Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-09-20

later we were driving through the city
over streets paved with asphalt ana lined
with stores that would not have been out
of place in New York or Boston.
TwO-stOry street Cars.
The thing that most interested me at
first sight was the street cars. These
are of two stories, with a second tier of
seats on the roof. There is an iron stair
way at the back end of the car that leads
to the second story, and one can ride
through the town as though on an ele-
waited railway. There vs. no roof to this
story, and it forms the best place for
view of the city. Besides the fares are
cheaper on top than in the closed car be-
low. l paid only 1 cent of our money per
trip. The rates below are only cents,
and Notwithstanding this am told that
the cars pay big dividends. The line here
and that at Santiago, over the mountains
about three or four hours off by train,
belong to a German company, which has
monopoly of the transit. They operate
the Santiago cars py hydroelectric power.
and that so cheaply that their profits
from that line alone are about 100000 a
month. The Valparaiso line is said to
, clear about $1.0OOOOO year.
Women Conductors.
But there is one attractive feature about
the car line that failed to mention.
This is the conductors. They are women
and very few of them are pretty young
girls, although the great majority will.
1 venture, never see 30 or 40 again. The
woman conductors were brought into the
cars more than a generation ago. 1t
VIC ut hn - he xrfth
when all of the men, including the street
car conductors, were sent north to en-
gage in the fighting. At that time the
women took the mems places, and they
have held them to this day. 1 am told
| that they make very good servants, and
! that, although they have to be watched
as to turning in all the fares, they are
more honest than men would be in the
same places. AS 1t is. the company keeps
check upon its conductors by making
them give each passenger a ticket which
is collected later on by an inspector who
goes through the car for the purpose.
The companies have also detectives whom
the girls nickname Judases. to watch and
see that all pay their fare and that no
fares are knocked down. The conduc-
tresses wear black sailor hats and dark
the pockets OF which they carry their
money and tickets. and strapped round
their waists are little boxes for the checks
they give the passengers. They make re-
ports at little kiosk in one part OF the
| city at the end of each trip. Another
good feature of the car lines is the use
of black numbers, which indicate their
routes. This is in accordance with
Ian ak1N AZ. Ill
and It is far better than our way of
marking only the names of the routes on
the cars.
Where I ended my ride was near one
OF the cog railroads that lead to the
upper part OF the city When l entered
the station 1 had another surprise. II was
woman who opened the turnstile and
! gave me my fare and she did her job
] quite as well as a man. She took my
money and then shut me inside a cage
| like that Of an elevator. She next rang
/ bell, and a moment later / was high
above the roofs Of the buildings along
the shore. with a magnificent view of the
ocean below me. / could see the harbor
with its shipping and the hundreds of
small boats at anchor. while away off at
the side around the end Of the bay was
] the tDNn OF VIVA uti mar Nne
resort of the Chileans.
Summer I'm january.
| The seasons are changed south OF the
equator. and II is in January. February
and March that the Chileans go TO the
| coast TO get cool Vina del Mar is the
Newport and the Atlantic City OF the
west coast. 1t has hundreds of luxurious
villas like those outside of Paris, and all
the Accomplishments Of a city OF pleasure,
such as clubs golf, lawn tennis ana foot
ball. 1t has a mile track. where the
] Chleans bet on their faVorite horses and
where races are run every day through
out the season. Indeed, the whole town
looks like a fashionable resort or one
OF the great spas of Europe. The most
OF the houses are of French architecture;
and many Of them would cost. IL built
in our country. from $4,000 to 10000
apiece Not few of them have beautiful
gardens. There are hedges Of roses. great
beds Of geraniums. and also palms and
other tropical plants.
| Walking down from the hills 10 my
hotel. observed many other things that
reminded me OF southern Europe The