El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-06-26

4 ELLNoAO-NH al a -AfAgF q ---I
u The indians Of the Gran Chaco
L \ comprise 100000 red men, who
are practically unknown to the civilized
world They are tribes OF virgin
territory Of pastures, forests and
swamps four times as large as New
England, lying in the heart Of the
South American continent
Comparatively little is known about
the south American indians. Volumes
upon volumes have been penned about
the red men Of our cOntin mt There Is
a whole library on Mexico and the Az
tees; and the indians OF the United
States and Canada have been studied.
nation by nation and tribe by tribe
Several books have been written about
the Incas and the other races Of the
Andes and the west coast Of South
America. but practically nothing ex-
cept tradition exists as to the great
population that swarmed over South
America al the time the continent was
discovered
The records show that when the
white men first explored the country
there were indians scattered here and
there throughout the vast territory
east Of the Andes. Many of these we're
killed, some were enslaved and not a
few tribes were worked to death by
the Spaniards and are practically for
gotten others kept their homes in the
Wilds and they have today almost the
same customs and habits Of life that
they had in 1920 when Fernando Ma
gellan sailed down the east coast OF
the continent.
Millions Remain.
As II IS now the estimates OF the in
dams left in South America vary wide
" They range all the way from sew
eral million to 100000 Some put
the meas and Quichuas at four or five
millions. the Aymaras, who live on the
highlands Of Bolivia number more than
- Al H.f
Ecuador are put down at from 100000
10 double that number
During my stay at La Paz had
long chat with Hugo Wenburg, who is
running an experimental farm upon
which he is trying to civiliZe the Ay-
maras Mr.. Wenburg has Travelled over
a great part Of South America as the
agent Of the American Bible society
and his work has been largely among
the indians Of this part Of the world
He estimates the number OF red men in
Brazil. Bolivia. Paraguay and Peru at
about five millions Another estimate
puts the indians OF Brazil at 1900, 900,
those Of Peru at 100000, Bolivia, $780,
000i Ecuador, 100000; Colon bia. 25Os-
600; Chile, 10000; Argentina, 80, 900.
Paraguay. 10000 The number Of saw
ages in Chile is more than 100000 and
this includes the brave Araucanians
found in the southern part Of the
shoestring republic
Onas and Yaghans and Tehuelches and
among them tribes Of indians whose
average height is about six feet and
who are perhaps the tallest and strong
est OF the red men,
Strains Are Blended.
As TO Para quay. IL is hard to tell
where the indian ends and the white
man begins. The country consists OF
Paraguay proper. a territory that lies
between the Paraguay and the Alto
Parana rivers, having an area as large
as the state OF Missouri. and Of the
Chaco. a territory much larger. lying
west OF the river The population OF
Paraguay proper is about 100000 and
It is made up Of people who have a
large percentage OF Guarani blood in
their veins The common language OF I
the country IS Guarani and thousands
speak 1t who do not know Spanish The
best educated families use Guarani in
speaking 10 their servants and outside
the cities it would be difficult TO get
along without It.
The Guaranis were IN Paraguay when +
the Spaniards first came You will find de-
scriptions Of them In the stories OF the
early explorers. They are described as a
gentle people, very hospitable and lovabIe It
may have been Tor this reason that the
Spaniards did not enslave them as they
did the Incas. the Aymaras. Quichuas and
other nations OF the nigh Andes They
united with them and took the women as
wives and their descendants became subjects
Of Spain
Faithful to Spanish Lovers.
The indian women were faithful 10 their
Spanish lovers Indeed. q great plot which
was formed 10 wipe out the whites shortly
after they first came 70 this country in 1883
was revealed by indian girl who was in
love with a Spaniard- The massacre was TO
have occurred on Holy Thursday when all
the Spaniards were cohec-ee In their settle
ment near Asunclon The indians were
about to begin their bloody work when the
Spanish governor announced the plot and
captured the ringleaders He executed them
and after that the other indians submitted
and gave up their sisters and daughters to
the Spaniards This was the beginning OF
the union Of the races
As Parag quay became more and more set
tied. the Jesuits encouraged the marriage Of
the Spaniards and indians The Jesuits con
verted the indians 70 Catholicism and they
built up here great Catholic nation, which
was largely composed OF red men AT one
time they had colonies Of Guarani indians
which numbered more than 100000 They
had their own settlements and had built up
great farms and industries They owned
100000 horses and mules. 100000 sheep. and