The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-03-31
copyrighted, 1914, by Frank G. Car
penter.)
CERRO DE PASCO, Peru.

al ' GIN u1 Il oISO hS 1lS IICSl III L
Town Of the world. 1t is situated here
in the tops Of the Andes on the very
roof of South America, al an altitude
nf 1920 feet above the sea. There
are sn~ow-capped mountains about it,
and the town lies in a valley which
runs north and south between two
mighty ranges. The mountains are
filled with minerals. There are cop
per and silver and vanadium within a
few miles, n right under the city
arc great beds of ore which is almost
pure copper, but with a slight mixture
of silver and gold.
This great plateau, which runs north |
ard south through Peru, contains a
large part of the population of the
republic. 1T is divided up into enorm-
Gus haciendas and other lands, upon
which are squatterS who have great
nerds Of cattle and sheep. They also |
raise some barley, and in the deep
valleys that sink down into the
plateau are regions growing all kinds
of temperate and tropical fruits. We
are here just about as far south of
The equator as Panama is north Of it.
hut at this altitude of almost three
miles in the air the climate is more
like Canada than that of Jamaica.
There are frequent snowstorms in the
winter. and at night the thermometer
then goes down almost to zero. In the
summer il rains in the afternoon, but
the mornings are clear, and for abou
six months of the year the SUI shines
all the day through.
shall first show you something Of
the native parts Of Cerro de PascO.
The town has about $1,000 Cholo and
indian residents. The most of them
live in one-story houses that are made
IL adobe and plaster outside. The
buildings are in blocks, walling the
streets. They are painted in the bright
est Of colors. One house may be
bright green, the next may be blue,
and the next red or golden yellow or
white. The houses have roofs of
ihatch or galvanized iron, that extend
out over the sidewalks. There are
no drains from the roofs, and when
it rains the water pours down the
back Of your neck as you go through
the streets. The sidewalks are mar
row, and the principal rOadWayS are
paved with cobbles. with a gutter Of
slabs about ten inches wide and six
inches deep that runs through the
middle of the street. They do not put
The cutters at the sides Of the road
way DIS al home. The streets all slope
TO the center, and the sewage runs
off through this gutter.
As | walked through the town.
observed hat the woodwork was
freshly painted, and the American
who was with me told me hat the Law
IS that all houses facing the street
must be painted once every two years
If they are not, the owners are fined
lie said that the painting time hae
iust passed, and therefore the city
looked fresh.
Strolling up the main street WI
passed the principal stores. They oper
out on the sidewalks, and are hlleG
With goods from Europe and the Uni
ted States. / saw canned fruits from
California, and salmon from Oregon
cotton cloths from Massachusetts an
sewing machines of we'll known Amer
lean makes. There were also man.
articles OF native manufacture, Sucl
as ponchos made from the hair o
ilamas and sheep, rude sandal use
by the Indians and shoes so clums
that | know they could not come fror
Massachusetts. Over some or TN
doors l noticed tassels and fringes Q
tissue paper. i asked what they mean
and was told IA they were the Slgn
Of chicha saloons.
The scenes are interesting. In
crowd was typical of backwoods PERI
There were better-class PeruVlan'
dressed as we are; there were Score
of Indian ChOlos or half breeds, an
WIZ
who had driven their llamas in fro'
the country about with goods an
vegetables and other freight OF or
Kind or other. There were many Cal
sadors with great loads on the
backs, indian women and girls weal
ing big hats on their heads, shaw
around their shoulders, and sue
bunchy skirts that they made n
think of the song of Miss Hook,
Holland. in which she tells OF her Pc
%ticoats, the gifts of her lovers:
have one red petty from Peter.
And another green petty from Jon
And one colored yellow, from son
other fellow,
And one that l haven't got on.
l am told that neither h ChO
nor the Indian female ever chang
her skirt. She puts one on n kee
Il there until il is worn out. AS
grows thinner. she adds others. un