The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-05-13

lluNu us IL DOSslults Nut lOubu anu
dusty ride to San Fernando.
While there are many things SINH
lar between Il train ride In Nebraska
and one in Chile, there are also a
number of things here quite unlike
what one sees at home. The railroad
runs south through the beautiful San.
tiago and Maipu and other vallies for
about 400 miles. On the right hand,
going south, these vallies are cut
off from the Pacific ocean by the
low foot hills which are for the most
part nearly barren. On the left there
is an ever changing and enhancing
view of the majestic Andes.
AS we go beyond the southern end
of San Ramon 10,000.foot hill near
Santiago, there bursts upon our vi
sion the tremendous dome of Tupun-
cato as it lifts its hoary head 900
feet or more into the air. We gaze
at 1t for an hour as the train carries
us on our way, and then feel almost
provoked at the lower but nearer foot
hills which presently come between
and hide the beauty from us. But 9th
err mountains, nearly as high and al
most as beautiful come into view and
in a measure make up for the beauty
that has just disappeared. These
peaks seem to reach up into the very
heavens themselves, although they are
forty miles away.
The vallies in Chile are as fertile
as will be found anywhere in the
world With irrigation they blossom
as the rose. With summer rains
(Which never Gomez they would make
vertable garden of Eden. Huge
vineyards in large numbers, surround.
ed with high mud walls, are to be
seen. The straight rows of vines look
not unlike a corniield, in the distance
Irrigating bitches lined by tall pop.
lars run hither and thither across the
plains. OF course all the farms in the
northern vallies must be irrigated, but
not in the far south. Z
Great hedges of blackberry bushes
take the place of wire fences. The
Spaniards, when they first came to
Chile and South America brought both
the alimos, or poplars, and the black
berries with them from Spain. BY
planting the trees closely in rows and
then between the trees planting the
blackberries they were able to make
an inexpensive fence which no live
stock could break through and which
no invading army could pass without
laboriously cutting its way. | saw
scores of fences thus made where
the baCkberries had grown twenty or
thirty feet high and then dropped
down in great streamers ten feet or
more long. These bushes were as a
rule just loaded with luscious black
berries which were rotting there be-
cause Chilians do not use them. In
some places the blackberries are as
much of pest as dandelions are at
home | saw whole pastures which
were almost ruined by the bushes.
They are practically understandable.
Yet they serve one good purpose. |
was told that if the ranch owners were
to have wire fences put around their
"Haciendas," they would have to
watch them with rifles or else replace
every two weeks. The Chileans, es-
pecially the country rotos, have very
taking ways. Stealing is as natural
for Chilean as Icing and Icing is
as natural as eating.
"The NeWsy."
A good variety of articles are sold
on the trains in Chile. A fellow al
ways comes through the cars selling
copper wire jardinieres. Soon he re-
turns with little inferior candy and
some cigarettes. Then he serves up
beer and mineral waters in bottles,
the people of the whole car using the
same two or three glasses to drink
from. At the stations numbers of
| women pass up and down the train
on tciH nj
bread pears, apples, peaches, grapes
etc. But no peanuts, popcorn or chew
| ing gum or cigars are to be bought.
The Chilians of the lower class and
the men, even of the upper class are
| quite filthy in their travelling habits
They smoke in the regular coaches
and spit on the floor in a most often
Sive way. Some of this is seen at
home but not to such an extent by
any means as here.
The coaches are nearly all made in
St. Louis, Mo-, and when new, are
pretty and clean. The engines are
made in Germany and look much like
the engines in England,
1t seemed as though we stopped at
every little village and farmhouse along
| the road. None or very few of the
| stations were called out by the train
men.
1t took us four hours to reach San
Fernando. From there we took a
| branch line which runs down toward
the coast through the Colchagul val
| ley. These branch vallies occur al
regular intervals as you go south.
Arriving at Manantiales, little sta
tion about thirty minutes from San
| Fernando, we were met by my triend' 6
stepfather who had driven in from
the farm to meet us, with two-wheel
ed break or "carretela." We had Il
pleasant though very rough ride fol-
an hour over the stony country roads
through mud puddes and through the
foIds. No bridges are encountered on
the roads in Chile. The tall alimos
make veritable walls on either side OF
the read and give Il pleasing effect
especially when seen from some hill
TIL farm lies at The FOOT of range
of most beautif' hills With runs
| east and west at right angles to tho
coast and the mountains. A thin
growth of thorn trees, wild bamboos
and other CHILEAN trees serve to GOV
er the sides of the hills with a rich
coat of green. The beauty of these
|