The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-19
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

lN.G to tNe OnllcN states, WIN REGARD
10 my trip 10 his country Among the
other things nc asked me to investigate
and report upon TO the American peo-
p!e were the efforts that are now being
made 10 start an industrial mission
among the Aymara Indians about Lake
Titicaca. have been making in
uuirios ar 10 this in my travels about
the lake and La Paz. and have found
the beginning of work that may
form the opening wedge for the civil
lization IF millions.
You have all heard of the semicivi-
Lied nations who inhabited the Andean
plateau shortly after Columbus discov-
ered America. at the time the Spaniards
came The whole country was then
we're the Chibchas in Colombia. the
Caras and Chancas of Ecuador. the
Quchuas of Peru. the Aynaras in Bo-
livia. and farther south the brave
Araucanians. who are said 10 have
never been conquered. The Chibchas
were skilled in weaving and the maxi
ing of pottery. They had paved high
ways. and their farming was carried to
a high degree OF success. They had
weights and measures. and currency
in the form OF gold disks. The Arau-
canians had Confederacy, and they
met III grand councils to decide their
public affairs. The Caras had a high
civilization. and the Aymaras. who
formed the chief race of Bolivia. were
akin 10 the Quichuas. those wonderful
Indians of Peru the subjects Of tho
InCas.
Al the time the Spaniards came. it
Is estimated that there were from
?n.000. coo 10 10000. 600 of these Indians
on the high plateau of the Andes. They
We're enslaved by our Christian white
race, and tho life was ground out OF
them. As late as 1875 the Peruvian
Indians are said 10 have numbered
5000. GOO. but goo years later this num-
Der had dropped 10 100000 while
that Of the whole Inca empire. which
had numbered 2o.o0o.0oo, had been cut
down to less than 100000
To-day tho greater part Of the popu-
lation of Ecuador is made up of In
d!ans. There are about 100000
Aymaras and Quichaus here in Bolivia,
and there are more than twice as
many, most Quichaus. in the Peruvian
republic. All Of these Indians are r
a low state OF civilization Not one In
4 hundred Of them can read or write,
and the great majority arc more like
animals thhan like civilized men. They
are mere hcwers of wood and drawers
of water Nearly all are the slaves OF
the alcohol habit; all soak their brains
With cocaine by chewing the coca leaf.
and altogether they are race from
whom active mentality seems TO have
departed. They are nominally Cath
Ollie; but allied 10 their Catholicism
are many superstic!ons connected with
the worship OF the sun. They have also
strange customs, such as eating the
dead bodies OF their enemies, and
carrying written messages to the gods
when they die, as | shall describe
later on.
These Indians live in mud huts scat
tered over the high plateau of the
Andes. Their nuts are without win
dows. and are lighted only by the
doors. which are SO low that one has
10 stoop 20 go in They have matched
roofs made OF the grass OF the pampas.
Their only furnishings are the skins
~ alnacas, !lamas and sheep upon
er sleep at night. and in some
ledge Of mue built un across
80 Slde 80 the hut as a bed. They
cooh !n clay pots over a fire of the
droppings Of llamas There aye. no
cnimneys, and the smoke sets out asst
can.
Some of the Indians have nocks OF
sneep and own alpacas ana Ilamas.
Now and then YOU find one who has
horses or donkeys and cattle. Some are
independent sQuatters. having their
tuts out on the pampas. but many
more are the poems or debt slaves OF
the whites and the halfbreds. OF
cho!os who own most Of the good land
of the Andes have already described
the condition OF these poems in one
province OF Peru. The conditions are
not 50 bad in some OF tho other pro
N!nces, and also in parts of Bolivia.
Bu; eNeryw where the most OF the Indians
age little better than the slaves OF the
landowners, and SO far as | can learn
nut little attempt has hecn made 10
elevate Them. The Roman Catholic
Church. watch Is such a great force In
our country. Is practically dead as far
Is any ciVil!2ins work IS concerned
on TIC .Andean plateau. and its priests
have either dcSpaired Of doing any
ming witn these Indians or they do
not care 10 attempt IT. The heid is. |
believe. one that that church should
take az. Tine Indians are moro or les.
suoSerNient 10 H. ana the Catholics
could accomplish more III the work of
regeneration iu fixed time than the
NtroiesiaEts IT present The Protestant
missions are 90 be credited with most
of the attempts AT elcvatlnc the Indians
that arc now going on.
Tne Industrial school which the min.
.ster from BOLIVIA has asked me TO in
vestlgaie is supported Toy money left
by az italian. one Antonio Chuiotto.
Tnp wes converted 10 Christianity in
the Pencil Hall mission in Los Angeles
lie had zone 10 the United States as q
young man, had settled IN California,
and mad. - ! understand IT. there made
a little fortune in milling Later on he
em!grated 20 Argentina, where he lived
toY numner u wears. Iie there be-
came Interested IN the rpiiftiuc Of the
Indians Of south America and when
me saw h. mad not much longer 10 live.
decided 20 leave mis- money for that
purpose giving It 10 Inc Argentiuians.
There was some d!fnculty. however. as
o the laws Of Argentina that prevented
MS making a Viii TO this end. and he
therefore came TO Bolivia. whore the
gesula lions are different. Here ne left
mis- estate, consisting OF about $4,000.
for the starting u this mission. The
money was put in the hands Of The
Methodist Episcopal Church mission,
or rather into the hands Of three trus-
tees, one Of whom was the Rev George
Mcbride. the president OF the American
Institute OF La Paz another. Hugo
Wenburg. formerly OF the American
Bib!e Society. and third, Dr.. Foster
4 medical missionary.
These men have taken ne Italians
request and have bought a farm OF
about 900 acres on the shores Of Lake
Titicaca about fortV-Hye ,rii.s