The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-21

Inc saves of the landowners
anu SO Iar as l can learn but little
attefnpt mas been made to elevate
them. The Roman Church
winch is such a great force in our |
is practically dead as far az |
any clviiizing work is concerned IN
Andean plateau. and its priests |
nave either despaired of doing ANY,
thihs with these Indians or they do
not care to attempt it. The field is
! believe, one that that church should
take up. The Indians are more or less
SuDservlent to 1T, and the Catholics
could accomplish more in the work Of
regeneration in a fixed time than the
Protestants. At present the Protest
ant missions are to be credited with
most OF the attempts at elevating the
lndlanS that are now going on.
The industrial school which the
minister from Bolivia has asked me
10 investigate is supported by money
lett by an Italian. one Antonio Chu-
lotto, VINO was converted to Chris
tianity in the Pencil Hall mission in
Los Angeles. He had gone to the
united States as a young man. had
settled in California. and had. as 7
understand it. there made q little for
tune in milling. Later on he emf
grated to Argentina. where he lived
for a number Of years. He there be-
came interested in the uplifting Of
the Indians of South America, and
when he saw he had not much longer
to live. decided to cave his money
tor that purpose. giving it to the Ar
gentinians. There was some difficult,
however, as to the laws OF Argentina
that prevented his making a will to
this end. and he therefore came to
Bolivia, where he regulations are diff
ferent. Here he left his estate, con-
sisting Of about $4,000, for the
starting Of this mission. The money
was put in the hands OF the Metho-
dist 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: an
other, Mr.. Hugo Wenburg, formerly
Of the American Bible Society, and a
third. DR.. Foster, a medical mis-
Sionary.
These men have taken the Italians
beQueSt and have bought a farm OF
about 500 acres on the shores Of Lake
Titicaca, about forty-five miles from
La Paz. The farm slopes down to
the lax under the shadows of the
nightly snow-clad peaks of Sorati and
Illimani. The greater part OF it is
level. and it consists OF good agri.
cultural land, which has been in cul.
tivation since the days of the Incas
The land was bought Of a Bolivian
h~aciendado, and it has about ESQ In
diam living upon it. According tt
custom, these Indians went with thu
land. They have certain tracts there
which they have farmed from genera
ton to generation and others upo1
which they v docks of one kline
or another. They work about tive
days of the week for their rent.
These Indians form the nucleus 0
the missionary work, and it is among
thon that tho industrial noovonpon
. is 10Y going on. The trustees hay'
established a school. and both chill
; dren and grOwn-ups are attending i
and learning to read. They have in
, troduced new plants and grasses. an
they are experimenting with grains t
E see if better conditions of farmin.
cannot be created on these higl
+ %plateaus. They expect to improve tn
breeds Of sheep and to bring in goat
and American cattle. They hope ais
a to teach the ndian the several trade
and to uplift them in every possibi
q
During my stay here I have me
e Mr.. Hugo Wenburg. who is now mar
aging the farm. He tells me that tn
Indians would nave nothing to d
g with the missionaries at first. The
q had been old by their neighbOrs tina
the Americans would work them t
. death and that they would be cheate
g out of all that they had. The trus
a tees had great trouble in getting the
confidence. but finally succeeded, an
a great desire for education he
spr,ng up. The Indians are sendin
q their children to the school. Whic
II owing to the lack Of buildings. is no
a held in the patio or open square IL
\ side the farmhouse. The school da
is short. as the children have to WoI
for their parents. The hours al
from seven to nine in the mornin
If but the children are SO ANXIOUS
: learn that they come before II
IS teachers are awake. The little IL
% dams are bright and are about
quick to learn as the Cholos
1T whites.
bt -.
r asked Mr.. WenburS how ne W.
Of getting along introducing new me
20 DDS of farming. He replied:
of eve have bad great ditlCulty