The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-12-04
THE PORTS OF SOUTHERN CHILE

Pacific. 1t was nearing sunset the Other
afternoon when, after weary days OF
waiting, we hoisted anchor and steamed
slowly out of Valparaiso bay. 1t is nc
use trying to describe to you the beauty
of the hour in that locality and the SUI.
perb views on every hand. Our Kodak
gave us plenty of pictures, correct, OF
course, so far as outlines go, but entire
ly unsatisfactory because failing to por-
tray the glowing tints on sea and sky
and shore, which an artists brush could
never simulate. Certainly words can give
no idea of the contrast between limitless
snow-fields above and summer time be-
low, all bathed in softly brilliant, swift
ly changing colorS, warm air, odorous of
flowers, but tempered by ocean breezes,
and the mighty Pacific throbbing be-
meath in measured swells like the beating
of human heart, To properly appre-
ciate these things, you should have oc-
cupied another reclining chair beside us
on the upper deck. Then you would
have seen Aconcagua, that sublimest
peak of the Andes, unveiled for once in
all his majesty, standing apparently in
the centre of the snow-covered Cordil-
lera that stretches north and south far as
the eye can reach, but towering three
times higher than his fellow-peaks. You
would have noted how purple banks of
clouds lay piled all along on top of the
range, while Aconcagua arose, clean and
clear above the clouds, serrated and SOL
itary. When the sun finally dipped into
the dark ocean, you would have seen the
jet black of unlit lower peaks in splendid
contrast with the rosy amethyst of the
upper heights, which paved with gold
the watery path we were to pillow and
threw a strange irridescent light upon
sky and shore and the gray shipping in
the harbor.
Notwithstanding the beauty of this
celebrated port. its surrounding hills and
crescent-shaped bays crowded with Ves-
sells from all parts of the world-we
were delighted TO bid it adieu, for in this
dies irde of triumphant rebellion the
cities of Chile are neither safe nor desir-
able places of abode for Americans.
Though there is absolutely no cause for
it, the ill-feeling toward our countrymen
grows in bitterness every day-so much
that the most inoffensive American resi-
dents are subjected to a Thousand annoy
ances, and 1 am afraid that the time is
not far distant when their lives and
property will be imperilled. American
ladies of highest responsibility, passing
quietly along the streets, are not only
subjected to covert sneers but openly
hooted by the rabble as "Gringas" and
sometimes insulted in less bearable terms
Arrests on the most trivial pretexts are
frequent, and when once an American
gets into CHILEAN prison, though inno-
cent as a baby unborn, he stands no sort
of chance for clemency or justice. As
before remarked, there is no reason I'M
der heoven for all this. Its instigators
are interested Englishmen who are using
every endeavor to drive Americans out of
the country, that there may be no inter-
ference with the rich hauls they have
long been making here. One incontest-
ible proof of this may be found in the
VIGOROUSLY false dispatches that are
being sent from Santiago and Valparaiso
and published in he London Times, and
the absurd rawlings against the U. s., in
its dealings with Chile which that great
journal daily INDUCES in. The secret of
its frantic partisanShip lies in the fact
that its chief owner is Col. North, the nj
trate king who has made so many mil
lions at Iquiqui, and its conductors are
merely doing as their employer d.
reefs. Taking these ridiculously untrue
statements in deliberate print for sam
pie, you may readily imagine how much
worse is the private talk of these individ-
uals who have such mighty ends to
serve. The low class Chileno is totally
unreasoning being, swayed in all things
by his prejudices, brim full of jealousy,
hatred and all uncharitableness proverb-
tally excitable and irresponsible. In
t1amatory words dropped here and there
among them are sure to bear speedy and
terribly fruit. A mob, thus melted
against Americans, is as likely to rise up
any day-or rather, with customary bru-
tai cowardice. on any dark night-mas-
sacre the whole little colony and burn
the roofs over their heads, as they have
lately arisen to murder their countrymen
and wantonly destroy their property
Should such a thing occur, nobody
need look to the "Junto" for redress,
for its members are too busy grinding
private axes, and some of them have an
imosities of their own to crafty against
the land that gave them birth. The po-
litical confusion that might have been
predicted, is actively brewing in the
party which chances just now to be on
top,-chiehy because every one of its
leaders aspires to the same high Office.
As there connot possibly be but one
President at time, even in this carica-
ture of Republic, serious complications
are bound to ensue. You remember the
tradition of the rival magpies, who wor-
ried one another until -''All that was
left on the rail was the beak of one of
the little magpies, and another
little magpies tail;''-and it may yet hap
pen that Senior Vicuna-the legally
elected President before this unexpected