The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-14
Copyrighted. iss. by Frank G. Carpenter.

Copyr78nts0. ~. oy SE1Ha ". ~@t
rqulqrs. Chile. July =. lssa-
OR the past three weeks I
liz have been srsveiing Through
q vast chemical laboratory OF TIE
e gods have ridden over miles OF
u,al,.s covered with salt. have Wis
HE'D lakes % the waitest borsx. have
wound In a.sd out among mountains rich
On tin, copper and silver. and nos write
almost In the midst OF the yaSt nitrate
deids Of CniIe, like unto which there ID
nothing or the face Of toe earth.
From Bolivia TO the Sea-
leaving the silver mining town OF oruro,
Bolivia, came down the mountains on
The HttI. narrow gauge which connects THAT
town with the seaport Of Anfofagasta. The
distance IL "a, miles. or about as great as
that between New York and Cleveland. TIE
track IL only swc feet six inches wide.
and the road Is. / believe. the longest ore
OF this gauge in the world. The cars are
o. the American style. having been built
in Massachusetts. TIE seats on one side
o. the car are not wider than 4 kitchen
chair ard on the other. where they are sup
posed 10 hold two. not more than thirty
6nches. II was In fact. more Like riding
ia a toy car than on the through trunk
hue which forms the only rail- connection
hefween two great countries Still the
road II smooth and well laid. Its ties are
81 Oregon pine ard the stations upon IL
are as z rule built OF corrugated Iron from
Europe TIE fares are exceedingly high.
paid s. silver dollars for my ticket, and IN
addition ss5 extra baggage. as nothing
l. at TO- rH tA
dining stations each cost me si-50 ia silver.
and when I stopped at night. as ! was
forced 10 do twice On the road. the hotel
rates were 81 per day. The chief purpose
Of the road Is 70 carry the silver and other
metals 10 the seacoast- The most OF the
cars OF oar train were loaded with little
chunks OF silver ore. and We passed train
loads Of tin on its way TO the Pacific
The Salt Plains nj Bolivia.
II was ride through desert. Shortly
after leaving Oruro We entered the salt
plains Of Bolivia. Thsse are Of vast ex-
tssyt, lining the road for hundreds OF miles.
In fac: there are but few places between
Orlro and the sea where the ground IL
not more or lesS mixed with salt. and In
some districts IL covers the land IKE a
sheet OF dirty white snow. Along some
par.s Of the line II looks hard and icy.
aid you feel like jumping of the cars for
q skate. Al others II les In guiiies. ard
again 1. only Epcinkles the ground and a
ragged growth OF scrt4bby vegetation strug-
gies up through IL. The road runs for
nearly the whole OF Its length through
desert valley. and this salt reaches away
OH each side 10 the hills Here and there
along tie road are lakes upon whicn seem
90 &c floating great cakes OF Ice. The
cakes are not Ice, however. They are
borax, and Ia the great borax lake of
Asootar. Bolivia, there is enough b9rax TO
wash the heads OF all humanity. This lake
has, IL Is estimated. more than 100000 tons
OF pure borax ready 70 be shipped to the
markets Of the world | saw IL on my left
a. | rode over the railroad ob the way TO
rie coast. /; IS aoout SIX miles square.
and the borax in Il les in great masses,
which, when taken cut look for all the
world like The finest OF pure white spun
silk wadded up or woven into humps. The