The Sidney herald., 1956-12-20
Walter Mason
Writes Parents
From Chile, s. A.

where he is pastor of three Meth
odist churches in his district, will
be of interest to Herald readers
generally. This letter, dated De-
cember 5 and sent airmail, was
received at the Sidney postoffice
December 10, which was fast
transit to say the least.
Rev. Mason portrays conditions
as he found them on a recent
conference mission made by air.
| plane, boat and train down there.
Raised on a farm in Mckenzie
county across the river from Sid
ney, he graduated from Sidney
high school, and his parents are
now retired and living in Sidney,
Rev. and Mrs. Mason have been
in Chile nine years where their
four children were born. They
were here last in 1850 on vaca-
ton and will be back again next
summer.
Punta Arenas, Chile
Dec. 5, 1856
Dear Folks:
The arrival of your letter of
the 26th on last nights plane
prompts me to write the latter
| have been trying to get writ
ten ever since returning home
a week ago. / hadn't written
while on the trip, as l didn't
know when you would be going
home from Chicago.
First, let me tell you about the
trip. / left here on November
s, flying to Santiago with the
young preacher who spent three
weeks with US in the district.
Wednesday the 7th was spent in
Santiago, and then on Thursday
we, the eight of us who started
out together, went to Valparaiso
by train, and at 6 p. m. sailed
on the Usodimare, an lillian
ship. We were a bit dubious as
to how we were going to fare
on the ship, since we had Bird
class, common dormitory tickets.
The ship was made really for
freight, with some first class
staterooms. But apparently pas
sengers pay better than freight,
and they had fitted out one of
the holds for a mems dormitory,
another for women, and a third
as a 3rd class dining room. There
were over a hundred of us in
the one room. But it vas spic
and span and the meals very
good. So we had a very enjoyable
trip. We spent two nights aboard,
arriving in Antofagasta about
$50 Saturday morning. The train
we were to take to Cochabamba
left at 8:45. The ship was suppos-
ed to get in about 6 in the
morning, but as the train pulled
out we were still slowly ap-
preaching the harbor. However,
the pastor there had anticipated
such a possibility, and had two
taxis waiting, and a friend who
works in the u. S. Consulate
came aboard with the port au-
thorities when they came out to
receive the ship, and we got
hustled off before anyone else
and set out to catch the train.
got to the first station up
the line, in Baquaquano, before
the train did. 1t was rather ex-
for a while but we made
it.
The train trip, up over the
coast range, the highest point be-
ing 1850 #. Most of the trip
was through the desert. AS we
got into Bolivia we did e some
sparse vegetation, and sheep and
llamas. The Indians there live
under very primitive conditions.
In one spot we crossed hundreds
and hundreds of acres of volca-
noes, ashes, and volcanic rock. 1t
certainly would have been in
teresting to have een the fire
works when that place was form
ed. The train went past Chuqui-
,amata, where the Anaconda
Copper Co. has mines. We saw
.rainloads of copper going down
10 Antofagasta. The train trip
.ook 80 hours C. hours late when
we got i'm. The last part of the
rip was all down-hill again into
-ochabamba, a very fertile val
ey area. There they produce the
greater part of the grain and
'ruit for the country, excepting
or tropical fruit which comes
rom the northern part of the
country, near the Amazon.
In Cochabamba we were pretty
we'll cooped up into the school
where we had the meetings of
he Central Conference. We were
)usy from 700 a.. m. until about
100 D.. m. most of the days. We
lid get Saturday morning off to
,e able to go down town to the
markets where the Indians sell
heir produce. 1t was all very
picturesque with their colorful
Costumes. But at the same time
ather to be deplored because of
he poverty, the ignorance and
he results of exploitation evil
lent. Bolivia is having a
lard time. A few years ago a
evolution brought about a land
eform and now the Indians
ave title to the land they live
n, and r no longer virtual
laves as they formerly we're of
he land-owning class. But the
ituation is very difficult. There
GEMS to be an air of uncertain
Y and hopelessness about. In
ur school at La Paz they only !