Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-28

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WOMEN OF TERRA DEL FUEGo, BETTER DRESSED
THAN USUAL
colony. They lost no time in communicating
the important fact to passing vessels-their
ships were the first to purchase the commodity,
and before long Punta Arenas became known
to all European and American vessels in these
waters as a convenient place to obtain supplies.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLONY.
As the condition of the colony grew better
and better the land east of the town, for a
distance Of several miles, was divided into
farms for the raising of CATTLE horses poultry
and such vegetables will grow in this lati-
tude. Wheat will not mature but hardy
grasses were introduced from Germany, and
the cattle of the section became noted as
among the finest in the world. fat, round and
sleek, with peculiarly soft. velvety hair. A
church was built costing three thousand hard
earned dollars, followed by school house
commodious enough to hold all the children.
By this time Chile began to feel proud of her
distant colony and to pay it SO much unwel-
come attention that the liberty of the exiles
was more and more restricted. A rather hand
some government building was erected by
order Of the president, also a new Quartet or
JAIL and the settlement was put under military
control with forty additional soldiers in uni
form, ostensibly to do police duty and be ready
for attacks from the long-friendly Indians
At length, in 1877. the injudicious severity of
a federal governor Of that day provoked revolt
among the convicts, whose numbers had been
SO many times augmented by achievements
OF all classes Of criminals from every prison in
Chile that the respectable pioneers, to whom
belonged all the credit Of prosperity, were an
unconsldered minority. The desperate revolt
houses and forced all the officials a peaceable
inhabitants to fly to the forests. or a time
pandemonium prevailed, until by some fortu-
nate accident. a CHILEAN war vessel reached
Sandy Point while disorder was at its height,
when the insurgents were speedily overpowered
and the ringleaders executed. 1t happened
that the weather continued unusually mild for
this climate, SO that the houseless refugees,
among whom were many women and Young
children, suffered less than might have been
expected while new homes were being con-
structed.
NO LONGER CONVICT TOWN.
After this no more convicts were sent to
Punta Arenas. Now that the mail steamers
plying between Europe and the west coast of
South America had adopted this route through
the Strait of Magellan, bringing a rapid in
crease OF traffic, the paternal government
recognized its Importance a station of call
and supply. In 1868 it made liberal grants of
land to immigrants. and sent out a new gov
ernor. with $40 settlers. Timber for building
purposes was taken along, and plenty of sup
plies to last until the immigrants could clear
and cultivate farms for themselves. During
the war with Peru, when Chile found herself in
need of all the soldiers she could muster the
military guard was withdrawn from the old
convict station, all the prisoners who would
consent to fight the Peruvians got an honor
able discharge and ticket of leave and marched
gaily away with their late keepers to cut the
Threats of their neighbors. In 1868 the popu-
lation of Punta Arenas was hardly 200; in 1858
II was 900, and now it is little more than half
the latter number. In 1888 the district was
organized into a province Of Chile Gts nine
teenth), and now it is no disgrace. though
somewhat inconyenient to be Punta Arenian
WHY THE rovS "a ,xrrprsr,xc
Ill -, yv.ah;--.o..
newspaper man
VINO iatei! 'isiteo SANDY foint, says OF It, The
town is interesting because it is the only settle
ment in Patagonia, and of course the only ONE
in the strait. 1t is about 200 miles from the
southernmost LOWE on the west coast OF South
~ Uh .n1 pors Oh .ne eastern coast
and as Punta Arenas is about midway Of
course it possesses some attrac tons. There are
few decent people here-ship agents and
traders who came for business reasons, a con-
sui or two, and among them an Irish physician.
Dr. Fenton who is the host and oracle sought
for by every stranger who arrives. Occasion
ally some yachting party stops here on its
VOYAGE around the world. or a man-of-war
cruising from one ocean to the other and
steamers bound from Europe to the Pacific
ports pass every day or two, SO that Communal
cation is kept M with the rest of the uniyerse
and the people who live at this antinodes
| where the sun ia seen in the north and rbe
Fourth Of july comes in the dentb
| Of winter, are pretty well informed az
| to affairs at The other end Of the
globe. The emotions that come with the con.
| Temptation that Won are about as far from any.
where as YOU can possibly 60 are novel, lint In
the midst of them YOU are comforted by the
other fact that the world ia not SO large IA it
| looks to be. for here is a man who nsed TO live
where you came from. and another who once