The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-28

never accept the statement of an
ndlan as against that of a white. |
This woman has been living in differ |
ent parts of Bolivia. She says that
a system Of child-slavery is common
in the highlands and out-of-the-Wav
districts Of both Peru and Bolivia, and
L understand that it prevails in some
parts OF EcuadO as Well. Said she: |
There is no doubt but that Indian
children are bought and sold to be
used as servants. Indeed, l myself
nave Fought girls and boys ranging
IN age from two to twelve years. At
times | have taken them in out of pity
to give them a home, and at other
times [ wished to use them
as servants. Such buying is more
after the form of a lease than in the
way of regular bargain and sale. 1t
is like the binding out of children
to work for their board and clothes,
as was once common in some parts Of
our United States.
When times are hard or famine
comes the indian fathers or mothers
Will often bring in their boys and girls
and ask 0 to raise them as
They will expect from ten to twenty
B~OlVlanoS for them, o. IS to $40 in
gold. There are regular contracts
made for this purpose, and q part of
the contract reads that they shall
! have the right to take the child back
.oPOA II0 pay IllCill " YOU VI III Genus
per day for every day you have had it.
This repayment is a sheer impossi-
bility, and the purchase of the child
means that you ave the right to it
until it grows up. The law provides
that you must train the child and
teach it to read and write. 1t also
provides a it must be we'll treated,
but this depends upon the caprice of
the purchaser. Many of the servants
are gotten that way
Practically all the domestic labor of
La Paz and other cities of Bolivia is
done by the Aymara Indians. In some
cases they are paid wages and in
others they get nothing but their
board for their work. In the latter
instances the servants are pongos,
who are sent in from the country to
do a certain amount Of work for their
masters, who live in the city. The
leases by which the Indians hold their
little homes and lands provide that
they may be sent from time to time
into the town to work as hous serv-
ants. Such periods are limited to g
week or so for each person, and il
servants are changed every two
weeks. a new one coming to relieve
the old one. A land owner with {
large number of Indians on his estate
may agree to furnish you a hou~e
servant for a year, sending man aftel
man, in relays as it were, to fill VI
the time. When the pongo comes t.
; work in his masters house he usual,
brings with him enough bags of Lima
: manure to serve as fuel for the cook
ing during his stay.
While there he carries all Thu
t water, brings the vegetables ant
meats home from the market, and it i
his business to empty the Stops al
, clean the pots and pans There arr
: many Of these pongos on the street
Of La Paz. They go along half doubl
: carrying great copper or clay waite
e jars on their backs. They act as tn
E watchmen Of the houses, sleeping a
e night on the stones inside h doc
that leads to the street, and they mus
e go out or come in. They do all sort
Of d%rudgery, and some kinds tina
n servants Of other classes will refuS
to do. Indeed, ole may have twent
f other servants, but he must still hav
: his pongo.
Notwithstanding these hard condj
tons, the Indians are attached t
S their masters. They will work 70
them for little or nothing rather tha
d for a foreigner who may pay ther
d good wages. They make their mas
y ters' grievances their own, and ar
s ready to Engage in any battle if in
stigated by them. This often cause
r feuds between the Indians Of neigh
If boring farms, and gun fights an
h stone fights are common. The ston
e fights are usually by means Of tn
II sling, which is the natural weapo
IS of the Aymara. He uses it to keep n
= sheep from straying from the flocl
s, He hunts with it. and from benin
his hut watches for his enemy an
or sends a rock crashing through h
te brain.
Not long ago there was a big stor
fight between the Indians Of two plaI
E. tations, one belonging to a foreigne
n and the other to a native BoHvla
Or The foreigner had bought the estat