The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-11
EVIDENCES OF GREAT RICHES
AND SOMETHING ABOUT
THE AMERICAN SCHOOLS.
Government Operates the Telegraph
and Rates Are Low-Business and
Social Life in Santiago.
Copyright 1898. by Frank G. Carpenter,

Washington, and in many things it COM
pares favorably with it, Washington is six
hours ride from our chief seaport, New
York. Santiago is about six hours by rail
from Valparaiso, the chief port of Chile.
The way is over the coast range OF tha
Andes, and you go from one city to the
other in a chair ear like those which are
on the roads between New York and WashI
ington. Our national capital lies in a. basin
on the banks of the Potomac Santiago is
cut in two by the River Mapocho and the
basin in which it is built is walled by the
snowy Andes on one side and on the others
by the lower mountains which rise one
above the other from grassy plains. We
have our Capitol hill. Santiago has its San
Lucia, a mass of rocks which the volcanic
GODS of the past have thrown up in all
sorts of picturesque shapes. These rocks
have base of about an acre and they rise
almost precipitously out of the midst OF
the city to height of at least three-fifths
that of the Washington monument. Their
top is far above all the buildings and far
higher than the highest fiat buildings OF
New York. San Lucia is perhaps the most
wonderful hill of any city of the world. It
rises like great fort and on its top there
is a theater which is as picturesque as any
castle on the Rhine. The sides of the hill
are covered with English ivy. tall eucalyp@
tus trees rise in terraces out of the rocks
from it's foot to its summit, and with its
flowers, gigantic ferns, beautiful grottos
and wonders of rock formation it forms a
hanging garden, as wonderful If not as ex~
tensive as those of Babylon resting undeE
the shadow of the Andes above Santiago.
San Lucia has a restaurant at which YOU
can get your breakfast or give a good dim
ner and there are cosy hooks and shady
walks where you may spend hours hardly
realizing that below you is the liveliest and
most cosmopolitan city of western South
America.
If you will climb to the Capitol dome YOU
can get fine view of Washington. 1t is
on Santa Lucia that you get your best
outlook over Santiago. / stood upon it's
peak this morning and took notes Of the
scene below me. I was in the midst of a
vast expanse of square ridges made of terra
Gotta tiles, out of which here and thera
rose trees and bushes of green Thesa
ridges were the roofs of the houses, which,
are all built in Spanish style about patios
or courts which form In most cases the
only gardens of the people. Some of the
dwellings have many patios and their rooms
are numbered by scores. From the hill you
see that most of the buildings are of ons
and two stories. They are built close to the
streets and the streets cross one another
almost at right angles, the city being de
vided by the Alameda This is the Penn
sylvania avenue, the Champs Elyssee, the
Inter den Linden Of Santiago. 1t is mora
than twice as wide as Pennsylvania avenue
in Washington, and it runs the full length
of the city almost east and west Two rush~
ing streams of mountain water flow through
stone aqueducts along it. and between These
are rows Of great poplar trees, which furn-
ish an arbor of thick shade extending from
one end of Santiago to the other. In this
arbor are the statues of many Of Ohile's
heroes, and at every few feet throughout
it's full length there are stone seats filed
with people who are resting after their
promenades. Other green spots in the plain
of terra Gotta roofs as viewed from Santa
Lucia are the great parks of Cousno ana
the Quinta Normal or the Agricultural Coll
lege, the Hipico race course, and the new
avenue which has recently been laid out
along the River Mapocho. The Mapecho
itself is one of Santiago's wonders. 1t is
more than 1870 feet wide, and it runs through
the city for distance of about two miles.
Throughout this length it's bed has been
paved with stone, and its banks are massiva
stone walls, which are now lined with shade
trees.
A STREET CAR RIDE FOR A CENT.
But let US go down from Santa Lucia and
take a ride through Santiago on the top OF
one of the street cars. There is no better
way of seeing a city than this and tina
street car fares here are the cheapest Of the
whole world. The roof seats cost only 2iz
cents in silver, or about l cent of our mon
ey, and it is worth more than that to get
the smile which the pretty girl who acts az
conductor gives us as she puts our money
into the right pocket of her white apron.
We notice that the streets are well paved
with Belgian block. They ara rather mar
row, however, and the big oxcarts, which
form the .drays and freight wagons OF
Chile, are crowded almost to the walls OF
the houses as we go whizzing by. How big
the houses are and how low. Many of them
cover acres and very few are of more than
two stories, while the majority have not
more than one. In the best parts of the city
the houses have Greek fronts. They are all
of brick, plastered smooth with yellow or
white stucco and 1 am sure there are moro
Corinthian columns in Santiago to-day than
in Athens. Many of the residences are like
Italian palaces, and homes, which have
cost hundred thousand dollars and upward
are many. / doubt whether there is a eapi-
tai of its size in the world that spends so
much money and you have only TO look ar
the well-dressed people on the streets and
the fine turnouts which pass our tram as
we ride through the Alameda 70 see that
Santiago is very rich city. The same thing
is noticeable in the business streets. There
are as fine stores here as you will find In
an European capital, and the costliest OF
diamonds sparkle in the jewelers. windows.
This is one Of the best diamond markets,
and the costliest of all kinds of goods are
in demand. The show windows are well
dressed. and Santiago, as we see on our
way to the Plaza de Armes. has several
great arcades. rooted with glass. which cut
through some OF the big business blocks
from one side to the other. The plaza where
the car stops is the ganlionic center Of the
Chilean capital, About It are the chief BUSH
ness streets. on one corner is the cathedral.
on another the postoffiee. and all around
are portales or corridors filed with booths
and walled al the back with fine storem