New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-28

little shifty legcrdcmain, distribute them anew
and not have fresh stubs remaining rs record
against her. The Chians are not, however,
dishonest. and il is doubtful if any check OF this
sort is necessary in order 10 protect the companies
In the postofiice women employed as clerks.
They weigh letters. sell postage stamps and take
places usually occupied by men The hotel where
| am staying is managed by woman OF German
birth. who, purchases supplies in the markets
tssn carly hour in the morning, receives guests
and assigns them TO ROOMS during the day. keeps
the accounts. makes out all the DIS ana mas geh-
cral supervision of the management Of the house
II may be that this is only a temporary arrange
mcnt caused by her husbands ill-health or ab-
sencc from the city. but she is carrying on with
great facility and with no apparent EFFORT I'M
business of one OF the largest hotels IN 'hill on
the other hand. men are employed for some func-
tions ordinarily reserved for women All the
kitchen and chamber work in hoteS on the west
coast is done by men. with the single eN-
ception of the manager. there is not In the motel
of which have been speaking. woman 10 DC
found from ton TO bottom The COOKING o'Sh-
washing. scrubbng and every other class OF mcniai
work is done by men.
The shops of Santiago are European oa~""is
I asked an old resident whether there was any
thing to be bought that could ne conslueic"
characteristic of the country ne renec'eu
moment and then said that he Udht KNOW vi
ANYTHING except some cheap Indian pottery, when
was sometimes sold in the market. we schu
our copper and silver TO Europe. he addeo' anu
il comes back 10 us in all these ornaments ana
novelties which YOU will find IN the SHOPS o"'
tbcne is nothing of home make. There were
Indian curosities sold in old times, put no"
everything in the shops is European. | ran
A.. orr
none. although I walked around and through IT.
There is no market in South America more IN
teresting than this, and none that is cleaner ana
more orderly. 1t is filled with small stalls. where
meats. fish, vegetables, butter and fruit are dis
PLAYED. and where anything from childs shoe
TO a spinsters wig can be purchased. large
share of space is reserved for coffee and Zee
cream stands and lunch tables, and the scenes,
between / and IL o'clock, when these stalls are
patronized, exceedingly animated Inc
market is dcnselv crowded al that hour, ana
business in all the other stalls is temporarily
suspended in order that the occupants can devote
their energies exclusively TO their breakfasts ana
to social intercourse. II | failed TO find the
pottery. I obtained glimpse Of one of the char
actcristic scenes of Santiago
There European bazaars in the streets OF
the Gillian capital where once there were Yankee
NOTION stores lrauc WIN lhc iHltu states has
remained stationary during the last ten years,
while trade with Europe has steadily increased
with the development of steamship communica-
tions with Valparaiso The following exhibit
reveals the movement Of exports from the three
leading maritime Nations Of Europe and from
the United States 10 CHILEAN parts
DEVELOPMENT OF GILLIAN IMPORTS.
Courtry 1868 1852. 1855.
England ssoso o9e s2l G$s 600 SO a,iiil
G G51sG ~ 79a SO 1908 i' so l'o55
Totals sl2Is..5s sac Is; SO SAG q Ga - e
exports '''' sl1 1884 a4 $3.50 9s7 3s1 s,s5ie.o5s
This comparison shows the magnitude OF the
importations by which the CHILEAN shops have
been converted into European stores and also
the relative decline in American trade. With
S3,l33,l73, against Si6,679,23 II is not strange
that the word Americana once popular catch
word in the shop signs, is gradually disappearing
from the streets and windows. Indeed AZ |
find evidence in the official reports of the
traordinary efforts made by England and Ger
many TO develop trade with Chm and OF the inter
Indifference OF the United States Government 10
the decadencc Of the commercial marine upon
which the growth and prosperity OF the American
export trade depend, marvel that there is a rem
nant so large as S5,l33.l73 That remnant consists
mainly oI liHpFI, ke1fePne, resin, salmon, Iari-
OIL cheap chairs, shoc-pcgs rope, cut nails and
drilling. In return the United States receives
nitratcs, iodine goatskins, woolskns hides and
few other articles The ChAans are the most
active commercial Nation in South America. and
are shaping the industrial fortunes Of the west
coast. Maritime Europe appreciates the i'm
portance Of cultlvating the closest possible rcla-
tons with them The United States alone mani
tests no Interest in the extraordinary development
OF CHILEAN industries and political power
There are American houses in Santiago and
Valparaiso, and large assorted stocks Of such
goods as can be sold are kept on hand. Grace 4
Co. have houses in each city, and American com
mission firms have men on the ground 20 look
after the interests OF various manufacturers
whose goods they are handling There is no back
OF mercantile enterprise the part Of leading
Ncw-lork and Boston houses interested in the
South American trade Of the west coasi. and en-
ergctic shippers like {. T. Flint 4 Co. are IN
firing in their cXcrtons 10 cnlarse TRANSFORMATION
facilities. But, with sample rooms open and
warehouses filled with stock. the American i'm
ports are not increasing. while German and Eng
lish trade is forging ahead every year ] have
talked with representatives Of American houses,
and find that the chief reasons assigned for the
decline Of their trade in comparison with tho
rapid increase in the sales Of English and Ger
man manufactures are high frcghts, the lack
OF direct steam communication with Ncw-York.
breakage OF goods at the lsihmus, and the alb
sencc of American banking facilities. Frcights
via Panama are lower than formerly, so that
some OF these merchants are receiving all their
goods by that route, having made favorable con
tracts for transportation on the west coast; but
for many years IL was cheaper for them to have
their merchandise shipped via Hamburg, the
freights being only one-half as expensive by
the lsthmus. But they then had to pay higher
rates than their Gernon competitors or have the
alternative Of ordering goods by sailing vessels
arriving in Valparaiso after long voyages. The
brcakaee Of merchandise at Panama has been "A
standing source Of complaint, and has done more
10 retard American trade on this coast than any