The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-03-04
REPUBLIC OF CHILE.
THE MOST WARLIKE NATION OF
SOUTH AMERICA.


A Narrow But Extreme Territory-The
Couutry's PrOgressiveness-A splendid
SCiimSrG=tnOrmOus Natural Wealth.
From an article on Chile in the New
York Sun we take the following: Per
haps it will be news to most Americans
that Chile is in some respects the great
est nation in South America. That she
is the most powerful, will stand undis-
puted. That she is universally feared by
her neighbors, is n fact. That she is
hated, follows naturally. Chile is strong
aggressive and waTlike. She is to South
America in many ways what Russia Is to
Europe. No southern nation will risk a
quarrel with her, and her neighbOrs eye
her askance, doubling her intentions.
Perhaps it may be news to most Ameri-
cans that Chile is a country. She is
small on the map, because her sisters
are enormously larger, but her territory
is extensive. She is larger than any
country in Europe except Russia. She
has $500 miles of sea coast. If she we're
plucked loose from her Andes and laid
down over our Atlantic coast, her most
northern part would cover Maine, and
her rock bound southern extremity
would blot out of existence the peninsu-
lar of Florida. With that length Chile
has breadth of fifty to 200 miles. Per
haps it will further surprise most
Americans to know that Chile is prOba-
bly, the most advanced nation ON her
continent. Her railroad, telegraph and
telephone systems are of the best. Her
method of government is superior to
any. Her schools and universities are in
the van of education. In methods OF
farming she equals the United States, In
manufactures she far distances every
South American country, and she is
model for any new nation III the world.
Her mining operations are modern and
extensive. Her commerce is far extend
ing and increasing. Chile is not trOpi-
cal country, it must be remembered.
She occupies the same zone that we oc-
cupy. The only South American rival
which she has in matter Of civilization
and progress is that amazing republic of
Argentine, just across the Andes, re-
public which is Surprising in growth
the best efforts of our own wonderful
norr+ry
Ana no,,, oomac opotbor surnrise. Few
An,ario',nS vii no nre,,arrd tn believe
+1,nt Chiii,ns ara n nnre white race
ctr',,,cr nf LnJ, otnrdv of will briUbt III
. SytoS nonnIe II cr,.'t c,rrage dotermina-
80 go" p poJJP' ,,otri7,tiSn, Thev are nnIika
.n,, ,thor fln,a,.in,n nannIe in theSn ,e-
snScte and fiat ia WIN thev arc feared
Thov src snaIIer ir.statnrc than Ameri.
cans Int Iarrer and sturdier than their
neirhbors. The masses those who make
ND the tull< of the population, and the
rank and file of the army. are of mixed
race largely Indian. They are people
of great strength, endurance and Zero
city. These common soldiers, of the
blood of the warIke Araucanian aborig-
ines, make Chile terrible in war. They
have no fear Of death and do not know
when they are defeated. In the war
with Peru the enormous proportion of
dead to wounded left on the field of bat
tie has gone into history Is a memorial to
the ferocity Of these dark-skinned war
TiOrS.
Imagine the entire eastern coast Of the
United States, with from 100 to 200
miles of breadth, cut off from the rest OF
the country. Imagine the Rocky Noun
taips, largely increased in hei sht and
capped with eternal SHOWS, set close up
against the western edge OF that strip OF
land, their sides pushing down abruptly
and joining the level by slopes not easily
traVerSed. Now imagine the Alleghe-
nios pulled from their bases and planted
along the eastern edge of the coast SO
close to the sea that there is only room
for some narrow plains and a few towns
here and there between the surf and
their abrupt slopes. Suppose the long
narrow strip Of country between the par
allel mountain chains fertile plateau, |
blooming with vegetable wealth, dotted
with cities and villages and crossed by
ipnuneraba torrents Carving the drip
riuo, If fine sn,w cipp.j maintains 70
the sea That is Chile reversed. of
conrse for Cnile's cost is bathed by the
p1ciHr and thp sun rises over the White
summit of nor volcanoes
Fnlinwin" opt the comnarison a little
further we find that Ciije's territorv
mid cover the States ~ Maine Nav
Eamnshire Verrnnmt Mossachmsstts
PbnI,, IsIand Gnnnerticnt n thirJ M
PemnsvIvamIn mast of Maryland ali of
DeIaw,rn ne1rIv half of VIRGINIA and
Nortb CarnIina brpe.onarter, Of SonrL
CsroLna half If Georagia corner NJ
GIaIan,a and all Florids
I'LL ~. Tt,;i., - H. .o1,, i,o,, ,,,o
,.,,Ts fro,,, thn tift"ontI, pr,IIoI 70 a',It
iat;t,,ia I'LL L.inu tLo fft,, I'll, w.
DnrtIarr rrny;ncoo Crr,,,y bot nd
rrinioaI si,,, and b.;Sr tortL ,ha fu,,;ta
~ Snmtbern CaI,fnrn;5 in nrofms;on ,nJ
nerfoct,nn Tho uiIJ and rncl,v TT
tow which She nnshas sontL,y.rd =,
Tyit,in t,voiyo Jarre.s nf tLa Antaro+io
"nna 10 cold and cbeerIass - Tiran 70 O ico