mountains named the Serra Azul
-is no better than a cow path, and was extremely rocky and slippery. The
-shrubbery is very thick and is covered with thorns, although there are
-no large trees. Occasionally a clearing is met where languid natives
-have attempted to grow enough legumes for their meager wants, together
-with the omnipresent sugarcane patch which supplies them with enough
-_cachaca_ for their frequent debauches. Their huts are painted pink
-or white and can be seen from a great distance, at which point of
-vantage they always appear at their best. At one of these fazendas, as
-the farms are called, we stopped for the night. A small stream but a
-couple of inches deep, filled with pebbles and where pools were formed
-with watercress, trickled through the fazenda. It served the farmer
-with his supply of drinking water, water for his stock, the washing
-place of his clothes, as well as the washing place for the feet of his
-numerous offspring. On each side of the rivulet were trees and from
-them we slung our hammocks. One end of my hammock was tied to a tree
-on the left bank, the other end to a tree on the right bank; if the
-rope had broken or come loose, I would have dropped into the creek. The
-hospitality of the inhabitants of the tropics of South America is in
-marked contrast to the stinginess and mean actions of those people that
-inhabit the Andean uplands. Nowhere in Paraguay or Brazil have I been
-subjected to the discourtesy and suspicion that greet every traveler
-in the mountains of Peru or Bolivia. This particular fazendado not
-only insisted upon helping our guides cook the meals, but also added
-canned goods which he had bought in Cuyaba, and refused to accept any
-pecuniary remuneration therefor. The next morning he accompanied us for
-a few miles on his pony and also went to much trouble to point out to
-us where the best paths were.
-
-From the top of the Serra Azul near where the fazenda was situated,
-a broad valley was seen to open out at our feet. It was swampy, and
-was carpeted with marsh grasses and rushes which were yellow. To the
-northwest the sun reflected on a tortuous silver thread which was
-the river. In several places the stream lost itself behind islets of
-mangrove while in front of us it was barely perceptible on account of
-the tules in the bog which screened it from view. Our guides pointed
-out what seemed to be a group of palmettos several kilometers to
-the east and informed us that there were the springs from which the
-Paraguay had its source. Leaving the cart track we galloped over the
-oozing sod of black muck at the risk of getting our horses stalled
-in the mire. Great blue herons, startled at our approach, rose from
-the tules, emitting shrill cries, and flew away to a place of safety,
-the noise of their flapping wings sounding like that made by a person
-beating a rug. Near the tops of some trees resembling water oaks
-we observed some egrets, but unfortunately they were at too great a
-distance to bring down with a revolver shot.
-
-The appearance of the source of the Paraguay River was much different
-in details from Dr. Martius' woodcut, yet in general aspects it had
-quite a resemblance. The drawing that I saw was made nearly a century
-ago, and during that lapse of time the features of the immediate
-landscape may have changed. It may have been that the drawing in
-Martius' work was made from memory, away from the spot, and that not
-being present at the pool when the drawing was made, his memory was
-not accurate. Some of the hiaty palms may in the meantime have died
-and rotted. It was impossible for me to photograph it on account of
-the noonday shadowless sun, but I made a rough pencil sketch of the
-scenery.
-
-Picture to yourself a great bog of yellow rushes waving in the
-sweltering noonday heat with no trees in sight, excepting a nearly
-perfect circle of eleven hiaty palms; inscribe in this circle a pool
-of dark steel-blue transparent water. This pool is about 150 feet in
-diameter, and on its surface float several gigantic pan-like leaves
-of Victoria Regia. From where I stood I saw that the pool abounded
-with small fishes. Looking into the water, I saw several feet beneath
-the surface something that appeared to be a rocky ledge. At its side
-and beneath it from which bubbles constantly rose was a black hole of
-Stygian darkness. This I conjectured was the main spring. On a branch
-of one of the palm trees perched an owl, the only living thing in
-sight excepting ourselves and our horses. I was seized with a desire
-to take a plunge and a swim in this pond, the zenith of my quest and
-the goal of many years' thoughts. Yet I had the feeling that this
-harmless-looking water might conceal some reptile, an alligator or
-giant turtle, so I quickly gave up the idea, but lying on my belly I
-gulped down several large swallows of the water, which sad to relate
-was not as cool as I had imagined it to be and also had a rank taste as
-of decaying vegetable matter.
-
-The water flowing from the pool does not take any definite bed, but at
-first spreads out over quite an area, a few inches deep, between the
-thousands of marshy islets, mere detached tufts of sod but a few feet
-wide. A quarter of a mile below the pool the numerous channels unite
-into two watercourses, which at a short distance farther converge into
-a single creek. This creek is but a few feet wide, and is clear and
-clean, a remarkable phenomenon on account of the muddy swamp which it
-traverses.
-
-Leaving the pool we made for the northern horizon defined by a height
-of land resembling low hills, but had some difficulty on account of
-the horses continually stumbling and tripping themselves on the roots
-of a species of creeper that had white blossoms and which covered the
-landscape at the edge of the marsh. After an hour's ride we reached the
-hills and came upon a distinct cattle path which wound through a jungle
-and finally brought us out on a cart road.
-
-  [Illustration: Source of the Paraguay River]
-
-At the pool Huber never dismounted from his pony, but sat leaning over
-in his saddle resting his head on his hand. I asked him why he did
-not get down but beyond muttering a few words about "such nonsense" he
-neither said nor did anything. Several times on the ride from the pool
-to the hills he complained of having a headache, and although I gave
-him a couple of acetphenetidin tablets they did him no good. He became
-feverish and said he felt as if he were burning up. He gradually became
-worse, and his pupils narrowed down to the size of a pin head while
-his eyes began to shine like coals. It was with difficulty that he kept
-his saddle, and the last few miles into Diamantino he had to be propped
-into position by his guide.
-
-Diamantino, whose name should not be confused with the flourishing
-mining-center of Diamantina in the state of Minas Geraes, is a town
-of about three thousand inhabitants built on the side of a red earth
-hill but a short distance to the north of the Paraguay River, here
-a few rods wide. From a distance it resembles Tallahassee on account
-of the red color of the soil, and the similarity of their respective
-townsites. It is one of the oldest towns in central Brazil. Formerly it
-was important in the mining annals of the country on account of gold
-and diamonds having been discovered in its vicinity, but mining has
-long since played out, and it is only important commercially at the
-present time through the exportation of vanilla beans. It is also the
-starting place for laborers to the rubber district in the forests of
-the north and northwest. Diamantino is at the base of the great central
-plateau of Brazil, which extends eastward into Goyaz, its limits being
-defined by the Serra Azul. The latter is the watershed between the
-Amazon and the La Plata river systems. Beyond these mountains is a vast
-impenetrable forest inhabited by Indians. The proximity is evident
-by the great number of members of this race, which I believe exceeds
-the white population of the village. But a day's journey northward,
-I understand, is the town of Porto Velho on the Arinos River which
-farther on becomes the Tapajos, the latter being the boundary line of
-the extensive States of Amazonas and Para; the Tapajos finally flows
-into the Amazon at Santarem.
-
-Diamantino is one of the most funereal towns imaginable. Its houses
-are neatly whitewashed, but the absence of panes in the windows gives
-the impression of tombs. The doors are like black holes in a vault.
-The streets are wide and are grown to grass on which horses graze; the
-lawns of the better-class houses are set back in rank gardens enclosed
-by walls which have pillars at the gates. The whole impression is that
-of a country cemetery.
-
-The three inns of the place, if such they can be called, run more to
-botequim (barroom) than to looking after the culinary welfare and
-lodging of their guests. A rubber train had just entered the town;
-the laborers had just been paid off and were now riotously and in good
-humor making the streets and botequims resound with their merriment.
-They were fast filling up on _piraty cachaca_, a fiery rumlike liquid
-made from sugar cane. A glass of this beverage will make an ordinary
-man "fall under the table" and it is so cheap that it is within the
-reach of all. On it a man can get one of the cheapest jags known,
-and like a few other intoxicants it goes down like oil. Only the
-peasants indulge in it, although it can be obtained in the better-class
-botequims of Rio de Janeiro. If a well-dressed stranger should stroll
-into a cafe in Rio and ask for some of it, the waiter would be apt to
-look at him in astonishment, wondering what sort of a common fellow he
-was and how he got his fine clothes, for it is the drink of the lower
-stratum of society. It is kept on the boats of the Brazilian Lloyd; at
-Montevideo Brazilian roustabouts swim out to them, buy the beverage,
-and in a drunken stupor have to be rowed ashore.
-
-At the mediocre and filthy inn which was the best of the three at
-Diamantino, where I obtained a lodging no better than a hen coop,
-I tried to get the best room in the place for Huber who was now so
-sick that he could not stand. The landlord gruffly remarked that his
-place was no hospital, and would not take him in. Watching over him,
-I sent the guides to the other two places but they likewise refused to
-shelter him. Somebody suggested that the priest might find a habitation
-for him, and upon my instructions set out to find that worthy, who
-presently arrived in a semi-state of inebriation. The holy man, with
-filthy robes and an unshaven countenance, scrutinized Huber minutely
-through his bleary eyes, and in a sottish voice said he could be taken
-to the end house in the village where upon his recommendation and
-for about thirty thousand reis ($7.50) he would receive "everything
-that was to be desired." The price was terribly exorbitant, but
-owing to the condition the commercial traveler was in, there was no
-time to argue, so we set off to the place indicated, the two guides
-carrying him, while the drunken priest, myself, and what seemed to
-be half of the male population of Diamantino followed. An old woman,
-toothless and humped, with the eternal black cigar between her lips,
-discolored with nicotine, came to an aperture which served as the door
-and gesticulating frantically refused admission. The priest called
-her aside, and said something to her which we could not hear, but it
-evidently appeased her for she came back saying that it would be all
-right for him to stay there provided she was paid in advance. I was on
-the point of accepting the offer when a tall, handsome man in uniform
-appeared, and asked what the rumpus was about. A hundred voices tried
-to answer at the same time. He motioned them to be silent, and heard
-me out. No sooner had I stopped speaking than the crowd again began to
-speak. He ordered them to stop, and addressing me said that he was the
-chief of police as well as the mayor of the town, and that his house
-was at our disposal gratis. I accepted his kind offer, much to the
-dismay of the priest and toothless hag who were now begging me to let
-Huber stay with them.
-
-The two guides, who had laid the German down with a coat under his head
-as a pillow in the shade of a wall, picked him up and we set out toward
-the mayor's residence, but a short distance away. The crowd started to
-follow, but the mayor with some harsh oaths ordered them away. They
-all dispersed excepting a curious few who eyed us from a distance.
-The mayor's house was a long one-story building facing a common grown
-to grass and milkweed. It had in front a wide tile-paved veranda
-whose heavy roof was supported by square pillars. On this veranda
-were benches where the family sat evenings, and where the functionary
-entertained his guests. The room in which he ordered Huber placed was
-tile paved, high, and cool, with two windows, one of them at the side
-nearly covered with vines. In it was an iron bedstead, a couple of
-chairs, a table, and a wash basin. All the front windows of the house
-had vertical iron bars. The mayor, a perfect gentleman, sent a boy whom
-I imagined to be his son for a doctor while he invited me to be seated
-on a bench and chat with him till the medico arrived. He was particular
-to inquire when and how Huber had been taken sick, as he said he did
-not care to have anybody in his place who had a contagious disease.
-
-The doctor was slow in coming, so slow that in the meantime Huber had
-become delirious. He took his temperature, looked grave, and sent a
-halfbreed servant away to soak some towels and rags in cold water,
-which when she returned he ordered her to place on Huber's head and
-change every few minutes for fresh ones. There is no ice in Diamantino,
-and the _olla_ from which the water had been poured had been standing
-all the afternoon in the sun, consequently it was not cool enough to
-suit the physician. He gave instructions for more ollas to be filled,
-and as night had come on, to be left on the porch in front of the room
-in which the patient lay.
-
-When the doctor came out, he sat on the bench between the mayor and me,
-and informed us that Huber had a sunstroke, and that it was doubtful
-if he would live. "Anyhow," he said, "if he recovers, he will have to
-remain here for weeks before he is well. He shouldn't have come here in
-the first place. My opinion is that he won't survive twenty-four hours
-longer." I returned to the botequim where I lodged for dinner, although
-the mayor was insistent that I should dine with him. I excused myself;
-saying that I had things to attend to and that I would return later on
-to see how Huber was getting on. "He will get on all right if human
-agencies can help, but in this case they are of little avail. I have
-seen such cases before," were his parting words to me, as I turned up
-the moonlit street towards the middle of the town from which shouts and
-ribald laughter emanating from the drunken rubber men were audible in
-the otherwise sleepy town.
-
-At the botequim where I roomed there was an orgy going on. Most of the
-rubber men were soused and our two guides were rapidly filling up.
-Rum, gin, and brandy were spilled all over the room, on the tables,
-on the chairs, and on the floor. A couple of bums lay in a corner of
-the room and one on a soap box, his feet dangling over it into space.
-The brutal-appearing ruffian who was the landlord was his own best
-customer yet he was intent enough on business to charge two prices, one
-to the badly drunk individuals, and a cheaper one to those in a lesser
-maudlin state. I was hungry but as it was impossible to eat in this
-barroom, in which on other occasions meals were served, I repaired to
-the shed which served as a kitchen and asked if anything to eat could
-be had. Two slatternly halfbreed female servants informed me that in
-a few minutes dinner would be served. I waited for over half an hour
-and was so impatient with hunger that I was at my wits' end, when the
-youngest of the two approached me and whispered that the proprietor
-had the keys to the storeroom in his pocket and that he would beat her
-if she disturbed him. Disgusted I set out to buy some canned goods to
-sup on at one of the stores which combine the selling of groceries with
-that of light hardware and dry goods, when I felt a pull at my sleeve
-and looking around saw the same halfbreed standing there as if she had
-something to tell me.
-
-"I hope the _senhor_ does not want me to sleep with him to-night," she
-whispered to my great astonishment; "Manoel is here from the rubber
-country, and if he finds it out he will kill me. Manoel is my fellow
-and he is crazy jealous over me."
-
-This was the first time that I was apprised of the fact that the custom
-of Bohemia was likewise prevalent in Matto Grosso.
-
-For an exorbitant price, I bought two cans of salmon which I washed
-down with a bottle of warm beer. I had been counting for the past
-three days on a square meal at Diamantino. I returned to the mayor's
-house and found that Huber had steadily become worse, and at times was
-so violent that he had to be held down on the bed. Late that night he
-took a turn to the better, so the doctor said, which lasted about seven
-hours. About five o'clock in the morning he steadily grew worse and at
-eight-thirty died in the presence of the mayor, his family, the doctor,
-the priest, one of the guides, and myself. He had only been sick twenty
-hours. Although the mayor had said he had seen cases of sunstroke
-before, I had never seen one in the tropics. Moreover as sunstroke is
-most frequent in the first hours after sunrise and in those preceding
-sundown, it must have been that he was exposed in the morning of the
-day before, even before we reached the pool, for it was then that the
-hot rays shone on his head.
-
-  [Illustration: House in Diamantino where Huber Died]
-
-At about eleven o'clock in the morning of the day on which he died,
-Huber's lich was interred in the gruesome cemetery of plain black
-crosses on the hillside, a mile beyond the town, I officiating by
-throwing the last few shovelfuls of dirt on his eternal resting place.
-The town authorities took charge of his possessions and notified his
-employers who knew the address of his relations in Stettin. The mayor
-would accept no pay, but expressed the desire that he would like
-Huber's revolver, belt, and cartridges. I could not very well refuse
-seeing that he and the officials already had possession of all the
-deceased man's articles; I would not have refused anyway on account
-of the courtesy he showed. I paid the doctor and the priest, but I
-also have no doubt that they got their share for their services from
-the money that Huber had in a wallet as well. I stayed that night at
-the mayor's house, but the morbidity of the affair depressed me so
-much that I left Diamantino early the following morning for my return
-trip, being accompanied by Huber's guide as well as my own to Cuyaba.
-I saved a day by traveling the regular track and leaving the source of
-the Paraguay River a six hours' ride to the east. I stopped a day at
-Cuyaba, another one at Corumba, and three weeks later left Asuncion.
-
-Four passenger steamers of the Mihanovich line now ply weekly between
-Asuncion and Buenos Aires. They are the _Bruselas_, the _Berna_, and
-the two smaller ships, the _Lambary_ and the _Guarany_. The downstream
-trip takes over three days. I left Asuncion a Sunday morning on the
-_Bruselas_. The scenery is intensely tropical, but after the first few
-miles flat. On the left bank soon after leaving Asuncion are passed the
-tumulus of Tucumbu and the conical-shaped hill, Lambary, the latter
-a landmark. Soon on the right we reached the Argentine frontier post
-of Pilcomayo, on the long and narrow river of that name. It rises
-in the high and bleak plateau of Bolivia and flows through the Gran
-Chaco, where for a long space it loses itself in the marshes only to
-reappear broader, lower down. From now on we have Paraguay on the left
-and the Argentine territory of Formosa on the right. The only stops of
-any importance the first day are Villeta, Formosa, Villa Oliva, Villa
-del Pilar, and Humaita. All are Paraguayan, except Formosa which is
-the capital of the Argentine territory of the same name. At Villeta,
-small boats laden with cigars, plants, and fruits are rowed out to the
-steamers, and the leprous hags to whom these mixed cargoes belong drive
-bargains with the sailors, who are crazy to buy pineapples. Before
-reaching Villa Oliva, a palmetto swamp is passed on the Paraguayan side
-which stretches backward as far as the eye can see. Villa del Pilar
-is the most important Paraguayan town stopped at. A railroad track on
-which are flat cars drawn by horses leads from the town to the dock;
-these cars are usually laden with tobacco leaf to be exported to Buenos
-Aires. A crowd was at the dock and it much resembled the crowds seen on
-the docks of the Great Lakes ports, with the exception that among its
-members were sportily attired youths with high collars, roaring ties,
-Panama hats, and patent-leather shoes. It was ludicrous to see such
-people in such out-of-the-way places.
-
-On the second day out, the broad Parana River is entered; the water
-unlike the blue Paraguay is muddy, and it is so wide that it is much
-like an inland sea. Numerous islands are passed. The shores on the
-Correntine side are high and there is no luxuriance of vegetation
-like in Paraguay, which republic was left behind when the Parana was
-entered. The aspect is drier and the vast plains extend back to the
-eastern horizon. The Chaco and Santa Fe side is a vast wilderness
-of cane and brush. The city of Corrientes, famous for internecine
-strife, and the birthplace of Sergeant Cabral, a hero of the War of the
-Liberation, was reached in the early hours of the morning of the second
-day. The rocks in the quiet water of the roadstead, overhung with trees
-above which appeared church steeples and the domes of the government
-buildings, made a fine picture. Soon after leaving Corrientes the boat
-anchored at Barranqueras, the port for Resistencia, capital of the
-territory of Chaco, and at nightfall in a pouring rain it anchored
-again off Puerto Goya, from which a railroad runs to Goya and to San
-Diego. On the third day the boat stopped in the morning at the ancient
-capital of Argentina, Parana, built high on the left bank of the river,
-and at night at Rosario. Buenos Aires was reached on the morning of the
-fourth day.
-
-Another line of steamships plies also between Asuncion and Buenos
-Aires, that named the Empresa Domingo Barthe, but the Mihanovich Line
-is the best. Domingo Barthe, the controller of the rival line, is a
-French adventurer who made a fortune in Argentina and in Paraguay. He
-acquired a large _yerba mate_ concession from the Paraguayan government
-which has made him rich. The trademark of the tea from his _yerbales_
-bears the name Asuncion. Another large firm competed with him, putting
-out yerba mate with a different trademark. Barthe then had some of his
-tea put up in similar packages to theirs, and stealing their trademark
-had it sold widely in Argentina under their name. The rival company
-brought suit against Barthe which went against him. A heavy fine was
-imposed upon him with the alternative of a year in jail. Barthe neither
-paid the fine nor went to jail. He has simply kept out of Argentina.
-Nevertheless Barthe is a man who has done a lot for Argentina, and the
-court may have in view of this fact been too stiff with him; anyhow
-that is what the public thinks. Not only has Barthe been the means of
-facilitating transportation between these two countries but he has
-opened much of the waste lands of the territory of Misiones and put
-them under production, besides being in a large way responsible for the
-growth of Posadas, his home town.
-
-It is pleasant to make the return trip to Buenos Aires from Asuncion
-by water after having seen the fields of Entre Rios and Corrientes
-from the car window. The study of faces, the stops at the small towns,
-the unloading and loading of cargo make the river trip extremely
-interesting. The cargo of the passenger boats is worth inspection but
-the odor of the poultry and of the parrot cages is nauseating. The main
-deck becomes a storage room for sacks of yerba mate, the vile tea that
-the Argentine natives are crazy about. Much of this on passenger boats
-goes to Goya for consumption by the poor _chinos_, as the civilized
-Indians and halfbreeds of the Correntine hinterland as well as in the
-rest of the republic are called. The freight boats handle the Buenos
-Aires and Rosario supply. Besides the mate there are numerous pails,
-tin cans, and molasses tins filled with plants from Matto Grosso
-and the Paraguayan Chaco, mild-eyed deer for the museum at La Plata,
-mangy sarias, martinets in cages, a bedlam of parrots, and bottles of
-home-made _cana_, which gives the imbibers murderous intentions.
-
-I sat between two Spaniards at the dining room table. One had become
-involved in a domestic scandal, the day before we left Asuncion, and
-the wronged husband was looking for him with a gun, besides having
-invoked the aid of the police to find him. The foxy Spaniard, a
-middle-aged aristocrat, escaped across the river to Pilcomayo at
-night, and as there is no extradition treaty with Argentina, he was
-safe. He boarded the _Bruselas_ at that stop. Both the Spaniards fell
-to discussing the charms of the various lady passengers and would
-occasionally ask me my opinion. I could not agree with them as they
-would pick out some fat type of woman and exclaim: "Que linda mujer"
-("Oh, what a beautiful woman!"). I was fascinated by the looks of the
-recently married Brazilian woman who with her groom sat across the
-table from us. She was of that dark type of beauty so common in Matto
-Grosso where one meets women of dark complexion, black gorse-like hair,
-black flashing eyes, with strong virile mouths and chins.
-
-In South America it is not considered a breach of table etiquette to
-be continually picking one's teeth and no sooner did the meals on the
-_Bruselas_ begin than the snapping of wooden toothpicks rent the air.
-Some of the guests were ambidextrous as to the use of forks and knives,
-the latter especially; they would shovel so much food into their mouths
-that they could not contain it all, and consequently goulash would
-drop from their mouths onto the tablecloth. One young barbarian, when
-passed the menu, kept it, and instead of passing it on, amused himself
-by reading the advertisements on the reverse. He had never seen one
-before.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX
-
-SANTIAGO
-
-
-It is not the intention of the writer in these pages to go into
-a detailed and minute historical, geographical, and statistical
-description of Chile. This will appear in a later work. Therefore
-here will be taken up only those statistics, political conditions, and
-geography that the reader should digest in following me on my trips.
-
-The Republic of Chile, whose total length of 2660 miles is included
-between latitudes 18 deg. and 56 deg. south, averages in width but 150
-miles which is the territory embraced between the summits of the Andes on
-the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It is divided into twenty-four
-provinces and one territory. Each of these provinces is in turn divided
-into departments. Each of the provinces has its own governor and each
-has its own representation in the national government at Santiago.
-Of the twenty-four provinces, fifteen are latitudinal, stretching
-the whole width of the country. From north to south these are Tacna,
-Tarapaca, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Choapa, Aconcagua, Santiago,
-Colchagua, Curico, Talca, Concepcion, Cautin, Valdivia, and Llanquihue.
-Four provinces are maritime, Valparaiso, Maule, Arauco, and Chiloe;
-their eastern limits are defined by the summits of the Coast Range and
-do not extend to the central valley. Chiloe is an archipelago. In the
-littoral provinces the climate is cooler than in others whose latitude
-is farther south owing to the breezes that blow from the Pacific. Four
-provinces are Andean, O'Higgins, Linares, Nuble, and Bio-Bio. These
-extend from the Argentine frontier westward to the central valley but
-in no part do they ever reach the coast. There is only one interior
-province, Malleco; it is absolutely surrounded by other provinces, and
-neither extends to the ocean on the west nor to the mountain peaks on
-the east.
-
-  [Illustration: Diagram Showing Idea of Central Valley of Chile in
-   Relationship to the Andes Mountains and the Coast Range, with Course of
-   Streams]
-
-From Santiago southward 350 miles to the Bio-Bio River there is what
-is known as the central valley; here in the cities, villages, and
-country between the Andes and the Coast Range live two thirds of the
-entire population of the republic. Although this central valley is
-but one long valley and traversing it longitudinally from Santiago
-to the Bio-Bio there is no marked difference in elevation, yet it is
-not the valley of one single river, nor do any rivers run through it
-lengthwise as do the San Joaquin and the Sacramento in California. This
-valley is formed by the valleys of countless small rivers which cross
-it and widening out midway between their sources and their mouths form
-one large valley which has an average width of about sixty miles. The
-geological theory is that in the pre-glacial period the small rivers
-like to-day rushed headlong from the Andes into the ocean. The Coast
-Range sprang up, but the rivers worked faster than the mountains grew,
-so that their courses were not altered, and the Coast Range instead of
-being one continuous range of mountains, even though it is a mountain
-chain, became bunches of land islets, separated from one another by
-streams.
-
-Of the thirteen largest cities of Chile, only four are found in this
-valley, Santiago, the metropolis, Talca, the sixth city in population,
-Chillan, the seventh, and Curico, the twelfth. This signifies nothing
-for although less than one third of the large towns are situated
-here, yet the valley teems with towns that have between 1500 and
-4000 inhabitants. The central valley is of remarkable fertility, but
-although the soil is highly productive, irrigation is resorted to for
-it seldom rains during the summer months. In the winter there is plenty
-of rainfall. Owing to the great number of streams, most of which,
-however, are unnavigable and all of which rise in the Andes, there
-is plenty of water for irrigation. In their course to the ocean they
-bring much silt which gives them a muddy color. In contrast to them
-are the clear streams of transparent water which feed them. The latter
-are mostly from springs in the foothills, and not having to cut their
-way for any great distance carry no silt. The products of the central
-valley are wine, fruits, cereals, and stock. A Californian whom I met
-in Santiago said to me: "This central valley of Chile reminds me of
-California, but it is more productive, and in a much more advanced
-state of cultivation."
-
-Southern Chile, as that part of the republic south of the Bio-Bio is
-termed, is a rolling and mountainous land, originally forested and
-still so in some sections. The altitude of perpetual snow is lower
-here than farther north, and some of the mountain scenery excels that
-of Switzerland. It has an abundance of rainfall not restricted to
-seasons so irrigation is unnecessary. The country is largely devoted to
-the growing of cereals, especially barley, and to dairy farming. The
-climate, never too warm in summer, is in winter that of the Central
-States of the Union. No tropical fruits and plants grow there, but
-many apples are grown. The farmers are mostly Germans who have lived
-there for three generations and have still retained the customs of the
-fatherland.
-
-  [Illustration: Scenery, Central Valley of Chile]
-
-Of northern Chile, nothing much needs to be said. From La Serena
-northward it is one large sterile tract of land, with the exception
-of a few river valleys where there is verdure and vegetation, such as
-at Tacna, Copiapo, and Vallenar. It is one large desert and ranges of
-barren mountains rising to a great height, and on whose lower slopes
-on plateaus is found most of the world's nitrate of sodium supply. In
-the higher altitudes are borax fields and great mineral deposits of
-copper, silver, and gold. The coast is absolutely rainless and water is
-unobtainable by wells. It seldom rains even in the interior. The small
-rivers formed by the melting of the snow on high mountain peaks lose
-themselves in the sands and seldom reach the ocean. Near their upper
-reaches water is piped from them to the coast towns, which are at a
-great distance. It is thus that Iquique, Tocopilla, and the thriving
-port of Antofagasta get their water supply.
-
-  [Illustration: Village Scene, Central Chile.]
-
-The area of Chile is 289,829 square miles, about the size of the
-States of Texas and Arkansas combined, but the opposite to them in
-geographical contour. The population December 31, 1915, was 3,641,477
-or 12.57 inhabitants to the square mile.
-
-Each locality in Chile is famous for some special natural production
-or manufacture. Bywords denote the superiority of one article over
-others of a like species such as: Black pottery from Chillan, reed
-baskets from Linares, beer from Valdivia, marble from Valparaiso, cider
-and butter from Osorno, figs from Huasco, and frutillas from Puerto
-Varas. (Frutilla is the name given to a diminutive and highly flavored
-strawberry that grows both wild and in the domestic state.)
-
-Chile has a system of longitudinal railways, nearly completed, which
-are of the greatest military value. Nearly two thousand miles from
-Puerto Montt in the south to Tacna in the north, with the exception
-of a short stretch between Pisagua and Arica, are open to traffic,
-and at no place do they touch the sea excepting at Coquimbo and their
-terminals. In quick time troops and ammunition can be moved to any
-part of the republic. There are many spurs and branch lines that run
-to the coast, to the mining centers, and to the numerous inland towns.
-Most of the railroads are broad gauge; some are both broad and narrow;
-others are narrow, while in the central valley there are a few light
-railways, for example the one between Linares and Panimavida, and
-the cooperative railway in the Province of Nuble. There is a heavy
-traffic both in freight and in passengers, but sad to relate, most of
-the railways owned by the government, which constitute the majority,
-are run at a loss. This is caused in a great measure by the large
-personnel employed, most of whom are the henchmen of the politicians
-in power in Santiago. To overcome the monetary loss, one half of
-the regular number of trains have been taken off from the service
-schedule so that at the time of this writing one cannot enjoy a ride
-from Santiago to Concepcion on an express train or in a Pullman car as
-previously. The only express trains are those that run between Santiago
-and Valparaiso and vice versa. Even though but one half of the trains
-are still in operation, the State lines are still showing a deficit,
-and there is talk of leasing them to private corporations. The cars
-are mostly of American manufacture although some of the sleeping cars
-are English. The locomotives, formerly German, are now for the most
-part manufactured in Valparaiso. The narrow gauge lines in the north,
-which are in the nitrate regions, all pay for they are of private
-ownership and there is no chance of giving unnecessary employment. The
-Transandine Railroad, narrow gauge, which formerly had trains running
-thrice a week from Los Andes to Mendoza, Argentina, now has through
-trains only once a week, and the trip is made in the daytime on account
-of dangerous curves.
-
-  [Illustration: The Valdivia Breweries Company, Valdivia
-
-   Formerly the Anwandter Brewery]
-
-There is but little manufacturing in Chile, most of it being
-centralized in Valparaiso. The great drawback is on account of the lack
-of iron; some of this mineral has been discovered in the Province of
-Coquimbo, and I understand that the property known as La Higuera is on
-a paying basis. There is plenty of coal, the mines at Lota being the
-largest, but it is of an inferior quality. Outside of Valparaiso, the
-only manufactures of importance are those of beer and flour. In this
-respect the manufacturing conditions are similar to those of Argentina.
-Nearly every small town in the grain belt, the country lying south of
-the Bio-Bio, has its flour mills; as the brewing business is in the
-hands of a trust, there is but a small opportunity in this field unless
-one starts with considerable capital. The beer trust, capitalized at
-18,000,000 pesos ($3,070,800) paid in, includes all the large breweries
-in Chile excepting two firms, that of Aubel in Osorno which is
-flourishing as an independent brewery and that of Keller which has two
-breweries, one in Concepcion and the other in Talca. Those belonging
-to the trust are the United Breweries Company in Limache-Cousino, the
-Valdivia Breweries Company in Valdivia, the Andres Ebner Brewery in
-Santiago, the Calera Brewery in Calera, and the Floto Brewery in La
-Serena, the last named being a small one. Scattered through Chile are
-a good number of independent breweries all run on a small scale and
-catering only to local trade such as Horstmann's Brewery in Santiago, a
-brewery in San Felipe, one in Chillan, one in La Union, one in Puerto
-Montt, and two in Punta Arenas. Since the Anwandter firm in Valdivia
-sold out to the trust their successors brew a much better beer than
-previously was brewed there, but I am sorry to say that the product of
-one of the trust breweries, that of Calera, is vileness incarnate. Beer
-is cheap in Chile, three cents buying a schuper, but it likewise is
-apt to go to the head and make the imbiber see double lamp-posts. The
-German residents claim that it is mild, yet I have seen many of them
-unable to pace a crack in the floor after imbibing a few libations of
-it. The saloons in Santiago do a big business but they have to pay a
-high rent which cuts into their profits.
-
-Regarding the inhabitants, the Chileno is called the Yankee of South
-America. He is not afraid of work, consequently steamship companies
-like to employ him, because for less pay he will do more work than
-any person of any nationality will do, including North Americans. He
-is the only native south of Texas who if hit will come back at his
-aggressor. In behavior he is apt to be rough and coarse (this does not
-apply to the aristocracy), but rarely is he uncivil. Many Chilenos ape
-the tonsorial adornment of a man who died in the year 33 A.D., but I do
-not believe their actions jibe with his if what we read in history is
-true. The women are beautiful; they have no comparison anywhere else in
-the whole world. They have dark complexions, are finely featured, and
-are voluptuous. A poor figure is unknown among them. If a man prefers
-a different type than the average he can go to southern Chile and have
-the choice of a dark red-cheeked Araucanian maiden or a native girl
-of German extraction, whose eyes are like the still deep water of a
-pool, and whose cheeks have that rosy tinge of a ripening apple. In
-the railway eating-house in Rancagua, I met a man from Thomasville,
-Georgia, who said that on account of the looks of the Chilean women, he
-would lose his religion if he remained much longer in the country. I do
-not know what his religion was, but their beauty is enough to affect a
-man's head.
-
-One of the Chilean institutions that bears comment is that of the table
-waiters in the hotels and restaurants. It needs serious improvement.
-The waiters are a white-aproned, moustached, whiskered set who go
-after and bring back food on the run. They never walk and vie with
-one another to make the most noise and bring their feet down heaviest
-after taking orders. The waiter takes your order on the run, slams the
-food in front of you on the run, takes your money on the run, accepts
-his tip and thanks you on the run. In Europe and in the United States,
-these actions would not be tolerated in a first-class cafe. In Chile,
-however, these are the instructions given to the waiters when they seek
-employment.
-
-In the larger towns, especially in Santiago and in Valparaiso, there
-is a great illegitimacy of births among the lower classes. This is
-due to the inconstant actions of the men. For instance a poor laborer
-will marry a girl and live with her several years, during which time
-she will become the mother of several children. The husband in the
-meantime finding that the support of a family leaves him with no
-pocket money to indulge in his periodical debauches, all of a sudden,
-without saying anything to his wife, deserts her and strikes out for
-the country where he obtains employment. He rarely comes back. The
-poor wife, left destitute with several offspring, has a hard time
-making a living. Other young women, cognizant of the fickle actions of
-the men, prefer living with them outside of wedlock, for if the man
-deserts her a woman still has a chance of getting married, while if
-she was once married, it would be impossible for her to marry again,
-because there is no divorce law in Chile. I have known of people in
-Chile who desired a divorce being obliged to go to Uruguay to live as
-I understand that is the only republic in South America where divorces
-are granted. As to morals I imagine Chile is no worse off than any
-other country, excepting among the lower element. Speaking of them to a
-friend of mine, one of the most prominent men in Valparaiso and a high
-official of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, he said: "Among the
-lower class there is but little distinction between the women who are
-virtuous and those who are not. The former are always on the _qui vive_
-to increase their income providing they do not get caught at it."
-
-Among this stratum the Fiesta of the Angelito (Feast of the Little
-Angel) plays an important role. They maintain that if a child dies it
-becomes a little angel, and many of the poor to whom the expense of
-rearing a superfluous child is a burden welcome its decease although
-they do much wailing at the funeral. They welcome it for they have a
-chance to make some money and also indulge in an alcoholic debauch.
-When the child dies the parents invite all their friends to their
-home. Great quantities of cheap wine are ordered and consumed. Each
-friend gives as much money as he can afford toward the burial expenses
-and towards the purchase of the liquid refreshments. A drunken orgy
-lasting all night takes place. After it is over and the body is buried,
-the parents have money left over. Owing to the high mortality among
-infants, on account of neglect, malnutrition, and ever present typhoid
-fever, these Fiestas of the Angelito are of frequent occurrence in
-every neighborhood.
-
-Chile is the only country in South America which has strict prohibition
-laws. There are quite a few localities that are "dry." Saloons are
-closed all day Sundays; bars also close early at night. The penalties
-for breaking these laws are heavy, yet in no other country in South
-America, with the exception of Peru, is there as much drunkenness as
-in Chile, and all these other countries have no prohibition laws, and
-their towns are wide open.
-
-The reception given at Santiago to the occupants of the private train
-from Buenos Aires bearing the special ambassadors and their staff to
-the installation of Chile's president was tremendous. As the train
-rolled into the great and high vaulted Mapocho station amid the
-fanfare and beating of drums, martial music broke out and rent the
-air with the national march. Great sturdy, powerfully built blonde
-officers, helmeted, in their full dress uniforms, exact replicas of
-the German army of a decade ago, grouped themselves on the platform
-to greet the guests. Their subordinates stood at attention until the
-last of the officers who had boarded the train at Los Andes left
-the train. In the background stood symmetrical rows of policemen
-parting a human aisle down which we passed to the vigorous blasts
-of a band. Thousands of people cried "Hurrah" which was echoed and
-reechoed through the lofty waiting room of the great building. At the
-windows and on the street behind the iron grating of the train shed
-were squeezed myriads of faces endeavoring to catch a view of the
-impressive spectacle. At the curb outside the station doors, to where
-the guests had already advanced, stood dignified statesmen in Prince
-Alberts awaiting the arrival of the automobiles from the Ministries
-of Brazil and of Argentina which were to drive the envoys of those
-two respective countries away. Soon several limousines arrived, their
-chauffeurs decorated with large rosettes of green and yellow, and blue
-and white, the symbolical colors of those two large South American
-republics. There was no car whose driver was adorned with red, the
-color of Portugal, for that last-named country has no minister to Chile
-solely (their representative to Buenos Aires looks after the affairs
-of Portuguese in Chile), so little Botelho was obliged to take a
-non-decorated automobile which drove him and de Lima to the Hotel Oddo,
-to which place Mr. Alexander and myself also went.
-
-The military pageant which continued throughout the ensuing week
-was most impressive. The Chilean army, trained by German officers,
-and their navy by British officers, are always prepared and on the
-alert for any infringements on their national rights. Chile is the
-strongest fighting power in South America, and has the best military
-organization. Its men are born fighters who have the advantage of
-superior training. The whole personnel and equipment of their army can
-undoubtedly put in the background any country in the world which has a
-population double that of Chile. The Brazilian and Argentine officers
-and soldiers taken as a whole show up mighty poorly compared to those
-of Chile. Here we have a reproduction of the German army on a small
-scale. The uniforms are similar to those that Germany had before the
-latter country adapted the gray color. It is interesting to note that
-von der Goltz, who reorganized the Turkish army at the time of the
-Balkan War, had been once loaned by Germany to Chile to bring its army
-to a state of efficiency.
-
-  [Illustration: Santa Lucia Hill, Santiago
-
-   This is a veritable land mountain. It rises abruptly about 200 feet
-   from the floor of the Mapocho Valley, the latter being as flat as a
-   table top. Its area in size of a few city blocks has been transformed
-   into a park. From the summit the vista is superb.]
-
-The city of Santiago is compactly and massively built within the
-small area which constitutes that part of terrain included within
-the city limits. The streets are invariably straight, forming square
-and rectangular blocks of houses whose average height of two stories
-forms an even sky line. Although there are several different styles
-of architecture prevailing in the residences, the old Spanish type
-predominating, yet there is a great and unmistakable similarity as
-to the appearance of the streets. The business section is a direct
-contradiction to the residential part in so far that it is modern and
-is becoming more so. Here the buildings are three and four stories in
-height and a look down either of the streets that are named Ahumada and
-Estado leaves an impression of Vienna although it is a concrete instead
-of a stone one. In several other parts of the city this similarity
-is present for the long fronts of divers beneficial societies and the
-towers of churches and convents present a scene very much like that of
-the Austrian capital.
-
-The population of Santiago is slightly over four hundred thousand.
-The growth of the city as well as of the other towns of the central
-valley is imperceptible. It has been this way for ages. There is little
-immigration to Chile, and that which does come in, goes either to the
-northern or southern provinces of the republic where labor conditions
-are better. With the exception of the business section, Santiago is
-an extremely reserved, conservative, and quiet old place. It can also
-be called serious. After nine o'clock at night, even on the Ahumada,
-all is quiet, a pleasant contrast to the din and racket of Buenos
-Aires, which murders the darkness, making sleep impossible. There is
-but little gayety about the Chilean metropolis; the aristocracy of
-the city, which can boast of the purest white blood of any American
-capital, form a society into which a foreigner, no matter how prominent
-his antecedents are, is seldom admitted. This dignified aristocracy
-constitute the brains of the country and control the politics.
-Prominent in the affairs of state, finance, and daily doings are the
-names Vergara, Edwards, Sanfuentes, Subercaseaux, Sotomayor, Balmaceda,
-Montt, Tocornal, and Luco. Their mansions, the pride of Chile, are not
-located on show places like the Alameda or in what we would call the
-fashionable suburbs, but are situated on those downtown streets which
-fringe the business section. Their stateliness seems to exhale an air
-of their own. Excepting Buenos Aires no South American city has as fine
-a collection of private residences.
-
-  [Illustration: General View of Santiago from Santa Lucia Hill]
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda, Santiago]
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Huerfanos, Santiago
-
-   This is one of the principal side streets of the Chilean metropolis. It
-   crosses the two main streets, Ahumada and Estado, and after these two
-   is the principal retail street of the city]
-
-The Avenida de las Delicias, called the Alameda, runs east and west,
-and divides Santiago into two nearly equal parts. The quarter of the
-city lying north of it is the mercantile part, while that south of it
-is the residential district. This broad avenue, which inside the city
-limits is two miles long, is in some places at least one hundred yards
-wide. Its center is a broad unpaved parkway, bordered by ancient trees;
-its hard dirt walks constitute the rambla of the inhabitants evenings.
-At short intervals are statues, some of them being very fine. Vendors
-of cigars, cakes, soft drinks, and magazines have established booths
-here, and it is a very common sight to see men freezing ice cream under
-the trees. The benches are of concrete and are plastered over; when a
-person with a dark suit sits on one of them he generally departs with a
-white daub on the seat of his trousers. Along both sides of the parkway
-are wide carriage roads, the paving of which is full of holes and ruts,
-making driving uncomfortable. On the whole the Alameda falls short of
-what can be called beautiful for although it is flanked by some very
-handsome residences yet between them are sandwiched many second-class
-shops. This avenue is essential for Santiago for it affords a breathing
-space for the overpopulated city as the parks are quite a distance
-from downtown and the Plaza de Armas is nearly always crowded during
-the heat of the day. At the western city limits where the name of
-the Alameda changes from that of Avenida de las Delicias to Avenida
-Latorre is the large glass-roofed train shed and station of Alameda,
-the principal one of Santiago, whence all passengers for southern Chile
-depart. Near the eastern city limits the Alameda becomes the Avenida de
-la Providencia. It here reaches the muddy Mapocho River, whose southern
-bank it skirts, and continuing into the country enters the defile of
-its headwaters.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Ejercito Liberador, Santiago
-
-   This is one of the main residence streets. The residence on the right
-   is that of Don Luis Tocornal]
-
-  [Illustration: Modern Residence on the Alameda, Santiago]
-
-One of the most curious freaks to be found anywhere is the Cerro de
-Santa Lucia which rises abruptly about two hundred feet from the very
-center of the plain on which Santiago stands, and is well within the
-city limits. This hill has been created into a beautiful park with
-every imaginable species of native tree, and has within its confines
-grottoes, groups of rocks, lookout towers, and statues, those of
-Caupolican and of Valdivia being the best. No stranger to Santiago
-should fail to walk to its summit, especially at evening when the sun
-casts its rays on the high Andes in the background. There is a small
-admission fee to be paid on entering the park at the Cerro de Santa
-Lucia, but it is well worth it. On the hill is a restaurant cafe which
-is popular with the public on summer nights, for on its terrace one can
-take meals out-of-doors.
-
-I was specially fortunate in being able to see the ceremonies
-pertaining to the installation of the new President, Senor Don Juan
-Luis Sanfuentes, having obtained an excellent seat through the kindness
-of the American Ambassador, Honorable Henry Prather Fletcher. I
-acquired a reserved seat in the Capitol in close proximity to the whole
-proceedings. There is no inauguration like in Washington. In a lofty
-rectangular hall of the Capitol, called the Camara de Diputados, there
-are arranged, on both sides of a carpeted open space, seats in order,
-which during the sessions of Congress are occupied by deputies. These
-seats on December 23, 1915, were occupied by their proper holders.
-In seats of honor near the west end of the hall sat the ambassadors,
-ministers, and attaches of the foreign powers. At the extreme west end
-was a platform with several arm-chairs. On all four sides of this high
-room rose balconies, those on the north and south having two tiers
-while those on the east and west had one tier. They were packed to
-overcrowding with the invited guests of the deputies and statesmen,
-many of the occupants of the seats being ladies. At two o'clock sharp
-there was a sudden hush to the conversations of those present. The
-ranks at the north door stood aside, and through their opening tottered
-the aged Ramon Barros Luco in dress suit, the red, white, and blue
-tricolor of Chile fastened obliquely on his white stiff bosomed shirt.
-The applause was great. Following quickly in his footsteps came several
-members of his cabinet; all crossed the carpeted room and seated
-themselves on the platform.
-
-  [Illustration: Fountain in Santiago
-
-   The magnificent residence on the left is that of the Subercaseaux
-   family]
-
-  [Illustration: President Don Juan Luis Sanfuentes of Chile with Cabinet]
-
-The applause started again and amidst yells, cheers, and the stamping
-of hundreds of feet there came through the again opened ranks of the
-crowd at the north door a large, stout, red-faced man past middle
-age with gray hair and moustache of the same color, Don Juan Luis
-Sanfuentes, followed by his new cabinet, a mitered archbishop in robes
-of purple and red, and several purple-robed bishops. Sanfuentes took
-his seat on the platform to the right of Luco. Two short speeches were
-made by statesmen; Luco then rose and taking off his tricolor handed
-it to Sanfuentes who pinned it on himself and changed seats with the
-former President. Thus at this transmission of command which takes the
-place of our presidential inauguration, Sanfuentes became President
-of Chile; his term does not expire until December 23, 1920. The whole
-ceremony lasted less than twenty minutes.
-
-  [Illustration: Monument of Don Pedro Montt, Cementerio Jeneral,
-   Santiago]
-
-From the Capitol the procession went to the cathedral where the
-archbishop held mass and delivered his blessing, for Chile is still
-allied to the Roman Catholic Church. There was a great street parade
-after this ceremony. I viewed it from a balcony on the Ahumada down
-which street it marched. It was really very good. Helmeted German
-officers galloped back and forth giving orders, while a cordon of
-blue-jacketed, white-trousered policemen held the sidewalk mob back
-by means of ropes strung lengthwise the whole block. No procession
-ever lacks something of the ridiculous. It was in evidence this
-day. Scarcely had the presidential victoria passed when a limousine
-automobile containing high officials appeared. To its running board
-clung a large, middle-aged, drunken monk, his black and white garments
-tied together by a cord, flowing in the breeze. This hideous spectacle
-had reached a spot underneath the balcony where I was standing, when
-a dignified man wearing a silk hat stepped from the crowd and grabbed
-the inebriated fool, dragging him from the running board. A good-sized
-crowd hissed the monk as with staggering steps he betook himself to the
-sidelines.
-
-  [Illustration: View Looking West on Compania Street from Estado at the
-   Plaza de Armas, Santiago
-
-   The large building prominent in this picture is the Portal Fernans.
-   Its ground floor beneath the arcades is given up to small shops
-   and vendors' booths. It faces the south side of the Plaza de Armas,
-   Santiago's most prominent square]
-
-With the exception of two military parades which I had previously seen
-in Europe, that which took place at 6 P.M. the next day at the Parque
-Cousino in front of the temporary grandstand and which was reviewed
-by the President was the finest that I had ever witnessed. Picture
-to yourself a large hard dirt oval parade ground, half a mile long
-by nearly as wide; imagine this oval to be bristling with the lances
-of cavalry and glittering with the bright light of polished weapons.
-Picture in the foreground a small grandstand of lumber draped with the
-red, white, and blue Chilean flags; imagine this grandstand filled with
-beautiful ladies in gowns of the latest creations, whiskered gentlemen
-in silk hats, and army officers in full dress uniform. Behind this
-scene imagine a forest of pine and eucalyptus above whose dark green
-crests tower high brown, barren, snow-capped mountains. This is the
-scene that unfolded itself to the spectator of that memorable military
-review.
-
-  [Illustration: Cathedral Street, Santiago
-
-   This view is looking west from the Plaza de Armas. The edifice with the
-   twin towers is the cathedral; that in the immediate foreground on the
-   right is the city hall; the building beyond it with the clock tower is
-   the post office.]
-
-Long before the President drove up in his victoria, the buzzing of
-airships caused one to look up and there at a height of two thousand
-feet five of these mechanical birds were disporting themselves. All
-hats came off, and there was a great clapping of hands when Sanfuentes
-arrived. He drove twice around the parade ground and finally stopped in
-front of the grandstand. First came in review before him four companies
-of the military school in uniform of light blue coats with white
-trousers and white horsehair high hats; next came innumerable infantry
-companies each preceded by a brass band which stood to one side as the
-columns marched by. The infantry was followed by the artillery which
-came by at a gallop, smothering the field in a cloud of dust. This
-and the cavalry which followed seemed to be the most admired by the
-spectators, judging from the cheers which greeted them.
-
-I wish to state that in the choice of Honorable Henry Prather Fletcher,
-who at the time of this writing is United States Ambassador to Mexico,
-he having left Chile in 1916, our government should be credited with
-having made such an admirable selection. He is as fine a representative
-of man as exists in the diplomatic service of any country. When I was
-in Chile in 1912, a certain gossiping old woman, the daughter of one of
-Chile's former presidents, knocked him to me, and I being a stranger
-was fool enough to believe her. At my first meeting with Mr. Fletcher
-in December, 1915, I at once saw what caliber of man he is, and have
-felt like kicking myself ever since for believing Dona Anna Swinburne
-de Jordan. I came to Santiago in 1915 absolutely unknown to Mr.
-Fletcher, and he showed me great kindness in procuring for me admission
-to the different ceremonies pertinent to the installation of the new
-President besides entertaining me at his own residence.
-
-I met two of his secretaries to the embassy, a Mr. Martin, who seemed
-to be a fine clean-cut young man, and a fellow named Johnston or
-Johnson, I being mixed in his surname because I never took the trouble
-to recall it. This Johnston was the worst snob that I ever recollect to
-have met. While I was at the embassy in the presence of Mr. Fletcher
-he was extremely cordial and agreeable, and even invited me to dine
-with him at his club to which he was going to procure me a card. The
-next day Mr. Henry Alexander of Philadelphia and I were walking along
-Bandera Street near the Capitol when we happened accidentally to meet
-Johnston who was approaching us from the direction we were walking in.
-He was dressed in a Prince Albert and a high silk hat crowned his tall,
-slim figure. We greeted him but he returned our salutations with the
-curtest imitation of a nod possible. I met him a dozen times afterwards
-by accident, sometimes on the street and sometimes at the Grand Hotel
-where he generally dined at noon. All these times he cut me dead as if
-he had never seen me before. Later I had the next seat to him on the
-Pullman car on a train but he did not deign to recognize my presence,
-even though he had been most affable in his treatment of me while I was
-a guest of Mr. Fletcher.
-
-Santiago, although it is a pleasant and agreeable place with a most
-benign climate, I am sorry to say is none too clean nor are its streets
-well kept up. In the Alameda there are big holes in the asphalt, and
-the cobblestones on the side streets are uneven and out of place. Many
-of the streets are not paved. There are holes in some of the sidewalks
-where a pedestrian is apt to sprain his ankle, and there is much refuse
-dirt and filth accumulated along the curbs. There are no alleys in the
-city so the inhabitants deposit the swill in iron pails. The garbage
-man comes along with his wagon every morning and stopping in front of
-every house rings a bell to let the inmates know of his presence so
-that they can bring out the pails. On the poorer lighted side streets
-inhabitants perform the calls of Nature on the sidewalks, in the middle
-of the road, and against the sides of the buildings, which besides
-being unsanitary causes hideous stenches. There is always a good
-complement of typhoid fever in the Chilean and Peruvian towns so while
-on my visit at the time of the presidential installation I warned my
-servant, O'Brien, to drink mineral water instead of that of the city
-supply. The latter evidently interpreted other drinks in the clause for
-when I came to settle my bill at the Hotel Oddo, I found that he had
-run up a considerable wine bill which necessitated me to dispense with
-his services.
-
-The stature of the Santiaguinos is much greater than that of the
-inhabitants of Buenos Aires. It is in every respect equal to the North
-American standard. The _profanum vulgus_ are apt to be rough, showing
-their independence. One observes quite a few red-haired natives, which
-denotes that in the course of genealogy one or more of their maternal
-ancestors have been chased by Irishmen. The women outnumber the men and
-are well formed and comely, many being beautiful. I prefer the looks
-of the Chilenas to those of any other women in South America. In 1912
-in Santiago there were but few Germans and the number of foreigners
-was exceedingly small. In 1916 the city was teeming with Germans and
-they outnumbered all the other foreigners put together. In Valparaiso
-in 1915 the English and German residents of that port had a street
-fight. The tram company was a German syndicate and the natives, angered
-by the car fare rates, which they thought were excessive, sided with
-the English and rose against the Teutonic element. A riot followed in
-which some windows were broken and there was a certain local sentiment
-against the Germans which became so strong that it caused an exodus
-of a great many of them to Santiago. Also many of the crews of the
-interned German merchantmen left their ships and came to Santiago and
-other towns of the interior where they have established themselves
-in business, many of them having become proprietors of hotels,
-restaurants, and beer saloons. They have prospered and have taken out
-citizenship papers, preferring to remain in Chile than in their own
-country.
-
-  [Illustration: Mapocho River near Santiago]
-
-There was a German immigration to Chile in 1848, and another one in
-1866. Both of these exoduses were due to the oppression of the military
-system in the old country and it is safe to surmise that there will be
-another such exodus to Chile at the end of the present war. I have read
-statements that one quarter of Chile's population is either German or
-of direct German extraction. This seems to be an exaggeration, although
-I believe that one fourth of the population has some German blood.
-
-The Grand Hotel, which is on Calle Huerfanos, not far from the main
-business section is the only first-class hotel in Santiago. It is owned
-by Emil Kehle, an American. He and his sister have the Hotel Royal in
-Valparaiso which is the best hotel in that port. This Grand Hotel which
-is comfortable has good rooms, and board and is homelike in atmosphere.
-I liked it so well that in the spring of 1916, I stopped there two
-months. The Willard party, which was the family of our ambassador to
-Spain, and Kermit Roosevelt, arrived in Santiago while I was there and
-likewise stopped at Mr. Kehle's hostelry.
-
-On my trip to Santiago in 1915, I was not aware that Mr. Kehle had a
-hotel in that city, so I went to the Oddo where I had previously stayed
-on a former visit. The rooms in the Oddo were good but I am sorry to
-say that the cuisine and dining room service was execrable. Unkempt
-and unshaven waiters dropped food from the platters onto the floor,
-and clumsily running to serve a guest would slip in the spilled soup
-and drop plates of unsavory and indescribable edibles to the din of
-broken dishes. For seventy years this hotel had been in existence, the
-last twenty-five of them under the proprietorship of the French family
-of Girard. The bung-eyed but accommodating daughter told me that on
-January 3, 1916, this hotel would close its doors for good. "We are
-returning to France to live as we have worked long enough," she said.
-Yet, however, when I came back to Santiago in March, 1916, they hadn't
-returned to France and the Oddo was still running, though minus its
-dining room. The other hotels are the Milan, well spoken of, and the
-Melossi near the Alameda Station, poorly located as it is too far from
-the center of activity.
-
-The restaurants are fair, that named the Club Santiago being good.
-The Restaurant Niza is fair. It is owned by a Spaniard who, if the
-guest does not understand the local name of the meat on the menu,
-will demonstrate on his own fat physiology that part from which the
-succulent morsel is taken. There is a good restaurant in the Palacio
-Urmaneta. It must be taken under consideration that ladies do not
-frequent these places unaccompanied for no other reason solely than
-that it is the custom of the country. They generally take their meals
-in the hotel dining rooms.
-
-I met a North American university professor in Santiago who was always
-kicking because he did not know enough Spanish to order what he wanted
-to eat. He was stopping at the Oddo and the food there was so vile that
-he could not digest it. He was wishing that there was an American hotel
-in the city and this being in 1915, and I not knowing that Mr. Kehle
-had the Grand Hotel, knew of no place where I could recommend him to
-go. One morning, however, he burst into my room and proffering me a
-card told me to read it.
-
-"See what I've got," he cried in glee; "a nice-looking woman handed it
-to me on the street."
-
-I took the piece of pasteboard that he so eagerly extended to me. It
-was about an inch long and half as wide. The printed inscription on it
-read: "Pension Norte Americana" giving street name and number. I turned
-to the professor and said: "It reads, North American boarding-house
-with the number of the street."
-
-"Just what I thought," he said. "It's the very thing I want. I
-certainly would like to be among my fellow countrymen again, and
-now that the Oddo is closing its doors, I shall go there at once and
-inquire about the terms." He did, and immediately upon admittance was
-pounced upon by four ladies of pleasure.
-
-This is an example of one of the means by which brothels are touted in
-Santiago.
-
-The Chilean capital is a rat warren; rodents abound everywhere. Most
-of the buildings being adobe, these animals have bored holes all
-through the walls and have perforated the foundations. I do not believe
-that New Orleans in its rattiest days ever had anywhere near such a
-large population of the family Muridae as Santiago at the present time
-possesses. Lying in bed nights one is kept awake by the patter of their
-little feet as they run across the corrugated iron roofs mingled with
-their sharp squeals. Oftentimes looking out of the window at night,
-their long tails can be seen silhouetted in the moonlight hanging over
-the window-tops.
-
-The death rate of Santiago is high, excessively so in infantile
-diseases which cause the largest mortality toll. The rate for all Chile
-is 29.4 per thousand inhabitants, while that of Santiago alone is 36.7.
-Only one South American city of which any record is kept surpasses it
-in this negligible respect, that being Lima, Peru, with a death rate of
-51 per thousand inhabitants. Even Guayaquil, notorious for yellow fever
-and bubonic plague, has a better record than these two last-mentioned
-cities, which have no yellow fever, and Santiago minus bubonic plague.
-Typhoid fever is always prevalent in the Chilean capital, but I doubt
-if it is as malignant as in North America, on account of its being so
-common. This large death rate is mostly among the lower classes who are
-ignorant and have no knowledge of sanitation. Longevity is more common
-than in any other South American capital with the possible exception of
-Rio de Janeiro which is testimony that if a person survives childhood,
-a healthy old age is allotted him.
-
-The cemetery named the Cementerio Jeneral is the largest in
-Christendom, not in area but in the number of bodies interred. It is
-exceeded in size by only one other cemetery in the world, that one
-being the Mohammedan cemetery in Scutari in Asia across the Bosporus
-from Constantinople. In fineness of its monuments it is only surpassed
-by the Campo Santo in Genoa and the Recoleta in Buenos Aires. The
-nature of the Santiago cemetery is entirely different from these
-last-mentioned two. It is not a rivalry between the grave lot owners
-who shall have the most expensive allegorical marble sculpture as in
-Genoa, but is a vast conglomeration of brick tombs, some of them being
-veritable mausoleums. Here are buried the most famous families of
-Chile. The Chilenos make a great deal of ceremony about their dead. A
-poor family will stint itself for years to accumulate enough lucre to
-erect a proper sepulchre. It will spend $10,000 to build a monument,
-while for $1000 it could place in their dwelling a modern sanitary
-system, which when installed would do away with the cause that would
-lead the person to be buried beneath the monument. This cemetery is
-divided by straight walks into square blocks; at the intersection
-of each of these walks is a cross or a fountain. Cedars, pines,
-eucalyptus, cypresses, boxwood, and other funereal trees abound; there
-are also beds of brilliant flowers. The tomb of ex-president Don Pedro
-Montt who died in Bremen, August, 1910, is here; it is a tall monolith
-with a glazed green and brown tile frieze. There is a morgue near the
-left entrance to the cemetery and the stench of the ripe corpses is
-decidedly odoriferous.
-
-About ten miles northeast of Santiago on the slopes of the Andes
-are the springs of Apoquindo, visited much by the inhabitants of
-the capital Sunday afternoons. The trip is worth while making once,
-but that is sufficient, for the poor condition of the country roads
-together with the dust take away much of the pleasure of the drive.
-The best road leads through the city of Providencia, which adjoins
-Santiago on the east and which is so much like a continuation of the
-capital that it is impossible to tell without looking at a map where
-the boundary line between the two cities is. At the Avenida Pedro de
-Valdivia, a broad boulevard on which are magnificent villas and the
-summer homes of the wealthy Santiaguinos one turns to the right and
-keeps straight ahead until the main street of Nunoa is reached. Nunoa
-is a town of nine thousand inhabitants, a mixture of wealth and poverty
-with well shaded streets, poor shops, and adobe buildings.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Nunoa, Chile]
-
-A few miles beyond Nunoa is a roadhouse named the Quinta Roma, which
-was formerly the mansion of an estanciero but is now the terminus for
-joy-riders, many of whom are to be met with returning to the capital
-late afternoons in a highly hilarious condition. To the credit of the
-Chileno joy-rider, he does not hit up the great speed of his North
-American brethren; thus there are but few automobile accidents. The
-roadhouse stands in a garden of flowers well back from the thoroughfare
-in a nicely kept lawn. Here is a liquid refreshment dispensary where
-I have seen gay youths hoist comely maidens upon the bar, and seated
-there clink glasses with their standing male affinities whose arms
-encircle their waists to the tune of popping corks and the metallic
-ring of beer caps as the latter fall to the floor. In the garden behind
-the bar is a bamboo thicket planted in the form of room partitions. It
-is so dense that no peeker can look through its foliage to observe the
-love affairs being enacted in these natural chambers which correspond
-to the European "separees" or the so-called "private dining rooms" of
-the North American roadhouses.
-
-At Apoquindo there are several soda springs with baths and a swimming
-pool all of which are kept in a filthy condition. Like at Cacheuta and
-at Cauquenes but few people come to take the baths and none to drink
-the water. Most everybody congregates at the bar in the hotel across
-the street--the baths are but the name of an excuse.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X
-
-BATHS OF CAUQUENES. CHILOE ISLAND. LAKE NAHUEL HUAPI
-
-
-In Lady Anne Brassey's nonpareil book, _Around the World in the Yacht
-Sunbeam_, published by Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1882, she
-describes on pages 159-161 her visit to the Baths of Cauquenes where
-she sojourned two days, October 23-25, 1876. When I was in Chile in
-1913, I never heard of these baths and returned home ignorant of their
-existence. In the interim I thoroughly read Lady Brassey's book and
-determined that if the opportunity ever presented itself that I would
-likewise visit them. Darwin visited them in 1836. While in Santiago
-in 1915, on looking at a map, I found that there was a city named
-Cauquenes in the Province of Maule in south-central Chile, it being the
-provincial capital. I had made up my mind to go to that place, when
-the bung-eyed girl who managed the Hotel Oddo showed me my error and
-informed me that the Cauquenes I was seeking, was not a great distance
-from Santiago and was reached by train from Rancagua.
-
-One morning I left the Alameda Station at 9.30 and two hours later
-arrived at Rancagua. The ride was through a fertile country, well
-tilled and with great vineyards. Only two towns of importance were
-passed, San Bernardo with 8269 inhabitants which also has street-car
-connection with Santiago and Buin whose population is 2713 inhabitants
-and is the county seat of the Department of Maipo in the Province of
-O'Higgins. The Andean and wine-producing province of O'Higgins, named
-in honor of the father of Chilean independence lies directly south
-of the rather large Province of Santiago, its boundary line being the
-Maipo River. Its population is 92,339.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza O'Higgins, Rancagua]
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Brazil, Rancagua]
-
-Rancagua, the provincial capital, is a dirty, odoriferous, dilapidated
-adobe city of 10,380 people with the outward appearance of decay. A
-walk down the main street which is named Brazil belies the general
-appearance of the town for its sidewalks throng with peasants from
-whose shoulders hang multicolored shawls. Horsemen wearing red ponchos,
-their spurs clanking, trot down the pebble-paved street that is lined
-with squalid one-story shops. Although only fifty-four miles south
-of Santiago, the place is a good market town; of the numerous shops
-those that deal in dry goods, draperies, and saddles appear to do the
-most lucrative trade. There is only one respectable appearing spot
-in the city, and that is the small plaza in the urban center which
-is embellished by a bronze equestrian statue of O'Higgins, his horse
-trampling a Spaniard. Of the several apologies for hotels, none were
-inviting and rather than to eat at one of their restaurants, it is best
-to go hungry. The only decent place to eat is at the railroad station.
-One of the taverns is named "The North American" with a proprietor of
-our own nationality but its business is mostly bar trade, catering to
-the incoming and outgoing trade of the miners at El Teniente Mine. The
-day I was at Rancagua was Sunday which I was told was the day on which
-the prisoners of the jail were allowed to receive guests. I imagine
-that nearly everybody in the town either had relatives or friends in
-jail for in front of the building which is on the main street a mob had
-collected to await admittance.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Rancagua]
-
-The inhabitants of the town are tanned dark brown, and although
-strongly built and powerful I noticed several who were afflicted with
-the same malignant blood disease which the Swiss guards imported into
-France from Italy during the Middle Ages. I was also surprised to see
-a little girl about twelve years old on the street who had the leprosy,
-the only case I have ever seen in Chile.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-The Braden Copper Company of North American ownership has a 2-1/2-foot
-gauge railroad that runs up to their copper mine, El Teniente, which
-is about forty-five miles up the Cachapoal River above Rancagua; the
-Baths of Cauquenes is one of their stations. This mine which was opened
-in 1907 now has six hundred employees, many of whom are from the United
-States and Canada.
-
-From Rancagua the train ride of an hour and a half first crosses the
-Plain where fat cattle graze in knee high clover, and then skirts along
-the ledge of the mountains overlooking the broad terraces or selvas
-of the Cachapoal River, winding around promontories on a roadbed no
-wider than the coaches; any mishap would be sufficient to send the
-train rolling down the mountainside killing all the occupants of the
-cars. The station of Banos, (meaning Baths) is high above the gorge
-of the river. Across the canyon on a ledge of rocks can be seen the
-buildings of the thermal establishment, but before the pedestrian gets
-there he must walk a good half-mile. A foot path zigzags to the canyon
-bottom and an arm of the river is crossed by a cement bridge to a
-rocky islet. Another bridge, this one a swinging one, suspended above
-a whirlpool brings one again to terra firma on the left bank. One now
-ascends another zigzag path to a forest of elm, ash, and locust, the
-foliage being so thick that the sun's rays never penetrate it. Another
-suspension bridge which spans a silvery cascade is reached and beyond
-it is the hotel, a low, squat adobe building painted red, whose many
-rooms open onto two patios.
-
-The name Cauquenes is Araucanian meaning _wild pigeon_. This bird, the
-_ectopistes migratorius_, sometimes called the voyager pigeon or the
-wood pigeon originally had its range from Labrador to the Straits of
-Magellan. Half a century ago they were numerous in the United States,
-but in this country they have been absolutely exterminated due to their
-having been killed off by hunters; great numbers which escaped the gun
-were burned in the Arkansas forest fires four decades ago. Chile is the
-only country on the face of this earth where they still exist, and it
-is probable that they will continue to live there as the inhabitants
-are extremely averse to killing them, the ignorant classes believing
-that they bring good luck and that it is an ill omen to kill them.
-At the present time they are not found in Chile north of Cauquenes;
-formerly there were great numbers in the vicinity of the Cachapoal
-hence the name of the baths.
-
-  [Illustration: Gorge of the Cachapoal at Banos de Cauquenes]
-
-The Baths of Cauquenes are situated in the Department of Caupolican in
-the Province of Colchagua on the south or left bank of the Cachapoal
-River in Latitude 34 deg. 14' 17'' south and in Longitude 70 deg. 34' 5''
-west of Greenwich. The altitude of the place above sea level has been a
-matter of argument. Eight different professors claim its altitude in
-different figures from 2200 feet which is the lowest and which is said
-by Domeyko to be correct, to 2762 feet which is the highest and is
-said by Gillis to be correct. 2490 feet which is the altitude claimed
-by Guessfelt seems to be the most exact and is the figure accepted by
-Dr. Louis Darapsky in his book, _Mineral Waters of Chile_. The season
-for the baths is from September 15th to May 31st, and in midsummer the
-place is generally crowded. Describing the scenery, Don Jose Victorino
-Lastarria, an illustrious newspaper man of Santiago, says:
-
-"I have never seen a more impressing, and at the same time, a more
-charming landscape than that of the Baths of Cauquenes, nor have I
-ever seen in so small a space so many different kinds of views nor
-such surprising details. Nature has grouped there her most beautiful
-accidents. In sight of the snowy Andes, here rise in the foreground
-rounded hills covered with vegetation; there rise barren rocks through
-whose clefts rushes the turbulent Cachapoal. Here are gardens filled
-with flowers; there are impenetrable thickets. Light and shadows
-everywhere, colors without end, harmony and contrast which reflect or
-darken the rays of the sun."
-
-The temperature is consistent and the variation during the day is
-neither rapid nor extreme although the mornings and evenings are cool
-and it is warm at midday. Even in the hottest months the heat is not
-irksome, due to the fresh breezes which blow down the valley from
-the cordilleras. In winter there is snow; the cold, however, is not
-excessive.
-
-The baths have been known since 1646, and were described by Padre
-Ovalle in his _History of the Kingdom of Chile_. There are three
-hot springs issuing from the porous and shaly rock, named Pelambre,
-Solitario, and Corrimiento. Their temperatures are 122 deg., 113 deg.,
-and 107 deg.6' Fahrenheit respectively. They are walled up and the waters
-of the first-mentioned two are run by pipes into a swimming tank and
-into tubs in the thermal establishment. During their course in the
-pipes Pelambre loses 3 deg. 6' Fahrenheit of its heat and Solitario 5
-deg. 4'. Their waters more than supply their use so the water of
-Corrimiento is allowed to go to waste. The thermal establishment, though
-by no means primitive, is rather old-fashioned. I was surprised to see
-such an attractive place as the Banos de Cauquenes not made more of for
-in hot springs and natural scenery it is the zenith of God's works. Man
-also has done his share well but much improvement can be made, all of
-which requires capital. The natural lay out of the place is a paradise. It
-is something like the Cserna Valley in southeastern Hungary, but wilder
-and grander with also a soft touch of nature. The hills covered with
-live oak, laurel, and mesquite resemble those of California, yet are
-more fertile. A shaded walk leads from the hotel to an artificial lake
-bordered by fifty-five of the largest eucalyptus trees that I have ever
-seen. In its center rising from the water stand two willows. One is
-never absent from the swiftly flowing Cachapoal which murmurs like the
-Tepl at Carlsbad, only louder.
-
-The baths are supposed to be beneficial in cases of gout, diuretics,
-rheumatism, anemia, and so forth, although one of the guests of the
-hotel evidently came there for relief for consumption. He was a bearded
-man about sixty years old and he made an unholy spectacle of himself
-by coughing and expectorating on the floor of the dining room while the
-other guests were eating dinner.
-
-When I arrived at the place I was met at the door by a young man
-wearing white duck trousers and a blue double-breasted yachting coat.
-With the exception of his large yellow moustache he had a most cherubic
-countenance with a smooth, pink, babylike face without a wrinkle or
-blemish. I afterwards discovered that this cherubic individual had an
-inordinately strong passion for whiskey, gin, and beer as well as for
-any drink which had as a fundamental principle among its ingredients,
-alcohol. On several trips which I made later to the Banos de Cauquenes
-in 1916 I became fairly well acquainted with this Senor Hermann
-Manthey. He had arrived two years previously on one of the German
-merchantmen on which he was a steward. The ship was interned and he
-struck up-country to make a living and finally evolved in becoming
-manager of this hotel, as the proprietor, an old doctor had leased
-it for a few years and was too wrapped up in his own private affairs
-and also too lazy to give it his attention. Senor Manthey was doing
-well on the small salary and large tips he was getting but was not
-without ambitions. A few months afterwards I ran across him on a few
-days' vacation in Santiago, and he then was planning to get the owner
-to lease the establishment to him upon the expiration of the present
-lease to the doctor. The hotel with its grounds, fine fruit orchard,
-springs, lake, and six thousand acres of hilly grazing land, across
-which several rushing streams of transparent water flow headlong into
-the Cachapoal is owned by a gentleman in Santiago who leases it out
-as he has several other large properties. He will sell it for eighty
-thousand dollars which is dirt cheap. Some day I expect to buy it and
-make it my home.
-
-At the hotel there are horses to let. On one of these I rode up a
-narrow valley and discovered that with nothing but mere bridle paths
-leading to them, and miles from the nearest houses, were lonely
-thatched and adobe huts, the homes of poor people and charcoal burners
-situated in mountain wheat fields or in clearings of a few acres. All
-of a sudden while riding I had a sensation as if the horse was trying
-to squat on its haunches. I reached for a stick from a nearby limb
-to put life into it and nearly lost my balance. A noise like distant
-thunder that I had already heard twice that afternoon, although the
-sky was cloudless, was audible, and in all directions stones and
-small boulders came rolling down the mountain side. It was a slight
-earthquake which the natives call _temblor_ in order to distinguish it
-from the great ones which they call _terramoto_.
-
-In the center of one of the myrtle-carpeted patios at the hotel
-is a fountain encircled by an ivy-covered wall. Here evenings bats
-congregate and flap their wings in the vicinity of the faces of the
-guests. A party of Canadians, employees of El Teniente Mine, were
-stopping at the Baths when I was there. They filled up on liquor
-and made sleep impossible for the other guests by their sacrilegious
-bawling of _Onward Christian Soldiers_ and other hymns of the Episcopal
-Church.
-
-On leaving Banos de Cauquenes I decided to take the twenty-three-mile
-horseback ride to the station of Los Lirios and from there take the
-train to southern Chile. The country road was very stony; in some
-places it was a mere cart track, while in others it was a broad avenue.
-During the first part of the ride it windingly followed the south
-bank of the Cachapoal and crossed two streams of transparent water,
-each known by the same name, Rio Claro. This means Clear River, and
-evidently the natives thought that if the name would do for one, it
-would be appropriate for the other. At every turn of the road a small
-freshet was crossed, for out of every cleft or dent in a hill gushed
-forth a spring. These small streams the peasants deviated from their
-courses by turning them into their gardens for irrigating purposes.
-The natives were very poor all living in adobe hovels with thatched
-roofs. A few acres of cattle, a dog or two, two acres of cultivated
-land, and some pear trees represented all their worldly belongings; yet
-they seemed very content. These peasants as a class were the poorest
-people that I have ever seen as far as worldly possessions go, yet
-every one of them always had a full meal at dinner time. They ate what
-they raised, and where they grew crops they worked them with infinite
-care. As they were too poor to buy fertilizer, they worked a new piece
-of land each year, coming back to the original piece after five years'
-time, because it had then enriched itself by remaining idle. There were
-many wheat fields, ripe and yellow, the sixty bushels to an acre kind.
-Central Chile gets plenty of rain but as it gets it only in the winter
-months, irrigation has to be resorted to in the summer.
-
-Halfway to Los Lirios I arrived at the hamlet of Colihue (mispronounced
-by the natives Collegua) with its adobe hovels bordering the now
-broad and extremely dusty road. Everybody in rural Chile travels on
-horseback, and the people I met riding were many. A man loses caste if
-he journeys on foot. At Colihue another road turns off to the left to
-the Lake of Cauquenes in the mountains and which teems with fish. The
-road now left the Cachapoal and after skirting some barren hills on
-the right-hand side for a couple of miles it reaches the settlement of
-Cauquenes a most queer place. It consists of a great square compound
-of dirt which is surrounded on all four sides by a five-foot-high adobe
-wall excepting where there is a church on the west side and a few open
-sheds on its east side. An estancia house stood beyond the wall on the
-south side and there were some buildings beyond the wall on the north
-side where the priest and his servants lived. The highroad both entered
-and left this compound by openings rent in the adobe wall. It may be
-possible that this place once held a Spanish garrison, and that the
-compound was the parade ground, and that the open sheds were former
-stables. Everybody that I asked knew nothing about the early history of
-the place.
-
-A broad avenue one mile long bordered by giant plane trees led westward
-from here. Their foliage was so thick that it made the road dark,
-and not seeing my way well I rode my horse onto a pile of bricks, the
-impact being so great that it nearly brought us both down. The road
-emerged to a pebble river bed, then forded a river, and wound around
-the sides of some high hills. Every horseman in Chile takes a slight
-upward grade at a gallop and I saw ahead of me a group of horsemen
-doing the same; behind us came galloping around the curves six horses
-pulling a carriage. These horses were three abreast and on each outside
-leader two lackeys were mounted. It was the doctor's wife from the
-Banos en route to Los Lirios where her sister has a post station.
-Chileans frequently travel on horseback, accompanied by their servants
-who follow a couple of horse lengths behind mounted on inferior
-animals. When the master stops, the servant likewise does so, but with
-the same distance between the two.
-
-Los Lirios consists only of a small wooden railway station, a
-warehouse, a large open horseshed around a yard filled with wagons
-which is the post station, a small store, and a saloon. To this latter
-place I repaired, after dismounting, to get a glass of water after the
-hot dusty trip. The building and its stock of goods were poorer than
-the poorest backwoods blind pig, and yet for a third-class license the
-congenial and friendly proprietor, who was likewise barber and plied
-that trade in an adjacent room in the same building, had to pay yearly
-two hundred pesos ($34.12). From the appearance of the shack it did not
-look as if he took in that much money a year. Some of the moustached
-clientele that happened along, I called up to the bar to have a treat
-on me. The proprietor brought forth two goblets, each one being of
-a quart capacity, and filled them to the brim with red wine which
-he poured from a big jar. The contents of one of these goblets sells
-for 8-1/2 cents, the cheapest wine that I have ever seen. If my surprise
-was great in seeing men take a quart of wine for one drink, it was
-even greater when I saw them drink it in nearly one gulp and put the
-goblet back on the bar in anticipation of a duplicate. I treated them
-two or three times and never once did they renege. I know what would
-have happened to me if I had followed suit, yet it seems incredible
-when I must state that it had absolutely no effect on the imbibers.
-It is inconceivable why a man in that part of Chile need ever touch an
-intoxicant, for the sweet, balmy air and the voluptuous appearance of
-Chile's maidens are sufficient to intoxicate any normal, healthy man.
-
-An hour after leaving Los Lirios the train arrived at San Fernando,
-population 9150, the capital of the Province of Colchagua where we had
-lunch. Colchagua which has a population of 159,030 is one of the most
-productive provinces of Chile, but the next two provinces south of
-it, Curico and Talca are not. It is a sorry sight after having passed
-through the well-tilled, highly productive country ever since leaving
-Santiago, to come suddenly upon land that is going to waste on account
-of lack of settlement. With the exception of the six northernmost
-provinces of Chile, Curico and Talca are to me the least attractive of
-any of the republic. South of San Fernando the first town of importance
-is Curico, its name meaning "Black Water" in the language of the
-aborigines; then are reached Molina, population 4327; Talca, the sixth
-city of Chile with a population of 42,088 inhabitants, and San Javier
-in the Province of Linares which has 4898 people. This town lies about
-three miles east of the railroad track but is connected to the depot by
-horse cars and to Villa Alegre, the next town south of it, by trolley.
-
-The Andean Province of Linares and its southern neighbor Nuble are very
-important agriculturally, both being two of the best in the republic.
-Their crops are diversified, run high in percentage of measure to the
-hectare and are of good quality. The capital of the Province of Linares
-is the city of Linares with a population of 11,122. It has good stores
-and buildings most of which are painted pink. Like in Rancagua the
-samples of merchandise on display in the shops are cloth, ponchos,
-and drygoods. Although but slightly larger than Rancagua it is a much
-finer town, and even though its streets are none too clean they are
-far superior to those of the capital of the Province of O'Higgins.
-In comparing the two cities it is fair to say that Rancagua presents
-more activity in street life and in business. There is one hotel
-which is fair, the Comercio. A peculiarity about Linares is that on
-the streets, especially that one on which the railroad station faces,
-native women are seated in front of portable stoves offering for sale
-cooked edibles which should be eaten on the spot. I saw one man who,
-when he had finished eating, left the spoon on the table near the
-stove. The woman who owned it licked it dry, and after having wiped
-it on her undershirt, replaced it in a dish that would be sold to the
-next customer. The native women have an art peculiar to Linares and
-nonexistent anywhere else in the world of weaving a certain delicate
-fiber into small baskets, jugs, and ornaments. These woven wares are
-very diminutive and are valuable only as ornaments and curiosities.
-They are multicolored and are in much demand by strangers. It is
-possible to buy them in Santiago but at an exorbitant price for all
-that are on sale there are imported from Linares.
-
-A two-and-a-half-foot gauge railroad runs from a station a block and a
-half north of the main depot to the springs of Panimavida, two hours
-distant to the northeast. Having seen those of Cauquenes, in order
-to augment my education along thermal lines, it was up to me to see
-Panimavida and to especially sample its mineral waters, as its bottled
-water is the most widely drunk of any mineral water in Chile. It
-corresponds to White Rock and to Still Rock.
-
-  [Illustration: Main Street of Linares]
-
-The place Panimavida is nothing. It is just as if somebody had erected
-a big hotel in the middle of an Illinois or a Wisconsin landscape. The
-attractions are absolutely nil. There are six practically tasteless
-lukewarm springs covered over with glass tops which supply the popular
-table water of Chile. These springs are the property of the Sociedad
-Vinos de Santiago (Santiago Wine Company), and as that stock company
-is well capitalized the Panimavida waters are well advertised by
-them. As people like to dilute their wine with seltzer, this company
-has installed a carbonizing plant here, which changes the still water
-into a sparkling one. The plant with hotel is leased to a man named
-Hernandez, a fine, fat, young fellow with a flowing beard. He is a good
-and accommodating hotel man and gets the trade, even having his runners
-meet the trains at Linares. Panimavida is an excellent old-maids'
-paradise. Under the shady roof of the patio porch they can sit, gossip,
-and knit. The proverbial parrot is present and a black cat could be
-easily imported. President Sanfuentes arrived during my visit to rest
-up after the strenuous strain connected with his installation. It was
-an ideal place for this with nothing to distract his attention except
-the broad meadows and the corrugated-iron, yellow-painted Catholic
-chapel.
-
-  [Illustration: Panimavida]
-
-Said His Excellency to me: "What Chile needs is population. Here we
-have thousands upon thousands of acres of the richest land in the world
-lying idle, because there is nobody to cultivate it. Until we have the
-proper number of inhabitants there is no use to cultivate these lands,
-because Chile produces four times more of an abundance of fruit than
-she can consume. You see how cheap fruit and wine is; there is an over
-production. Every year a million tons go to waste because there is no
-market. She cannot export them because the United States and Argentina
-are nearer to the European markets and the freight rates would eat up
-the profits. As there is a great demand for grain, people have gone
-more and more into the growing of cereals but as yet this industry is
-in its infancy. It should be encouraged for now there is grown just
-enough wheat to meet the internal demand."
-
-"Supposing," I asked, "that Chile had four times more population than
-she now has, would she not have to import her wheat?"
-
-"Never," he replied, "as there are here millions of hectares of the
-best wheat lands in the world that can be bought for a song. They are
-now lying idle. Something has to take the place of the timber of the
-southern provinces. When it is gone it will have to be cereals."
-
-"I believe," he continued, "in encouraging a large immigration,
-chiefly from the northern countries--the United States, Germany,
-Scandinavia, and Great Britain. Their inhabitants have more initiative
-than the Latins and intermarried with the natives make a strong
-blood. Our people and those of all the Latin countries excepting the
-Frenchmen lack initiative and that is what we need. The Chilenos are
-content to live as they have lived for decades, which is all very
-well but it is unprogressive. Thanks to the British we now have a
-fairly large merchant marine; to the Germans is due the credit of the
-prosperous condition of the southern provinces. The only drawback to
-the foreigners here is that they run too much to cliques. They should
-scatter more. We should also have more capital to start factories, but
-I do not believe in, nor shall I encourage, any industry that will reap
-the profits here to spend outside of the country."
-
-A couple of hours south of Panimavida are the springs of Quinamavida.
-They are said to be equally as good as those of Panimavida, but the
-hotel there is poorly managed and there is a lack of capital to well
-advertise its waters.
-
-On the return to Linares something went wrong with the locomotive,
-which in appearance was similar to the dinky engines one sees in the
-lumber plants at home used in hauling lumber through the yards. A
-priest on the train who had a mechanical turn of mind got out of the
-car, and jumping into the engine cab soon had the locomotive in running
-order, much to the amazement of the train crew.
-
-Southward from Linares the main line of the railroad passes through
-Parral, population 10,047, San Carlos, population 8499, Chillan,
-and Bulnes, population 3689. San Carlos is famous for its melons and
-Bulnes is likewise so for its wines. At San Rosendo, 315 miles south
-of Santiago, the train crosses a branch of the Bio-Bio River, which is
-named the Rio Claro in want of another name and Araucania is entered.
-
-By the name Araucania is known that part of Chile bounded on the north
-by the Bio-Bio River and on the south by the Calle-Calle River. Its
-eastern limit is the peaks of the Andes and its western one is the
-Pacific Ocean. In area it is about the size of the State of Maine
-and comprises the provinces of Arauco, Malleco, Cautin, and portions
-of those of Bio-Bio and Valdivia. The Spaniards always spoke of this
-region as the _frontera_, meaning frontier, and so to-day all Chile
-lying south of the Bio-Bio is spoken thus of.
-
-The original inhabitants of this country, the Araucanian Indians were
-the bravest and most warlike of any of the South American tribes, and
-it was not until 1883 that they were finally subdued after 340 years
-of warfare. Caupolican, Lautaro, and Colo-Colo, their great warriors
-have been immortalized in the poem "La Araucana" by Alonso de Ercilla.
-The Araucanians have intermarried so much with the whites that their
-race is fast becoming extinct although their facial characteristics and
-figures are prevalent in a multitude of South Chileans. Their political
-organization was as follows:
-
-A large geographical division was called an _aillarehue_. These
-aillarehues were divided into nine smaller parts, each part being named
-a _rehue_. Ruling over each rehue were two _toquis_ or caciques who
-were responsible to the two _gulmens_ who ruled over the aillarehues.
-One gulmen ruled in wartime, the other in times of peace. So also with
-each toqui. The office of toqui was hereditary and many became famous
-through warfare or by their wealth, for example Colipi, Mariluan,
-Catrileo, and Huinca Pinolevi.
-
-The Araucanians had no gods with anything definite attributed to
-them, nor did they have temples and idols, but they were exceptionally
-superstitious. Their principal god was Pillan, god of thunder, light,
-and destruction. He lived in the highest peaks of the Andes and in the
-volcanos. Dependent upon him were the Huecuvus, malignant spirits.
-Epunamun was the god of war. They also practised the cult of stone
-worship. Their most superstitious ceremony was Machitun or cure of the
-sick. The Araucanian does not believe that a man should die unless he
-is killed in battle, and when he dies a natural death through old age
-or sickness they believe that some of their own people inimicable to
-the deceased caused him to die. In order to discover the malefactor,
-they consult a witch doctor, generally an old hag named a _machi_.
-After having indulged in a number of ridiculous contortions and jumps
-she names the supposedly guilty party. Without any further ceremony
-they pounce on him and amidst a great drunken orgy and libations of
-_chicha_ (a native intoxicant) dedicated to Pillan they torture the
-innocent victim to death. When a man dies they generally perform
-a post-mortem examination upon the corpse to endeavor to extract
-the poison from it which caused death. The burial takes place with
-great lamentation and imbibitions of oceans of chicha to the tune
-of a lugubrious musical instrument somewhat like a drum and named a
-_trutruca_. They believe in an everlasting future devoted to earthly
-pleasures. They formerly believed that the deceased came to life again
-and dwelt on the island of Mocha off the coast, but they changed their
-thought when they discovered that the Spanish pirates formerly used
-that island as their base for excursions on the mainland. Marriage
-among the Araucanians has for some time past been a true compact, the
-father of the bride having to give his consent. It is not necessary for
-any other members of the family to be consulted, but it often happens
-that after the marriage has taken place, fights arise between the groom
-and the brothers-in-law who objected, several parties being severely
-wounded in these affrays. The plight of woman is miserable; she is
-practically a slave and the husband enjoys the fruits of her labor.
-Polygamy exists among them.
-
-  [Illustration: Bridge over the Malleco River at Collipulli]
-
-South of the Bio-Bio the landscape changes nearly entirely. The flat,
-cultivated plains of the river pockets which form the great central
-valley now give place to rolling hills intersected by small streams
-which lie deep in canyons spanned by bridges. At first there are
-evidences of viticulture on the side hills but these soon disappear
-as well as the trees, which now only are seen near the river beds.
-This absolutely treeless country of rounded hills swelters in the hot
-sun as it beats down upon the infinite miles of yellow wheat fields.
-In the villages frame houses take the place of adobe ones. There are
-numerous small lumber yards and sawmills which bear testimony that in
-the distant mountains there is still timber. Occasionally a deserted
-sawmill is passed which shows that the lumbermen are in the same fix as
-those at home, namely that a new location must be found.
-
-At Santa Fe, the junction of a branch railway that runs to Los Angeles,
-of typhoid-fever fame, and the capital of the Province of Bio-Bio,
-a curious incident happened. A coffin had been taken off an incoming
-train to be put in our baggage car. Coffins in Chile are kite shaped
-and are not placed in boxes when transported. The top is not nailed but
-is fitted into a groove. I stood a couple of yards away watching the
-train crew lift this coffin into the baggage car. They had to lift it
-slantingly as some baggage stood in the way. Suddenly the train gave a
-jolt causing one of the baggage men to lose his footing. Since there
-was nobody now at the head of the coffin it fell onto the platform,
-the lid came off, and the malodorous and semi-decomposed cadaver
-rolled on top of the baggage man who emitted awful shrieks and howls.
-The two other men helping him immediately took to their heels. Women
-screamed, men ran, natives crossed themselves, and Germans laughed. The
-pinned-down baggage man howlingly extricated himself from beneath the
-corpse and made all haste to jump on the train which had now started,
-leaving the lich on the platform since nobody would go near it.
-
-At Renaico where there is a large frame depot and restaurant, a branch
-line runs southwest to Angol, capital of the Province of Malleco and
-continues to Traiguen. At Collipulli, meaning "Red Earth" which has
-3005 inhabitants, the train crosses the great viaduct over the Malleco
-River which lies deep at our feet, bordered by a dark fringe of oaks.
-This is the most beautiful vale in Chile. The clear, narrow, foaming
-river is a refreshing sight. A rich man has built a villa on the rise
-of ground overlooking the stream which gives the scenery a touch of the
-Rhein.
-
-The landscape now changes again. Oak, laurel, and _lingue_ appear, at
-first scattered, then in groves, and later in forests, while everywhere
-possible in clearings are oat fields, the grain just turning color. The
-farther south we go the greener the grain is, until we reach Victoria,
-population 9840, where the grain has not begun to change color. Every
-three years the farmers cut off the branches from the laurels; these
-they scatter over their fields and set fire to. Among the ashes they
-drag the grain into the ground for by this procedure they are supposed
-to harvest better crops. Land here is worth eighty dollars an acre.
-The landscape is decidedly like that of our Northern States, and
-the climate is much the same as that of Oregon and Washington. At
-dusk Lautaro in the Province of Cautin was reached. This town has a
-population of 5968 and is named after Valdivia's Araucanian horse boy
-who murdered him and as tradition says ate him. As I mentioned before
-all the towns that we passed through south of the Bio-Bio are built of
-wood, but up to here their roofs were of tile, with a few exceptions
-of corrugated iron, tin, and shingles. The tile roofs now entirely
-disappear and their place is taken by those of shingles or slabs of
-lumber. The houses are unpainted and as to external appearances are
-veritable hovels. They resemble those dilapidated structures of the
-nigger villages in our Gulf States. Many towns resemble the one-time
-lumber settlements of the upper peninsula of Michigan.
-
-On the train I became acquainted with the Reverend Steerer, a divine of
-the Church of England who had resided for twenty-six years in Temuco
-and who gave me valuable information about the country. He had just
-returned from a trip to the mountains at the request of the British
-Consul in Concepcion who had sent him there to inquire into the mystery
-surrounding the murder of an Englishman who was stabbed to death in bed
-by some natives who wanted the money he had on him.
-
-At Temuco the Cautin River is reached. The country around here has
-had a troubled history in the wars between the Araucanians and the
-whites. One of the anecdotes is that on July 31, 1849, the bark
-_Joven Daniel_ ran into some rocks near the mouth of the river and was
-shipwrecked. The cacique Curin lived near the spot and with the help of
-his tribesmen they saved the lives of the crew and passengers together
-with the cargo which was given to them out of gratitude. In the cargo
-was liquor which they immediately attacked. Under its influence they
-murdered every survivor except an eighteen-year-old girl, Elisa Bravo
-of Valparaiso, whom Curin selected to be one of his wives. She was
-betrothed to a Ramon Banados of Valparaiso. His family immediately took
-up the matter with the government which immediately got into action to
-chastise the Araucanians. Dissentions had in the meantime arisen among
-the Indians, and two caciques, Loncomilla and Huaquinpan took the side
-of the whites. The Araucanians were beaten but no trace of Elisa Bravo
-was ever found as it was supposed that Curin married her and took her
-to a place of safety.
-
-Another incident happened in 1861. A French adventurer named Aurelie de
-Tournes proclaimed himself King of Araucania under the title of Orelie
-I. He promised to free the Indians from the Chilean rule and had the
-ability to get the aid of several caciques and quite a large following.
-In a battle he was taken prisoner; he was tried for menacing public
-safety and would likely have been executed if it had not been for the
-intercession of the members of the French colony in Santiago, and of a
-judge who has previously declared him to be insane.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Temuco]
-
-Temuco is the capital of the Province of Cautin and is the geographical
-capital of Araucania. It is the largest city of Chile south of the
-Bio-Bio and has a population of 29,557, ranking ninth in the republic.
-It is 422 miles south of Santiago, and owes its origin to a fort
-which was built here in 1881. In recent years its growth has been
-rapid. The city is situated west of the mainline of the longitudinal
-railroad, and is the junction for a branch line that runs to the
-town of Imperial. There is a considerable English colony which has
-a church and two schools, but like all over in southern Chile, the
-Teutonic element outnumbers all the rest of foreigners in a ratio of
-ten to one. The business is mostly in the hands of the Germans as can
-be seen by the names over the stores. Somebody with a Yiddish streak
-must have strolled in from somewhere because I noticed the sign of
-Benjamin Goldenberg over the door of a second-hand clothing shop. The
-city is a long-strung-out place of frame unpainted buildings presenting
-a most unattractive appearance; only in the center of the town one
-gets away from these eyesores for there brick and cement structures
-abound, especially in the neighborhood of the Plaza Anibal Pinto. The
-principal streets, Jeneral Bulnes, Arturo Prat, and several others are
-well paved with cobblestones over which horse cars rattle in the long
-ride to the railroad station. Driving from this station to the town the
-hotel omnibuses race each other much to the fright of the uninitiated
-stranger. Temuco boasts of an excellent hotel, the Central, owned by a
-large, fat German named Finsterbusch, whose facial adornment is a big
-aureate moustache. Like most of the Chilean hotels owned by Germans the
-place is clean, the beer good, and the cuisine excellent.
-
-The 109-mile train ride from Temuco to Valdivia is made in four and
-a quarter hours through a country entirely different from any that
-is passed through from Santiago to this point. The low mountains come
-in such close proximity to the railroad track that one is pierced by
-a tunnel. They are heavily timbered with trees of good saw-log size,
-laurel and oak abounding. The only place of importance on the stretch
-is the sawmill town of Loncoche. The valley bottoms are impenetrable
-jungles of vines, bushes, thorns, and berry plants which reach a height
-of about twenty-five feet. It took the pioneers a month to traverse ten
-miles of this wilderness whose bottom is soggy muck, the average day's
-penetration being but one third of a mile. Antilhue is the junction for
-trains running south. The Calle-Calle River is crossed and its south
-bank is followed into Valdivia through a fragrant country covered with
-scarlet wild fuchsias, honeysuckles, snapdragons, and morning-glories.
-On all sides are the green mountains covered with primeval forests.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza de la Republica, Valdivia]
-
-Valdivia has had its share of the world's vicissitudes and calamities.
-It was founded in 1552 by Pedro de Valdivia and was abandoned in
-1554 on account of the attacks on it by the Araucanians who captured
-its founder and put him to death by torture. It was destroyed by an
-earthquake in 1575, and when rebuilt was sacked by Elias Harckmans, a
-Dutchman who fortified it. In 1645 the Dutch were worsted in a fight
-with the troops of the Peruvian viceroy, the Marquis de Mancera who
-drove them out. There was another earthquake in 1737 which again
-destroyed the place. Rebuilt, it was burned in 1748. In 1837 a third
-earthquake destroyed it. Since then it has burned down three times, in
-1840, in 1885, and in 1911, the last one being an especially bad fire,
-wiping out the entire city. Thus it has been destroyed by earthquakes
-three times and burned four times.
-
-It is beautifully situated on the south bank of the Calle-Calle which
-is navigable for small boats. The city is uninteresting as it is
-absolutely modern. In character it is German, for it is the leading
-German center in Chile. No other language is heard spoken on the main
-streets. The natives who slightly outnumber the Teutons and also speak
-German are to be found mostly on the back streets; they are employed
-by the Germans in the different industries. The population of Valdivia
-which is the tenth city in Chile is 24,743.
-
-When one alights at the railroad station, it is better to take a launch
-to the city to the tune of sixty centavos (10 cents) than by the more
-arduous and long trip by cab over rough plank pavements. These launches
-owned by a man named Oettinger give the stranger a pleasant ride down
-the river and disembark him at a new cement quay near the center of the
-city from which place boys carry the grips to the various hotels. One
-is immediately impressed by the cleanliness of the cobble stone-paved
-streets of the business section and by the handsome though inexpensive
-structures. It is by far the cleanest city in Chile. With the exception
-of the buildings on the streets near the Plaza de la Republica, which
-are of cement construction, all the other buildings are of frame or
-corrugated iron, or of both, but painted freshly over. The side streets
-are paved with wooden planks, and in some places with wooden beams,
-six by sixes. The main industry is brewing. The colossal brewery named
-Compania Cerveceria Valdivia, formerly that of Anwandter Brothers,
-one of the largest in Chile, looms up majestically on the water front
-across the narrow river opposite the landing quay. The storerooms for
-this amber and nut-brown beverage are on the city side of the river at
-the dock. The best hotel in Valdivia is the Carlos Bussenius, named
-after the host who in appearance could pass as a twin brother of
-Finsterbusch in Temuco.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle-Calle River at Valdivia, Showing Flour Mills]
-
-A pleasant trip from Valdivia is the two hours' ride down the river to
-Corral but another and far grander is that to Lake Rinihue and across
-the mountains to the wretched hamlet of San Martin de los Andes in the
-greatly overrated southern part of Argentina known as Patagonia.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Valdivia]
-
-I left Valdivia about the middle of an afternoon and got off the train
-an hour and a half later at the station of Collilelfu where I put up
-for the night at a wooden shack with a tin roof which was an apology
-for a hotel. Early the next morning I arose to catch the seven-thirty
-train for Huidif, the railroad terminus of the branch line which
-will in time be continued to Lake Rinihue. The ride of an hour only
-brought the train to its destination where the passengers alighted to
-change into carriages which cover the six remaining miles to the lake
-in three quarters of the time. The whole landscape is rolling and is
-semiforested, and as the lake is approached vast marshes abounding in
-wild fowl are traversed. Lake Rinihue is about fifteen miles long by
-four miles broad and is a favorite summer resort for the inhabitants
-of Valdivia. The landscape is beautified by vistas of the snow-capped
-volcanos, Choshuenco and Mocho.
-
-  [Illustration: Rinihue Landscape, Southern Chile]
-
-The seventy-five-mile trip to Osorno from Valdivia consumes four hours
-and lies through a smiling farming country with villages, farms,
-and soils characteristic to those of the best part of Wisconsin.
-It was dusk when I arrived at Osorno, metropolis of the Province
-of Llanquihue. The city has a population of about 12,000 and is 601
-miles south of Santiago. A daily train makes the entire distance in 25
-hours and 40 minutes, a sleeper being attached to the train as far as
-Renaico. Osorno is a miserable-looking place of frame buildings built
-close together as is the custom in all the towns of southern Chile
-where lumber plays the main role in the erection of edifices; but few
-of the houses and stores are painted. Valdivia is the only place in
-this section of the country where the inhabitants take enough pride in
-the appearance of their town to give the houses a fresh coat of paint.
-I was told by Bussenius to go to a German hotel which had just been
-opened by a former chef of one of the interned Kosmos Line steamers.
-I did not go there, however, because Americans do not stand in good
-repute with the Germans and Chilenos of German descent in southern
-Chile. Although the United States was not at war with Germany at the
-time of my visit, nevertheless the Teutonic inhabitants of that section
-took pains to show their dislike of North Americans. Although I was
-subjected to no personal discourtesy at either Temuco or Valdivia,
-but on the contrary was treated well, I was obliged to listen to much
-tirade against the United States and the inhabitants of our country
-in general. The Germans were angered because North American firms
-were supplying the Entente with munitions of war and it was a current
-topic of conversation among them that the United States was afraid to
-declare war upon Germany, saying that if it did so there would be an
-uprising there against its Government by the great number of Germans
-and Americans of German extraction. They anticipated a Buergerkrieg or
-Civil War in the United States if the latter joined sides with Great
-Britain.
-
-As there were a couple of spruce-looking runners at the railway
-station for the Hotel Royal, a native hostelry, I gave them my grips
-and was driven through the unprepossessing streets of the city. The
-cab eventually stopped in front of a building that has the outward
-appearance of a certain large residence on the outskirts of Ashland,
-Wisconsin, where lumberjacks and sailors were wont to congregate after
-pay days and sojourn until their savings were gone. I was wondering
-whether this establishment was of the same nature. Fortunately it
-turned out to be a very good and comfortable hotel, absolutely Chilean.
-Osorno has several other hotels, all German. Osorno has more Teutons
-in proportion to its size than any city in Chile. In numbers, Valdivia
-has a larger German population, but the ratio is smaller for Valdivia
-is the larger place. Three-quarters of Osorno's population is German,
-their numbers here being in excess of nine thousand. In southern
-Chile where most of the hotel-keepers are German, the inns all have
-the Gastzimmer or Buergerzimmer as in Germany, where the merchants and
-clerks assemble nights to discuss news and the events of the day over
-large schupers of health-giving beer. A non-trust brewery has recently
-been inaugurated in Osorno by a man named Aubel and his wet goods
-certainly hit the right spot when partaken of. Outside of his brewery
-there is no manufacturing in the town excepting the large flour mill of
-Williamson and Balfour. Both these enterprises were born in 1914.
-
-  [Illustration: Osorno]
-
-While standing on the plaza one night listening to the military band,
-all at once was heard the pealing of bells and booming of gongs.
-Everybody started to run in all directions and not knowing what was
-taking place, thinking it was either an earthquake or a revolution,
-I followed suit and hid behind a maple tree. This scare turned out to
-be a fire alarm. The whole crowd now raced and tore down a street that
-leads across the railroad track, and I presently saw by the blaze that
-the fire was of no small importance. Slipping up to my room I took my
-valuables from my valise, and putting them in my pocket joined the
-crowd. Above the din of conversations, orders from the police, and
-the noise from the fire pumps, could be heard the agonizing screams
-of four victims that were being burned to death at the windows of
-the second story of a dwelling. They were caught like rats in a trap
-while asleep, and when aid came they were beyond all mortal help. The
-policemen standing in the road with drawn sabers suddenly ordered the
-crowd to run for their lives, which they did in all directions. An
-intonation like the sound of a cannon boomed, followed by two or three
-sharper reports. Impossible for the firemen to stop the fire which was
-spreading to all the neighboring closely packed frame dwellings, the
-police had started dynamiting. This last process which was successful
-claimed another victim and blinded another person. I saw the remains
-of the dynamite victim; what remained of him resembled a pudding. No
-vestige of either teeth or bones was found of the four persons who
-perished in the fire and whose heart-rending screams are now ringing in
-my ears.
-
-  [Illustration: Scenery on the Railroad Between Osorno and Puerto Montt]
-
-All the small towns of southern Chile have flour mills and grain
-elevators; throughout the countryside on the farms and in the towns are
-seen tall block houses, reminiscenses of the days of Indian warfare.
-From Osorno the railroad continues ninety-three miles southward to
-Puerto Montt, the terminus of the longitudinal railroad southward.
-Puerto Montt, with 5408 inhabitants, is the capital of the Province
-of Llanquihue. It lies on the north end of Reloncavi Bay, 694 miles
-south of Santiago, and is an uninteresting modern frame town, inhabited
-mainly by Germans. When a southeaster blows the breakers beat with
-terrific force against the docks.
-
-Small vessels belonging to a local navigation firm ply thrice weekly
-between Puerto Montt and Ancud, the capital of the Province and the
-Island of Chiloe which lies eighty miles to the southwest on the
-extreme northern end of the Chiloe archipelago, on the Bay of Ancud.
-Large ships of the Compania Sud-Americana de Vapores, generally known
-as the Chilean Line, also make both Puerto Montt and Ancud weekly,
-while those of intermediate size sail from Puerto Montt and make all
-the small ports on the Gulf of Corcovado en route to Punta Arenas. At
-eight o'clock in the morning following the day that I arrived in Puerto
-Montt, I boarded the steamer _Chacao_ in a blinding downpour of rain
-with a ticket for Ancud which cost about $1.20 in the equivalent of
-our currency. The sea was not rough but was rather choppy, while the
-rain prevented the passengers from remaining on deck. Unfortunately the
-clouds hung too low to permit me to get a good view of the mainland.
-The islands of Maillen and Guar were skirted and three hours out we
-anchored off the port of Calbuco, county seat of the Department of
-Carelmapu in the Province of Llanquihue. This town is situated on a
-peninsula at the south end of the Bay of Reloncavi and from the steamer
-deck resembled the lumber villages of Puget Sound. It is connected
-with Puerto Montt by a rough wagon road and there is talk of extending
-the railroad here, although I can see no reason for its necessity,
-excepting that the harbor at Calbuco is sheltered while that of
-Puerto Montt is not. The difficulties of engineering and the cost of
-construction, I imagine, would never make it pay. Shortly after leaving
-Calbuco we entered the Gulf of Ancud and after skirting the south end
-of Llanquihue entered the narrow roadstead of Chacao, and arrived at
-the hamlet of that name about two o'clock in the afternoon. Chacao was
-founded in 1567 and until about fifty years ago was the principal port
-of Chiloe when it was practically deserted in favor of Ancud whose
-growth at that time had been rapid, and which owing to its being a port
-on the Pacific Ocean was fast getting the commerce.
-
-Ancud was reached about four o'clock in the afternoon after a trip that
-consumed eight hours. It lies at the south end of the bay of the same
-name, an indentation of the ocean, and is protected from the dreaded
-southeasters by a mountainous headland named Lacui. The bay is filling
-up so fast with mud which is washed into it by the rains, that vessels
-of large draught have to anchor from one to two miles out. Our ship
-anchored about half a mile out and we were transferred to terra firma
-by gasoline launches. The village has 3424 inhabitants and is a dirty
-settlement smelling of dried fish, built on the side of a hill. It is
-the seat of a bishopric, the frame cathedral being the best building
-in the town. There is absolutely nothing to do in the place which for
-amusement has but one moving picture theater. Numbers of mixed bloods
-and Indians are in evidence seemingly outnumbering the whites, many of
-the latter being Germans.
-
-Chiloe has an area of 8593 square miles, being larger than the State of
-Massachusetts; its population is slightly in excess of eighty thousand
-inhabitants many of whom are Indians. These Indians are not warlike
-like the Araucanians nor are their physiques as good. Their numbers are
-on the decrease owing to alcoholism and to diseases which always follow
-in the wake of the advent of the white men. A continuation of the Coast
-Range, the Cordillera de Pinchue runs the extreme length of Chiloe from
-north to south, its summits from 1500 to 2000 feet in altitude being
-near the Pacific Coast which is inhospitable and has no harbors. The
-east coast of the island, separated by the thirty-five-mile-wide Gulfs
-of Ancud and Corcovado abounds in good harbors and it is here that the
-settlements are. These gulfs teem with small mountainous islands, most
-of them being uninhabited.
-
-A railroad runs southward from Ancud sixty-five miles to Castro, the
-distance being made in four hours. There are no towns on the route
-but numerous stops are made at small settlements such as Quichitue,
-Puntra, Quildico, and Dalcahue. Midway between Ancud and Castro are
-the Puntra and Putalcura River valleys of great fertility. Here are
-many farmhouses with fields of green oats and with pastures of clover
-in which feed droves of cattle and swine. Hides are one of the chief
-exports of the island. Where there are no clearings the forests are
-primeval and are beautiful in their green coloring. It is a dripping
-forest of moisture with lianas, giant ferns, purple and crimson
-fuchsias, and species of orchids. The bark of the tree trunks and
-of the windfalls are covered with inch-deep moss. The density of the
-woods and the exuberance of plant growth is the nearest approach to a
-tropical forest imaginable in a temperate zone for the whole island of
-Chiloe lies south of Latitude 42 deg. South.
-
-  [Illustration: Indian Belles, Chiloe Island, Chile]
-
-Next to Ancud, the most important place on the island is Castro which
-was the capital until 1834. It is the oldest town on Chiloe and here
-the Spaniards made their last stand. It is a well-built village of 1243
-inhabitants, situated on the west side of the long and narrow Putemun
-Bay, and is well sheltered from the winds by the ten-mile-distant
-mountains to the west. It consists of several parallel streets running
-lengthwise along the bay. A wagon road runs southeastward from here
-about thirty miles to the settlement of Ahoni. I only remained a
-few hours in Castro because there arrived in the afternoon a steamer
-from Punta Arenas on its way to Puerto Montt. Its route lay through
-the channel which separates the large island of Lemui from Chiloe,
-and then took a course eastward between several islands and rounded
-Cape Chegian at the southeastern extremity of Quinchao Island. This
-last mentioned island is about twenty miles long and is very narrow
-excepting at its northwestern end where it broadens out, and is
-separated from Chiloe by the Strait of Quinchao. It and an archipelago
-of smaller islands form a political department of which the town of
-Achao, where we anchored at dusk, is the county seat. Achao has a
-population of 1571 inhabitants and has taken away much of Castro's
-former trade. It is a long-strung-out fishing village on the side of a
-hill, the forest on which comes down to the water's edge. Shortly after
-leaving Achao, the ship sailed westward to Chiloe again and stopped at
-Dalcahue on the Strait of Quinchao. Dalcahue has a road leading to a
-three-miles-distant railroad station on the Ancud-Castro line. During
-the night, Quincavi was touched at and after a steam through the Gulf
-of Ancud and the Bay of Reloncavi, Puerto Montt was again reached at
-11 A.M. It was a nice clear morning and the snow-capped Andes on the
-unexplored mainland were resplendent in sunlit brilliancy.
-
-On the mainland southeast of the Island of Chiloe is Chile's largest
-river, the Palena. It rises from Lake General Paz, whose waters are
-traversed by the international boundary line of Argentina and Chile; it
-flows northward through western Patagonia and bending to the west after
-a course of about thirty miles finally empties itself into the Gulf of
-Corcovado. North of the Palena and at its source, separated from it by
-a low range of hills in Patagonia, is the Futaleufu River whose origin
-is in the Argentine Valley of the 16th of October. It flows westward
-through the Andes into Lake Yelcho which in turn empties into the
-Yelcho River. This river finds its way into the Gulf of Corcovado south
-of the Quinchao Archipelago.
-
-The person who visits Chile and returns home without having seen the
-Llanquihue lake region has made his trip in vain. Here is a country as
-grand as Switzerland, which although its mountains are not quite so
-high, they seem higher and are better for vistas for the valleys are
-lower. Moreover the snow line is here lower. In Switzerland one gets
-the best views of the giant peaks from altitudes of valley bottoms
-that are themselves six thousand feet and over above sea level; here
-one gets the same view from low-lying rivers and lakes which makes
-the sheer abruptness grander. There are no great thick forests in
-Switzerland which are here omnipresent, garbing the mountain sides
-from the barren, snow-capped peaks down to the very water's edge. This
-Llanquihue country is beginning to become popular with excursionists
-and it will not be long before it will be one of the world's famous
-playgrounds.
-
-Twenty-one miles north of Puerto Montt on the railroad to Osorno is the
-large triangular Lake Llanquihue, much indented with bays and coves
-on its western shore. Its breadth is over thirty miles, and it is
-the largest freshwater lake in Chile. Its outlet is the Maullin River
-which flows in a southwesterly direction into the ocean to the north
-of the Bay of Ancud. The scenery in the neighborhood of the lake is
-most charming. The west and north shores is a rolling country much of
-which is cleared into farms, well kept up and showing a high degree of
-prosperity. From the south shore rises a steep incline tapering towards
-the top into the conical snow-capped volcano, Calbuco, whose lower
-reaches are embowered in forests of hardwood. Many small streams rush
-from its sides and pour into the lake. At the eastern extremity rises
-the mighty, majestic dome of the volcano, Osorno, rising 8645 feet,
-nearly perpendicularly from the clear waters.
-
-  [Illustration: Lake Todos Santos from Petrohue]
-
-Puerto Varas at the southwestern end of the lake is the summer resort
-where the travellers leave the train. It is a clean little village of
-frame houses in the heart of a country renowned for its frutillas, or
-diminutive wild strawberry which grows here in abundance, and whose
-name should not be confounded with _fresas_, which is the name for
-the strawberry of larger size which we are acquainted with. The whole
-region is a German settlement, and this is especially true at Puerto
-Varas where scarcely anybody of any other nationality is seen excepting
-some of the laborers. The Bellavista is the best hotel. It is a clean,
-comfortable house where the proprietor is a professional landscape
-photographer. Transportation of passengers to San Carlos de Bariloche
-in Argentina is effected thrice weekly during the summer season and
-once a week the remainder of the year. A little steamer belonging
-to the South Andes Transportation Company leaves Puerto Varas at 8
-A.M., and after a four hours' steam across the placid waters of Lake
-Llanquihue brings one at Ensenada at the base of Mount Osorno in time
-for luncheon. Here one now has the choice of a carriage or horseback
-ride to the twelve-mile-distant Lake of Todos Santos (All Saints). This
-short journey crosses a saddle of the divide between Lake Llanquihue
-and the valley of the Petrohue River, of which Lake Todos Santos and
-its tributaries are its source. This ride is over a road which in wet
-seasons is poor and full of ruts but is decidedly charming on account
-of the darkness of the forest which comes down to both sides of it. The
-Petrohue River of unsurpassing beauty winds in a gorge between the high
-Santo Domingo Mountain and the Calbuco Volcano, and empties itself into
-the fiord like Reloncavi River. Behind a mountain chain to the west of
-which Calbuco is the culminating pinnacle, is the large and beautiful
-Lake Chapo, nearly inaccessible owing to the steepness of the mountain
-sides which have to be climbed first in order to get a view of it.
-
-  [Illustration: Puella]
-
-At Petrochue which is reached at 3 P.M. there is nothing but a dock
-from which one embarks on another small steamer that takes one in
-four hours more to Puella at the eastern end of Todos Santos Lake.
-The lake is long and narrow with several arms running like the legs
-of a spider up into the pockets of the mountains which are formed as
-their sides dip to unite with one another. The verdure of the forests
-is dark and primeval, while the water itself is dark blue with barely
-a ripple on its surface. The appearance of the entire landscape is
-somber and mysterious. A small round island, named Isla de las Cabras,
-rises precipitously in woodland glory from the center of the lake.
-Ever present in the distance are snow-crowned domes, those of Osorno
-and Santo Domingo behind us to the west, while in front of us rises
-the awe-inspiring rugged peak of El Tronador (the Thunderer) white in
-its icy altitude of glaciers. At Puella is a primitive hotel where the
-traveller stops for the night. This place is at the very foot of the
-Thunderer, so named from the loud intonations caused by the glaciers
-breaking off at their edges and falling with roars into the ravines.
-El Tronador is 11,278 feet high; its summit is only ten miles from
-the deep-lying lake. Thus one can imagine its great perpendicular
-steepness. This continues downward for an infinite depth in the lake,
-whose banks are so sheer in many places that it is impossible to
-obtain a foothold. The bottom of Todos Santos Lake has never been found
-although it is believed to exceed a thousand feet in depth. The water
-made by mountain springs and eternal snows is so cold that swimming is
-impossible. About a third of a mile from the hotel at Puella is a large
-waterfall, while at frequent intervals throughout the sublime landscape
-are numerous falls and cascades.
-
-Taking an early start from Puella, one arrives by carriage or mules
-in two and a half hours' time at Casa-Pangue, a small frame chalet
-where are stationed the Chilean custom-house officers. From here to
-the international boundary at the top of the divide is an ascent of
-about two thousand feet, the road lying through a thick forest. It
-takes two hours to reach the summit where there is an iron post with
-a sign on one side of which is the word Chile while on the other side
-is Argentina. The divide is covered with snow from May till September
-which on the hillsides reaches a great depth. Not far from the
-international boundary marker on the descent is a crude wooden cross,
-which denotes the burial place of workmen who died in a snowstorm while
-constructing the road.
-
-About halfway down the descent one suddenly perceives through the
-thick foliage the turquoise blue of Lake Frio. This lake fed by the
-torrential Frio River derives its name from the frigidity of its waters
-whose origin is the glacier on the east slopes of El Tronador. A launch
-is waiting at a pier to ferry passengers across it which takes about
-twenty minutes. A road follows the left bank of the lake, but it is
-not passable for carriages; it is used now for freight only. Rounded
-rails lie on it parallel to each other and over them pass the concave
-surfaces of bullock carts. All passengers were formerly transported
-this way. A couple of miles beyond Lake Frio the western extremity of
-Lake Nahuel Huapi, Argentina's largest lake is reached at the hamlet of
-Puerto Blest by means of a mule-back ride.
-
-  [Illustration: El Tronador, Chile
-
-   As seen from Casa-Pangue]
-
-Puerto Blest consists only of a dock and a frame building which is
-the rest house for travelers and which is owned by the South Andes
-Transportation Company. Here one stops for the night to continue
-on the following morning the four-hours' steamer trip to the
-thirty-mile-distant Argentine town of San Carlos de Bariloche. Lake
-Nahuel Huapi is over fifty miles long by seven miles wide at its
-broadest place, and is very irregular in shape, having many antennae
-or arms which reach into the mountain depressions. In its center is a
-large island whose proper name is Victoria Island. It is long, wooded,
-and mountainous and comprises about ten thousand acres. The Chileans
-call it Menendez Island after the wealthy family of Menendez whose
-seat is in Punta Arenas, and who formerly owned much property across
-the Chilean frontier not far from the lake. The Argentine government
-made a present of this island to a Senor Anchorena of Buenos Aires upon
-condition that in ten years time he would expend on it for improvements
-eighty-eight thousand dollars which was the amount that they considered
-it worth. His own idea, which he has carried out, was to make Victoria
-Island a private game reservation and to this end he has imported
-wild animals from the north of Europe which have here thrived and
-propagated. It abounds in deer, huanacos, and pheasants, but so far he
-has not improved it commercially.
-
-The farther eastward that one goes on Lake Nahuel Huapi, the less
-beautiful and interesting the scenery becomes. The mountains become
-lower, rockier, and more treeless, until the trees become stunted
-and finally disappear so that the eastern end of the lake instead of
-having the beautiful sylvan nature that was omnipresent in Chile has
-now the sterile aspect of the west end of the Argentina pampa with
-barren mountains and plains of dried grass. San Carlos de Bariloche
-is a lonesome, God-forsaken village of about five hundred inhabitants
-on the south shore of the lake. On the wide semblance of a street are
-rough brick, adobe, and frame buildings with two churches, a parochial
-school, a bank, and a government office. The inn which goes by the
-name of Hotel Perito-Moreno is as much a disgrace to a hostelry as San
-Carlos de Bariloche is to the name town. The paper was falling off the
-walls and the broken windowpanes were repaired by having newspapers
-pasted over the apertures. Straw mattresses with blankets, which I
-imagine teemed with vermin, took the place of regular beds, while the
-food was so execrable that it was nauseating. As the place is rarely
-visited by anybody excepting cattle-buyers, it is not supposed to be up
-to date.
-
-The inhabitants of wind-swept San Carlos, however, are not complaining.
-They have passed that stage and have resigned themselves to face
-whatever misery might present itself to them. There is talk of
-the Southern Railroad continuing from Neuquen to make the town its
-terminus. This would effect another Transadine route and open up the
-country to civilization. Not far from San Carlos de Bariloche the
-Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe has an eighty-thousand-acre ranch. It is
-said that he bought this to make his home on in case he should be
-deposed in Germany. For manager he has Baron von Buelow, the nephew of
-the former Chancellor of the German Empire.
-
-  [Illustration: San Carlos de Bariloche]
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI
-
-CHILLAN. ASCENT OF VOLCANO CHILLAN
-
-
-While in Santiago in 1915 I met at the Hotel Oddo, a Senor Hugo
-Gumprecht who was a guest there. He is a German by birth, but in his
-youth emigrated to Australia where he married, became a naturalized
-British subject, and lived there for some time. He then went to South
-Africa and at the time of the Boer War enlisted in the British Army,
-became an officer, and received the Victoria Cross. When the war was
-over he went to Argentina and in the village of General Alvear in
-the Province of Mendoza, started a hardware store. Here he became
-naturalized as a citizen of the Argentine Republic and lived there
-up to a few days previous to my meeting him. Business had become dull
-in Argentina and as he is an experienced engineer he went to Chile to
-see if there was an opening for him there in his line, in the meantime
-leaving his family in Argentina until he would establish himself. He is
-an educated man about forty-eight years old, is comfortably well off,
-and in appearance is a double of Lloyd George, or rather looks like the
-pictures of Lloyd George that were taken ten years ago. When I returned
-to Santiago in 1916, Gumprecht was still in Santiago but living in a
-private house. As he had not yet found anything to his liking, he was
-about to make some trips to different parts of the republic to see
-what there was doing. I intended visiting the baths of Chillan out of
-curiosity and invited him to join me, which he did. I have never yet
-found a person that I have cared more to travel with than with him.
-
-One morning we left Santiago and eleven hours later found ourselves in
-the 253-miles-distant Nuble metropolis. Owing to an excess of traffic
-the train was two hours late. From the train in the afternoon we saw
-the irregular peak of the volcano Yeguas, 11,885 feet high, in the
-Linares Andes on the eastern horizon; soon afterwards appeared in
-the hazy background the volcano Chillan, 9438 feet high, whose whole
-conical contour is perpetually covered with snow. Seen at the setting
-of the autumn sun the central valley of Chile presents a view so
-pastorally charming that its replica is difficult to be conjured by the
-imagination. Broad fields of melons, intermingled with vineyards and
-separated from each other by rows of Lombardy poplars and blackberry
-hedges, decked the valley floor. On the western horizon rises a chain
-of hills, which occasionally has an outcrop in the form of an isolated
-mountain. The sun, which had just sunk behind them, made the sky
-saffron, as its rays, invisible behind the western peaks, played upon
-the snowy summits of the Andes to the east.
-
-The crowd on the platform at the covered train shed of the Chillan
-station is the most animated to be found at any railroad station in
-Chile with the possible exception of that at Llai-Llai. Landscape
-gardeners have endeavored to enhance the depot approach by planting
-cedar trees in square holes in the middle of the sidewalk. These trees
-have attained the growth of three feet. Leaving the depot, Gumprecht
-was walking on my left. Presently he uttered an oath and upon my
-looking around I was just in time to see his carcass take a plunge
-and land on his belly in front of the astonished crowd. When he picked
-himself up, he said:
-
-"I felt something rise between my legs and I jumped, but it was this
-_verdammter_ tree."
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza O'Higgins, Chillan]
-
-Chillan is the capital of the Province of Nuble, and has a population
-of 39,113, being the seventh city of Chile. Next to Santiago and Talca
-it is the largest city in the central valley. It would be larger than
-Talca if it took in its suburb, Chillan Viejo. But although a paucity
-of manufacturing is done, it owes its existence as a market town to
-its being the center of an agricultural district to which it is the
-distributing point. There are but few foreigners, unlike the towns
-farther south, so that the city is essentially Chilean and here native
-life and customs can be seen and studied at their best. There are
-several specialties of home-made manufacture that owe their origin to
-Chillan, preeminent among which are untanned leather accoutrements and
-caparisons for the equine and muline genera, such as bridles, whips,
-and spur leathers. Chillan pottery is famous throughout the republic.
-It is black, thin, and brittle, and is invariably adorned with scroll
-work of pink, lemon, or white. Last in importance is the charcoal fan,
-woven by natives from corn husks. The brewery of Julius Jenson is not
-large enough to play a role in the financial equilibrium of the place
-for its proprietor brews but an ordinary beer for local trade.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Roble, Chillan, Looking East from Calle Arauco]
-
-Although the city has no electrified street car system, its horse cars
-are a duplicate of the Santiago and Valparaiso trolley cars. They have
-double decks, the top being reserved for those who prefer to travel
-second class. In other means of transit there is nothing to boast of.
-The hacks are antiquated, closed black wooden boxes, while the saddle
-horses at the livery stables are of the antediluvian variety.
-
-The main streets are well paved with cobblestones, but the side ones
-are poorly paved with small smooth stones, very distressing to walk
-upon with thin-soled shoes. The buildings are well built and red
-brick is more common than in the cities farther north. However, there
-are in Chillan frame houses, which in the neighborhood of Santiago
-are conspicuous by their absence. There are several plazas, but the
-principal one, O'Higgins, is the best, and in my estimation is the
-loveliest in Chile. It has no grassy sward but its great trees give
-a delightful umbrage that is refreshing during the heat of a summer
-day. In this respect it is not unlike the Plaza Pringles in San Luis,
-Argentina. A military band plays here thrice weekly at night and it is
-then a treat for tired eyes to watch from a bench the procession of
-well-formed girls in the latest creations pass by in review on their
-_corso_ around the octagonal park.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Chillan]
-
-The market place, paved with pebbles, is a broad area, bustling with
-life. Nearly every known variety of vegetable is represented, and of
-such a quality that I know nowhere else where they are excelled unless
-it is at the market at Belgrade, Servia. Chillan is the greatest
-onion mart in South America, and here are seen cartloads of that
-nerve-soothing vegetable heaped on the ground. Many marketeers come
-to town Sunday afternoon and sleep that night in their stalls so as
-to be alert with their wares and produce at daybreak on Monday, on
-which day the place is thronged. On the fringe of the area are canvas
-booths. Here sit toothless hags and buxom virgins offering for sale at
-fabulously low prices, quirts, riatas, hobbles, spur-straps, and other
-leathern productions of their deft fingers.
-
-  [Illustration: Market Place, Chillan]
-
-Regarding hotels, Chillan has some good ones, but unless the
-prospective lodger telegraphs beforehand, he is likely to find shelter
-beneath a shade tree for the rooms are in constant demand. This speaks
-well of the city. In the summer the natural trade is augmented by
-the tourists en route to and en retour from the Termas de Chillan
-(Baths of Chillan), a watering place, who spend a night or two in the
-Nuble metropolis in transit. At the exit of the old-fashioned railway
-station, a runner meets the stranger and touts for the Hotel Central,
-a large new building, a block from the center of the city.
-
-I prefer the Hotel de France and believe it is the best in the central
-valley. Its proprietor, Monsieur Pierre Heguy, is the super-bantam
-cock. This handsome little man with his coal-black beard trimmed to
-a goatee meets you at the door with a smile and a bow. "_Voila_,
-monsieur," he says, and with a stately sweeping gesture he stands
-aside to allow you to inspect the best hotel bedroom in Chile. His
-single-story hotel is of frame and adobe. "But what does that matter?"
-he inquires and then concludes: "In case of fire or earthquake it is
-much safer than the stupendous Hotel Central. Moreover, do water colors
-and oil paintings of landscapes adorn the walls of the bedrooms at
-the Central the same as in the Hotel de France? Have the Jews at the
-Central any knowledge of liqueurs and champagne? _Sapristi_, no!" and
-then he spat.
-
-My bedroom on the street corner was grand and large enough to house the
-august presence of an emperor and for it I paid the equivalent of $3.40
-a day, which included meals. The carpet was of the old-fashioned kind
-with pink roses whose replicas are only found to-day in the farmhouses
-and in the old residences of the country towns whose furnishing dates
-back two generations. The massive wooden washstand with mirror, chest
-of drawers, and the bedstand were all crowned with marble slabs. The
-bed was a four-poster and the "crazy quilt" was that of bygone days.
-The same bed that I occupied probably once creaked under the weight of
-Lady Brassey's expatriated figure when she visited Chillan, having left
-the yacht _Sunbeam_ at Talcahuano.
-
-The cuisine is perfect and the liquid refreshments are of the finest
-quality. Monsieur Heguy is a connoisseur of those substances which
-tickle the palate. He does not indulge in liquid refreshment. He did so
-when I first made his acquaintance in 1913 but had to quit as it was
-injuring his health. At the time of my previous acquaintance with him
-he would drink everything on the bill of fare as long as somebody else
-was paying for it, but he never treated when it came his turn.
-
-One night while I was at the Hotel de France there was a temblor or
-slight earthquake. I was awakened from a sound sleep a quarter of an
-hour before midnight by a noise at my door as if somebody was trying
-to break into my room. Lighting a candle I saw that the key tag was
-rattling. I yelled out, "Who's there?" and opened the door but saw
-nobody. I jumped back into the bed again but no sooner had I done so
-than I saw a streak of light underneath the door to my right, and I
-heard through the open transom of the door that opened onto the patio
-the patter of feet as they crossed the tiled walk and the voice of
-the young Englishwoman who occupied the adjoining room talking to her
-brother and brother-in-law whose room adjoined mine on the left.
-
-"I think the man next door" (meaning me) "is trying to enter my room,"
-she said.
-
-"Really, Mary, you don't say so," I heard a male voice reply.
-
-"What do you think he would do to me if he entered my room?" asked Mary.
-
-"I am sure I do not know," the male voice replied.
-
-"Do you think he would murder me?"
-
-"Hardly that," was the reply. There was a continuance of the
-conversation which I could not distinctly understand, then the same
-voice continued: "Take this revolver, and if you hear any further
-disturbance, shoot through his door."
-
-Now this was a pretty pickle. My bed was in range of a revolver shot.
-I thought that some sneak thief had tried to get into both bedrooms
-and had tried her door as well as mine. Mary had supposed that it was I
-who wanted to enter her room. It happened that Mary was not good enough
-looking for me to have any such designs towards her. She was slim and
-angular, highly colored and commonplace, with a pointed nose and little
-eyes like those of a pig. I moved my bed out of revolver range and went
-to bed again. The next morning there was considerable excitement in the
-town about the temblor, for it was this that caused the rattling noise
-at the doors. I approached Mary and her male relatives while they were
-sitting in the patio, and telling them that I heard their conversation
-of the previous night, roundly upbraided them for their conduct, but
-like most unmannered persons they were too ill-bred to apologize.
-
-Besides the Plaza O'Higgins, another beautiful one is that named
-Victoria or Santo Aldea. It is not well kept up because the irrigation
-ditch which runs along the side of an adjacent street often overflows
-and causes the walks of the plaza to receive a deluge.
-
-An interesting excursion on foot is a visit to the less than a league
-distant suburb of Chillan Viejo (Old Chillan). This foul village of
-five thousand inhabitants was the original city before the earthquake
-of 1833 which caused the survivors of the catastrophe to build on
-the present townsite. There was an Indian settlement here before the
-advent of the Spaniards. The name of their cacique was Chiquillanes,
-from which the name Chillan is derived. At Las Toscas Creek at the
-southern city limits of Chillan the broad Avenida O'Higgins, which
-is no more than a dusty turnpike, leads in a southwesterly direction
-to another creek, that of Paso Hondo, on whose filthy banks repose
-adobe reconstructions of the original town. This place on the whole is
-the most poverty-stricken and squalid town that I have ever visited,
-although in this respect and in filth, it cannot compare with certain
-sections and suburbs of stately Santiago. It is nine blocks wide with
-an average of ten blocks long, has narrow streets paved with sharp
-stones on which face tumbledown adobe hovels. Its inhabitants are
-drunken, and many possess loathsome sores on their faces. The odors
-rising from the decaying matter thrown from the house doors, the swarms
-of flies, and the full-bellied whippets basking in the sun-baked offal
-make a person ask, "Can such things be possible?" In those parts of the
-town where such pleasantries are in the minimum, the air is redolent
-with the fragrant odor of rats.
-
-Yet Chillan Viejo is a place of reverence in the hearts of loyal and
-patriotic Chilenos, for in this old town was born the father of Chilean
-independence, Bernardo O'Higgins, who with the aid of San Martin broke
-the Spanish dominion in Chile. A school has been built where stood his
-house, but a room of the old building has been preserved with some of
-his furniture and keepsakes. A marble tablet on the wall of the school
-has the following inscription which translated into English reads:
-
-"This house entombs a sublime echo, the whining of a little child which
-was transformed into the yells of victory at Chacabuco and Maipo.
-
-"Here was born the father of our Independence, Don Bernardo O'Higgins,
-August 20, 1778.
-
-"Chileans, honor his memory!
-
-"Strangers, remember our history!"
-
-In the center of the dusty ill-kept plaza of the town, abundant with
-giant ash and pepper trees, is another memorial to this hero in the
-form of a bust on a pedestal erected by a loving populace. Let it be
-known that Bernard O'Higgins was one of the most unselfish and lovable
-characters in military history. Born of Irish parentage in the squalid
-village of Chillan Viejo, he donated his whole career for the welfare
-of his country. After whipping the Spaniards he was made Supreme
-Dictator. Unlike most other dictators he was not vainglorious nor was
-he personally ambitious for power or wealth.
-
-The church on the plaza of Chillan Viejo is said to be 285 years old.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene at the Station at Pinto]
-
-The Province of Nuble, of which Chillan is the capital, has an area of
-3407 square miles and a population of 166,245, being the fifth in Chile
-as to the number of its inhabitants. Its eastern part is mountainous
-and very sparsely settled, the great bulk of its population living in
-the highly cultivated central valley. Its level lands are a fine rich
-country given up to the growing of cereals, principally wheat, and to
-all the vegetables known to the temperate zone. There are also many
-vineyards.
-
-The Baths of Chillan, as those hot springs are known, are fifty-seven
-miles east of the city Chillan at the headwaters of Renegado Creek
-on the slopes of the volcano Chillan, 5850 feet above sea level. One
-leaves Chillan at 5.30 A.M. and rides for two hours on a light railway
-which runs in a sort of a semicircle eastward to the station of Pinto,
-a distance of but twenty-two miles. At Coihueco, six miles before
-reaching Pinto, the farmers are building a mutual railway which will be
-a branch of the narrow gauge, the government furnishing the rails. This
-is being done so that the farmers may get their crops into Chillan.
-Pinto is a large village lying about a league south of the railroad
-station of the same name across the Chillan River.
-
-  [Illustration: Post Station at La Dehesa]
-
-  [Illustration: Harvesting Scene at La Dehesa]
-
-At Pinto passengers change from the train into carriages and are driven
-to the three-miles-distant post station of La Dehesa, where one can
-either continue optionally by a seven-hour carriage drive to Las Termas
-(The Baths) or by a continuation of the light railway to the hamlet
-of Resinto and thence by carriage four hours to Las Termas. The round
-trip by carriage costs $11.05; by train it is $1.36 extra. I went by
-train which took nearly four hours on account of the presence on board
-of two inspectors who had the locomotive stop every few minutes to
-give instructions to construction gangs; from Resinto I went to Las
-Termas by coach. The railroad followed the north bank of the Chillan
-River until the station of Esperanza was reached where a fine view of
-the smoking volcano ahead of us was to be had; it then crossed the
-river and wound along a precipice up the west bank of the Renegado
-Creek, which lay below us in a forest of oak. I rode on a flat car
-which by means of hay wire was coupled to the box which served as the
-train coach. Resinto, formerly named Posada, on account of the former
-saloon and rest house (which in Spanish is _posada_), is the present
-terminus of the light railway although it is being continued so that
-in this year (1918) it is expected that it will be opened to traffic
-as far as the corral of Las Trancas. The carriage road is very rough,
-stony, and steep, and in some places extremely dangerous where it winds
-around promontories. For the first few miles after leaving Resinto it
-follows the creek bed; at a ranch house where guides are to be obtained
-for mountain excursions, a trail leads off to the south, which if one
-follows it for a day and a half will bring the traveler into Argentina
-over the Buraico Pass. It is only advisable to cross the divide on mule
-back on account of the steepness. From the boundary a few days' ride
-will bring one to the wretched God-forsaken Patagonian settlement of
-Chos Malal, in the Argentine Territory of Neuquen.
-
-  [Illustration: Mountain in the Renegado Canyon, Chile
-
-   This mountain has its double in the Martinswand, near Zirl, in Tirol]
-
-The first stage of the drive is monotonous although the scenery is
-good. There are a few scattered ranch houses in openings in the oak
-woods; the country could scarcely be called a forest, nor is it an open
-country. Mountains come down abruptly to the canyon and one of them
-is a double of the Martinswand near Zirl in Tirol. The whole trip is
-dusty in summer, which is the only season in which it is possible to
-visit Las Termas. After leaving Las Trancas, the station where the five
-horses are changed, and from which is seen a silvery waterfall several
-hundred feet high, the road enters the primeval forest of oak, elm, and
-laurel, decidedly beautiful, and then winds up the cool but dusty glen
-of the Renegado, which is fed by numerous trout streams. The roaring of
-many cascades and waterfalls is heard, the double one of The Lions, an
-hour's ride before Las Termas is reached, being the most beautiful.
-
-  [Illustration: Corral of Las Trancas]
-
-The springs, bathing establishment, and hotel known as the Termas de
-Chillan are at the highest limit of the tree line. They are owned by
-the municipality of Chillan, and at the present time are leased to
-a Basque, Monsieur Bernard Pagueguy, the French consul at Chillan,
-for the sum of $12,240 for the season of four months, which is at
-the rate of $3060 a month. In order to make a profit Pagueguy runs a
-gambling establishment in conjunction with the hostelry. People are
-not desired as guests who have no lust for the green baize. Baccarat,
-petits chevaux, and slot machines operate at full swing regardless
-of the strict anti-gambling laws of the country. A policeman recently
-lost $204, his whole worldly possessions, and had to borrow $17.50 to
-get away. While I was at Las Termas a man dropped $2040 in one evening
-which though not much to lose at either Montevideo or at Mar del Plata
-is a fortune to lose in Chile.
-
-  [Illustration: Forest in the Province of Nuble, Chile]
-
-At Las Termas there is a main building and about thirty huts called
-_casuchas_, where lodgers room _en famille_. There are stables and a
-long barrack where the peons live. The bathhouses are about a quarter
-of a mile up the ravine.
-
-The main building is of stone and is three stories high in front and
-two stories high in the rear as it is built on the slope of the hill.
-Besides the dining room and the coffee room, it has a barber shop,
-telegraph office, doctor's office, and rooms for guests. To one side is
-the administration office, bar, two gambling rooms, writing room, and
-kitchen. The ladies congregate evenings in a well-furnished hut which
-has for furniture red cloth covered chairs, a sofa, and a pianoforte.
-
-  [Illustration: Scene on the Road to Termas de Chillan]
-
-The casuchas all have at least three connecting rooms and are
-preferable to the main building. There has been considerable criticism
-in the Chillan newspapers about the treatment of the peons at the
-barrack. These poor people, afflicted with rheumatism and other
-ailments, and too poor to afford to pay the regular price for food and
-lodging, walk to Las Termas or come a whole family in an ox-cart or on
-mule back. They tether their animals in the woods or turn them loose
-in a corral. They bring their own food and bedclothing with them and
-pay eighty-five cents a day for the privilege of shelter. Sometimes a
-hundred of them are jammed nondescriptly into the dirty barrack which
-serves as a dining room, kitchen, and bedroom for dirty and diseased
-humanity of both sexes. Some of these poor fellows are seen nightly
-sleeping hunched up on the floor against the walls of the buildings
-near the kitchen and huddled close against one another for warmth, for
-the nights are apt to be frightfully cold. They are unwelcome to the
-host because they do not gamble.
-
-  [Illustration: Termas de Chillan]
-
-A steep climb takes one to the bathing establishment. These are two
-houses, one for a steam bath and the other for a tub bath. The price
-of an ordinary bath is seventeen cents, but there are some private tub
-baths where it costs double. The waters are iron, manganese, sulphur,
-mercury, and potassium, such a variety as these being hard to find
-in so small a radius. Although the waters are good for rheumatism and
-gastric troubles they are supposed to cure syphilis as effectively as
-salvarsan. Many guests were here for this last-named ailment, although
-they showed no visible outward signs. An acquaintance, a doctor from
-Rancagua, was constantly urging me to take a mineral bath, which I
-refused at first to do as I thought it best to let well enough alone.
-By mountain climbing I soon got so dirty that I was obliged to indulge
-in one for the sake of cleanliness. As I passed with a towel over
-my arm by the tennis court where a match was in progress in front
-of a crowd of lady spectators, the doctor saw me. With a roar that
-temporarily stopped the game and which made me the cynosure of all
-eyes, he bellowed:
-
-  [Illustration: Casuchas at Termas de Chillan]
-
-"Ha! Ha! Stephens is going to take a bath, although he advises against
-it."
-
-"Yes, doctor," I answered, "I am taking a bath for cleanliness sake.
-Fortunately I am not afflicted with----"
-
-"Syphilis," roared the doctor, cutting me short, which brought screams
-of mirth from the spectators, more than half of whom were ladies. I was
-going to terminate my sentence with "any malady" but the doctor did not
-give me time.
-
-On the mountain above the bathhouses are some mud volcanoes and steam
-spouts named fumiroles, but they cannot compare with those of the
-Yellowstone.
-
-On the day of my arrival, I had not been more than ten minutes at the
-hotel when an Englishman and a Frenchman approached me and said that
-they intended making the ascent of the volcano Chillan the next day,
-and having heard that Gumprecht and I intended doing the same thing
-thought that it would be best to arrange a party as there was but one
-guide at the establishment. I said that I would decide later on and let
-them know. I did not relish the appearance of the Frenchman, who had
-a tough face, and would have preferred to make the ascent without his
-company, so I went to Monsieur Pagueguy, the lessee and administrator,
-and asked him if there were more guides than one. He told me that there
-were several. This settled the question, for I would not be obliged
-then to make the ascent in company with the "butters in."
-
-"Why do you not wish to go with the two gentlemen?" inquired Pagueguy.
-
-"I am not accustomed to forming acquaintances with strangers who force
-themselves upon me," I answered. "Moreover that Frenchman has a bad
-look. He looks as if he would kill a man for a five-peso (87-1/2 c.)
-note."
-
-"Sacre! Sacre!" yelled Pagueguy, "he is my brother. Sacre! Sacre!"
-
-The administrator raved around like a madman. I told him that it made
-no difference whether it was his brother or not, and that the proper
-thing for him to have done would have been for him to have introduced
-himself in the first place; that the Termas had a bad reputation for
-being a rendezvous for card sharps, and that since his brother had the
-appearance of one, how was I to know the difference?
-
-Pagueguy told his brother and the Englishman about it. They caught me
-alone that evening and tried to pick a quarrel with me. The odds were
-against me for the Englishman was much larger than I, and the Frenchman
-was also a strong, powerfully built man. The loud altercation attracted
-the attention of Gumprecht and a Barcelona friend of mine named
-Florencio Prat, who both came running up. The tables were now turned in
-my favor, so my two antagonists prudently walked away.
-
-"I think they mean to make trouble; let's follow them and hear what
-they say?" suggested Prat.
-
-The duo walked to a casucha and after entering it closed the door. We
-three walked around the building and getting below an open window did
-some necessary eavesdropping. It was well that we did so for we heard
-them planning to catch one of us alone and give the prospective victim
-a beating up. It was now time to show our teeth, which we did. Without
-knocking we entered the casucha much to the astonishment of the duo and
-told them that if they tried any funny business we would shoot them
-like dogs regardless of the consequences, and for them to mind their
-own business as we intended minding ours, otherwise something would
-happen. We also showed them our revolvers. Nothing more developed.
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Henry Stephens]
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Hugo Gumprecht]
-
-When Gumprecht, Prat, and myself left early the next morning to make
-the ascent of the volcano Chillan we took as a guide a native named
-Savedra. The hotel servants lied to us, telling us that there was no
-water to be had en route and that we had better take along plenty of
-liquid refreshments. This is their old trick of trying to sell a lot
-of beer and whiskey. When Gumprecht told the head-waiter to put in two
-drinks of whiskey for himself, the knight of the apron put in twelve.
-I saw it and did not like the idea for I thought that Gumprecht really
-had ordered twelve shots of whiskey and was going to go on a drunk on
-top of the volcano, which could cause a mishap. As neither Prat nor
-myself drink whiskey and since I would not permit Savedra to drink
-any, I was horrified at Gumprecht, for the amount of spiritus frumenti
-exceeded a quart. I approached him and said:
-
-  [Illustration: View towards the Argentine Frontier from the Slopes of
-   Volcano Chillan]
-
-"What in hell are you going to drink those twelve shots of whiskey for?
-I think it's a bad scheme."
-
-"I only ordered two drinks," he replied.
-
-"The waiter put in twelve."
-
-"Impossible."
-
-"It's the truth," I replied.
-
-A search of Savedra's saddlebag testified to my statement. The
-head-waiter was brought.
-
-"I thought you ordered twelve drinks," he said. Spanish for twelve is
-"_doce_" and for two is "_dos_," the pronunciation being near enough
-for a man to misunderstand purposely. The head-waiter did this trick.
-
-We left the hotel on horseback and for the first few kilometers it was
-the steepest climb that I have ever made on the back of an animal. The
-narrow path zigzagged up the nose of a mountain, exceedingly dangerous,
-and as my beast had an English saddle, I several times slid off onto
-his rump while making the ascent. I did not know that it was possible
-for horses to climb like that, and I thought that I had previously been
-in very steep places in California.
-
-  [Illustration: Glacier Covered with Fresh Snow on the Volcano]
-
-After riding some distance we came to a small glacier, and dismounted
-to cross a creek at its mouth. The horses were panting, puffing, and
-sweating but when we came to the creek Savedra let them drink all they
-wanted of the cold ice water. This astonished me, but he said that
-they were used to it. This glacier was cavernous for the stream flowed
-out of a hole at its mouth. Soon another glacier was reached, this one
-fairly long, which we crossed and then came out upon a lava field. We
-had to dismount before coming to the lava field and feel our way, for
-some fresh snow had fallen on the glacier, which was in some places up
-to the horses' bellies. From the lava field we got our first good view
-of the volcano summit. It was several miles off in front of us up a
-direct steep ascent over glaciers, snow fields, lava, and ashes. It was
-in eruption and was making a terrible noise. A great column of white
-smoke rose to half a kilometer high until the air currents caused it to
-be borne horizontally away in white cloud patches. I was frightened and
-expressed my thoughts that we were near enough to the crater.
-
-"It is nothing," said Savedra.
-
-"I am afraid of nothing," said Prat.
-
-A league-wide glacier stretched in front of us; we crossed it, keeping
-near the edge of some lava fields. Three long crevasses crossed the
-glacier, one of which was dangerous so we dismounted and jumped it,
-holding the horses by the bridle to let them jump it. Prat's horse
-was the only animal that jumped it without either falling with its
-fore feet or hind feet into it. My beast fared the worst and I thought
-that it was a "goner." The crevasse seemed bottomless and to extend
-to infinity. The glare of the sun on the fresh snow was terrific
-and caused us all to have sore eyes which lasted several days not to
-mention that our faces were burned so much that the skin peeled off.
-The sky appeared to be indigo instead of azure. Since leaving the
-lava fields there had been several volcanic eruptions of five minutes'
-duration, each one louder as we approached. I had now become used to
-them and was no longer afraid.
-
-  [Illustration: Rim of the Crater of Volcano Chillan During Eruption]
-
-  [Illustration: Snow Fields of Volcano Chillan]
-
-Looking in any direction the scene was enough to imbue any mortal with
-a wholesome fear of God. Grand is not the word for the description; it
-was superlatively wild, lonesome, and awful. It is nearly impossible to
-realize the terrible loneliness and awesomeness of the great peaks of
-the Andes, uninhabited by man or beast or bird which mark the boundary
-between Central Chile and Northern Patagonia, their great snow-clad
-serrated or conical summits towering thousands of feet into the
-cloudless ether. The terrible view makes a man feel his insignificance.
-I have been to the top of Misti, Ararat, and Mont Blanc, the first
-mentioned two having an altitude double that of Chillan, but from their
-summits the view is incomparable with that seen from the mountain on
-whose slopes I now was. To the southeast probably fifty miles as a
-crow flies rose the conical snow-capped extinct volcano of San Jose,
-and beyond it the precipitous anvil top of twenty thousand feet high
-Quemazones (Burnt Places) inaccessible, both lying in Argentina.
-
-Early that morning a certain Carlos Michaelis from Punta Arenas had
-left the Termas on foot for the summit of the volcano, so after we had
-gazed with astonishment upon the awe inspiring works of Nature just
-described, we turned our attention to the higher slopes of Chillan to
-see if we could see him, for up to now we had seen no sign of him. We
-finally saw a black spot high up on a snow-field which with binoculars
-proved to be a man. He was plodding upward through the thick snow
-laboriously, and at every few steps he would stop.
-
-The glacier now became so steep that the slightest stumble of one of
-the horses could have easily sent us rolling hundreds of feet down its
-icy slopes to eternity. We had to dismount twice again and feel our
-way on account of the deep snow before we reached the final lava field
-where equestrian ambulation had to cease.
-
-  [Illustration: From the Slopes of Volcano Chillan]
-
-  [Illustration: Savedra, Gumprecht, and Prat on Lava Fields of Volcano
-   Chillan]
-
-Arrived at the end of the trail, a kilometer below the crater, a
-whistling noise accompanied by steam rose again from the summit; then
-there came sounds as of a mighty priming followed by a fierce eruption
-which threw rocks as big as bath tubs in all directions. Fortunately
-they did not go far, but their bombardment was enough to scare Prat who
-was "afraid of nothing" and also Savedra who had previously said "It is
-nothing." These two men brave at a distance now refused to go on, so
-Gumprecht and I alone started on the ascent with difficulty, picking
-our way among the multitude of rocks and shoe high ashes. Finally
-tired we sat on a bowlder and waited for Michaelis whom we could see
-a short distance below us. When he came up, throwing his weight on his
-alpenstock, we ascended to the crater.
-
-It happens that this crater has changed three times during the past
-year, and that the present explosions do not rise from the crater,
-but from some holes and fissures of rocks that form the north wall
-and which are above it. A new crater is forming here, and although
-considerable smoke issues from the regular one, the danger lies higher
-up. At any time there is liable to be a violent eruption and the whole
-north wall will then be torn asunder.
-
-The crater is about an eighth of a mile across with precipitous sides.
-I could not see its bottom on account of the vapors, but the ledges
-of its interior were piled high with rocks. Michaelis planted some
-trigonometrical instruments to take observations here, while Gumprecht
-and I tried to climb the north wall. We could now see the country to
-the north. The high volcanos Yeguas, Descabezado, and Peteroa were
-visible in the blue distance while near at hand the detached white peak
-of the Nevado de Chillan, so called from its crown of perpetual snow,
-higher than the volcano soared its lofty dome into the heavens. This
-is the peak that is seen from the floor of the Central Valley and from
-that distance it appears as if the smoke were issuing from it.
-
-As Gumprecht and I neared the apex, he was overcome by sulphur fumes
-which issued from holes all about us, and was obliged to lie down. I
-tried the ascent alone, and it took me nearly twenty minutes to climb
-twenty meters, an average of approximately six feet to the minute.
-This slowness was due to the slippery dampness of the ground which
-was here covered with a greenish mold caused by its constant wetting
-by the steam. This ground was so hot that it was nearly impossible to
-touch it with the hands and the intensity of the heat soon made itself
-felt through the soles of my shoes. I was obliged to crawl from rock
-to rock. Eventually I arrived at a sort of natural platform where some
-previous explorers had placed a few rocks denoting the limit of safety.
-This place was about eight yards from the rock pile from which the
-explosions took place. The whole ground was soft. The explorers might
-just as well have placed their small stone pile half a mile down the
-mountain side because it is dangerous anywhere near the summit. A few
-years ago some people were badly hurt on account of flying rocks.
-
-There had been no explosion for several minutes, so thinking I was safe
-I sat down to rest. Suddenly without the slightest warning, and with
-the most horrible roar that I have ever heard, like a mighty geyser,
-the sulphur fumes shot upwards followed by a gush of fire combined
-with a pelting of large stones which shot out of a large hole with the
-impetus of a catapult. The air sang with inflammable material which
-sizzled as it struck the wet rocks. I tried to run, but fell and slid
-on my bottom ripping off the seat of my trousers. A rock hit me on
-my right foot which, although I did not feel much pain from it at the
-time, later on developed into an ailment which several times during the
-two following years kept me confined in bed for at least three weeks
-each time. In less than a few seconds I covered the distance to where
-Gumprecht was lying. I yelled to him to hurry down the mountain to save
-himself.
-
-"Vait a minute," he yelled, "I can't breath this Gott damn schmoke."
-
-When he got up we hurried down the mountain in quick time, stopping at
-the old crater where Michaelis was taking observations. That man did
-not return with us, but waited two hours until the explosions stopped;
-he then ascended to the stone pile, but no sooner had he arrived there
-than an explosion took place followed by such a pelting that he had
-to remain until dark behind some cliffs, waiting for the violence to
-diminish.
-
-When we had descended to where the horses were, Prat and Savedra
-rejoiced upon seeing us return alive, for they had a fright on seeing
-me do the slide, and later both Gumprecht and I running, thinking
-that we were done for. This did not prevent Savedra from drinking
-Gumprecht's whiskey after we had left them to make the ascent. We
-chided them for their cowardice in not coming any farther.
-
-"I am too young to die," was Prat's excuse. Savedra said nothing; he
-evidently could see no reason why he should undergo strenuous exercise
-besides running the risk of getting blown up, when he could see the
-explosions from where he was. It was hot when we had left Las Termas in
-the morning and I wore a summer suit of clothes and a straw hat. Near
-the summit of the volcano in snowy defiles where the sun never reaches
-it was around the zero mark which I keenly felt if I stood still a
-minute. When we arrived back at the hotel, the crowd gathered around us
-and asked us all about the trip. The Englishman and the Frenchman with
-whom we had quarreled started out the next day to make the ascent, but
-overcome with a "streak of yellow" went only as far as the end of the
-glacier. Their game was ping-pong.
-
-  [Illustration: Mountain Scenery and Waterfall at Las Trancas]
-
-When we finally left Las Termas we walked to Resinto, a distance of
-twenty miles, and drove to La Dehesa stopping en route a few minutes
-at the post house of La Quila to change horses. The road is rocky and
-is bordered by blackberry bushes whose vines grow to a prodigious size.
-The Chilean blackberry, named _sarsamorra_, is different from our wild
-blackberry in the fact that it is sweeter, has a milder flavor and in
-shape is wider, shorter, and rounder. When I made this trip, the bushes
-were bent down with the weight of this succulent fruit which was now
-ripe. The sarsamorra is a pest in Chile, as it springs up everywhere,
-and spreading over the fields is hard to stamp out. It forms natural
-hedges for estate boundaries and field limits.
-
-In all this Nuble country overcoats and thick underwear come in handy.
-The nights are cool in summer while in winter there is snow in the
-hills. I saw people in the plaza in Chillan in March, which corresponds
-to September in countries north of the Tropic of Cancer, wearing
-overcoats. Not that it was really cold enough to wear them, but it is a
-fad with South Americans to don overcoats upon the slightest occasion.
-
-I was obliged to stop a day at the Hotel Central on my return to
-Chillan owing to the failure of the administration of the Termas to
-telephone to Monsieur Heguy reserving me a room at the Hotel de France.
-The Central is not bad, but it seems to have no proper management; it
-is a costly establishment but is not as clean as the Hotel de France.
-As the hotel was filled, I was obliged to sleep in a sample room.
-Because I presented an uncouth appearance upon my arrival, due to a
-week's "roughing it," the obsequious boy who acts as head push, hotel
-runner, etc., thought that I was a bum and intended giving me a cot
-in a room with a couple of "drunks" on the top floor, to which I made
-serious objections. At the Central the better a person is dressed upon
-arrival, the better a room he gets. The size of a piece of meat served
-in the dining-room is equal to that of a walnut.
-
-At Pinto I met Don Vicente Mendez U, governor of the Province of Nuble.
-He was returning from a tour of inspection of the farmers' mutual
-railway. He was very much interested in North American customs which he
-wanted to see introduced in Chile especially in his province, chiefly
-the prohibition propaganda of which he had read much. He thought that
-it would be a good thing to have the Province of Nuble go dry and
-advocated it strongly. Later on in conversation with him when I told
-him that I was in Chile to look the country over in view of starting
-up a new industry, stating that I thought that a brewery would pay in
-Chillan, he changed his views and said that it would be quite the thing
-because the Julius Jenson brewery did not do a big enough business to
-satisfy the wants of the inhabitants, and that the inhabitants of the
-city had to import beer from Valdivia and Talca. He made an appointment
-to meet me the next day and brought with him the mayor of the city
-and some of the important officials. There was proposed to me that if
-I would build a brewery in Chillan, I should receive as a concession
-a track of land on the railroad besides an exemption from taxes for a
-number of years. They were very enthusiastic about the proposition. The
-governor also said that it would pay in Chillan to found a hypothecary
-agricultural bank. I doubt the feasibility of this because crops often
-go to waste on account of no market. My friend the doctor from Rancagua
-grew twenty thousand bushels of barley in 1916; of this he was only
-able to dispose of one carload.
-
-In 1916 there was a great railroad strike on the State Railroads of
-Chile; owing to it trains were invariably late and did not run nights.
-I was therefore obliged to stop off overnight at Curico en route to
-Santiago. At the stations of San Carlos and Villa Alegre there were
-enough watermelons, here called _sandias_, piled up to supply the
-entire republic. There are no freight sheds at the stations large
-enough to store the crops about to be exported, so it is not uncommon
-for a farmer to have his whole grain crop spoiled by rain as it lies in
-sacks near the platforms.
-
-We arrived at Curico at night and stopped at the Hotel Curico, which
-is run in connection with the eating-house at the depot. It is a large
-brick old-fashioned building. The daughter of the landlady is one of
-the most attractive girls I have ever had the fortune of meeting, and
-in the two days that I was there I had a feeling for her that can be
-described as infatuation. She was rather tall and slender but well
-built, a brunette, and about twenty-two years old. She was also refined
-and possessed good sense. I did not try to become well acquainted with
-her as I had no desire to play with fire, but these attractions of hers
-I was able to perceive without intimate acquaintanceship.
-
-Curico is the capital of the province of the same name. This province
-and that of Talca are the two poorest in Central Chile in agriculture,
-although the land is fertile and in some parts is highly cultivated.
-The city lies in the center of the Central Valley and owing to its
-geographical situation it has become quite a busy town. Its population
-in 1917 was 22,452 inhabitants against 17,573 in 1907. It is the
-twelfth city of Chile. Curico has far better government, public and
-private buildings than Chillan, and its main streets teem with life.
-The streets are narrow and are paved with small sharp stones. The Calle
-Prat is the street that leads to the railroad station and is one of the
-main ones. Four blocks east of the station it is intersected by another
-main street which runs north and south. Following this street south
-one arrives at a beautiful plaza, on which is the severe but stately
-Capitol and several other large buildings which are of the Georgian
-type of architecture. Besides the Hotel Curico, there are six or seven
-other hotels, the Central, the Comercio, etc. Of these the Central is
-the best. It has two patios above one of which is a grape trellis from
-which, when I saw it, dangled bunches of fruit, blue, red, and green.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII
-
-NORTHWARD TO ANTOFAGASTA BY RAIL. COPIAPO, ANTOFAGASTA, AND IQUIQUE
-
-
-I remained a couple of months in Santiago after returning from Chillan
-which I put in profitably by making excursions and foot tours to the
-nearby mountain canyons, visiting the small towns in the neighborhood
-and studying the business possibilities of the future as applied to the
-Chilean capital.
-
-One night as I sat having my shoes shined in a bootblack stand
-underneath the Portal Fernans on the south side of the Plaza de Armas,
-I noticed passing by an Englishman named Greenberg, an old acquaintance
-whom I last saw in Arequipa, Peru, in 1913. Greenberg was a salesman
-for the Browning Arms Company, originally hailing from Liverpool but
-had been quite a few years on the West Coast. In Arequipa we were
-introduced to a wealthy family named Larramendi and were frequent
-guests at their house. They had three charming daughters. One night
-while Greenberg and I were calling on the Larramendi girls, I overheard
-him proposing marriage to the oldest one, Felipa. I was considerably
-annoyed at this because Greenberg had already a wife and children in
-the old country. I upbraided him for his actions but was surprised when
-he answered me that he was sincere in his proposal and that since he
-and his wife did not get along very well together, he intended marrying
-Felipa and settling down in Arequipa. I knew that sooner or later he
-would be found out and as I did not care to be a witness of such an
-act towards a family that had shown me so much consideration, I quietly
-left Arequipa saying nothing to Greenberg about my departure.
-
-  [Illustration: Church in San Felipe]
-
-Now after an elapse of three years without having heard anything about
-the outcome, curiosity got the best of me so I hailed Greenberg. I
-invited him to a quiet cafe and heard his story.
-
-  [Illustration: City Hall, San Felipe]
-
-Greenberg married Felipa and shortly after the marriage, old Larramendi
-sent him with his bride to live on an upland estancia about fifty
-miles east of Arequipa in the high Andes, which estancia Greenberg
-became the manager of. He had lived there for two years rarely coming
-to Arequipa and had become the father of a child by this new union. He
-made considerable money for his father-in-law, who in turn gave him no
-salary nor wages, and this latter fact coupled with the life of ennui
-that he was leading caused him to have a talk with the old man about
-his future. He demanded a salary but this Larramendi refused to give
-him saying that he himself was an old man and would not live for more
-than fifteen years more, and that when he died Greenberg would inherit
-the bulk of his fortune on account of his business ability, so what
-more could he ask for?
-
-Greenberg than told Larramendi that if a change did not immediately
-forthcome, he would quit the managership of the estancia and would
-leave there with his wife to resume his old calling of salesman which
-paid him well.
-
-"If you do," said Larramendi, "I shall have you arrested for bigamy."
-
-"What is that you said?" yelled Greenberg, scarcely believing his own
-ears.
-
-Larramendi then went on and told him that he had carefully looked
-him up before inviting him to his house and had found out that he
-was married and had a wife and children in Liverpool whose address he
-had. He said that he did not care a rap for that part of the business
-for he wanted to see his daughters married to Anglo-Saxon stock. "It
-will improve the race," he said, "especially that of my own immediate
-family." He told Greenberg that for this reason and also for the fact
-that he knew him to be a good business man he had urged the marriage
-and was willing to keep his mouth shut provided Greenberg would keep
-on living as he had the past two years, but that if he attempted to
-run away he would have him arrested for bigamy. Greenberg returned
-home to the bleak mountain estancia and confessed the whole thing to
-Felipa. She stood by him and both thought out a scheme to get away. A
-year afterwards their plan matured when Larramendi was on a business
-trip to Lima. They went to Bolivia and thence to Chile where Greenberg
-obtained a position as manager of a mercantile house in Valparaiso.
-Fortunately for him, his first wife not having heard from him in over
-three years had divorced him on grounds of desertion and had married
-another man. Greenberg communicated this news by letter to Larramendi
-who was now inducing him by offers of a most lucrative salary to return
-to Arequipa. This Greenberg had so far refused to consider because he
-did not know what new trick Larramendi had in store for him.
-
-"You were lucky, Stephens," he said, "to have left Arequipa when you
-did. Larramendi was planning to catch you for his youngest daughter,
-and likewise had you looked up. He thought you would have made a good
-match for her and has many times deplored that you went away. He was
-very fond of you and I honestly believe Anastasia loved you and still
-hopes you will return. However if you married her, you would be in the
-same mess that I was in. Larramendi is not so old as he likes to make
-out and I doubt if he will cash in his checks for twenty-five years
-yet. That is a long time waiting for dead men's shoes. I am satisfied
-where I am and when I reached Chile I knew that I was safe for even if
-my first wife hadn't obtained a divorce the Peruvian extradition laws
-are a joke and the Chilean government would never have given me up to
-be sent back to Peru to stand trial for bigamy there."
-
-  [Illustration: Street in San Felipe]
-
-The time was approaching when I had to return to the United States;
-Prat was just as anxious to return to Barcelona, and Gumprecht
-was getting restless in Santiago and wanted to see more of Chile,
-especially the northern part. We accordingly made arrangements to go
-north by rail taking our time to the trip stopping off at different
-places. Prat and I had a great impedimenta of baggage constituting
-curiosities that we had collected on our travels besides live parrots,
-toads, turtles, etc. indigenous to South America not to mention a
-couple of trunks full of bulbs and seeds which I intended to experiment
-with by planting at home. We also had baskets, pottery, and Indian
-blankets. We did not care to be encumbered with them and as we met a
-roustabout in Santiago who was recommended to us for his honesty, and
-who was anxious to get to Lima to accept a position that was offered
-him there, but could not make the grade through lack of funds, we
-told him we would pay his passage to that port if he would take our
-baggage with him. This proposition he jumped at so we made arrangements
-for him to sail on a boat that was to leave Valparaiso the following
-month. That would make him reach Lima about the same time Prat and I
-would arrive. This roustabout's name was Angel Larrain. He was a tough
-looking customer about thirty-eight years old, was broad shouldered,
-and wore a full beard which he seldom kept trimmed. His facial
-appearance was adorned by an ugly scar on his right temple which he
-received in a saloon brawl some years previously in one of Valparaiso's
-waterfront dives.
-
-Not far out of our route northward are the Springs of Jahuel which are
-so well known that we determined to take them in. To reach them it is
-first necessary to take the train to San Felipe, three hours distant
-from either Santiago or Valparaiso, and then drive twelve and a half
-miles.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Almendraz]
-
-San Felipe, with a population of 14,426 inhabitants, is the capital and
-largest city of the Province of Aconcagua which lies directly north of
-the Province of Santiago. This large province is Andine in character
-although it extends to the ocean and in its confines are the highest
-mountains in Chile. It is semi-arid although in its narrow valleys the
-largest vineyards in the republic are located. It is famous for its
-wines and its chicha. This last is a sort of grape cider, muddy brown
-in color, sweet and heavy and is apt to give the partaker indigestion.
-It should not be confused with the chicha of Peru. Peruvian chicha is
-an alcoholic beverage made from cereals and is akin to moonshine or
-corn whiskey.
-
-San Felipe is a dull, old-fashioned town with a good hotel, the Europa.
-A couple of hours is sufficient to see all the attractions of the city
-unless the visitor is religiously bent for the city boasts of several
-large churches. The original city was square, its sides being about
-three-quarters of a mile long and was bounded by an alameda with a
-double drive on each side of a pedestrian promenade in the center. The
-trees between the roads and the walk are giant elms and maples. The
-city has outgrown its original boundary and extends some distance on
-the outward sides of the alameda; this growth has not been recent as
-can be testified by the crumbling appearance of the houses which are
-of adobe and have a height of but a single story. The appearance of the
-place is that of stagnation; a small brewery is the only manufacturing
-interest but like that of Julius Jenson in Chillan, its product does
-not meet the wants of the local trade.
-
-The plaza is lovely and cool which is a great contrast to the alameda
-where the dust is insupportable. In it are statues of mythological
-goddesses which are of Carrara marble. In its center is a fountain
-surrounded by a large round pool while in the plots of earth grows a
-profusion of calla lilies. There are also some fine palms and a great
-trumpet vine. Situated on the plaza is a big church. It is adobe and
-has a frame top and steeple. It is painted pink, and on its facade
-cracks caused by an earthquake are in evidence. The interior is poor
-and on its walls hang cheap paintings. When any prominent citizen dies
-a marble slab is mounted in the church for his memory. At the eastern
-end of the city is a papier mache imitation Grotto of Lourdes, the alms
-box at its gates being the most visible of its sights.
-
-The drive to Jahuel is devoid of interest. For a couple of miles the
-road runs eastward along a turnpike bordered by mud walls so high
-that it is impossible to see over them. The dust is terrible. Soon
-the village of Almendraz is reached with its narrow streets, ancient
-yellow church with a clock tower surmounted by a dome, and a Calvary
-on a high rock at the end of the main street. The turnpike has swung
-to the north and continues in this direction all the way to Jahuel. A
-large village named Santa Marta is traversed and the dry bed of a river
-is followed. Although there are plenty of small farms and the land is
-thickly settled, it is nevertheless a much poorer country than in the
-Central Valley. The mountains are devoid of all vegetation excepting
-a few sage bushes here and there. In the valley cactuses are abundant,
-but everything has a dry, parched look.
-
-Jahuel, which is the name given to the hotel, bathing establishment,
-and water is the property of Delano and Weinstein of Valparaiso.
-The place is sadly overrated. The hotel building is good and modern
-although the food at the meals is scarcely enough for a mouse; the
-rooms are small and plain, but clean. I remarked about the scantiness
-of the meals to the manager. "We can't have such luxuries as chicken
-every meal," he replied. "Nobody said anything about chicken," I
-retaliated; "anyhow who considers that a luxury in Chile when it is
-the commonest of meat? What I was kicking about is why you don't serve
-a square meal." A splendid vista of the Aconcagua Valley at one's feet
-can be had from the terrace and the verandas.
-
-The altitude of Jahuel is 3835 feet above sea level, but strange to say
-the nights are not cool. The water comes from the near by Los Pajaritos
-Springs and its bottled carbonated adulteration is shipped all over
-Chile. There is a swimming tank and a sun bath at the establishment. A
-South American sun bath is a boarded-in yard with some wooden benches
-on which people recline in the Garden of Eden garb. A partition divides
-the sun bath into spaces for both sexes, the men being on one side of
-the wall and the women on the other. Some young Actaeons had placed a
-ladder against the partition on the men's side at Jahuel in order to
-gaze upon the contours of female figures on the women's side.
-
-  [Illustration: Jahuel]
-
-At the present time there is nothing to see at Jahuel. In ten years'
-time it may develop into a lovely park. The trees are too young yet to
-afford shade. The lawn and flower beds are well arranged but they are
-now in the transition stage between a desert and a garden spot. Many
-of the famous California health and society spots to which thousands
-of tourists make their invernal hegira were worse twenty years ago
-than Jahuel is to-day. The establishment savors of Teutonic cliques.
-The majority of guests are of German extraction and pair off into
-groups. Some of the maidens that nightly promenade the terrace are such
-past mistresses in the art of cigarette smoking that their bodies and
-clothes reek with the odor of nicotine. This does not appear to have
-the effect of depreciating their charms for on several occasions in the
-_bosque_ I inadvertently caught amorous swains clandestinely exchanging
-kisses with these foul-breathed virgins.
-
-One of the great advertised sights is the bosque. The word bosque
-means jungle of small trees. Trees are so scarce in that part of the
-country that when there is a similacrum of one it becomes famous and is
-advertised. This bosque is no better than a brush heap but it attracts
-visitors by a well-kept trail and painted signs. It is distant from
-the hotel by a seven and a half minutes' walk; nonagenarians walk it in
-fifteen minutes. The signs, therefore, read "To the Bosque of Quillaye,
-15 minutes." Nonagenarians leave more money at Jahuel than young people
-because the former are so old that they spend at least two weeks there,
-while the latter, driven to distraction by ennui rarely remain more
-than a day, unless to enjoy the attractions of the cigarette-smoking
-German maidens.
-
-It is possible to make the trip from Santiago to Pisagua, one of the
-northernmost ports of Chile by rail. Through trains run only as far
-as Iquique. It takes four days this way from Santiago to Iquique which
-includes a stop of one and a half hours at Illapel, a half hour's stop
-at La Serena, two and a half hours at Vallenar, one and a half hours at
-Copiapo, nine hours at Catalina, and four hours at Baquedano. Nineteen
-and a half hours are wasted at these stations yet the travel consumes
-less time than that by ocean steamer from Valparaiso to Iquique. I
-think that I am the first North American not officially connected with
-the railroad that made the trip as far as Antofagasta. The through
-train runs every Friday, and after the first day out the journey is
-most tedious and enervating, hot and dusty with vistas of the most
-desolate desert imaginable. I broke the journey at Copiapo, continuing
-thence by local trains.
-
-The Northern Longitudinal Railway begins at the town of La Calera
-which is on the Santiago-Valparaiso Railroad. As far as Copiapo it is
-a narrow gauge but after leaving that town it has three rails for some
-distance in order to carry both broad gauge and narrow gauge traffic.
-The original railroads of Chile which ran from the interior to the
-coast towns were all broad gauge and as it is cheaper to lay another
-rail inside the already existing two rails to accommodate narrow
-gauge traffic than to lay a new roadbed this triple rail phenomenon
-is met with in many places in Northern Chile. The train composed of
-two sleepers and other coaches leaves La Calera upon the arrival of
-the Santiago-Valparaiso express. To reach La Calera from San Felipe
-I was obliged to change cars at Llai-Llai midway between Santiago and
-Valparaiso. The first day's ride is interesting, although the country
-is sparsely populated and semi-arid. It is a continuous slowly winding
-up the canyons, passing through tunnels at the Coast Range summits,
-and a mad race around curves down other canyons. The first summit
-is reached an hour after leaving La Calera; the train goes through a
-tunnel under the pass of Palos Quemados and enters the Valley of La
-Ligua. This is followed upward to Cabildo where the river is crossed.
-Then by means of sharp zigzags another summit is reached and we descend
-into the fertile but narrow Valley of Petorca. The small city of
-Petorca lies about fifteen miles up the river of the same name beyond
-where we turn up the Estero de las Palmas (Palm Creek). This brook
-gets its name from the great abundance of palms which grow wild all
-over the sides of the mountains at its source. There are several of
-these palmares in Chile, which are botanical freaks for this particular
-mountain specie is found in their natural state nowhere else in South
-America. The largest of these palmares is that of Ocoa near La Calera;
-another one is at Concon, at the mouth of the Aconcagua River. They
-are valuable for their honey. A hole is drilled into the tree near its
-base, a tube is inserted and the sap is extracted which is made into
-honey.
-
-  [Illustration: Ocoa]
-
-Across the mountains north of the Estero de las Palmas is the mournful
-desolate mountain pocket of Tilama, the headwaters of the Quilimari
-River. The Indians hereabouts weave rugs, blankets, and table-cloths
-of a fine durable texture which are in great demand. They are red with
-white flower designs. The Tilama ridge is crossed and finally two more,
-one to the Pupio River and one to the Choapa River before darkness sets
-in.
-
-The Choapa is a fertile valley and the river of the same name forms
-the boundary line between the provinces of Aconcagua and Choapa. The
-Province of Choapa was created by an Act of Congress in December 1915,
-and to define it a large area of land was taken from the southern part
-of the Province of Coquimbo. Up to the time of this writing (1918)
-the limits of its various departments have not been defined. Illapel,
-the new capital, on a river of the same name was reached about 8 P.M.
-It has a population of about five thousand inhabitants and is filled
-with life owing to its sudden acquisition of importance. Salamanca
-and Combarbala are the only other towns worthy of mention in the new
-province. Los Vilos in the Province of Aconcagua is the seaport of
-Illapel with which it is connected by railroad. I took a walk up the
-main street of Illapel. It is an old-fashioned town, very long and
-narrow. Its houses, mostly one story in height, are painted white. The
-streets were crowded and a band was playing.
-
-I awoke the next morning at Ovalle, a growing stock town in the
-southern part of the Province of Coquimbo. It had by the census
-of 1907, 6998 inhabitants but I understand that it has increased
-considerably in population since then. It lies on the Limari River
-just below the junctions of the Grande and the Hurtado rivers which
-uniting form the Limari. For its port it has Tongoi on the bay of the
-same name to which place it is connected by rail, but now much of the
-freight goes to Coquimbo. At Coquimbo, which was reached a couple of
-hours later, I obtained my first unhindered view of the Pacific Ocean
-on this South American trip. From Ancud on the Island of Chiloe, I
-could look across the great expanse of bay to the headlands which
-formed the promontories beyond which the ocean was, but owing to the
-rain the ocean proper there was invisible. Coquimbo is a busy and dirty
-port of 12,106 inhabitants and has no attractions such as possesses the
-eight miles distant city of La Serena, the capital of the Province of
-Coquimbo.
-
-La Serena is named in honor of the last viceroy of Peru. His name
-means serene. The city is also serene. It is one of the oldest towns
-in Chile, has 15,966 inhabitants and is admirably situated on a
-height of land overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Elqui
-River to the north. It is a quiet town of handsome buildings and is
-the residence of many retired men of wealth and of intellectuals. In
-this respect it can be compared with Parana in Argentina and Graz in
-Austria. Its population has decreased slightly in recent years yet
-the city is stable and will always remain so. Its only industry is
-the Floto Brewery. To any Michiganders reading this book, I wish to
-call attention to the fact that it was visited in 1906 by Hon. Chase
-S. Osborn. The level country about La Serena and Coquimbo and the
-neighboring valleys are fertile and well-watered. Fields are given
-up to the cultivation of grain and vineyards abound. A native fruit
-named the pepina, akin to the papaya is grown and from it a soft
-drink is made which although palatable is rather insipid. About twenty
-miles south of the city among the foothills is the mineral spring of
-Andacollo famed locally, while thirty miles north of La Serena are the
-newly opened iron mines of La Higuera, controlled by North American
-capital.
-
-After leaving La Serena, the all-day ride northward to Vallenar is
-for the main part uninteresting although it has a recompense in the
-wild mountain scenery when the train winds up the canyon known as the
-Quebrada del Potrerillos. At nine o'clock at night, Vallenar the second
-city of the Province of Atacama was arrived at. The train was scheduled
-to remain here for two and a half hours but there was some trouble
-with the locomotive which kept us here all night and part of the next
-morning. It happened that a telegram had to be sent to Coquimbo for an
-extra locomotive to be sent up to Vallenar.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Vallenar]
-
-Vallenar is the original home of the patio process for the extraction
-of silver from the ore by means of crushing. Mercury is added forming
-an amalgam and the silver is obtained by heating the amalgam, which
-evaporates the mercury leaving as a residue the crude silver. It is
-no longer a mining-town but is the center of the fruit growing Huasco
-district. Figs of Huasco are famous. Quite a trade is carried on by
-the exportation of raisins, here named _tapas_. Vallenar has 5561
-inhabitants. It is on the Huasco River and is connected by rail with
-Freirina and the seaport, Huasco. It was pleasant to again see trees.
-It seldom rains in this region. When I alighted from the train at the
-railroad station there was such a heavy mist it resembled rain. It
-accumulated into drops where it had fallen on the leaves and as such
-fell onto the sidewalks. Near the depot is a large finca surrounded
-by gum and poplar trees, and the sound of running water in the
-irrigation ditches behind the high adobe walls was refreshing. It takes
-thirty-five minutes to walk the length of the main street, but the city
-is only six blocks wide. A half mile up this street is a plaza with a
-stagnant pool in its center where are gold fishes. A miniature Eiffel
-Tower whose top is crowned by an illuminated clock that does not keep
-time soars above a stand where an infantry band was playing. When a
-crowd had collected to listen to the music the band moved off up the
-street until it came to a moving picture show, whose proprietor had
-hired it for the evening as an advertisement. Nowhere in my travels
-have I seen so many bands both military and private as in Chile.
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda in Copiapo]
-
-  [Illustration: Monument Erected in Honor of Atacama's Illustrious Dead,
-   Copiapo]
-
-The streets of Vallenar are narrow, and although lighted with
-electricity, they are dark. The city is ancient in appearance and as
-one passes by the gloomy structures in the misty night, a feeling is
-present that one of the doors leading into the adobe hovels might open
-and that the pedestrian will be yanked by unknown hands inside, where
-he will be robbed and murdered by disembowelment which is the favorite
-trick among Chileno thugs. Vallenar has not the street life of Illapel,
-yet I must say in its favor that never elsewhere in a town of its size
-have I seen so much beauty among women.
-
-  [Illustration: Main Street of Copiapo
-
-   The building at the left is the city hall. It is also used for
-   moving-picture shows]
-
-At Copiapo I stayed four days. It is the capital of the Province
-of Atacama and has a population of 10,287 inhabitants although it
-looks considerably larger. Fifty years ago it had fourteen thousand
-inhabitants. At that time it was a mining center, and much of the
-wealth among the leading families of Santiago to-day has its origin
-from mines formerly located here. The railroad to the fifty-two miles
-distant seaport of Caldera was opened to traffic in 1850 and is one of
-the oldest in South America. The original locomotive used is now to be
-seen in the National Museum at Santiago.
-
-The city is situated in an oasis in the desert; this oasis is
-twenty-five miles long by two miles broad and is cultivated to an
-amazing degree. It is traversed by the turbulent muddy and narrow
-Copiapo River which furnishes irrigation to the many _quintas_.
-Peaches, figs, grapes, and apricots grow in profusion as do also
-loquats and other local fruits whose names are unfamiliar to me. A
-specie of willow is indigenous to the valley which in form is not
-unlike a Lombardy poplar and from a distance is often mistaken for one
-of them.
-
-The environs of the city have a decidedly oriental appearance due to
-the high mud garden walls which shut off from the passer-by the rich
-verdure of the enclosed terrain, making the only objects visible to
-him the dusty windowless backs of sheds with an occasional tree rising
-above an adobe wall.
-
-  [Illustration: Main Street of Copiapo]
-
-Copiapo is retrogressant and will become even more so. Work has
-long since stopped at the mines and the only thing that keeps the
-place alive is that it is the capital of a province. If asked for a
-description of the city, I would say that it is an old adobe town in
-an oasis surrounded by barren mountains, with a broad alameda bordered
-with giant pepper trees. This brief description is accurate. The pepper
-trees are the largest I have ever seen and some of them are nearly
-eight feet in diameter. The alameda has an abundance of statues to
-Atacama heroes with a soldiers' monument to the illustrious Atacama
-dead. The house roofs rise to a slight gable and nearly all are of
-adobe. This mode of construction could not be possible in a country
-where rain falls frequently, because in 1915 when there was a hard
-rainfall in Copiapo, the first time that it had rained in eight years,
-many of the roofs became mud puddles and were washed in.
-
-  [Illustration: Outskirts of Copiapo
-
-   Note the Oriental setting]
-
-There are only two hotels in the Atacama metropolis, the Atacama and
-the Ingles. I stopped at the former which is the best. It is owned by
-a Boer named Bosman who married a native woman. Since the proprietor
-finds mining more profitable than hotel business, he leaves the
-management of his inn in the charge of his younger son. The hotel
-is fair as well as the meals, although it has none of the modern
-conveniences. The primitive privy is reached by crossing a barnyard
-and is a favorite place for poultry which roost here. I discovered a
-tarantula on the seat. To reach this place one has to run the gauntlet
-of semi wild swine some of which were ugly. The Ingles is owned by
-a native who is the son of a once famous Spanish opera singer. This
-man thinks well of himself although his only claim for distinction is
-evidenced by a disgusting ringworm on his right cheek which is larger
-than a dollar. In his emporium coarse obscene jests and loud words are
-the order of the day. There are only two bars in Copiapo and these are
-in each of the hotels. It is needless to say that the proprietor of the
-Ingles does the most business in that line because he consumes half of
-his sales. Copiapo is a poor saloon town because the natives make their
-own wine and chicha. They often repair to a section of the oasis named
-the Chimba, where they roast a lamb, hog or an ox and there amidst a
-copious supply of fermented beverages indulge in an orgy that baffles
-description.
-
-  [Illustration: Hovels on the Outskirts of Copiapo]
-
-Some of the hovels near the river bank are the extremity of poverty.
-Any self-respecting sow in the United States would shun these shanties
-of mud, straw, and tin cans which here house Atacama's humblest
-natives. The open space in front of these hovels are littered with
-bones, garbage, dead rats, and excrement.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemetery, Copiapo]
-
-The cemetery is lugubrious, and in many a grave there is a cavity
-beneath the tombstone where can be seen the grinning skull of its
-occupant. It was founded in 1848 and a motto over the entrance denotes
-it as a place of peace. I cannot realize how this motto is appropriate
-because visitors are constantly perturbing the bones with their canes.
-The hook and ladder and fire engine date from 1868 but the Matriz or
-large church on the Plaza Arturo Prat antedates it fifty years. It is a
-large edifice with a square tower of New England colonial architecture.
-The church of San Francisco is after the style of the French Cathedral
-at New Orleans. Although the city has but a population of slightly
-over ten thousand inhabitants, it nevertheless boasts of five daily
-newspapers, none of which by the way are worth reading as their columns
-deal solely with local events such as a man stumbling on a toad and
-spraining his ankle, etc.
-
-Taking a walk with Gumprecht down the railroad track we saw behind a
-wall a large tree laden with luscious purple figs. We climbed upon the
-wall to reach some when I noticed a girl driving some sheep across a
-trestle. I called Gumprecht's attention. He was startled thinking the
-owner of the quinta was coming and fell from the wall into the garden.
-In falling he accidentally tripped me up and I took a header in the
-opposite direction landing me into a bush which had prickly burrs
-which littered my clothing, clinging tenaciously to them. In extracting
-them I got my hands full of the barbed nettles which these burrs were
-composed of. As I fell I heard a yell from the other side of the wall
-and upon climbing it again saw that Gumprecht was having a lively
-fight with an enraged bull dog which had bitten him a couple of times.
-I came to his rescue with my revolver. In the meantime Gumprecht had
-drawn his revolver and between us we made short work with the bull dog.
-The shooting aroused the neighborhood and we could see farm laborers
-running to the scene with pitchforks. We took to our heels and finally
-hid by lying down in a dry irrigation ditch where we remained half an
-hour. When the hunt had somewhat subsided we struck out for the town by
-a detour but lost ourselves at a river which we forded. We started up
-a trail between some Kaffir corn when we suddenly came to another fig
-tree. When we were devouring this fruit we were caught by the owner of
-this quinta which was a full mile from the one where the bull dog was.
-We offered to pay him for it, but in excellent English he told us to
-help ourselves.
-
-This man was Professor Platner, president of the Chile College of Mines
-whose three-story yellow institution we could see through the trees.
-He was a German, had lost a fortune in mining, owned a fine quinta,
-had lived in Copiapo for twenty-five years and was anxious to sell out
-and get away on account of being tired of the place. He showed us his
-quinta, gave us all the fruit we could eat, and revealed to us much
-information about the mining past and present in the province. He had
-installed an ore crusher on his place which he rented to miners on
-the percentage system. It was the Chilean process of gold extracting
-originated at Copiapo. There were several stone bottom tubs each
-holding a wheel perpendicular to the base and which is revolved by
-means of a large horizontal wheel which fits into grooves. The large
-wheel is set into motion by water power from the river. The tubs are
-filled with a layer of ore and the crushing begins; mercury and water
-are then added. The mercury and the gold form an amalgam which is
-carried off by a pipe into another tub along with the water. After
-straining, the amalgam is put into a retort which is heated at its
-base. The mercury escapes through a tube and is caught in a pail of
-water to be used again. Platner said that either gold or copper was
-mined according to the value of copper. When copper falls below fifty
-pesos a ton, gold is mined. At the time of my visit, copper was worth
-112 pesos a ton.
-
-During the colonial times the silver mines in the neighborhood of
-Copiapo were worked by the Spaniards, and it is said that more than
-twenty thousand Indians were exterminated through overwork in these
-mines. About four generations ago these mines became the properties of
-about a dozen individuals, most of whom lived in Santiago. They were
-worked successfully until they died. The mineral property was then
-divided among their heirs and when these heirs died, there were other
-divisions among new heirs. On account of these divisions work soon
-ceased. Now in order for a man to get a clean title to any of this
-mineral property all the heirs have to agree to the sale and there
-are a multitude scattered all over the world which makes getting a
-deed nearly impossible. There have been instances when nearly all the
-heirs were found and agreed to a sale only to have it held up at the
-last minute by one or more parties backing out. A bill is before the
-Chilean senate for the state to take over all mineral lands that have
-not been worked for fifty years; if it passes these mines will again be
-in operation.
-
-Copiapo boasts of one millionaire. He lives in a ramshackle
-salmon-colored house of stuccoed adobe which has been cracked by
-an earthquake. The city is also the birthplace of Martin Rivas, the
-hero of Blest-Gana's novel _Martin Rivas_ which is considered to be a
-classic of Spanish literature.
-
-From Copiapo northward the longitudinal railroad to Iquique runs over
-a great arid desert winding its way across sandy plateaus hemmed in
-by barren mountains. The southern part of this desolation is named the
-Atacama Desert and here on the high mountainsides are seen the shafts
-and settlements of the gold and copper mines. Dulcinea is the first
-large mine reached. San Pedro is reached in the afternoon and later
-on Pueblo Hundido, the junction for Chanaral, and the headquarters
-of the Andes Copper Company. The next morning the train arrives at
-Catalina, the junction for Taltal and now enters the nitrate country.
-The same day it stops at Aguas Blancas, the junction for Antofagasta,
-Chuquicamata, the newly opened copper mining town of the Guggenheim
-interests, and Bolivia. The railroad from Catalina northward goes
-through the center of the nitrate country and has several branches
-running down to the seaports such as that from Toco to Tocopilla. Toco
-is passed in the middle of the night as well as Quillagua, the last
-mentioned place being an oasis in the Desert of Tararugal. Pintados
-which is reached forty-eight hours after leaving Copiapo is the
-terminus of the longitudinal railway and here trains must be changed
-for Iquique and Pisagua, the northernmost nitrate port.
-
-Although my ticket was bought for Iquique, I was obliged to leave
-the train at Aguas Blancas and go direct to Antofagasta. I had the
-misfortune to break a blood vessel in my right foot in Copiapo shortly
-before boarding the train, which dolorous accident was due to the
-injury I received when a rock hit my foot as I was trying to escape
-from the catapult of stones that were shot from the crater of Volcano
-Chillan. I consider that my quickness in reaching Antofagasta was what
-saved me from crossing the River Lethe. I was flat on my back in that
-prosperous seaport for three weeks.
-
-Antofagasta, the commercial metropolis of Northern Chile has a
-population of 60,297 inhabitants although it does not look nearly so
-large. It is the fourth city of Chile and has in recent years taken
-away much of Iquique's trade, although the latter place does not appear
-to be dull. The downtown business streets of Antofagasta are paved
-with asphalt and work is now under way to pave the whole city. Sewers
-have been extended and the mule power street cars have been discarded
-for autobuses; a man named Yankovich having obtained the concession
-for this means of passenger traffic. The old buildings of adobe,
-wood, corrugated iron, and stuccoed cane are fast being replaced with
-metropolitan structures of brick and cement. Among these new edifices
-can be mentioned the city hall, the fire department, the Mercantile
-Bank of Bolivia, the Victoria Theater, and Luksic's Hotel Belmont.
-
-The city from being a pestilential port in the past is now scrupulously
-clean, although in its suburbs improvements can be made. The
-municipality has waged war against the butchers and vegetable dealers
-compelling them to screen their goods from the flies. Protesting mass
-meetings were of no avail. A new railroad station has been built on
-the heights above the city and the old ramshackle wooden structure
-which is an eyesore to the city will be torn down to make way for the
-opening of a new street. Antofagasta is proud of its cemetery. To me
-it is a nightmare. Most of the graves are marked with wooden crosses
-painted white, many of them being enclosed by picket fences. The bodies
-of the poor are thrown naked into a pit and covered with quicklime.
-The stench emanating from this spot is appalling and the litters for
-the transportation of the cadavers which are much in evidence in this
-neighborhood do not add any attraction to the scene.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza Colon, Antofagasta]
-
-In 1910 a mania struck each resident foreign colony to donate to the
-city a reminder of themselves. The British colony erected an ornate and
-useful clock tower in the Plaza Colon; in the same park the Spaniards
-built a bronze monument signifying the Union of the Waters; the Slavs
-built a bandstand. In the Plaza Sotomayor the Germans erected a column
-to Germania, and the Greeks gave a statue of a couple of wrestlers. The
-Chinamen donated the expensive entrance to the cemetery while the Turks
-gave the city the benches which are in the parks. The North Americans
-are not represented in these donations, because at that time the city
-had only one of our countrymen as a resident, Mr. William Stevenson,
-and it could not be expected that he himself would pay out of his own
-pocket a sum of money equivalent to what a whole colony did out of
-theirs.
-
-  [Illustration: Provincial Capitol Building, Antofagasta]
-
-The best hotel in Antofagasta is that named the Francia y Inglaterra
-of Nowick and Dutrey; the Grand and the Belmont are also good. On
-Sunday Antofagasta is drier than a powder horn; at least it is supposed
-to be. But like in most towns where unwelcome laws are imposed on
-the people, they are made to be broken. I judged this to be the case
-here from the number of Sunday "drunks" that I saw being led off to
-jail, or else encumbering the sidewalks of the suburbs by reclining
-on them in a horizontal position. The lid goes on promptly at five
-o'clock Saturday afternoon and the clamp is not taken off until eight
-o'clock Monday morning. For violations of the liquor law the names of
-those men arrested for being drunk during this period of drought are
-published in the Monday newspapers and stiff fines are imposed upon the
-vendors of liquid refreshments that contain an alcoholic percentage. On
-Sunday, April 30, 1916, 120 saloon proprietors were fined for selling
-drinks. The Quinta Casale proprietor was fined 1000 pesos (about
-$200.00), the proprietor of the Hotel Maury was fined 500 pesos and
-another saloon-keeper the same amount. One Saturday night during this
-enforcement while I was a guest at the Hotel Francia y Inglaterra,
-the three _mozos_ of the second floor of the hotel got hold of a case
-of Guinness' stout to which they proceeded to make short shift of. In
-their inebriated condition they started a fight which at first was as
-near to the Marquis of Queensbury rules as a triangular affair of its
-kind could be. It soon developed into a rough and tumble and all the
-participants were put _hors de combat_. This occurred during the dinner
-hour and the unedifying expletives used which generally accompany such
-a fracas were audible to the diners much to the mortification of Nowick
-and Dutrey. One of the combatants repaired home where he attempted
-to assail his better half with his fist; she retaliated by seizing a
-chair and breaking his head. I related this affair to a North American,
-a Mr. Rowe, a resident of Antofagasta. Rowe then told me that a year
-previous in La Paz, Bolivia, he was stopping at the Hotel Guibert. Mr.
-Guibert did him a trick that angered him, so he in turn filled up all
-the servants of Guibert's hotel to get even. For a whole day there was
-no service at the Hotel Guibert for all the domestics from the manager
-to the cook were roaring drunk and all the guests were forced to seek
-other quarters.
-
-One of the famous characters of Northern Chile and Bolivia was a brutal
-bully named McAdoo who was continuously quarreling with everybody. He
-died in 1915, and on his tombstone in Antofagasta his acquaintances had
-the inscription carved: "May he rest in peace."
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Antofagasta]
-
-In 1916 the Antofagasta public was indignant at the way some of its
-indigent dead were handled. When an unknown man or a pauper died, he
-was dumped into a sack and a carter was hired to carry the bundle to
-the cemetery. These carts are two-wheeled open affairs. If the cemetery
-happened to be closed, the carter was apt to drop his unwholesome
-burden anywhere. Two or three of these lichs were found tied up in
-sacks in different parts of the city during my sojourn in Antofagasta,
-which perpetration was severely excoriated by the newspapers. Speaking
-of it to Captain Rowlands of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's
-steamship _Guatemala_, he related to me an incident which happened on
-his ship.
-
-A man died of bubonic plague in one of the nitrate ports but before
-dying he told a relative that he wished to be buried in Santiago.
-This relative was returning to that city so he tied the corpse in a
-sack and carried it on shipboard. As the lower-class Chilenos all
-carry their possessions in burlap sacks slung across their backs
-while traveling, he managed to get his burden on board unnoticed. He
-stowed it underneath his berth, but the odor was such that he could
-not sleep so he made friends with the bartender and hired him to hide
-it until the ship reached Valparaiso. The bartender placed the cadaver
-underneath the sink in the service bar. The next day Captain Rowlands
-smelt a stench while he was making the inspection, and opening the door
-of the sink discovered the body, which he had thrown overboard. The
-frightened bartender owned up to his part of the transaction but the
-passenger, the relative of the defunct when taken to task retaliated
-by threatening the captain with arrest upon the ship's arrival at
-Valparaiso. Rowlands told him that he could start anything he wanted
-to, but if any arresting was to be done, it would be the passenger who
-would be arrested for breaking Chile's sanitary law.
-
-The harbor of Antofagasta is never quiet owing to a heavy swell and a
-project is now on hand to build a breakwater. I boarded the _Guatemala_
-at that port with a ticket for Iquique. It had been over three years
-since I was a passenger on that boat and the great improvement on
-it was marvelous. In 1913 the food, service, and filth on it were so
-abominable, combined with the slipshod actions of the officers, that I
-made up my mind never to embark upon it again. Since Captain Rowlands
-has been its skipper everything has changed, and it is now one of the
-cleanest and most comfortable steamers on the coast. The food cannot
-be beaten. One of the passengers on board I found to be Angel Larrain,
-the efficient but villainous looking bearded roustabout whom Prat and
-I had delegated to bring our baggage to Lima upon consideration of his
-passage.
-
-The morning after leaving Antofagasta we arrived at Gatico, a copper
-port, where the mountains came down to the ocean. About a league south
-of it was seen the small village of Copoapa on a narrow sandy plain
-at the foot of the barren cliffs. Gatico and Tocopilla are the only
-towns on the Pacific Coast of South America where copper is found near
-to the ocean. There is a smelter at Gatico and it is up a canyon here
-that run the wires of the electrical power plant at Tocopilla to the
-Chuquicamata mines.
-
-Tocopilla is a two hours' run north of Gatico. We reached it in the
-early afternoon and remained there all night taking on cargo. According
-to the last census it had 5366 inhabitants, although it does not appear
-to have half that number of people. Next to Salaverry and Mollendo it
-is the vilest hole that I have ever stepped foot into, although I am
-told that it is a paradise compared to Pisagua. It is a long, narrow
-place, built on a sandy fringe between the mountains and the sea. Its
-houses are mostly one-story frame shacks, the majority unpainted.
-A point juts into the ocean off which are two small guano islands.
-Near the end of the point is the large electrical power plant of the
-Chuquicamata mines. It gets its power from the ocean, a tunnel having
-been dug out under the water and thence upwards so as to cause great
-pressure. There has been much trouble on account of the tunnel getting
-clogged with seaweed. The Siemens-Schukert Company of Germany installed
-the machinery, which has given such poor satisfaction that I understand
-the Chuquicamata Mining Company (Guggenheim interests) have taken it
-over under protest.
-
-Tocopilla has a comparatively large German element, most of the male
-members being employees of the Sloman Copper Smelter. This plant is on
-the side of a mountain and some of its mines are visible from the port.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tocopilla]
-
-The town is not only exceedingly wretched in appearance but also has
-the reputation of being pestilential. The captain of the Chilean
-vessel _Condor_ landed here in 1912 sick with the yellow fever.
-He recovered but this pestilence nearly wiped out the whole town.
-There is no verdure of any description hereabouts with the exception
-of a few plants in front of the houses, the country being a sandy
-and a stony waste; the same is true about Antofagasta, yet in both
-places mosquitoes thrive. This yellow fever epidemic was singular
-because south of Lima the West Coast of South America has always been
-absolutely free from it. In 1915 Tocopilla was a closed port for four
-months on account of bubonic plague, which is ever present in the
-seaport towns from La Serena northward to Panama.
-
-In company with Mr. B. Brice of Valparaiso, accountant for the Pacific
-Steam Navigation Company, I took a walk to the cemetery. The two gates
-were locked so we started to walk around it to see if there was another
-entrance. Since walking was obnoxious in its neighborhood on account
-of tin cans and nondescript rubbish, we made a detour by going out
-onto the plain. Suddenly our nostrils were assailed by a disgusting
-odor which caused us to hold our breath. "Look here," said Mr. Brice,
-pointing to a myriad of mounds which we had previously taken to be
-rubbish piles; we found that they were graves for at the head of some
-were wooden crosses and desiccated bouquets.
-
-"I believe that we are in the yellow fever burial ground," I said.
-
-"Possibly," answered Mr. Brice. "Let us ask that individual,"
-indicating a man in the distance who was scraping with a stick among
-the mounds and whose actions savored of those of a ghoul.
-
-Upon asking the "individual," whose appearance was that of a
-degenerate, we were informed that we were in the bubonic plague
-graveyard.
-
-"The yellow fever cemetery is there," he exclaimed, pointing with
-evident pride to a large square enclosure bristling with white crosses.
-
-The degenerate creature was carrying a burlap sack which he dragged
-on the ground. Through a large hole in it, we saw red meat and the
-knee-cap of some animal.
-
-"What have you got there?" I asked.
-
-The degenerate pointed to the distant carcasses of mules rotting in the
-sun and above which soared carrion. Said he:
-
-"I have just cut off a hock of mule."
-
-"What for?"
-
-"To eat. One must live, of course."
-
-This disgusting habit of feeding on the carcasses of animals that
-have died a natural death or through disease is prevalent among
-the inhabitants of the arid zones of Peru and Northern Chile; where
-probably nowhere else on earth is the human race so degraded.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemeteries at Tocopilla
-
-The mounds in the foreground are the graves of the victims of bubonic
-plague. The white wall in the distance encloses the burial ground of
-the people who died of yellow fever in the epidemic of 1912. These
-gruesome cemeteries are the pride of the natives of the wretched town
-of Tocopilla.]
-
-Shortly after leaving Tocopilla, I chancing to be on the starboard
-deck of the _Guatemala_ ran into the bearded ruffian Angel in deep
-conversation with an English divine. He was gesticulating during his
-conversation and would occasionally point towards land in the direction
-of the cemeteries fast vanishing in the distance. I walked up to the
-pair, and after turning the topic of conversation to things commonplace
-when I approached, Angel made some excuse and disappeared.
-
-"A real brilliant man that," said the Anglican, turning to me. "It is
-curious how often a rough exterior reveals great brains."
-
-"How do you mean?" I inquired.
-
-"You noticed that uncouth bearded man in conversation with me when you
-approached. A person unacquainted with him would imagine him to be one
-of the great number of vagabonds that abound on this coast. He belies
-his appearance for he is a distinguished professor of the University of
-Buenos Aires. He is making a tour of the West Coast towns studying the
-causes of bubonic plague. He is a member of the Argentine Commission
-on Bubonic Plague and many interesting things he has told me about this
-malady that I have never heard of before."
-
-I did not spoil Angel's story by revealing to the Anglican his real
-nature. The roustabout had been listening to a conversation the
-previous evening between Captain Rowlands, Mr. Brice, an English
-army officer, and myself about bubonic plague and had remembered
-everything he heard. Owing to this knowledge he was able to carry on a
-fairly intellectual exchange of words on the subject with the English
-minister.
-
-The so-called harbor of Iquique is no more than a roadstead with a
-barrier of rocks jutting into the ocean, which breaks in two places
-forming narrow entrances to a natural basin. The waves beat with
-violence against the rocks so the _fleteros_, as the boatmen are
-called, are obliged to wait until a wave has broken and then by quick
-rowing speed past the entrances before another wave has the chance to
-dash against the barrier.
-
-Iquique's population numbers 46,216. In 1907 its population was 40,171,
-which shows that although Antofagasta has taken away a great deal of
-its trade, yet the city has had a slight increase. There is a great
-rivalry between the two cities which is soon bound to cease on account
-of Antofagasta having a good commercial future ahead of it. The nitrate
-industry of Iquique is on the wane, and is now confined to the Iquique
-and the Pisagua pampas while that of Antofagasta is in its prime.
-As a residential place most people prefer Iquique; there is a large
-British colony here and the foreigners are of a better class; among the
-foreigners in Antofagasta the Slavs (mostly from Croatia and Dalmatia)
-predominate and these were originally the scum of their countries. In
-Iquique's favor also are better residences, pretty plazas, and a fine
-_malecon_ or sea boulevard with a nice beach. Nevertheless I prefer
-Antofagasta because it is cleaner, its streets are paved, its buildings
-are more substantial, and it does not seem so remote, having better
-railroad facilities.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Iquique]
-
-Iquique is built in the form of a square on a sandy point of land.
-All of its buildings are frame, many of them being painted brown or
-dark red. Quite a few have ornamental balconies, some being of Moorish
-design. The streets, on some of which run horse cars, are narrow and
-straight. Many have irregularities for some buildings are set farther
-back than others and the curbs in these places likewise recede. The
-main street is named Tarapaca from the province of which Iquique is
-the capital, while the next important commercial street is that named
-Anibal Pinto. Ordinarily the dust on these thoroughfares would be
-insupportable, but the municipality has inaugurated the sprinkling of
-the streets with sea water. This causes much dampness in places where
-the sun does not reach.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Iquique]
-
-Like most of the West Coast towns of the arid zone, Iquique is devoid
-of edificial interest. It has, however, an imposing opera house, a good
-city hall, a Moorish tower in the center of the plaza, and a rather
-pretty cemetery, besides some good residences, that of the governor
-with broad verandas and large plate glass windows being the finest.
-The Hotel Phoenix, owned by an Italian, Sorbini, is not at all bad. Here
-and in Tacna no fruit is served with the meals provided by the hotel,
-but native women perambulate between the tables carrying baskets from
-which they sell fruit to the diners. Sometimes these greasy hags become
-insulting when a guest refuses to buy from them.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemetery, Iquique]
-
-Late at night of the evening after leaving Iquique the lights of
-two towns close together were visible on shore. These were Junin and
-Pisagua, the last mentioned being a few miles north of its neighbor.
-Pisagua is a nitrate port with 4089 inhabitants. Bubonic plague was
-formerly so bad there that the town had to be burned down twice.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII
-
-ARICA TO ILO OVERLAND, VIA TACNA, TARATA, AND MOQUEGUA
-
-
-Arica is seven hours north of Pisagua. Its population is 4886. It is
-the pleasantest port on the rainless coast for in its neighborhood is
-verdure due to irrigation from the Lluta River. It looks nice from the
-steamer's deck, which appearance is not belied by a visit to the lower
-town. The upper town, which extends to the desert, is a compactly built
-place of low buildings, but is far superior to the other coast towns
-of its size. In the lower town are the banks, shipping offices, and
-government buildings. Its streets are bordered with pepper trees and it
-has two cool and pleasant plazas in one of which the Italian residents
-have erected a bust to Columbus. Arica is the port of the provincial
-capital, Tacna, but its present importance is due to the opening in
-1913 of a railroad to La Paz, Bolivia, of which city it is also a port.
-A traveler is carried to the Bolivian metropolis in twenty-four hours
-over a pass thirteen thousand feet high.
-
-One of the first things that I did when I arrived in Arica was to go to
-the steamship office to find out about the sailings of the ships on the
-Chilean Line and of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. The agent for
-both these lines was the American consul, a man whose name I believe
-was Smith. As I was waiting for information, Smith himself appeared and
-he was in an ugly mood. He was a thin blonde man about fifty years old,
-bespectacled, and had red blotches on his face which showed that he was
-a heavy drinker. In fact he stunk of liquor. He was an Englishman and
-was acting as representative for the United States.
-
-  [Illustration: Custom House, Arica
-
-   This building was designed and built by Eiffel, who built the tower
-   named after him in Paris.]
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Arica
-
-   This is in the upper town.]
-
-"Can't you read the schedule?" he inquired, indicating a time card
-which hung on the wall of the outer office.
-
-"Yes, but owing to the ships being overcrowded, I want to make
-reservations."
-
-"Wait until the ship arrives, then we will sell you a ticket," he
-answered hastily and then left the room. This was a nice fix because if
-I returned to Arica a few hours before sailing, it might happen that
-there would be so much loading and unloading of merchandise that it
-would be too late for me to buy my ticket after getting my passports
-vised. There was no use of arguing with such self-important and
-gin-soaked individuals as Smith so I went away trusting to chance. It
-turned out that I did not return to Arica to catch the steamer because
-I traveled overland to Ilo, the port of Moquegua in Peru. A half hour
-after leaving the shipping office I saw Smith coming out of a _cantina_
-or saloon in the lower town and after walking for about a block he
-entered another one. Later on in the afternoon, happening to be in the
-barroom of the Hotel Francia, I arrived in time to see him gulp down
-a tumbler of gin and follow it up with a brandy chaser. I stepped up
-to him and offered to treat him, mainly to see what mood he would be
-in, and was surprised to hear him acquiesce by ordering a half pint of
-Guinness' stout. This performance he kept up all day and I was told by
-the brother of the hotel proprietress that it was a daily trick of his.
-
-When the _Guatemala_ anchored at Arica a French Calvinist minister,
-Dr. Petit, came on board to visit one of the passengers, the Reverend
-McLaughlin, a Methodist Episcopal minister from Buenos Aires.
-McLaughlin introduced me to Petit and during the following days at
-both Arica and Tacna I became fairly well acquainted with him. Petit
-had a degree as a physician but changed his profession to that of
-minister of the gospel. He had done considerable missionary work in
-South America and had a church in Arica where he preached. He did not
-believe in war but was a strong advocate for divorce; in fact he was
-contemplating divorcing his wife whom he claimed was unfaithful. He was
-at the present prevented from doing so because there is no divorce law
-in South America excepting Uruguay, and he did not have enough money
-to go to Montevideo to start proceedings. He also informed me that if
-the husband of the proprietress of the Hotel Francia was onto his job
-he would divorce her because that woman had driven him to distraction
-by her amours and her extravagances, so that to avoid domestic scenes
-the poor fellow had returned to France, hoping to be killed in battle
-to relieve him of his mental anguish. The husband I understand is an
-officer. Petit was a truly conscientious man and was wrapped in his
-work as missionary; he did not practice religion as a cloak to cover
-his sins. In build he was an athlete.
-
-None of Arica's hotels are highly recommendable although the Hotel
-de France, or Francia as the natives call it, is the best. It is run
-by an accommodating peroxide or lemon juice blonde Frenchwoman about
-forty years old who is heartily sick of Arica and is anxious to sell
-out. This is the woman whom Dr. Petit had no respect for. The real
-manager of the hotel is her brother, a good-for-nothing, powerfully
-built creature about her age whose chief pleasure is to emulate Smith's
-example by overindulgence in alcoholic refreshments and to argue and
-quarrel with the guests.
-
-A landmark for miles around is the solitary rock named the Morro de
-Arica which towers above the town. It is a duplicate of Gibraltar,
-and was one of Peru's last strongholds during the Pacific War. It was
-defended in 1880 by a regiment of Bolognesi's troops under Colonel
-Uguarte. In the face of a violent storm of rifle bullets, the Chilenos
-took the Morro by landing a short distance down the coast and climbing
-it from behind. When Uguarte saw that he had lost he spurred his horse
-to the brink of the precipice and jumped to his death several hundred
-feet below. Many of his followers did likewise because the Chilenos
-had the reputation of taking no captives. The Morro is now strongly
-fortified. People are forbidden to make its ascent and the day before
-I arrived two men were thrown into jail for attempting it. In front
-of the Morro is a small, low guano island. It is used as a fort and is
-honeycombed so that it can hold a force of five hundred men.
-
-The day after we arrived a northbound Chilean steamer put into the
-harbor of Arica. On it was Kermit Roosevelt returning to the United
-States after having spent some time in the employ of the National City
-Bank at Buenos Aires. We did not know he was on the ship until walking
-down one of the streets a man breathlessly hurried towards us and asked
-us if either one of us were Senor Roosevelt. Thinking that some wag had
-told the gentleman one of us was Teddy, Prat answered saying that he
-was Colonel Roosevelt. Now Prat is a slender, medium-sized man about
-thirty years old and clean shaven and I cannot understand what kind of
-an ass that Arica gentleman was when he accepted Prat's statement and
-believed him. He stated that there was a delegation already to meet
-him and that he himself would accompany him to the _cabildo_ where a
-banquet was being arranged. A crowd gathered around Prat and would have
-carried him off by force if an Italian blacksmith had not appeared on
-the scene who had seen Colonel Roosevelt and told the natives that a
-joke was being played on them.
-
-  [Illustration: Capitol Building at Tacna]
-
-The province of Tacna, the most northern in Chile, formerly belonged
-to Peru. At the close of the Pacific War in 1880, Chile, the victor
-over Peru and Bolivia, annexed to her already long seacoast the
-Bolivian province Antofagasta and the Peruvian province Tarapaca;
-Tacna it was only supposed to annex temporarily. Chile was to occupy
-it for twenty years; a vote of the inhabitants was then to be taken
-to determine which country it should go to. Thirty-eight years have
-passed by and still no vote has been taken. The chances are that it
-will always remain Chilean. To keep it so, Chile has seven regiments in
-the province, five of which are stationed at Tacna, the capital city.
-The present government has tried to Chilenize the province by planting
-within its confines men from the south of the republic so that even in
-the event of a vote, which is doubtful, the majority will be in favor
-of the present ownership. It is another Alsace and Lorraine question
-because Peru is always thinking of the day when it will get it back and
-its inhabitants are Peruvian sympathizers. Peru even goes through the
-sham of having Tacna and Arica represented in its congress at Lima.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tacna Showing Earthquake Proof Houses]
-
-Tacna is thirty-eight miles north of Arica. The connecting railroad is
-the oldest in South America having been completed in 1844. The railroad
-at first skirts a fertile fringe near the seashore and then crosses a
-sandy desert until within a few kilometers of Tacna when it enters an
-oasis caused by irrigation from the Caplina River, all of whose water
-is drawn off for the gardens so that none of it empties into the ocean.
-
-Tacna lies at an altitude of 2820 feet above sea level but so
-imperceptible is the rise that one can imagine it to be on the same
-level plain as Arica. The population is 14,176, including five thousand
-soldiers. The city appears much larger. The ordinary transient would
-carry the impression that it is a town of twenty-five thousand people.
-It is a healthy place yet the death rate exceeds the birth rate, which
-state of affairs is true in many old settled towns all over the world.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Bolivar, Tacna]
-
-Tacna is a beautiful place and is well worth a visit. It is the best
-built city in Chile and is the only one where the buildings are of
-stone. It is opulent,--a rarity in Chile,--its inhabitants are refined,
-educated, and wealthy. There are handsome public buildings, large
-stores, and spacious houses. In many respects Tacna has a European
-appearance. The most noticeable object that strikes one's vision in
-the city is a large stone shell of an incompleted cathedral with two
-massive stone towers. The square trimming stones are of a pinkish hue
-while the ordinary ones are the dun-colored ones of the country. This
-huge shell will never be completed. It was built from the plans of
-the French architect, Charles Pitaud, when Tacna was a Peruvian city.
-Then came the Pacific War and the money for its completion was turned
-into other channels. Monsieur Pitaud returned to France; Chile took
-Tacna, and used much of the iron for the framework of the cathedral
-for military purposes. When everything again became normal, the people
-wished again to complete the cathedral. Pitaud in the meantime had died
-and his drawings were never found so it was impossible to complete the
-building. In design it was to be much like the Duomo in Florence.
-
-  [Illustration: Fountain in Tacna
-
-   Built by Pitaud.]
-
-Another of Pitaud's works of art is the bronze fountain in the Plaza
-Colon. It was cast in 1868 and is the finest in the Western Hemisphere.
-There are more expensive ones, elaborate sculptures of marble, but none
-its equal artistically.
-
-  [Illustration: Unfinished Cathedral in Tacna
-
-   This building was designed by the French architect Pitaud, when Tacna
-   was Peruvian. The Chilean War came on, Pitaud died and the cathedral
-   was never finished.]
-
-The streets of Tacna are paved, most of them with round polished
-stones, and many are bordered with trees planted along the curbs. There
-is much verdure and the city has several shady plazas with statues.
-There is a marble one to Columbus in the plaza of the same name. The
-Alameda Anibal Pinto is a garden spot. It is a well-kept-up lovely
-parkway. A peculiarity of Tacna is the architecture of many of its
-residences. These are gabled, but by far the most have "sawed off"
-gables. In these the sides slope upwards as if to form a gable, but
-about a yard or more below the imaginary peak, they terminate in a flat
-roof. This style is supposed to make them earthquake resisting.
-
-[Illustration: STYLE OF TACNA ARCHITECTURE.
-
- HOUSES WITH SAWED OFF GABLES, SUPPOSED TO BE EARTHQUAKE PROOF]
-
-Of the six Courts of Appeals in the republic, one is at Tacna. Both
-Antofagasta and Iquique for a long time have been trying to get it
-away for themselves, but so far have been unsuccessful. Of the five
-regiments stationed at Tacna, two are artillery, two are infantry, and
-one is cavalry. There was an engineer corps but it has been moved to
-Copiapo.
-
-Tacna has a good hotel, the Raiteri, owned by an Italian of the same
-name. His business, which has somewhat fallen off since the Arica-La
-Paz railroad has been completed, is large enough, however, for him to
-keep two annexes running. His hotel is one of the best in rural Chile.
-The coffee is the best I have had served to me in South America. There
-is another hotel named the Tibios Banos (Warm Baths). It is of the
-free and easy sort where when you engage a room the landlord asks you,
-"With or without?" and governs the price accordingly. It has a cool
-grape arbor where it is pleasant to repair hot Sunday afternoons for a
-schuper of beer.
-
-In an obscure corner of the province not far from the Peruvian line
-lies the high, broad mountain valley of the Ticalco River, hemmed in
-on all sides by snow-capped mountains, the lowest of which is higher
-than the highest mountains of North America save McKinley, St. Elias,
-and Popocatepetl. The Ticalco is joined by numerous freshets from the
-melting snow and like a silver thread flows through this valley and by
-great jumps cuts its way through a gorge before it finally joins with
-the Salado at Talapalco to form the Sama, the national boundary with
-Peru. Although very high, of all the valleys of the Province of Tacna,
-the Ticalco is the most fertile. It is cold; no fruit excepting the
-apple thrives, but as a recompense it is rich in oats and in alfalfa.
-In this valley and on a small stream about a mile above where it flows
-into the Ticalco River lies the town of Tarata, 9919 feet above sea
-level. Its population probably numbers five hundred souls. It is the
-third town in size in the Province of Tacna. It is the capital of a
-department, newly created, has a court house and a barracks.
-
-  [Illustration: Old Residence, Tacna]
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tacna]
-
-To Tarata I went. Don Santiago Carmona, a rich _haciendero_ of Tarata,
-was in Tacna with a caravan of thirty-one mules and six horses.
-Accompanying him were five muleteers. One of the horses he himself
-rode. Several times a year he made these trips. He would drive a herd
-of cattle the two days' trip into Tacna, sell them, and return with his
-mules laden with flour, oil stoves, kerosene, beans, onions, beds, and
-blankets. On the narrow streets of Tacna his caravan made a picturesque
-sight. I expressed a desire to see Tarata, and the man to whom I
-expressed it, a resident of Tacna but a stranger to me whom I stopped
-in front of his residence to inquire into the history of the unfinished
-cathedral and with whom I entered into a general conversation, said
-that he would speak to Senor Carmona asking his permission for me to
-accompany him on his return trip. He would let me know the result later
-at my hotel. True to his word, late in the afternoon he appeared at
-the hotel bar (the place where most business is transacted in Chilean
-small towns) bringing with him a tall, wind-tanned, thin man of about
-fifty-five years of age who wore a straggling grayish beard and a
-moustache of the Don Quixote type. This man was Don Santiago Carmona.
-He said that he was returning home the next morning and with great
-politeness and dignity invited me to accompany him as his guest. This
-invitation I gladly accepted and for their kindness I treated both
-gentlemen to as much Fernet Branca and vermouth as they could handle,
-and then some.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Miller, Tacna]
-
-I made arrangements with Signor Raiteri for three horses, a mozo,
-provisions, and blankets. It is certain that Senor Carmona would have
-shared blankets with Prat and myself, but since I did not care to
-impose upon him we brought our own equipment which in reality belonged
-to Raiteri. As it was Carmona refused to allow me to use any of the
-provisions I brought along, but made me eat from his larder, his mozos
-doing the cooking.
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda, Tacna]
-
-At eight o'clock in the morning we started from a courtyard across
-the street from the market. Now the direct way out of the city was
-to follow the Alameda, but Carmona evidently wishing to inspire the
-inhabitants with a reverence for his own importance had his caravan
-of mules cross the Alameda and turn up the main street, which indeed
-created a general diversion for all the clerks ran to the sidewalk and
-the pedestrians halted to view this extraordinary cavalcade. At the
-parochial church we again turned into the Alameda and followed that
-avenue the length of the extremely long town.
-
-The valley of the Caplina is narrow, fertile, and is a veritable
-garden. One thing I noticed as we left the city behind. We would come
-to fields in the height of production with irrigation ditches full of
-water. Adjoining them we would see parched fields of bushes trying to
-eke out a meager existence. The flow of water from the Caplina is not
-sufficient to supply all the arable land in the valley. A farmer will
-raise crops for several years in one field; then when the soil has run
-out he will cultivate an adjoining field, neglecting the first one,
-and will deviate the water to the new one. After a few years he will
-give up the new field and return to the first one which in the meantime
-has been fertilized by nitrate. Since there are but few cattle on the
-coastal plain, no manure is used to bring up the land, but nitrates
-are easily imported from Pisagua. On account of nitrates washing away
-they are put on the uncultivated land during the period that the fields
-are not in use. The road follows the right bank of the stony river bed
-whose water has been turned aside to water the quintas as the small
-gardens are called. In some spots there is an intermission of the
-cultivation where the sandy desert comes down to the river bed, but the
-trees and green gardens always begin again. From this valley Iquique
-receives most of its fruits and vegetables.
-
-Calientes which we reached after six hours' travel but which can be
-reached in one and a half hours by automobile and in two and a half
-by carriage, is the place where we left the road. On our way there we
-passed through three hamlets--Calana, La Vilca, and Pachia. Each has a
-cantina and thither Don Santiago, Prat, and myself repaired to moisten
-our dusty throats with native red wine while the mules took a breathing
-spell. The thirsty mozos stood humbly at one end of the cantina
-drinking their wine in silence while we stood at the counter which
-served as a bar. Calientes is so named from some hot springs which here
-gush forth from the sides of a barren mountain. They are sulphurous and
-when the rivulet which springs from them enters the Caplina, the water
-is turned black caused by the precipitate the sulphur of the rivulet
-makes with the copper properties of the Caplina. There are at Calientes
-but a few huts. Here we unsaddled the beasts and in the hour's rest the
-mozos cooked a stew which served as a midday repast.
-
-An hour after leaving Calientes we arrived at a couple of huts which
-are called Tacuco and two hours later in the dim light of the waning
-day reached the end of the first day's ride at the hamlet of Challata
-deep down in the valley at the foot of Mount Pallagua. The night was
-cool and the bountiful meal of cazuela, stew, and vegetables eaten
-before a roaring camp-fire with the murmuring of the rapidly flowing
-stream at our feet made me rejoice that I was far away from the sham
-and inane conventions of modern city life. A peon offered us his only
-bed in his hut but Don Santiago and myself spread our blankets on some
-straw pallets in an open shed with the starlit sky for a canopy, and
-there we slept until awakened by the sonorous grunting of sows at dawn.
-
-"We have a hard day ahead of us," remarked Senor Carmona after we
-forded the Caplina and started the steep ascent up the sandy side of
-Pallagua. A high mountain range to the right had shut off a vista of
-the snow peaks of the Cordillera, but upon reaching a stony plateau,
-suddenly the high dome of the extinct volcano Tacora, 19,338 feet high
-reared its lofty summit above the whole eastern mountain chain. To the
-northeast appeared Uchusuma, 18,023 feet high, while near at hand were
-the ice fields of the Cordillera del Baroso. These high mountains are
-visible from Arica, at which port the Andes come nearer the ocean than
-at any other place on the South American continent except Puerto Montt.
-After two hours' climb up the barren ridge we reached a spine and then
-descended by zigzags to the canyon formed by the Quebracho de Chero in
-which grew a few mountain shrubs not unlike chaparral. In Indian file
-we followed the narrow trail between the mountains Pallagua (altitude
-13,065 feet) on the right and Palquilla (altitude 12,415 feet) on
-the left and arrived at midday at the Pass of Caquilluca about 12,000
-feet above the sea level where we rested a couple of hours and had our
-dinner.
-
-Behind us all was desert and as we looked westward past the numerous
-creases of the earth's surface which were arid canyons and valleys we
-could see the limitless expanse of the blue Pacific Ocean. At our feet
-to the north and west lay a valley as green as an emerald traversed by
-silvery streams, and dotted with light blue farmhouses. In the distance
-was a cluster of buildings which I was told was Tarata. Hemming in the
-whole valley were the mountains whose snowy bulwarks formed a circle
-leaving only one gap that in the northwest through which the Ticalco
-flowed. These mountains from west to east were Cumaile (altitude 17,095
-feet), Vivini (altitude 17,733 feet), Chilicolpa (altitude 18,303
-feet), Chiliculco (altitude, 16,835 feet), Barroso, and Uchusuma.
-
-It was six o'clock in the evening when the caravan, having clattered
-over the narrow pebbly streets of Tarata, pulled up at the Casa de
-Huespedes (Guests' House) where I was to spend the night. Senor Carmona
-made me acquainted with the fat mixed-breed Vargas who owns the tambo,
-and after admonishing him to take good care of me, he galloped off to
-his three-league-distant ranch saying that he would look me up the next
-afternoon.
-
-Tarata does not lie on level ground as it appears from the mountains
-above the town. The streets slope steeply down to the Ticalco which
-is no more than a creek. Near its banks is a narrow level stretch of
-land where the plaza, town hall, and church stand. This stream not only
-serves for irrigating purposes but it is likewise the sole supply for
-potable water and for washing purposes. Every morning its banks are
-cluttered with half-breed and Indian women who lay their laundry on
-the stony slopes of the stream to dry. On the plaza which is bordered
-by Lombardy poplars is a bandstand where twice a week a six-piece band
-plays. Beneath these trees is a fringe of alfalfa where the village
-cows graze. Like in Tacna the houses have the same sawed-off gables,
-and like in that city they are painted tones of salmon and blue. The
-town hall is the only two-story building in the place and with the
-exception of the church belfry it is the tallest. The church is a
-cream-colored affair with a domed steeple rising from the center of its
-facade. On it painted in red is the inscription "Anno 1808," the date
-of its founding.
-
-Strolling about the village I was surprised to see, through the windows
-of the residences, pianos, and one saloon had a billiard table. It
-required much labor to bring them here for all transportation of
-merchandise is done by mule back. In the fields were many llamas.
-They are never used in carrying burdens to the low altitudes because
-they sicken while at work below six thousand feet elevation. In the
-high altitudes both llamas and mules are used for beasts of burden.
-Horses are employed only for pleasure riding as they cannot stand the
-lightness of the atmosphere to work in. Llamas refuse to carry more
-than one hundred pounds burden, and no matter how much beating they
-receive, are persistent in their refusal to be laden with more. They
-are not so docile as they look. Their method of fighting is to run
-up and strike one with their forefeet; they also spit a nauseating
-substance at a stranger if he approaches too close to one of them. One
-of them did this trick on me and when I assailed it with my riding
-crop it struck at me with its forefeet. A kick from me in its belly
-only gave me the satisfaction of making it grunt. Its disgusting saliva
-nearly ruined a suit of my clothes.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Tarata]
-
-In the afternoon on the day after my arrival in Tarata, Senor Carmona
-came to the Casa de Huespedes and asked me to call on the priest with
-him. The latter, Padre Albarracin lived in an adobe house which had a
-broad verandah adjoining the cream-colored church. When we entered he
-was sitting in the patio behind a morning-glory vine talking with two
-officers of the Chilean army, Captain Frias and Lieutenant Guzman. They
-had evidently been "hitting it up" as was evidenced by several empty
-quart bottles of chicha (grape cider) lying about, and also for the
-fact that each of the trio held a glass half-filled. We were invited
-to join with them in the libation and I discovered that this drink,
-ordinarily a temperance beverage, had fermented to such an extent as to
-make the imbiber feel as if he were walking on wires. Shortly after we
-arrived the two officers left and the priest invited us to remain for
-dinner.
-
-He clapped his hands to which a chola girl appeared.
-
-"Kill the two game cocks that got whipped last week, and throw them in
-the kettle," he commanded.
-
-Our conversation turned to hidden treasure and antiquities which the
-neighboring mountains are said to be full of if we can believe legend.
-Tarata is in the heart of what once was the great Inca Empire. Upon the
-advent of the Spaniards the Incas hid from them the greater part of
-their ornaments of silver and gold where they remain undiscovered to
-this day. The Spaniards worked the mines of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia,
-but they in turn for three centuries were a prey to the pirates
-which ravaged the coast and many of the inhabitants were obliged to
-bury their wealth to keep it from them. The Catholic Church in South
-America was always wealthy in its amount of gold ornaments, so when
-the Inquisition was overthrown, it was in vogue for the citizens to
-loot the churches. In order to save its wealth from rapinous hands,
-the clergy sequestered much of its treasure in the mountains. Priests
-were murdered by pillaging bands of Indians and with their death was
-lost the cue to the hiding-places. Enough treasure has been found,
-practically stumbled upon, to give authenticity that vast amounts have
-been hidden, but the only person in modern times that made a fabulously
-rich haul was Valverde in Ecuador, who was wise enough when he found
-his treasure to return to Spain and die in opulence.
-
-Padre Albarracin excused himself and soon returned bringing with him
-two images several inches long which he said were Inca idols of silver.
-He also stated that they were in good hands because the pagans could
-not get them as long as they were in his possession; the drunker he
-got the oftener he would repeat this and utter quotations from the
-Scripture such as this: "Their idols are of silver and gold, the
-work of men's hands. Eyes have they, but they see not," etc. When he
-finished he would ask me: "It applies, does it not? These idols are of
-silver."
-
-Then with a sweep he would send them flying from the table. Once I
-ran to pick them up. "Do they please you?" he asked. I answered in the
-affirmative. "Then you may have them," he said. He then expounded on
-the great sacrifice he was making saying that these two manikins were
-the identical ones Holy Writ referred to and that they were priceless
-on account of it.
-
-After supper when I was examining one he grabbed it away from me,
-climbed on a chair, and placed it on top of a wardrobe. When I asked
-him why he did that he replied that he was hiding it because he feared
-that I would worship it. I told him that there was little chance, which
-made him quote more Scripture such as: "Let the heathen rage, and the
-people imagine a vain thing."
-
-When he went to get another bottle of chicha, I removed the idol
-from the wardrobe. The other one was lying on the mantlepiece and I
-took them both because he gave them to me. I have shown these idols
-to many people and although I have had them stolen several times by
-acquaintances, I have always got them back. Regarding antiquities Senor
-Carmona made me a present of a plate of solid silver hand wrought
-in Cuzco in the end of the sixteenth century. On its face are the
-portraits of Pizarro and of Atahulapa carved in silver. Although it was
-of no value to Carmona, who would have been unable to sell it for more
-than its intrinsic value of metal, I have been offered three thousand
-dollars for it which I refused to consider.
-
-Padre Albarracin was getting so drunk that both Don Santiago and myself
-excused ourselves soon after supper. Coming out of the house, Prat
-stumbled over something lying in the garden. It was Lieutenant Guzman
-in full dress uniform, soused and dead to the world. Things were just
-as bad at the Casa de Huespedes. Captain Frias was asleep with his
-head on the dining room table, and Vargas fell down the stairs trying
-to show Carmona his room. The cause of the debauch was due to the fact
-that Don Santiago brought up much wine, gin, vermouth, and grape chicha
-with his mule caravan. The shaking the chicha got en route augmented
-its fermentation which made it as bad as hard cider. The night before
-when we arrived he had left six cases to be distributed to the priest,
-the alcalde, the intendente, Captain Frias, Vargas, and the notary.
-
-The next day I rode to Carmona's hacienda which is located about nine
-miles up the Ticalco River on a level expanse of land which stretches
-northward to the stony slopes of the barren mountain Cumaile. The
-house itself is a long, low, rambling affair of adobe which was once
-whitewashed, but that so long ago that but little of the white color
-is left on its sides. It rains in this region and the broad tiles of
-the roof are the only things, I take it, which prevented the building
-from being melted by the rains. A compound originally enclosed the
-whole building, flower garden, and adjacent peon and work sheds, but
-at the present time only pieces of wall of this compound remain. It
-was destroyed in 1881 by the Chilean soldiers who here besieged the
-Peruvian landlord who had fortified himself and held out behind the
-walls. Everywhere on the landscape steers grazed in tall alfalfa,
-fattening themselves for the butcher shops of the coast towns.
-
-Most of the civil inhabitants of Tacna and Tarata are of Peruvian
-origin having either been born there when the Chilean Province of Tacna
-formed part of the Peruvian Province of Moquegua, or are descendants
-of people born before the Pacific War. Tacna is an old town of stone
-buildings, not at all Chilean in character, but very much like the
-larger towns of south central Peru. The natives have strong Peruvian
-sympathies and are always living in hope that some day or other
-Tacna and Arica will be returned to Peru. Now this is ridiculous
-because Chile has no intention of giving these places up, although
-the resources of the Province of Tacna are small. The most important
-feature is that Arica is the seaport of La Paz, Bolivia, and it is well
-for Chile to retain possession of it. Tacna was a poor town when it
-was Peruvian; the majority of its inhabitants lived in poverty. Since
-it has become Chilean, it has prospered and is to-day very wealthy.
-This is largely due to live regiments which are stationed there and
-which bring money into the town. For the past thirty years Peru has
-passed through many changes of governments, and revolutions have been
-frequent; it has been misgoverned and unprogressive. Chile, although it
-cannot be called progressive has aims that way but has been handicapped
-from the want of money and immigration. It has only had one revolution;
-that a small civil war started by Balmaceda, but in government,
-progress, and in everything else is so far ahead of Peru that it seems
-incredible that the natives of the Province of Tacna are desirous of
-again returning to Peru's revolutionary and mediaeval yoke.
-
-Don Santiago Carmona was an exceptional haciendero in so far that he
-is a native Chileno. He left his birthplace, La Serena, forty years
-ago and never once has he returned. His military service was spent
-not far from Temuco where his regiment was quartered as a protection
-to the settlers against the Araucanian invasions. For this reason he
-took no part in the Pacific War. His father died when he was in the
-service and he was left with a small fortune. With this money he bought
-from the Chilean Government the hacienda that he now resides upon. The
-latter had originally confiscated it from the Peruvian landlord who had
-fortified himself there against him. Carmona married a Peruvian girl
-from Tacna who had long since died after having borne two sons. One
-of these sons is a haciendero in Ovalle and the other is a priest in
-Spain. The latter is figuring on returning shortly to Chile because he
-has been offered a sacerdotal office in Santiago. Carmona has become
-wealthy and is thinking of making a a trip for a half-year's duration
-to his birthplace, thence to Ovalle, Santiago, and Araucania. He also
-has a desire to see Punta Arenas.
-
-Prat suggested that since we had come thus far towards Peru by land
-that it would be as well to continue it this way. He had a mortal fear
-of seasickness to which malady he was a prey every time he put foot
-upon a ship no matter how calm the water was. Now I had no maps with
-me and did not know how to get to Peru, although I knew that Tacna
-was the northernmost province of Chile and the boundary line was no
-great distance away. To get information on the subject I went to Don
-Santiago who told me that Moquegua was the nearest Peruvian city, but
-that it was a week distant over a hot, sandy desert, and that the best
-way would be for me to return to Arica and go up the coast by steamer.
-He said that in Tarata there were people who had made the horseback
-ride to Moquegua and that it would be possible for me to hire a _cholo_
-to accompany us. I had heard about bandits in the interior and asked
-him about it. He answered that highwaymen existed only in the high
-mountains near the Bolivian frontier, and that I would find the few
-inhabitants in the country I was contemplating traveling through very
-docile. Beyond the Sama River which was Peru, he knew nothing about
-the inhabitants but imagined them to be much the same as on the Chilean
-side of it. The Peruvian boundary was not fifteen miles away, yet the
-hacienderos of the neighborhood seldom crossed it, and it was as much
-of a _tierra incognita_ with them as is the interior of Chihuahua to
-the ordinary citizen of El Paso, Texas.
-
-At Tarata, through the services of the notary who was an intimate of
-Don Santiago, we procured an overgrown boy of the cholo variety who,
-after considerable haggling, proposed to take us to Moquegua for the
-sum of one hundred pesos Chileno (less than $20.00). He was to fetch
-back the beasts that we were to procure as a loan from Don Santiago.
-Having shipped my valise to Lima from Tacna, I was unencumbered save
-for the blankets and a few edibles which I carried. Prat was attired in
-a Palm Beach suit and wore a straw sailor hat which looked as much out
-of place in this part of the country, where everybody rode in spurred
-boots, were clad in ponchos, and wore as head gear broad-brimmed
-pointed felt hats, as a snowball in hell.
-
-We descended the valley formed by the Ticalco, and after riding for
-over an hour came to a place where a stream from the north, named the
-Ticaco, joined the Ticalco and formed the Pistala River. The valley
-narrowed in and presently the mountains came down to the stream so
-closely that one could with ease throw a stone across the canyon. A
-rocky promontory on the left was rounded and the green, fertile pocket
-in which Tarata nestles was shut from view. A half-score of adobe
-huts with red-tile roofs were arrived at. These constitute the hamlet
-of Pistala, all of whose inhabitants are Indians. The horse trail,
-instead of descending with the river, keeps on an even altitude so
-that it is soon a sheer height of several hundred feet about it, its
-way having been dug out of the shaly rock that constitutes the side
-of the mountains. Around a bend is a narrow canyon and down this it
-zigzags for half a mile and finally crosses a tiny stream named the
-Jaruma, which a mile farther down, jumps into the Pistala forming a
-new river--the Tala. At the ford of the Jaruma is a primitive mill
-with a huge water wheel. From here on to the Sama River is a very
-steep descent by a narrow bridle path and very dangerous on account
-of the precipices which form a gorge through which the waters of the
-Tala rush from shelf to shelf with a roar. On the narrow mountain
-path we met a troop of llamas laden with sugar cane and tubers in
-charge of three _arrieros_. At our approach they leaped onto the rocks
-above as nimbly as goats. The arrieros and ourselves had to dismount;
-they backed their horses to a ledge and we led ours past them before
-mounting again. Where the Tala joins the Sama it must be two thousand
-feet lower than Tarata. This is in a broad valley well cultivated to
-corn, potatoes, and alfalfa in which are many mud huts of the natives
-and an occasional chapel. The river bed is wide but the stream itself
-is narrow and forks out in many channels which every little way unite
-again. The Chilean or south side slopes gently down to the stream in
-some places leaving a plain of a mile wide at the water's edge, while
-the Peruvian side is mountainous, precipitous, and uncultivated. The
-mountains are absolutely destitute of any cultivation. We continued
-all day down this river, following the Chilean side, and camped at
-night beside a ruined stone wall across the stream from the Peruvian
-hamlet of Sambalai Grande, at an altitude of 3025 feet. During the
-afternoon the mountains had receded and their places were taken by
-high sandy hills the essence of lonesome desolation. The water in the
-river had much diminished having been used largely for irrigation. I
-was told that what little there is left is used for the cane-fields
-which are plenty about twenty-five miles farther down. This cane is
-not made into sugar but into rum; also much of the cane is cut and is
-sent up on mule back to the high country where the natives themselves
-ferment it, using the pulp as fodder. Estevan, the cholo guide,
-although polite and humble, would never talk unless spoken to and
-then he would answer in monosyllables. Prat and I had no idea how far
-Moquegua was for we had no map; Carmona said it would take a week, but
-he had never been there. I knew it could not be that far because Ilo,
-its port, is only a half-day's steam north of Arica, and we were now
-considerably north of that last-mentioned place. I several times asked
-Estevan how far Moquegua was, but to each query he would answer the
-highly unintelligent reply of "muy lejo," which translated into English
-means "very far," but fails to designate whether the distance is two
-kilometers or two thousand miles. This is an example of a conversation
-between Estevan and myself.
-
-"How far is Moquegua?" I asked him.
-
-"Muy lejo" (very far), he answered.
-
-"How far?"
-
-"Lejo" (far), was his brilliant answer.
-
-"Is it a week's journey?"
-
-"Quien sabe" (who knows).
-
-"Is it three days away?"
-
-"Dios sabe" (God knows).
-
-"Can we make it in one day?"
-
-"No, senor."
-
-"Can we make it in two days?"
-
-"I do not know, senor."
-
-"Can we make it in three days?"
-
-"I do not know, senor."
-
-"You have made the trip to Moquegua before?"
-
-"Si, si, senor" (yes, yes, sir).
-
-"And yet you don't remember how long it took you to make it?"
-
-"I have forgotten, senor."
-
-The country across the river did not look very inviting to us
-and it was decidedly exasperating to be met with answers of such
-unintelligence especially as we had to cross what appeared to be a
-duplicate of the Mohave Desert. We forded the shallow Sama to some
-mud huts in a field of alfalfa, from one of which waved the washed-out
-and dirty cloth which once was the red, white, and red flag of Peru.
-No sooner had we reached high ground than a fat, dirty half-breed,
-barefooted and wearing filthy linen trousers beneath a faded blue
-military coat on the shoulders of which were red epaulettes, planted
-himself in our way and assuming a grandiose air of mock dignity
-inquired our business.
-
-"We are travelers for Moquegua," I told him.
-
-"What is your business there?" he asked insolently.
-
-"To visit the town."
-
-This reply took some time to penetrate his thick skull. He pondered
-over it and then a gleam of intelligence spread over his fat
-countenance which, by the way, was smeared yellow with the yoke of an
-egg he had just been eating, as he replied in an interrogative kind of
-a way:
-
-"Ah, Ustedes son Judios!" (Ah, you are Jews!)
-
-This fat guardian of the frontier had taken Prat and myself for
-itinerant Jews. This gentry as well as Turks and Armenians occasionally
-make the rounds of the remote towns peddling their wares, such as cheap
-finery, pencils, looking-glasses, buttons, and so forth. To be called
-a Jew without an inflection of the voice is, in Catholic South America,
-the height of insult, because it is considered the vilest reproach one
-man can give another in the heat of an argument. The manner in which
-this officer put the question to us was meant in the form of a query.
-Prat, however, being a Spaniard and a none too amiable one at that when
-dealing with the cholos and other mixed breeds, went into a towering
-rage and upbraided the official in the purest and most blasphemous
-Castillian that he ever before heard and which caused his overbearing,
-insolent, and stupid countenance to change to one of servility.
-
-"A thousand pardons, senor," he cringingly broke in, "but you must
-understand that I have received my commands to interrogate strangers
-entering Peru. Not that I am in the least interested myself, but the
-government, alas----"
-
-"We will pardon you this time but not the next," interposed Prat,
-curtly starting to ride off.
-
-"Senor, senor," pleaded the official calling to him. Prat paid no
-attention. I swung around in my saddle asking him what he wanted.
-
-"Your papers," answered the official. "I would lose my position if I
-let you pass without seeing them. The pay is very small and it is my
-sole income; the illustrious senores would not be so ungracious as to
-wish to see me lose that?" he entreated.
-
-I showed him my passport which he looked at, then turned upside down,
-frowningly trying to figure out what it was.
-
-"What nationality are you?" he inquired.
-
-"North American."
-
-"What language is this paper written in?"
-
-"English," I replied.
-
-A puzzled look spread over the stupid face of my interlocutor.
-
-"How is it then that you have an English passport since you are a North
-American?"
-
-"English is the language of North America."
-
-The official was astounded. "Pardon, senor, but I thought Spanish was
-the language of entire America."
-
-"You are mistaken," I replied.
-
-"How is it then that you gentlemen speak such good Castillian. You
-speak it much better than I do."
-
-"I learned it in Spain," I answered. "The senor with me is a Spaniard."
-
-"Ah, I understand," answered the official. I could see by his amazed
-and ignorant look that he did not understand but was unwilling to have
-us know the extent of his ignorance.
-
-"We are in a hurry to be on our journey to Moquegua; you had better
-return the passport," I said as I tendered him two silver pieces of
-the one sol denomination, the standard monetary unit of Peru. A sol is
-worth fifty cents.
-
-"Mil gracias, senor, mil gracias," answered the official thanking me
-profoundly. Prat, who had ridden on, now turned back and wanted to know
-what was delaying me. He was on the point of letting off steam anew
-at the cholo, but upon seeing me give him a tip, he threw a piece of
-silver on the ground at the fat official's feet. It was comical to see
-the latter grovel in the dust to pick it up.
-
-"Adios, senores," he yelled after us as we spurred our horses into a
-gallop and were soon lost to sight.
-
-Upon our reaching the top of a high, barren hill, a vista of a
-parched and sandy, barren imitation of the Sahara unveiled itself
-before us. Everywhere lay the bones of oxen and mules. This was the
-horrible desert of Pampa Zorra about twenty miles wide, which it
-took us over four hours to cross, in a hot, desiccating, blazing sun.
-The thermometer must have been in excess of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
-With our eyes smarting with dust and our throats parched (we partook
-sparingly of the water from our canteens), we arrived shortly after
-midday at a dry ravine named the Coari. Following this downwards
-between high hills of shale rock we came in half an hour to the
-Curibaya River at the cluster of mud huts and ranch house of Coari.
-Here were some green fields of alfalfa surrounded by eucalyptus trees.
-
-The Curibaya River is much like the Sama, only its river bed is
-narrower. It also has more water, there being plenty to wet one's feet
-in. The reason for this is that cultivation does not extend as high in
-its bottom as in the Sama so less is drawn off for irrigation. About
-twenty miles below Coari it widens out into a broad valley of great
-fertility; most of its water is used at that point to supply the large
-vineyards in that neighborhood. The small remainder loses itself in the
-sand and never reaches the ocean excepting during times of cloudbursts
-in the mountains. In the fertile valley is the small city of Locumba,
-which is famous for its grapes and wines said to be the best in Peru.
-We forded Curibaya before we reached Coari and then turned eastward
-again, ascending the valley. This soon forked the Ilabaya joining it
-from the north. The latter is a swiftly rushing and jumping rivulet;
-our trail lay up its defile and we must have crossed it two dozen times
-in the eight miles that it took us to reach the town of the same name
-which is situated in a high open valley, surrounded on all sides with
-hills not entirely devoid of vegetation. The landscape instead of being
-sandy was rocky and abounded with gray boulders. There were several
-varieties of cactus and a plant not unlike the yucca.
-
-Ilabaya is a typical town of the coastal region of Peru, differing
-greatly from Andean cities in so far that the houses were all built of
-adobe. The roofs instead of being of mud, were tiled, because it rains
-several times a year in the summer months and the mud roofs would be
-washed away. In Copiapo, where it rains only once in a decade, and
-in Tacna where it never rains, the roofs are of mud, but in Tarata
-and here, tiles were in evidence. Ilabaya is a larger place than
-Tarata, but is a dirtier, and more poverty-stricken place. It is also
-a terribly hot place, and swarmed with flies and vermin; mangy curs
-abounded and the odor of the streets abounding with house slops and
-garbage was disgusting. There were numerous street stands in front of
-which Indian women sat offering for sale melons, oranges, and pears,
-but not once during the part of the afternoon that I was there, did I
-see any purchaser.
-
-Arrived at Ilabaya, Estevan said that we had better spend the night
-there because he thought there would be no water the next stage. We
-dismounted at a primitive blacksmith shop where the cholo boy was
-apparently known, and carried our grips inside. Our arrival excited
-considerable curiosity because much of the male populace soon arrived
-on the scene, and at a respective distance looked us over, and then
-began to become interested in our grips and saddlebags. One urchin
-tried to undo the straps of my suit case but a threatening blow with
-my stick made him desist and seek shelter behind one of the grownup
-half-breeds. The usual questions were asked to which Prat and myself
-deigned to reply, but strange to say Estevan found his tongue among
-those of his own breed and there was let loose a volume of Babel in
-the Quichua language which was surprising to me since I did not realize
-that language had such a large vocabulary. I had forgotten temporarily
-that the early padres had translated the Bible in Quichua and had them
-printed in that language. I saw one of these books among the church
-relics in Cuzco.
-
-I interrupted Estevan's garrulity with a prod of my stick, and asked
-him where we were to find lodging.
-
-"Quien sabe" (who knows), he whiningly replied in the singsong tones
-used by all cholos in their conversation with their superiors. If a
-stupid cholo or Indian does not know what answer to give he invariably
-says "quien sabe" and lets it go at that. I expostulated with him
-telling him that he must procure for us lodging. This he translated
-into his native language to the crowd of spectators. A small boy in the
-group said that he thought that a certain old woman who lived at the
-end of the town would take in lodgers and offered to direct us there
-and carry our grips. We set out down the long straggling street of
-adobe hovels and arriving at our destination found the door was shut.
-The boy knocked but no response came. I then banged on the door with my
-stick. Presently the head of a withered hag appeared at a shutter and
-asked what we wanted.
-
-"We want lodging for the night," I answered.
-
-"Ah, senores, but I am too old," she said. "At the next street to the
-right in the second house lives Carmen Vargas. She is young and makes a
-business of it!" The old woman was on the point of closing the shutters
-when I called to her again.
-
-"You do not understand. We are travelers on our way to Moquegua and
-wanted to pay for a room to sleep in to-night." I then held up a couple
-of silver soles.
-
-"I see. A thousand pardons, senores. I thought that you were looking
-for some pleasure with the _muchachas_. How much will you pay for a
-room?
-
-"One sol apiece."
-
-"It is not enough."
-
-"We will make it two, if it includes meals."
-
-"Ah, senores, but I am a poor woman and must live. For three soles I
-can accommodate you."
-
-"We agree, but it is expensive."
-
-"Look at your room," she said, as she opened the door. "It is fit for
-a king." She ushered us into a chamber which was semi-storeroom and
-sleeping quarters. Boxes and dusty bottles littered one side of the
-floorless apartment, and spider webs hung from the rafters. There was
-an iron cot in the corner on which was a straw pallet but there were no
-sheets nor blankets. I spoke to her about getting another cot and she
-said she would procure one. As for blankets, she had none, but since
-the senores must have their own, having come from some distance, we
-could naturally spread ours on the cots. In the meantime if we would
-return about seven she would have for us an excellent _comida_.
-
-The comida turned out to be a thin soup whose ingredients were unknown
-to us and in which floated chicken feathers. This was followed by a
-disgusting stew and some meat of an unknown quality, highly seasoned,
-which might have been a camouflage for one of the mangy curs that
-abounded in the village.
-
-There were plenty of cantinas in the small town and I assume that
-they were well patronized from the number of intoxicated Indians that
-I counted. Bottled beer from the Cerveceria Alemana at Arequipa here
-sold for fifty centavos (25 cents) a bottle and was drunk warm. Strong
-liquor was much cheaper than beer and was likewise more favored.
-There were quite a few young dudes in the village and at evening
-they appeared togged up to what they considered perfection, wearing
-carefully polished patent leather shoes, high stiff collars, flowing
-black ties; all carried canes. This stylish dressing among the males
-is in vogue all over South America. It is a sign of caste or class
-distinction. It is the ambition of all young men to be dressed in the
-height of fashion no matter how remote their village is from the beaten
-road of civilization. I have seen this same class of dudes everywhere
-south of Panama, from the isolated mountain towns of Colombia to
-the mosquito-infested hamlets of Paraguay. There is also a class
-distinction in traveling. A man who rides on horseback is superior to
-one who rides on a mule; he who rides on a mule is superior to the one
-who travels on the back of a donkey. But beware not to travel on foot
-in the Andean countries, even though it be a pleasure jaunt for a short
-distance in the country. The pedestrian is looked down upon by the
-lowliest peons and is held by them in greater odium than the hobo is
-held by us at home. Good clothes and high collars cease to show caste
-when applied to the person who makes a foot tour. He will invariably be
-turned down when asking for lodging or meals en route. It is also wise
-not to travel on foot on account of the ferocious dogs to be met with,
-which never run out and bark at the equestrian.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Ilabaya, Peru]
-
-About nine o'clock that night while walking down the only thoroughfare
-that could go by the name of street, I met Prat at a corner conversing
-with a dandy, who like Prat wore a straw hat and sported a slender
-cane. "This is my compatriot," said he; "allow me to introduce you to
-my friend, Senor Guell." The dude bowed and Prat went on to explain
-that his new acquaintance was a Catalonian from Gerona and had been in
-Peru for four years, the last two of which he had spent in the employ
-of a wine merchant of Locumba. Guell said that Moquegua was but a
-short day's ride which was not at all tiresome. He had made the trip
-dozens of times for his firm and was thinking of doing so again in a
-few days. He was at present in Ilabaya collecting some debts for his
-employer. I left the Spaniards on the corner conversing and strode off
-to the hut where I was rooming. I went into the room assigned to us,
-and although there was another cot there, there were no blankets. The
-cholo, Estevan, had evidently forgotten to bring them although at six
-o'clock he had promised faithfully to do so in "un momentito, senor."
-I walked back to the blacksmith shop where we had unsaddled but found
-that like all the other buildings closed for the night. As it would
-have been impossible to find Estevan, I returned to the dingy hut and
-throwing my coat on the cot in the place of a pillow I lay down on the
-iron springs and tried to sleep. This was impossible. At midnight Prat
-had not returned nor had he come back by five o'clock in the morning.
-There was no need worrying about him because he was perfectly capable
-of taking care of himself, but I was at the same time at a loss to
-conjecture where he was. At six o'clock, finding that any attempt to
-slumber would be futile, I went out into the street and walked about.
-
-I went to the blacksmith shop which was about to open for the day to
-inquire about the horses. The blacksmith was already there and when
-questioned about Estevan merely answered, "Quien sabe," and then went
-on about his work. Presently the same boy that had conducted me to the
-house where I obtained lodging appeared and asked me if I was looking
-for my arriero. I replied that I was, whereupon the urchin said in his
-patois, "Se scapo," which in Castillian would be "e scapado," meaning
-"he has escaped."
-
-"What do you mean?" I asked.
-
-"He has run away."
-
-"He has run away? What do you mean by that?"
-
-"He sold the horses and has run away."
-
-At that encouraging piece of intelligence, several other boys appeared
-and from their conversation I gathered that Estevan the previous night
-had sold the horses with blankets to a mountaineer and that he had
-then taken French leave. You may imagine my anger, especially since the
-horses were but a loan to us from Don Santiago Carmona and were worth
-at least seventy-five dollars apiece in North American money. When I
-asked if anybody knew where Prat was, they volunteered the information
-that he and a friend of his were visiting some young ladies. This was a
-new one on me since Prat was absolutely unknown in Ilabaya and no young
-ladies that I knew of would entertain two guests so late as this.
-
-"Which young ladies is he calling on?" I inquired, mystified.
-
-"On la Carmen; she lives near the end of the village."
-
-It now dawned upon me that Prat was at the bagnio of Carmen Vargas and
-that accounted for him not showing up at the hut. I proceeded down the
-street to rout him out but had not gone far before I ran into him and
-Guell, both in a state of intoxication. Prat was just emerging from the
-jovial stage and was entering upon an ugly mood. Save for his bloodshot
-eyes and the reek of alcohol, he was as immaculate as ever, but the
-dude was a sight to behold. His side and back were covered with dust;
-only one flap of his collar was buttoned, the other flying in the air;
-his hair was unkempt, and his hat was awry. He could hardly steady
-himself on his feet and was leaning on Prat to keep his balance. At the
-same time he was trying to sing a stanza from the Cid.
-
-"Hail to the glorious Carmen, the light of Peru!" he yelled upon
-espying me.
-
-I told Prat immediately what had happened. At first he did not
-understand, but when I repeated that Estevan had sold our horses and
-run away, great was his rage. He drew out his knife and shrieked what
-he would do to the cholo when he caught him. The news sobered him up
-considerably, so much so that when Guell burst out again in another
-stanza, he told him to shut up and cease his idiotic prattle in case
-he himself did not care to feel the knife between his ribs instead of
-between Estevan's. We went again to the blacksmith shop where Prat
-started upbraiding the blacksmith, and then went to the alcalde's
-residence. That official was asleep but Prat insisted on having him
-wakened. Presently he appeared attired in his pajamas. He wanted to
-know the meaning of this disturbance and was on the point of telling
-us to go to the infernal regions when he suddenly realized that we were
-foreigners of distinction, due to the stiff collars and quality of our
-wearing apparel. His demeanor changed and he invited us inside, saying
-that he would dress and talk with us directly. He ushered us into a
-well furnished apartment and left us. We heard him ordering breakfast,
-yelling to a servant to prepare three places as he had as guests two
-"milords ingleses."
-
-  [Illustration: Alameda, Moquegua]
-
-During the meal, which was spread on a table beneath a vine trellis
-in the patio, the alcalde, Don Jose Vergara, asked us the nature of
-our visit, to which narrative he did not reply, stating that he would
-take the matter up with us again after breakfast. In the meantime he
-plied us with many questions about North America, most of which Prat
-answered--wrong. The latter had never been there nor could he speak
-English well, the extent of his vocabulary being "bulldog," "dollars,"
-"all right," "good-night," etc. He now converses fluently in English.
-His ignorance of that language was not known to the mayor, who himself
-spoke an execrable patois although he was a pure-blooded white man.
-When we said that we wanted to start as soon as possible for Moquegua,
-the alcalde implored us to remain a few days in Ilabaya as his guests.
-When we told him it was imperative for us to continue, he promised us
-horses and a man from his stable who would accompany us. He also said
-that he would apprehend Estevan and see that he would be sent to prison
-if he had not already escaped to Chile.
-
-"What will he get?" I inquired.
-
-"At least twenty years," he answered. "I shall see to it."
-
-"Is not that pretty severe?"
-
-"Severe, nothing. One of my friends has an estancia where labor is
-badly needed. You see that he will be put to work profitably."
-
-Don Jose ordered the blacksmith summoned to his presence, and when that
-individual presently was brought before him, the alcalde, threatening
-him with all sorts of physical evils, elucidated from him that the
-previous night Estevan had called for the horses which were corralled
-behind the shop stating that the "senores ingleses" were about to
-continue to Moquegua, saying they preferred to travel at night instead
-of during the heat of the day. Not long afterwards his boy had seen
-a mountaineer driving them laden with goods up a road that leads into
-the Andes. The boy asked him what he was doing with the horses since
-they belonged to the "senores ingleses," whereupon the mountaineer
-answered that he had bought them from the mozo Estevan for fifteen
-soles each. The mountaineer the blacksmith added was well known to
-him, was an honest man, and frequently came to Ilabaya. The next time
-he came he would inform Don Jose of his presence so that the latter
-could deal with him. I have always believed that the blacksmith had a
-hand in this deal and that he was hiding Estevan who had mysteriously
-disappeared after the transaction. At Moquegua I wrote Don Santiago
-Carmona telling him what happened. Six months later I received a reply
-when at home in the United States saying that he had never heard a word
-about Estevan and the horses, although he had heard rumors that the
-alcalde of Ilabaya was riding one of them. Since Ilabaya was in Peru it
-was useless to go there for he would receive no justice.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Moquegua]
-
-Although Don Jose Vergara said that he would loan us the horses, when
-we were about to depart he came to me and said that it would cost us
-twenty-five soles ($12.50) for their rent. This was reasonable enough
-according to the standards of civilization but was exorbitant for that
-locality. It was after ten o'clock in the morning before we got away.
-For about ten miles the trail led over a rocky plateau and then came
-to the edge of a precipice at the bottom of which was the bed of the
-Cinto River, here dry. Here were three mud huts and a cistern half
-full of water, which was drawn from some springs a few miles up the
-valley. We remained here about an hour during which we cooked some
-meat and potatoes that we had brought with us; we pushed on again
-across another plateau similar to the one which we had just traversed
-excepting that it was sandier and smoother riding. At nightfall we came
-out on a nose of a hill and saw below us in the distance the lights of
-a city which we knew was Moquegua. An hour later we clattered over the
-flinty pavement of the narrow streets and pulled up at the portals of
-the Hotel Lima, one of the best in rural Peru. A large well-ventilated
-room, electric lights, and the noise of locomotive whistles made us
-feel that we had again reached civilization.
-
-  [Illustration: Street in Moquegua]
-
-Moquegua is a fine old town on a river of the same name and capital of
-the province of Moquegua, lying at an altitude of over four thousand
-feet above sea level in the center of a rich agricultural district,
-abounding in olives. These and raisins are the chief exports of the
-district.
-
-The city has a population of nine thousand and much resembles Tacna on
-account of the substantial buildings; it is not as lively as Tacna,
-due to the former place having stationed there five regiments, but
-otherwise it is a pleasanter town. It is higher, cooler, and there is
-more verdure. The valley itself is a long, broad ribbon of cultivation,
-mostly devoted to the growing of grapes. Moquegua is connected to its
-port, Ilo, by a railroad sixty-five miles long.
-
-Before the Pacific War, Moquegua was a wealthy town and larger than at
-the present time; since then many of the inhabitants emigrated, many
-going to Arequipa and to Lima. The alameda, though much neglected,
-shows signs of former grandeur, which is testified by the broken
-statues and cracked stone benches which formerly were the pride of the
-city. Moquegua has the name of being a very religious place; it has
-many churches and its streets swarm with priests, in this respect being
-much different from the Chilean towns that I had just visited.
-
-Ilo is a small port of about two thousand inhabitants, very poor and
-squalid but not so much so as Mollendo. In both these places bubonic
-plague is rife, but strange to say that malady has never mounted as
-high as Arequipa or Moquegua. At Ilo I boarded a small postal steamer
-of the Peruvian Line and after a few hours' steam we anchored off the
-cliffs of Mollendo, the most dangerous landing place on the Pacific
-Ocean. The swell is so great here that sometimes passengers have to
-wait two weeks before it has subsided enough to permit them to embark
-on the steamers. I had to transfer to another ship here because the
-one I was on touched at all the small ports and took a week to reach
-Callao.
-
-Mollendo is one of the dirtiest towns that I have ever visited and I
-have visited some "hot" ones. It is a bubonic stricken place of about
-five thousand inhabitants, according to the census reports, although I
-doubt if its population is in excess of three thousand. A steep incline
-up a cliff leads from the dock past the custom house to the stinking
-Hotel Ferrocarril, the only hostelry in the town. This ramshackle old
-building, painted dark green, is situated on an eminence at the extreme
-southwest corner of the town, at a street corner. A veranda runs around
-the street sides of it, onto which the rooms open. Beggars, hobos,
-cripples, bums, and dogs bask on the sun-warped boards of its floor,
-and sneak-thieves are ever watching for an opportunity of entering
-the dirty holes which are the guests' rooms. The dining room and the
-barroom are the only adjuncts of the institution which are kept clean,
-and the latter is the most lucrative enterprise to its owners of any
-business establishment in the town. It has several billiard tables of
-doubtful cues and cushions and to them at the noon hour repair all the
-German clerks of the mercantile establishments. There is much liquor
-sold and much drunkenness to be observed. At one corner of the room
-sat a well-dressed aged man. He had the palsy so badly that he could
-not lift a glass to his mouth so he sat there imbibing whiskey and
-soda through a rubber tube that extended from his mouth to the glass.
-The Hotel Ferrocarril is owned by a couple of Italians who are fast
-waxing wealthy. It is hell to stay in Mollendo even for an hour and
-the travelers are to be pitied who stop here days at a time waiting for
-their steamers which run on uncertain schedules.
-
-The place owes its importance to the fact that it is the port of
-the large and prosperous city of Arequipa about seventy-five miles
-inland, and that it is the outlet and port of entry of the Lake
-Titicaca basin, and of the historic and interesting old city of
-Cuzco, the pristine capital of the Inca Empire, three days distant by
-rail. Formerly Mollendo was the seaport of La Paz, Bolivia's quaint
-metropolis, but now traffic has been changed from that city, so that
-Arica and Antofagasta get the bulk of its trade. There has been much
-talk of transferring the port of Arequipa to Islay, a settlement a few
-miles north of Mollendo in a sheltered location, but the merchants at
-Mollendo made a strong kick about it, and bribed the politicians at
-Lima, so that the scheme never matured. At Mollendo, my Peruvian money
-ran out because I did not get enough Chilean money changed at Arica,
-and I had a hard job getting change here. Some Italian bankers to whom
-I applied knew how badly I wanted Peruvian currency, so accordingly
-discounted my Chilean money so much that I must have lost twenty-five
-dollars by the transaction.
-
-As I said before, Mollendo is a hotbed for bubonic plague. Several
-people die daily of it here, but its mention is suppressed by the
-health authorities so as not to give a black eye to the town. When a
-person dies of it, it is kept quiet and the victim is buried at night.
-Northeast of the town is the potter's field. Here graves eighteen
-inches deep are dug. The cadaver is trussed up by having its feet drawn
-back to its haunches by means of a cord tied around the shoulders and
-is thrown into the impromptu grave. I was told by several people that
-so poorly is the job done that sometimes the toes protrude above the
-ground and are nibbled at by buzzards and by starving dogs.
-
-From Mollendo, I went to Callao on the Chilean steamship _Limari_. It
-was a good ship but rolled considerably even in a calm sea. It took
-three days to make Lima's busy port, no stops being made, but from the
-deck I could see the dim outlines of the towns Lobos, Chala, and Pisco.
-An acquaintance of mine, Mr. Kurt Waldemar Linn, of New York, a German
-by birth but a naturalized American citizen, who is connected with the
-International Film Company, told me in Santiago that he expected to be
-on this boat and arrive in Lima at the same time I would. I failed to
-find his name on the passenger list and when I arrived in Lima, he had
-not yet shown up. The next day he appeared, having disembarked from
-the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's steamship _Mexico_. He said he
-was sorry that he had not made the trip on the _Limari_, and that never
-again would he make a trip on any ship of the Pacific Steam Navigation
-Company if he could help it. He said that the service and food on
-the _Mexico_ were vile but to crown his discomfiture one morning at
-breakfast the first officer who sat next to him asked him how he slept
-the previous night.
-
-"I didn't sleep very well," answered Mr. Linn. "There was too much
-noise going on."
-
-"Oh, yes, there was a good bit of noise on board. We caught a German
-spy last night and that caused the racket." At this witty remark the
-officer looked at Linn and winked. The latter did not relish this sort
-of pleasantry even though it was meant in fun.
-
-At Callao the custom house officials are careful to ransack all one's
-belongings looking for things dutiable and those non-dutiable as well;
-on the latter they levy private duties for their own pockets. There is
-much red tape and tipping to be done and nowhere else in my travels
-have I been subjected to so much annoyance at a custom house unless
-it was at Belgrade, Servia. Hotel couriers meet the steamers and it is
-advisable for the traveler to give his possessions in charge of one of
-these men who will relieve him of the trouble connected with the custom
-house and transferal of baggage to Lima. The courier expects a large
-tip, but it is more convenient to give it in one lump sum to him than
-to have to run the gauntlet.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV
-
-LIMA
-
-
-Although the chapters of this book are supposed to treat only of the
-southern republics of South America, it would nevertheless be a shame
-not to mention Lima and the Peruvian hinterland, therefore this and the
-following chapter.
-
-Callao, the port of Lima, where the ships anchor, has a population of
-forty-five thousand. It is here that one first gets an idea of genuine
-Peruvian architecture. The two and three storied houses, many of which
-are adorned by steeples and towers, invariably have enclosed wooden
-balconies projecting from the second floor over the street, giving
-the touch of old Stamboul or other oriental cities. It is difficult
-to conjecture the origin of these balconies. The Moorish style of
-architecture which the Spaniards copied and brought to their colonies
-was plain, with bare outside walls and few windows. This Turkish style
-seen by many tourists for the first time in their lives at Callao is
-that which predominates in Central Peru and is also prevalent to a
-certain extent as far south as Tacna.
-
-In Callao there is but little to interest the stranger. As in most
-seaports, tough characters abound, and there is a bevy of saloons; but
-unlike most seaports, Callao is comparatively clean, especially the
-show places. It has a large church, a few pleasant plazas, and some
-marble statues. In reputation it is one of the toughest towns in the
-world; it formerly was the jumping-off place for criminals and the
-tales of shanghaiing and murders that took place here not so many years
-back would fill volumes.
-
-  [Illustration: Callao Harbor]
-
-The harbor is landlocked by the mainland, a sandy point, and the
-mountainous island of San Lorenzo. The port works of stone are the best
-on the whole Pacific Coast but at the present time no ships anchor at
-them. This is due to the prevalence of bubonic plague (occasionally
-a few sporadic cases) which can be transmitted to the passengers
-and crews through the medium of rats. A reason more vital to the
-municipality for not allowing the ships to anchor at the docks is that
-of providing employment for the _fleteros_, or boatmen, who earn a few
-soles by rowing people and baggage to and from the ships. In the harbor
-are two Peruvian men-of-war. They have lain there several years. Their
-boilers are defective and their machinery needs repairing, but nothing
-is ever done to make them seaworthy. I saw the admiral in a street car.
-He is a big, fat fellow with about a fifty-three inch waist line, and
-resplendent with gold braid. From the servile humility of the conductor
-and the passengers towards him, one might judge that he ranked with von
-Tirpitz and I have no doubt but that he entertained the same opinion of
-himself.
-
-Lima is about five miles distant inland from Callao, to which city
-it is connected by a trolley and two railway lines. The former,
-double-tracked, runs in a straight line through a decidedly Athenian
-landscape. On all sides are green fields, olive groves, black hills,
-and whitish soil. The air, odor, and decisive clearness of the
-atmosphere is Attic; the style of the country houses, nature of the
-crops, and appearance of the live stock is analogous to that of Attica.
-On the south side of the main road are two large country seats that
-would grace any rural scene; they are the residences of the Italian
-families Castagnone and Nosiglia, and are set back at some distance
-from the turnpike.
-
-The population of Lima, Callao, and many of the seaboard Peruvian
-towns is composed of Aryans, Indians, Hamitics, and Mongolians, with
-a conglomerate mixture of all four races. In Lima, people with mixed
-white and Indian blood predominate; those of mixed white and negro
-blood are a close second. The aristocracy and better-to-do classes are
-white and are descended from the Spaniards. They do not marry outside
-of their own race and constitute the ruling element. There is a large
-Italian colony, many of whose male members are leading merchants and
-professional men. Far outnumbering the whites are the various hues of
-mixed breeds, Indians, negroes, and Chinese, which form the rabble. The
-cholo is a scion of an Indian and a white person, while a _chino-cholo_
-is the offspring of a Chinaman and an Indian. To get a good idea
-of Peruvian mixture as applied to the lower walks of society (which
-constitute all the classes not belonging to the white race, and which
-greatly predominate), one can take the following genealogical tree as
-an example. A white man marries a squaw which we can designate as union
-A. A Chinaman marries a negress; we can call this union B. The progeny
-of union A marries the progeny of union B, which is union C. The result
-is a child which has blood one fourth white, one fourth black, one
-fourth Indian, and one fourth Chinese. Although mixtures like this are
-uncommon, they nevertheless exist, but it is of great commonness for a
-person to have the blood of three of these races.
-
-These mixtures diminish the intellect and decrease the vitality of the
-offspring, who are invariably inferior to the pure bloods, even if the
-pure blood is Indian or negro. The children of these marriages inherit
-few of the good qualities of their parents, but all of their vices. The
-cholos, proud of their white blood, tyrannize over the poor Indians and
-subject them to indignities and cruelties such as were never practiced
-in slavery times by their Spanish masters. These same cholos cringe
-like curs before the white man. Their natural disposition is good,
-excepting that they have the trait of dreadfully abusing and misusing
-the poor Indians. The Chinese, of which there are thirty thousand in
-the provinces of Callao and Lima, have not intermarried with the other
-races so much as the other three mentioned ones. They are lawabiding
-and quiet, but the mixed offspring from them is deficient in good
-qualities. The worst of all races in Peru is the offspring of the negro
-and the cholo. The result is a progeny that is downright bad. It is
-these that constitute the riotous mobs that murder and hurl missiles
-every time there is an abortive or a genuine revolution. They do not
-know what the row is about, yet they want to participate in it for
-the main love of wickedness. I saw a crowd of this degenerate gentry,
-evidently "egged on" by some political opponent, hurl legumes and
-bricks at the brother of ex-President Leguia when he was leaving the
-Doric-columned Senate Building. One of these bricks severely injured
-a stranger, and I, an unconscious spectator, had a white duck suit
-discolored by unsavory hen fruit. The Limeno bootblacks are recruited
-from this class, and as a rule when they are not shining shoes or
-up to some deviltry, they stand around the booths singing in an
-undertone obscene stanzas of their own composition to attentive dregs
-of humanity. The "buck-niggers" and their families, of untarnished
-ebony hue, originally migrated into Peru from Jamaica. They do not make
-bad citizens, but their population is fast diminishing, their numbers
-becoming assimilated with the other races.
-
-  [Illustration: Puente Vieja, Lima, as Seen from the Bed of the Rimac]
-
-There is considerable material for argument relative to the origin
-of the name of the Peruvian metropolis, which nobody seems to have
-taken the pains to unravel. Lima was founded January 18, 1535, by Don
-Francisco Pizarro. It was granted its charter and received its seal by
-a royal decree of Charles V. of Spain, December 7, 1537, under the name
-of the Most Noble and Very Loyal City of Kings. The name Lima, which
-the stranger is erroneously told is a corruption of the word Rimac
-(the name of the river which divides the modern city), was said to be
-the name of the Indian village which had its center where the capitol
-building now stands; owing to the shortness of its name, it superceded
-the longer title given to it by the Spanish king. Many of the Spanish
-conquistadores named cities which they founded in the new world after
-cities in Spain from which they hailed. Thus Trujillo in Peru is named
-after Trujillo in Spain, Pizarro's birthplace. There is a town named
-Valladolid in Yucatan, a city named Cartagena in Colombia, a Cordoba
-in Argentina, and a Linares in Chile. All of these places were named
-after places of the same name in the Iberian Peninsula. Likewise there
-is a Lima in Spain. It may be that the capital of Peru was named after
-it, and that the name of the Indian village is legend. To substantiate
-this theory, there is a city in central Brazil named Lima which is an
-old town. This Brazilian city would undoubtedly owe the origin of its
-name to the same source as would Lima, Peru. There is a theory however
-which would knock this out and that is one of my own. Lima, Spain, only
-appears on the modern maps of that country. It is a small town in Leon.
-I have examined many maps and ancient geographies of Spain and do not
-find it there, yet it is inconceivable that Lima, Spain, would be named
-after Lima, Peru.
-
-  [Illustration: Calle Huallaga, Lima]
-
-The variety of large bean which at home we are accustomed to call the
-Lima bean is not a native of this place. Their origin is a town named
-Ica, which is about a hundred miles southeast of Lima, and in Peru it
-is called the Ica bean.
-
-Lima is divided into two uneven parts by the Rimac River, which is
-spanned by two traffic bridges, the Puente Vieja, commonly known as
-the Stone Bridge, and the Puente Balta, by a railroad bridge, and by
-a temporary footbridge. The Rimac is a swiftly flowing, transparent
-stream, which jumps over cascades and has a considerable volume of
-water for a mountain stream. Its bed is not well defined as it contains
-many small islands and gravel bars. At the stone bridge it is kept
-within bounds. The river furnishes irrigation for the whole valley in
-which the capital is situated and could even be made to furnish more
-since much of its volume of water goes to waste. This is a crime on
-account of its scarcity.
-
-  [Illustration: Plaza Italia, Lima. Vendors of Bread]
-
-Lima should not be passed without a week's sojourn by any visitor
-to the west coast of South America, whether he is a professor,
-antiquarian, commercial traveler, or ordinary tourist. No other city in
-the Western Hemisphere retains in so marked a degree its medievalism,
-yet no other city on the west coast of South America is so advanced
-in modernity. Luxury rubs shoulders with poverty; there are numerous
-palaces and also countless hovels. The great churches, all Roman
-Catholic, bear testimony by their superb interiors to the lavishness of
-devotion. In the shop windows are displayed the silver ornaments and
-utensils of Cuzco and Cajamarca; next door to them are presented the
-baubles and gewgaws of New York and Paris.
-
-  [Illustration: Plazuela de la Inquisicion, Lima]
-
-The population is estimated at two hundred thousand which is probably
-nearly correct. The city is very compactly built and centered so that
-its streets teem with more life than an ordinary city of the same
-number of inhabitants. Although its population is but half that of
-Santiago, this centralization makes it appear to be a larger place.
-The buildings, two, three, and four stories in height, are massive,
-although many are built of adobe, plastered and painted over, and give
-the city a metropolitan appearance. In Santiago many of the merchants
-and well-to-do inhabitants live in the suburbs; in Lima they reside
-near the center of the city. During the past few years, the Peruvian
-capital has made great strides in civic improvement. The main streets
-are now paved with stone; they were formerly paved with sharp pebbles.
-They are kept clean, which is a great contrast to the dusty offal which
-formerly littered them and which in powdered form assailed the eyes
-and nostrils of the pedestrians every time a gust of wind arose. The
-equipages for the transportation of passengers are superior to those
-of Santiago and the street car service, although not frequent enough,
-is better than that of the Chilean capital. There has also been much
-recent building going on, the new edifices being of modern European
-design.
-
-Standing in the Hotel Maury one day I was introduced to a prominent
-Lima business man named Arthur Field, who was born there. He kindly
-offered to show me the city in his automobile. I told him that I was
-already acquainted with Lima, having made previous visits there.
-
-"I am so glad," said he; "most tourists go away with such a poor
-impression of Lima, and some go away after a short sojourn and write
-most uncomplimentary things about it, which hurts it. Ambassador Bryce
-spoke very illy of Lima, and he was only here for a few days. There
-is to my knowledge only one book written recently which gives a true
-description of the city. It was written by a namesake of yours, a
-man named Stephens. My wife and my friends have read it, and they all
-pronounce it as true."
-
-I did not tell him that I wrote the book, but another man in the group,
-an American, spotted me for its author from the frontispiece in it,
-which has my likeness. This last-mentioned man went home that noon,
-and verified his suspicions by again looking at the frontispiece. That
-afternoon he procured his copy of the book and started to the Hotel
-Maury to congratulate me. On the way he got gloriously drunk, and in
-an inebriated condition he showed the paragraph where I mentioned the
-Hotel Maury to one of its proprietors. Since I had spoken poorly of
-the establishment in it (it had improved decidedly since I was there
-before) I thought the result would be a request for me to change
-quarters. The proprietor could speak no English and judging that the
-talk of the American was due to an excess of _batida_ bitters and John
-de Kuyper paid no attention to the subject.
-
-  [Illustration: Boulevard in Lima]
-
-A bad feature about Lima is that the same street has a different
-name for each block. This was the old Spanish custom and it makes it
-necessary for the visitor to buy a plan of the city to memorize the
-nomenclatures of the principal blocks. In recent years the municipality
-has tried to remedy this custom by giving a street one single name, but
-the old appellations still cling and probably always will. The Calle
-Union, Lima's main street, is not so called by the ordinary native,
-and its different blocks are known as Palacio, Portal de Escribanos,
-Mercaderes, Espaderos, Merced, Baquijano, Boza, San Juan de Dios,
-Belen, Juan Simon, and so forth. Its principal sector, Calle Huallaga,
-is known respectively as Judios, Melchormalo, Virreina, Concepcion,
-Presa, Lechugal, and San Andres.
-
-Calle Union presents much life. It begins at the Plaza de Armas and
-is about a mile long, terminating at the Zoological Gardens. On it is
-the city hall, several theaters, the Merced church, the Forero palace,
-and the penitentiary. It is the main retail street and is always much
-crowded. Huallaga is a busy street with antiquarian shops, banks, and
-wholesale offices. On it is the Hotel Central, the Bank of Peru and
-London, the Concepcion market, the Concepcion church, and the police
-headquarters.
-
-The Concepcion market is the largest that I have ever seen. Its ground
-area, covering a whole block, is about the same size as the Tacon
-market in Havana, but it is higher. There are many queer vegetables,
-herbs, and fruits offered for sale which are unknown in Europe or
-in North America. The potato, whose origin is Peru, is sold in this
-market, not in the raw state as in our markets, but desiccated. The
-natives soak them in water, sun dry them, and put them for sale in
-this fashion, for this way they will keep indefinitely. In the meat
-department cats crawl over the loins and spare ribs while whippets
-snap at fly-bedizened bones. I attempted to take a time exposure of the
-place but a gawky overgrown boy walked in front of the camera, spoiling
-the picture. A cuff on the ears from me which sent him spinning against
-a basket of eggs nearly caused a small riot.
-
-The Bank of Peru and London is the largest bank building in South
-America. It is a three-story white structure built in a classical style
-of architecture. There are several other large banks.
-
-The Plaza de Armas lacks much of the charm of the plazas in the Chilean
-cities. It is planted to palmetto trees, which I think always look out
-of place outside of their wild native state. On the north side of this
-square is the one-story-high capitol building. Somewhere in its patio
-is the spot where Pizarro was murdered. The exact place is not known on
-account of the many alterations that have taken place in the building.
-His skeleton rests in a white marble sarcophagus in the cathedral.
-
-This cathedral, whose stately and magnificent pile was described by
-me in a previous book on South America, ranks as one of the largest
-religious edifices in the world. Its twin towers, one at each side
-of a broad facade, rise majestically into the heavens and are visible
-from a great distance. Its spacious nave and aisles are crowned by a
-ribbed roof, whose ceiling is painted in symmetrical designs in pink
-and azure. Many mendicants loiter about the interior, and when the
-sexton shows you Pizarro's skeleton, they all solicit alms for such
-trivialities as holding the candle to view the remains, opening the
-door of the chapel, and so forth. In the chapel where his remains
-repose is an altar of pure silver brought from Cuzco.
-
-  [Illustration: Facade of San Augustin Church, Lima]
-
-Lima, always the capital of the Spanish dominion in the New World,
-and the seat of the Inquisition in South America, was and is still a
-pillar of Catholicism. The plaza where the Senate building is located
-is named the Plazuela de la Inquisicion; in its neighborhood were
-perpetrated the barbarous tortures on heretics, written about in Vicuna
-Mackenna's books. Joints were stretched by screws; ear holes were
-filled with molten metal; writhing bodies to whose feet was tied an
-iron hundredweight were hoisted by outstretched arms to the ceiling
-by means of pulleys, the weight causing the body to tear in two at the
-abdomen. The last of these barbarities took place in 1820. In Peru no
-other religion but the Roman Catholic is recognized, although others
-are tolerated. Watching a religious procession one day as it passed
-through the streets of the city, a thirty-second-degree Mason turned to
-me and said:
-
-"A Mason has no more show in this town than a fly on fly-paper."
-
-There are forty-eight large churches in Lima and twenty-two chapels.
-The latter are large enough to be fair-sized churches in the United
-States. The most aristocratic church is that of La Merced adjoining
-the convent of the same name on the Calle Union. It has an opulent
-interior. The nave is high and airy, and the air is laden with
-frankincense. It is my favorite of all the Lima churches and I often
-repaired thither to attend mass or for pious meditation. San Francisco
-church is very rich; its architecture is Saracenic. Another fine church
-is San Augustin. It has a marvelous sculptured facade. According
-to the original plan, it was to have two towers but they have never
-been added. It is here that the president takes his oath of office.
-Other fine churches worthy of visit are San Domingo, San Pedro, and
-Nazarenas, although many others present great interest.
-
-  [Illustration: Procession of the Milagro, Lima]
-
-Easter week in Lima is an unforgettable event. Penitents, carrying
-holy images, processions, and throngs of religious devotees fill the
-streets. One of the pageants which has a touch of barbaric mingled
-with Christianity is that of the Milagro. What gives it a touch of the
-barbaric is the majority of negroes who take part in it. The trail of
-the Milagro lies through the squalid streets in the part of the city
-north of the Rimac. All the people officiating are garbed in purple
-tunics. It is preceded by youths carrying gaudy lamps. Then follow
-negro women, chanting dirges. A stranger looking at it for the first
-time is apt to believe that it is a procession exorcising against the
-plague for after the cantors come black Mary Magdalene's carrying
-lighted hand braziers from which they blow great fumes of incense
-smoke on the onlookers, nearly suffocating many by the intoxicating
-fragrance. There is a brass band of purple-robed devotees playing
-weird music followed by an image of the Saviour in an upright position
-mounted on a metal platform. This image is adorned with wreaths,
-flowers, and ribbons; before it is an altar with lighted candles. The
-platform is very heavy and is borne by sixteen men, four on each side,
-four in front, and four in back, who support its weight on their padded
-shoulders on which rest beams. The procession is very slow, moving at
-a snail's pace, and as it proceeds, the pageant sways with a peculiar
-serpentine rhythm. On account of the weight of the image and its
-accouterments, at every few yards the procession stops and the carriers
-are relayed. Some of them faint under the strain. The expression on
-the faces of the carriers is that of most reverend devotion; the light
-of sanctity is in their eyes, and they walk as if in a trance. This
-carrying of the image is a great honor, and the fortunate ones look
-forward to it for a whole year. Following the image walked a priest,
-his well-fed form protected from the sun by a canopy of cloth of gold
-upheld on poles by six purple-clad boys. His expression was far from
-being that of sanctity. Merciless and unrelentless, his face wore a
-heartless and cold-blooded mien as if he were a graven image of stone.
-Smug and self-centered, he appeared to be greatly contented with the
-position he occupied, the cynosure of all eyes. When the procession
-passed the Calle Trujillo, the main street of the section of Lima north
-of the Rimac, street car and pedestrian traffic was stopped for half
-an hour. As in all places, there was a crowd of procession followers.
-As the pageant merely crawled along, many youths of this class regaled
-themselves with libations of _pisco_ which is offered for sale every
-few doors in that neighborhood. The consequence was that there were
-many staggering steps among the spectators.
-
-Lima is seen to its greatest advantage from the middle of the stone
-bridge at dusk when the electric lights are being turned on or after
-dark on a moonlight night from the same spot. The view is far superior
-to that of Florence as seen from the Arno bridge. In the daytime the
-masses of chrome-colored houses, churches, and towers, the teeming
-street life, the trains arriving at and leaving Desamparados station
-present the aspect of a metropolis both medieval and modern. At night
-when the white moon rising above San Cristobal hill plays on the
-ripples of the Rimac, and reflects on them the myriads of lights from
-the windows, while in the distance the trees along the river bank cause
-an inky blackness, is seen a picture beyond the scope of the greatest
-artists.
-
-The part of Lima north of the Rimac is much the smallest, but it is
-the most thickly settled. It is the dirtiest part and is the favorite
-abode of negroes and Chinamen; here street dogs of all descriptions
-constantinopolize the thoroughfares, and when not basking on their
-bellies on the sidewalks, they devour mule manure and snap at fleas.
-This is the section of the city where the bubonic plague cases
-sporadically occur, as well as being the section most poignant in
-crime. It has a handsome parkway with statues, the Alameda de los
-Descalzos, though it would be better located if it were south of
-the river. On the north side are the two breweries, which with the
-exception of two flour mills are Lima's sole factories. The breweries
-are Backus & Johnston Company, Ltd., and Eduardo Harster's Piedra
-Liza Brewery. Above the suburb of Piedra Liza rises San Cristobal hill
-(altitude 1300 feet) which is 179 feet higher than the hill of the same
-name at Santiago, Chile. Its summit is crowned by a wireless station of
-the Telefunken.
-
-In Lima there is only one hotel at which a North American or a European
-can stop in comfort, the Maury. This hotel, owned by Angel Bertolotto
-and leased to Visconti & Velasquez, is with the exception of some of
-the Buenos Aires hotels the best in South America. Many of the rooms
-have baths and are sumptuously furnished. The prices are high. This
-Hotel Maury started with one building on the corner of Bodegones and
-Villalta but when trade increased, it was necessary to acquire the
-adjoining buildings, so that at the present time the caravanserai
-extends the length of the whole block as far as the cathedral. It is
-as intricate as a maze to find one's way about the upstairs corridors.
-The ground floor is occupied with several tile-paved dining rooms, and
-a large bar where congregate many of the foreign residents to enjoy
-libations. The bartenders are good mixologists, but devote too much
-of their time selling to tourists at usurious prices guide books and
-views of Peru that they obtained for a song. When they are not doing
-this they are busily engaged in drying orange peels that they fished
-out of somebody's already consumed cocktail in order to have it in
-proper condition to put into a cocktail ordered by the next customer.
-The other hotels in Lima, impossible for the foreigner, are the delight
-of the native-born population, as the Maury is too expensive for their
-pocketbooks. There are many pastry and confectionery stores in Lima,
-some being very good ones. These all sell ice cream and specialize
-in preparing banquets. Many have ice manufacturing establishments in
-connection with them. The best known are those named Arturo Field,
-Broggi, Marron, and Parisienne.
-
-The finest cafe on the west coast of America is the one in Lima named
-Palais Concert and is owned by the Maury proprietors. It is modern
-European, and is supposed to have a Viennese orchestra, none of whom,
-however, hail from Austria. A popular restaurant is the Estrasburgo.
-The peculiarity about it is the sacrilegious mural painting in it,
-which strange to say is tolerated in this most fanatically religious
-country. The painting is an advertisement of a French brandy firm. The
-hideous corpse of Lazarus, with pointed chin and ears, coming to life,
-is rising from a coffin, and with a sardonic grin on his face he is
-eagerly stretching out his hand for a tumbler of brandy which is being
-handed him by a bleached-out Christ, garbed in red, and with glistening
-ringlets of peroxide colored hair. Christ is saying: "Arise, O Lazarus,
-and drink this brandy!" This Estrasburgo is a favorite resort of Jews
-in transit. They go there to view this picture, and when they see that
-no Christian is present, nudge each other and say: "This is fine." The
-Restaurant Berlin is a well furnished place on the Plateros de San
-Pedro. This is all. There is no Berlin about it excepting the name,
-although I understand that the proprietor is a German. The uncouth
-waiters, some with repulsive boils on their faces, shuffle across
-the unswept floor, which is overrun with cockroaches, and slop down
-vile concoctions in front of you, spilling the sticky liquid on the
-fly-infested table. One night while sitting there with a friend, I
-was given a curacao flavored with turpentine, while he drew a cocktail
-savored with the cholo waiter's dirty thumb.
-
-One of Lima's institutions is drink. Being almost a teetotaler, I
-can give no more information than what I observed. Saloons exist
-everywhere; there are over six thousand of them, some of which are
-really high class. Also there are clubs where liquid refreshments are
-sold. There are no days when the saloons are compelled to close; they
-generally close their doors at night only when business becomes slack.
-Besides the two breweries in Lima there is one in Callao, and although
-there is much beer sold, the predominance of mixed drinks is so much
-greater that the former is put into the background. The beer is vile
-and I was advised not to drink any of it. In the winter of 1916 two
-mozos of the Hotel Maury drank a bottle of Nacional Pilsen (Callao)
-behind a door when the boss was not looking. Five minutes afterwards
-one mozo died from the effects, and the life of the other was
-barely saved. Another man drank some Backus & Johnston beer. Shortly
-afterwards his teeth and tongue turned black. In both these cases it
-was found that the beer was mixed with powerful acids. The reason for
-this has not yet been discovered. It is believed by some people that
-the preparation was faulty; by others that it was the work of a rival
-brewery. Most of the confectionery stores have bars. Broggi invented
-a drink which goes by his name. It is called Broggi bitters. This is
-the recipe:--Aperital, cane syrup, and a dash of Angostura. To this is
-added a lemon rind that has been soaked in alcohol. Add cracked ice
-and fill the glass with syphon water. Shake well and pour the liquid
-through a strainer. Broggi bitters may be obtained anywhere in Lima but
-they do not taste like the ones served at the original place. The Maury
-specializes in Peruvian cocktails. This drink is pisco, lemon juice,
-and a teaspoonful of sugar. To it is added a few drops of Angostura;
-it is then shaken with cracked ice, strained, and served with an orange
-rind.
-
-Pisco is a terribly strong native drink and is indulged in by the
-lower classes. It is grape alcohol, and is flavored with pineapple,
-or raspberry, or orange, or prunes. It is seen in the cheap saloons,
-standing in large glass jars, yellow, red, orange, or brown according
-to the flavor of the ingredient syrup. Chicha, far from being like the
-grape cider of Chile, is here a corn alcohol and is indulged in by the
-scum for their debauches.
-
-I was once in Lima when there was much money in circulation. The crowds
-of foreign residents of the mining towns in the Cordillera and the
-floating population used to hie to the Maury bar twice a day to spend
-it, and great orgies were pulled off. This has changed materially,
-for now with less money in circulation, there are no more of these
-parties. Formerly one never saw any paper currency. Now one never sees
-any gold. Several of the banks in consolidation have issued circular
-checks which are considered by the government as legal. They are the
-best looking bills in South America. Their denominations are half
-pound, one pound, five and ten pound notes. The merchants grab all the
-silver soles that fall into their hands, so that it is impossible many
-times to change these circular checks when change is most needed. Some
-merchants place signs in their stores saying that this paper currency
-will not be accepted as tender unless the purchases amount to two
-soles. I was told by the cashier of the Bank of Peru and London that if
-I went into a cafe, bought and drank a bottle of beer, and offered one
-of these checks in payment, the proprietors would be obliged to change
-it even though they had signs posted to the contrary. He said that if
-they refused to make change for me to walk off without paying and the
-law would be on my side. I told this to a chance acquaintance from
-Montana who had a perpetual thirst. He tried it out by making diurnal
-rounds of many saloons, drinking two or three potations in each place,
-always tendering a circular check of one of the higher values, which he
-invariably found unchangeable.
-
-Lima has the only ice-cream soda fountains that I have discovered south
-of the Equator although I am told that one exists in Buenos Aires. It
-also has a soft drink parlor, Leonard's, called the Hemaglobino, where
-ordinary soda water with the standard, and to us exotic, syrups, such
-as tamarind, are dispensed. As to money making, it is a mint, and as
-Prat remarked to me, in Buenos Aires it would be a veritable gold mine.
-
-A Lima institution that needs to be ameliorated is the post office
-department. None of the South American post offices are any too
-reliable but that of Lima is the limit. A few instances of post office
-irregularities in the Latin republics will serve as an introduction
-before that of Lima is dealt with.
-
-In Paraguay it happens that the post offices frequently run shy of
-stamps. A person in Asuncion would like to mail a letter. He takes
-it to the post office and is told that there are no stamps but that
-if he will pay the money equivalent to the postage the letter will
-be forwarded. He does so, and it is the last he or anybody else ever
-sees of the letter. It is opened by the post office clerk to see if it
-contains money. If it does, the money finds its way into the clerk's
-pocket. In any case the letter is thrown into the waste-paper basket.
-
-In enlightened Argentina, there is also much thievery of mail. A mail
-car was recently wrecked on the Central Argentine Railroad. Between the
-lining of the car and the outside boards hundreds of opened registered
-letters were found. A postmaster in a small Argentine village died
-recently. In remodeling the building which was used as the post office
-there were found in the basement four thousand opened letters.
-
-In Santiago I was advised by my friends to send them no registered
-mail. They told me if I did, they would probably never receive it
-because it was common for the post office clerks to open registered
-mail to see if it contained money. In Argentina and in Bolivia the post
-office clerks are discourteous and hate to make change. They gossip
-with their friends, keeping a row of people waiting indefinitely for
-service. Oftentimes they are busily engaged in reading a newspaper
-and will not look up until the article is read. In Ecuador with the
-exception of the city of Guayaquil there is no money order service, and
-letters are not forwarded if the addressee changes his residence. In
-Peru there is no money order service between Lima and the mining towns
-such as Cerro de Pasco. Many foreigners live in this last-mentioned
-town and it is often necessary for people in the capital to remit money
-to them. In order to do so, it is necessary for the remitter to go to
-a bank and purchase a draft.
-
-Regarding the Lima post office, thievery is rampant. I bought some
-Panama hats in Paita and had them sewed up neatly in several parcels
-which I mailed to friends in the United States. The parcels arrived
-with practically the identical sewing that I had done, but when they
-were opened they were found to contain newspapers. A letter to the
-United States from Lima requires twelve centavos postage and a postal
-card four centavos. When a foreigner goes to this post office and
-looks around for the stamp window he is invariably accosted by several
-individuals who inquire if he wishes to buy any stamps. Upon their
-being answered in the affirmative, they inquire what denomination he
-wants. If he should tell them that he wants to buy some twelve centavo
-stamps they will produce a bunch of them which they will sell him for
-eight centavos. They also sell four centavo stamps for two and three
-centavos. Many of these stamps are minus gum. This shows that the post
-office clerks are in league with these touts. They take off the new
-stamps, throw the letters in the waste-paper basket, hand the stamps to
-their understudies, who whack up the profits with them. These clerks
-also steal new stamps from the drawers and peddle them out the same
-way.
-
-In Lima, Montevideo, and Asuncion, the post office clerks also do a
-lucrative business in selling canceled stamps to collectors. They will
-invariably ask the foreigner if he wishes to buy a set of the current
-issue canceled. If he refuses they are offended.
-
-Peru is very fertile in the stamp issues that it has put forth ever
-since postage stamps have been invented. Fortunately for collectors,
-Peru is considered a good country, as many of its stamps bring high
-prices in London, New York, and Paris. The natives know this and
-there is not to be found a booth in Lima which sells stationery, lead
-pencils, cigars, and lottery tickets which does not also sell canceled
-postage stamps of the past issues of the country. These can be bought
-very cheaply, and can be resold in the United States at fancy prices.
-
-Peru can be called a lawless country. It has a good code but its laws
-are not lived up to. There have been many revolutions and there will
-be a continuance of them due to its lawless, heterogeneous population,
-and the political rivalry between different factions. Most of the
-inhabitants have political ambitions on account of the graft connected
-with the appointments. Although this is true all over the world, it is
-especially true in Peru. The cholo maltreats the Indian, and the white
-man bullies the cholo. The Lima police very seldom arrest a foreigner
-because they can work him for money. I know of an American in Lima who
-through some act of his got into conflict with the police. They led
-him off ostensibly to jail, but when they reached a dark street they
-asked him how much he would give if they let him go. They willingly
-accepted ten pesos. One night I made a purchase in one of the stores.
-After having paid for it, I took my purchase and walked out into the
-street. I had scarcely taken a few steps before the proprietor ran out
-of his store and told me that I had not paid him enough because he had
-discovered that what he sold me was worth more than he charged me. This
-is a favorite South American dodge and is perpetrated by storekeepers
-when they think they can get more for their goods than what they
-sold them for. Even the proprietor of a large importing drug firm in
-Arequipa tried this on me once, and he was a man worth over one hundred
-thousand dollars. I declined to pay the Lima storekeeper any more money
-and also declined to give up my purchase. A half block away stood
-several policemen and he sent a friend after one of these. The cops
-soon appeared on the scene and started to make a big fuss. Ordinarily I
-would have returned the purchase but this happened to be something that
-I wanted. When the policemen, storekeeper, and bystanders were at the
-pitch of excitement, I managed to slip a couple of pesos into the hands
-of the former. They immediately changed their attitude, threatened the
-storekeeper and his friend with arrest, espoused my cause, and even
-went with me as far as the door of the Hotel Maury to "protect me from
-molestation" as they called it.
-
-A certain Lima senator not long ago caught his wife in a compromising
-act with a stranger. He had them both arrested on a charge of adultery.
-He hired the police to castrate the stranger, which was done in the
-jail. No proceedings were ever taken against the senator and the
-stranger was given short notice to leave the city.
-
-  [Illustration: Cercado Church, Lima]
-
-The General Cemetery of Lima is worthy of a visit. It is situated
-outside of the city limits, east of a suburb named Cercado. From the
-Plaza Santa Ana, the best way to reach it is by the long, populous,
-and none too straight Calle Junin on which is passed the ancient
-salmon-colored church of Carmen in front of a shady plazuela. I once
-saw a vulture the size of an eagle perched on the top of one of the
-iron framework crosses that ennoble its exterior. Several long blocks
-beyond it is Cercado, now inside the corporation of Lima but formerly
-a separate village, founded in 1586, and given the name Santiago. Its
-present name, Cercado, is derived from the Spanish _circuido_ meaning
-"surrounded," because the town was formerly surrounded with walls. At
-the end of one of its tortuous streets is an insane asylum of such a
-forbidding character that the epithet over its gate, "Let all who enter
-leave hope behind," can be properly applied. In its garden is a well
-where the attendants duck the refractory imbeciles till bubbles come
-up. Behind the asylum is the Plaza de Cercado, treeless, and traversed
-by an open sewer. Here is situated the ancient, dull drab, towered
-church, also named Cercado. A prolongation of the Calle Ancahs, here a
-broad avenue, bordered on both sides by large trees, leads directly to
-the cemetery.
-
-  [Illustration: Tomb of the Goyeneche Family, in the General Cemetery,
-   Lima]
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Kurt Waldemar Linn of New York
-
-   This photograph was taken in the General Cemetery in Lima]
-
-The General Cemetery possesses some of the finest works of marble
-monumental sculpture in South America. These masterpieces were done
-before the Pacific War in 1879 when Peru was an opulent country, and
-was not in the decadent and revolutionary state that it is in at the
-present time. Personally I do not like this cemetery because it is
-enclosed with high walls into which are set thousands of niches, a
-true Roman columbarium. Even in sunny daylight, it presents an ultra
-mournful appearance, no doubt due to congestion of room. If ever
-there was a City of the Dead, this is one. Near the main entrance is
-a pantheon, which must be passed through before reaching the cemetery
-proper. In front of it is a semi-rotunda bordered by exquisite marble
-busts and likenesses of Peru's famous dead of more than a half century
-ago. These are finely chiselled masterpieces of soft white gypsum-like
-marble, preserving to the present time their original aspects. These
-unblemished, untarnished sculptural likenesses are of statesmen,
-professors, and so forth, dignified, with nothing in common with the
-uncouth rabble of Lima to-day. It is just as well that the men whose
-remains are interred beneath these pedestals have long since died for
-they have not witnessed the humiliating defeat of their fatherland and
-the surrender of the nitrate fields of Iquique, together with the loss
-of Tacna and Arica, nor did they hear the tramp through Lima's streets
-of the Chilean conquerors.
-
-  [Illustration: Mr. Linn of New York Rising out of the Tomb Erected in
-   Honor of the Peruvian Heroes of the Pacific War, 1879-1882]
-
-  [Illustration: Corpse Bearer, General Cemetery, Lima]
-
-Beyond the pantheon are some fine mausoleums, that of the Goyeneche
-being remarkable. The cadavers are not sequestered in the tombs, but in
-niches in vaults underneath reached by a descending flight of stairs.
-The niches rent for six soles for two years ($1.50 a year) and in them
-are deposited the remains of those whose means are limited. A white
-marble slab generally covers the front of the niche. On these slabs
-are designs, differing but little from each other in originality. The
-paintings on the slabs are black and depict a willow tree on one of
-whose branches sits an owl. Beneath the tree in attitudes of prayer and
-mourning are shown several human beings grouped about a corpse lying on
-a couch. The infant mortality in Lima must be great as is evidenced by
-the number of fresh cement fillings over the niches that are just large
-enough to permit the coffin of a child to be placed in the aperture.
-I witnessed several burials of poor children. The father, mother,
-and a few relatives appear at the cemetery carrying a coffin, smoking
-cigarettes, and apparently no more absorbed with grief than if a pet
-dog or cat had died. A cemetery employee relieves them of their load
-and finds a niche. He climbs upon some boards stretched across a pair
-of wooden carpenter's horses and slides into the hole that which had
-once been human. He then seizes a cement slab, many of which are lying
-about, having been especially manufactured for the cemetery to be used
-on such occasions, fits it in the niche end, and slaps over it a few
-trowelfuls of wet cement. A scratch on the cement with a pointed stick
-writes the name of the deceased infant and the date of its succumbing.
-The work of interring is so slipshodly done that swarms of insects,
-which delight in making repasts on the putrefying entrails of corpses,
-crawl through the cracks of the cement and seethe on the faces of
-the slabs. Some of these bit me and caused festering sores by their
-undetectable inoculation.
-
-  [Illustration: Putting a Coffin into a Niche, General Cemetery, Lima]
-
-In the west end of this cemetery is another pantheon, this one superb.
-In it are the sarcophagi of General Bolognesi, Admiral Grau, and other
-heroes of the Pacific War. It also contains the bones of the former
-presidents. Protestants, pagans, and freemasons are not interred in
-this cemetery.
-
-Lima has a patron saint, Santa Rosa. She is also the patron saint of
-Callao. She was born in Lima, April 30, 1536, and devoted a life of
-purity to God. She died at the age of thirty-one years, August 23,
-1567. She was canonized by Pope Clement X. in 1671.
-
-There are many legends printed in book form about the city of Mexico,
-but none that I know of about this much more interesting city, Lima.
-Anecdotes and tales of the early history of Buenos Aires and Bahia
-would be worth reading, but I doubt if there is any city of the Western
-Hemisphere which is as rich in romance as Peru's capital. Some of the
-old houses here could tell many interesting tales if walls could speak,
-especially that one still existing called the Torre-Tagle house, where
-the Spanish viceroys formerly resided. It has a beautiful mahogany
-ceiling and balustrades and is the home of the Zevallos family.
-
-No modern book on Peru has the names of the viceroys tabulated. I have
-therefore gathered the names of the best known ones.
-
-1. Blassco Nunez de Vela. 1544-1551.
-
-2. Antonio de Mendoza. Sept. 23, 1551-July 21,1556.
-
-He founded the University of San Marcos at Lima.
-
-3. Andres Hurtado de Mendoza. July 21, 1556-March 30, 1561.
-
-4. Diego Lopez de Zuniga, Count of Nieva. April 17, 1561-Feb. 20, 1564.
-
-5. Francisco de Toledo. November 26, 1569-Sept. 23, 1581.
-
-He is called the Solon of Peru. He established the Inquisition.
-
-6. Martin Enriquez de Almanza. Sept. 23, 1581-March 15, 1583.
-
-7. Fernando de Torres y Portugal, Count del Villar de Pardo. 1586-Jan.
-6, 1590.
-
-8. Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza, Marquis of Canete. Jan. 6, 1590-July 26,
-1596.
-
-9. Luis de Velazco. July 26, 1596-Jan. 28, 1604.
-
-He established free schools. He had the first census of Lima taken
-January 1, 1600. Its population then was 14,262.
-
-10. Gaspar de Zuniga y Acevedo, Count of Monterrey. Jan. 28, 1604-Feb.
-16, 1606.
-
-11. Juan de Mendoza y Lima, Marquis of Montesclaros. Feb. 16, 1606-Dec.
-18, 1615.
-
-He built the stone bridge at Lima which is called the Puente Vieja and
-laid out the Alameda de los Descalzos.
-
-12. Francisco de Borja y Aragon, Prince of Esquilache. Dec. 18,
-1615-July 25, 1622.
-
-13. Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, Marquis of Guadalcazar. July 25,
-1622-Jan. 14, 1629.
-
-14. Luis Geronimo Fernandez de Cabrera, Count of Chinchon. Jan. 14,
-1629-Dec. 15, 1639.
-
-During his viceroyalty, the medicinal properties of quinine were
-discovered at Lima.
-
-15. Pedro de Toledo y Leyta, Marquis of Mancero. Dec. 15, 1639-.
-
-16. Garcia Sarmiento de Sotomayor, Count of Salvatierra. -June 26, 1659.
-
-17. Luis Enrique de Guzman, Count of Alba de Liste. June 26, 1659-.
-
-18. Diego Benavides y de la Cueva, Count of Santisteban. -1666.
-
-19. Pedro Fernandez de Castro, Count of Lemu. 1666-1672.
-
-20. Baltazar de la Cueva Enriquez. 1672-.
-
-21. Archbishop Melchor Linan y Cisneros.
-
-22. Melchor de Navarra y Rocaful.
-
-23. Melchor Portocarrero, Count de la Monclova. -Sept. 22, 1705.
-
-He had a census of Lima taken, Jan. 1, 1700. Its population was 37,234.
-
-24. Manuel de Oms y Santa Pau, Marquis of Castel Dos Rios. Sept. 22,
-1705-Apr. 22, 1710.
-
-25. Diego Ladron de Guevara, Bishop of Quito. Apr. 22, 1710-.
-
-27. Diego de Morcillo, Archbishop of Charcas. -Jan. 11, 1730.
-
-28. Jose de Almendariz, Marquis of Castel Fuerte. Jan. 11, 1730-.
-
-30. Jose Antonio Manso de Velasco, Count of Superunda. July 12,
-1745-Nov. 13, 1762.
-
-31. Manuel de Amat. Nov. 13, 1762-. He expelled the Jesuits from Peru.
-
-35. Francisco Gil de Taboada, Lemus y Villamarin.
-
-36. Ambrosio O'Higgins, Marquis of Osorno. -Mar. 18, 1801.
-
-He built the road from Lima to Callao.
-
-37. Gabriel de Aviles y del Fierro, Marquis of Aviles, Nov. 6,
-1801-July 26, 1806.
-
-38. Jose Fernando Abascal. July 26, 1806-.
-
-39. Joaquim de la Pezuela.
-
-He was the last Viceroy of Peru.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV
-
-ACROSS THE CORDILLERA TO THE RIO TAMBO
-
-
-Professor Edward Alsworth Ross in his book _South of Panama_ says of
-Peru:
-
-"Were I to be exiled, and confined the rest of my life to one country,
-I should choose Peru. Here is every altitude, every climate, every
-scene. The lifeless desert and the teeming jungle, the hottest lowlands
-and the bleakest highlands, heaven-piercing peaks and rivers raving
-through canyons--all in Peru. The crassest heathenism flourishes two
-days in the saddle from noble cathedrals, and the bustling ports are
-counterpoised by secluded inland towns where the past lies miraculously
-preserved like the mummy of the saint in a crypt."
-
-The greatest part of Peru lies east of the Andes. It is also the least
-known part of Peru for it is rarely visited by strangers or mining men
-or commercial travelers. The part they see is the desert coast line
-with its dirty, poverty-stricken towns, the bleak barren peaks that
-fringe the Pacific littoral, here and there a spot of verdure at the
-mouth of a river, and Lima, the capital. A few others, mostly mining
-men and engineers, take a trip to the summit of nearby mountains on
-the Oroya railroad, sojourn in the mining towns, suffer from cold and
-lonesomeness, and swear that Peru is the damnedest country on the face
-of the globe, and are heartily glad when the time comes for them to
-leave, vowing never to return again. Barely a handful of these people
-ever cross the passes of the eastern cordillera, and descend the banks
-of the rivulets formed from the melting of the perpetual snows until
-these rivulets become streams, the country opens out, and the climate
-changes from that of the arctic regions to that of the temperate
-zone and finally changes again to that of the tropics. If the tourist
-journeyed farther he would find himself in a vast forest of tropical
-trees, impenetrable, and the home of wild Indians of the blowpipe
-variety, who roam the great swamps and jungles clad not even in a loin
-cloth. He would meet mighty rivers as wide as our widest ones, would
-observe flora such as is only seen in our hothouses, and would see many
-species of fauna which he has never seen except at a zoo. This great,
-and for the most part unexplored, section of Peru is part of the Amazon
-watershed and forms a wilderness of forest which is the continuation
-of that of Brazil. The Amazon and many of its tributaries rise near
-the summits of the Andes, and cutting their passage in deep gorges and
-canyons ever widening in their descent down the eastern slope of the
-great barrier range of mountains, finally reach the lowlands and flow
-peacefully in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean, their volume of
-water being continually augmented by an inpour of thousands of similar
-smaller streams.
-
-A person who is at the mouth of a great river longs to follow it up to
-its source, likewise a person standing at the source or at the side
-of a little stream which he can step across and know that thousands
-of miles away it flows into the ocean as a mighty river, is fascinated
-and a longing comes over him to descend it and follow it to its outlet,
-especially if it happens to be in a country that is new to him and the
-course of the flowing road lies through a stretch of the universe that
-to him is an unsolved mystery. Twice before I have stood at the sources
-of tributaries to the Amazon, and each time I could hardly resist the
-temptation of following them downward. Once was at Huancayo on the
-Mantaro. This river flows eastward and joins the Apurimac, forming
-the Rio Tambo. The latter joins the Urubamba, forming the Ucayali.
-The Ucayali joins the Maranon, forming the main stream of the Amazon.
-The other time was at La Paz at the headwaters of the Chuquillampo.
-This river descends very steeply through a wild gorge named the Yungas
-and flows into the Altamachi. The latter flows into the Beni which in
-turn empties into the Madeira. The Madeira flows into the Amazon. As
-I was limited for time on each of these previous occasions I had to
-forego the pleasure and excitement of such a thrilling expedition. Also
-the descent of either of these rivers would have been impracticable
-without a large expedition because their courses lie through a country
-inhabited by savage Indians which would make traveling extremely
-dangerous.
-
-In Lima this time the idea occurred to me, since I had been twice
-thwarted in my desire to descend the length of the Amazon basin and
-might never have another chance if not at present, that it would be a
-good stunt to obtain all possible information about what route to take,
-and if feasible to make another attempt. I spoke about it to Prat who
-did not fall in with the idea very well as he had a wholesome fear of
-the wild tribes which he was told infested the whole forest region of
-Amazonian Peru. After a considerable palaver he finally agreed to take
-a chance and since we were told at the American consulate that the best
-way to make the trip would be by the way of the Chanchamayo and the
-Perene Rivers, we determined upon this last-mentioned route and then
-started to make preparations.
-
-There lives in Lima one of the best fellows that I have ever become
-a chance acquaintance of. His name is Tomas de Mandalangoitia and
-by occupation he is an official of the Peruvian line of steamers
-plying between Ilo and Panama. He gave me much information about my
-prospective trip and as his intentions were to sail the next week
-for Panama on business for his company, he offered to see that all
-our baggage would get through safely to that port. This he did, and
-to him I am extremely thankful as otherwise I would have never been
-able to make the trip. I left the details of the first stages of the
-trip to Signor Francesco Sansoni, the courier of the Hotel Maury, who
-telegraphed to the different stopping places en route as far as the
-Perene Colony, making reservations for me for horses, and accommodation
-for me, with guides. He arranged my itinerary and also made in Lima
-what necessary purchases we would require. The latter consisted of
-a portable stove, tent, blankets, rifles, revolvers, sack of beans,
-salt, sugar, molasses, and buckskin shoes. I also carried a camera
-and medicine chest. I might as well mention that I went to all this
-expense for nothing because on the Rio Tambo our boat upset and we
-lost everything in the water excepting the clothes we had on, our
-money which with our letters of credit we had tied around our persons
-in a belt, and our revolvers with a box of cartridges which we had in
-our pockets. Prat even lost his hat and was obliged to buy an Indian
-piece of headgear from a native boatman which he wore until we reached
-Iquitos a month later.
-
-  [Illustration: Llamas at Casapalca
-
-   Casapalca is about 14,000 feet above sea level]
-
-The railroad to Oroya, the highest in the world, has been described
-so many times that it is unnecessary to do so now. In even hours one
-is taken from Lima to an altitude of 15,865 feet and then dropped
-down 3686 feet to the junction town of Oroya, from which place a
-railroad runs northward to Cerro de Pasco, and another one southward
-to Huancayo. At Casapalca near to the summit of the Andes west of the
-divide there was a herd of llamas numbering about three hundred behind
-the railroad sheds. I obtained a good photograph of them which is here
-reproduced. Most of the people on the train suffered from _soroche_, a
-mountain sickness akin to vertigo and nausea which is due to the rapid
-change in atmosphere that the traveler undergoes when he is whisked
-into the high, nitrogenous altitudes. It commonly takes several days
-before the unaccustomed person feels all right again. At Oroya there
-is a fair hotel, the Junin, where I was obliged to stop over night and
-where the raw air nearly chilled me through on account of my previous
-sojourn in the sub-tropics. Oroya is 12,179 feet above sea level and is
-a bleak, dismal place at its best. The wind blows something fierce and
-chills one's very marrow. I told Prat that he had better dress warmly
-but the Spaniard said that since we were only to endure a few days'
-frigidity he could stand it. It was laughable to see him shiver in his
-Palm Beach suit and watch him chase his straw sailor hat which a gust
-of wind would occasionally blow off. Even though I was warmly clad, I
-was obliged to crawl under four blankets with all my clothes on when I
-retired that night.
-
-At six o'clock the next morning we were awakened and upon emerging
-from the front door found a cholo guide, who Francesco Sansoni had
-telegraphed for, awaiting us with four mules, one for the baggage. We
-had so much paraphernalia with us that it would have been impossible to
-load it all upon one mule, so I had it divided somewhat in order that
-the three mules which we were to ride would bear some of the burden. We
-were ready to start out at any time after breakfast was served, which
-we had ordered for 6.30 A.M., but seven o'clock slipped by without
-any of the servants having prepared any. I went into the kitchen and
-asked the cook to hurry with it, but he said that the proprietor was
-asleep and had the keys of the pantry. I told him to awaken him, but
-the cholo cook was evidently afraid to disturb the sleep of his Italian
-master. It was nearly nine o'clock before we got away after we had
-partaken of some stale rolls and several cups of poor coffee. For an
-hour and a half after starting we climbed a broad, well-traveled path
-up the western slopes of the barren mountains, until we reached the
-summit where there was a pass at an altitude of 13,975 feet above sea
-level. This pass is the dividing line between the Mantaro and the Palca
-watersheds, both of which belong to the Amazon basin. The Mantaro flows
-in a southeasterly direction out of Lake Junin and as a creek flows
-past the towns of Oroya and Jauja, ever increasing in volume so that
-it is quite respectable in size at Huancayo. Beyond the summit was a
-large uneven plain from which rose many rounded hills and stony buttes
-and which was sprinkled here and there with coarse tufts of bunch
-grass at which we saw llamas grazing. These mountain plateaus are in
-Chile called pampas, in Bolivia and Southern Peru, _punos_, but here
-and farther north as far as Colombia, _paramos_. It took us an hour to
-cross this plain which sloped gently to the east; then began a rough
-descent over stony ground on the eastern slopes of the mountain till
-we reached a formation where a depression of the ground showed us was
-the beginning of a valley. The grasses became more abundant and a few
-shrubs appeared. The lower we descended, the more these shrubs took on
-the appearance of trees so that now the country had a totally different
-aspect from the barrenness of Oroya and the high plateau. The path had
-broadened considerably so that it nearly assumed a road-like width, and
-we met many droves of llamas followed up by drivers on muleback. All
-were carrying merchandise to the railroad. In a few days they would
-return with the products of the civilized world imported from North
-America and Europe. We now came upon the south bank of a fastly flowing
-stream and followed this for about five hours, riding very slowly and
-taking in the landscape which was becoming less wild all the time. A
-few miles before reaching Tarma the banks of the creek were clothed
-with patches of calla lilies, growing wild, in their original native
-state, the dark green of their arrow-shaped leaves forming a brilliant
-color contrast with the creamy whiteness of their blossoms and the
-golden yellow of their petals. A cleft in the mountains was seen ahead,
-which showed us that our creek here joined another river, which was
-true for here the Acomayo was reached. Presently the red tile roofs of
-Tarma were seen among the eucalyptus groves and soon we clattered down
-an avenue bordered by trees and on each side of which ran irrigation
-ditches. At the end of this avenue was an ornamental gate built into
-the solid walls of the buildings and which looked like a triumphal
-arch. Under this we passed and then entered the narrow streets of the
-city, drawing up at the Hotel Roma on the plaza, where rooms reserved
-for us by Sansoni were awaiting our occupancy.
-
-  [Illustration: Tarma, Peru]
-
-Tarma is a very pleasant town of five thousand inhabitants in an ideal
-location in a narrow valley which it seems to fill at the base of high
-mountains. Its altitude is 10,010 feet above sea level but it lacks the
-chill of such highly situated towns east of the cordillera. Here the
-cold winds from the high paramos and ice peaks do not reach owing to
-its sheltered position. The air is fresh, but not raw and reminds one
-of the first breezes of spring. I was told by the accommodating Italian
-hotel proprietor that the climate is that of a perpetual spring.
-
-The city is compactly built with one- and two-story adobe houses, those
-on the main streets being painted light colors or whitewashed. In the
-center of the town is a treeless plaza but beautified with shrubs in
-which is a round cement fountain and an octagonal frame bandstand. At
-one side of this plaza is the parish church in charge of an amiable
-fat priest, a cholo who has but a slight strain of white blood as can
-be observed by his dark, heavy jowled features. He was clad in a white
-robe of coarse wool over which hung a dark cape. He seemed very much
-interested in us and gave us letters of introduction to other priests
-along the road which we would follow. These he handed to Prat who
-accidentally lost them on purpose; the Catalonian in his heart was an
-agnostic, and a Roman Catholic only in his bringing up. He would walk
-a block out of his way to avoid meeting a priest, yet when he was sick
-would always want to have one about him. He would never enter a church
-and would make sacrilegious remarks, yet when a thunderstorm would
-come up, he would cross himself and mumble prayers only to forget them
-as soon as the sky became clear again. Padre Troncoso was the name of
-the Tarma priest and he delighted in having me take his photograph.
-He teaches in the parish school and asked me to take a picture of his
-highest class which consisted of sixteen boys, most of whom were white.
-
-The Hotel Roma is a two-story structure with a carved wooden balcony on
-its second floor; its exterior is much like many buildings in Stamboul.
-It is a very comfortable and clean place with good food. There is
-another hotel in Tarma, the Umberto, which is well spoken of. The most
-curious sight in the small city is the cemetery. It reminds one of a
-Chinese burying ground. It is filled with many grotesque monuments,
-some of them having tiled roofs. These individual tombstones are of
-adobe, and are whitewashed over. They contain several niches into which
-the coffins are placed and they are so narrow that the gruesome burdens
-may be put in them at either end.
-
-  [Illustration: Cemetery, Tarma]
-
-We left Tarma early in the morning and followed the Acomayo River
-a couple of hours to the town of Acobamba, a pretty village much
-resembling Tarma only smaller. We watered our mules here, tarried about
-an hour, and then continued for another two hours to the city of Palca
-which is very much like both Tarma and Acobamba, although smaller than
-the first-mentioned place and larger than the last-mentioned one. It is
-a poorer place than Tarma, but it has a larger church. This building
-is several hundred years old; it is of adobe, and has a broad facade
-from one side of which rises a four-story belfry capped with a steeple.
-The valley is here very narrow but beyond Palca there is a widening
-where the Acomayo flows into the Rio Palca. This river we followed
-the rest of the day. The scenery between Tarma and Palca is much the
-same, and is distinguished by the number of century plants along the
-roadside and the abundance of calla lilies along the river bed. Some
-of these lilies were spotted and likewise had light spots on their
-leaves. Leaving Palca there was a much more varied vegetation. This
-was noticeable when we crossed the river and we proceeded along its
-south bank. The mountains were still barren but were beginning to show
-unmistakable signs by the increased number of bushes on their slopes
-that we were approaching a wetter climate. The river itself had all
-the attractions of a clear, rushing mountain torrent working its way
-among the rocks and bowlders; its banks of shale rock were steep and
-thickly clothed with vegetable life of many species. Among the latter
-were wild verbenas of the brightest scarlet, purple begonias, several
-varieties of fern, wild tobacco plants, and a creeper much like the
-wild cucumber. An hour beyond Palca we arrived at the hill of Carpapata
-down whose sides the road zigzagged in many windings. The natives have
-made a short cut between the zigzags which saves a couple of kilometers
-but which is too steep to be descended in comfort. Up and down this
-short cut they drive their llamas which take readily to its steepness
-like mountain sheep. Arrived near the bottom of the hill the road leads
-along the ledge of a cliff high above the turbulent river. To look
-down or up is apt to cause giddiness. This is the famous scene that
-is portrayed in the geographies of half a century ago where a llama
-train is meeting a mule train on a curve at the side of a precipice.
-The view with the river flowing at the bottom of the gorge is truly
-impressive. The mountains on either side are sheer and rocky, their
-upper slopes covered only with grass, their bases clothed with shrubs.
-Straight before us leading to a veritable land of promise lay the road,
-threading its way on a gentle downward grade, perpetually alternating
-from the convex to the concave on the ledge of the mountains. Ahead of
-us on the other side of the canyon a single mountain appeared clad with
-forest trees up to its very summit, the first that I had seen in Peru.
-As we drew nearer it became a scene of enchanting beauty, with its
-colorings of light green and gray. From the underbrush near its summit
-there was poured forth a large waterfall, which dashed down its entire
-height in three separate cascades for several hundred feet.
-
-Towards evening we reached the rest house named the Huacapistana Hotel,
-at an exact altitude of 5600 feet above sea level. This is the real
-gateway to the tropics. The hotel, owned by an Italian, is built on
-a narrow shelf of land in a flowery meadow above the river and below
-the road. It is a clean well-kept two-story building with half a dozen
-guests' rooms. Adjoining it and separated from the meadow by a stone
-wall is a barn and a corral for horses and llamas. The climate is fresh
-but it is much warmer than at Tarma. A mist gathered over the river
-that night which made the atmosphere rather chilly. This is frequently
-the case and it does not lift until the sun is well out the next
-morning.
-
-We got an early start the next day and found the road, which was now
-smooth, wet, and slippery from the mist. The tree trunks and branches
-were rich in symbiotic life, with ferns, lianas, and orchidaceous
-plants of many species. The wild cotton trees were laden with festoons
-of roseate blossoms, and from the extremities of their slender branches
-would be seen hanging large wasps' nests. Other nests such as those of
-bees and ants of a gray color spotted the rocks or any available bare
-space on the smooth bark of a tree. The effect of the giant tree fern
-spreading its graceful fronds over the path was enchanting; beneath
-its shade grew seemingly every other species of fern which one has
-ever noticed in hothouses at home. We passed several small coffee
-plantations; in the clearings near the houses were banana, orange, and
-papaya trees. The tit-shaped fruit of the latter is so common that it
-is left unpicked for the birds to feed on. The pods attain maturity
-in regular sequence from the lowest to the highest, swelling in size,
-changing from green to yellow, and becoming soft and possessing an
-insipid sweetish odor. In the matter of vegetation generally, the
-above description may be fairly said to characterize the whole region;
-orchids, scarlet cannas, the broad-leafed caladium or elephant's ear,
-purple, white, and pink begonias, scarlet verbenas; creepers, ferns,
-and mosses; forest trees, reeds, grasses, and plant life generally,
-interspersed with huge bowlders and masses of weatherbeaten rock of a
-chalky whiteness, all contributing to the formation of the most perfect
-fairy scene imaginable.
-
-Occasionally one would meet with a blaze of color from some wild cotton
-trees, laden with flowers, pink, yellow, and even blue; and equally
-striking was the effect of a species of wild runner bean with dark
-green leaves and thick bunches of vermilion flowers hanging in tresses,
-and appearing to nearly smother the tree which gave it support.
-
-The road made a sudden double turn to reach a lower level by the side
-of the river, and then became a low-roofed passage cut beneath an
-immense wall of overhanging rock, open and unsupported on the river
-side, and in plain view of the turbulent stream below. The softest and
-most luxuriant vegetation covers this rock, and it is overhung in many
-places with the graceful tape fern, and the snakelike roots of trees.
-Here I saw a large toucan fly across the ravine and its brilliant
-plumage of scarlet and black added a still further charm to the scene.
-The next view after passing beneath the rocky projection is one which
-can never fail to arrest the attention. At a distance ahead, sufficient
-to enable one to take in the whole picture, rises the Pan de Azucar
-(Sugar Loaf), a mountain in the middle of the now broadened river bed.
-Its marvelous shape and mantle of green forest trees, which extend to
-its summit, remind one of the Pitons at Castries, St. Lucia, although
-on a much smaller scale. We came to a place where there used to be a
-swinging bridge but which was some time ago abandoned because the road
-crosses the river by a new stone one farther down. Here on turning
-around in our saddles is a view different in character but equally
-impressive and grand. This is a great perpendicular patch of white rock
-regularly stratified but wrinkled and most strangely contorted into the
-form of an elliptical curve.
-
-The bridges over the river which we had to cross at different stages of
-the journey deserve a word of praise for their construction, combining
-lightness with strength. They are of the suspension type, built of
-strong cables with plank footboards, and sufficient to meet the needs
-of the present light and limited mule traffic. When crossing, it is
-advisable to dismount and walk, because they sway considerably and are
-open at the sides. One such bridge some twelve miles below Huacapistana
-leads to the hacienda of Naranjal, a sugar plantation. The only bridge
-that I know of in North America similar to these swinging bridges of
-Peru spans Capilano Canyon near North Vancouver, in British Columbia.
-Naranjal has an old-fashioned garden with a fountain surrounded with
-mango and orange trees, the latter giving the name to the place. Three
-miles below Naranjal is the ranch house of Milagro, belonging to a man
-named Horquiera.
-
-San Ramon is a little village situated in the heart of the Chanchamayo
-district. The country is here more open and is surrounded at varying
-distances by undulations and rounded hills, thickly covered with virgin
-forest; their lower slopes were, however, cleared for sugar, coffee,
-and cocoa plantations. After the mist had cleared in the early morning,
-the day had been hot, but full of novel interest, and although we had
-made an early start we had progressed at a speed not exceeding three
-miles an hour and had now only completed fifteen miles. The settlement
-of San Ramon although somewhat scattered consists chiefly of one
-street, the houses on which are no more than huts. They are built of
-wood and have thatched roofs, the latter slanting downward in front
-from the ridge of the pole. The hotel is the only substantial building
-of the village. It is a two-story stone and adobe building set back
-from the road in a field which is somewhat overrun with castor beans.
-
-The six miles between San Ramon and La Merced was over fairly level
-ground and through less imposing scenery. On the way we passed through
-several hamlets inhabited by Chinamen and cholos, and small _chacras_
-on which grew papayas and other fruits. All the buildings were of
-mud or cane, thatched and of that rustic and simple character which
-not only harmonizes with a natural environment, but suits the country
-and climate and seems in every way to meet the needs of a primitive
-population. Over the door of one such edifice was the sign which
-denoted that it was used as a school. At the time of our passing, the
-only scholars visible were a boy and a girl, who with their backs to
-the open door, sat at a desk gazing at a monstrous colored diagram
-demonstrating the evil effects of alcohol upon the human system. We
-crossed the very fine Herreria suspension bridge and two hours after
-leaving San Ramon entered La Merced.
-
-La Merced is situated on a flat-topped eminence and commands a good
-view of the surrounding country, but in itself it does not seem to
-possess any characteristics of special interest. It is merely a small
-country town with typical parish church and plaza and is in telegraphic
-communication with the outside world. The inhabitants of the town have
-suffered considerably from malaria which is visible on their wasted
-and parchment-colored countenances. Leaving La Merced it took us three
-hours to reach the Peruvian Corporation's headquarters. This is located
-at the junction of the rivers Paucartambo and Chanchamayo, the combined
-river taking the name of Perene. The road, which was fair, wound
-around the left bank of the Chanchamayo, now a river of considerable
-breadth, and the scenery once more became increasingly beautiful. Tree
-ferns and tree palms of different kinds were again abundant; from one
-of these species, fanlike in leaf, is made the local straw hat, but
-little inferior to the so-called Panama variety. Butterflies, both
-large and small, were omnipresent. The whole distance from La Merced
-to the Peruvian Corporation's headquarters is about fifteen miles. The
-bridge over the Colorado River, a tributary stream, was under repair,
-so leaving the path we saved time and distance by fording it. In the
-rainy season this would have been an impossibility, for it becomes a
-raging torrent, as evidenced by the huge rounded boulders, and width of
-its bed, along which we had to ride. This part, bordered by tall reeds,
-towering above our heads, was now dry and led us to another arm of the
-river, where a fairly strong flow of water wet our mules up to their
-bellies. Regaining our path, we eventually regained the Paucartambo,
-which we crossed by the means of a primitive log raft, while the guide
-took the mules across by a bridge a mile down the river.
-
-Here among the clean-washed stones of the river bed, I got my first
-view of the uncivilized Indian. This was a male Chuncho native,
-rifle in hand, returning from an unsuccessful hunt. At first he hid
-behind some brushwood but was finally induced to come out. He was a
-well-built, sturdy fellow of medium height, attired in a loose brown
-robe of native manufacture. His skin was of the same hue, and his head
-of thick black hair was encircled and held in place by a plain band of
-cane. Sunday is a market day at the Peruvian Corporation's camp; it was
-then that I saw more of these Indians. From them I obtained for a few
-centavos several of their chains of colored seeds, and monkey teeth,
-and ultimately procured a complete outfit, headband, more aboriginal
-ornamental finery, parrots' wings with feathers attached which serve as
-a loin cloth, bows and arrows. They are painted with a facial adornment
-of vermilion, with the occasional addition of grease to keep the flies
-and insects off. This red paint is found ready made in the seeds of
-the achote, a bush of two varieties which produces maroon-colored
-pods and which grows wild in the chacra clearings. These Indians who
-live in the neighborhood of the settlements are mild, peaceful, and
-intelligent, skilled in domestic industries which is the manufacture
-of bows and arrows. They are excellent marksmen. They are somewhat
-small in stature but well built. They take readily to the water and
-learn to swim, and are cleaner in their habits and customs than the
-cholos and mountain Indians. Filial affection is a not deeply implanted
-instinct with them, and among them human life is but lightly esteemed.
-While few serious crimes are committed among them, murder is accounted
-as nothing. If a widow with a young family remarries, it is the all
-but universal practice for the second husband to kill her children
-by a previous marriage. It is also a common occurrence for a family
-to throw their parents into the river when, through the infirmity of
-advancing years, life becomes a burden, either to themselves, or to
-those on whom they should look for support. The manager of the Peruvian
-Corporation's headquarters told me that on one occasion he had the
-greatest difficulty in restraining some Chunchos from throwing into
-the Perene, a man who was suffering from a bad abscess, and who was
-eventually cured by having it lanced. This is the fate they mete out to
-all members of their tribe who are suffering from diseases which they
-consider incurable.
-
-Eighty miles below the camp, where the rivers Perene and Ene unite
-to form the Tambo, dwell a colony of Campas Indians known as the
-Ungoninos. Owing to the outrages perpetrated upon them by the rubber
-gatherers, they offer a stout resistance to the approach of a stranger,
-for they have learned not to trust the white man. Though they are not
-cannibals, it is impossible to enter their territory, and in making the
-cross-country journey to Iquitos, it is necessary to go by the way of
-Puerto Jessup and Puerto Bermudez if one wishes to escape with one's
-life. The Cashibos, on the other hand, are a distinct race of Indians
-who inhabit the plains on the left bank of the Pachitea. They are
-cannibals. These people wear no clothes, shave their heads, and wage
-continual warfare on all the surrounding tribes. Their cannibalistic
-propensities have been explained in the attempt on the part of the
-Cashibo to absorb into his system qualities of the white man which
-he considers to be superior to his own. They, like other tribes,
-have undoubtedly been made worse by the shocking treatment they have
-received at the hands of the caucheros (rubber gatherers), some of whom
-are the lawless descendants of European immigrants whose ostensible
-occupation is the gathering of rubber, but who, at the same time,
-carry on a lucrative trade in the sale of human beings. From what I
-have heard, there prevails a state of affairs which in its recorded
-and unrecorded atrocities, falls nothing short of the darkest page
-of slavery practiced in the days of Leopold II. in Belgian Congo. The
-Cashibos have been a fierce and warlike tribe; now they have learned
-what the crack of the carbine means and quickly get out of the way when
-they hear it. They are, however, very treacherous, and a small party
-traveling through their country would run a great risk of serving as a
-banquet for them. They kill off all the men of the other tribes down
-the Ucayali and sell the women and children whenever they can get a
-market for them. The method may not be humanitarian but it is at least
-practical and remunerative to them.
-
-Coffee does not grow at the Peruvian Corporation's headquarters camp
-but at a half-dozen different chacras some distance from it. This plan
-was adopted to obviate the possible exigencies of blight, but it is
-an unfortunate one, because not only does it augment the difficulties
-of transport but militates against anything like direct personal
-supervision. These haciendas, which produce the most excellent coffee
-and cocoa, are known as La Magdalena, La Margarita, and San Juan.
-These are the largest and most important as well as being the farthest
-away. The difficulties of intercommunication are increased by the
-character of the roads which in the rainy season are nearly impassable
-on account of the mud. The road to La Magdalena needs constant clearing
-to prevent it from becoming an overgrown track; those leading to La
-Margarita and to San Juan are toilsome zigzagging ascents which after
-heavy rains furnish stretches of mire and clay knee deep. In addition
-to this, streams cross the road in many places, and when swollen
-frequently wash it entirely away. All the haciendas are in the Perene
-division of the country, bounded on the south by the main river and
-on the west separated from the Chanchamayo region by the Paucartambo.
-From here eastward stretches two hundred miles of hilly land before
-the general level of the Brazilian plains is reached, and the whole is
-covered with a dense forest, uninhabited excepting by wild Indians.
-It is a wonderful country, stored with natural wealth and capable of
-immense development when it will be opened up. Its climate and general
-conditions are, with the exception of malaria and blackwater fever,
-healthy, and there are but few drawbacks in the way of insect pests.
-
-For four solid days, after arriving at the headquarters' camp, it
-rained, which kept us indoors or near the shelter of the buildings. The
-fifth day broke cloudless with the sun shining, and as we had spent
-enough time loafing about the buildings of the Peruvian Corporation,
-we decided to start out, and try to make the mission station of Jesus
-Maria at the junction of the Perene and the Pangoa Rivers in three
-days' time. From there we could hire some natives to take us in a canoe
-in three more days to Puerto Raimondi, a settlement on the Ucayali
-River at which place we thought it would be possible to board a steam
-launch to take us down the stream to Iquitos. We later on discovered
-that we were wrong because we had to canoe down the Ucayali as far
-as Cumaria a distance of one hundred miles below Puerto Raimondi.
-The trail down the Perene lay through level country, the mountains
-having somewhat receded from the river. Sometimes a spur would extend
-to the banks, but after the first day out they were for the most part
-several miles off to the north. They were diminishing in height, and
-those to the north were called the Cerros de la Sal. The guide that
-had come with us from Oroya returned home from the Perene Colony, but
-the manager at headquarters' camp, Senor Villalta, provided us with
-horses, and sent along with us as far as Jesus Maria, a half-breed and
-two native Indians. He did this because these Indians belonged to the
-tribe that lives beyond Jesus Maria, and through them we would be able
-to continue our journey in safety since they would procure for us at
-the mission station an escort which would see us through to the place
-where we were to board the launch. There were quite a few small chacras
-on the first two days' trip and both nights we managed to find lodging
-at one of them. The first night out, I noticed that the bag of Ica
-beans and most of the canned stuff which Sansoni had bought for us in
-Lima was missing. I spoke to Prat about this because he had carried the
-sack of beans with him on his mount. He professed surprise and gave out
-his theory that the cholo guide from Oroya had stolen them and had gone
-back home with them. I had my doubts about this because the Spaniard
-had been complaining a dozen times every day about the load that he
-had to lug along with him. I said nothing about it until five weeks
-later when we were in the hotel in Manaos awaiting a Brazilian Lloyd
-steamer to take us to Para. Prat was in the barroom slightly under
-the influence of vermouth and bitters, relating to Colonel Constantino
-Nery, governor of the State of Amazonas, our adventures in crossing the
-continent. The governor asked him how we had fared for food, to which
-Prat answered that we had done well considering that we were obliged to
-eat Indian concoctions that the ordinary white man would not sniff at.
-I added that we might have lived better if Prat had not left behind at
-the Perene Colony the sack of beans and the canned goods. The latter
-then went on to relate that the cholo guide from Oroya stole them. I
-interrupted saying that since the trip was now over and we had reached
-civilization safely that it did not matter what had become of them,
-but that I believed Prat had left them behind because he did not want
-to be bothered with them. The Spaniard called for another vermouth
-and then laughingly owned up that he had left them behind saying that
-the temperature was hot enough the way it was without being hampered
-with any burdens. Nery told him that he was quite right and that he
-would have done the same had he been there. This trick of leaving our
-provisions behind has always since appealed to Prat as a huge joke.
-
-Our water trip from Jesus Maria to Para, thence to Cayenne, Paramaribo,
-Georgetown, Bridgetown, Willemstedt, and to Colon is full of enough
-material to fill another book which will appear in the near future.
-This book is only meant to deal with the southern countries of South
-America such as Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay. I have added to
-it a few chapters not dealing on the original subject, but which I
-refrained from leaving out as they were a series of consecutive travel.
-At Jesus Maria we hired a canoe which took us down the Rio Tambo to
-Puerto Raimondi which is situated on the west bank of that stream at
-its junction with the Urubamba which here forms the Ucayali. Behind
-us inland was the Cashobi country so in continuing our canoe trip
-to Cumaria we always camped on the right bank of the river. It took
-us one week of stiff paddling to reach Cumaria. One day our canoe
-capsized, making us lose everything we had with us, necessitating us
-to partake of such delicacies as stewed monkey and parrot which the
-Indian stomach craves for and which are nearly always to be purchased
-at the Indian encampments on the right bank of the Ucayali. Cumaria is
-the head of river navigation. It is an Indian settlement at which a few
-_caucheros_, or rubber gatherers, live. Here we were fortunate enough
-to become passengers of a gasoline launch which took us in a week to
-Contamana. We had been told at Jesus Maria that the launches were steam
-power, but were surprised when we arrived at Cumaria to find that they
-were gasoline ones, and this in the wilderness, many hundred miles from
-civilization. At Contamana we changed into another gasoline launch.
-Here we entered that part of the river which is called the Bajo or
-Lower Ucayali. It differs much from the Alto or Upper Ucayali in so far
-that the distant mountains have altogether disappeared, the stream is
-much broader, has many channels, and is filled with large islands some
-of them being fifty miles long. Also settlements are more plentiful,
-and at the docks near the hamlets crude rubber in balls is waiting
-for exportation. Two days before reaching Iquitos the Bajo Ucayali is
-joined by the Maranon and the Amazon itself is entered.
-
-Iquitos is a fever-stricken port of twelve thousand inhabitants on
-the left bank of the Amazon. It is built on the high banks above the
-river opposite to some islands of the same name, and not far above the
-confluence of the Nanay and the Amazon. Above the town is a fair-sized
-stream, the Itaya, which makes the city located on a peninsula. It
-is the capital of the Province of Loreto, which comprises the entire
-Peruvian Amazonian lowlands, and has a wireless telegraph communication
-with Puerto Bermudez (which is only a three days' trip from the
-Perene Colony). From Puerto Bermudez telegraph wires run to Lima via
-La Merced. Iquitos is the center of the rubber industry of the Upper
-Amazon and is a booming town in spite of the yellow fever which is
-nearly always prevalent. It has steamship communication with Manaos,
-Para, and the outside world.
-
-Up to a decade ago, if a man in Lima had business in Iquitos, he was
-obliged to take a steamer to England, tranship to Para, and there
-tranship again to Iquitos. He had the alternative of going to Panama,
-across the isthmus to Colon and thence take a steamer to Barbadoes.
-From Barbadoes he would go to Para, and thence to Iquitos. These were
-long trips, several months being endured in the passage. Now Iquitos is
-reached across country from Lima; the trip takes anywhere from three
-weeks to six months, according to which route the traveler chooses.
-It has been done in sixteen days, but from four to five weeks is the
-average allowing time for misconnections. I believe that the shortest
-way to reach Iquitos from Lima is to take a steamer to Pacasmayo,
-which is a day and a half north of the capital. Thence go by rail and
-horseback to Cajamarca. From there go by horseback via Chachapoyas to
-Moyobamba. From Moyobamba one can go in two to three days to Yurimaguas
-on the Huallaga River, whence one can go by launch to Iquitos in a week
-and a half. I know a person who went from Cerro de Pasco to Iquitos.
-He followed the Huallaga to its mouth and it took him six months.
-The common way of reaching Iquitos from Lima is to go to La Merced;
-thence overland through Puerto Bermudez to Puerto Victoria on the
-Sampoya River down which one descends on a canoe to the Ucayali, taking
-a chance of making connection with the launch at Santa Rosa de los
-Canivos, which is about one third of the way downstream between Cumaria
-and Contamana. There is also a northern route which takes about five
-weeks. The eastbound traveler goes from Paita to Piura by rail; thence
-via Huancabamba to Jaen by horseback. Jaen is a day's stage from the
-Maranon which one must descend by canoe.
-
-In the night after the day on which the steamer left Iquitos, the
-Napo River was passed. It flows into the Amazon from a northwesterly
-direction. One of its tributaries is the Curaray which rises in
-the Andes of Ecuador. Along its course live a tribe of head-hunting
-Indians. These savages after they capture a white man or an Indian of
-another tribe, behead them. They boil the head in a concoction which
-loosens the bones. These they take out and fill the cavity with hot
-stones. By some process of their own, they shrink the head until it
-becomes no larger than a large orange, yet retaining the features
-that the victim possessed during life. These they offer for sale, and
-are to be purchased in the curiosity shops of Lima and Guayaquil on
-the Pacific Coast, and even in Para at the mouth of the Amazon. From
-the savage to the curiosity shop proprietor they pass through many
-hands so that it is impossible to arrive at the source of the murder.
-A certain Swede once left Guayaquil for the interior on an exploring
-expedition. A year afterwards a head was purchased in that city which
-was found to be that of the Scandinavian. Since he was never heard
-of after he crossed the Cordillera, it is assumed that his party was
-beset by savages and he was murdered, his skull boiled down, and hawked
-about until it reached the hands of a Guayaquil dealer. The September,
-1918, number of the _South American Magazine_ published in New York,
-has an article which says that there is believed to be a head factory
-in Guayaquil. The dealer in this sketch is undoubtedly in league with
-body-snatchers who supply him with corpses, which he beheads and boils
-down, having obtained the recipe from the Indians. These heads he
-places on sale. One of his relics was the head of an employee of the
-Quito-Guayaquil Railroad who had died the previous year of yellow fever
-in Guayaquil and was supposed to have been given a decent funeral. This
-horrid trick of the Indians cannot be eradicated until the law puts a
-stop to the purchase of these heads. By punishing the dealers and the
-middle-men, the Indians will cease to find a market for these gruesome
-souvenirs.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI
-
-BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE
-
-
-The object of these travels was not to see the country dealt with
-as much as it was to study the business conditions and future
-possibilities in those lines in Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay.
-
-Although there are undoubtedly great opportunities at the present time
-and in the future to enter into business enterprises in the northern
-republics of South America, which as yet, only have their surface
-towards development, the republics farther south which are partially
-developed, offer better inducements owing to their forms of government,
-the character of the races who inhabit them, and the incentives which
-are offered to the foreigner who wishes to start a new industry.
-With the exception of Argentina and Uruguay there is practically no
-manufacturing done on a large scale, such as we are accustomed to see
-on all sides in the United States and in Europe. There are many small
-industries employing from three to twenty men, providing the employers
-with not much more than a good living, and the employees with a mere
-subsistence, but there are no really large ones which are a credit to
-their country.
-
-To start anything in any of these countries, the matter of prime
-importance is for the proprietor and his foreign employees to be able
-to converse fluently, read, and write in Spanish. Next he should
-understand the character of the Latin races which is not at all
-easy if he is prejudiced. Their ways of doing business are totally
-different from ours. Also owing to the scarcity of money in some of
-these republics, the new firm should have plenty of ready capital, and
-should never organize with a limited amount, the outstanding balance
-being made up of notes. To sell preferred stock to the natives would be
-nearly impossible, because no Latin would buy any unless he is "shown"
-first, and this "showing" would have to cover a period of a great
-many years, so susceptible are they of making investments. The company
-should be entirely capitalized with the cash paid in before the first
-stroke of business is begun. Many firms in South America have come to
-grief by being only partially capitalized, and their example is always
-before the native mind. Competing trusts and grafting politicians
-should be reckoned with. Many large firms give as a present to the
-governor of a province, or to the deputy in congress, a few shares of
-their stock. These men in turn make laws which benefit their company,
-and make it impossible for competitors to transact a legitimate
-business.
-
-As Argentina offers less opportunities in the manufacturing line than
-its neighboring sister republics, it is best to deal with it first. To
-begin with, the country is a great expanse of land, for the most part
-in appearance a level plain, gradually rising as one travels westward.
-This rise is but two feet to the mile and is imperceptible. This plain
-is traversed by quite a few rivers, but so slowly does the land rise,
-that these streams are nothing more than sluggish watercourses, muddy,
-and affording no drainage. They often overflow their banks, forming
-muddy ponds and lakes a few inches deep. On account of the slowness
-of their flow they are valueless for waterpower. This part of the
-country is therefore not adaptable for factories; its sole use is for
-the growing of grain and stock-raising. Although this is one of the
-greatest wheat belts in the world, it has no flour mills, and but few
-grain elevators. The wheat is shipped a long distance by rail to the
-seaport towns, whence it is exported to Europe. That which is needed
-for local consumption is ground into flour in the seaports which have
-mills; much of it is shipped back over the same road that it went out
-on to be distributed over the sections where the grain was grown. The
-towns here are small and far apart. Their only excuse for an existence
-is that they are the distributing points for an agricultural section
-and to them the necessities of life are shipped which eventually find
-their way to the large estancias as the farms are called. To these
-towns grain is hauled to be shipped out by the railroad. Stores spring
-up, a hotel or two is built, a few professional men such as doctors
-and lawyers establish themselves, but nobody ever thinks of starting a
-factory. It would be folly to do so, because there is no future besides
-agriculture and stock. There is no fuel, no iron, and no waterpower.
-
-West of the great Argentine plain we reach the mountains. The Andes
-here are the highest peaks in all America. They rise abruptly from
-the plain like a barrier and have no foothills. There are but few
-rivers in this section, and those which do exist are swiftly flowing,
-turbulent streams. They can furnish waterpower and some of them do
-for electricity. Yet there are no factories. It is again the question
-of the scarcity of fuel. So poor is Argentina in her fuel supply that
-most of the locomotives burn wood. The coal used for those which run in
-the eastern provinces is imported from Europe and the United States.
-Oil fields have been opened in Patagonia with a view of decreasing
-the price of fuel, but as yet they are in the embryo stage. It is not
-known whether they will ever be made an economic asset, because the
-quality of the oil is said to be poor. The country at the foot of the
-Andes near the latitudinal center of Argentina which is watered by
-the mountain streams is called the Zona del Riego. It is here that
-are located the extensive vineyards and fruit orchards. There are
-three separate belts each of which is fed by its own river. The two
-southernmost of these are in the Province of Mendoza, at San Rafael
-and Mendoza respectively, while the northern one, is at San Juan in the
-province of the same name. Factories which do not require an excessive
-amount of fuel could be started, but nobody has ever turned over their
-hands in that direction excepting in fruit-canning plants, which have
-not paid well.
-
-In the city of Mendoza a flour mill could be made to pay. There are
-immense flour mills in Argentina, but with the exception of a few
-small ones of no importance and the large one of the Minetti Brothers
-at Cordoba, all are located on the seaboard. The Molino del Rio de la
-Plata at Buenos Aires has a capital of $14,945,000. It is the largest
-in South America. Nearly as large are two flour mills in Bahia Blanca;
-Rosario also has a couple of large mills. For a quarter of a million
-dollars a flour mill could be established at Mendoza, which the manager
-of the Molino del Rio de la Plata, told me would pay forty per cent.
-on the capital from the start, and which would be dependent on no other
-trade than that of the city of Mendoza. At San Juan, one hundred miles
-north of Mendoza, there is a small flour mill which is a lucrative
-investment. The beauty of having a mill in Mendoza is the fact that
-the wheat grown there, although inferior to that which is grown on the
-plains on account of its having to be irrigated, runs forty bushels to
-the acre and would be in close proximity to the mill, thereby saving
-freight. People in the Province of Mendoza who grow wheat ship their
-product to Buenos Aires where it is ground. The flour is then shipped
-back seven hundred miles to Mendoza where it sells for a high price,
-the freight rate being enormous. Tucuman is a city of over one hundred
-thousand inhabitants but has no flour mill worthy of the name. One
-would pay in that city but it would require much more capital both on
-account of the size of the city and its distance from the wheat fields.
-Mercedes, Bragado, Olavarria, Junin, and many other towns of their size
-(twenty thousand population and upwards) could all support flour mills.
-They have none and are in the heart of the grain belt. Wood would
-have to be used for fuel which would be expensive, but the profits
-derived from the flour would offset it. Pergamino is a growing town in
-the grain belt between Buenos Aires and Rosario, with good railroad
-facilities, yet it has not a single manufacturing enterprise. It has
-a population of forty-three thousand inhabitants. Personally I think
-that the flour mill proposition would be the best paying enterprise in
-Argentina. It would pay at all times, war or no war.
-
-One of the leading manufacturing industries in Argentina is that of
-the beef-canning factories, here called saladerias. This is the chief
-industry of Uruguay, and the second in importance in Paraguay, and
-the state of Matto Grosso, Brazil. These saladerias not only can beef,
-but they manufacture beef extract, tallow, and the by-products of the
-hides and fat. They likewise ship cold-storage beef to Europe and even
-to the United States. The River Plate basin is where these factories
-are situated, and in no other parts of South America are they to be
-found. Armour & Company, and Swift have large ones at La Plata. At
-Fray Bentos, in Uruguay, on the Uruguay River a short distance above
-where it flows into the River Plate is the great establishment and
-headquarters of the Liebig Company, the largest of its kind in South
-America and one of the largest in the world. There are beef-canning
-plants at Montevideo, at Colon, Argentina, and at many of the ports
-on the Uruguay, Parana, and Paraguay Rivers. These plants require much
-capital, especially in Argentina, because here the river is at quite a
-distance from the stock country, necessitating the shipment of cattle
-by rail. It would be prohibitory as far as expense goes to establish
-a beef-canning enterprise inland; by having them at the seaports,
-ocean-going freighters can anchor at the docks and be loaded there.
-This is true about many of the river ports owing to the depth of the
-water which permits ocean steamers to reach them. None of the Argentina
-and Uruguayan saladerias are far enough up the rivers to be beyond
-ocean navigation. The Uruguayan plants have it on those of Argentina,
-because the stock country of the former republic lies directly behind
-the saladerias and is contingent to the river. In Argentina the stock
-have to be transported to the seaboard upwards of one hundred miles,
-and in most cases from two to four hundred miles.
-
-Regarding stock-raising, it is done in Argentina on a large scale.
-The large estancias are owned by people who have inherited their lands
-through several generations and have in the past decades accumulated
-great fortunes which have been sufficient to well stock their estates
-with cattle, sheep, and other live stock. The stock roam the prairies
-the year around, are not winter fed, and require but little care.
-As many of these estancias are forty miles square, the only expense
-incurred are the wages of the herders. Land is held high in Argentina,
-from $15 an acre upwards in the stock country, the average being
-$35 an acre. It would require much capital to buy enough of it for a
-fair-sized ranch. Fifteen hundred acres would cost $45,000. If he put
-1000 head of stock on it, which would be a small ranch, his outlay
-for the investment would be about $90,000. A drought would be likely
-to occur and he would be up against it. The man, however, who has a
-50,000-acre ranch could make money. He could have 10,000 head of cattle
-and if there was a drought he could keep moving them about. Twenty
-thousand acres is but a medium-sized ranch in Argentina and Uruguay.
-It is not uncommon for a man to have 100,000 acres, while in Patagonia
-there are ranches of 1,000,000 acres. Stock-raising is the most
-important industry in Argentina, but the men who have made a success
-of it and those at present engaged in it, started this business years
-ago. Excepting in the Province of Salta, it is well for a company or an
-individual to keep out of this line of business unless he has enough
-money to buy a large tract of land. The figures here are the average
-for estancias contiguous to the average plains towns.
-
-  -----------------+---------------+-------+---------+-------+--------
-        _Town_     |     _Ranch_   |_Acres_| _Horses_|_Sheep_|_Cattle_
-  -----------------+---------------+-------+---------+-------+--------
-  Olavarria        |Santo Domingo  | 12,500|  1,000  | 3,000 |    700
-                   |La Victoria    | 18,375|  1,700  |17,000 |  6,000
-                   |San Antonio    | 12,500|    700  | 2,500 |  1,500
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Coronel Suarez   |La Curamalan   | 43,750|  4,000  | 8,000 |  5,000
-                   |San Jose       | 25,000|    400  |10,000 |    300
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  General La Madrid|La Colina      | 80,000|    400  |60,000 | 20,000
-                   |El Huascar     | 31,250|    200  | 5,000 |  3,000
-                   |La Fe          | 31,250|    300  | 6,000 | 15,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Saavedra         |La Turigueta   | 30,000|         | 5,000 |
-                   |La Landade     | 12,500|         | 2,000 |
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Dorrego          |Tres de Febrero| 37,500|         |16,000 |  3,000
-                   |Las Cortaderas | 52,500|         |13,500 | 15,000
-                   |La Sirena      | 50,000|         |20,000 | 16,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Lobos            |La Florida     |  3,750|         | 3,000 |  1,000
-                   |La Morada      | 18,750|         | 7,000 |  3,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  25 de Mayo       |Huetel         |162,500|  2,000  |10,000 | 15,000
-                   |Santa Clara    |100,000|  1,000  |10,000 |  1,500
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Bolivar          |La Carmelita   | 87,500|     80  |17,000 | 14,000
-                   |La Florida     | 43,750|  1,000  |12,000 |  5,000
-                   |Miramar        | 25,000|    150  | 2,000 |    600
-                   |El Cardon      | 18,750|    250  | 7,000 |  3,000
-                   |Bella Vista    | 12,500|    300  | 5,000 |  2,000
-                   |               |       |         |       |
-  Junin            |La Pastoril    | 37,500|         |       | 15,000
-                   |El Cisne       | 75,000|         |       | 25,000
-                   |Las Dos Marias |  6,250|         |       |  4,000
-
-The Province of Salta is about one thousand miles from Buenos Aires and
-the seaport towns. On account of its distance and nature of its land it
-has nothing in common with the provinces farther south. It is a hilly
-and mountainous region bordering on the tropics abounding in forests
-which have a thick matting of grasses. The cattle are large and lean,
-and although their beef is rather tough, there is plenty of it, and
-there is but little shrinkage in transportation. The market for this
-stock is the nitrate region of Chile. The cattle are driven across the
-Andes and lose but little weight on the way. In Antofagasta they bring
-a good price. There are no large ranches in the province and there is
-not much capital. Here a man with moderate means could raise stock at
-a profit, if he dealt only with the Chilean market. If he shipped them
-to the saladerias in the Province of Buenos Aires he would lose money
-on account of the freight.
-
-An embryo industry in Argentina is that of tannin or tannic acid, used
-for dyeing and tanning. The northern part of the provinces of Santiago
-del Estero and Santa Fe, and the greater part of the territories
-of Formosa and the Chaco, are covered with a forest of small trees,
-named _quebracho_. They are too small for saw logs, their wood is hard
-and is used for fuel on the railroads, and they have a reddish bark.
-This bark before the European War was shipped to Germany in great
-quantities where its extract was used in dye stuffs. Unfortunately but
-little of it was exported to other countries. Some tannin factories
-were inaugurated in the Province of Santa Fe, but those controlled
-by foreign capital went haywire. This was due mainly to grafting
-provincial officials who put these companies out of commission by
-their annoyances. A tannin factory would pay in Argentina if the
-government would give it protection. It is a deplorable fact that in
-many new industries in Argentina, they are induced to locate there.
-Once established, the manufacturer is subjected to a burdening taxation
-from the federal government, the province, and the district. There
-is a continuous drain of contributions which have to be handed to
-congressmen, and their henchmen; titles are found to be imperfect; law
-suits are started; the outcome is that the company is apt to go into
-insolvency. This once happened to a large tannin factory that started
-in the Province of Santa Fe. A Buenos Aires bank loaned them money; but
-the owners ran up against so many snags when they started to operate,
-that they were unable to pay their indebtedness and the bank had to
-foreclose. It would be a different story if the company was Argentine
-owned. The Argentino from the highest to the lowest looks upon the
-North American as a person to exploit from. They welcome him mainly to
-relieve him of his money. When we talk about grafting in our American
-cities we do not know what grafting is; one must come to Latin America
-to get the interpretation. George W. Crichfield in his two volumes,
-_American Supremacy_ (Brentano's 1908), gives the true version. He says
-that our best diplomats are to the South American ones in comparison as
-what jackasses are to foxes. This is particularly true about Argentina
-and could apply to the grafting officials as well. Although under
-proper government protection, a tannin factory in Argentina would
-pay, it would be useless to wait for that protection to come, and the
-manufacturer would be far better off if he would start his factory in
-poor, benighted Paraguay where the grafting would be much less than in
-Argentina.
-
-In Argentina there is no such thing as prohibition and local option,
-and there probably never will be. Such issues are not in common with
-the Latin make-up, and the long-haired stump orators and hypocrites
-who advocate this question in the United States for their own personal
-enrichment, would undoubtedly land in insane asylums if they started
-this propaganda anywhere in South America. One might think it strange
-that there is no whiskey distillery there, yet such is the fact, and
-I do not know of any in entire South America. Whiskey is not consumed
-there in anywhere near the quantity that it is consumed in the United
-States and Great Britain, yet enough is indulged in by the higher
-stratum of society who ape the North Americans and the British to
-warrant the establishment of one. There is plenty of grain and there is
-no competition. There are several liqueur factories which seem to pay,
-one of which at Buenos Aires puts out a cordial named Aperital, which
-has a great sale.
-
-There are thirteen breweries in the republic, but lest a person
-should think of starting another one, he should forget the idea at
-the same time that he conceives it. There is a brewery trust heavily
-capitalized, composed of Argentine and British stockholders. Much of
-this stock is in the hands of senators and congressmen, who see to
-it that laws are made which protect them and work to the detriment of
-their competitors. The Argentine Brewing Company at Quilmes, a suburb
-of Buenos Aires, heads this trust, the other members of which are the
-Bieckert Brewing Company at Llavallol, another suburb of Buenos Aires,
-the Palermo Brewery at Buenos Aires, the San Carlos Brewery at San
-Carlos, and the Del Norte Brewery at Tucuman. Those not belonging to
-the trust are the Cordoba Brewing Company at Cordoba, the Rio Segundo
-Brewing Company with breweries both at Cordoba and at Rio Segundo, the
-Ahrens Brewery at Cordoba, the Santa Fe Brewing Company at Santa Fe,
-the Schlau and the Germania Brewery at Rosario, and the Correntino
-Brewery at Corrientes. Both the Ahrens and the Correntino breweries
-are small establishments and only cater to local and family trade and
-therefore have not fell foul of the trust.
-
-Since much beer is drunk in Argentina I have often wondered why there
-were no more breweries. I wondered why Mendoza, Salta, Bahia Blanca,
-Mercedes, Pergamino, Parana, Concordia, and other towns did not have
-any. I mentioned this fact to the mayor of Salta. "It would not pay,"
-said he. "An old German named Glueck once had a brewery in this town,
-whose product took well with the public. His was a small brewery with
-limited capital. The Quilmes Company, through their representatives in
-congress, had taxes formulated so that only those breweries with much
-capital could stand up under them. Glueck had to go out of business.
-The trust then built the Del Norte Brewery in Tucuman which is so large
-that if all the other breweries in Argentina should shut down, it could
-supply the whole republic with beer. The trust also bought a piece of
-property in Salta and threaten if another brewery starts up in this
-city to put up one that will swamp it. The trust has millions of pesos
-capital, so what can one do?"
-
-While in Cordoba I was a guest of Mr. Douglas, president of the Rio
-Segundo Brewing Company. This company started a brewery on a small
-scale at the town of Rio Segundo, hence the name. The water used for
-the manufacture of its beer came from an artesian well, and the product
-was so superior to that of the other breweries that it was necessary
-to build another brewery, which was done at Cordoba, twenty-three miles
-away. The water in this is also artesian. The output of the Rio Segundo
-Brewery at Cordoba is only sixty thousand barrels a year, but it is
-taxed more than those whose output is six hundred thousand barrels
-in the United States. It has kept its head above water on account of
-the quality of the beer. A former brewmaster of this company started
-a small brewery in Corrientes, the Correntino, but this like that of
-Ahrens at Cordoba have not been molested by the trust because they
-are too small to interfere with the business of the Quilmes Company.
-With the exception of the output of the Rio Segundo breweries, all the
-Argentine beer is vile and not fit to drink. Hops are difficult to get,
-and injurious chemicals are used for its preservation.
-
-Two automobile factories have been started in Buenos Aires but their
-existence was of but a short duration. The parts were shipped there
-to be assembled, but the stockholders thought that it would be more
-lucrative if they manufactured their own parts. Since there is no iron
-in the republic, it was found that its importation was too expensive to
-allow the companies to ship it in, therefore they went out of business.
-
-Hides are not expensive. There are many small so-called shoe factories
-which in reality are but shops; the shoes manufactured in them are
-good and cheap, and are made by hand. They likewise have class, and
-a shoeman from Toronto told me that the shoes manufactured there were
-superior to ours, and the United States has the reputation of making
-the best shoes in the world. This Canadian said that he could see no
-reason why a fair-sized shoe factory would not pay in Buenos Aires and
-was very optimistic about the idea.
-
-In the Province of Tucuman there are considerable sugar factories, some
-of them large ones. The cane is inferior to that of Cuba and the West
-Indies; most of the available land for its growing is taken up, and
-the sugar market is often poor. None of the sugar is refined in the
-district where it grows, there being only one refinery in Argentina
-and that is at Rosario. The product is shipped to England and France
-to be refined. It is doubtful if another mill would pay, but another
-refinery and that in the city of Tucuman might be profitable. There
-are no beet-sugar factories, but much of the land, especially that in
-Entre Rios and Corrientes, is adaptable for beet culture, so there is
-no reason why an establishment of that kind could not be made to pay.
-
-Although Argentina has a great network of railways running throughout
-the republic so that practically no place of any importance is in
-lack of transportation facilities, yet interurban street-car lines
-are nonexistent. The only one in operation is that which runs between
-Buenos Aires and Quilmes, a distance of fourteen miles. One is being
-built to Tigre, twenty-two miles from Buenos Aires, but is not yet in
-operation. There should be electric lines between Buenos Aires and La
-Plata, Buenos Aires and Rosario, either via San Nicolas or Pergamino,
-Buenos Aires and Mercedes, Bahia Blanca and Puerto Belgrano, Mendoza
-and San Rafael, Tucuman and Tafi Viejo, and also a network of lines of
-which Tucuman should be the center of the hub.
-
-There are quite a few cigarette and a few cigar factories. The
-cigarettes manufactured are vile, likewise the cigars. This trade is
-in the hands of Turks, Spaniards, and Italians, and the tobacco used
-is grown in Brazil. There are good tobacco lands in the provinces of
-Salta, Jujuy, Corrientes, and in the Territory of Misiones, but none is
-grown excepting in gardens from which the owner makes cigars for his
-own personal use. The price paid for cigars is exorbitant and a good
-live factory well capitalized might pay. Nobody smokes a pipe nor chews
-tobacco, therefore a tobacco factory would be unsuitable.
-
-There is no field in the newspaper or periodical line in all South
-America. This and the publishing business is overdone. Some towns of
-ten thousand people have four or five daily papers. Every politician
-that can afford it is the proprietor of his own newspaper, in whose
-columns he attacks everybody who does not hold his own political views.
-These newspapers often run foul of the government and wind up by having
-their publications suppressed and the editor thrown in jail.
-
-Paraguay, on account of its small population and scarcity of money,
-offers a much less diversified variety for future enterprises than
-does Argentina. The leading industry is the culture of yerba mate,
-and the exportation of its leaves. This republic lies close to the
-tropics and is covered with a dense vegetation. In the southeastern
-part of the country in the neighborhood of the Alto Parana River, there
-grows in its native state the plant yerba mate, from whose leaves from
-time immemorial the Indians brewed a tea. The leaves are first dried,
-and then steeped in a kettle or pot. Calabash gourds grow wild in
-abundance. These are dried, the top is cut off, and the insides scooped
-out. The hot tea is poured into these gourds which every individual
-possesses, and the infusion is sucked from them by means of straws and
-reeds, by the poorer classes, and by bombillas by the upper and middle
-classes. A bombilla is a metal tube with a small covered spoonlike head
-which is perforated with small holes. This mate drinking habit, which
-is considered beneficial, is indulged in universally by everybody in
-Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. There are several
-different varieties of yerba mate, and it has been found that that
-which is cultivated is better than that which grows wild. Hence there
-are enormous plantations for its culture which are called yerbales.
-Large companies have been formed for its production and exportation,
-that of Domingo Barthe being the best known. His brand is named
-Asuncion. The next best-known firm is the Industriel Paraguaya. Both
-are capitalized heavily and have their main offices in Asuncion and
-Villa Encarnacion with branch offices throughout Argentina. Barthe is
-a very wealthy man; he was formerly a French adventurer who struck it
-rich through none too scrupulous means. His latest trick was to sell
-a lot of his mate under the trademark of the Industriel Paraguaya.
-This was done at Rosario. He was tried there and found guilty. He
-was sentenced to one year in jail and to pay a fine of two hundred
-thousand dollars. Before they could get him, he got into Paraguay
-where he is immune from the Argentine law. He owns a fleet of steamers
-plying between Montevideo and Asuncion which touch at Argentine ports.
-On these he is safe since his steamship line is not incorporated
-in Argentina. Nevertheless Barthe has helped advance progress and
-industry in Argentina and this should not have been overlooked when
-sentence was pronounced upon him. At that time he was about to build a
-million-dollar hotel at Posadas. Although what he did was unprincipled,
-his sentence was twenty-fold too severe, and shows plainly that the
-Argentine bloodsuckers are out to exploit the foreigners for every cent
-they can get out of them.
-
-There are in Paraguay boundless tracks of virgin soil suitable for
-yerbales. It requires but little expense to work them and there is
-an unlimited market for Paraguayan tea. It is said that the Argentine
-army is going to adopt yerba mate to be distributed among the soldiers
-for their daily rations. This tea-drinking craze among the natives
-is uncanny. To many of them it is life; the foreigner, however,
-rarely acquires the habit, although he partakes of it for the sake of
-sociability while in Paraguay.
-
-Next in line among Paraguay's industries is the saladerias. The
-whole country covered with a thick matting of grasses is a paradise
-for cattle. Land is inexpensive, the pasturage is better than in
-Argentina, and more stock can be raised to the acre. Here and in
-Matto Grosso, a future stock country, the grazing lands come down to
-the great waterways, and although the river boats are of low draught
-necessitating a rehandling at the seaport towns, canned beef can be
-shipped direct from the saladerias in the stock country.
-
-Tannin is a more staple industry than in Argentina although it is still
-in embryo. The writer had an opportunity to engage in this manufacture,
-which he nearly took up; in ordinary times it would have been all
-right, but at this particular time there was a change in Paraguayan
-politics and the manufacture of tannic acid was handicapped by the
-European War. A Barcelona Spaniard, Senor Andres Pujol, president of
-the Banco Constructador del Paraguay and a friend of the writer, was
-held in high esteem by the then dictator, Senor Eduardo Schaerer.
-One of the large brick buildings owned by the Hernandarias and Frias
-Brewery at Puerto Sajonia, on the outskirts of Asuncion, was vacated
-in favor of a modern brewery plant in the city. Its machinery could be
-used in the manufacture of tannic acid and the plant could have been
-bought for a song. It was the idea of Senor Pujol for he and myself to
-buy this building and erect, in connection with it, a sawmill. We were
-to pay for quebracho logs delivered at the plant from which we were
-to strip the bark, from which we were to extract the tannin. At that
-time Asuncion was having most of its new streets paved with quebracho
-blocks. We were to give Senor Schaerer stock in the company and in
-return he was to give us a franchise to furnish the paving material
-which we would manufacture by cutting up the logs at the sawmill. We
-were also to be exempt from taxes for a number of years. Soon after
-this Schaerer was succeeded in the presidency by Dr. Manuel Franco, a
-native, and it was likely that he would undo everything that Schaerer
-did, in which case our franchise would not amount to a picayune. This
-combined with the present prospects of no shipment of tannic acid to
-foreign parts caused me not to inaugurate this enterprise, which will
-still be open to anybody. The best time to start this is soon after
-the election of a popular president, because in the four years during
-which he will hold office, there will be plenty of time in which to
-accumulate a fortune.
-
-The future manufacturing and commercial opportunities in Chile is
-utterly different and far brighter than in any other South American
-country. Chile has a decidedly bright future and at the present time
-only lacks capital to develop her resources. Business conditions are
-much better; there is more snap to her people; there is less graft
-and it is a cheaper country to live in. To this is added the fact that
-the climate is good. Topographically and geographically this republic
-can be divided into three distinct zones. Beginning at its extreme
-north and running down the coast one-third of its whole longitude is
-the rainless zone. This is a vast forbidding desert, interspersed at
-varying distances by a few oases. The mountains begin at the ocean
-and gradually rise in steep ranges until a maximum of twenty thousand
-feet is attained in a hundred and fifty miles at the eastern boundary
-which is the Argentine frontier. Twenty miles back from the ocean are
-plateaus averaging from two thousand to five thousand feet high which
-furnish most of the world's nitrate supply. This nitrate is from two
-to six feet underneath the surface of the soil and is supposed to be
-the manure of birds that infested this region in pre-glacial periods.
-From these fields is derived much of the wealth of the country. Many
-of the older nitrate fields have become exhausted, especially those
-farthest north on the Iquique Pampa, but new ones are constantly being
-opened up to the south of the old workings and from them is due the
-importance of Antofagasta. It was to acquire these nitrate deposits
-that Chile declared war upon Bolivia and Peru in 1879 which caused them
-to change hands. It is a blessing to that part of the country that it
-never rains, because if it did, the nitrate deposits would be washed
-away. This zone is hot.
-
-The second zone is that which begins immediately south of the rainless
-one and which extends another third of the length of the country down
-the coast. It consists of a coast range of mountains timbered with
-conifers and small hardwood trees, the mountain peaks rarely rising
-above three thousand feet in altitude. Beyond them is the great
-longitudinal valley from thirty to fifty miles in width. Here are
-situated most of the towns and two thirds of the country's population.
-This is the granary of the republic, and it is here that are located
-the great vineyards, the fruit farms, and the small manufacturing
-industries. This zone has a sufficiency of annual precipitation but
-climatically is divided into two seasons, the dry and the rainy one.
-During the winter months from May to October there are frequent rains
-while the rest of the year it seldom rains, although showers are likely
-to occur at any time, these being of more frequent prevalence the
-farther south one goes.
-
-The remaining zone which reaches the remaining distance of the coast
-line as far as Cape Horn is an archipelago and a narrow strip of land
-extending inland about fifty miles to the Argentine frontier. This
-district is a mountainous mass, indented by many bays and fiords, well
-timbered, but so steep are the mountains that come down to the water's
-edge that there are no towns and but few places where habitations can
-be built. A great part of this region is unexplored. It undoubtedly is
-rich in mineral deposits but its inaccessibility has kept it from being
-developed. The annual rainfall is great but this diminishes towards the
-southern apex. In winter there are heavy snowfalls, while the tops of
-the mountains possess innumerable glaciers.
-
-Chile is rich in minerals. Some of its mines have been worked ever
-since the Spanish conquest and new fields are constantly being opened.
-In the arid north copper is found behind Gatico and at Chuquicamata,
-the Guggenheim interests being at the latter place. There are copper
-mines in the provinces of Atacama, and Coquimbo, and at the headwaters
-of the Cauquenes River in the Province of Colchagua is the large
-productive mine of the Braden Copper Company. There are iron mines at
-La Higuera in the Province of Coquimbo and coal mines at Lota, in the
-Province of Concepcion. Silver and gold is found throughout the whole
-republic in paying quantities. Next to nitrate and minerals, vineyards
-play the most important part. From the Province of Aconcagua southward
-250 miles, grapes play a great role, yet but little wine is exported.
-The southern provinces and the Central Valley produce an abundance
-of wheat, rye, and barley, but owing to an inadequate market, it is a
-gamble whether the farmer will lose or make a profit on his crops.
-
-What Chile needs more than capital is immigration. Her increase in
-population has been small, likewise her immigration. The European
-immigrant lands at Buenos Aires and seeks employment in Argentina,
-while if he crossed the Andes into Chile, he would find a land where
-he could make a better living for himself and buy some of the most
-fertile land in this universe for a cheap price. Southern Chile has a
-large population of German descent who have done remarkably well, but
-the great number of Spaniards and Italians who yearly immigrate to the
-republics of South America's eastern littoral are here conspicuous by
-their absence.
-
-In manufactures, the breweries are Chile's largest industry. There
-is a brewery trust in Chile, like in Argentina, but it is nowhere
-near so strong nor so well capitalized. It consists of La Calera
-Brewery at La Calera, the Valdivia Breweries Company at Valdivia,
-the Andres Ebner Brewery at Santiago, the Floto Brewery at La Serena
-and the Limache-Cousino Brewery at Limache, which is the largest in
-Chile. A fact which shows that the trust is not strong is that all
-the independent breweries have done well. Aubel's Brewery at Osorno,
-and Keller's Breweries at Concepcion and Talca are large ones. There
-are many small breweries such as Petersen's at Punta Arenas, Julius
-Jenson's at Chillan, and Horstmann's at Santiago. Much beer is drunk
-in Chile, and there is plenty of grain, so after the war there will be
-an excellent opportunity of starting a brewery. The only drawback has
-been the supply of malt and hops which comes from foreign countries and
-which the brewers have been unable to procure in sufficient quantities
-in recent years owing to the freight shortage.
-
-Santiago is a city of over four hundred thousand inhabitants yet only
-has two breweries, that of Ebner which belongs to the trust and that
-of Horstmann which does not. Horstmann before the war got a supply of
-hops large enough to last him six years if his brewery ran at its full
-capacity. He is an old man who has amassed all the money he wants,
-and his heirs have no inclination to continue the business. In 1917 he
-could have been bought out at a very reasonable price and I believe the
-same holds true to-day. His business has been a family trade and his
-beer is said to be the best in Chile. Since there is small likelihood
-of Chile ever going prohibition, here is a chance for somebody.
-Valparaiso has no brewery on account of its water being too hard. I
-have no doubt but that a brewery at either Chillan, which has only one
-small brewery, or at Curico which has no brewery, would pay. Temuco,
-Los Angeles, San Fernando, and Linares could support breweries. In
-northern Chile there are no breweries excepting one at La Serena, yet
-either Antofagasta or Iquique would be ideal spots for one. The water
-in these cities has to be piped in from a distance of 150 miles, yet
-since there is sufficient to supply other establishments there would
-be enough to supply breweries. Copiapo is likewise well situated for
-a brewery. It could be made the central distributing point for other
-towns such as Antofagasta, Taltal, Chanaral, Vallenar, and Huasco.
-The output could be shipped to its seaport Caldera, and thence along
-the coast to the other towns in case of a shortage of freight cars. In
-Chile as in the United States the breweries buy saloon licenses to put
-into business men who handle only their goods, but unlike in the United
-States, saloons play no part in politics, and with the exception of the
-sailors' dives in the seaports they are run in strict accordance with
-the law. The violations that I have mentioned in this book occurred in
-Antofagasta which has the reputation of being a notoriously tough town.
-
-A business with a future and which could be made profitable is an
-enamel works and tin-ware factory. In all South America, business
-signs, doctors' signs, street names, and house numbers are of enamelled
-tin. Most of the kitchen ware, bathtubs, and chamber sets are of the
-same article. There is an enamel ware works at Valparaiso and another
-one at Santiago. The latter is the Esmaltadera Chilena, managed by Don
-Federigo Reddoehl. This would be a paying proposition but so far lacks
-capital. The heaviest interest is owned by a senator named Charme, but
-the other stockholders could be bought out at par. Chile is dependent
-upon the United States for its sheet-iron and tin supply; the war
-has put a damper on this, but as soon as shipments can be renewed,
-there is no reason why an enterprise of this kind would not be a good
-investment.
-
-Unfortunately Chile's timber is hardwood, so lumber mills would not
-pay. It is dependent on its lumber for building purposes from the
-United States. Although there is much hardwood, the floors are tile or
-cement, which is much cheaper there than oak or maple, and since the
-ordinary pocket-book cannot afford to pay the price of the latter, a
-hardwood flooring plant would be negative.
-
-In the south there are plenty of small flour mills but there are but
-few in the Central Valley. Since much grain goes to waste and since
-flour is in demand, more of these small mills could be started, but
-none of the cities near to the grain supply are large enough to warrant
-large mills.
-
-Chile is not a stock country. Cattle are dear, likewise the hides.
-Therefore a shoe factory would not pay.
-
-The railroads of the Central Valley are owned by the state and do
-not pay on account of it. The personnel is large and is made up
-entirely of political henchmen of the senators and congressmen. The
-government realizes this and there has been talk of renting the lines
-or selling them to private companies. This would be good sense. This
-Central Valley is crossed lengthwise by one main trunk-line touching
-at the important towns. From these at right angles run branch lines
-to places of minor importance. Yet so thickly settled is this valley,
-and so productive is it, that another parallel line from Santiago
-to Concepcion, touching points not on the government railway, could
-possibly be made to pay a profit. From Talca it could run southwestward
-through San Javier, and Cauquenes crossing the coast range between
-Quirihue and Coelemu at no perceptibly steep grade, opening up a
-new country, and saving a distance of seventy-five miles between the
-terminals. The country is mostly level and there would be no difficult
-engineering feats. The railroad from Santiago to Valparaiso is a
-roundabout one and crosses the steep mountain pass of Tiltil. For years
-it has been talked of to shorten this line making it go through Casa
-Blanca, but the government has had no money for expenditures of such
-a sort. I have no doubt but that it would give a private company a
-concession if it meant business. An interurban electric line between
-these two large cities might pay. It would be eighty-five miles long
-and would also open up a new country.
-
-Chile is in need of many first-class modern hotels built on the North
-American style, but not cramped for room like in the United States, and
-with the guests' rooms large enough for comfort. Santiago, Valparaiso,
-and Concepcion have good hotels, but in the other cities they are
-poor. It would not pay a North American to build a hotel south of
-Concepcion because in that region German influence predominates, and
-in many places the German population outnumbers that of the native.
-For years to come after the war the North American would be boycotted
-there. Antofagasta opens an excellent field in the hotel line. There
-are four hotels there where it is possible to sleep and eat, but they
-fall much below the standard for such a busy port. The trade is evenly
-divided between them, but an up-to-date hostelry could easily shift
-that to themselves. Arica is badly off in the hotel line. This is the
-port of La Paz, Bolivia, and traveling men to and from that city are
-often obliged to put in a few days in this most northern seaport of
-Chile while waiting for their steamer. Coquimbo, Talca, and Chillan
-need modern hotels, as well as Los Andes. The latter town which has a
-population of 8097 is important because it is the jumping-off place for
-Argentina. The narrow-gauge railroad from there to Mendoza is of such a
-nature that the trip has to be made in daylight on account of curves,
-bridges, and steep gradients which would be dangerous to traverse at
-night. Passengers en route for Argentina leave Santiago and Valparaiso
-in the evening arriving at Los Andes at night where they stop over,
-and continue the next morning. The train coming from Argentina arrives
-at Los Andes at night and as it is sometimes late, passengers prefer
-to stop over there, continuing to Santiago in the morning, rather
-than to change trains and arrive at Santiago at an unseemly hour.
-The only hotel fit to stop at in Los Andes is the poor one owned by
-the Transandine Railway, and it is nearly always overcrowded. It is
-a flimsy frame structure, dirty, and with poor service. It is some
-distance from the main part of the city, but another hotel built in
-its neighborhood would catch all the transient trade, because most
-of it focuses there instead of in the town. Rancagua has a floating
-population comprised of the mining element from the Braden Copper
-Company. Many of these are North Americans and Canadians, and every day
-some of them are obliged to stop overnight at Rancagua to get a train
-out the following day. Also Rancagua is the station for the Baths of
-Cauquenes to which there is constant journeying to and fro during the
-summer season. The city has a population of 10,380 irrespective of
-transient trade with no hotel fit to stop at.
-
-  [Illustration: ARGENTINE PLAZAS DRAFTED BY HENRY J. STEPHENS
-
-   PLAZA PRINGLES SAN LUIS
-
-   PLAZA SAN MARTIN MENDOZA
-
-   PLAZA ARENALES SALTA
-
-   PLAZA INDEPENDENCIA TUCUMAN
-
-   PLAZA SAN MARTIN CORDOBA]
-
-  [Illustration: CHILEAN PLAZAS DRAFTED BY HENRY J. STEPHENS
-
-   PLAZA O'HIGGINS CHILLAN
-
-   PLAZA SANTO ALDEA CHILLAN
-
-   PLAZA IN SAN FELIPE
-
-   SMALL PLAZA IN TACNA]
-
-  [Illustration: SOUTH AMERICA]
-
-  [Illustration: CHILE]
-
-
-
-
-      *      *      *      *      *      *
-
-
-
-
-Transcriber's note:
-
-  Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
-  been preserved.
-
-  Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
-
-  On page 407, "cue" should possibly be "clue."
-
-
-
-***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN
-ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE***
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