Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-24

their gold In the Andes when the Spaniards
began TO rob them?'
You will hear such traditions In all parts
OF the Andes, but l doubt whether there
is much truth in them. The Spaniards car
ried away about all the gold and silver that
the 1ncas had mined and so far as I
know. but few hidden treasures have come
TO light. You see, the Incas were the ruling
class. and the rest of the people practically
worked for them. AS a result. most Of the
silver and gold came into their hlnds and
they turned IL over to the Spaniards. Such
mining as they did was after the rudest
methods, and the product could not have
been very great. Nevertheless IL is said
that the SpaniardS for a time shOd their
horses with silver, and Pizarro. when ne
captured Atahualpa. the Inca king by
treachery, agreed to release him il he
would MI room seventeen feet wide and
twenty feet long with gold This was done
and history tells how Pizarro then went
back on his word and put the king to death.
Ii is said that some OF the trea sures Of the
Incas were buried, shortly after this in
Lake Titicaca and otherwheres but Ii SO,
they are yet TO be found"
Bolivia's New Railroads.
81 understand. Mr.. Dudley. that "A new
railroad has been built from Lake Titicaca
to La Paz?''
Yes, a road has been built but 1t does
not go down into the city OF La Paz. You
may remember that there IS a great plateau
the sea. in which Titicaca and La Paz lie.
at a distance of forty or fifty miles apart.
Titicaca les I'm one basin, La Paz In an
other. The road begins at Gauquai the
port in Bolivia which YOU reach by sailing
across Lake Titicaca from Puno in Peru.
The new railway crosses the plateau to the
Alto, or rim of the basin containing la
Paz, and there stops. As You get out at
the depot you can walk a short distance and
look down at the chief city of Bolivia,
which lies about a thous md feet below you.
There are now carriages which take you
down to the city. but pans have been made
for cable or electric lines. and eventually
these will probably go through.
Bolivia also expects TO build new rail-
roads with the two million pounds which it
received from Brazil for the Acre territory.
and among the lines proposed Is one from
La paZ to OrUro, on the Antofagasta Inc,
thus giving Bolivia railroad outlet To the
Atlantic. L believe there are also PROPOSE
tons to connect with the Chilean and the
Argentine railway systems
rs Peru developing along electrical
lines?"
Not very rapidly" was the reply. but
we have electric lights in Lima and many
of the factories are run by electricity. Some
of the interior cities are so lighted. We
have electric tramways now running from
Lima To Callao. our chief port, distance
of eight and a half miles, and we have
also a tranway from Lima to Chorillas. on
the coast. Both of these companies Will
probably do WELL
American Trade With Peru.
How about our trade with Peru. Mr..
Dudley?' l asked.
ut is steadily increasing. although the
people OF the United States do not make
much effort to push it. When first went
to Peru the Germans exceeded us in their
exports to that country. We are now far in
advance of them and second only to Great
Britain. Our trade today Is almost three
times what is was when first came to the
country, and il seems to me that the pros
poets for a continued increase are good.
what do we sell to Peru l asked.
wheat breadstuffs and all sorts of hard
ware and machinery. Much of the wheat
comes from our Pacific coast states. The
machinery is largely from the east. This
trade will be benefited by the Panama
canal"
Uncle Sam and Peruvian Cotton.
what do we buy OF Peru. Mr.. Dudley7'
1--WE buy a great variety OF things among
others medicines and chemical products,
foodstuffs, and wool. and especially cot
ton The Peruvian cotton commands
far higher price in the markets OF the
world than our own cotton. 1t has a long
fiber which is so much more like wool than
cotton that 1t could be passed on for wool.
1t is used In making hats. hosiery and UNI
derwear. The factories mix it with wool
and the articles into which 1t goes have
finer luster and finish than those made or
pure wool. This cotton Is Of different
colors, some white, some brown. and some
almost red So far the area of cotton terri
tory has been limited. but companies have
been recently formed to irTigate the lands
of northern Peru, which VIII bring much
more cotton soil into cultivation. The most
of the desert, you know. will blossom like
the rose if it can only have water"
Peru's New President.
What are the political conditions in
Peru at present, Mr.. Dudley? Do you havo
many revolutions?
There have been no political troubles
during ray stay in Peru, and there are no
indications that there will be any in tho
future. The country is quiet. and the peo-
pie seem contented and happy. The death
of President Candamo was followed by the
selection of Jose Pardo 10 take his place,
and the wheels of government have moved
smoothly on President Pardo, although
his political career has been short one,
and his experience in government small,
makes an excellent president He is
young man, not over forty, who has been
his life, and who up until year ago had
had but little to do with politics or the
government. He was chosen by President
Candamo as his chief ministerial adviser,
and upon Candamo's death he naturally
became president He is a very patriotic
man, and is anxious to do well for Peru He
says he will devote his energies TO improv-
ing the roadWays and other communications
of the country and to lettering the people
along educational lines"
FRANK G.. CARPENTER.