Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1879 — Letter From South America. [ARTICLE]

Letter From South America.

Cincinnati has a society for tho eri* couragcmcntof marriage. —WinurrijjA Bcpvhlican. So lias Salt Lake City. A good cxainplo has been sot by the republicans of Franklin county, New York, who headed their list of delegates to the republican state convention with the name of Vice President Wheeler. Political parties cannot do better than to send their wisest men to delineate their policy and nominate their candidates for public office. By the courtesy of Dr. I. B. Waslibui'n The Union is permitted to give its readet-s the contents ol an exceedingly interesting letter from the pen ol Lt. F. C. Dale, of the United States medical service, who recently touched at Lima in South America, and rode oser the most wonderful railroad on tho globe. The letter is well worth reading. Grasshoppers have emigrated to Siberia, where they arc making widespread desolation. —Crown Point Star. What at splendid field would Siberia be in which to start a greenback party booml CompHred with the grasshoppers such feeble auxilaries as “John Sherman’s resumption policy” and “the corruption of the two old parties” would ho as gentle zephyrs to a tornado. If Thomas Ewing fails in Ohio this fall, he and Daniel Voorhecs, and Samuel Carey and Blanton Duncan aii(l Gilbert De La Matyr might follow the grasshoppers.

The New York Tribune says that early in the year, when some doubts as to the stability of resumption were expressed, a venerable and devout clergyman remarked; “This is the only nation that has ever honestly tried to keep its promises to pay legal-tender notes, and the almighty God will surely take care of us.” In view of the enormous grain crops of this year the remark of the venerable clergyman has the sound ol prophecy. If it is true that these great crops are the special smiles of God because as a people and a nation we have been honest, let ns not f'prget that to the wisdom and firmness of therepublican party is flue the credit and the praise and the gratitudeof the people for having.preserved us worthy of the approbation of ajust and justice-loving God. The Delpiii Times , a democratic contemporary, says: “Horace E. James, of the Rensselaer Union, -ghrnqfr. shivering behind the aegis of his mother’s petticoats at the first blast of life war bugle, and, when the danger was all over, the last battle won, and the Union victorious, stepped boldly forth and boasted of how ‘wC saved the Union.’” The Times lias got things badly mixed up, and attempts to do Horace E. Jaines too much honor. It was Jefferson Davis, then and now a conspicuous democrat, who gained renown by shrinking shivering behind the icgis of a woman’s petticoat at the blast of a cavalry bugle; and it was left for Daniel W. Voorhees, another conspicuous democrat of the same school as Mr. Davis, to step-forward in the senafe chamber of the United States, “when the danger wras all over, the last battle won, etc., and boast ®f how ‘we saved the Union.’” While Mr. James is duly thankful for the high compliment which, evidently, the- Times meant to bestow, his sense of honor will not permit him to share glories so peculiarly and So exclusively democratic.

At a meeting of the board of directors of the Jasper Comity Agricultural Society lust Monday the secretary reported one hundred certificates of stock taken and paid lor, the sum raised from these sales being $2,500 cash and negotiable notes bearing eight per cent, interest. And in addition to this, sso’to cash donations. The principle, creditors of the old society declared their willingness to accept these notes for their claims and liens against the property of the old organisation and permit the transfer of the property and privileges of the old society to the new one without incumbrance or cloud. The directors then decided to hold a fair this year, the tijne agreed upon being the 7th to the' 11th days oi October—the four d&ys inclusive. Now, as the time lor making preparations for the fair is short, it is hoped that every friend of progress iii agriculture and all who hrfve an interest in developing the material welfare of Jasper couuty will lend influence to give as wide-spread notice possible of the fair. A committee was appointed to have charge of the printing and advertising, whiohoi»will attend to. that duty and issue the premium lists as early as possible.

The Indiana Conference ol tllO Church of Cod will be held h* Ueusselaer, commencing Thursday, August 28, 1870, and continuing over the succeeding Sunday. All arc cordially invited to attend tire meetings of this conference. A now lot of Stationery received at the Poatollioo yesterday.

IT. S. Flagship Pensacola, Callao, Pkiiu, July 14th, 1879. My last letter was dated from tho Equator. I have been slow In starting this one because having so much to write about I had to get wound up first. In coming to the above port we stopped at no placo of interest before teaching Callao. At Payta Wo took on board over 200 head of cattle. I must tell you something aboiit the barbarous Way in which one of the richest steamship lines in the world treat cattle. The floating raft comes alongside the ship, a ropo is thrown over the horns of the poor brutes and they aro lifted in that manner by steam power twenty or thirty feet oVcr the side of the ship. Once on deck they are packed like sardines in a box, without even room to switch their tails. In this condition they were left thirty days and nights without food or water. Of course many of them died and I would not swear we did not have them served in the ‘‘blarsted Irish stews,” as I have never seen a table with so many courses of meat as we had while on board that ship. We arrived at Callao June 22nd. The flagship had sailed the week before for Chili' and the seat of war. Transportation being interrupted ind there being some doubt of my falling in with her, I concluded to stop here until her return. It would give me two weeks at least in which to see the sights and visit the principal points of Interest in Peru. You know of course something about the great railway over the Andes mountains, built by Henry Meiggs, an American, at a cost of $30,000,000. This rdad was built to open up the famous Andean silver mines. It is also to extend to the beautiful country on the bead waters of the Amazon river.

The building of this road is the most stupendous undertaking that man has ever conceived and brought to successful termination. There is no engineering in the worldwhich will compare with this or which presented so many difficulties. * The road was built on a two and one half and a four and one half per cent, grade. In 86 miles it reaches an altitude of 15,220 feet, the present terminus of the road. At Summit tunnel; a few miles further op, it is 17,720 feet above the sea. There it commences its descent towards the Rio del Padre river. I lost no time in seeing this wonder in engineering. The thirdday after my arrival, at 8 a. m. I boarded the mountain train at Lima. For the first forty miles we run at a speed of twenty miles an hour through the broad and fertile valley of the lower Rimac. Here are many of

{he haciendas, or country places of the princely Limians. Much of this region, and even until we gain a height of 2,000 feet above the sea, is devoted to the culture of sugar cane and cotton. No such cane grows here as on the grand old slope of Muckawao and other Hawaiian fields, nor is their cotton to be compared with* tjiaj of our Southern states. The valley became a mere gorgtf Gy the time we readied Matuoana, sixty miles from Lima. At this place commences the heavy work of the famous road. Just before reaching this place we cross the highest bridge in' the world. It is constructed of tubular iron, very frail looking , but in reality of immense strength. The center span is said to be two hundred and eighty-two fee thigh. The bridge ut Monticello, Indiana, is

eighty odd feet above the water. Just imagine yourself two hundred feet higher and you can form some idea of the great Veruguas bridge. In coming down the mountain I walked over this dizzy height on a narrow plank. It proved to be the most difficult and dangerous task l ever undertook. Several times I thought I should lose my balance. At Glacier Pmnt in the Yosemite I had the same leeling, but then I 6tood three thousand feet above the valley. The engine labored very hard in climbing the heavy grade. There a«-e so many tunnels it seemed as if ’-wo were under ground half of the lime. In twentythree miles of tbs road there are forty-four tunnels. At one place three tunnels are in sight, one almost above the other, as we make the curves of the letter S in going up the mountain. Some of the curves and zigzags are most remarkable and show to good advantage the engineering skill required in their construction On this road were made the first carved tunnels. One long one almost a perfect horse shoe; another is the shape of an elegant letter S. This road interested me in its entire extent. The surrounding country is ot much greater interest if possible. This narrow valley of the Rimao river with the mountains an either side from two thousand to five thousand feet high were, during the days of the Incas, the home of millions of people. The mountains, which look too steep for a mountain goat to climb, have been terraced from base to summit. These little spots, or churcaa are still to be Seen. ‘Some aresii rr o »ud«d 6} the original walls, three hundred years old; Many of these little Tat ms were carved out

of solid foek aridcovered wHhoAfth. The mCn who Worked tbokf nfuet havo boen let down frdm the rocks’ above by ropes. Thoif system of irrigation must have beCrt very perfect to have givert each a inpply of water. The Hlitfs 6r riflrtly of their viaducts are atllf ttf life sfiift. What would people, wlic/ tali; of starving in our broad atio fertile' fields, think could they fee ift*’ fields of the old Incas? Here,too’ are to be seen the ruins of old cities, the former dwelling places of kings. Their style of architecture is peculiar and ridh, showing them to have been artisans of no ines.i class. In some of the wells have been found single stones weighing many tons. How they came there is a mystery to all. How the human race bas degenerated I What is the Oroyo failhfad from the sen to the clouds and over the inow capped Andes, when compared with the works of the Incas? Who could think the poor, dirty, filthy Cholo Indians we see along this road are the direct Idecendants of that once powerful race? In building a tew miles of this road at an elevation of six thousand feet above the level of the sea over fifteen thoueand died of malarial fever and a disease called wm/pas, in which the body becomes covered with small bleeding tnmors. That to-day, is the most unPern, although at one time it contained a mighty city. Matucana above and Chosica be-' low, are the health resorts, whet-e the invalids of Lima may he found. After my long stay in California and sea voyage in the tropics, I can speak favorably of the salubrious climate, of their health resorts and the beautiful senoritas 1 saw there; Some of the most delightful days of my life were spent at Chosica.

We were nine hours traveling the eighty-six miles. Of course in' making the 12,220 feet grade was where the difficulty was. Chid a is the present terminus of the road. How different the atmosphere at this height! Although very warmly clad, my teeth fairly chattered” with cold. My mouth and throat; became dry. and 1 found it.very difficult to breathe, -owing to the rarity of the air. In going up' twenty or thirty steps to the hoteP I was obliged to stop and rest. Notwithstanding the difficulty of breathing, after my exertion I felt like a king oi the lucas, when from the ioe olad peaks of the lofty Andes I could gaze upon 'the magnificent sunset below.' It gave me much satisfaction to khokr that an American built the railroad to such a dizzy height. I spent a miserable night. I did not sleep ten minutes

during the night because of n dull aching pain in my bead. Often. I would have to raise np to catch my breath. I have no desire to repeal that experience. It waß my intention to remain at the summit a day or two and visit Monnt Meiggs, 17,574 feet high, also the summit' tunnel 15,720 feet above the sea level, but owing to my feeling as I did it would have been a dangerous trip.. At Chiola I met the road master wbo was going down the* road on a hand car and invited mer to go along with him. 'ftiere ir not one in one hundred wbo go” over this road who care to take, that ride. I was the only one Of * our party who accepted the invitation. Never to my dying day oan I forget that thrilling ride among the cloud rests of the South American Cordilleras. With hands and feet firmly braced against the breaks of the little hand oar we shot ont of the switch like a streak of lightning and down, down, that fearful grade we went, dashing now into a damp dark tunnel and then out upon a high bridge over some mighty mountain gorge at a neater speed than * mile a minute, Tnen perhaps by a sharp curve around a mountain peak where the leastobstruction or break would have hurled us thousands of feet bel6# into’ the purging waters of the Rimao. Never in my life have I bechf in a position' more capable of making my hair' stand on end. Aa we passed this" grandand rugged mountain scenery,' there was inueh to occupy the miud and eye. At the time I did' not realize the danger of that fide, but now I shudder when I think of it. I could not be induced to try another trip of that kind. Sinoe' then I went up to Chiola with Mr,’ Barons the superintendent, hut we went up in his little engine the Favorita on which there M a glass’ cage capable of holding sbf or eight people. As we wore protected fromwind and dost it gave us a fine opportunity to see the tfoad; but it was little less dangerous than the hand oar, sinoe at times'4r hen going down we ran at the rate of seventyfive miles per hoar. I have been 1 here almost One month and I speak the language very well. I have kutiieA many new things and have scCnf nrany things of interest tliatiß will fell you about in the future. , V. C. Dali*; — n . *■ -s . Marriage licenses h*fte fc'cdn issued during tbe past to: Christopher C. Fisher aiid'Biiaa <l, Fisher; James W. Poisel <a«d Ella Y. Heckman; Wifi is J l : «*•,# Louisa M. Paries Frederic* G. Hart* Man and AWlby Jana LltUefiokfr