The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-23

From the Kansas City Times.
~ HILE came under the rule of
w Spain in the middle of the six
- teenth century when Spanish
troops under Don Diego de Almagio and
Captain valdivia from Peru and Bolivia
wrested it from the Araucanian Indians.
It was governed by Spanish viceroys I'M
til 1910, when many of the Latin-Amer-
lean colonies slipped from under the yoke
of Spain.
An Irishman freed Chile. He didn't
call himself an Irshman. He was born
and reared in Chile and his heart was
with Chile, but his name was OHig
gins-Bernard O'Higgins-and his most
trusted lieutenants bore names no more
Castilian In origin and sound than his.
Valparaiso, owing to It's advantageous
location on the Pacific coast and its good
natural harbor. soon became one of the
leading cities of the country. although
Santiago was made the capital. It Is
beautiful site for a city In Spanish the
name means valley of Paradise" 1t
was named by Spanish priests who were
impressed with the beauty of the land
seape and the delightful climate along
the coast.
But Valparaiso is not beautiful city.
Its streets are irregular, crooked and
aimless, and there is nothing symmetri-
cal about the city. Much of it is built
in a rambling fashion upon the hills,
and it is hard matter to find ones way
about In 1t.
Valparaiso is an important business
center, but the commerce of the place
is almost wholly in the hands of for
eigners. The merchants are mostly Ger
mans and English. The better class of
natives go in for farming or politics.
When ono meets two well-dressed natives
in the street it is almost safe to pre-
sumo that one Of them is farmer and
the other a lawyer, the first named be-
ing intent on doing a little political wire
pulling, the second equally as intent on
seeing him through with the job.
The Chileans are called the Yankees of
South America and are praised a great
deal for their energy and their thrifty
qualities. They look better and move
faster than their neighbors. The for
eign element is responsible for this.
Chile is land of handsome men and
beautiful women. In spite of the fire.
ouent distractions of war. which seem
to be inseparable from all South Ameri-
can republics, its people are gay and
light hearted. The delightful climate In
which fruits and flowers bloom all the
year doubtless contributes to this happy
condition. A Chilean looks In amaze
ment at foreigner who might casually
remark that 1.-The weather was hne;
all days are fine in Chile.
Society is very gay. particularly IN the
holiday season. when Santiago and VAL
paraiso are as merry as ever was Mad
rid during the carnival There are no
lovelier beings in the world than the
young Chilean bellies, and a walk around
the streets and squares Of the cities dis
closes TO the observer a bewildering az
1uence of patrician danes and girls
with the most beautiful compilations i'm
aginable. the product of the climate,
which is the finest in South America
Traits are everywhere visible of the rich
Spanish blood that has flowed In Chilean
veins ever since the days when Don
Diego de Almagio crossed the snowy
Andes (Which are everywhere seen form
ing a picturesque background with his
mixed Spanish and Peruvian armies hot
for gold and conquest. There are many
Chilean families who can trace their lin
cage back to the days of Captain de
Valdivia, who was the first settler OF
Chile.
The homes of the weather. classes are
marvels of beautiful and chaste arcni-
lecture and wonders of interior adorn-
ment. This is specially true of the
Palais Cousino the home. or Donna
Cousino, said to be the richest woman
in the world.
The mountains of Chile are amons the
highest in the world. Aconcagua, vol
sano, Is 22.4c7 feet high. There are