Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-04
LOVE THEIR SWORDS.
Nobody Of Any Standing Will Carry
q Gun to War in Peru.
THE RANKS FILLED BY FORCE.
Women and Babies Share ths Hardships
With the Soldiers
SOCIAL CUSTOMS OF The CAPITAL


about one brass-mounted warrior to every
ten common" ones. While the rank and
file of the Peruvian army is almost ex-
clusively made up Of indians and negroes,
the line and staff represent some of the best
families in the republic. All the officers
are sons of the arstocracy, who have been
educated to their vocation in the various
military schools. They wear extremely
gaudy uniforms, with plenty of scarlet
cloth, gold lace and brass buttons, and are
never seen in anything but full military
dress, off duty oron.
A Spaniaid, whatever his station in life,
is proud to wear sword; but nothing can
induce him to carry a musket. This
prejudice of caste was strongly exemplified
a few years ago, in the defense Of Lima
against the Chilian army, when doctors,
lawyers, merchants, priests-everybody.
regardless of calling or condition-rushed
! into the ranks much as did citizens OF the
United States in '61; but not a mothers
son of them could be coaxed or compelled to
put on uniform. They were glad to fight in
| defense of their homes and country, but
refused to be degraded by wearing the
toggery OF common soldiers.
AAIAzoNs OF THE SOUTH.
The Indians constitute the infantry, and
| being accustomed from childhood to travel
on foot in the mountainous interior, they
have acquired wonderful rapidity and en-
| durance on the march. With each company
of soldiers there goes a squad of women who
are called rabonas-a dozen ofthem to every
| 20 or 80 men. These female volunteers serve
| without pay, but are given rations and free
transportation; for the Government not only
| tolerates but encourages their presence, as it
serves to make the men more contented.
They are really of much service-oI the
march, in camp and in battle. They share
the same fatigues and exposures as their
lords and masters, besides doing most of the
| foraging for the messes to which they be-
| long, not to mention the cooking, washing
| and other necessary work.
They are always with the men, are ofici-
ally enumerated in the rosters of troops, as
| also in the reports of casualties-so many
| men and SO many rabonas killed and
wounded-for they.share the soldiers death
/ as uncomplainingly as they do his priva-
tions. In battle they nurse the wounded,
carry water and ammunition, rob the dead,
| and perform any other useful services that
| may be required. The custom of allowing
rabonas to go with the army grew of the
| habit the Incas had of taking their wives
| to war; but as time went on the marital ties
among this class became lessened by common
consent.
BABIES IN THE RANKS.
Their powers of endurance are extraordi-
nary. Often they have to march 20 to 80
miles between daylight and dark, many of
them carrying babies on their backs. There
| is hardly company without score Of
| youngsters following at the heels of the
| rabonas. The children of the regiment have
the hardest time, being homeless from birth
| as well as nameless. generally without rest
or shelter, and often without food When
one of them dies ON the march, the mother
strips off the rags and throws the poor little
body into the sand or leaves it under tree,
glad to be relieved of the encumbrance.
The Peruvian soldiers are all volunteers,
because, as in most republics, conscript1on
is, forbidden by law. But the way they
'volunteer" is unique. When more soldiers
are needed, men are sent out who capture
indians wherever they can-at their homes,
on the highway, or in the chicareas These
are locked up until there are enough to send
to headquarters, when they are taken before
the proper recruiting officers and made to
sign statement to the effect that they ssyol-
unteer" to serve their country as long as
she may need them. OF course they cannot
! read, and "sign" by .making a cross; but
thus the laws demands are satisfied. A
dozen or more volunteers" are then lashed
together. each having his bands tied behind
him, and they are driven to the garrison,
like sheep to a slaughter-house, and are
turned over to the tender mercies of drill
sergeant. ''
HOW THE CRIMINALS FARE.
The Lima penitentiary, which BY the way
L., H. Ill
the plan of the Philadelphia House of Cor
rection, contains about $50 prisoners, who
are serving out life sentences for murder.
The Liberal Government long ago abolished
ca pital punishment, but political offenders
are still tried by military courts, and shot
when adjudged guilty of conspiracy or
treason. Hanging was never perpetrated in
Peru, even in the darkest days of Spanish
cruelty. The prisoners are mostly engaged
in making uniforms, shoes and other equip
ments Tor the army.
Though Lima is surrounded by some
most romantic and inviting spots. there
seems to be uniYesal indifference to coun-
try life; except during certain season. .
when 1t is the custom of those who can af.
ford it to flock to Mirafores (the Newport
Of Peru) or to make themselves uncomfort-
able for sake of little sea-bathing at Cho-
rillos, the local Long Branch. There are
plenty of other places within short distc noes
from the crowded, city. which, were it New
York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago or
any other North American metropolis,
would be covered by suburban villas.
People do not even ride out to these lovely
spots for breath of country air, but fashion
confines itself to the busy streets except on
All Souls Day, when everybody prone
nades in the great pantheon, Just outside
the city limits, and on the 22d day OF June,
when the Limalah world proceeds to the
hill Of Amancaes to pick dafodils.
THE DISTINCTIONS OF WAR,
In Lima the splendid trees of the parks
and boulevards, even those of the botanical
gardens, were chopped down for fuel by the
Chilian soldiers during the Chili-Peruvian
war. The entire museum of Peruvian curl
osities-one of the largest of lts kind in the
world-was packed up and shipped to Santi-
ago. The most valuable books of the ma
tional library, including vast collection of
old manuscripts, iuquisition relics and other
priceless relics. were thrown into sacks and
sent after the museum. Musical instru-
ments were hacked in pieces by swords and
axes; historical paintings cut from their
frames, and many smaller pictures. statues
and articles OF virtu we're carried off as
private plunder.r Peru's greatest painting,
Marinis Burial OF Atahualpa, the Last of
the Incas," was stolen from the wall where
it hung. but the protests OF the diplomatic
corps finally induced the Chilians to leave
il. Churches, as we'll as private houses,
were stripped, and what could not be
destroyed or carried away was consumed by
fire, the purpose of the invaders being to
deprive the PeruvIans of everything they
priced.
But despite the present poverty of the old