New-York tribune., 1890-05-05

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
VS.. AMERICAN TRADE
FROM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF ifN
yo,naraiso, February Q.
ors vbo has crossed the continent iron' wy Cle
80 !, ;s tho BACKGROUND that maheS var
";s. o,ito interesting and impressive lh"O
tooI,o,oupd ;s the Pacific. which. from '"e VIII
=, .ho Fnclisb compartment cars suauehiN
80. ;,,.o ,.;o,, in a far-reaohing vista Oh 'fah-
,u,l hlue frinocd with yellow maze III ''e .";~
lucent atmosphere of Chill the powers y, ,io'on
49, alnost doubled From the hiiisides
e'ol' ~ =. oop ece the great Andean peak
- Aonncagua. and when he gazes se""a'u ''o
h,r;von line seems to be lifted back ana prolec'eu
1eooues bevond its normal limits. Oic c"" never
,ool upon an ocean for the Hiso "'"0 ~
.r,eriencinr a thrill of pleasurap'e eAci'enic"',
on3 that feeling is intensified wheh ne mas cIosseu
, toroicn continent and been among the SHOWS vi
+b. Andes With contrasting emouohs the oi"-
time Spanish navgators approached valparaiso
CO.., Tho seo after tempestuous voyages IN the
seats and perils averted off Chloe. The first
landmark on that barren. rainless coast was lov-
tullv hailed by them as the Point of Angels. and
Tho hold buns encircling this sheltered bay seemed
70 them vcritabe Vale of Paradise One could
have more intelligent appreciation of their
nomenclature if he were convinced that they
had come down the Western Sahara. stretching
900 miles southwark from the Gulf of Quay
anull After Atacama and the dcsolate coasts of
Peru and Northern Chilli, any verdant hillside
would have been glimpse of Eden.
Valparaiso is a bustling city with n population
of 12O. 900. 1t originally built on the steep
hillsides overlooking the harbor. but the modern
town follows the winding shore. the narrow mar
gin having been wdened and greatly extended
by additional ground reclaimed from the sea. A
town with curving streets and irregular outlines
offers a refreshing contrast to the checkcr-board
cuadras of the newer Spanish-American cities.
Valparaiso is without definite plan or outline.
There is series of wide ravincs opening from the
crests Of the hills upon the bay and each has its
network of rambling streets and alleys and It's
congeries of low pitched roofs and wcathcrbcatcn
houses. From the Plaza opposite to the Custom
House landing and the railway station three or
four business streets pursue their devious courses
TO the right and to the left. along the curves of
the bay. The modern town is adorned with mon
uments and statues wherever a plaza or a cluster
of trees offers an opportunity for patriotic memo
rials The most tasteful as we'll as elaborate
monument is that erected in the Central Plaza
in honor of Arturo Prat, commander of the Es-
at Iquique. The Government buildings and
churches are not impressive, but there are snowy
blocks Of shops, and there is brisk movement
Of traffic in the streets The chief attraction of
Valparaiso is the climate, which is tempered by
ocean and aerial currents from the Antarctic
This is midsummer. but the mean temperature is
63 degrees Fahrenheit for the month OF January
with a maximum of II degrees: and in mdwinter
the minimum temperature is As degrees with 80
degrees as the average for January. While tie
winters are about as warm as those of correspond
ing htitudes on the Atlantic Coast. the summer
heats are anywhere from to o degrees lower
In Santiago the maximum temperature at this
season is 10 degrees higher than that Of Val
paraiso; vet the winters are much more severe
in the mountain valley than on the coast. the
difference in minimum temperature being Is de-
grees. The climate here is singularly dry equable
and mvlgorating. Every American whom have
met extols it as the finest in South America and
complacently reminds an incoming New-Yorllcr of
the sudden transitions and extreme temperatures
of the North country
What Is most surprising is the freshness of
vegetation in town where rain is practically
confined to three months and averages thirteen
and half inches for the year. This is the middle
Of the long dry Yet the trees in the parks
do not have parched appearance and in VIna
tel Mar, delightful suburb on the outer edge of
the bay, where the wealthy residents of Santiago
and other Chilan towns swarm during the heated
period, there remarkably brilliant displays of
flowers, shrubs and trees tine country looking
fresh and verdant, as though there had been
showers every week. In the best of the suburban
hotels in this beautiful spot Colonel James Wood
ruff Romeyn, the American Consul entertained me
81 luncheon, and then took me for delightful
stroll in the groves and hillside paths and 50 tidy
and well kept We're the grounds, and SO clean and
comfortable was the hotel, that found it hard TO
believe that / not in Of the wcll-kept
houses In the American Catsklls. The illusion
strengthened when the Consul pilotcd me 10
his bower, retired corner of the piazza, curaincd
with a large American flag, and Mrs. ROneyn
recalled her circle Of acquaintance IN New
York, and in sympathetic voice sang Home, Sweet
Home" to the accompaniment of a guitar. Such
incidents the treasuIctrOve OF travel in a far
country.
Valparaiso has large English-speaking popula-
tion but the number of Americans here is com
paratively small, and at least in the past has
included not few of questionable character, no
extraditon treaty having been negotiated between
the United States and Chilli The time has been
when American influence was very powerful here
IefOfe the plratIcal raids OF English Confederate
cruisers on the Yankee merchant fleet this coast
was largely supplied with American cot'ons. hard
ware and general merchandise. The transfer Of
that fleet to the English flag during the Civil War
was followed by rapid decline of American trade
ana influence There one far-sighed American
here-Chili has recognized It's obligations for his
puohc services by erecting his statue in one of its
plazas-who discerned the possibility of restoring
trade Dy the pstobliclp,np. -
'nuer our nag Mr.. Wbcelwright laid his plan
ue'oie Ne"-lork capitalists. and demonstrated
the practicability of controlling thc commerce Of
,ie west coast ny a timely stroke Of enterprise
out MS plan was considered visionary, and he
was compelled 10 seek encouragement IN Eng
land. The Pacific Steamship Line was founded