Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-10

sAhuou AEUui Ouc 70 tuIee QHyS. 1nOUHn par TIC
ipated in by all classes, from the president
down to the humblest peon. It is not considered
quite 20 swell ~ the later celebration.
CHANGES IN YEAR.
/ spent last Diez oeho chico in Santiago
only one little year ago. and what changes have
taken place, Then the hero of the hour, sur
rounded BY his happy family, wns the now de-
spised Balmaceda. The troubles that culmi.
mated in his melancholy suicide were already
begun, but nobody dreamed that they would
end In war. At the races last year, and the
subsequent dress parade on the fashionable
drive, the Balmaceda coach. containing the
president, his handsome vito and two young
daughters, vas the observed Of all observers,
and the rabbie who isteiy shouted with JOY at his
death were as ready then to reud the air with
vivas in his honor. With that irresponsible ele-
ment IT 10 lie roy est mort; vive IL roy" Their
allegiance 10 given TO the star that happens to
be In the ascendant, and they will be just -
ready to welcome another overturniug. One
ysar ago the late president was not only
popular and happy man, bat q very rich one.
and that poverty could ever overtake him or
his seemed entirely out of the question; yet he
died 30 poor that all the money he possessed
had been given to him by his wife from her
and her children are left not only pennfless.
but homeless. for the victors wantoniy burned
and sac ked their house as well as that OF Bal.
maceda's aged mother.
PATRIOTISM RAMPANT.
In this third city of the republic the patriot
ism Of Diez y ocho chico has been rampant for
four and twenty hours, and still cannons are
booming and bands are playing "viva Chilli"
and carriages dashing to and fro carrying
gaiiy dressed people with glad faces. Hun
dreds OF young caballeros, mounted on pranc-
Ing steeds. with wonderfully ornamented sad
dies and trappings, are gailoping about like
mad to display their equestrian skill and pre-
pare for the afternoons tournament The
fashionable resort of Conception is the Alameda,
which lies in the outskirts Of the city, snug up
against a hill which rises abruptly to the
height Of q thousand feet, and, though At least
fifty yearso old, few attempts have ever been made
to beautify it. Lombardy poplnrs grow thickly
On either side Of the first line of noble
trees rows Of tents have been set, some made
OF boards covered with cloth, some Of
OLD carpets md Others Of canvas. These mot
ief houses are occupied during Diez ocho by
thousards Of country people, all dressed in
their @est-whois neighborhco DDS together, bent
On having week of borough enjoyment.
Every teri appears to servs As a hotel. for In
front OF each women are constantly preparing
foad-some kueading dough, others brewing
soup and others frying onion-odOrous tomales
In kettles Of boiling fat. Inside, on shelves,
more deli"scies are exposed for sae--shch. for
instance. .s huge turkeys, each baked with head
and feet intact and green olive in his bill
Should you call for u meal at one Of these
hostelries you would find the menu about as
kidneys, cabbage and onions; the lungs of fat
pigs, broiled; boiled sea crabs, garnished
with the grilled entrails Of pigs; roasted
yea urchins,' served in their purple
shells, fried fish with sauce prepared
from OK feet; roast turkey. stuffed with
onions, spices, red peppers and corianders
fried peas; pepper salad; bread, cheese and
yerba mate--the tea Of Paraguay -slpped, boil
ing hot through silver tube the size of a
straw You cal. take the whole course. stand
ing. for the modest sum OF about -. or, if
more economically inclined you NAV finti
cheaper alternative on the back side Of the
same tent where, for rs cents, you can JOIN the
family dinner OF boiled meat and vegetables
all eating from the same wooden bowl, and an
extra medic % ccntsl will secure you two or
three glasses Of wine with which TO wash it
down.
DANCING AND DRINKING.
Every tent is ball room and a saloon, as
well III hotel, where two or three young
women sing the plaintive airs OF the cuaca. ac-
companying their voices with guitars, while
couple after couple come solemnly forward,
twirl their handkerchief and dance. and the
bystanders keep time by the clapping Of hands.
Casks, barrels and bottles Of wine are strewn all
about, and So while some trip 1.-The light fam
tastic' others drink, and they in turn dance
and drink again, until all become too TOP
heavy for further effort. Here COMES hand.
some country girl, in high -heeled shoes and
close-ftting gown or navy blue, with bright,
black eyes and cheeks like roses. She twirs her
handkerchief in the cuaca, with young rustic. in
poncho, boots and spurs, until some old woman
remarks: "Oh, she must have some wine to keep
her heels going" $50 she must" echoes the
rustic, and he fills the goblet to the brim.
which she losses eff laughing, at single gulp.
Other swains come In for dance with the
same damsel she il 50 pretty and sprightly.
and each admirer mus. treat her to big glass
Of the rosy" Her heels fly fast and her
tongue faster, but presently she steps high, as
II the floor suddenly rose up to meet her, and
and coqueftishly waving her handkerchief. she
staggers and sinks down gracefully in a corner
''Pobracita (poor, dear thing, says somebody
''She needs a little Sleep
We look into the next tent Just in time to zee
regular Samson Of a man. with O head like
bullock's. tnmbling down among empty casks
and other rubbish, where men and women are
already piled in drunken sumber Scores Of
people On every side are in seine stage of in.
toxicaficn, but there Is no disorder nor quar-
pure juice OF the grape, it produces no iii
effects. but temporary stupor, which socn
wears OFF.
OTHER AMUsEMEyTs.
For the amusement Of those not caring to
dance the municipality has rugged up several
playtbirss. One ct them il called rompe Gu
beza, ''break the head," and seems to be well
named. 1t Is block of wood in the shane of n
triangular prism. about seven feet long by one
foot wide, poised In a perpendicular position
about eight feet from the grouud and 80 per-
fectly balanced that the ligl.est touch causes
IT to revolve. Somebody places a real ON tho
solid framework at one end and tells the boys
that he who crawls across the balanced triangle
may have the money. About one boy in q
dozen succeeds in winning the prize, the others
being thrown to the ground with more or less
violence. TO the unbounded delight of the pop
ulace.
There is also pole planted firmly in the
ground. straight smooth and sixty feet long
This IL sfneared with grease to the very top,
where fat-looking purse is suspended, said 10
contain q large sum Of money. TO be given TO
whoever gets it by climbing. There liz not
boy i'll Conception but thinks it il worth trying
for, to the ruin Of numberless suits Of clean
linen. fat man suggests &c the crowd that it
Is not an impossibiiity to climb that there
pole" Another tells Of a man in Santiago who
climbed hundreds of creased poles in the
course Of a long and useful life by merely roll
ing himself in sand, aud finally at the top Of one
be found purse containing $4,000 in
bank checks. Immediately every boy rushes
on and presently returns covered with sand
and dirt. The crowd increases to Thousands.
and the grease 10 rapidly disappearing from
the bottom Of the pole. Finally, after several
hundred dollars worth Of Sunday garments
have been hopelessly ruined, ragged urchin,
with legs and arms tied up in sandpaper, shins
up the pole like u squirrel and comes down