Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-01-24
CORNER IN CHINCHILLA.
How an American Engineered
II One In Bolivia.
EXPERIENCES WITH. INDIANS.

times-Curse of the Is PO-
tato Whisky-How ChinchiIIas Are
Trapped.
George 3. Herzig, who for several
months has been trading with the
Imcha and Amana Indians Of the :
Andes, who spend the best part of
their lives IN trapping the c~hinchilla,
q little rodent whose pearly gray fur
forms one of the most expensive as
well as desirable skins, returned to
New York on the steamship Niagara
the other day. Mr.. Herzig practically
secured a corner on the entire available
supply IF the skins in the Bolivian
Andes. known probably to more mem:
bers Of the Imcha and Amana tribes
than any other living white man, he
has managed during his extended tour
to meet nearly all Of his semisavage
acquaintance, with the result that the
title to practically all the chinchilla
skins in the Bolivian Andes is now at
his disposal.
Dressed in the garb indicative Of the
country in which the chinchilla -four
ishes, accompanied by a retinue Of
native guides and amigos (friends), he
wen from end to end of the Bolivian
sections of the range, gathering in the
skins, to the total Of $4,000 dozen, rep
resenting an outlay Of about 100000
pesos, or 100000 in American money.
Not only did Mr.. Herzig accomplish
all that he could desire in the acquire
ment of the furs, but he managed also to
witness and hear about a lot of things
that in many cases he would rather
have remained ignorant of. The In
dams in times of peace or when there
is a dearth Of potato alcohol are friend
ly to the stranger, but or other occa-
sions The effect of too much of the
potato compound turns them not only
into the most relentless foes, but into
c%annibals as well. A young American
engineer named Macdonald on one
occasion, Mr.. Herzig says, was slaugh-
tered and eaten by them during one
Of their savage orgies.
Mr.. Herzig, in speaking of his trip to
q reporter Of the New York Times and
the incidents that he either witnessed
or were told to him by native friends
said:
81 left New York on Feb. Z last, 60
ing to Colon, where l crossed the 18TH
mus, re-embarked on a Pacific steam
ship and sailed down the coast to 3D.
livia, where / tool a coach-there be-
ing no such thing as a railroad in all
Bolivia-inally arriving at the foot of
the Andes, where my tour of the coun-
try commenced. In all, my travels COW
cred in the neighborhood of 10000
miles, beginning at La Paz and extend
ing as far as the Punta Renas. in the
strait of Ma On1Ion u-oc in search Of
chinchilla furs, which are secured from
the Indians of the Andes. The chin
chilla Is a little animal tina looks some
thing like a squirrel n also like a
rabbit. 1t is trapped at an elevation
Of from 5000 to 10000 feet by the
Imchas and Amanas, who trade in the
furs.
Formerly the animals were smoked
or ferreted out Of their holes and in
some cases caught with dogs. This
was very injurious to the skins, how
ever, and they are now generally trap
ped in the nighttime by the Indians
They are very wild, and a considerable
amount of skill is necessary In captur.
ing them. Each tribe puts It's toe al
the disposal Of it's chief, who sells the
skins. 1 have known one tribe to &C
cumulate as high as $4,000 worth OF
the skins at one time and dispose OF
them at n sale, dividing the money
acquired among the trtbesmen.
"You ask me If I have ever expert
enced any trouble with the natives.
have been very fortunate as a genera
rule with them, for if you treat then
right they will in most cases recipro
cate and treat you likewise. When
was in La Paz, a revolution was II
progress. There was considerable fight
ing going on in the vicinity of thu
town, and I experienced some difficult!
in getting out Of the place. The secre
tary of the American legation, MI
Wales, finally came to my rescue, how
ever, and succeeded in getting me pass
ed through the lines, threatening tina
unless they permitted my free egres
an American feet would lombard tn
seacoast towns. This struck me as
rather original proposition, since Be
livia has no coast line at all. TIL
threat worked all right, however, an
I was more than satisfied with the out
come of the bluff.
cat another time I was present a
or rather in the vicinity of, a grea
national religious festival in an oil
church in the Andes. The Indians, 20
know, are very religious and have oris
inal ways of showing it. At this fe'
tival they came from Brazil, Arge1
tina and Bolivia. In front of til
church for about 100 yards extended
stone pathway. The stones were sma
in size and very pointed, making wall
ing on them very laborious, and whe
I tell you that each Indian had to g
on his hands and knees and crawl q
the way to the church you can Apr
eiate the fervid ~fanaticism that mari
their devotion. On this occasion tt
atones of the walk were covered wi