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Show ways in Bolivia P.WILES E'sy DANIEL UCII lias been written on the subject of the baclielor maid. lias been one of the finest of the new works of creation. lias been said to have the mental poise of independence and experience and, like the ship in the sonnet, where she goes the winds stir. But little has tiecn said of the spinster man. And he is coming to be just as common a species as the bach- elor maid. He has learned like his sister that bachelor life has too many fascinations to give them up for the responsibilities of family life and, like his sister, he refrains from marrying just as long as he can keep his heart intact, and even then he makes a noble struggle. But the spinster man grows set in his ways much sooner than the bachelor maid, who, the more she mingles with a busy world, the more she grows in grace and intellect. The spinster man, who values liis singleness and seclusion, one fine . discovers himself in a deep rut of habit. lie is an old maid in the day much ridiculed sense of the expression. He is often sensitive and full of little peculiarities about his food and his clothes especially his clothes, which must be just so. He gets alarmingly used to his own things, and camping out docs not agree with him. He wants his own bathtub and his own boot trees and his bright particular clothes brush. As a matter of fact, he is a very crotchety individual, is the spinster man. t The old maid has practically died out among womshe reappears again in the old bachelor, who but en, loses by not marrying the very thing which the bachelor girl gains by the same untrammeled state. The bachelor girl is seldom lonesome. She has her friends, her work and a thousand outside resources to keep her amused. But the loncsomcst bouI in the world is the spinster mnn. Little by little lie narrows his acquaintance to a small circle, and sooner or later he comes to the point when his smoking jacket and slippers are his regular evenings solace. He is not especially happy, but he doesnt know what is the matter with him, and he doesnt understand that he is lonesome hopelessly and unutterably lonesome. He is not even ambitious any more, because he has nothing to be ambitious for. MSlie of having lost Its Pacific seaboard province of Antofagasta, following the war with Chile in 1879, Bolivia found Itself shut off from the eea and dependent upon its neighbors for an outlet to the great world. Greet ae was ths blow to national pride, for the Bolivian! felt tbe lose of Antofagasta more keenly than even the French that of the Rhine provinces, and aerioue as waa the loss to the national treasury of the revenues derived from the rich nitrate fields of the lost province, yet the blow was perhaps less heavy than tho Bolivians themselves then thought It changed entirely the countrys economic outview and pushed it forward Into lines of deS A RESULT A velopment which in all probability would otherwise have been delayed for many years. Even prior to 1879 the nitrate fields were for the most part owned by foreigners, the Bolivians themselves being engaged in gold and silver mining. But tbe taxes from nitrate production paid in a large measure the expenses of government and with the loss of this revenue the state was forced into consideration of the ecoclusively settle all the questions arising There arc two fundamental reasons nomic development of the country in other lines therefrom, that on October 20, 1904, at Santhen gold end silver production alone. of the two countries tiago, why women workers should be organized The settled part of Bolivia was then and ia signed plenipotentiaries the treaty of peace and friendship into trade unions. The first is that the to a large extent yet, that high table-lanone of which put a final end to all disputes between most spacious and elevated plateaux to be Bolivia and Chile and secured in addition good of society demands such associated the found on the globe, which lies between the westconcessions to the former. effort. It is a significant fact that wher- ern and the eastern exAndes. This table-lan-d In the preceding year, 1903, waa signed ever labor is highly skilled and highly paid tends from about the .Argentine border ,Ju tbs the treaty of Rio de Janeiro with Brazil. trade organization follows as a matter of south intu Peru on the northwest, and is from Under this treaty an exchange of territories 60 to 150 miles in width. between the two countries waa effected. Bocourse, and in its wake comes a higher On the Chilean border the western Cordillera livia acquired on the southeast the atrip of standard of living for the family and for is In reality less a mountain range the community. Wherever labor is un- than a line of huge cliffs. The table skilled and underpaid, organization is diff- land is itself 12,000 to 13.000 feet above sea level and slopes gradually icult, and the maintenance of a high stan- 2,000 or 2,000 feet up to the crest of the western hills and then falls sway dard of living is well-nig- h impsosible. Much of this unskilled and underpaid abruptly nearly three miles down, 15,000 feet, to the desert land lying work is done by women, sometimes in competition with men, sometimes between the foot of this Immense line of a family, of cliffs and the Pacific ocean. To not, sometimes by women who are the sole wage-earne- rs table-lanlies the sometimes by women who supplement an inadequate wage earned by tlie the east of the high Andes, tbe Cordillera Real, risman of the family, sometimes by women who have no families either to ing In Illampu. Illimani. Ancochuma and Sajama over 21,000 feet. North, support or to be supported by. The second reason for the organization of women is the education east and south from the .Cordillera Rea) the land falls away to the great which the trade union offers to the woman herself. Women have always Amazon and Parana plains. Thla a of Bolivia In done more than their shore of the work of the world, and now, for the country, la but little settled, but la In first time, they are beginning to realize its value. The path of woman in area, resources natural and soil one of the modern industry has not been strewn with rose's, but it sur?ly is leading richest parts of the world. It could easily sustain an agriculher to a position of dignity and influence unknown to women of the past, tural population greater than the her in factor other and no progress QUflQV1 whole present population of South usefulness in seems to be comparable 77 America. with the trade union. Tbe first and most nresslne need to Bolivia Is railways. This need was recognized territory lying betwece its boundary and the to a certain exteut prioi iu t..c .... Paraguay river, and Brazil acquired Bolivia's Occasionally a word or so about Mars As far back aa June, 1863, the national assembly claim to tbe Acre region on tbe northeast. The should be of interest. This ruddy neigh- authorized the president to enter into contracts latter territory being considered the more valubor of ours revolves at varying distances for the building of railways, and in 1868 a conable, Brazil stipulated to pity a cash Indemnity waa granted to a citizen of the United of 2,000,000 sterling. from the earth. At times he may be as cession to build a railway from CobiJI to Potosi States These two treaties were of Immense consefar distant as 234,000,000 miles; at other with a government guaranty of seven per cent quence to Bolivia: first, in relieving her from times as comparatively near as 35,500,000 on the capital Invested. In addition, the concesthe old railway and mining entanglements; secmiles. His mean or average distance from sion carried a grant of land one league on each ond. in securing the construction of the Arica-t- a aide of tbe line. A number of other concessions Pas raflwsy; third, through the loan of Chithe sun is some 141,000,000 miles, which were made In 1869.1873.1874.1877,1878 and 1879. lean credit in internal railway construction; and. In 1904 the Bolivian national office of immishould be compared with the mean distance fourth, in providing a cash fund of 2,300,000 and statistics Issued a volume of nearly with which to guarantee or to begin the actual of Neptune the farthest planet 2,791,' gration 400 pages containing tbe ecte, decrees and conconstruction of the trunk lines. 600,000 miles. The mean diameter of the cessions In aid of railways, covering the years Following the ratification of the treaties ne1880 to 1904. Every effort wee made by the govgotiations were opened with prominent European ruddy planet equals some 4,230 miles and ernment his relume or size is some 15 one hun- invest Induring this period to induce capital to and American capitalists and on May 19. 1906, a .Contract was railway construction In the country. with the National City dredths that of our earth. His mass or Perhaps nowhere else in the world were aurh in- bank and Speyer signed A Co., of New York. The conthat of our world 6,000,000,000,000,000.-000,00- 0 ducements held out by any country to aocure the tract was signed In La Pas by a representative weight equals about one-tenend sought as by Bolivia, the terminaof the concessionaire! and additional stipulation! tons ! The density or solidity of Mars is about seven-tentthat tion of the war with Chile.following These inducements were made on May 22. , of our planet, while the density of our moon equals about that were offers of land, mines, exemption from taxaUnder article III of the contract the concessionaires oblige themselves within a period of of our earth. Bodies and weights upon the Martian surface would weigh, tion and customs duties, government guaranties, tinancial aid and exclusive privileges. But unfor10 years to construct the following railway sysof course, less than upon the terrestrial surface (about 38 tunately for Bolivia the offers were not made in tems the right quarter. In Its eagerness to secure re(a) From Oruro to Vlarha, with a branch to The statement is attributed to Sccrc-tai- y sults, concessions were granted to and contracts tbe river Dcsaguadero, connecting with tbe Arlca made with the most irresponsible parties. In line. AVilson that laborers eat meat three many cases mere adventurers without capital or to Cochabamba. (b) From ro times daily and are not content with any influence. The net result was naturally to retard (c) From Oruro to Potoai. but the bcBt cuts and can afford to buy rather than to help railroad construction. (d) From 101081 to Tupizi, by Calsa and Cata-gaitIn 1904 all that Bolivia had fo show In railthem. ways as a result of 40 years legislation and In(e) From Uyuni to Potosi. The experience of every lalxwr in this numerable contracts were the Guiiqul and the (f) From La Fas to Puerto Pando. The former gave an outlet roads. All Antofagasta of these roads are to be one-metis a to refutation the of gauge statement country from La Pax to take Titicaca,' whence passengers except the last two mentioned, which, in the disthe secretary. and freight were transported across the lake by cretion of the concessionaires, may be of 75 cenboat to tbe Peruvian port of Puno and thence by Indeed, housekeepers of even the timeters gauge. Peruvian railway to Nollcndo on the Pacific. the Tbe cost of the railways is estimated at middle class can refute the stateThe total length of the road from Alto of La 1,200,000 allowed for sterling, including ment. Housewives could tell him that the PaztoGuaqiii on take Titlcarawaa 87 kilometers the La Pando line. The concessionaires are authorized to issue prices of meat are almost prohibitive, so (54 miles). The gauge waa one meter (39 37 inches) and the raila weighed 18 kilograms per two classes of bonds first mortgage and second far as tbe choice cuts are concerned. meter about 12 pounds per font. mortgage, or Income bonds. Tbe first mortgage The prices of even the less choice parts Tbe Antofagasta, Bolivia's first railway, had a bonds, which are a first lien, are authorized to are on the increase and are fast soaring beyond the reach of moderate total mileage of 925 kilometers (573 miles), a the bear five per of 3.700,000 gauge of 75 rentlmeters (29.53 inches) and rails cent. Interest and are payable In 20 years. The purses. u weighing 17.40 kilograms per meter, or sbout Interest for 2b years Is guaranteed by tbe One good feature of this increased cost of meat ia that there will be 11 pounds per foot. Loti of via. it A further ltiue of additional less of it consumed. This will be better for the people, for the American, first mortgage It was not until 23 years after the outbreak of of with amount war bonds to Chile 20 2,000.000 and the tbe after the sterling la signing too years eats much meal. aa a general rule, in case the sum of 5,500,000 proves of the agreement of April 4, 1884. uhirh marked authcrlzed to the advantage of health and pockeMwks. Such a course will the close of that war, althougj It did not con Insufficient to build the lines. These bonds will d tbree-fourth- TaXT TlCCi th hs six-tent- hs P-ii- Paz-Puert- gov-ernu- UUOAOim PAU3 AT GUAQUI, BOLIVIA bear six per cent.' interest and the to t crest will not be guaranteed by the or government. The Income bonds run for 25 years, bear five per cent. Interest and are a second lien on the roada. Under an agreement made in London In 1907 by the Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway Company, which la a British corporation, and Speyer A Co., the Antofagasta Railway Company agreed to guarantee tbe Interest on the line from Oruro to Vlacha and in addition to make a payment to the concessionaires for a iJorlty of the lines stock. This agreement made necessary the law, mentioned above, signed by President Montes on December 1, 1908. Tbe purpose of this agreement la to make the new lines serve as feeders to the Antofagasta line instead of playing the part of competing linen, as would have been the case had the original program of construction been carried out The Oruro to rotoal line of the original plan would partly parallel the Antofagasta line. It ia very probable that a complete merger of the interests of the Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway Company and tbe American concessionaires will be made. second-mortgag- e A STOUT THING Miss Burden was not devoid of good sense, but she bad brooded over her neighbor's treatment of her until It seemed both intolerable and lawless. It Involved a question of shares In the privileges of a certain spring of water and of rights in a certain path, and disagreement over these had led to other differences, small and large, until tbe main Issue seemed hopelessly confused. Finally Miss Burden resolved to consult a lawyer, to ascertain if there might not be comforting relief for her feelings in a lawsuit. When a woman's exasperation reaches the point where she la ready to resort to the law, she Is to be dreaded, and Miss Burden went to Lawyer Fairmana office with a long and spirited story of her wrongs. Unfortunately for her plan, these wrongs were rather of word than of deed, and rather of fancy than of record. What the neighbor wanted to do and talked about doing, and even what he meant to do at some future time, did not greatly Impress Mr. Falruisn. He gently suggested to the angry client that her mood was unjustified by what had actually happened end concluded hie advice with some words which she never forgot. Don't go to law, my dear lady, until you have some facta to take with you. Law by Itself Is a poor friend; hut a fact's a stout thing a facts a stout thing!" Tbe country lawyer's wisdom Is sound philosophy for every day in the year. Fancy gives birth to a long train of children, good and bad, and they all have legs and arms of characteristic lender ness and a grasp on life too gentle to be controlling. Set them In line of battle uml Master Fact scatter them all like dry leaves for In deed and In truth a fact is a stout thing1 Youth' 111 |
