Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-25

class of business Establishments is going
up. The buildings are of several stories,
with q more regular sky line than that of
our American cities. They are more like
the shops of Germany and France than
those of North America. and. indeed, in
many respects the town is a miniature
Paris.
The street scenes Of Santiago are a
combination of the old and the new.
You still see the donkeys and mules car
rying their panniers of vegetables and
fruits around from door to door. You
still see horses close to the sidewalks
hobbled by rope around their front legs,
and the oX-cart still creaks its way
through the town. At the same time
there are cabs and automobiles every
where. The street cars have great num-
bers on them. indicating their routes, and
there are motor cars that carry the
building materials.
Paris Bonnets Here.
The people have changed and the char
acteristic costumes of the past are
tramped upon by the heels of the present
There are Paris bonnets and slit skirts
everywhere, and also women and girls
clad in black with mantas or black
shawls covering their heads, necks and
shoulders, so that only the faces show
out Of the black. This costume used to
be common with the rich and poor. 1t
is now dying out among those who can
afford the more costly modern clothing,
and the rich and fashionable now confine
its use almost altogether for going to
church. The laws of the church here pro-
vide that no woman can come into re-
ligious service wearing a bonnet, and the
only acceptable costume is dead black
with a manta of black crepe wrapped
around the face close under tho chin and
fastened there with a brooch. or il may
be pinned at the back of the neck with a
black pin. Some of the young women are
now wearing black wells instead of these
mantas and not a few of them have black
dresses that are cut rather low at the
neck. I have seen girls in mantas wear
ing shoes of white kid and light colored
gowns, but this is not considered good
taste.
Shop In the Morning.
The manta is often used for shopping
during the morning. the better clothes
being reserved for the promenade between
and in the afternoon, the hours when
everyone goes along the, chief business
streets TO see and be seen. The manta
has the advantage that it can be thrown
on quickly. and also that it hides any
slovenly dressing beneath. To my mind
ii is far better than the headgear of our
women and it makes many homeIy face
almost beautiful, throwing it out, as it
We're against the black crepe. 1t has
ha ~ 10 T. L..
common street garb of the Santiago girls
who are not so good as they should be.
So dressed these little sinners have the
appearance OF saints, and no stranger
would imagine the class to which they
belong until look from the tail of their
eyes gave him the wink.
would say, however, that the Chileans
are usually wen dressed. The richer
women import many OF their gowns and
hats from Paris. and the men of IN,
same class look as though they had just
| come out Of a bandbox. There are fine
gents furnishing stores and dressmsk-
Z ing establishments with the latest models
| from Paris. The soldiers wear fine uni
forms and the policemen have suits Of
| white duck with white helmets. Alto,
| gether the people are as we'll clad az
| those Of similar classes in the United
/ States, and the business and professiona
men are more particular as to thsil
dress than We are.
Not n Cheap city.
Santiago Is not a cheap city in which
to live. 1t is a town of the very ricf
and the very poor. Many Of the .citizenl
own large estates out in the country anC
/ live at the capital. where they have mag
nificent houses and entertain in granC
/ style. The city has a municipal theato
subsidized by the government. This give
a season Of Italian opera which lasts 10
! eighty nights. The companies ar,
brought from Italy and nearly every per