Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-06

I
only in winter. The soil owes its fertility to
the rich alluvial deposits brought down from
the Andes by the rivers, and utilized by the
system Of irrigation In vogue, creating vege-
tation as luxuriant as that IN the Nile delta.
The climate here resembles that OF Italy, and
all the large towns Of Chill are situated with
In IT, The third zone includes the beautiful
province Of Araucania, country perhaps as
favored by nature as any portion OF the earth's
surface. Until within two or three years this
region was practically in the possession OF the
| brave Indian tribes who long succeeded in
keeping the Chilisn forces at bay. They are
now, however, completely subdued. The eli
mate is similar to that Of England at it's best,
and the country Is peculiarly adapted for wheat
growing. The fourth zone includes the vast
forests and lands extending TO the Straits OF
Magellan. The climate is like that of Scot
land and the west Of Ireland.
The visitor to Chill naturally goes FIRST of
all to Valparaiso, the chief port and CONNER
cial centre Of the country. The city is built
on bills sloping down TO the edge Of the sea,
and every inch Of fat ground between hills
and sea is covered with houses This is the
business portion, and extends for two or three
miles along the shores Of the bay, while the
residences are built on the bills behind, with
suburbs extending inland. 1t is a pleasant
place and what place would not be attractive
when blest with so heavenly a climate Stu
ated very nearly in the centre Of Chill, Val
| paraiso is admirably adapted to be the chief
| port Of the west coast trade. From San Fran
cisco in the north to Cape Horn in the south
it has no rival and here all the great busi-
ness houses, banks, mining and other compa-
nies, and the firms that control the trade Of
the country in nitrate Of soda, copper, ,guano,
| wheat, and other exports are 10 be found
The journey from Valparaiso TO Santiago,
| by rail, occupies from three TO four hours
To describe Santiago is to describe the heart
| OF Chill. 1t is to the Chilians what Paris is
to the French, and those who have acquired
wealth in other parts Of the republic invaria-
bly, come to Santiago to spend it. The town
Is situated on the river Mapocho, in the CEN
tire Of large plain surrounded by bills, with
the giant peaks Of the Andes in the back
ground to the east, magni6cently visible in
the clear atmosphere, though they may be 100
miles or more distant. The town was found
ed about three and half centuries ago by
Valdvia. 1t is laid out in quandras (squsres
Of about four acres), with the streets running
uniformly at right angles with each other.
There are several plazss or large squares, the
most striking being that around which are
grouped the cathedral, the municipal and 9th
er buildings, all Of showy and Partisan sp.
| pearance. Notwithstanding its age, the town |
has not an air Of antiquity.
The honse OF one Of the wealthier class, as |
rule, covers about an acre of ground, and is |
built with courtyard (pdtiO) in the centre, |
| filled with flowers and ststuary. The house |
itself compares not unfavorably with some of |
the finest private houses of Paris or London. |
ln many cases every article of furniture is |
| brought from Paris 10 600 miles distant, and |
large sums are expended on the building and |
appointments.
The land around Santiago is entirely de-
pendent on irrigation, and produces magnif- |
cent crops Many successive crops are taken |
OF the same land within the year. Much of |
the irrigated land around Santiago is used in |
fattening cattle either for home consumpt ption |
or for export from Valparaiso to the northern |
mineral districts in the deserts OF Atscama |
and Tarapeca. Thousands of cattle are driv- |
en- every year over the Andes from the Ar |
| geDtine Republic for this purpose. They get |
little or nothing to eat for six days while cross
ing, and arrive-that is to say, the survivors
in slmost skeleton condition. On my first |
visit to Chill l rode across the Andes and |
pampas to Buenos Ayres, and shall not soon |
forget the sight of the thousands of emaciated |
cattle to be seen staggering along the noun
tain track. The path was literally strewn |
with the bones of cattle that had perished by |
the way. On this journey we left all arrange. |
ments for feeding our own animals en- route |
to the Argentine muleteers, and as a result the |
patient creatures had not a morsel of food |
cross the mountains, though we were contn. |
ually assured that the requisite food would be |
forthcoming at the next resting-place Horses, |
mules, and animals generally, are so plentiful |
that self interest, that prime e-mover of man |
kind, does not suggest the advantages of hu-
name treatment.
From Santiago one naturally proceeds down |
the great central vallay to Angel, the capitol |
OF the southern province Of Arauoania, a dis. |
triGt some $50 miles south of Santiago in
habted by Indians who for three centuries |
held their own against the Spaniards and |
were only subdued within the last two OF |
three years. The valley through which the |
railway runs lies between the coast range of |
bills about s, 900 to 4, 600 feet high and the |
giant Andes. The valley is very fertile, but |
comparatively treeless, and unattraotiVe in |
appearance. At the stations we passed one |
could not fail to be struck by the contented |
| appearance and fine physique of the peasant |
| ry: broad d-shouldered, good-natured- looking |
fellows, whose one great failing is the old |
world love of drink. At every station girls |
brought fruit. cakes and wine to sell, and the |
finest pears and grapes l ever saw. Last au-
tumn the grape crop was so abundant that |
vessels could not be procured in sufficient |
quantity to contain the juice for wine making. |
The present railroad terminus is at Angol on |
| the confines of Arauoania, which ia now a /
not house had been built. II stands close |
| to the site of the old town, which was, with |
| eight others founded at the Spanish conquest, |
destroyed by the Indians in one day in 1899 |
We were told also that two or three years ago |
| the Indians, lance in hand, attacked simulta- |
neously and with the greatest bravery all the I
| Chian forts in Araucana, but wefe every |
where repulsed with great slaughter They |
now accept the inevitable, and acknowledge |
that they cannot Withstand the withering fire |
| of the modern rifle. Stopping at a large |
| farm in Araueanis entirely worked by Indians, |
learned that the field of wheat had averaged |
20 bushels for one planted, and the return on |
capital invested was very large indeed. This |
| farm, Ave or six years before, had been the |
hunting-ground of the wild man. The scen- |
cry continually reminded me OF that OF the |
old country. Here and there appeared large |
apple orchards, and the land was as green and |
smiling as any part of England.
The seat of the government is Santiago. |
The political constitution of Chill consists of |
the President, and Legislature or National |
Congress, composed of an Uppe0and a Low |
eT House, the former renewed one third ev- |
cry three years, the latter elected triennialy. |
The President is elected every five years by |
| the people, and is not eligible for reelection |
except after an interval of one term. Under
him are 1--we Ministers and Council of State, |
composed of eleven members, Ave of whom |
are chosen by the President himself un-
der certain regulations, and the other six
elected by the Congress, their term of Office |
being for three years. The salary of the |
President is $l8, 600 year, the present hold,
or Of that office being Don Domingo Santa |
Maria. The Ministers receive 90, 900 year,
and the members of the Council of State |
| give their services gratuitously. The various |
provinces are ruled by Intendentes govern.
ors) named by the President and removable |
at his will The departments are admins
tered by governors appointed in the same
| way, and there are sub-dslegates, who are |
unpaid, corresponding to our unpaid magis. |
tracy. The members Of Congress, of whom |
| 81 belong to the Senate and lO8 to the Low
or House, are, like our members of Psrlia- |
ment, chosen from among the richest aud
most influential men in the country. Al
though Chill is called q republic, 1t is gov
erned in very conservative manner. The
change of parties there means simply the re-
trement from office of one set of rich men
to be succeeded by another set of rich men
both parties holding much the same views,
and being absolutely in accord as 80 the par
amount necessity of peace and order. Chill