Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-29

covered in paying quantities, and in du.
time the convicts organized themselves into
under certain rules and regulations.
Prosperity in Black Diamonds.
Later on a large quantity of coal was
found, and that discovery marked Q new
era in the life of the lonesome colony. They
lost no time in communicating the import
ant fact to passing vessels-their only way
of advertising Some Peruvian warships
were the first to purchase the commodity,
and before long Punta Arenas became known
| to all European and American vessels in
these waters as q convenient place to obtain
supplies.
| As the condition of the colony grew better
and better, the land east of the town, for a
| distance of several miles, was divided into
farms for the raising of cattle, horses,
poultry and such vegetables as will grow in
this latitude. Wheat will not mature, but
hard grasses were introduced from Germany,
and the cattle of the section became noted
as among the finest in the world, fat, round
and sleek, with peculiarly soft, velvety hair
A church was built, costing 5000 hard
earned dollars, followed by school house
commodious enough to hold all the children.
By this time Chile began to feel proud of
her distant colony and to pay it so much
unwelcome attention that the liberty OF the
e1iles was more and more restricted. A
rather handsome Government building was
erected by order of the President, also a
new cuartel, or Jail, and the settlement was
put under military control with 40 addi-
tional soldiers in uniform, ostensibly to do
police duty and be ready for attacks from
long-friendly Indians.
A Revolt OF Criminals.
At length, in 1877, the injudicious sever
ity of Federal Governor of that day pro-
voked revolt among the convicts, whose
numbers had been so many times aug
mented by reinforcements of all classes of
criminals from every prison in Chile, that
the respectable pioneers, to whom belonged
sidered minority. The desperate revolters
overcame their keepers, set fire TO the
houses, and forced all the officials and
peaceable inhabitants to fly to the forests.
For time pandemonium prevailed, until
by some fortunate accident, Chilean war
vessal reached Sandy Point while disorder
was at its height, when the insurgents were
speedily overpowered and the ringleaders
executed. 1t happened that the weather
continued unusually mild for this climate,
so that the houseless refugees, among whom
were many women and young children, suf-
fered less than might have been expected
while new homes were being constructed.
After this no more convicts were sent to
Punta Arenas. In 1868 it made liberal
grants of land to immigrants, and sent out
a new Governor with 300 settlers. Timber
for building purposes was taken along, and
plenty of supplies to last until the immi-
grants could clear and cultivate farms for
themselves
The Last Of the Guards.
During the war with Peru, when Chile
found herself in need of all the soldiers she
could muster, the military guard was with
drawn from the old convict station, all the
prisoners who would consent to fight the
Peruvians got an honorable discharge and
ticket-of-leave, and marched gaily away
with their late keepers to cut the throats Of
their neighbors.
In 1868 the population of Punta Arenas
was hardly 200, in 1888 it was 1000 and now
it is little more than half the latter num-
Der. And it is no disgrace, though some
what inconvenient, to be Punta ArsnIan.
There is news stand in Punta Arenas
where yeu can purchase New York and
London papers, often three or four months
old but still fresh to the long voyager, and
shops in which Paris confectionery and
other luxuries of life can be had at Pata-
gonian prices.
How does the place look? Well, there is
a sandy beech in front of high ridge of
hills, with some rising ground intervening.
Three or four hundred houses are set in the
mud and slush along this beach and on the
rising ground behind it, mostly one-storied,
built of wood, without regularity, yet dis
posed in lines so as to form streets and
miserable attempt at plaza.
Human FIotsam and Jetsam.
There is fort, a church, custom house
and one or two other public buildings-not
omitting the postofice, at which every
traveller in this region drops letters to far
away friends, simply because they will bear
the nearest possible postmarks to the South
Pole. There is a long, rickety wharf in the
wav with care to avoid sudden plunge into
the icy water beneath. Mud or slush is
always ankle deep, and you might search
the world over to find more dreary, DESC
late and altogether uninviting place.
Among its thousands or more inhabitants
it is said that an interpreter for every mod
ern language of the world may be found.
Certainly a more polyglot country was
never gotten together. Though the place
belongs to Chile, English is the language
most generally spoken, and there are hu--
man fotsam and Jetsam representing all
sorts and conditions of men-deserters from
all navies, convicts, fugitives from justice
and shipwrecked mariners-many of whom
would not be willing to tell you where they
came from, what their true names were in
some other part of the world, and most of
whom would not remain another minute if
they could help it. There are a few good
" omen in the settlement, but as for most of |
the females here-poor things, drinking,
fighting, swearing creatures of every nation
least said about them the better.
For all practical purposes the nearest civ
ilized neighbors to the lonesome Punta
Arenians are the English colonists, on the
Falkland Islands, but with an interval be-
tween of 500 miles of the stormiest ocean on
he globe mutual intercourse is neither