The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-17

F"NfFN WV W. NF4f WI EF"W W. sNft
~ ~ iaoia'Si h n lhat n 10 Httis hssteF
hHown ~ nost n M oufslde woVa tha0
ID iha Chinese rfuvlNrs N AlJenai ~.
eatar N NJ vase mlaefal feaourrra ~ hai
Ian a%riettla N lone etpsF'gncr IN tbs -.
Nlon has caiicf n a silver tatle standing
On leHs ~ Gold' n ~ a land ~ cunttaata.
u 10 = neN rBuutfy, wtns~ history ftihe
haoh ltto IN indefinite paat, Thsfr ara
fnodefn lHyshtiona In NJ toena aad cltles
ant wholly uarivillsel trhrs mt 9 ffsat
Way outside theu. N n q cofEfnon aayiea
In IN Pas The capital oity, that 'tWo n,ess
renaefA drapatched In tho early mofHtaa
ran frtufn In Tins for the midday meal,
The n brinaina lee and the otheF bfineiNe
pineappiea' from The original souFce ~
theis prcddction.
known ny one means and another N has
hesn ehofn ~ q considerable territory N
whioh n onco laid ciaim ~ N whloh N once
held actual poessssion; -, n Ia pfobable
that he present area u not faf from co ZOO
square miles. which Ia tho ~euulvalen, of the
area ~ 0srmany. Franco and Spain COM
bined, From the lowlands on the east
and southeast the land riaee, pomstimea by
easy slope and sometimes by abrupt uplift,
10 the mowcapped peak Of Soraia. with lts
altitude Of nearly Is ZOO feet, and 10 the
pyramid Of illimAni, which Ia given - a.
200 feet In height. la Pas lies az an ele.
walton Of 1000 feet above sea level, and
Potosi NJ nearly 1900 feat. A few miles
west Of La Paz lies the inland sea Of Titioaca.
ut an elevation Of "a, 900 feet.
In Spani.b I.-. Al. .a,,ns~s, 80 baawa
as Upper Peru. II takes liz present name
from that Of Simon Bolivar, the great South
American liberator. Had II been only q
land Of hills and mountains, merely m
agricultural or a pastoral region, the old
Incas might still be In possession and con
troll. Stories Of It's mineral wealth came to
the ears Of the adventurous followers Of
Pizarro, and they climbed the wall Of the
Andes in search Of its silver and it's gold.
The silver deposits at Potosi were discov-
cred In 1916, and 1t 10 said that since that
time that mountain alone has yielded two
billion ounces of silver. Entrance was
afterward made from the Atlantic side,
and occupation and settlement followed the
search for wealth. The district was origi-
nally attached to the v~iceroyalty of Peru,
but was afterward transferred to the CON-
troll Of Buenos Ayres.
The Bolivians shared in the general South
American revolt against Spanish domina-
ton during the first quarter Of the nine
teenth century. This independence move
ment was definitely inaugurated in 1905,
and the people of La Paz were among the
earliest participants. After years Of strug-
gle a National Assembly met on August
Q, 1925, and declared proudly in its Act Of
Independence that Upper Peru Bolivia,
was -the altar on which the first blood was
shed for liberty and the land where the
last tyrant perished." Their experience
during the next fifty years was rather tu-
multuous and greatly like that of most Of
their neighbors during the same period.
A new constitution was adopted In 1880,
and since that time there has been an in
oreasing tendency toward quieter and more
stable conditions.
One OF the serious causes of Bolivian
disturbance has been the question of boun-
Diary lines. At one time tho country in.
Guided a strip Of frontage on the Pacific
Ocean. This district, known as Ataoama,
was long supposed to be worthless. About
1910 it was found that this supposed desert
was one Of natures most wonderful labora-
tories and storehouseA. Its arid surface
covered millions Of tons Of nitrate Of soda
and vast quantities Of borax. 1t was also
g region OF mineral wealth. Ambition to
control this rich area led at last to the war
Of 1870, in which Bolivia, Peru and Chile
were involved, and which resulted In Bo-
livia's loss Of her coast strip. Another
serious boundary question involved the
so called Acre district, and in 1908 Bolivia
surrendered her claim to Brazil for a con-
sideration Of about $40 ,ooo, 1000. This sum
now constitutes the nucleus Of q national
investment in railways.
Bolivia's population is given as ! 800, 900.
About one-half of these people are native
Indians and, only some 10 per Dent. are
classed as whites. The widely differing
physical conditions Of the country diversity
the industrial interests Of the people and
to some extent introduce differences In
their character and their physique. The
herdsman Of the plains differs from the
rubber gatherer in the lowland tropical
forest, and both are In many ways unlike
the laborer in the mines Of the high alt-
tudes. A large part Of the population sup
plies its own needs as a result Of years Of
1tCosSlVy III doib6 thO otbcl VI e4lbU-
ence is perhaps low, but 1t is In large degree
a self sustaining order. The country sup
plies the materials for such houses, or huts,
as are required by the large majority Of
the people; it provides for their simple re-
auirements in foodstuffs, and the wool Of
the sheep, he alpaca and the llama lis spun
for their clothing. Isolated as the country
has been, there has been little incentive to
industry and progress.
1t is quite beyond doubt that some day
Bolivia will become one Of the great mining
centres Of the world. Gold is there, prob
ably in quantity; but its extraction will
depend, like the expansion Of the other
mining opportunities, upon the investment
OF capital, the installation Of modern ma
chinery and the construction Of railways.
Silver mining is already al important in
dustry, but it is capable Of perhaps indef-
mite expansion. The tin mines of the ooun-
try are undoubtedly destined to become
one OF the worlds chief sources Of supply. |
The conditions under which this metal L.
found show wide differences. but it Ia
found throughout a wide area and there
seems to be no limit to its abundance;
but railways and machinery are necessary
for its extraction and shipment. Copper
mining presents important possibilities, |
~ - 10 his,a,fh and hnro- H.. -