Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-01

WASHINGTON. ID. c., s
sometimes calico shirt. wade through the surf
carrying articles ashore no matter what their
weight. from = box Of candles 90 piano case.
Their muscular frames become wonderfully de-
veloped by this sort OF exercise, and u II aston
ishing with what rapidity they perform tho
| work.
aicu SEiousonisa eeesrsy.
The country in the neishborhood Of Talca-
huano amply awards cultivation and some Of
the valleys back OF Conception are said TO be
among the richest In the world All kinds Of
iruits, grains and vegetables are produced in
abundance; beef. mutton. pork and fowls arc
well fattened and cheap and fish can be Melted
IN Incredible Quantities on the beach at food
tide. Speaking Of the fisheries reminds me Of
81. refers day, which IL made great fiesta in
all the coast towns of Chill. Peter was fish,
many miles Of ssashore. while Its greatest
width Is not 30 wide but that inrge proper
ton OF the people can journey to the oceRn-
on foot, II need be-to worship the saint in q At
and becoming manner. OF course it is made
legal holiday, for nobody dreams of working at
such time. With the first peep Of dawn
all the bells are rung and in every church the
usual o clock mass is celebrated.
The largest sanctuary.in the place has been
decorated beforehand for the occasion, with
the shrines OF the holy fisherman; at 10 a. M the
people congregate and procession is formed
to march down to the ocean. life-size wax
or wooden figure, dressed richly. representing
the apostle Peter, is carried at the head of the
procession with great pomp and ceremony. Ar
rived at the waters edge the image is placed in
boat and held over the sea, and at Talcahuano
it Is rowed all around the bay, while priests
bless the waters that they may produce fish
abandantly. Those who expect 10 reap the re-
I'd hyc II
mem are highly taxed to pay for the perform
ance.
Tome, on the opposite side of the bay (pro-
nounced Ioe-may. accenting the final syllable),
Is a famous summer resort for the people of
this section. A tiny steamboat about fifty feet
long and nfteen feet wide, with canvas avn
ing to protect the passengers from sun and
ram, plies continually between Talcahuano and
Tome. 1t was bought one day by an energetic
German for what loose change he happened to
nave In his vest pocket, and now lie realizes no
less than $4,000 year carrying passengers
across the bay
1t seems strange that so much of the business
on Chris coast is in the hands of foreigners.
Az Tome one hears about as much English,
French and German spoken as Spanish, and
more imam once, when wrestling with the native
olaiect In an effort to buy something. / have
peen surprised by the question, do you not
speak English, madame!' They make barrels
IN Tome and wine, whisky and brandy to fill
them; also flour. bricks, thing and an excellent
quality OF WOODEN cloth. The bathing is said
no bath houses, and L am informed that
" Is the custom for parties to bring
along small tents, in which matters of dress
may be adjusted; or rather undgess, for stroll
erS upon the beach at almost any hour may see
men, women and children disporting them
serves gieefully III the water in 4 perfectly nude
condition, who appear neither startled nor en-
parrassed by the gaze OF beholders.
THE CITY OF coNcEpcIoN.
The city OF Conception, formerly named
Pence, was situated on the eastern side Of the
bay. but its repeated destruction by the sea,
earthquakes and the Araucanian Indians finally
drove the inhabitants nine miles inland, where
they located the present city upon the orthern
bank OF the river -Bio-a large, navigable
stream.
Old Pence, as the former town is now called.
possesses peculiar interest from its historical
associations. for it was here that Pedro de
Naidivla first raised the cross in southern Chill
In the year 1850. All that is now TO be seen of
Its former greatness are the remains OF an
ancient fort. or water battery. with walls six
feet thick and OF great extent On the facade
the Spanish coat-of-arms, covering a space
eight feet square. is cut in stone, with the date
"Ano 16S7''
The road from Taicahuano to Concepcion
traverses a sandy plain, dotted here and there
with dwarf trees. AS the traveller approaches
he sees what at first appear TO be few scattered
nuts at the base Of range Of sand hills and not
far OIL the mighty Bio-Bio. and is amazed to
find himself almost Immediately afterward in
the midst OF city of $1,000 or 70, 600 inhab-
ltants. II was noon when We entered Concep-
cion and in passing through long street to our
hotel we Jaw only three animated obiects-a
muleteer, boy and donkey. 1t was the sesta
hour and the whole city was asleep and in
broad day, among thousands Of human beings.
utter silence reigned.
The hotel to which we were directed is quaint
enough to merit description. There is a pas
sage In the center, through which donkeys
laden with wood, water, sacks of COAL baskets
of vegetables, dead pigs. sheep. DC, are driven
on their way to the kitchen. The only room to
sit in is the dining room, which is fioored with
brick and has a bar Of liquors in one corner.
All the bed rooms open on the patio. central
court. and if You partial to light and air their
interiors may be scanned by all the neighbors.
That the quaint old city has made many adj
vances in civilization the following true story
will show: Less than forty years ago beauti-
full girl. whose parents were among the wealth.
lest citizens of Conception, married the
son Of another equally prominent family,
and the pair settled down to
housekeeping with catering prospects of
future happiness. Children came to the casa
and for a few years their domestic felicity was
undisturbed. Then the demon of jealousy took
possession of the wife whether on reasonable
grounds do not know and one night while
the husband slept she deliberately poured ket-
tie of boiling water over his face and head. After
few hours of horrible torture he died, and so
did she. in a no less shocking manner. Though
her father offered the whole of his wealth to
save her life and rendered the governor a
million dollars in gold the woman, who was
still young and beautiful, was dragged to
the chill of death, or place of public execu-
tions. There. according to her sentence, she
was shot, and then her yet warm body was
sewn up in a sack together with living rats and
snakes, and sunk in the middle of the Bio-Bio
FANNIE b. WARD.
Answered.
took nv sorrow where the swelling felds