The Republican journal., 1903-11-05

spectacular show gotten up for their
benefit. 1t is the courteous custom of
the neighbors aforesaid to set out a
luncheon for these distinguished guests,
including wines and beer. When they
arrive too late to do anything but par
take of the luncheon, the highly eXcit-
able amateurs sometimes perform Won
derful feats, in the line of singing
babies and mirrors out of upper wilma
dows and carefully carrying down feath-
Ell pillows The other day saw piano
hoisted off balcony and fall crashing
into the crowded street below, to the
injury of a few heads and the utter
demolition of the instrument, which
might as we'll have been left to burn.
1t used to be the fashion in Valparaiso
to set fire to ones own property in order
to obtain the insurance on it; but the
authorities were compelled to put
stop TO proceedings so dangerous to the
entire community in closely built city.
They did it in the summary manner
peculiar to Chili-by throwing into
prison any unfortunate man whose
house took fire, and sometimes his near
est neighbors were incarcerated to keep
him company, all being detained in dur
ance vile until it was proven to the sat
isfaction of everybody just how the fire
originated. If it was due to any care
lessness on the part of the owner or ms
family. woe betide them-as if it were
not bad enough to lose ones property
without being punished for 1t like
common criminal, An acquaintance,
writing from Concepcion-thet third city
of Chill, situated some distance south
of Santiago-says: THE houses here
abouts are built OF heavy brick and
adobe, covered with earthen thing, so
it would be almost impossible to burn
/ them. Within the memory of the oldest
! inhabitant there has never been ire
| in Conception; but as all well regulated
| cues Ill ClNlllZtu ldli,io nave hie NOhi-
panies, this ambitious town must nave
one also. After a vast amount OF
spread eagle talk, in print and IN pubic
speeches. the citizens organized com
pany of Bomberos, composed mainly of
the gilded youth and purchased a
monster fire engine, at unheard of ex-
pense in transportation But they found
no use for either except in snowy pa
rades, followed by nights of convivial
rejoicing and the usual resultant big
heads When that kind of fame be-
came an old story, some of the good
people determined to redeem their city
from the imputation of being behind
the times, at any cost. An insurance
agent was encouraged to visit Concep-
cion, and he succeeded in issuing num-
Der of policies for about double the
value of the property insured. A night
or two afterwards there was rOusing
blaze - not any tritiing, second-class
affair." but genuine conflagration, in
which coal-oil and other combustibles
caused the fame to leap and dance right
merrily. The citizens were in ecstacies.
Everybody turned out to see the fun.
Church bells rang jubilantly. The new
engine was dragged through the streets
in triumph, and even the Bomberos
managed to arrive in time to be in at
the DEATH One by one they came
sauntering up, some on foot, others in
carriages, all having tarried to dress up
for the occasion in their brand new uni
forms. In short, it was an eminently
satisfactorily performance-for every
body but the insurance company. The
owners of the burned buildings came
out some thousands of dollars ahead,
for the alleged damages had to be paid,
because the insurance business was yet
in it's infancy in Chill, and the company
knew that refusal would be death
blow to their hopes Of future pros
perity."
Another novelty, seen nowhere but
in Chill, is the wearing of white mantas
and white dresses by penitentas, OF
women who have committed some sin,
for which they desire to atone by thus
advertising the fact. The black manta,
or shawl, with which the women OF
Peru and Bolivia universally cover the
head and shoulders, is also used here,
though most ladies of the aristocracy
in Chill have discarded it except fol
| ob,,roh uoinr on othor 1000 ciopu cport