Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-29

subdued by tho Spaniards and their lands
were taken from them Just as we have
taken the lands of our Indians. They are
| much like our Indians now, being settled
upon reservations or upon individual
| farms, which they are not permitted to
SELL The race of the past has been deci-
mated by drunkenness and disease and
1t grows fewer every year It comprises
now less than $1,000 and OF these about
$4,000 are scattered over this province of
| Temuoo and the country adjoining.
Have Divided Reservations.
Most OF the holdings are in reservations
set aside by tho government. The lands
are wot held in common. but are divided
among the families, so many acres being
I given to each person. A baby gets the
same amount OF land as ah old man of 60
If one OF tho family dies there is new
subdivision of the land allotted to that
family, and If the whole family disappears
the lands revert to the government. Most
of the holdings are patriarchal. The old
est male member of the family controls
the property, and when he dies another
is selected to take his place The people
have loose tribal relation and are prac-
tically ruled by their chiefs under the
Chilean government.
During my stay l have visited some of
these Araucanian reservations. The land
about is rolling. and that of the Indians
is comparatively free from trees. 1t looks
not unlike parts of Ohio and Indiana,
and there is nothing to indicate that it
is on another continent. and more than a
thousand miles south of the equator. The
soil is a rich black loan, much of which
is now covered with wheat ready for har-
vest. am surprised at the extent of the
Indian farms and the crops. The farms
are mostly worked by the whites or half
breeds, who are hired by the Indians for
q share of the crop. On one Araucanian
farm 1 saw a white man blowing and
4 upon another an intelligent Chileno was
threshing wheat, using an American
thresher. That Indian farmer HAD about
200 acres in wheat and his sons were
harvesting this with the aid of white
men. They used Mccormick headers,
pushed along through the fields by oxen,
! yoked TO the machine by their horns.
The heads of the grain dropped into a
wagon, in which they went to the
thresher. In this work q white Chileno
did the driving and the Indians urged
the oxen onward with goads. tipped with
iron. The oxen we're so cruelty treated
that the blood ran down their backs.
The white driver told me that he got
percentage of the crop for his work.
Great Dog Lovers.
ON the edge of this wheat field were
puunber of Indian huts. Every family had
a half dozen dogs, which rushed al me
when came near. At the same time the
qnOWled
I took photographs OF the girls. The
Araucanian houses are seldom more thah
! fifteen feet square. Their walls are OF
boards and their ridge roofs OF tnatcn,
There are no windows, and the light
comes In through the rude door at Vhe
front There are no yards or gardens
about the houses and no convenienees Oh
any description. The only furniture Ii
bed made of poles. or two or three peas
in case the man has more than one wile'
which is by no means uncommon IN
one of the huts found two fires going.
and over each fire was wife who cooked
for her own brood of children. The floor
of the hut was Mother Earth ana II
was Uttered with farming utensils ana
clothing and saddles and harness FROM
the rafters hung ears OF corn strings
of onions and long strips OF dried meat
The place looked like junk shop.
The sleeping arrangements Of this home
consisted Of two closetlike rooms par
titionad off from the body OF the hut by
poles and skins. In each was low plat
form covered with sheepsl1ins. Each
platform was the sleeping place OF one
of the wives and her share Of the chill
J dren.
q SNAKE Thick Enough 20 Cut.
n was interested in the cooking. Their
4 fires were in holes in the ground inside
. the huts. and the smoke was so thick that
r n could be felt. It had blackened the
walls and roof. and when took hold
NJ n rafter my hand was covered with
!. SCOT. The cooking utensils were iron
' pots. resting on stones over the Goals.
/, Each Dot had a stew. consisting Of NUT
i ton cut up in small pieces and seasoned
& TO taste. They were roasting potatoes and
e green corn in the ashes. and the smell
% was delicious. A great deal OF red pepper
y Is used, and it is said that they have a
L way of killing sheep and peppering and
y sailing it's lungs while it is dying. They
n hang the sheep up by its four legs and
J. stuff the windpipe with this salt and
d pepper While the animal gasps under
n the treatment, they cut the jugular vein
e and stream OF blood is turned into the
s windpipe in such a way that II washes
Q the salt and pepper into the lungs. After
the death Of the sheep its lungs are taken
8 out and eaten raw, having thus been sea
d soned 10 taste. At all meals the men
d are served first. The women act as the
+ waters, and eat what Is left.
y The Araucanians look much like the
d North American indians. They are about
the best type of the Redmen of this
. continent and their features are much
d stronger than those OF the Aymaras OF
+ Quichuas. who live high up in the Andes
y The younger men are straight and well
8 formed. The girls are good looking. and
y when young they are plump. They ass