The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-28
Some Odd Features of Chile, which
Has Valuable Deposits OF Guano,
Gold, Silver and Copper.
WHEAT AND GRAPE CULTURE
AN AMERICAN MINING KING WHO
KEEPS HIS CASH IN ENGLAND.
Valparaiso and It's Business-Hoyv
European Capitalists Are GObbIing
Up Spanish America.
Copyright. 1898. by Frank G. Carpenter,

Copyright, 1898. by Frank C. carpenter)
VALPARAISO Chile, July q. lS9S.-val-
paraiso is the New York of Pacific South
America. Il is the chief seaport south of
San Francisco, and it is by far the best
business point on the west coast OF this
continent. 1t has population of 10. 900. but
1t does business equal TO any American
city of twice that size. The greatest part
of the one hundred and odd million dollars
which constitutes Chiles foreign commerce
is controlled here, and the city is made up
of business blocks which are more like those
of a European port than any other on this
coast. Valparaiso is beautifully situated. 1t
has bay of the shape of half moon,
which is large enough to float the ships of
the world. Around this bay there is an
amphitheater of great hills, which rises al
most straight up from the edge of the water
and which forms the site of the city. Tie
business section, in fact, is built upon
ground redeemed from the sea, and there
are millions of dollars worth of property
now standing where a generation ago there
was nothing but water. The wharves of
Valparaiso are walled with stone and iron
rails to keep back the water, and the re-
claimed land is such that there are three or
four business streets which run about the
bay between the water and the foot of the
hills. Coming into the harbor you find your
self surrounded by shipping. More than
thousand sailings are made to and from this
port every year, and you look at the city
through the smoke stacks Of steamers and
a thicket Of the bare masts Of sailing ves-
sells. The hills in front of you are SO steep
that you wonder how the houses can stand
upon them, and you see that they rise in
terraces, house above house and street
above street, until the buildings at the top
hang out and seem about to fall upon those
below. Here and there you see a break IN
the hills of the amphitheater, and at num-
Der of points cable roads are crawling up
and down the steep inclines.
AN ENGLISH-GERMANC CITY.
Landing at the wharves you are surprised
to find that nearly every business man you
meet speaks English. and you soon find
that the English and Germans monopolize
the business. The signs are European, and
there are few Chilean names upon them.
You pass book stores which keep only Eng
lish books. There are scores of Englishnien
on the streets, and you see many pretty
English and German girls shopping in the
stores. The improvements are more like
those of one of our cities than those of
South American town. The stores have
plate-glass windows, and the goods are as
well displayed as in New York or Chicago.
The streets are paved with Belgian blocks,
and there are drays, cabs and carriages
moving along them. Here and there you
see a vegetable peddler or a baker with his
stock in panniers on the sides OF mule,
but the most OF the trading and freighting
is done with carts. Valparaiso has cable
connection with Europe and the United
States. 1t has Geographic lines which keep
it in touch with all parts of Chile. and its
long distance telephones reach Santiago and
other points. The telegraph here is as cheap
if not cheaper, than in any other country.
and at my hotel I am able to telephone to
the capital, Santiago. one hundred miles
away, without extra charge.
Valparaiso has tramway system oper-
ated by horse power, which might be profit
ably changed to one run by electricity, es-
pecially so if some INSCRIPTIONS party
should pursue the policy of Spaniard
who, If the story of his intentions is true.
has made good but rather tricky specula-
ton in the Santiago street-car lines. These
are now run with horses, with very pretty
girls as conductors. and they pay. I am told.
a clear profit Of more than 100000 in gold
a year. A short time ago the old charter CT
the company ran out, and the city, wishing
to have the system changed to that OF cleo
tricity, gave the concession to this Spanish
gentleman, with the proviso that he deposit
$500, 900 in Chile in money, or about $4,000
gold as a forfeit in case he did not finish
and complete the electric system within
three years time. My informant tells me
that the Spaniard has no intention of at
tempting q change. He will run the roads
as they are now, and at the end Of the three
years his profits will amount to 100000, so
that he can easily afford to lose the $4,000
forfeit. The street railroads OF Valparaiso
are still run with horses, and should think
that electric roads would pay both here and
in Santiago. Santiago is city OF 10000 peo-
pie, and the cars are well patronized- They
are of the kind called double deckers, with
seats on the roof as well as below. Tho
rates are very cheap, being cents in this
money, or about L8 cents American. The
pretty conductors wear sailor hats, and
over their dark dresses white aprons, in the
pockets of which they put their money and
tickets. There are similar conductors on
the tramways of Iquique. While riding upon
the cars there I noticed that men inspect
ors cften came in and counted the passen-
gers in order to see that the girls were not
''k.lo king down" fares, and was told that
the cOQQuctT6SScS udQ IlChAdAltQ bAGSC Au~
spectors "Judases."
AMERICAN COMMERCE. IN CHILE.
The foreign commerce of this country
annually amounts to from one hundred
millions to one hundred and twenty-five
millions of gold dollars, and of this
our exports and imports do not often ex-
coed five million dollars. Within the past
few years our trade has been steadily in
creasing, and to-day we are sending many
different kinds of machinery. cotton goods.
lard kerosene, railroad locomotives and
small amounts OF hundreds OF other things
to Chile. Quite lot of our agricultural
machinery has been introduced. The most
of the Chilean newspapers are now printed
from American type on paper from the
United States, and I see from the trade
mark that the stamps and postal cards are
made by an American bank-note company.
Nearly all the -four bags OF Chile are made
from cotton manufactured in New Eng
land. 1 see about here steel windmills
which come from Chicago. and much OF the
electric machinery is OF American make.
found an agent OF the Westinghouse CONF
pauy &c IQuique. and the General Electric
has ITS agents here. At present an Amerit