The possessions of Land Owner No. 1 being too small to maintain himself
and family, he rents land to till on the shares. The custom is for
the landlord to provide the land, the seed and the animals with which
to do the cultivating and threshing. The tenant performs the labor
and prepares for market the grain, which is divided equally. When not
engaged in the necessary work of cultivating and harvesting the crops
upon his own or rented land, he works in a “chacra” (vegetable garden),
or finds employment in making adobes, bricks, tiles, or wooden
stirrups, cutting lumber, curing skins, etc. Sometimes he is sent by
neighboring hacendados on errands to the city for cargoes of goods, to
mill with wheat, or to the railway with mule trains carrying charcoal.
His possessions consist of a horse, a yoke of oxen, and possibly a
mule. All the tools that he has or requires are an ax, a shovel, a hoe
and a crowbar. His animals are usually pastured in the hacienda, and
the “talaje” (pasturage), paid for in work during plowing, sowing,
or harvest time. His “rancho” (house), which he refers to as “mi
vivienda,” is a creation not defined in the annals of architecture.
It is constructed by placing a number of poles in the ground; to the
tops of these upright posts other timbers of a similar character are
fastened by tying them with rope or pieces of bark. Between the posts,
sticks and branches of trees are woven, forming a sort of basket
work. Over this a coating of mud mixed with straw forms the walls.
The frame for the roof is also made of the trunks of small trees
fastened together with bark; over the crude skeleton is woven a straw
thatch, which is seldom rain proof. The door is made by tying together
sticks or planks, for which pieces of bark or rawhide serve as hinges.
The floors are dirt, and there are no windows or chimneys, and when
necessary to build a fire in the house the smoke filters out through
crevices in the walls and the thatch roof. These miserable huts, which
form the places of habitation of the poor, are never perpendicular
nor stand at proper angles, for the reason that they are shaped by
the crooked timbers forming their framework. The interior presents an
appearance quite as barren and devoid of comfort as the exterior. The
furniture consists of a crude bedstead, a rickety table, and a few
benches or stools. There are no articles of comfort or luxury in the
homes of the poor. The men sleep upon the ground, inside or out of the
house, as they choose, or as the weather permits. The crude furniture
and the burnt clay dishes upon which their food is served are made by
the women. The food is usually cooked in an iron kettle over an open
fire, or in an oven of brick and mud built outside of the house. A
peculiar feature of these squalid ranchos, especially in the interior
of the country, is the barrenness of their surroundings. Usually there
is not a tree, shrub, plant or flower, or any living, growing, green
thing to relieve the dreariness of the desolate surroundings. This is
all the more surprising when it is remembered that Chile possesses a
prodigious soil, and that all kinds of vegetation grows quickly and
prolifically when water is applied to the ground. Along the railways
and near the cities a majority of the ranchos are distinguished by the
cultivation of a variety of fruit trees, vegetables and flowers. The
site selected for a country house is usually with reference to a supply
of water.
Viewed from the roadside these rickety ranchos present a picturesque
appearance. It is the frayed edge of home life that is always to be
found behind the sub-tropical finery of semi-tropical countries. It is
not well, however, to examine too closely or inquire carefully into the
details of this home life. It is better to be gracious, for squalid
as is the peon’s cottage, and unkempt as the family may appear, the
extraordinary variety of dirt and the fantastic untidiness of the huts
baffle description and escape reproduction. Similar spots may be seen
in any land, for every population has its wastrels, but in the far
east there is not to be found a lower level of life and greater lack
of comfort generally, than that which suffices for the lowest classes
in Chile. In a country blessed with a paucity of noxious reptiles
and insects, where no beast more formidable than the cowardly puma
dwells, and where birds and flowers of rare beauty abound, it seems
inappropriate that man should dwell in such domestic squalor.
The male occupants of these houses do not, as a rule, contribute
anything to the maintenance of the family. That feature of domestic
life is left exclusively to the women, who are a hard working,
self-sacrificing, humble and long suffering class. While they are
neither honest nor virtuous, their vices are due more to ignorance and
circumstances than natural tendencies, and their rewards do not match
their merits. They do not feel the necessity of acting with scrupulous
honesty at all times, as they are possessed of the belief that the
priests will remit all their sins upon the payment of a given sum of
money. Their education is narrow and limited, and they have never been
well instructed in the virtues of the ten commandments. They spin,
weave and dye ponchos for their men folk, and for sale; make blankets,
fabrics for clothing, and clay dishes for their own use and for the
market. They raise poultry, not for home consumption, but that they may
sell the fowls and eggs, which are usually sold in advance.
These people are always in debt to the well-to-do landowners in the
community where they live, and from whom they buy cloth, wool, dyes,
food, etc. When eggs are laid or fowls are grown they are given in
payment for these articles. One not familiar with the customs and
conditions would be surprised in traveling through the country to find
that it is difficult to buy an egg or a chicken at any of the ranchos,
notwithstanding the fact that there seems to be a plentiful supply at
every house.
When in need, peons buy on credit, and will obligate anything they
possess, present or prospective, in payment. They live from hand to
mouth, and seldom have more than one day’s supply of food on hand.
Their wants are few, they are easily satisfied and generally contented.
In the production of articles requiring intelligence and skill, the
women excel the men. In different localities they produce different
kinds of articles. For example, in Linares they make a great variety
of beautiful baskets and curios from colored horse hair and fine
straw; in Talcahuano, Concepcion, Chillan and Quillota the country
women devote their time to the production of pretty and durable lace
called “minaque,” which is made by hand and in a variety of patterns;
along the coast country they make excellent hats from the dwarf palm,
called “olma”; in other localities they make baskets, large and small,
useful and ornamental; they also make beautiful as well as useful
articles from the horns of animals, and of wood, stone and paper.
They are clever and adaptive in all of their occupations, but lack in
those qualities which lead to independence. Their favorite position is
sitting on the ground, and while engaged in their various occupations
they carry on a chatty gossip about their personal affairs, or those of
their neighbors, which is usually more racy than edifying.
There is a rustic beauty about the Chilean women in their youth, but
their manner of living causes their beauty to fade at an early age,
and at twenty-five the majority of them begin to look old and grow
stout and homely. They acquire an erect carriage and grace of movement
from the custom of carrying articles of various kinds upon the head.
They have broad hips, well-developed busts, medium-sized feet and
small, tapering hands. A bright, smiling, and attractive face, with
sparkling eyes, small mouth, cherry lips and beautiful teeth, are some
of the features of these peasant women. On Sundays and other feast
days, when dressed in their quaint and fantastic costumes, in which
brilliant colors form a conspicuous feature, they present an attractive
appearance. They are polite, seldom bold and never intrusive. They are
devotees of the Catholic church, but their religion is of a flexible
character. They often go from the church to the “cancha de bola” to
dance, drink and gossip, but are rarely drunk or disorderly. They
are superstitious and believe in witchcraft. In their homes they
are undemonstrative, but show their affection for their families
and friends by their services and sacrifices, and their considerate
attendance upon the aged rather than in expressions of sentiment and
caresses.
Their love for their offspring is a question that is difficult to
solve. If a male child is born they are pleased, because it means that
the work of another peon will be added to the family resources. If a
girl baby arrives, “it is too bad, but will serve.” In this and other
ways they indicate that maternal love corresponds to the prospective
benefits to be derived. If a child leaves its home, or dies, the
parents show little grief or sorrow. Perhaps their sorrow is concealed
from view,--at least it is to be hoped that such is the case.
The common drink among the people is “mate,” made from the leaves of
the “yerba mate,” a plant that grows in Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil.
Over five million pounds of mate, valued at more than 1,000,000 pesos,
is imported into Chile annually. The beverage is made by steeping
the leaves in hot water. It is drunk from a mate cup, an article
peculiar to the country. They are usually the most expensive part of
the household equipment. Many of those used by the better class of
people are made of hammered silver, oddly shaped, curiously fashioned
and artistically finished. They are frequently ornamented with quaint
figures, representing birds, animals or reptiles. Others are made of
gourds, artistically carved and ornamented with silver mountings,
while common gourd cups serve the poor people. The method of drinking
the mate is through a silver tube called “bombilla,” one end of which
is enlarged, forming a kind of perforated ball, which serves as a
strainer, preventing the dregs of the plant being drawn into the mouth.
One of the curious and interesting sights in the country is the women
sitting about the little ranchos indulging in their cups of mate.
The men comprising farmers No. 1 are more serious and more honest than
the peons. Their food consists of wheat and beans. The wheat, which is
roasted and ground into flour with a stone, is called “harina tostado.”
It is eaten instead of bread, which they seldom have. When mixed
with water or wine it makes a very nourishing drink, called “ulpo.”
Sometimes when these poor farmer folk have a desire for bread, they buy
a bag of flour, make a quantity of bread and sell it. When they have
disposed of enough to pay for the flour, they convert the remainder of
the supply into bread for home consumption.
From the families of this class of agriculturists the servants for the
cities are obtained. The women act as house servants, in which capacity
they have no responsibilities, simply performing such duties as they
are given by their masters. They have no initiative, but make good
servants, when properly trained. It is the custom to keep everything of
value under lock and key, but the house servants, especially the women,
are no more dishonest than those of other countries. The boys from
the families in this class also go to the cities, where they become
carpenters, blacksmiths, tailors, harness-makers, or laborers. They
seldom rise to ownership, or positions of greater responsibility than
performing a certain kind of labor for specific wages. As they become
more proficient in their work or trade, enabling them to command better
remuneration for their services, they invariably imitate the better
classes, spending more money than they earn, and are always “atrasado”
(behind in their accounts).
Few of the poor or middle classes know their ages. No certificate is
given of baptism. If a priest is asked why this is not done, he will
say that it is useless, as they cannot read. If it becomes necessary to
establish the right to an inheritance, the church record is examined,
provided that the person whose age is to be ascertained knows where he
was baptized, and that the church register is in existence.