davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

The Chlleans handsome race. The
majority of them have Indian blood mixed
with the Spanish. which makes them very
dark. TO be "bicn clarta" very Light is
an cnvled state, and to achieve this the
brownest of the women paste themselves
with powder. Some few of the scanty
Southern aristocracy have come up to the
North, but most Chilenos of Antofagasta are
of the uneducated middle class and the large
peon class. The poems come up to the
desert in hordes to work in the nitrate of
ficinas, and mines, and at the end of their
contracts settle in Antofagasta as the near
est town. Their money is soon spent, there
are few jobs for them and their poverty is
extreme. They are picturesque, the men
in their blouses of white sackng, their gay
socks and sashes and gaudy saddles and
whips, and the women handsome and CO.
quettsh in their long black nantes.
The higher classes have veneer of
Partisan civilization both in their manners
and clothes. They scorn the mantle, and
every night at dusk, just when the young
girls of most civilized nations go indoors,
the young Chilean girls come out, the best
of them, in their European clothes, much be-
powdered, with their hats at a dangerous
angle, and parade I'D and down in front Of
the ogling gossiping groups of men. This
is more than matrimonial market for
young girls-it is the coqucttish game of
the grown-up and married.
The Chileans as a rule are childlike. The
interests of the women chiefly clothes
and men There are Fascinating Chilean
women, and men with delightful manners,
but there are sot many Chileans Of the far
sighted, public-spirited type.
The influence of the English colony on
the Chileans is very small. It's life is lived
entirely apart and except in business rarely
touches the native life. German, French
and American women are few.
The social life of The English-sp speaking
begins at about p M, at some tea party
The house of the hostess is often a one
story, corrugated iron afair-unsp eakably
desolate and dusty from the street. But
inside it's high rooms are comfortably furn-
ished, lvable and very pleasant, and some
times the patios and gardens are charming.
Even at the simplest tea parties the table
is loaded down with rich cakes and dainties,
as eating is the chief interest in Chile,
among all races and classes, and from to
about 6:3O nothing is talked about but per
sonalties, often made a little spicy through
sheer boredom. Sometimes little bridge
is eagerly played. After this one may per
haps go on to another house at cocktail
time" between and 7, and then prob
ably keep on with sociabiity at a dinner
party at 8. followed again by bridge or
billiards, whskev and soda and many yarns
Saturdays and Sundays are lively days at
the tennis pavilion and a special train goes
to golf.
All the West Coast knows its folk more
or less. The Andes and the desert hold
the people down close to the sea, and trav-
oilers go ashore wherever the ship takes
freight. In this way people constantly see
one another and meet all the new arrivals
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
4 ivilization on
W the Make

Life on the 'pampa" is closely connected,
both socially and in business. with the port
life. The pampa is high desert land lying
between the coast range and the Andes.
Here are the world-famed nitrate fields of
Chile. To reach them one takes train
journey many hours into the desert across
the high plain dotted with lesser peaks
Here there is nothing but mirage and vast
fields OF salt-here and there great balls
of salt like dirty giant snowballs the rail
road is dug through it, and it is heaped
high along the tracks. After a few stops
at various lonely stations. where the cara
bineri," the government police, are seen.
one arrives at nitrate otficina or collection
of oiiicinas. Sometimes there are several
only q few miles apart.
The efficient "carabineri' handsome and
brutal in their spcand-span riding clothes
police all the country. and the poems are
in great fear of them. They are supposed
to have habit on the pampa OF not bring
ing III a prisoner that is. of sending him
ahead and shooting him. The reason for
this is that very often q prisoner Will wreak
vengeance on his captors as soon as he is
free. few years ago the carabineri shot
eighty poems i'll the plaza at Antofagasta.
and again turned The machine guns on the
strikers at lquique and killed many hun
dreds. They police perfectly the otherwise
lawess nitrate fields and mines
nitrate ofiicina consists of the plant
and the settlement Of two thousand or so
people surrounding it. At the plant, a very
high structure, the cars full Of the rcl
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
a church at Trujillo

earth are brought to the top and dumped.
After a complicated series of washings,
which bring the nitrate nearer and nearer
to the ground, the pure product is at last
let fall in big, glistening white piles ready
to be shipped. The discarded dirt is dumped
on the "ripia' plea pile as high as
small hill. This huge cast-off mass was for
merly thought valueless, but it is now said
that even this waste is rich in nitrate, and
as the product becomes constantly slightly
more difficult to obtain and the demand
greater, this Win again be gone over For
merly nitrate was scooped up from the top
of the earth, but now "tirosv (blasts) are
used.
An important by-product is iodine, which
one sees in big tanks in the crude labora-
tories.
Near the plant IS the comfortable house
of the "gerente," or superintendent this
has tennis courts, and often lovely gar
den, sometimes glasscd in Near by or in
the same house live the young bachelor.
officials. There are the small houses of the
minor. often native, officials, and row upon
row of long, desolate, one-story buildings.
partitoned off for homes for the poems
In the midst Of this is the "pulperia." or
company store. Money is never seen here,
rubber checks are used
In Bouquete. Chilean officina saw
moving picture show in a big, barnlihe
building, poorly lighted by flaring lamps
and with a dirt floor. There was fence
across the middle, and in front of this, with
chairs on strips Of carpeting, sat the OIL
Gals and their families. Back of it in the
weird light stood the crowds of half savage
looking poems. The film was very poor and
ignorantly used, but the poems were delight
ed and yelled with sympathy and excite
ment
The life Of the officials at an oficins
IS often very pleasant they ride between
the officinas OF the same group, they have
dances and dinners. and their perquisites
are many. In spite Of isolation and lack
Of stimulus. life on the West Coast is fas-
cinating. You are told that it is as fascin-
ating as a magnet and that one always
comes again
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

surface Of the water they fly. And all
OF this, of course, with the most exquisite
sunsets-both to the west looking over
tle Pacific, and to the east, with its trans
figured glowing ranges.
The places most memorable on the voyage
south to Antofagasta are Trujilo, all old
lnquisition church town in Peru, lying in z
greenish valley little back from the shore,
and filled with beautiful white churches.
After it comes dusty, charming and much
described Lima, seven miles up the hill
from its port, Calao. Here, of course, you
find dusty green and cobblestones Of a
sizc to shake out your soul.
Mollendo, the last of the Peruvian ports
OF any size, shares with Antofagasta
the honor Of being the most dangerous
for landing on the coast. You are hoisted
to the pier in chair. This is a rather
important place because Of its interior con-
nections with beautiful Arequipa and with
Bolivia. It clings inconspicuously to the
top edge of an amazing high cliff shore
and is almost hidden in the crease made
by the earth-folds that roll high and ii
tanic along this shore for many miles.
Back out Of these huge smooth undula-
tions rises the coast range. A mighty surf
booms below it and with the gulls whirl-
ing about their nests the rocks, makes
Mollendo forbidding and unforgettable.
The next town is Arco, figuring in the
present spute-formerly belonging to
Bolivia, but the most northern port
of Chile. 1t is built low by the water,
beside big solitary headland honey
combed with Notifications. On the other
side is a vide fertile and much coveted
valley. Up this valley many years ago
American ship whirled ten miles by
tidal wave and deposited, and off this
headland Peruvian soldiers, hard-pressed
by the Chileans leaped to their death into
the 1t is wretched little place, ell
trely arid, except for tiny, carefully
nurtured plaza thick with brilliant flowers.
These lovely little plazas and hidden pri-
yate gardens and "quintas," nourished by
rich earth brought from the south, and
watercd at great cost, are the only beauty
spots in this great desert.
Pisagua ships nitrate and the little town
clings to the bottom Of a tremendous cliff
On which goes dizzy funcuar. Not
long ago. half way down, a car got loose
and was never again-it vanished
into the smooth deep harbor.
Iquque, also the scene Of recent riots, has,
perhaps population of thirty thousand;
it was formerly the greatest nitrate port
in the world, but has been superseded by
Antofagasta. The "Iquique pampa," as the
collection Of nitrate oficinas back of it is
called, was noted for it's enormous produc-
ton and its sociablity The salaries and
perquisites of the "gerentes" and miners
formerly very large.
Some thirty hours later you arrive az
Antofagasta and anchor a mile or so out
in the exposed harbor. On many days the
bad sea makes it necessary to take both
passengers and freight to Caleta- Colosa,
ten miles below. The town looks rather
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

cracking or giving signs of wear and tear,
the present position of King George V is
really an extraordinary one. In these days
of the red flag and rumored Boshevism
it is no exaggeration to say that his popu-
larity equals that of his father, King Ed
ward, and all who know England know that
it is impossible to put personal liking on
a higher plane
I watched the scene in Hyde Park few
days ago when the King was due to hold
an open air nvestiture and bestow medals
on soldiers and sailors and in some cases
on their surviving relatives. Literally,
hundreds of thousands OF people were
present, including an enormous contin-
gent of Silver badged men," that is, men
discharged from the service on account
either of wounds or disablement For the
sake of keeping order there were few
police and soldiers. Obviously, if there
had been any suggestion of trouble they
would have been almost impotent to quell
it in face of the crowd assembled. Their
function was to form three sides of a
square for the purpose Of the ceremony.
Right into the middle of this assembly
entered the King and Queen and their
daughter. What happened? In less than
five minutes, headed by the great band
of disabled, manned, blinded heroes, this
great concourse had broken past all bar
riers and surging around the King
and his family. For what? Just to shake
his hand and cheer. They took possession
of the monarch largely as man among men
and gave him the most wonderful reception
that probably any ruler has ever received.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

OF course. there Will be MANY changes
Few classes have laid down their l;voe n
so great an extent as racing mon Mann,
of the greatest enthusiasts amono owners
will never sec a racecourse AGAIN. Entries
will be limited compared with former wears
and the class o. horse NAV. for time
not be so high But the keenness Will be
greater than ever.
Football comes next in popular favor.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

And the ringleaders were the men who had
lost limbs and sight in his service | can
only remember one similar event in recent
years in this country. That occurred in
1909, when King Edward disregarding the
protests Of his suite, stepped out of the
grandstand at Epson, right into the midst
of the surging multtudes to lead in his
horse Mnoru after it had won the Derby
To any one who has watched at close
quarters during the present war the
somewhat studied detachment OF the
British soldier toward royalty as whole,
this state of affairs is amazing. | have
listened with some interest TO the average
Tommy holding forth in camps and on the
march on the subject of the utility of
kings, and his views, if somewhat strongly
expressed, have always had the merit of
being clearcut. And yet Immediately the
armstice is signed the first person he
rushes to cheer is his own King
I know of only one explanation. 1t is
that King George, during the war. has
played the game like any other straight
forward Englishman 1t may be that some
of his advisers have endeavored to keep
him in the background as far as possible.
and he certainly has not INDUCED in
rhetoric like that of the Kaiser But he.
assisted all the time by the Queen, has
done his job. That, think, is the secret
1t is neither interesting nor amusing to
have day by day, to inspect troops or visit
munition works and then perhaps sit up
half the night signing official Documents
1t becomes quite strain to pay daily
visit to some hospital or other and talk
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
gland Rubbing Its Eyes and Preparing to Enjoy Life Agai

couples, many Of whom had not been near
q dance since the war began. The feel
ing of all was embodied in a great spec
tacular procession, which started on the
stroke Of midnight. The Allied nations
were represented therein by the fairest OF
Britain's daughters, Lady Diana Manners
as Britannia and the Duchess of Westmin-
ster as England, and the figure of Peace
entering in chariot and releasing Il SYM
bolcal white doves.
Restaurants, Of course, have been the
first to feel the effects Of the change, and
in order to get a table at a fashionable
establishment it is necessary to book it
some days, perhaps week, ahead There
are not many public dinners, partly be-
cause the government still retains the COM
mandeered hotels, which alone possessed
rooms sufficiently large for the purpose, but
parties of dozen to twenty abound every
where There is still a shortage of wine,
but large shipments from France ex
pected very soon.
Dressmakers and tailors are, of course,
experiencing marvellous revival of bust
ness Once more every woman is on the
search for dainty gowns, while men who
have spent several years i'll khaki are gem
orally finding that pre-war clothes are now
useless to them. Makers of high-cass foot
wear are also having tremendous boom.
The effect is already seen in the theatres,
where evening dress has scarcely been seen
for four years past. In some of them at
present the scene recalls that of the sum
mer OF 1914.
At time when thrones have been
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
7 nto a Land
Il of Old Romance

In western South America you step back
ward many years. The moment you board
the Pacific South American coast steamers
and, peering down the matches. get good
look at the hesashed pirates that make up
the crew, hear that your meat is killed on
board ind the afterdccks crowded with
chicken and duck Cages, and see parrots and
canaMes and the cooks monkey, you realize
that here is a very different world from
yours The voyage, however, is delightful,
and you are thankful FOR the good food that
really exists on the Chilean boats, well
come change after the pasteboardy rcfrg
Grated meals choked down between New
York and Panama
Guayaquil fever stricken and richly
tropical, is about four days straight sail
from Panama, and the first strange desert
port is just one night south. 1t is Payta,
in Pera and you come on deck in the morn
ing astounded to find yourself opposite a
desert, hot and high. Looking down to the
waters edge you see the sun baked, filthy
little town, closely backed by unbelievablv
high cliffs. and with the big oil tanks Of an
American company looking pigmy on top
These enormous cliffs are characteristic of
many OF the desert ports.
From here you sail down the coast many
days always in sight Of the shore, with its
nigh barren coast ranges at hand and
the tremendous snow-capped Andes still
further back glistening in the sun. There
are unending lines of seabirds which home
on the big guano rock islands-the lovely
close packed hocks of diving birds, that
drop simultaneously and as quick as lead
plunmets into the sea, disappearing after
their prey, and the long, straight lines of
big, ugly pelicans, that almost touch the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
THE Life of
IL the Europeans

During the first few weeks of a stay in
squalid Even the rocks by the sea, al
though pounded by heavy surf, rcek with
filth, do the ravines toward the noun
tains. And there is an affliction Of heas
red ants and swarms of fierce buzzng flies
If the house is not properly screened they
will destroy cut flowers and even precious
green plants in the patios. There is practi-
caly no rain here and fresh water is very
dear. 1t is all piped hundreds of miles
from Bolivia and costs l peso 40 centa-
vos a cubic metre, about 2S cents of our
money. The English owned Antofagasta &
Bolivian Railroad owns the water supply.
You soon begin to know the good points
of this awful town. Marvellous flowers
grow in the plazas; and hidden behind the
dusty corrugated iron partitions in quntas
and private gardens-long walls eight or
ten feet high-therc are masses of pink
geranium blossoms, rich, heavy oleanders,
the most wonderful Towering palms and
every kind of small, brilliant garden flower
in a valiant struggle for beauty and life
on the edge of the great desert.
The English tennis club is up next to the
bullring; the English golf club two miles
north on high shore, with the surf below
and the steep mountains streaked with the
green and red Of copper on the other side
1t is difficult course of bare earth and
rocks, with deep ravines and with mine
holes where copper tests have been made
1t might be Dore's conception OF golf
course in Hadcs But the most cheering Of
these fascinatingly homogeneous discoveries
are the charming, clean-cut English house
holds.
Antofagasta, at first glance, gives the I'M
preston Of boom town, but it is an ex-
traordinary mixture. On the one hand you
have the old, sidctrackcd, Spanish church
civilization, with its. flmy lace mantillas,
low wages and sub-rosa flirtatons; on the
other the big imaginative business Of the
invading Anglo Saxons, with the crowdng
hosts of lesser and established industries
that it brings in its train. There are many
powerful English houses that have -four
ished for years and will sell you anything
from case of asparagus to Mathematician
nitrate officina, will manage any sort of
industry for you at d thousand per cent
profit or undertake any kind of business
for themselves. German trade has been
injured intellectually by the war
And the Americans are coming in,
or as the Chilenos jealousy insist on our
saying, the North. Americans" forgetting
that the poor Mexicans, Canadians and
others have also claim to that title.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

riculum it now numbers its tens Of thoc-
sands Of active participants where formerly
there were dozens. There will not be so
many outstanding boxers. But the general
level OF performers will be infinitely
higher. In the army to-day it should not
be difficult 10 discover fifty men at any
weight 1t least equal 70 the recognized
champions Of 1914.
Rowing and the minor sports are claim
-ng as much attention as ever. If all goes
Vel there VIII be an Oxford and Cambridge
race on The Thames next spring, and Henley
may take on its former beauties. All de-
ponds on the rapidity of the rehabilitation.
Golf viii recover quickest of all / know
hundreds of soldiers itching TO get at their
clubs once more; and, although many greens
have been ploughcd up and others neglected,
t Will not be long before the ancient game
resumes its former sway
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
Bv Sarah 7. Moller

NEW people realize that from Ecuador
II southwark. along Peru and Chile
10 within day of Valparaiso. the
entire west coast Of South America
"a mountainous desert waste a twelve or
sarteen days sail along a land of entire
nd appalling desolation.
It is unique and terrible country, and
+ is astonishing that it is not already
prld- famed as the Sahara. In Peru few
antly green valleys struggle down to the
la between the barren mountains; in
rhern Chile the whole country is q des
s. and the most desolate in the world. Not
spear of grass, not any kind of a strag-
ing bush-nothing,
3ere. however, is the richest mineral
aat-y known-huge nitrate fields. the
,.ast copper deposit in the world. boraX
dies, silver, anthony, sulphur and gold
No only is the mineral wealth Of the coun-
y being developed rapidly Unmarked for in
aston by exploring engineers securing the
country for mineral deposits and the install
alton OF big pants-but the thousands of
workers that gather about these mines are
making the demands of any normal commu-
aty for all kinds OF supplies. These de
lands are becoming increasingly great and
AIRED and the development OF our own
american trade is the result When the
var started German merchants, trapped in
aese ports, found their importations from
lie Fatherland stopped. The big English
'9uses were short handed, thousands of the
best men having left to fight These houses
themselves became agents for American
PRODUCTS because there were no home goods
% trade in. Some Americans bcwail the
pggshness' of their countrymen in grab
'ng' South American trade and in taking
'dyantage Of the present plight Of the
europeans" but the actual situation is that
here are pressing demands that we alone
I can fill.
antofagasta, in northern Chile, the scene
" The recent riots, is city of about $4,000,
H ugnest, most fourishing and most i'm
~aant town on this whole desert coast,
'i now tie chief port for nitrate, boraX
4 "P9er 'n0 Tor Bolivian mines.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

LCN DON tOY UtuWj
M COME, am very disposed to
be merry" ran the old English
song, and it hits off to a nicely
'e mood of London at this moment.
"Yery one is shaking off the grief and
'pSlety of the past fifty months, and on all
''ss there is talk of dining and wining, en-
staining and dancing. People everywhere
ave mad their fill of horrors, and now they
''n' to laugh again
'enous plays, or those approaching the
,,''lem order, don't go a bit well in this
- Just at the moment. Something with
sA's of laughter in it, is the order of the
~ - and so topical revues and plays like
p blng Boys on Broadway and "The
$40 Of the Mountains are picked out.
'0ciety also is waking up after it's long
s'asion. 1t is expected that the first post
=, - court will be held at the New Year, and
IS will be the signal for something like
resumption of the gayety of the London
sSS0n' But meanwhile, although the more
maj entertainments have not begun,
Ns Is merriment everywhere and every
d. Is dancing. The great feature of the
NJ Is small dances of forty to 100 peo-
-, In private houses, and the fashionable
=. S'e's are being inundated with orders
III. 'aese The semi-public dances, like
sim neld at the Grafton Galleries, are
imply fought after
s.n great Victory Ball, held at the Albert
~. !" aid OF the various funds for nurses,
'"er symboli1pd tha ,,a,,, .o,,+hrooL of dauc
Inc great floor was packed with
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

and travellers. Every one knows all about
every one else from Payto to Punta Arenas.
1t is a very socable coast. Before the
there was a good deal or cricket and polo
Antofagasta, lquique and Valparaiso played
against each other and it was very gay.
Now, thousands of men have left. Some
times during the one Of the British
cruisers, veterans of the Falkland Islands
fight, would come into port long enough for
q game of golf or dance