The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-05-12
Winter Just Starting There.

SpI VI MI anu MIS, VI. i. OBucn Oh
this city, but now "A school teacher of
Santiago, Chile, writes the following
letter to Tho News:
Santiago, Chile, March 2O-Editor
News: As you of the North Temper
ate zone are just leaving behind the
cold and SHOWS OF winter and are
about to live again i'm the beauties
of the spriuglimc with its showers
and flowers, It's birds and perfumes,
we of the south are looking ahead to
the fall aud winter which 50 imper.
septbly succeed each other
For four or five months we have had
almost no rains. 1t was our summer
season. All over the central and
southern valley there have grown and
been harvested great crops of wheat
and there still remains to be gathered
millions Of bushels of grapes for the
wine press Wherever little canal
or irrigation ditch has reached with
its lite.giying stream, the rich soil
which would otherwise have born
nothing but thorn trees and stunted
grass, has brought forth n bountiful
harvest to repay the small labor of
the farmer.
The dust along all the country roads
Nb9 uItIl SblltllllltS SIN OF elSlJ lllCu-
es deep. But if you broke through the
wall of alimos and blackberry vines
almost anywhere, great eXpanses of
waving wheat verdant pastures or
vineyards would have greeted the eye.
Perhaps half of the population of
Santiago left the city to spend the
two months of January and February.
Some went to the sea-shore resorts;
others to their haciendas or fundos
in the south, and others went to spend
few weeks with friends or\in seeing
the country. OF the last class was
the writer.
After riding by train about seven
hours south of Santiago one finds
himself out on a great broad and
level plain. If by chance the dust
and smoke, which forms thick haze.
much as appears in your Indian sum
mer should be laid or driven away by
a north wind, he could see in the far
distance the ridge of the COrdilleras
(Andes) with here and there a great
snow-clad peak mounting up high
above the range. Or he might behold
the nearer and less interesting foot
hills to the west, barren, brown and
hungry looking. He is in the broad
est part of the long valley which
lies between the mountains and the
coast range for nearly the whole
length of Chile. Should the haze OBJ
sSCure his view of these great natural
barriers he might easily imagine him
self way out on the prairies of western
Nebraska, not considering the distinct
lively Chilean characteristics here met
with.
There are fewer towns and cities
in this part of Chile. Yet there are
some of considerable size and interest.
The thriving and industrious city
of CHILEAN with its fifteen thousand
population lies just south of the Nuble
river. To this central market each
Saturday flock the peOnes and haCen-
dados from all the surrounding coun-
try to attend the "feria" or sale.
Riding in along a leading country
road at 7 or s in the morning
one, stranger, sees a curious and
interesting sight. The Peones and
Huosos, all on horseback and wearing
their best hats and prettiest ponchos,
are seen riding along in little groups
of six or a dozen; some may be car
rying baskets of fruit; some may have
a dozen chickens tied by the feet and
thrown over the horses neck, while
others may be driving a small bunch
of cattle, or horses, or pigs.
This early in the day some are be-
ginning to delight themselves with
the beverages to be had at the little
Cantinas scattered along the way. Yet
as rule they are not a noisy crowd.
Once in the city there are two plac-
es of interest to visit first. One is a
large square free from buildings and
4 ,,tl, rnll
from corner to corner and diagonally
across this square and also connect
the middle of the opposite sides, all
meeting in the center Along both
sides of some of these walks are erect
ed small booths and tents where one
may find a varied assortment of ar
ticles. Here he may buy Chilean
bride and saddle girth or gaudy ban
dana handkerchiefs. There he may Sc
cure Cheeses large and small. At
another booth luscious fruit may
tempt him, and it is excellent fruit.
Again he may purchase a sack of
potatoes or onions from any one of
the many wagon loads which line one
walk. Or, if he needs tire-woOd, there
he may get couple of cords, but in
long pieces, for Sc Tinware, furn-
llule OF lesser value, WdJeInelOnS
and muslmelOns, dried seaweed, the
beautiful Chilean lace, chickens, eggs,
butter and a number of other neces-
sary and beautiful things are here
bought and sold every Saturday.
Years ago the Indians used to bring
their produce in from the mountains,
sometimes travelling half the week to
arrive on Saturday. But none are
seen now. They are mostly absorbed
into the Chilean population or else
have gone farther south.
The other place is the stock market.
a few block farther on, one rides
into a very wide, long street which is
well filled with men, all on horseback.
Riding down the center he passes on
either side, small punches of cattle
or steers or horses, each group round
ed up and kept stationary by few
Harasos. For four or five blocks this
scene continues The buyers ride up
and down looking over various groups
they are interested in and bidding on
the same. When they find what they
want Harasos are at hand to drive
the stock home, And on leaving the
town and riding back along the same
roads, later in the day, one passes
Of mil l., Min,