The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-06

HNHE nnest port upon the western
coast of South America is by far
= the city of Valparaiso, in Chile and
while its name, sgnifying yale of Para
fiise,' is decidedly an extravagant desig-
nation, the town is unquestionably the
gateway to as charming a section of
country as this old world has to offer.
When l visited Chile did not sail down
the coast from Peru, but went by rail
from Buenos Ayres, to Mendoza, and from
there crossed the Andes on mule back,
alighting as 1t were, condorwise. in the
city of Santiago, the capital of the eoun-
try. However, it will not be out of place
nor lacking in interest to speak of the
great wealth of chincona trees that
abound in the forests of Peru between Ii
ma and the northern section of Chile.
From the bark of these trees qunine is
manufactured, and the drug was until
short while ago one of the most remuner-
ative exports of South America. It was
originally discovered in Bolivia by
monk and named In honor of the Coun-
tess Conchona, wife of the Viceroy of
Peru. a woman who introduced its vir
tues into Spain from whence II became
familiar to the entire civilized world.
II lost its technical title and for three
centuries was known as Peruvian bark.
and the nitrate of soda passed as val
liable assets from the western coast coun-
tries of South America, 50 has the trade
IN chinoona dwindled away. English
agents as botanists and experts examined
the drug bearing trees and transplanted
them in Java, Ceyon and India, where
they produced a greater quantity and
better quality at a far less cost than that
entailed in gathering the bark in the
mountains of the western world
All that now seems left In the nature OF
a valuable product is coca, which is
grown in terraces like the grape is culti-
waited in Tuscany and Palestine.
So dominant has the industry of raising
the plant become that In many of the
rural districts the dried leaves of the
plants are current as money and the
pickers, who can gather four crops in one.
year. are paid entirely in coca leaves.
which are readily received in exchange
for the commodities of life. The effects
from chewing the leaf are as exhilarating
as those of the matti plant, only kind
of tea Is made of the latter and drunk,
while the former Is chewed as we use to-
Lacco In this country. The leaves are
rolled into bah which is placed In tie
mouth and the quid is invarapiy accom-
panied with quantity of unsiacked lime
II is said that 30 minutes of mastication
will put new life and renewed energy into
n person. but its excessive use produces
stupor and those addicted to the habit
of which there are many are DUBBED
coaueros, the epithet blanco coauero oe-
ing equivalent to our term OF feproach'
"Habitual drunkard.'
AS the soma of which ! have writ
ten. was plant worshipped in India,
so was coca venerated by the lncas.
Their priests chewed 1t during divine
services In order to proptiate the soos
and every applicant was required 70
approach the priest with the plant IN
his mouth To this day the remnants
IF the Incas place coca leaves in the
mouths of their dead to insure safe
entrance into the unknown world ana
unearthed mummies are offered the
plant in trembling reverence.
Just outside of, Valparaiso lies that
island dear to the heart of every child.
the home of Robinson Crusoe and his
man, Friday The cave and the noun
tain paths described so graphically by
Defoe are still traceable and marble
tablet erected by the officers OF
British man-of- war marks the lookout
from which Selkirk wearily and daily
watched for a longed for sail. The ISL
and is 23 miles long and 10 wide and
has been used as a pirates rendezvous
penal colony. a ranch and atruck gar
den respectively At one time blood
hounds were employed to kill off the
pirates, goats and rabbits; at another
time the prisoners slaughtered their
guards and escaped. At still another
10000 head of cattle and sheep grazed
upon its hills and mountain sides and
now ii sends vegetables and garden
products to the markets of Valparaiso
and Santiago. The Chillano is about
the only inhabitant of. South America
who dislilxes the United States. of which
his ignorance and arrogance have
taught him to deem his own country
formidable rival and as consequence
the trade of Chile is monopolized en-
tirely by the nations of Europe But
all of this will be changed as soon as
the Panama canal is completed, when
the great discrimination in freight
rates will be eradicated.
AS viewed from the bay the city OF
Valparaiso reminded me a great deal
of Smyrna, for while the business
houses line the sea shore for over three
miles. the residences are perched upon
the step sides of the mountain that rises
almost directly from the waters edge.
At night the effect is quite novel and
extremely picturesque. for the electric
1igths crowning the crests of the steep
declivities east their rays downward,
creating the appearance of an artifi-
cia moonlight. So close are the rocks
to the sea and so narrow are the
streets that they lie superimposed and
are approached by public elevators
free of charge. In the residential Sec
tion the roadway is in many places con-
structed upon iron girders driven into
the cliff and We're one to fall off of
the street. he would be precipitated
into the waves. many hundreds of feet
below him.
The city has a population Of 100000
and there are no finer shops. hotels.