The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-09
NM0WG THE NRNU@NNDNNS
Queer Life and Customs Of the
Richest and Bravest
of tbQ South hrperi<ap lDdiaps.
Copyrighted. 1885. BY Frank G. carpent'

Copyrighted, 1888. By Frank g. Carpenter
TN EMUCO. Chile. Sept. i. lsss Il
want 20 iBtFOd ICE you 10 The
| richest. pyoad@sf ard hravest of
The Indians * the South Amer
IL l1an continent. The Indians who
once owned the greater part OF
Chile. and VINO, FOR three generations. with
lances o. wood and bows and arrows,
wageG a successful war with the Spanish
invaders. They Killed Pedro Taldevia, the
man who founded Santiago. and then came
south 70 conquer taen. They destroyed
Spanish forts. bealeged Spanish cities and
only receded inch BY iacb toward fhe south,
fighting as they were forced 10 the rear.
Wsan they were finally conquered they re-
fused 10 besogne the slaves ana hire.ings
OF their eoEquerorT as did the Indians fur
ther uorth. and today they maintain their
own identity. owning their o"n lands and
looking with scorn upon the descendants or
the whlte-skinued invaders wno nave
robbed them of their country ! refer 10
the Araucanians. the famous Indian fsat-
ers Of South Chile. am now writing tn
the frontier town of Temuco. on the edge
of one OF their reservations. and have
just returned from q hand-ear trip over d
railroad which the Chilean government IS
building through their country 20 open the
lands adjoining Il up 10 settlement ihey
have long since given up their hsht against
the whites. and the Chilean government is
Going what l. can 10 civiilze taem- IL has
given them lands which they are not al
lowed to SELL and Il has Its Indian scnoois
modelled on the same plan as those OF ths
United States. The progress. however, is
Got great and the demon OF alcohol Is
slowly but surely w!ptng out what IA left
Of the race There are. IL IL est.ma ted,
only 5000 OF them left. and the most OF
these are scattered over the hills and VAL
leys OF Southern Chile
Among the Araucanians,
There are many Of the AraucaEans 10 be
seen In Temuco. They come here 10 trade,
some on foot some on horseback. men and
women riding asiride. and many In rude
oxcarts, riding on the loads of wheat, bar
ley and other things which they bring In 10
sell. ! saw one today on the outskirts
of the city seated In HIS cart on TWO IA
hogs which he was bringing 10 market. and
] took photograph Of bis pretty daughter.
who RODE on a pony behind. She wore
heavy fiat earrings Of silver. each as big
: ss the palm of my hand and upon her
breast hanging from silver chain was "A
great silver plate OF a diamond shape,
which made a musical jingle as she trotted
by. / afterward stopped group OF Indian
girls and made notes OF their dress. They
Were harefooied. but on their ankles bands
of silver beads seWed TO red cloth stood out
against the rosy pink flesh. Some six
inches or more above these came the dress.
which Vas merely 81 Sr.ght-coiored blanket
pinned 10 the shoulders, leaving the arms
bare, and beited In with silver buckles al
the waist. Several Of the girls had sec
oHd blanket which they wore much like A
shawl. and which was fastened by a long
silver pin at the shoulders. The men wear
much the same dress their women. save
that one blanket Is belted around the waist
whereas the second Is worn as poncho;