Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-05

These soft-voiced, mild hammered and excess
lively polite Cbilenos are cruel to beasts ~ to
men. Horses are SO cheap that even bege,rs
bought for e6. and his owner knows no mercy.
The beasts are driven until they drop and then |
fresh ones are subjected to the same treatment.
No care is taken to protect domestic animals or |
to make them comfortable. Although the |
winters in this latitude are cold to q degree Of /
ice and snow. stables for horses and cattle are |
unknown. When their day slabor is done they |
are turned into a corral or pasture or the |
street to seek their own food, and every year |
thousands of them die from over work and |
starvation. |
COSTLY SADDLES AND BRIDES. |
have seen q number of fancy bits made OF
solid silver and brides plated with gold, with
reins made Of golden wire. Sonora Cousino,
the wealthiest widow in South America, has
that is said to have cost %, 500. Those
costing $1,000 or more, are common In
Santiago. The Gillian saddle is even more
queer and complicated than the bride.
First, half dozen sheep skins are piled, one
above another, on the horses back; leather
strap is passed around them and firmly secured.
Then comes a sort Of skeleton saddle, or rather
piece of wood cut into the shape Of q saddle
tree, with cautle at each end; on top of this
is piled any number Of sheep SKINS or, If the
owner is rich enough, rare and costly furs fur
nish the seat, which is called q montura. The
four corners are fastened down by broad bands
OF canvas or leatQer. some wealthy eQueb.
TRANS have high-pommelled saddle, like those
of the Mexicans, which is covered with silver
and stamped on top with the owners coat OF
arms
In Chilli it is distinctly understood that the
amount of silver mans riding outfit indi-
Gates his station in life, and naturally there is q
good deal Of competition in that direction
among the swell caballeros. While the poor
mans stirrup is a rude affair, hewed by hand
out Of a block Of wood, as above described, his
- l., ,,,,x.
but much more ornamental, made of brass or
silver, usually in the shape of a slipper. Those
designed for ladies are often made of solid sill
yer, beautifully chased, and are favorite gift.
English manufacturers are able to produce
these equestrian adornments SO much cheaper
than the native workmen, who have no labor
saving machines thst nearly all are now i'm
ported.
When the rider is seated in the saddle his
legs are entirely concealed by the furs and
sheep skins. If going on journey he wears
on his back a poncho, which bears no closer
resemblance to that of the guaso than does the
rest of lis outfit 1t is about the size of the
rubber blankets used in the United States, and
| Is woven of vicuna hair or lambs wool, which
keeps the wearer cool by day. for the suns rays
| cannot penetrate it, and warm by night. It
answers as well for an umbrella as for an over
coat, and sheds the rain better than rubber,
because the oil has not been extracted from the
wool. The vicuna (the Andean goat) is yearly
| utCOuilllS HOTc sCdTCe, anu uOWdudSb II SOOu
| poncho made OF its hair is as rare as a camels
| hair shawl, which it somewhat resembles, and
| is worth from $50 to $500. Thus you see that
fully equipped saddle horse for a Gillian
| caballerO, with silver spurs, vicuna poncho,
| gold or silver mounted saddle and bride, &c,
| represents an investment of $4,000 or more.
| 1t is considered the height of vulgarity among
the aristocrats to use common English saddlery
and new ponchos. for in their families those
almost indestructible articles have been handed
down from generation to generation, growing
| more valuable with age and usage.
| THE LOCAL POLICE.
| Returning to the city in the twilight we no.
tice that each squatting street merchant has
lighted a tiny lantern and will doze over his
wares till bedtime. The police are being de-
tailed to their different beats for the night.
They are divided into two forces--the vigiantes,
who preserve order during the day, and the
serenos, who watch by night Some are
| mounted, and all are armed with sabres and
| uniformed in coarse blue cloth. At daylight
the vgilantes march to their beats, and are au-
| thorized to arrest any one who violates the pub
lie peace or decency and to see that the streets
are kept clean and orderly. In street encoun-
tiers with the drunken and turbulent they use
| their sabres with intent to hurt; but in regard
to decency and cleanliness they are not the
most efficient censors, being ignorant Of what
those qualities really are One vigilante il
usually placed at the intersection of every two
streets. and at twilight the serenos march tc
their relief.
On no account Is a serene allowed to leave
his beat until comrade has responded to hi
whistle. house holder may send him in great
est haste to call priest physician, but il
either reside outside his particular district ht
must pass the message along through his mex
comrade. part Of his duty is to examine the
street doors OF the houses, and if they are no
properly secured to notify the residents. Aftel
10 o clock he cries the hours throughout thu