The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-05-26

AlcOhol-How the Native Brandy |
is Understanding About Coca,
the Universal Chew Of the Quich-
uaS-A Warning TO Americans
Chicha. or Native Beer, Made of
Corn Mixed With Human Saliva
How the Indians Live-Their Huts
on the Pampas and Their Queer
Food and Clothing.
(Copyrighter, 1914, by Frank G.
C~arpenter.)
CUZCO, Peru.
For the past month l have spent the
greater part Of m time or this high
plateau Of the Andes, a mighty valley
which in places is 100 miles wide, run
ming north and south from Ecuador
to Bolivia. The valley is walled by
snow-capped mountains. 1t has
many peaks that are three or four
miles above the sea mighty olcanoe
that have poured out ramparts of
lava that has CONCEALED as it were, in
it's flow. This great valley winds IN
and out.
The most of it is over u 1000 feet
above the sea, but there are great de-
pressions here and there in which the
land slopes down TO the altitude OF a
thousand feet. giving it all the crops
Of the tropics and the temperate zone.
This plateau is one of the most
thickly populated parts of South
America and it has some of the
~strangest people of the new world.
The majority of them are Indians, and
several millions are the descendants
of the Quichuas, the subjects or slaves
Of the Incas. The Inca empire extend
ed from beyond Quito to far down intO
Chile and its people were in many
aspects more civilized than the
Spaniards who conquered and enSlav-
ed them. When Pizarro came they
were numbered by millions and it is
said that there were eight millions
of them in Peru alone. They were
civilized and Industrious. They were
excellent farmers and they irrigated
vast tracts which under the Spaniards
soon went to waste. 1t is of the de-
~scendants of these people that | write
YOU today BY terrible expressions
their number has been cut down to at
least one third Of what it was in the
past, but there are still in Peru per-
haps two millions of them, nearly all
IF whom live on this high plateau of
the mountains.
] saw the Quichuas first in the
northern part of the Andes. They
populate the high valleys of Ecuadol
and are still to be found all the way
from there south to Bolivia. where the
Aymara Indians begin. Right here a
CuZco ! am in the heart of their an.
''Nhk" t'iPAi - III III III SChtCI VI IL
population of today.
| a seen The Quichuas by hun
dredS in every town at which l have
stopped and / have photographed
their little huts, scattered over tn
pampaS | ave seen them toilin,
along the trails with enormous load
on their backs, or going b~arefOOte0
driving their Iamas and donkeys load
ed with the crops of their masters t
the markets of the cities. | hav
watched them as they sat on the ston
floors Of the plazas with their littl
stores of vegetables, grain or fru.
spread out before them, and have OF
served them in the streets carryin
great barrels of water and other bul
dens from house to house as the sci
wants of the Cholos and whites. Thes
Indians, who were formerly anon
the most civilized peoples Of tf
world outside of Europe, are no
about the most degraded and mise.
able OF any on earth. Since the Spa,
iards came they have been practical
the servants of the whites and II
half-breedS. Their intelligence h;
been ground out of them, and throus
generations Of abuses and of exploit
ton, on the part of their master
added to the use of alcohol and coo
they have become nearer pure anima
than any race now borne as a burd,
on the shoulders of White men.
In the short time ! have been
South America / do not pretend
pass judgment as to the preSe
status of the Quichua civilization. T
above opinions are the gist of tho
l have gathered from men who ha
lived i'm South America for ma
years. Some of the views come fro
natives. and some from foreigns
who have been long in the count
Let me give you a few of. the ia
/ have had or this subject. The II
Is from a mining operator who is
the head Of the company which in
past decade had operated qua
4; mines here in the Andes, yield
more han 81, 900, Gee in gold. He
q man Of close observation and
large employer of Indians. He
moreover. open-minded and fair,
+. really believes What ne says. $50
a. 'The Quichuas-o of today appear
lack ordinary intelligence: You
- a man to fetch you. a broom and
will bring QUA hovel. You s.