Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29

his more aristocratic neighbor, at least in out.
ward appearance. His house may be almost
barren OF furniture and the wolf may sometime
prowl dangerously near the premises, but a,
all times his manner is precisely like that of
los Ricos, and his clothes as nearly a copy of
theirs circumstance will permit. But the
CHILEAN ''lsoto," the acknowledged poor man,
10 an entirely different being, who never apes
gentilIty, having no style TO sustain and no am
bition to rise above the caste in which he was
born. He has no relations whatever with his
richer neighbor except TO serve him for pay
whenever occasions require, and he regards
the Rico" as great parsonage, whose dignity
he would fight for any day. The Roto wears a
SLOUGH hat, always NANCY from long usage,
dirty breechcs rolled up from the bot
tom and u garment Of indistinguishable
hue which he calls a shirt If the
weather is warm he perambulates bare
fooled; in cold, he clatters around on a pair of
clumsy clogs with wooden solcs an inch thick
that is, il he can afford them; if not he goes
bare-footed both winter and summer. When
chilly he dons u heavy blanket called a poncho
that has slit in the middle through which he
thrusts his head He is not a beauty, thick
coarse black hair, hanging straight from tho
crown, high check bones. wide mouth and skin
the color of an old shoe; but lie has dazzling
white teeth. and small hands and feet that any
Gringo might envy. he has no yearnings after
the unattainable and his few wants are easily
one-room adobe hut. with straw roof and dirt
floor. His furniture consists OF q rudo bench
or two by way OF chairs, pine table or per-
haps dry goods box in lieu of it, q hide in
one corner upon which to sleep, another rough
box, which serves for trunk, closet cup
board and the shrine of his patron saint, mate
cup and pot Of charcoal upon which his wife
prepares the beans and garlic. Like all igno-
rant people he IL extremely superstitious, be-
iieving in charms and amuiets powerful to
Al s1ra A1..A L.
about in various guises perpetrating mischief
upon man, and that saints ard angels and even
the blessed virgin herself will come in person
If importuned, to wrestle with his satanic ma
jesty. He Is siovenly, slow and patient but
man whom Ii would be wise to avoid when his
anger is aroused. He knows how to use the
terrible curvo and would think no more of sew
ering your wind pipo with it than the neck OF Q
chicken.
His numerous sons and daughters grow up
without education, and their IN ost hopeful out
look upon the future is to serve in the rich
man casa Happy. indeed, is the young rus
TIC who can become valet or ma jordomo to a
gentleman who will pay him the splendid salary
OF 80 or IS per month, feed hiri from the refuse
OF the family table and clothe him in the cast
on purple The highest aim OF the Roto
understanding, of course. the more natural
ambition to marry and set up o home Of her
OWNS to become q cook, with salary all the
way from 50 to $40 per month. or a ladys
maid-who falls heir to her mistress dragsied
fnery.
No OBJECTION TO woMAN's RIGHTS.
In this country there is no objection to
"woman's rights'--that is for women of the
ROto class-so far as the right to labor in any
avenue is concerned. They are not only en-
ployed rs street car conductors, but they do the
street cleaning. and gangs of them with short
willow brooms sweep the dirt into the bitches
long before sunrise. Outside the cities they
keep the shops, the hotels and the drinking
places, besides doing all the garden work.
They occupy the markets almost exclusively,
selling meats rs well as vegetables. The Roto's
wife will carry basket Of fruit around all day
on her head. peddling from door to door. or
Will seat herself somewhere in the sun and
patiently await customers. content with the
profit OF few pennies between dawn and dark
To buy anything of her n lengthy nesotio is in
eyitable Ii she expects to get 90 cents for a
basket of peaches her first price will be 81 or
20. Then she will haggle and chatter and plead
and remoustrate with you. and if you start
away will abandon other customers to follow
You until she finally splits the last straw of
difference and goes back smiling at her own
business ability.
Ii the husband is a ranchero, the wife or
daughter must drive for him the yoke of oxen
hitched by the head to n numbering cart and
sell the farm produce. or wood. cut for burn
ing. The poor layenderas (wash women) seem
pinned high around the waist they stand all
day Knee deep in the river pounding the dirt
from other peoples clothes. In Chill water is
never heated Tor washing purposes, neither is
soap extensively used nor fabric destroying
Dienchers. and tubs and wash boards are un-
khoWn- The lavendera, with bundle of
soiled clothes upon her head, seeks some
faYorite spot on tine banks OF running stream
where Is projecting rock, and there standing
IN water which is almost ice cold during half
the year. she mOistens the garments one
at time, and laying them On rock
pounds the dirt out of them with a
club or wooden paddle. / never saw
winter linen; but it requires three or four days
TO do washing, every piece being wet
pounded and bleached over and over again.
until white az snow. l have watched these
poor women during the winter months when
chilly penetrating rains would drench their
garments, and shivered in furs and flannels,
standing with bare legs in the cold stream six
or seven hours day. IL Santiago and VAL
ParalSo, where a river or public fountain is not
at hand ana the people are more learned in the
ways OF the wicked world, the lnyeuderas wash
In shallow wooden trays, kneeling upon the
ground near their own doors, and Use acids
which quickly rot the clothes.
EVERYTHING EXPENSIVE BUT MUSCLE
In Chill everything is wonderfully expensive
but muscle, and that is Of comparatively little
value. lady's bonnet costs from $50 to 500;
dress silk from Sc to so the ward. and the
modste will charge you from $50 to $50 for
making it. In Santiago paid SI2 the dozen
for linen handkerchefs, small size and ordin-
airy quality, and SIS for a pair of button boots
which at home would have cost about 81 So l
am informed tina: gentlemans suit of COM
mon clothes costs from SO to 800, pair of
patent leather shoes from SIS to $50 and a
silk hat not less than s25 Bread stuffs are
correspondingly high and far beyond the reach
of the Door iiotos.
But there is one luxury in which the poorest
Gillian woman will indulge, whatever else NAV
be wanting. and that is IL stiiily starched white
petticOat. Though her dress may be ragged.
her feet and head bare. she would no more do
without it than a Nantucket skipper would dis
pense with his pipe. have seen them spatter-
ing around In the mud displaying beautifully
laundered white skirts trimmed with hand en-
broidery or crochet lace d quarter of a yard
deep, adjoining dirty brown legs that were ex-
posed to view above the knee. The first essen
tials OF dress for a kotO woman young or old
are voluminous white pctticoat, u black
manta, a cigarette and box of musk-gown.
shoes and other toggery being mere accessories
FANNIE b. WARD.
The Light of the House.
Beyond the cheat Of Time, here where you died
you live;