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

CoNcEPcIoN, CHILL August, 1891.
In THIS COUNTRY WHEN ONE DESIRES |
l. to take a ride he does not send around to |
the livery stable for a vehicle but sallies forth
on foot, carrying whatever paraphernalia the
excursion may require. and walks until a bir-
lochero comes along. These public carriages
are much like the blacks in common use at
horne. except that they are built in more sub
stantial fashion, for these roughly paved roads
would soon shake an ordinary coach into
kindlfug wood.
Hail passing birlochero and its rider will
whirl his rawboned horses two or three times
around in the narrow street, grazing the houses
on either side, to the imminent peril OF pedes-
TRANS. for he considers that q deal Of noise,
flourish and whip cracking are necessary to do
proper honor to the occasion. Having satisfied
his conscience in that regard and brought his
foaming steeds to stand still you Chamber in
and are whisked away pell nell over the stones
at a pace that may be truly termed spank
ing one, for you are bounded against the top
like rubber ball and hurled into your neigh
boris arms with force enough to fracture thlnly
cushioned ribs. bonnets battered, hats knocked
off, but you may be consoled by the reflection
that you are riding for pleasure and that this
heroic exercise is good for garlic-impaired d.
gestion.
to a suburban pleasure garden called the
Paanco, which is much frequented by all
classes of society. The place i'll itself has no
attractions, but there are few ways of varying
the monotony of life in Chilli, and the human
species are like sheep the world over, you
know, in following the lead of bell wether
When first arrived in this part of the country
we used carefully to explain to our coachman
that we were strangers IN the land and desired
to be shown the most beautiful and entertain
i,,rr yifrbt 10
fellows always delighted with the mission and
proud to exhibit home institutions; but I'M
fortunately their ideas of the beautiful differed
greatly from our own. The first jehu drove us
straight to the slaughter house. and throwing
wide the door triumphantly invited us to enter
and view the whole process of killing and
dressing. Having declined the amusement, to
his infinite surprise and disappointment, he
drove next to the big hospital. where legs and
arms are sawed galore and where a vast array
of amputated sores and tumors and mon
strosities are set forth in glass bottles. Find
ing us still not agreeably diverted even by this
gruesome display which possesses extraordi-
nary fascination for the low-class ChienO, he
spent the remainder of the afternoon driving
sulkiy up and down the same streets. evidently
Illuminating upon the stupidity or Gringoes.
Another cochero. delegated with the same
mission, made Decline to the aims house;
another carried us at once to the penitentiary
and another to the poor little cemetery. At
/
even her churches being too new to be inter-
esting. and now on our afternoon drives We
give the unvarying order, ''Vaya al Palanco'-
20 to the pleasure garden. One Is sure to en-
counter many novelties en- route and the streets
are lively panorama, slow moving but kaleldo-
| scopic, of unfailinS interest to the foreigner.
IN THE PALANCo.
For example, there is a gray-beaBded, digni-
| fed Guaso, mounted on fine horse, with his
fat wife behind him. He is topped by broad
brimmed hat, the rest of his person enveloped
in a bright-hued poncho or native blanket,
with slit in the center through which he
| thrusts his head, while she wears purple cot
| ton gown. a scarlet shawl and mans hat of
| Panama straw. The horses bride Is plated
with silver. and on the saddle are piled five or
six shaggy pillones or WOODEN cloths, which
| almost cover his thighs. The rowels Of the
| Guaso's spurs are. without exaggeration, large
| as ordinary tea plates. from SIX to eight inches
| across, and often heavily plated with silver.
| His stirrups are made from block OF oak,
deliberately carved and followed inside-say
ten inches high by nine inches in diameter for
| a moderate siZe each weighing four or five
poUnds-forming complete protection for the
feet when passing through mud, mountain
bushes and rocky defiles.
At one side of the saddle is fastened a coiled
lasso made of twisted hide about thick at
your thumb, fifty or sixty feet long. with slip
moose at the end. The Guaso is never without
his lasso, and the skill with which he can use
it is amazing. If he wishes to capture ar
animal that may be running off at full speed
he takes the coil i'll his right hand, urges hi
horse to a mad gallop, and whirling the lassC
to give it momentum, hurls its loop with un
errIng aim around the neck, horns or legs o.
the animal with as much ease and accuracy as {
skilled base ball player sends his bail. The
horse is SO trained that the instant the lass(
leaves his riders hands he stops and brace
himself to bear the strain of the struggling
animal. Chilians OF the Guaso class are breC
TO this exercise from infancy, and every rag
amuifin urchin old enough to toddle is forever
practicing his art on poultry. dogs, cats ane
other small animals that come in his way, will
the same diabolical persistence that the gamiI
OF Peru and Bolivia shy stones out Of strings a
passers-by, and Patasonian boys, degree les
civilized, shoot their bone-tipped arrows Hur
rying on toward the Palanco we meet and pas
other birlochos, all filed with chattering anC
smiling ChIllans, drunken sailors, come owe
from the port of Talcahuano to paint thu
town." galloping the streets at break-necl
, speed, knowing little about craftsmanship anC
caring less, and poems, seated on the rear en'
of little donkeys, carrying before them hug
panniers of fruits and vegetables Ever,
street corner is occupied by a ragged exil
: from sunny Italy with hand organ and monke
, grinding out music to the delighted populace
These troubadouring rulsances are more fortu
nate here than III the far north. for IN Chi
they are never routed by the police, but ar
; actually paid by the authorities.
THE CANDLE SELLER.
, Here comes peon with long pole over hi
( shoulder, from which dangle punches of tallo'
A, candles, while he sings in musical voice wit
many variations of infection, "Velos de sebo
(tallow candles) ''aqui son veos de sebo;
= '.yelos de-se-boo." Behind him comes anothe
, bare-footed citizen carrying armful {
: country brooms, each being merely bundl
, . of broom corn tied around the end OF a roug
: | stick. We pass no end of merchants, male an
| female. seated on the ground with broad, sha
. low baskets before them containing cakes an
a | duces for sale charcoal pots over whic
a garlic asoned tomales are sizzling in grease
= Others have gay feather busters made from tn
= plumage of Paiagonian ostriches, and the stoc
q | in trade of one two are elegant robes
"a ! guanaco skins, fine, soft fur OF mlhgle
!. canary color, buff and white, brought frol
a down toward the Straits of Magellan and her
y used for foot rugs III winter time. Now an
: then one is fortunate as to encounter a
"a itinerant comerciante with some OF thos
- splendid robes made of the breasts of ostrich,
"a covered with gray and white feathers frol
four to six inches long, which are prepared b
"A the Patagonian Indians. l have succeeded
capturing beauty about three yards squar
~ which was originally intended to be worn as
q dress by the favorite wife of a Patagonian chic
a These feathery skins wear well as furs an
n nothing can be so beautiful for sofa covering
9 carriage robes or rugs.