Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-09-03
Brought From Peru.
The Gillian Capital Decorated with
Plunder Taken from the Peruvinns
.-Stolen Art
stones..Vandalism.
.Icnili Cor INFER Ocean. ]

LldPo u Luo OIueT, lFOm Iuo oA PooiSio
grounds to that most beautiful ape
in all South America, the mountain
of. Santa Lucia, a broad highway 6O'
feet wide, with promenade in tn
9 center and driveway on either side
separated by rows of closely plante'
and tall, growing poplar trees, whos'
roots are washed by swift flowing
streams of water fed by the melting
SHOWS of the mountains which sur
round the city like titanic wall. |
is one of the most stately and mag
nifcent strsets in the world and il
j. called. the Alameda. Along the cente
: promenade gre fountains, gr,ups il
Ebronze and marble, and a procession
Of statues concentrating the historic
men Of Chill +; for although these tur
bulent people have assas9inated thei
rulers and driven stheir patriots int'
exile, theyshave-not failed to recog
nize their services and lifted them up
on pedeatals as a perpetual example
to the republic.
But in sad contrast with thls pa
=
triotism the Chilians have placed
perpetual reminder of-their vandal
ism by erecting in places of equa
prominence the statues and works O.
art that were stolen from Peru.
At the entrance to the postofice OF
the Grand Plaza are two figures o.
marble, the sight Of which causes ar
EAmericsn visitor to start with sur,
prise, George Washington and Abrs
ham Lincoln, "as large as life and
twice as NATURAL" as Artemus Ward
used to say, copies of statues which
stand in, Washington. It would not
crafty, the father Of his country OF
the great emancipator if they knew
that the honor paid them by Chill
cost that nation nothing, for these
pieces, like much else that is beauti,
ful and notable in Santiago, are part
Of the plunder that the Chilians
brought home from the war. With
steamer-!oads Of pianos, paintings
and books, silver. plate, fine furniture,
clio cks, and carpets, the contents Of
the Peruvian Historical museum, ma.
tional library, art gallery, and ZOO
logical garden, with clocks and bells
from church steeples, images and can.
dles,icks from the altara, organs frosa
the monasteries, instruments from the
medical and surgical college, arpara
tus from the laboratory OF the uni
versity, and other plunder, these
statues Of Lincoln and Washington
came, and are sci up as mementoes oI
the most brutal vandalism The modern
world has known.
There was nothing Of Peru Of pub
lie or private property, too hot or too
heavy, or loo sacred for the Cbilians
to carry off,. They even took tomb
stones from the cemeteries and the
vestments Of the priests from the
cathedrals in which the ca0al' = horses
were stabbed. The war was simply
organized robbery. 1t was started
for the conquest Of the nitrate beds
and guano deposits, and ended in
stripping the homes Of the people.
Plunder was the motive, plunder the
programme, and Devastation the re.
suit. What could not be taken away
waa destroyed. What would not burn
or break was blown up by dynamite.
And, strange to say, the Chilians are
proud Of their work. They point out
with great gusto objects Of art and
ornament and tell you they came
from Peru.
"Wnere, did those statues come
from ?" I asked clerk in the post
office, pointing out Lincoln and Wash
irgton.,
1--WE brought them from Peru, :"
was. the promptreply, "and the foun.
tain in the patio came with them"