Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-05

bronze or marble Is not proof of that
Says one: Chill has assassinated or
sent into exile some of her noblest sons
but she never failed to pcrpetuate their
memory by craven images
The most venerated statue In the
whole collection is that of Gen. Barney
O'Higgins, who, as his name indicates,
was not n Chilan. Here he appears in
gorgeous uniform, mounted on pranc-
ing steed and proclaiming liberty to the
people. He is called the george Wash
ington Of the country, and lauded as
the greatest man OF his time. Living at
period when the nation was shaken TO
its depths by the mo.uentous questions
whether the clergy should or should
not frlz the hair on their foreheads in
a bang and whether the president
should attend church in military uni
form or the dress of a private Citizen
he freed the country from the rule of
Spain averted threatened revolution,
gave character and dignity to the ma
tional government and succeeded In
uniting all the interests of the differ
ent factions.
Fronting the Alameda are the most
splendid palaces OF this pround old cap
ital, Houses which cost half million
dollars to build and as much more to
Many are Of carved sandstone. fully 200
feet square, with the inevitable central
patio. Some have two, even three pa
tots, one behind another, so that the
vista of orange trees, palms and bios
soming shrubs, fountains, flowers and
statuary, Is most charming as seen
from the great arched doorway, which
is usually closed by a high gate Of gid
ed iron bars. We have visited NUM-
Der Of these mansions, and will tell you
something of their interiors another
time
I'll Cerro de Santa Lucia Is a strange.
steep hill of solid rock. cast by some
volcanic freak into the center of the
great plain on which the city stands,
and rises abruptly to the height of
nearly 1000 feet. 1t Is surrounded at
the base by n lofty wall, which zig
gags like a battlemented fortress some
distance up the sides, having bastions.
towers and parapets, and an en-
closing gateway where a small entrance
fee is charged a wide, well-kept car
rlage way winds around and around the
stony hillside more than half way to
the summit; while paths, bordered by
shrubs and flowers, and steep stairs dug
in the solid rock. lead to the very apex,
which Is topped with an octagonal OBJ
All these embellishments were ef-
feoted by the late Benjamin Vlcuna
Mackenna, an eminent Gillian editor,
author orator and statesman, who was
governor OF Santiago for many years
and In 1870 was one of the candidates
FOR the presidency, Being a publlc-spir-
tied citizen and posS,rsins considerable
wealth, he undertook the work Of con-
Verting an unsightly mound which
could not be moved into a thing OF
beauty and Joy forever. BY the aid Of
private subscriptions and using much
OF his own means, he improved the nat
ural resources of the bare rock by all
that money could compass and taste
suggest He designed It also as his own
posthumous monument, and now lies
buried in the side toward sunset, at the
edge of a precipce 500 feet above the
town. Here IL q miniature castle 'front.'
ed by q lovely little chapel, and In the
crypt of the latter Mackenna reposes,
Tradition tells us that the king OF the
unconquerable Araucanians had q
stronghold here centuries before the
coming of white men; ana from as far
back as the Spanish invasion in
Valdivia's time. down to a recent date,
II served as fortress, commanding
the entire valley with It's guns. 1t was
on Santa Lucia that the United states
Astronomical expedition, under Lieut..
GILES lin 1859. made its observation.
From base to summit are winding
walks and stairways oyerhanging ball
comics. grottoes, statues, belvidereS
Slosks groves, flower beds and vine
draped arbors. The stairway leading
TO the summit Is necessarily very steep
and narrow. requiring tolerably
strong head and steady foot TO make
the ascent; hut mercifully, the dizzy
heights are partially hidden by vines
and overlapping branches. Following
a winding path among dense shrubs
and trees the way grows narrower,
wilder and more crooked. Suddenly
you come to craggy grotto within
which perpetual twilight reigns and
lce-cold water drps, and you are start
led to meet the wicked eyes Of q hor-
rlbly llfe-llke serpent. its head rails
ed as II To strike. Along the crooked
path giant geraniums are growing,
some 10 feet high with trunks like sap
lings; besides roses, In Infinite variety
azaleas, honey suckle, Indian plnks,
pansies and forgetmenots-all oppar-
emily clnglng to the bare rock, but in
reality we'll grounded In coating OF
fertile soil brought up from the valley.
Ever so far above the city's din and
tumult Is an obscure corner, which can
be reached only by zig-zag foot paths,
where rustic seats are set under sheit-