The sun., 1900-10-07
HUNTING THE CHINCHILLA.
south American Indians Use Dynamite to
Secure Perfect skins.
From the Chicago Times-Heratd.

From the Chicago Tines-HerGid.
Killing chinchilla with the aid Of dynamite
Is one OF the lucrative pastimes Of the South
American Indians which enriches the COM
merce OF the world very considerably This
season more than ever before chnchilla has
been the fashionable fur used In the manu-
facture Of cloaks and mufs and for the trim
ming Of costly hats.
HIgh in the mountains the nimble-footed
chnchila are caught and killed by half-sav-
age Indians Tact and skill are needed to
allure the cautious little animal from It's hole
in the earth. Originally the Indians used TO
Use cactus prongs. which are long and sharp.
20 capture them in their holes by mpaling them
on the end OF this natural spear, This pune
tured the skin and impaired its value. The
trappers tried to smoke the chinchila out by
making great fires near the entrance OF the bur-
rows. but the smoke, IL was found. caused the
skin TO turn yellow, which seriously depre-
ciated its value. Now the more progressive
Indians use dynamite. ~
Alter locating the chlnchilla they form a
network Of grass and hardy plants, which Is
placed around the hill on the side Of which the
animal digs it, holes \ dynamite cartridge;
in the centre Of the net, which irightens the
ChinChilla 30 that they leave their holes and
sc2mper wildly TO ana FRO about & me space IN In
arena with clubs and kill them by, striking
them over the head Iht. i considered the
easiest and best method of killing them. as 1t
doe, not in any way damage the skins, which
vary in value from 81 to SIS each. When 1t
is considered that as many as 100 animals are
killed in one sortie of this character the value
of the skins TO the Indians, who are shrewd
commercial traders, may DE imagined,
Some of the tribe own icrreIs, which they
use to good advantage They pay as much MS
IS for one The ferrets are taken TO the noun
tain tons and sent through the burrows, chasing
the ChinChilla out into the Open where they
aIe dubbed to death with celebrity by the waiting
Indians Tho skins are removed Immediately
and placed on shrubs to dry. The evening
bodies of the slain rodents, the meat Of which
is white and tender The hearts of the latter
are given 10 the ferrets
rrent Uart of the trapping Is done AT night.
the chinChilla seldom being visible In the day
time The nights are cool and clear. and there
the chinchilla are caught the mountains are for
a long period each month Illuminated by the
rays of the moon. enabling the Indians 70 move
about with great agility for their prey. The
chinChilla lives principally on herbs, and often
When II comes out 10 feed is trapped by the
Indians.
-Four times a year the tribes descend into
the scmi-Civilized villages at tho base OF the
mountains with their skins There they are
met by the various agents Of the European
fur houses One American house has its repre-
santative there, too The occasion Of the
festival
George Herzig, the only American agent
there SAYS no paid one tribe Of thirty Indians
for the firm by whom he Is employed as much
aS sSOOOO-in native money, which Is eQuiva-
lent 10 100000 in American money last wear
Tor skins This fhe Indians converted prnci-
ra'ly into mule and llama stock, By which
thcv estimate their wealth