Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-24
LIFE OF THE LOWLY.
Fannie B. Wards Pen Pictures Of the
South American Indian.
RAISING CROPS AMONG STONES.
The Universal Weapon is the Sling, and
They Use 1t With skill.
AFRAID OF TIE ELECTRIC LIGHTS
rooRnrsroxprNcE OF THE DISPATCH,


industrious and contented. Their besetting
SIN, however, is a weakness for more alcohol
and coca than their means allow, whereby
they involve themselves deeper and deeper
into debt with the white race, which, in the
long run means but one thing to the debtor
loss of all he possesses, even personal lib
erty, and peonism, amounting to slavery.
The great Andean plateau, which stretches
between Sorrato and Illimani, at an eleva-
ton of 13, 900 feet, several hundred miles
long and level as a board floor, Is like
vast but struggling Indian village, covered
with their adobe huts and poor little farms.
The only crops that will grow at this height
are barley and potatoes, and the former
never comes to a head, but is lett till dry
and yellow and then cut, stalks and all, for
fodder. A good many sheep also fnd
living among the rocks and llamas abound.
SEED IN STONY PLACES.
The wonder is that anything can be raised
on this cold and breezy plateau, not only on
account of its elevation, but because of the
deep layer of small, round stones that liter
ally cover the face OF the earth aud must be
removed be ore soil is visible. As stone
walls are not in fashion here, there is no
to pile 1t up in heaps; and so about half Of
the best cultivated portion OF the plateau is
occupied by huge mounds Of stones. Seed
time and harvest occur here whenever it
suits the convenience OF the cultivator; and
one sees in the same field women doubled
over like jack-knives scratching up pota.
toes with hoes that have handles hardly
foot long, followed by others who scatter seed
in the burrows thus made.
In this part OF the world potatoes are not
considered fit to eat until after they have
been frozen. This is purposely done during
the coldest months, May, June, July and
August, when they are spread out on the
ground In the highest attitudes till well
frosted. Potatoes hereabours seldom attain
more than tine size of hickory nut but if
any have grown larger they are cut in two.
After one nights freezing they are soaked
in water for "a hours, then spread again on
the ground, softly stamped by bare feet to
squeeze out the surplus moisture and frozen
another night or two. When this perform
ance is completed they are hard as bones
and will keep forever.
COOKING THE POTATOES.
In order to cook them properly, according
To the notions of the people, they must. first
be soaked in warm water and then ground
or beaten between stones. They are seldom
used except in combination, that is put into
the chupe or SOUP, or stewed with bits OF
dried sheep. If first ground fne and then
cooked solus they make poultice-like mess
similar to the "mashed potato" -
About the only meat the Indian indulges
in is chalona or dried mutton, which is pre-
pared in this way: When a sheep has been
killed it is laid out fiat. frosen, soaked in
water and frozen again; alter which it is
drio nd iu fhav h., II
tough that decay is impossible and no YER
min will molest it. To render chalona edi-
Bile it must be cut into small bits and boiled
a very long time; and in its best estate is
about as tender and juicy as sole-leather.
Bolivian Indians rarely eat fresh meat of
any kind, and have no fondness for the
picsnter aud peppers SO priced BY the Span.
iards and Cholos. Their greatest delicacy
in the line of food is frozen llama flesh;
while coca is considered the first essential of
lie, and alcohol, or its equivalent far more
necessary than water. The prosperous In.
dian farmer owns few llamas, and perhaps
he is very nabob who possesses also a COW
or flock of sheep.
EXPERTS WITH THE SLING.
Whenever a man, woman or child of In |
dian blood starts out to drive a llama, sheep |
or other animal, he or she, does not look |
for a stick, but carries a small sling of |
woven wool, which, among these singular |
people, is the sole weapon of offense and |
defense. jogging along at a slow trot be- |
hind the flock or herd an Indian will keep |
every member of it straight in the path and |
up to time without uttering a sound or
changing his pace. Ii one of the animals |
ioiters by the wayside, or shows a disposition |
to 20 astray, small stone, SHE'D from the |
sling with unerring accuracy, hits him
clip on the off ear and reminds him that |
business must be attended to.
1t sometimes happens that the Aymaras
and Quichuas nave regular pitched battles
between one another and always the only |
weapons used are stones propelled by slings. |
Such row occurred in La Paz during the |
last carnival time. The rival tribes repaired |
to the outskirts of the city, where they oc-
cupied two adjacent hilltops and wsged war |
so iercely that q number were killed on |
both sides. To this day none of the white |
race know what was the cause of the dis !
turbance. At last the Government sent out |
a company of soldiers to disperse them, but |
with blank cartridges only. Learning this, |
the Indians surrounded the soldiers and |
held them prisoners until second BODY of |
troops came to their rescue with powder and |
ball.
\ WHERE WOMEN RULE.
As rule, the women are superior to their |
lords in intelligence, and earn the larger |
share of their mutual support. Being the i
older OF the two. she is naturally the head |
of the house, and is more likely to thrash |
her dutiful spouse than he is to misuse her. |
In the markets where farm products are
disposed of, she can drive better bargain
than he; sne can carry as heavy burdens,
endure as much manual labor, chew as
much coca and drink as much alcohol.
TIE Indians have little or no money, their
mediums of exchange being whatever they
NAV raise, or the labor of their hands.
They will eat when not hungry, against
the time OF need" as they say, and they
are full of all manner OF superstitions,
which is taken advantage of by numerous
medicine men.
The city OF La Paz is lighted by electri-
eitv, and the Indians hereabout, not UNDER
standing the phenomenon, have been greatly
troubled thereby. A few weeks ago they
were thrown into state of wild confusion
bv partial eclipse Of the moon, and the
next days local paper contained the follow
ing item: "The indians residing in the out
skirts OF the city were smitten with terror
last night at the spectacle OF the eclipse, be-
lieving the electric light to be directly re-
sponsible for it, and that the moon, becom-
lug ashamed of its inferior light. and there
lore jealous and angry, was trying to hide
herself, and what would they do if Luna
should put ont her light altogether?
"The panic became so great that the poor
creatures huddled together in groups, cry
ing like children, and some fed to the caves
and mountains Others showed fight and
cot ont the reed trumpets that are used in