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ARGENTINA AND HER PEOPLE
OF TO-DAY
The Works of
NEVIN O. WINTER
n
The following titlem each ^MMV-
Mexico and Her People of To-day
Guatemala and Her People of To-day
Brazil and Her People of To-day
Argentina and Her People of To-day
Chile and Her People of To-day
The Russian Empire of To-day and
Yesterday
Poland of To-day and Yesterday
The following title*
Florida, The Land of Enchantment
Texas, The Marvellous
THE PAGE COMPANY
53 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.
ARGENTINA AND
HER PEOPLE
OF TO-DAY
AN ACCOUNT OF THE
CUSTOMS, CHARACTERISTICS, AMUSE-
MENTS, HISTORY AND ADVANCE-
MENT OF THE ARGENTINIANS, AND
THE DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES
OF THEIR COUNTRY
BY
NEVIN 0. WINTER
Author of " Mexico and Her People of To-day,'
♦'Guatemala and Her People of To-day,"
" Brazil aud Her People of To-day," etc.
ILLUSTRATED FROM ORIGINAL AND SELECTED
PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR
BOSTON * * THE PAGE
COMPANY * PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 191 1,
By L. C. Page & Company
(incorporated)
All rights reserved
First Impression, April, 191 1
Second Impression, July, 1918
THE COLONIAL PRESS
C. H. SIMONDS CO., BOSTON, U. S. A.
TO
AND
C|)arlefi ^^inter
Copte
PREFACE
The Spaniards who first visited the coast of
Argentina, and sailed up the broad and im-
posing river that empties into the Atlantic
Ocean, were so impressed with the outlook and
prospects, that they named the country Argen-
tina, which means silvery or silver-like, and
bestowed upon the majestic stream the name
Eio de La Plata, which means river of silver.
When their prospectors failed to find the great
deposits of gold and silver, which had been
described to them by the natives, this province
lost much of its importance, and soon dwindled
into comparative insignificance. The city,
which was founded near the mouth of that
river, continued for more than two centuries a
comparatively unimportant place.
It remained for a later age to develop the
real wealth of Argentina, a treasure far
greater than mines of gold or silver. The
viii Preface
growth of population, and the increase in man-
ufacturing, to which were devoted the energies
of many European countries, made imperative
the development of new sources of food sup-
plies. The rich pampas of Argentina, which
had heretofore been of comparatively little
worth, and of which square leagues were al-
most given away by the government to any one
who would pay the taxes, began to attract at-
tention. Experiments showed that the soil was
well adapted to the cultivation of all the cereals
grown in temperate regions. The construction
of refrigerator vessels, by means of which
frozen meat could be carried across the equator
to Europe, and delivered there in as good con-
dition as when it was started, stimulated the
live-stock industry to gigantic proportions.
The result has been that Argentina is to-day
one of the greatest food-producing countries on
the face of the globe.
At the present time Argentina stands at the
head of all the republics south of the United
States in commercial importance. Its imports
and its exports greatly exceed those of any of
the other countries, and its population is rap-
idly growing. The people are energetic, re-
sourceful and ambitious. Its capital is one of
Preface ix
the great cities of the world. It has been the
aim of the writer in the preparation of this
work to present a complete treatise upon that
country, which shall cover not only its re-
sources, their present development and the pos-
sibilities of the future, and a brief but compre-
hensive history of the republic, but a study of
the people and their characteristics, and the
new race which is growing up as a result of the
amalgamation of the different elements that
are now pouring into it. In the preparation of
the work there has been not only an extensive
first-hand study, but the works of the leading
writers upon that country have been consulted,
so that the author's view-point might be broad-
ened and a more accurate survey result.
The author wishes to acknowledge his obli-
gation to Hon. Charles Hitchcock Sherrill, Min-
ister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordi-
nary of the United States to Argentina, for
many courtesies received at his hands, to the
Pan-American Union and its able director, and
to the Bulletin published under its auspices,
for similar courtesies and permission to use
two or three photographs which appear in this
work.
Toledo, Ohio, March, 1911.
CONTENTS
CHAPTEB PAGE
Preface vii
I. The Country 1
II. The Metropolis of the Southern Hemisphere 22
III. The Camp 48
IV. The River of Silver 74
V. The Garden of the Republic .... 99
VI. The Province of Good Airs .... 121
VII. The Mysterious Land of the Pata - Goas . 136
VIII. Crossing the Continent 158
IX. The People and their Characteristics . 189
X. The People at Play 209
XI. Education and the Arts 230
XII. The Forces of Defence 246
XIII. Railroads and Their Development . . 260
XIV. Religious Forces 287
XV. The Struggle Against Oppression . . . 298
XVI. The Era of Development 329
XVII. Trade Conditions in South America . . 361
XVIII. A Promising Republic 377
Appendices . 405
Index 415
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
•
PAGH
Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires (see page 35) Frontispiece
Map of Argentina facing x
On the Upper Parana River 4
" Giant cranes are swinging " 25
" They file around and around between the palms " 29
" The broad and imposing Avenida de Mayo " . .34
The Avenida Alvear 35
One of the Palatial Homes of Buenos Aires . . 38
" Cows ARE brought TO THE DOOR " .... 41
The Ricolbta Cemetery 43
" Agriculture has spread far and wide " . . .51
Threshing Grain on an Estancia 52
"Not a handsome structure, but . . . rather striking" 54
A Herd of Half - wild Horses 63
" The harvesting machines are usually propelled
from the rear " 65
A Gaucho and His Wife on an Outing ... 67
Gauchos Branding Cattle 71
A Forest in the Gran Chaco 90
An Indian Woman of the Gran Chaco .... 95
Among the Hills of Cordoba 109
" A somnolent atmosphere seems to prevail " . 124
The Legislative Palace, La Plata 126
Puerto Galvan, Bahia Blanca 131
A Sheep Dip 143
Native Indians of Patagonia 148
Useless Bay, Tierra del Fueqo 151
xiii
xiv List of Illustrations
PAOB
A Glimpse of the Andes from Mendoza . . . 167
Crossing the Andes 175
" The Christ of the Andes " 176
A Group of Peons 193
One of Argentina's Daughters 200
Black - haired Children of Argentina .... 203
The Hippodromo, Buenos Aires 210
A Summer Cottage at El Tigre 216
" Imposing creeper -clad cottages are dotted along
the bank " 217
Mar del Plata 222
On the Beach, Mar del Plata 227
A Secot^dary School 232
The Columbus Theatre, Buenos Aires .... 245
A Policeman of Argentina 248
The Armoured Cruiser, "Pueyrredon" .... 257
Bridge of the Incas 267
Railway Station, Santa Fe 274
Church in Corrientes, built in 1588 .... 289
San Martin and O'Higqins at La Cumbre, crossing
THE Andes into Chile 316
Typical Wagons of the Pampas 341
Rolls of Paper from Germany 364
Congress Palace and the Plaza, Buenos Aires , . 381
Shipping Hides to the United States .... 394
ARGENTINA AND HER
PEOPLE OF TO-DAY
CHAPTER I
THE COUNTRY
With the single exception of Brazil, Argen-
tina is the largest country in South America.
It is about one-third the size of the United
States. It is as large as the United States east
of the Mississippi River, with a state the size
of Texas added. The area is one million one
hundred and thirty-eight thousand square
miles. It is twelve times as extensive as
the British Isles and five times the size of
France. Argentina extends over thirty-three
degrees of latitude, its northern limit being one
degree within the Tropic of Capricorn. Buenos
Aires, the capital, is about as far south of the
equator as Atlanta is north, and is as far east
of Washington as Newfoundland. It has a
frontage on the Atlantic of sixteen hundred
1
2 Argentina and Her People of To-day
miles, almost as long as our own Atlantic shore.
Its width varies greatly. The widest place is
about nine hundred miles, and then it decreases
again to the south until the mainland at its
southernmost point is only one hundred and
fifty miles across. The Argentine portion of
Tierra del Fuego is a triangle about fifty-five
miles on each side. The most of its limitations
are natural boundaries, either of rivers or
mountains. The national boundary between
Chile and Argentina, which has been the cause
of so much contention, is the 'backbone of the
continent, and its longitude is still east of New
York.
The topography of Argentina is very varied.
Some, perhaps, think of it only as a flat and
level country. This is true of the pampas,
where for hundreds of miles there is scarcely
a rise as high as a barn. Argentina probably
contains the greatest stretch of level and fer-
tile plains in the world, whose possibilities have
hardly been touched upon. But Argentina is not
all level. It contains within its borders the very
highest mountain peak in the world outside
of the Himalayas, mighty Aconcagua, which
pierces the ether up to a height of twenty-four
thousand feet. It also possesses Tupungato,
The Country
another lofty peak of the Andean range. The
pampas are entirely treeless except for groves
which have been planted by man. But Argen-
tina does not lack timber, for there are tracts
larger than many European kingdoms which
are covered with fine forests. The climate is
equally diversified. One may broil in the wil-
derness of the Chaco, and shiver with the cold
in Southern Patagonia. In fact there is almost
as much difference in the climate as you would
find between Sicily and Iceland. On the Andes
slopes there is very little rain, but up in the
territory of Misiones you reach the region of
tropical downpours. Thus it is that you can
find a representative type of almost any kind
of climate and almost every variety of soil.
The Rio de la Plata is the second largest
river system in the world. It is one of the
three main outlets from the interior of South
America to the sea, and carries almost twice
as much water as the Mississippi. At its mouth
the river is one hundred and eighty miles
across from Cape San Antonio, Uruguay, to
Cape Santa Maria, in Argentina. A little fur-
ther inland, which some consider as the real
mouth, the distance is one hundred and forty
miles. Opposite Montevideo the width has
4 Argentina and Her People of To-day
narrowed down to sixty-five miles, and at
Buenos Aires it is about twenty-eight miles
from shore to shore. Just above Buenos Aires
the river is divided into a number of forks,
which form an extensive delta through which
the great branches run and a number of islands
have been created. The principal branches of
this river in Argentina are the Parana, Uru-
guay and Paraguay. The Uruguay Kiver rises
in Brazil, less than one hundred miles from the
Atlantic Ocean, and has a length of one thou-
sand miles. The Paraguay and Parana Rivers
also have their sources in Brazil, near the cen-
tre of the continent, and the former has a
length of seventeen hundred miles before its
waters mingle with the latter. It has two trib-
utaries, the Pilcomayo and Bermejo, which are
navigable for small craft. Each of these rivers
is more than five hundred miles long, but they
are exceedingly tortuous, so that navigation is
rather difficult and uncertain. The Parana
River reaches way up into Brazil. It has its
source only a few miles from one of the prin-
cipal tributaries of the Amazon, over a stretch
of swampy ground of which a part of the water
flows into one river and part into the other.
All of these rivers carry down immense quan-
The Country
titles of mud. In places the deposit on the
river bottom is from thirteen to twenty-five
feet deep, and it has many banks and shoals.
The problem of keeping channels open to
Buenos Aires is a big one, and many dredges
are kept constantly at work. It is generally
believed that the interior of Argentina was at
one time a vast inland sea, and that the flat
plains have been formed by the soil which has
been deposited by these rivers during the pre-
historic geological ages. The waters of the
Atlantic are coloured by this mud long before
the mouth of the river is reached. The water
in the bath-tub looks almost like thin pea soup.
The range of temperature and climatic con-
ditions is very great. In the extreme northern
provinces the temperature is similar to that of
Mexico and Florida. On the central pampas
the summer heat is connatural with that of
Southern California and Tennessee, while the
winter temperature resembles that of the Ohio
Valley. The thermometric range between the
extremes of heat and cold, however, is much
less than in the corresponding latitudes of the
northern hemisphere. In general the climate
of the central pampas may be said to corre-
spond roughly with that of the great cereal
6 Argentina and Her People of To-day
producing sections of North America, although
the yearly average is rather higher and the
fluctuations are somewhat less violent. It is
better adapted for the growth of grain and
raising of stock then the newly opened prov-
inces of Canada and is more habitable for man.
In fact the name of Buenos Aires (good airs),
applied to a city and province, is not a mis-
nomer. North of Buenos Aires snow is rare
and frost unusual, except in the higher alti-
tudes. South of there it grows progressively
colder as one travels towards Cape Horn.
In the matter of rainfall, also, there are
great variations in different sections. The
zonal distribution of rainfall runs in belts from
east to west. This is due to the prevailing
winds. The great agricultural district receives
from twenty to forty inches annually, or about
the same as the region around the Great Lakes
of the United States. West of this is a narrow
strip that receives only about half of this
amount of rain, and then along the slopes of
the Andes is a belt which does not receive to
exceed ten inches. This would favourably com-
pare with New Mexico and Arizona. In Pata-
gonia the conditions are reversed and the arid
belt is along the Atlantic coast, while the dis-
The Country
tricts near the Andes receive a fair amount of
rainfall. This distribution of rainfall is of
utmost importance in the development of the
country. As agriculture extends it occupies
the watered area, and the pastoral industry is
driven little by little farther into the more
arid sections. Sheep and cattle are gradually
moving west and southwest into the semi-arid
districts. The province of Buenos Aires, which
a few years ago was the pastoral centre, is now
one of the most important agricultural sec-
tions. As the process continues it will become
increasingly necessary to open up more south-
erly ports for the shipment of animal prod-
ucts, while the northerly ports will remain the
chief exporters of grain.
There are at least a half billion acres of fer-
tile arable land in Argentina, that can be
turned to the cultivation of products for the
sustenance of man. All of this land is easily
accessible to the Atlantic. There are no natu-
ral barriers such as transverse ranges of moun-
tains. The northern provinces can reach Eo-
sario or Buenos Aires by the La Plata system
of waterways, while the rest of the country
can, by the simplest railway construction, be
joined up with one of those ports, or with
8 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Bahia Blanca, or one of the new ports in Pata-
gonia. At present these three ports are the
only ones needed, or that will be until Pata-
gonia has undergone greater development.
Only the upper edge of the country is within
the tropics. From there as far south as Buenos
Aires the climate is almost that of the Grulf
States, while that city has a climate very sim-
ilar to Los Angeles. The heat in summer is
sometimes oppressive, but not more so than in
New York or Chicago. It is doubtful whether
there are so many of those oppressive humid
days in the southern as in the northern metrop-
olis. It is never so cold in winter as to prevent
out-of-door life. Even in Tierra del Fuego
the winter climate is no more severe than that
of Northern Michigan. The pampas of middle
Argentina probably have less rain than our
own middle west. Water is, however, not far
below the surface, and wells are easy to con-
struct for the windmills, which form so prom-
inent a feature of the landscape on the estan-
cias. In Misiones the landscape is Brazilian,
and in parts of Patagonia it resembles Arizona,
only they do not have such extreme drouths.
Anything that can be successfully raised in the
United States can be grown in Argentina, and
The Country 9
generally much cheaper. The country, how-
ever, lacks our great mineral wealth. Iron is
scarcer than gold, and coal is imported by the
millions of tons each year. Great discoveries
may be made in the future, but Argentina will
never be a great competitor of the United
States in mineral products.
Argentina is a land of big things. Farms
are reckoned by the square league, consisting
of nearly six thousand acres, instead of by the
paltry acre. All grains are measured and sold
by the metric ton of twenty-two hundred and
five pounds, instead of by the diminutive
bushel. That country is now the greatest flax-
producing country in the world, and ranks
third in wheat and second in corn. It has more
horses than any country except Russia and the
United States, more sheep than any country
except Australia, and is exceeded in the num-
ber of cattle only by the United States. If
all the sheep in Argentina were marched across
the United States two abreast they would form
a solid column reaching from Sandy Hook to
the Golden Gate. Argentina contains within
her borders the largest city in the southern
hemispljere, and the second Latin city in the
world. She probably exports more foodstuffs
10 Argentina and Her People of To-day
than any nation on the globe, if you include
both meat and grains. And yet the real re-
sources of the country have only been scratched
on the surface. It is predicted by good au-
thority that the United States will have to
import meat from foreign markets before a
not very distant day. There is no other coun-
try that can be looked to except Argentina
with her millions of sheep and cattle and thou-
sands of fertile leagues that invite develop-
ment. A brilliant future certainly awaits this
great republic on South American soil, and
North Americans may well inform themselves
upon the country, its people and resources.
Argentina might be divided into two parts,
Buenos Aires and the Camp — the name given
to the country. Buenos Aires is at once the
London, New York and Paris of the republic
and dominates the country as no other capital
of the world does. It is the largest Spanish-
speaking city in the world, being more than
twice as large as Madrid. In the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries Asuncion, the capital of
Paraguay, was a far more important place. It
contains most of the factories of the country,
receives the greater part of the foreign trade,
does the banking of the nation through its
The Country 11
great moneyed institutions, and is the social
and business centre where the money made by
those in the interior of the republic is spent.
It is growing at the rate of nearly one hundred
thousand persons each year. The large admix-
ture of foreigners coming in keep this city, as
well as the nation, up to date. New ideas are
thus brought in from everywhere, and the
latest inventions and improvements follow.
The Spanish type has been considerably modi-
fied by the foreign commingling so that this
capital is now as cosmopolitan as any in the
world.
Most people are accustomed to think of all
the South American republics as opera bouffe
affairs. Unfortunately there has been too
much foundation for that reputation in the
past. This has probably been the greatest ob-
stacle to advancement hitherto. Paraguay is
still in that condition, and Uruguay has its
almost annual struggle between the blancos
(whites) and colorados (reds). These upris-
ings are generally trivial affairs and do not
deserve the importance given them. There
are, as a rule, no great principles involved, and
the struggle is primarily for the control of the
government between different leaders. They
12 Argentina and Her People of To-day
are usually of short duration and attended with
little bloodshed. They are due to that medi-
aBval idea so strongly intrenched in the Spanish
character that changes can only be brought
about by fighting. The idea of settling these
questions at the ballot box has not been fully
developed. The writer was in Uruguay during
one of these revolutions, and Montevideo was
as quiet as one could expect to find a city of
that size. A great many young men had fled
for fear of conscription in the army. The only
way in which he was discommoded was by the
necessity of going to the authorities to get a
permit to leave the city, as no one could em-
bark on a steamer without this government
passport. This revolution was the most severe
one that they had had for five years. There had
been several conflicts in the interior between
the blancos and color ados, and some blood
shed. Argentina was blamed by the press for
the trouble, as it was alleged that Argentina
wanted to create disorder and then seize the
country on the plea that only in that way could
property interests be protected.
Argentina in times past went through the
same performances. Revolution followed rev-
olution and dictator followed dictator ; but that
The Country 13
time has passed. The principal reminder left
is the despotic and arbitrary rule of the pre-
vailing party. The ' ' elections ' ' are controlled
and manipulated by the party in power. It
is always easy to foretell who will be the suc-
cessful candidate by looking at his support. A
political campaign was in progress during the
writer's visit, so that he had an opportunity
to observe the trend. The billboards and
fences were covered with proclamations of the
candidates and announcements of their policies,
mass meetings were held in the Plaza de Mayo,
and other public places, but the administration
had selected its own successor and there never
was the slightest doubt as to the result. Al-
though these high-handed methods still pre-
vail, it is daily growing less possible for seri-
ous disturbances to arise. The building of
railroads and telegraphs has brought the dif-
ferent sections into touch with each other. The
great investment of foreign capital has had a
steadying influence toward more stable condi-
tions, and has compelled the leaders to appre-
ciate the necessity for improved political con-
ditions because of the country's need for addi-
tional foreign gold in developing its natural
resources. They realize that such aid can only
14 Argentina and Her People of To-day
be secured by carefully safeguarding the finan-
cial, commercial and industrial interests, and
they have set themselves at work to provide
the necessary guarantees of good behaviour.
The Argentine Republic consists of fourteen
provinces, ten territories and the Federal Dis-
trict. The provinces are autonomous in their
interior government, while the territories are
ruled by a governor who is appointed by the
President. The Federal District, which includes
Buenos Aires, is administered by an intendente,
or mayor, appointed by the President, and
assisted by a municipal council elected by the
people. The Argentine Republic has estab-
lished the federal idea of a union of states as
its form of government. The constitution,
which was adopted in 1860, is modelled closely
after that of the United States. The only
changes since that time have been some ampli-
fications of the original articles. The legisla-
tive power is invested in a National Congress
which consists of the Senate and Chamber of
Deputies. There are thirty senators and one
hundred and twenty deputies. They receive a
salary of eighteen thousand dollars per year
in paper money. Senators are elected by the
legislatures of the provinces, which are really
The Country 15
states, for a term of nine years, and to be eli-
gible for election the candidate must be thirty
years of age and have an annual income of two
thousand dollars. Each state and the Federal
District is entitled to two senators. One-third
of the Senate is elected every three years.
Deputies are elected for a term of four years
by direct popular vote in the proportion of one
to every thirty-three thousand inhabitants, and
one-half are elected every two years. They
must be twenty-five years of age and have been
citizens of the republic for four years. The
President is elected by electors who are chosen
by the people for a term of six years. Neither
the President, nor Vice-President are eligible
to succeed themselves without one term inter-
vening. The President is assisted by a cab-
inet of eight members, who are designated as
follows: Interior, Foreign Affairs and Wor-
ship, Finance, Justice and Public Instruction,
War, Marine, Public Works, and Agriculture.
The Vice-President is also president of the
Senate. Each province has its own courts, but
there are national courts of appeal and first
instance as well. The Supreme Court consists
of five judges, who are appointed for life by the
President.
16 Argentina and Her People of To-day
The centralization, or nationalization, of the
nation has gone ahead rapidly in recent years.
The forcible separation of the city of Buenos
Aires from the province of the same name was
one of the best things ever done by the gov-
ernment. In removing the preponderance of
Buenos Aires the constant friction between that
province, on the one hand, and all the other
provinces, on the other, was removed. Rail-
roads have been subsidized and immigration
encouraged by the national government, in the
effort to develop the country. The post-office
has been brought to great efficiency, and its
service is rapid and trustworthy. The tele-
graph lines are nearly all controlled by the
government, although private ownership is not
Ijrohibited. Of the thirty-five thousand miles
of telegraph wires, enough to go around the
globe once and a quarter times, perhaps one-
half are owned by the national government
and one-fourth by the provinces. The greater
part of the income is from customs receipts,
and the national government also contributes
toward the support of the provinces and ter-
ritories in order to equalize taxation. The
government has learned lessons from former
experiences in the fluctuation of money values,
The Country 17
so that the paper dollar, or peso, has been
officially fixed at forty-four cents gold. Ex-
change does not vary more than a fraction of
a cent from that rate at the present time.
The first European navigator to discover the
Eio de la Plata was Juan de Solis, a Spanish
captain, in the year 1508, while in search of
a passage to the Pacific Ocean. Magellan di^
not visit these shores until 1520. A chronicler
who was with Magellan says that the '' gigan-
tic natives called canibali ate de Solis and sixty
men who had gone to discover land, and trusted
too much to them. ' ' The first settlement was
established at Buenos Aires in 1536 by Pedro
de Mendoza, who has been termed a free-
booter, and who was made governor by the
Spanish Crown. This settlement was des-
troyed shortly afterward by the hostile Indi-
ans, and no permanent settlement was estab-
lished on the mud flats of the ^' river of sil-
ver " until nearly forty years later.
During the succeeding centuries the Span-
iards did all that they could to exploit this
country and check all advancement. The only
aborigines were wild and nomadic Indians.
Argentina was for a long time subject to the
vice-regency of Peru, and many of the settle-
18 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ments were made by explorers who came across
the Andes. In this way Tucuman was founded
in 1565, Cordoba in 1573 and Santa Fe in the
same year. The Jesuits spread their settle-
ments along the rivers far up into Paraguay
and Brazil, and laid the foundation of that
mighty power which lasted for two centuries.
They subdued the Indians and turned them
into peons or labourers, but otherwise treated
them kindly. For a long while the history of
Argentina is merely a record of the internecine
struggles of a loosely connected province. The
settlements were wide apart and there was no
homogeneity. Portugal and Spain fought with
each other for supremacy and the settlement
of the lines of demarkation. It was not until
the time of our own declaration of independ-
ence that Spain finally realized the impor-
tance of this colony and made it a vice-re-
gency, Dom Pedro de Cevallos being named
as the first viceroy. The Jesuits were expelled
and much of their property confiscated. Some
good grew out of this change, as a number of
the viceroys were men of ability and integrity.
The spirit of independence, however, grew and
the feeling of revolt steadily increased.
In 1805 Great Britain, then at war with
The Country 19
Spain, attempted to capture the city of Buenos
Aires, wMch had already become an important
trade centre, but was repulsed on several oc-
casions. This was done by the provincials with
scarcely any help from Spain, and success gave
them confidence in themselves. On the 25th of
May, 1810, independence from Spain was form-
ally declared, and this patriotic movement
did not cease until actual independence was
achieved several years later. The first Con-
gress was summoned in 1816, and the United
Provinces of the La Plata Eiver were form-
ally organized. The first president was elected
in 1825, and Don Bernardo Rivadavia was
chosen to that position. Uruguay was at one
time forcibly annexed by Brazil, and this ac-
tion precipitated a war with Brazil. Argen-
tina championed the smaller state, as a result
of which the independence of Uruguay was
guaranteed,. Internal wars and revolutions
were numerous in the early days of the repub-
lic, for ambitious leaders were everywhere
fighting each other. In 1820 there were a
dozen changes of government. The services
of several progressive and able presidents
brought order out of chaos, established the
country's credit and set the country onward
20 Argentina and Her People of To-day
toward the era of progress and prosperity
which she has now enjoyed for a number of
years.
From this it will be seen that the early his-
tory of the Argentine Republic is permeated
with the smell of blood, and that there has been
much human sacrifice. After studying the his-
tory of the many wars and conditions one can
readily read the disappointment and sadness
of heart contained in the political document left
by General Bolivar, which concludes with the
words, ^' I have ploughed in the sea.'^ Europe
at one time went through similar conditions,
but it is doubtful whether in their worst stage
the middle ages equalled the first half -century
of the history of the Latin-American repub-
lics. Out of the troublous times of the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries in Europe emerged na-
tions which had been strengthened by the les-
sons of adversity learned in the internecine
struggles of that period, in which principle was
opposed to oppression in every form. The
iniquitous policy of the Inquisition superim-
posed upon excessive taxation brought about
revolt among the Spanish colonies. In their
struggles the colonists have our deepest sym-
pathies, for it was a revolt against tyranny in
The Country 21
its worst form. After freedom, however, the
colonists were still Spaniards, and a turbulent
nature had been inherited.
To this inherited trait can be traced the rev-
olutions, civil wars and political turmoils that
have followed. To this fact can be attributed
the tardy economic development of many of the
South American republics, and even of Argen-
tina until the last quarter of a century. This
spirit has now been almost eliminated in Ar-
gentina, which has probably progressed far-
ther in this respect than any of her sister
republics. The signs that the old Spanish
character is losing its baneful grip on this
country are multiplying each day. It has been
a long and hard lesson for the Argentinians to
learn that political freedom does not mean
unrestrained license, but it is being more
clearly interpreted each year. The conditions
are better understood when compared with
Uruguay, Paraguay or Venezuela, where po-
litical conditions are still as they were in Ar-
gentina a half-century ago. Travel is safe,
investments are secure, and perhaps the most
severe criticism that one can make is that so
great a dependence is placed upon a material
prosperity.
CHAPTER II
THE METROPOLIS OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
^* What is the Camp? '' I asked of a Buenos
Airean one day.
*' Everything outside of Buenos Aires/' was
his reply.
** Is Rosario a part of the Camp? '' I ques-
tioned, for Rosario is the second municipality
in the Argentine Republic, and is a city ap-
proaching two hundred thousand inhabitants.
** Yes, but we would not say so in Rosario.''
This little conversation reveals the pride of
all Portenos, as they call themselves, in their
city, for the term Camp is used as country is
with us. Buenos Aires contains the wealth
and culture of the republic, and is the centre
of the political as well as national life. One-
fifth of the entire population dwell there, for
the head has outgrown the body. ^' Paris is
France," says the Parisian, but the impor-
tance of that capital to France is outclassed
22
^ The Metropolis 23
by the significance of Buenos Aires to Argen-
tina.
Buenos Aires is a wonderful city, and its
inhabitants are a remarkable people. Italians
and Spanish abound there in great numbers;
thousands of French, British and Germans
have found a haven on the low bank of the
Eio de la Plata, and it would be difficult to find
a race in Asia or Africa that has not its rep-
resentatives in that cosmopolitan metropolis.
On the street almost any tongue may be heard,
and nearly every European language is repre-
sented by its own newspaper. It is not a trop-
ical city, such as Kio de Janeiro, nor an indo-
lent one, but a city of business and enterprise
with a great deal of the Latin love of pleas-
ure in evidence. Women have become open
competitors of men in the offices and stores,
and the old conservatism of Spain has been
compelled to yield to a broader cosmopolitan-
ism.
^ ' There is nothing in any other city that can-
not be found here,'^ is the boast of the Porteno.
In a general sense the claim is true. The sky-
scraper, the elevated railway and the " tube ''
are missing, but there are few conveniences or
luxuries that cannot be purchased, if one only
24 Argentina and Her People of To-day
has the price. The price is usually high, for
Buenos Aires is a very expensive city in which
to live. Nearly all articles pass through the
custom house and have a certain percentage
added to the original cost in the foreign mar-
kets.
There are almost a million and a quarter of
these busy people who make their homes in
Buenos Aires. In the New World it is ex-
ceeded in population by only three cities of
the United States. It is as cosmopolitan as
New York, and is the hub and centre of the
whole republic. On the vast pampas grow the
grain and meat which sustain the energies of
the factory workers of Europe, who, in turn,
send to Argentina the product of their looms
and machine shops. It is upon the fertility of
these broad leagues, which produce such great
quantities of cereals, meat, wool and hides, that
the people live. There is little manufacturing
in the city and the absence of smoke-stacks is
the most striking aspect, when viewed from a
height by an American.
It is only necessary to go down to the im-
mense docks of Buenos Aires to get a vivid
idea of the vast commerce of this city. It is
a scene that cannot be duplicated even in New
The Metropolis 26
York with its far greater traffic. All you can
see along those docks is the lofty bow of an
ocean greyhound heaving up now and then
above the dock-shed, as the tide ebbs and flows,
and each one looks very much like the other.
Here in Buenos Aires they stretch along the
edges of the basins, funnel behind funnel,
bridge behind bridge, as far as one can see,
until the vision is lost in a veritable sea of
masts. A splendid freighter just in from Eu-
rope and loaded with champagne, automobiles
and other luxuries may lie next to a river boat
just in from Paraguay and loaded with oranges
and bananas. Giant cranes are swinging,
heaped-up trucks are constantly on the move
and men are carrying loads backward and for-
ward. Here are vessels from all the carrying
nations of the world, flying the flags of Ger-
many, Italy, France, Great Britain, Spain and
Austria, but the flag of the United States is
not visible. Out of the thousands of vessels
which entered this port last year, there were
only four small ships that sailed under the
stars and stripes of Uncle Sam. Out in the
river dozens of boats may be seen anchored,
for the freighters are oftentimes obliged to
wait three or four weeks before they can enter
26 Argentina and Her People of To-day
one of the basins and discharge their cargo.
Outside the vast warehouses, which are always
packed clear to the roofs, are scores of trucks
and drays busily loading or unloading, and
conveying freight to and from the railroad
freight depots and the commission houses.
And just beyond the line of drays is the dock
railroad, where the switch engines are busily
engaged in shoving cars backward and for-
ward.
These immense docks, built only a few years
ago, are already too small, so rapidly has
Buenos Aires grown. Although almost four
hundred years old, this city is as new as Chi-
cago. For generations it remained only a mis-
erable collection of mud huts, with lots three
miles deep that could be purchased for an old,
broken-down horse, or a second-hand suit of
clothes. When our Declaration of Independ-
ence was given to the world only three thou-
sand people lived on these mud flats now built
up with great structures. Then it began to
grow slowly, until a half-century ago it had
reached a population of seventy-five thousand.
Its greatest growth, however, has been in the
last twenty years. A quarter of a century ago
there was only a flat mudbar along the water-
The Metropolis 27
front of Buenos Aires. Ships were compelled
to anchor several miles out in the river.
Boxes, bales and passengers were conveyed
ashore in lighters and rowboats. High-
wheeled carts were then pushed out into the
water so that passengers could land without
getting wet. Plans for a system of docks were
then prepared by an English engineer, which
were completed at a cost of forty millions of
dollars. Five great basins were constructed
which extended along the river front for three
miles. At that time, however, the tonnage of
this port was less than a million. Now it has
reached ten millions, and additional basins are
absolutely necessary. A magnificent and com-
modious custom house is now being built at a
cost of a million and a half of dollars to pro-
vide room for the large working force neces-
sary to care for this immense export and im-
port trade.
It is as a town of pleasure, however, that
the native Argentinian loves to think of his
capital. *' Paris,'' says he, '' why, Paris and
Buenos Aires should not be mentioned in the
same breath." In his opinion Buenos Aires
has Paris beat to a '' frazzle,'' although that
particular word has not yet entered his vocab-
28 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ulary. This is the feature of the city that
almost any inhabitant will dwell upon when-
ever you meet him. In his opinion the thea-
tres cannot be equalled. He will tell you of
the Casino, where the best vaudeville acts of
all Europe are played; and of La Escala,
where the singers follow each other in melan-
choly procession, each one dressed in the same
strapless bodice and stiff, bespangled skirt.
One may sing in French, another in Italian
and still another in Spanish, but each one
wriggles her powdered shoulders and presses
her hands to her heart in the same pathetic
way. The men smoke and stare, seldom ap-
plauding, and the Argentine ladies — they give
La Escala a wide berth.
Then there is the Jockey Club, with an en-
trance fee and annual dues higher than any
club in New York. Only native Argentinians
can belong to it, although the diplomats and
a few other favoured foreigners are given an
honorary membership. There is an English
Club which is rather an exclusive organization,
and a German Club which occupies a fine new
building. The Club de Residentes Estranje-
ros, or, as it is generally called, the Strangers'
Club, is the one that appeals most to the vis-
The Metropolis 29
itor, however, for a stranger will be given the
courtesies of the club for one month upon a
simple introduction by a member. There are
at least fifty similar social organizations in
Buenos Aires, for the Portenos are a hospi-
table and sociable people and love to mingle
together socially. The races are held on Sun-
day afternoons from twelve o'clock to three.
Outside the race track may be seen a long line
of carriages and automobiles drawn up along
the curb. The instant the races are over this
line melts away and every vehicle wends its way
toward beautiful Palermo Park, where, joined
by hundreds of other similar vehicles, they file
around and around between the palms and in-
dulge themselves in the passion of staring at
everyone else. At ^ve o'clock on a Sunday
afternoon, or on feast days, of which there are
more than thirty in the course of a year, the
crowds are at their greatest. The parade of
vehicles is oftentimes three deep and would
stretch out many miles if placed one behind
the other in a straight line. There are no dark
mantillas and no closed carriages to conceal
the female occupants, and it is a sight for the
men. It is a procession of human upholstery
with expensive trappings, huge Parisian hats,
30 Argentina and Her People of To-day
expensive gowns and an abundance of cosmet-
ics. Side by side with rich turnouts plated with
silver and gold, magnificent horses and foot-
men as well as coachmen in rich livery, may be
seen men just in from the Camp dressed in
their less sophisticated clothes and riding in
hired victorias, and the music-hall singers with
their overdressed air and ravishing smiles,
which they bestow with a generous freedom.
Calle Florida is the fashionable shopping
street. In the late hours of the afternoon the
street is crowded with the shoppers and idlers,
and all traffic is excluded from the thorough-
fare during those hours. Mamma and her
daughters, Juanita and Carmencita, are out to
look at the pretty things, the latter in their
freshly starched skirts and bright-coloured rib-
bons. Others, who have no shopping to do, in-
vent some excuse for being on Florida at that
hour, and the young dandies stand on the cor-
ners, twirling moustaches that turn up at an
angle of forty-five degrees and smoking the
inevitable cigarette. When the witching hours
of night have come the crowds again appear.
Calles Florida, Cangallo, Esmeralda, Cuyo,
Maipu and many others are brilliantly illumi-
nated, for the theatres and cafes are in that
The Metropolis 31
section, as well as the best restaurants, and
rathskellers, and these people certainly love
to eat. There are many good restaurants, of
which the Sportsman is probably the most
popular. Here you may partake of almost
any European dish — to say nothing of native
ones. In addition to music a free moving pic-
ture show is provided. To obtain a seat at
certain hours it is necessary to make arrange-
ments beforehand, for diners linger long at
the table. The meal usually begins with a dish
of cold meats. Then comes a salad or the soup,
together with the appetizers. Fish and three
or four kinds of meat then follow, ending with
a pastry or dulce (sweet) of some kind. It is
surprising to see what a meal a thin Spaniard
will put himself on the outside of, together with
a choice assortment of liquors, and seem no
worse for the effort.
During my visit the '' Merry Widow " was
being played in three different languages,
French, Italian and Spanish, in as many dif-
ferent theatres. The Teatro Colon is the larg-
est opera house in South America and the very
best of opera is given there, a government sub-
sidy being granted. There are few of the
world ^s great artists who have not appeared
32 Argentina and Her People of To-day
here at some time in their career. In no comi-
try in the world can better Italian opera be
heard. It will seat thousands of people, and
it is always a fashionably dressed audience.
A thousand dollars for a season box is readily
paid by the nabob of Buenos Aires. Low-
necked gowns for the women and evening dress
for the men predominate, and jewels by the
peck may be seen sparkling all over the audi-
ence. Nowhere can wealth and beauty be seen
in greater abundance.
There are almost as many Italians as those
of Spanish birth in Buenos Aires. If all the
Italians in the city were gathered together into
one quarter they would make up a town as
large as Genoa. Likewise the " Spaniards
from Spain,'' who now live in Buenos Aires,
would populate a city larger than old Toledo.
The British colony is probably next in num-
bers, with the German a close rival and France
following in the rear. Americans do not cut
much of a figure in numbers, for the North
American Society, recently organized, had great
difficulty in locating three hundred who claimed
allegiance to the Stars and Stripes. And yet
this small but enthusiastic body agreed to fur-
nish a statue of George Washington, the father
The Metropolis 33
of liberty not only in our own land but in all
the Americas, to be erected in that city. The
city government has generously granted a site
in one of the finest locations in the city. It
will be a pleasure to future visitors from the
United States to see the familiar likeness of
our honoured hero gazing down at them with
his benevolent manner in this Latin city.
Buenos Aires is very much unlike our Amer-
ican cities. In the first place there are no sky-
scrapers that lift their lofty roofs upward.
The highest building does not exceed six or
seven stories in height. Then there are miles
upon miles of streets with buildings of one
story predominating. It is laid out in rect-
angular blocks, averaging about four hundred
feet on each side. The streets are narrow, and
even in the residence sections they are gen-
erally built clear up to the street line. These
narrow streets are a relic of the old days when
this city was small and dormant. Narrow thor-
oughfares then meant shaded walks, but shade
at that time was a more valuable asset than
it is now in a hustling city. The principal busi-
ness streets, such as Florida, Cuyo, Cangallo,
Bartolome Mitre, San Martin, 25th of May,
etc., are only thirty-three feet wide, and you
34 Argentina and Her People of To-day
will wonder how the traffic is managed. It is
done in this wise. Street ears and vehicles are
only allowed to move one way. On the adjoin-
ing street they will move in the opposite direc-
tion. It is surprising how this plan helps to
solve a serious problem of congestion. Cabs
and automobiles dash along with seeming dis-
regard of human life, and yet few accidents
result. A uniformed policeman is stationed at
each street intersection where traffic is con-
gested, and assists in the protection of foot
passengers and drivers. This police force
made up of men with Indian blood in their
veins impresses the visitor as most efficient.
There is now a law in effect that no street shall
be opened up in the future that is less than
sixty feet in width.
There is one exception to the narrow streets,
and that is the broad and imposing Avenida de
Mayo, near the centre of the city. This street,
with its wide pavements and rows of trees,
lined on either side by hotels, fine stores and
office buildings, reminds one of the famous
avenues of Paris. The open-air cafes, which
line the broad sidewalks of this avenue, only
emphasize this resemblance and testify to the
fact that the old-world spirit is still alive in
The Metropolis 35
Buenos Aires. At one end of the street is the
Plaza de Mayo, at the far side of which is
the government building in which are the ad-
ministration offices ; and at the other terminus,
a mile away, is the Palace of Congress, which
has just been completed after thirteen years
of building, and at a cost of eight million dol-
lars. With its great dome it gives a prospect
very much like that of the Capitol at the
end of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington.
The cross streets all begin and end at Calle
Eivadavia, just one block from this avenue,
for they have a different name on the two ends.
One of the streets in the city is called Estados
Unidos, which is the Spanish for United States.
The Avenida Alvear, which leads out to Pal-
ermo, is another striking street. The mansions
which line it are interspersed with gardens and
plazas, and this broad avenue gains in beauty
by this wealth of verdure and flowers.
The people of this southern metropolis may
put off until ' ' to-morrow ' ' many things, after
the manner of the Spanish people, but they do
not idle to-day. Everywhere it is work, work,
work, and the people earn their bread by the
actual sweat of the brow. That is, all except
the wealthy estancieros, or plantation owners,
36 Argentina and Her People of To-day
who became wealthy by the marvellous rise in
the value of their lands. Many men bought a
square league of pampa land fifteen or twenty
years ago for a few thousand dollars, and it
is now worth fifty dollars an acre. This en-
ables them to live in Buenos Aires in idleness
and comparative luxury. Greater opportuni-
ties, another climate and the virgin soil have
instilled a new life into bodies and brains. It
is a mingling of the spirit of the old world and
the new which shapes the daily life of tliis city.
The term " effete," so often applied to Latin
nations, and the ** proverbial laziness '^ of
Spaniard and Italian, so often referred to by
writers, does not apply here. From the ship-
ping sections where boats, barges and tugs
throng in endless procession, from the flats on
the river where hundreds of acres have been
reclaimed in recent years, to the business sec-
tion and the wide tree-planted avenues where
the electric cars rush out into the residence
section, the traveller will observe nothing but
movement and effort, unceasing work and ac-
tivity. In fact, were it not for the difference
in architecture, a warmer shade in the com-
plexion of the people, the sonorous consonants
of the Castilian tongue, and the fact that the
The Metropolis 37
passer-by who jostles you never fails to lift
his hat and apologize, the traveller might imag-
ine himself in some unfamiliar part of New
York or Philadelphia. There are the same
workmen laying asphalt streets, the same
gangs of builders and labourers tearing down
buildings and laying foundations for great
business structures, or demolishing rows of
houses to make way for new avenues or
squares. Everywhere the city is expanding.
It already covers an area four times as large
as Manhattan Island, three times larger than
Berlin and more than twice that of Paris.
The Spanish people love the beautiful, and
that same trait is observed in Argentina.
There are many beautiful plazas in Buenos
Aires, as well as several free public parks and
gardens. In all there are seventy-two of these
artistic recreation spaces where the '' good
airs '' of the city can be enjoyed by the pop-
ulation. The finest park is magnificent Pal-
mermo with its rich vegetation, which is a half-
hour's ride from the centre of the city. This
park is a breathing-place and recreation-
ground of which any city might be proud.
Although it is below the tropics, yet some
species of the palm thrive here, and the vege-
38 Argentina and Her People of To-day
tation is more luxuriant and much different
from that of the latitude of New York or Chi-
cago. The principal sporting and play grounds
are all near this park. Through it runs a
broad boulevard which leads out to Belgrano,
the fashionable suburb of the capital. In this
suburb, as well as in the city proper, there are
many magnificent private homes, which are
veritable palaces. In the older part of the city
the courtyard, or patio, so typical of Spanish
architecture, may be seen. The glimpse of the
foliage and blossom that it reveals is decidedly
refreshing. In the later buildings, sad to say,
the patio has disappeared, for the increased
value of space seems to forbid this luxury.
The network of bars at the windows has like-
wise vanished.
The city offers a prize each year for the
handsomest structure that is erected, the
awarding of which is in the hands of a regu-
larly organized commission. In addition to
the reward, which goes to the architect, the
owner is exempted from taxes for a certain
period, and is reimbursed out of the city's
funds for whatever sums he has expended in
creating a street front of artistic character.
Buenos Aires owes very little of its beauty to
The Metropolis 39
nature. Lest some inharmonious advertising
should mar the scene the municipality has
taken control of all out-of-door display adver-
tising. No poster can be placed on wall or
fence unless it passes muster with the official
in charge of this work. The height of a build-
ing must have a fixed relation to the width of
the street, in order to preserve the light and
air. Less than two decades ago the space oc-
cupied by the docks was a marshy strip of
ground. Now a broad park called the Paseo
Cristobal Colon (Columbus) has been laid out
and planted with trees and shrubbery. Built
upon a site with no natural beauty, so much
more credit is due the landscape artists who
have transformed this dreary spot.
The markets of Buenos Aires are interest-
ing places to visit. The best hour to visit them
is very early in the morning, for everything is
astir at that time and all the supplies may be
seen in their abundance. As early as four
o'clock all is bustle and life. The throng is
so great that it is oftentimes with difficulty that
one can thread his way through the busy crowd
of buyers, sellers and porters. The markets
are not especially beautiful but they have a
wholesome cleanliness. The most striking fea-
40 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ture is the overflowing quantities of e\'ery-
thing. Eggs are there by the thousands of
dozens, vegetables by the van-load, meat by
the ton and fruit by the car-load. The contents
of a whole orchard may be seen at a glance.
One could fill his house with the fine peaches
and pears and scarcely see any diminution in
the supply. These two fruits, together with
the Mendoza grape, are the finest kinds. It
used to be that one could buy a week's supply
of vegetables for a small sum, and meat for
almost a song, but prices, except for meats,
are now almost as high as in our own city
markets. A noisy, bustling, motley crowd of
people of all sizes and colours fill the aisles.
Buxom cooks, pretty Italian girls and vendors
with their enormous baskets jostle against each
other. To watch the bantering is a source of
endless amusement.
*' You are a thief, as every one knows,'* says
the market woman. '* Oh, Seiiora, only an
angel like you could say such things," replies
the merchant. And thus they go on passing
similar compliments without either one losing
his or her temper until a bargain is finally
struck. The vendors, however, do not unduly
urge, and apparently do not seem to care
The Metropolis 41
whether you buy or not. There seems to be
no standard of value. In the late afternoon
meat may be purchased very cheap, as the law
requires all meat to be sold the same day ou
which it is killed. The butchers go out to the
municipal slaughtering houses very early in
the morning and kill as many animals as thej^
think they can sell that day.
Those who do not find it convenient to come
to the market are supplied by the vendors, who
carry fruits and vegetables from door to door.
Their supplies are carried in baskets which are
suspended on poles swung across the shoulders.
The air is filled with the cries of these pictur-
esque peripatetic merchants, of the scissors-
grinders and the dealer in notions, most of
whom are Italians. In the morning and eve-
ning cows are brought to the door and milk
drawn direct from nature's reservoirs in any
quantity desired. The tinkle of a bell is the
herald of the milkman's approach, and the
doors open as the good housewife or maid
appears with pitcher in hand. Donkey's milk
is also delivered in the same way, and its use
is often preferred for the feeding of infants.
The capital of Argentina is more like an
American city than any other city of South
42 Argentina and Her People of To-day
America. The architecture is entirely dissim-
ilar, but the movement on the streets, the ar-
rangement of the stores, and the general bear-
ing of the people bears a marked resemblance.
They like to be called the Yankees of South
America, for that term signifies energy, re-
sourcefulness and progressiveness. They are
deserving of the term too. They are less stren-
uous than Americans, for they love holidays
and enter heartily into the holiday spirit when-
ever the occasion permits. In that way they
seem to get a great deal of pleasure out of
life, perhaps more than many of our intensely
absorbed, overworked business men.
It is not a city one need hesitate to visit. All
the creature comforts may be had. There are
good physicians, good hospitals, good schools
and the other advantages of populated centres
in either the United States or Europe. There
are no less than sixteen hospitals in the city,
most of which are maintained either by the
municipal or federal government. The British
Hospital is an admirable institution, and is the
one generally patronized by the Americans, for
it has a staff of very able physicians. There
are also numerous asylums for various unfor-
tunates, foundlings' homes, orphanages, etc..
J
The Metropolis 43
of a very high character. Electric street cars,
which carried one hundred and twenty-five
million passengers last year, run in every di-
rection, and splendid trains convey passengers
to almost every part of the republic. Carriages
of all kinds and taxicabs remind one of New
York and London. Hotels and restaurants
abound on every hand. A visit to this south-
ern metropolis opens one's eyes to the fact
that South America is forging ahead at a
much more rapid pace than we have ever
dreamed.
One of the finest cemeteries of the world is
the Ricoleta Cemetery, the fashionable burying
place of Buenos Aires. As one enters its ap-
pearance is that of a marble and granite city,
with small palaces on either side, and narrow
streets which are paved the same as the streets
of a city. These small palaces are vaults
within which the mortal remains of the de-
parted are buried. They are of all sizes and
conditions, from small to massive, and from the
grand to the unpretentious. Some are the pal-
aces of the rich and others the humble tene-
ments of the poor. A few of these vaults con-
tain hundreds of bodies. All have but one room
that can be seen as you enter, and this room
44 Argentina and Her People of To-day
is rather furnished as a chapel of the dead, and
is not, as a rule, very large. The entrance to
the tomb is by a door almost at the level of the
street. Sometimes a marble slab in this room
may contain the sarcophagus of some distin-
guished member of the family, but in general
this small room is only the entrance to the vault
underneath, which contains the bodies. One
will generally find this small room filled with
flowers, real or artificial, and bouquets are
oftentimes placed there at intervals of only a
few days. The outside doors of this mauso-
leum are often of plate glass, furnished with
locks, and many of them have lace curtains and
gratings of iron curiously wrought. In the
vault underneath the coffins are placed on
shelves, one above another in niches which have
been provided and then cemented in. Although
this cemetery is not large it contains, so it is
said, about two hundred and fifty thousand in-
habitants.
One of the oddest customs in Buenos Aires
is that relating to funerals and the burial of
the dead. In this city funerals are great func-
tions and the average burial is a very expensive
affair. The undertakers advertise their busi-
ness much as merchants advertise their dry
I
The Metropolis 45
goods. Each one will state how much more he
will furnish for his money than his competitor,
and praise the caskets which he will furnish
and style in which he will conduct the funeral.
These are provided in first, second and third
class. A first-class funeral is a very imposing
occasion. The hearses provided are the most
ornate I have ever seen. They are always
black, drawn by black horses, and the woodwork
is made of carved ebony in very intricate de-
sign. Coachmen and footmen, both in the same
sombre black livery, are provided, and many
coaches follow the hearse, also provided with a
coachman in mourning dress. Then again the
newspapers will be filled with advertisements
of families giving an invitation to their friends
to be present at the funeral, also announcing
the masses which are given from year to year
on the anniversary of the funeral, and inviting
their friends to be present at this solemn serv-
ice. At the church servants will be posted at
the door to receive the cards of those who go
in, or those who send their regrets, the same as
they would at any other social occasion. By
scanning the papers the Argentinians keep
track of the masses said for their friends. The
Argentinians are very respectful toward fu-
46 Argentina and Her People of To-day
nerals, and every one will reverently bare his
head as a cortege passes by.
The expense of conducting the business of
this great city runs into big figures. For the
year 1909 the total sum was about thirty million
dollars, but the resources were in excess of
this amount. In addition to some property tax
there are many special imposts, such as tax on
advertising permits, building permits, slaugh-
ter-houses, markets, cemeteries, street cars,
carriages, etc. The national lottery pays a cer-
tain proportion of its receipts into the munici-
pal coffers, and the race courses also contribute.
The liquor license is small, and as a result the
number of such establishments where intoxi-
cants are sold is very large, although saloons
or bars after the American or English fashion
are found only in the business districts. Le-
cherias, or milk shops, are very numerous, and
thousands of gallons of milk are sold over the
counters by the glass. Frozen milk takes the
place of ice cream at these establishments,
which are very neat and cleanly. The police
force numbers nearly five thousand, or about
one to every two hundred and forty persons.
The fire department has numerous stations and
is well organized. There are both a national
The Metropolis 47
and a municipal department of hygiene, which
have control over all municipal sanitation.
The efficient work of these organizations has
brought down the death rate to where it will
compare very favourably with the other large
cities of the world.
The water supply and sewer system of the
capital are likewise under the direction of the
national government. Few cities of the world
have a better service. The water is taken from
the La Plata River far enough up to avoid any
chance of pollution. It is obtained from wells
which are driven beneath the bottom of the
river, and the water is pumped through tunnels
to a central station. Here it is filtered and
then distributed to all sections of the city. The
central reservoir, called the Aguas Corrientes,
is in the heart of the city. With its imposing
brick and terra cotta facing on every side, it
looks like a magnificent palace, and so I thought
it at first sight. Inside, however, it consists
only of immense tanks from which the water
gravitates over the city. This shell constructed
for the water tanks cost the municipality al-
most a million dollars, and it is all done for the
sole purpose of adding to the artistic beauty
of the capital.
CHAPTER III
THE CAMP
The flat pampas, or plains, which constitute
almost ninety per cent, of the Argentine Re-
public that is suitable for agriculture and pas-
ture, are generally called the Camp. The name
is derived from the Spanish word canipo, which
means country. The Camp is the mainspring
of Argentine prosperity. The marble palace
of the millionaire, as well as the mud hovel of
the immigrant, has to thank this rich soil of
the campo for its foundation. It is upon this
land that the republic has grown and pros-
pered. Its eccentricities and its products are
watched with all the anxiety usually lavished
upon a baby by anxious parents; and it is a
pretty big infant, for the Camp comprises mil-
lions upon millions of fertile acres.
The Camp is a vast plain. It spreads its
smooth, unbroken surface for hundreds of
miles, with no natural hillock higher than those
which the termite ants have erected, and no
48
The Camp 49
depression more marked than those which the
huge cart-wheels have cut in the loose surface
soil. It can best be characterized as an ocean
of land, spreading out like an unruffled sea
from horizon to horizon. Here and there, in
the distance, objects may seem to arise out of
this vast expanse like little islands at sea, and
the illusion at times seems almost perfect. A
nearer approach, however, shows them to be
the buildings of an estancia, or a grove of trees.
Even the groves did not exist before the hand
of man altered the landscape, for the plains of
Argentina were unblessed by any forest growth
whatsoever — with the single exception of the
rare ombu tree, specimens of which might be
met with at intervals of several miles. Spots,
which at a distance appear as dark lumps,
finally shape themselves into humble structures
of black mud, which are the homes of colonists.
Their sombre and unattractive exterior may be
relieved by the flaming red or vivid blue dress
of an Italian girl, which makes a welcome bit
of colour under the circumstances. The dust
clouds in the distance will be found to be float-
ing behind horses' hoofs, or the wheels of a
cumbersome wagon drawn by several yokes
of oxen. These clouds move onward across the
50 Argentina and Her People of To-day
pampa much as the black smoke trails behind
a slow-moving steamer.
These vast stretches of level land may pro-
duce a certain sense of irritation upon one
newly arrived in Argentina. He may ride for
league upon league on his horse, or travel for
hour after hour by train, awaiting that change
of scenery, which his experience leads him to
believe will inevitably occur. He might start
in the centre of the republic and travel for
scores of leagues east, west, north or south, and
find the same unending monotony. But there
is, nevertheless, a certain fascination about this
very vastness of the Camp which grows upon
one; in these leagues upon leagues of rich
soil, which here spread themselves in readiness
to receive the seed from the hand of the farmer,
and to yield forth an abounding harvest in re-
turn for the labour bestowed. Upon these plains
one may watch the herds of cattle and the flocks
of the sheep which are scattered clear to the
limit of one's vision, a distance so great that
the largest animals stand out as mere specks
against the sky. One may travel through miles
of the golden grain ready for the sickles of the
reaper, and then will come upon an equal
stretch of flax in flower, which gives the fields
I
i
The Camp 51
a bluish tint. Interspersed with the wheat and
flax may be seen the green corn and the purple
of the alfalfa blossom. These broad patches
follow one another in almost endless succes-
sion. Although one's horizon is at all times
limited, he knows that, in whatever direction
he looks, that which lies beyond is an exact
repetition of what is stretched out before his
eyes.
Agriculture has spread far and wide in Ar-
gentina in the last two decades. Its forces are
moving ever westward and southward, driving
the '* squatter '' ever farther and farther
afield. It has already crossed the boundaries
of what was once known as Patagonia, no
man's land. Wire fences now enclose the lands
which once were the scenes of settlers' battles
and boundary disputes. Grains and alfalfa
have replaced the coarse natural grass, which
was indigenous to these plains. Groves of wil-
low, eucalyptus and poplar have been planted
in the older sections of the Camp and make a
diversion in the landscape. The picturesque
windmill, made in the United States, is a famil-
iar landmark on the horizon almost every-
where, for it is necessary to pump all the water
during the greater part of the year.
52 Argentina and Her People of To-day
The Camp has never been divided into home-
steads. The most of it is owned by the estan-
cieros, whose holdings are estimated by the
square league, almost six thousand acres. A
man with only one square league is a small
farmer, and there are many estates of five and
ten square leagues. Many of these were pur-
chased for a mere pittance twenty years ago,
and the rise in value has made the owner a
wealthy man, so that he can live in Buenos
Aires a part of the year in luxury, or take a
trip to Europe each year, as many of them do.
Formerly Argentina was almost entirely a
pastoral country. Millions of cattle and sheep
wandered over these plains and fed on the rich
herbage. The amount of land devoted to stock
grazing has been reduced, but the quick-grow-
ing alfalfa furnishes more pasture to the acre.
At the present time there are thirty million
cattle, sixty-seven million sheep, seven million,
five hundred thousand horses and mules in the
republic, which is a very respectable showing,
and places Argentina as one of the most im-
portant stock-raising countries in the world.
They are very fine stock too. It was the care
of the stock that gave rise to the ** gaucho,"
the cowboy of South America, and it was this
The Camp 53
character that gave romance and local colour
to the Camp.
As a grain-raising country Argentina has
advanced by leaps and bounds. At the present
time it is the greatest flax-raising country in
the world, and our own linseed oil mills have
been obliged to import seed from there during
the past two years. It is second only to the
United States and Eussia in the production of
wheat, and in some years has exported more
than our own land. At the stations one will
sometimes see mountains of wheat bags await-
ing shipment to the ports, where hundreds of
vessels are ready to carry this grain to the hun-
gering millions of Europe. The threshing out-
fits move ponderously from one estancia to an-
other, doing the entire work of harvesting on a
percentage basis, usually one sack out of every
three. Some of them are pulled by oxen or
mules, and others are run by traction power.
These processions move across the plains in
imposing fashion. The huge stacks commence
to rise in twos and threes like giant mush-
rooms, until the landscape is dotted with them.
Then strings of wagons, laden to the brim,
carry the wheat to the warehouses, which open
wide their doors to receive this valuable prod-
54 Argentina and Her People of To-day
uct of the soil. The stacks must be made very
secure, for the winds sweep over these plains
with almost incredible velocity.
Italians have flocked to Argentina by the
hundreds of thousands. They have become the
most important asset of the agriculturist. The
colonist is usually allotted a certain number of
acres, which he cultivates on a fixed share.
Perhaps the landlord reserves as his portion
one bag out of every ten of grain. The colonist
is given the bare land, and must provide his
own dwelling. But that is a simple matter.
Rough boards are made into a mould, similar
to that prepared for the pouring of cement,
into which mud mixed with straw is placed.
When this has dried the boards are removed,
and the wall of the house is finished. Spaces
for doors and windows are then cut out, a roof
placed over it, and the house is ready for occu-
pancy. Or this mud may be cut into bricks,
which are allowed to dry in the sun and then
laid up into walls. A roof of thatch made of
coarse grasses is generally used. From an
artistic standpoint the result is not a handsome
structure, but it is rather striking. The black
mud walls are sombre and commonplace, and
even the best of them is scarcely more than a
The Camp 55
hovel. There is reason, however, for this econ-
omy in the construction of a house, as the col-
onist may be obliged to move to another section
of the plantation in two or three years, or even
to another plantation, when it will be necessary
to build another home. The frugal Italian dur-
ing these years is no doubt sending money back
to Italy, or depositing it in a bank in a neigh-
bouring town. Many of them, after a few
years, tiring of the mud walls and ceaseless
work, go back to their beloved Italy, where the
few thousands saved make them veritable cap-
italists among their friends and neighbours.
The estanciero's life is a rather lonely one,
for his neighbours are few and far between.
If he is an Englishman or Scotchman, as many
of them are, you will find the British atmos-
phere all about. There will be tennis courts,
cricket grounds, and, perhaps, a golf course
where the family and their friends will find
recreation. Pheasant hatcheries are some-
times maintained, and these birds and the long-
eared rabbits, which are very plentiful, furnish
the shooting so popular with the British sports-
man. The Camp store, however, is the centre
of life on the estancia. It is the post office and
the general place of rendezvous. There are
56 Argentina and Her People of To-day
heaps of padlocks and nails, stacks of lamps
and coils of wire. Beside quaintly carved na-
tive saddles will be fierce-looking knives a foot
or more in length, which peacefully repose in
bright new leather sheaths. Boots that might
have graced a cavalier of old jostle against
bottles of patent medicine guaranteed to cure
every ill to which human flesh is heir. Busi-
ness is never done in haste. The gaucho meas-
ures time by the progress of the sun, and an
odd half hour or so never bothers him. There
is always a little time for gossip before and
after the purchase has been made, and then
there must be a drink for friendship's sake.
Drouths come sometimes, and the locusts, to
break in upon the prosperity of both colo-
nist and estanciero. But there is seldom an
absolute failure. The locusts are present al-
most every year, and it is a constantly re-
curring fight against the scourge of these
pests.
The real development of the live stock indus-
try in Argentina began with the discovery that
meat could be frozen and shipped any distance.
Since that time the growth has been almost
phenomenal. It used to be that long-horned,
rakish, bony criollos (native stock) wandered
The Camp 57
over the pampas feeding on the succulent
grasses, and dying by the thousands during a
season of drouth. Now the sleek short-homed
stock have taken their places, and they fatten
upon the rich alfalfa pastures which have been
sown by the planter. This plant roots so deep
that it will remain green in drouths that would
cause the native grass to become dry and dead.
Fine sheep have superseded the scrubby ani-
mals that once stalked the plains ; and even the
horse has acquired finer legs and shoulders,
and developed a more graceful arch to his neck.
Indeed, it may be said that the average stock
in Argentina will compare favourably with
those of any other nation on the globe. The
change has been brought about by the impor-
tation of the very best breeding stock from
Europe, which have formed the nuclei for the
present herds.
The Durham, Hereford and polled Angus are
the chief grades of cattle that one will find.
In one section of the country one breed will
predominate, and a few leagues away another
will prevail almost exclusively. Cattle are al-
ways sold at so much a head, and never by
weight. '^ Do you never weigh them? " I asked
of an estanciero. " Oh, yes, we weigh a few
58 Argentina and Her People of To-day
so that we have an idea of the general aver-
age.'' In the transaction, however, between
him and the buyer, weight is never mentioned.
The buyer will look over the bunch for sale and
offer a stated figure, which may or may not be
accepted. They are then delivered to him at
a given point, and shipped to the stockyards in
Buenos Aires, or to one of the many slaughter-
houses in the republic. The number of stock
to be kept is a serious problem for the pro-
prietor. More than one estanciero has been
ruined by overstocking his estancia, and then,
either locusts or the drouth coming, he was left
without feed for his animals.
The cattle dip is a very necessary adjunct
to every stock farm. The idea was adopted
from Australia, where the cattle raisers had
similar experience with the tick fever. It con-
sists of a wide yard which gradually narrows
into a lane wide enough for only one animal.
When the animal is driven forward it faces
a lengthy tank which it is necessary to ford.
This tank is filled with a medicated solution
and, as the animal swims through it, men
with poles push them entirely under. The ani-
mal does not enjoy swimming through this nau-
seous, badly-tasting mixture, but he has no
The Camp 59
option, so, shutting his mouth tightly, he floun-
ders through in the best way possible. It is
rather a sorry looking creature, however, that
emerges on the other side. Another form of
dipping cattle is a cage into which an animal
is driven, and this is submerged in a tank filled
with this medicated solution. Either method
accomplishes the desired result, which is to give
the cattle a thorough saturation that will kill
the tick.
Second in importance comes sheep. Al-
though they abound all over the republic they
are found in greatest numbers in the southern
provinces. The development of these animals
has been studied a great deal lately and scien-
tific methods have been introduced. The finest
of rams have been imported in order to im-
prove the breed and the former coarse wool is
now being replaced by a much finer quality.
The Argentine merinos will now rank with those
from any part of the world. One will find
Leicesters, Oxfords, Black-faced Downs and all
the other fine breeds. A number of New Zea-
land ranchers have come to Argentina in recent
years, and they have been especially successful
in sheep raising. The breeds have been bet-
tered, and foot-rot as well as other diseases
60 Argentina and Her People of To-day
combated with so that the results have been
very beneficial to the industry.
Sheep farming in Argentina is an old in-
dustry. The number of sheep has grown until
there are now at least ten for each man, woman
and child in the republic. How many sheep
the pampas can support is hardly known, but
it would be several times the present number.
Where there is plenty of rain an acre will sup-
port three or four head, and at other places it
would be safer to keep three or four acres for
each sheep. In the Buenos Aires province the
best ranchers place about six hundred sheep to
each square mile. The sheep farming is all
conducted on a big scale, and there are few
small flocks. The most of the flocks range from
ten thousand to seventy-five thousand, with
some possibly several times the latter number.
The sheep are watched on the open pampas by
shepherds on horseback, each having the care
of a fixed number. It is the shepherd's duty
to see that the flocks do not mingle, and to keep
them free from disease. For this work they
receive a stated sum monthly, which would not
be considered large in the United States.
Formerly the sheep were raised for the wool,
pelts and tallow only. Even then they were
The Camp 61
profitable. The carcasses were even used for
fuel. Now, with the development of the frozen
meat industry, this meat feeds the mutton-eat-
ers of England. Hundreds and thousands of
tons of frozen mutton are shipped down the
La Plata every month. It is frozen so stiff that
it will keep for months and be as palatable as
freshly slaughtered meat. The slaughtering
establishments are mostly located along the
Parana Eiver, between Buenos Aires and Ro-
sario. Acres upon acres are covered with
sheep pens, slaughtering houses and freezing
establishments. The frozen carcass is sewed
up in ^e white muslin cloths, and then laid
away to await the next steamer, whose hold will
be filled with these ghostly bundles. The wool
is sent to the great wool market in Buenos
Aires. Each man's wool is placed in a pile by
itself, all unwashed, and so brings a low price
because of the weight of the grease in it, for
wool will lose almost half its weight in washing.
The Argentine farmer prefers to sell it at the
lower rate and allow the European or Ameri-
can buyers to clean it.
The lambing and shearing seasons are the
two busiest and most anxious seasons for the
sheep raiser. A good lambing season will al-
62 Argentina and Her People of To-day
most double the flock, so prolific do they be-
come. Sheep shearing used to be done almost
entirely by hand, but nearly all the big ranches
now have sheep-shearing machines driven by
steam or gasoline power. Still, whether done
by hand in the old way or by machines in the
modern way, sheep shearing is arduous work.
The shearers often go about in bands from
ranch to ranch. The quickness and skill of
some of the shearers borders almost on the
marvellous. One hundred sheep daily is a fair
average for good shearers, but some exception-
ally expert operators can double that score. A
great deal of care has to be exercised to clip
the wool as close as possible, and still leave the
animal uninjured. A shearer who could not
practise his business without badly cutting the
sheep would soon be discharged as incompe-
tent. The poor animals have to put up with
a few stratches and cuts, but it is seldom that
one is severely injured. The amount of wool
and mutton sent out from these sheep ranches
is almost incredible. An especially fine quality
of wool is produced on the great ranches of
Patagonia, one of which is larger than the state
of Khode Island.
Horses are also raised in great numbers in
The Camp 63
Argentina. One who sees the fine draught
horses in Buenos Aires need not be told that
Argentine horses are of good breed and qual-
ity. The average Argentinian thinks that he
knows more about a horse than anything else.
Pedigreed stallions have been imported by the
hundreds, and the very best blood has been
brought in. One will find as good horses in
Argentina as anywhere. They are generally
well taken care of, too, for lean and skinny
horses are very rare. During the Boer-Eng-
lish war fortunes were made out of horses, for
the British government bought thousands of
head and paid fancy prices. They were beaten,
too, in many a bargain by the shrewd estancie-
ros. Pig breeding has not been developed much
as yet, although considerable stride has been
made in some sections, but the export of pork
does not amount to any considerable sum.
Great hopes are, however, entertained by the
Argentinians for this industry also.
All agriculture is on a gigantic scale. The
rapid development has been a surprise to even
the most hopeful estanciero. Railways have,
in many instances, been almost unable to cope
with some of the crops, and trains have been
run night and day to carry the grain to the
64 Argentina and Her People of To-day
exporting centres. The wheat accumulates at
the shipping points until vast stacks are piled
up at the various stations in the wheat lands.
One company ^s cars cannot run over another
company's tracks, and this further adds to the
congestion. The wheat is carried to the sta-
tions on huge carts with wheels eight feet high
and drawn by from ten to a dozen oxen. A load
of several tons may be balanced between these
two lofty wheels. As the carts move forward
they are accompanied by an awful screeching
noise which is ear-splitting. The carter does
not care to use grease, as he says that the noise
encourages the oxen. The cry goes up each
year for more labourers to care for the crops,
and the need still exists. Because of the lack
of elevators and granaries the grain must be
quickly gathered and threshed. Women and
girls, men and boys all work from early morn-
ing until late at night for the few harvest
weeks. The grains are generally more profit-
able than stock, and in some districts have
crowded the latter out. Corn is one of the most
profitable crops at the present time.
During the harvest time the Camp is a busy
place. Clouds of dust all over the horizon de-
note activity in the grain fields. Managers and
The Camp 65
overseers are kept busy riding from one group
to another. Thousands of Italians come over
for the harvests and then return to their native
land. The harvesting machines are usually
propelled from the rear, either by steam power
or animals. Attached to the side of the '' strip-
pers/' which simply cut off the heads of the
grain, is a large harvest cart into which the
grain drops. Four roads will be cut from a
central point at right angles to each other,
which run to the outer edge of the wheat field.
In the central point the oblong stacks are
formed. By this system the fields of golden
grain rapidly disappear before the onslaughts
of the cutting machines.
Thirty years ago Argentina was a wheat-im-
porting nation. Some of the knowing ones said
wheat could not be successfully grown on the
pampas. Since then the grain-producing area
has been increased each year and the begin-
ning of the end is not yet in sight. At first
it was thought that only the land between the
Parana and Uruguay Rivers was available, but
now it has spread south into Patagonia and
west to the Andes. The available wheat land
has been estimated at more than 200,000,000
acres, of which only a small per cent, is at
66 Argentina and Her People of To-day
present under cultivation. This wheat land is
mostly a rich black loam, from a few inches to
three feet or more deep, surmounting a sub-
soil of clay.
There are few rivers or lakes on the Camp
and there is little surface water. The old-
fashioned wells sunk very deep in the ground,
in which the buckets are raised by horse power,
are still quite common. Wind-mills of Ameri-
can make add a picturesqueness to the land-
scape. Ponds are banked up into which the
water is pumped, and from them the troughs
are filled. These wells seldom go dry even in
the severe drouths in that land.
The mid-day siesta is almost universal in the
Camp, for the sun beats down unmercifully hot
for a few hours. The languor of these hours
is all-pervading. Stock huddle together and
put their heads in the shadow of the bodies of
the others. The mosquito is very much at
home on the Camp and sometimes makes the
nights unappreciated.
One fearful disease is the anthrax, which is
taken from cattle. The first symptom is a red
mark on the skin, which is irritating. If unat-
tended to this will develop into a blue boil sur-
rounded by little blisters. After a while the
1
i
The Camp 67
sensitiveness disappears and no pain is felt.
The blue is more pronounced and a full-fledged
case of anthrax is developed. Something must
be done promptly. The common treatment,
when no surgeon is near, is to heat a wire red
hot and burn out the infected spot clean from
the surrounding flesh. This is a decidedly
painful operation when performed without an-
aesthetics, and requires a remarkable degree of
stoicism. The affected spot is absolutely with-
out feeling. If this or another effective opera-
tion is not performed by the third day the
chance of recovery is very slight, it is said.
The gauchos are the principal sufferers.
Like his counterpart, the cowboy of the west-
ern plains, the gaucho is a unique character,
and his individuality is probably the result of
his environment and the life he has led. The
freedom of the plains and lack of refining soci-
ety have made him a man with a rough exte-
rior which, however, oftentimes clothes a ten-
der human heart. The gaucho of Argentina is
generally of mixed blood. The blood may have
become mixed centuries back, when the first
Spaniards came to this country, but it still
shows in his swarthy features. For centuries
these people have lived an easy-going, care-
68 Argentina and Her People of To-day
free existence on the great plains of that re-
public. If there is one thing the gaucho loves,
it is his freedom, and it is difficult to accustom
him to the restraint that becomes necessary as
development and private ownership proceed.
In the centuries past the gauchos have always
been engaged in the wars and revolutions which
were common. The side they fought on did
not matter much, for it was victory only that
was sought. Wlien there were no public dis-
turbances to furnish excitement, they got up
feuds on their own account, and fought each
other. The Camp is full of tales of the gauchos
and their deeds or misdeeds, many of which
savour of real knight-errantry. It is these tales
that has given the Argentinian plains an indi-
viduality. The old-time lawless gaucho has
generally disappeared in the march of civiliza-
tion, but the modified character remains and
works for the ranch owner. Many of them
have intermarried with the Italian and Span-
ish colonists who have migrated there. The
railroad has perhaps been the greatest enemy
of the gaucho, just as it was of the cowboy on
our own western plains, because settlers have
everjrwhere followed the iron horse.
The costume of the gaucho has not changed.
The Camp 69
It still consists of a broad sombrero, a shirt
and the bombachos — wide Turkish trousers
that range in colour from black to snow-white,
and which fall to just above the ankle, where
they are enclosed in a pair of tight-fitting boots.
The poncho, a blanket which is placed over the
shoulders in cool weather, varies from the most
sombre hues to the boldest colours — brown
and black to brilliant scarlet or purple. The
effect of such a brilliantly-clothed apparition
coming upon you unawares in a remote district
can better be imagined than described. A great
broad knife is almost invariably stuck in the
belt, many of them a foot in length and of fan-
tastic pattern. It is generally encased in a
leathern, but sometimes in a metal, scabbard.
This knife is intended not only for defence,
but it is his principal aid in eating lunches out
on the Camp. His favourite food is asado con
cuero, beef roasted over the fire without re-
moving the hide, and he is an expert in pre-
paring this luxury. Dressed in all his finery,
and mounted upon a saddle inlaid and orna-
mented with silver as many are, with fancy
stirrups and huge clanking spurs, the South
American gaucho is a sight worthy to behold.
The gaucho is a born horseman. From ear-
70 Argentina and Her People of To-day
liest childhood he has been accustomed to a
horse's back. Before his legs are long enough
to reach the stirrups of a saddle the gaucho
rides bareback, and an occasional tumble does
not seem to be minded, for they are determined
to ride. Caution or fear concerning horses is
not known among them — such sentiments are
altogether incomprehensible to their under-
standing. I have seen contests between the
gauchos and American cowboys in Buenos
Aires, and, although the latter are quicker in
saddling and mounting a pony, they cannot
stick on a bucking broncho any better than the
former.
The gaucho is a rather taciturn individual,
and is not given to many words. At the same
time he is easily offended if any sense of supe-
riority is shown. He may not show resentment
on the surface, but a volcano may rage under-
neath a placid and immobile countenance. If
there is, in his opinion, sufficient provocation,
he will probably bide his time for revenge and
await it patiently. It is not always done in the
open, either, since he does not want a chance
for failure. If he likes his employer his devo-
tion is admirable, and he will serve with a
commendable faithfulness. When roused by
The Camp 71
liquor the gaucho is often very troublesome,
and then it is that he starts out to avenge real
or fancied slights, and he sometimes commits
serious crimes. Money does not appeal to the
gaucho in a strong sense, and crimes as a rule
are not committed for that purpose, but they
are to avenge slights or real wrongs for which
he thinks personal reprisal is the only adequate
remedy. To requite a wrong with him is a
point of honour. The gauchos are natural gam-
blers and, besides ordinary games of the Camp,
there is scarcely anything that is not made the
subject of wagering, and the average gaucho 's
money soon disappears. It is doubtful whether
education will make the gaucho a more efficient
ranch hand, though it will make him a better
and more intelligent citizen of a republic.
The work of the gaucho is generally confined
to the care of stock, of which such vast herds
swarm the pampas in almost every direction.
The mustering of cattle in Argentina is called
a ^^ rodeo.'' Viewed from a distance, one will
see a line strongly marked wind its way over
the level plain, with a dust cloud hanging over
it, which is visible long before the animals
come in view. As the armies of red, white and
dun animals approach nearer one will see the
72 Argentina and Her People of To-day
picturesque gauchos riding here and there like
officers of an army bearing commands.
When the place of rendezvous has been
readied the cattle are kept tramping around
a central point, as they are not near so likely
to get frightened or stampeded if kept on the
move. Wlien the inspection or count is ended,
the different herds are gradually separated by
the gauchos and driven back to the feeding
grounds. If a count is intended a line is formed
through which the cattle are driven, and the
cattle are numbered as they pass through the
line. This is sometimes a difficult operation,
and especially is it so if they aim to divide the
herd into two or more bodies. One animal is
driven to the right, another to the left and so
on. This sometimes leads to a great deal of
excitement and confusion among the cattle, and
stampedes are easy to happen under such cir-
cumstances. Stockyards have been built on
many ranches, where a narrow passage is con-
structed through which only one animal is able
to pass at a time. This greatly simplifies the
counting or dividing process. Furthermore,
there is less danger of the animals injuring
each other in their excitement. The gauchos
are clever with the lasso, but cannot equal the
The Camp 73
American cowboy with that rope. Altogether
the gaucho is a very useful and a very neces-
sary man on the cattle estancias of Argen-
tina, and his services are generally appreci-
ated.
CHAPTER IV
THE RIVER OF SILVER
The Rio de la Plata, the '' river of silver,"
is one of the great river systems of the world.
That name is properly applied only to the
mouth of the system, which reaches just a little
above the city of Buenos Aires, a distance of
a couple of hundred miles from the Atlantic.
From there it receives the name of the Parana,
which has its source in the wilds of Brazil.
"Where it pours its waters into the ocean this
wonderful river is one hundred and eighty
miles in width, and at Montevideo it has nar-
rowed down to sixty-five miles. Opposite
Buenos Aires it is still twenty-eight miles from
shore to shore. The La Plata, as it is gen-
erally called, discharges the water from a basin
much larger than the Mississippi, and the vol-
ume of water brought down by it is said to be
exceeded only by the Amazon. It drains the
greater part of the fertile pampas, reaches up
into the coffee lands of Brazil, and carries
74
The River of Silver 75
down to the Atlantic the melted snows of the
loftiest peaks of the Andes. The basin is in
the shape of an immense horseshoe, and in-
cludes, besides the two above counties, all of
Paraguay and parts of Bolivia and Uruguay.
The Uruguay Kiver, which flows into the La
Plata almost opposite Buenos Aires, is one
thousand miles long and is navigable for sev-
eral hundred miles, the Parana for almost two
thousand miles, and the Paraguay, from its
junction with the latter stream, floats boats of
shallow draft for fifteen hundred miles farther.
Altogether these various streams furnish thou-
sands of miles of navigable waters on which
regular communication is furnished by large
and commodious steamers. Nicolas Mihano-
vitch is the undisputed king of this river traffic,
and dozens of vessels plying on these rivers
bear the white letter M. with a black back-
ground on the funnel. They furnish a nightly
service between Montevideo and Buenos Aires,
and weekly or semi-weekly service up the Pa-
rana and Uruguay Rivers.
Vessels drawing sixteen feet of water can
proceed as far as Rosario, but ocean-going
steamers seldom ascend any farther, as the
water becomes shallower beyond that city.
76 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Boats of twelve feet draught can proceed as
far as Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, eight
hundred miles farther inland. The waters
carry much mud, and the channel sometimes
changes its course by the formation of mud
banks. Hundreds of islands have formed, some
of which probably started from a submerged
tree, about which the sediment was deposited.
In truth the Parana plays with islands and
sand banks as a lesser stream does with peb-
bles. A recent scientific writer has given some
interesting facts concerning its eccentricities.
Says he: ** A schooner which sank nine years
ago off La Paz swiftly developed at its tail an
island a mile long, now crowned by willows.
My photograph of the old port of Parana town
in 1902 shows an island eight hundred and
eighty yards long by four hundred and ninety
feet wide fronting it; in December, 1907, only
one hundred and sixty feet of the island re-
mained. Thirty years ago a market gardener
made a shallow ditch cut-off opposite Ibicuy
Eiver (Lower Parana), to take his produce
down the river. The Parana elected to take his
work in hand, and now ocean steamers pass
through this channel on their way down from
Eosario.''
The River of Silver 77
In the rainy season the Parana spreads out
for dozens of miles over the level land and
forms an inland sea so wide that the banks are
almost invisible. This flood season lasts for
three months in the year, generally from March
to June. At this season the Paraguay pours
a mass of water twenty miles wide and twenty
feet deep into the Parana. Added to this is
the water of the Alta Parana, and the Lower
Parana then spreads itself out over the low
lands of the western bank.
" Shallow, disreputable, vast,
It sprawls across the western plains,"
to use the words of Kipling. Because of the
slight fall it takes three weeks for the flood
waters to flow from Asuncion, a thousand miles
upstream but only two hundred and three feet
above sea level, to Buenos Aires. It is esti-
mated that this river brings down a cubic mile
of soil in twenty-two years. This soil is de-
posited on the western shore of the La Plata,
and, were it not for the work of man, would
soon convert Buenos Aires into a landlocked
harbour. As it is, the dredging charges en-
tailed by this yearly increasing mass of deposit
are very large.
78 Argentina and Her People of To-day
In places the banks of the Parana are lined
with reeds and willows, but farther up the trees
become larger, and there is a forest growth.
In one place may be seen gigantic reeds twenty
feet high, then a solitary palm tree with a crest
of fan-like leaves, and again a dense forest of
various growths may crown the bank. Gnarled
trees with clusters of beautiful crimson flowers
occasionally add a contrast of colouring.
Masses of weeds and grass are continually
floating by. One cannot help but think of tbe
voyage of Sebastian Cabot up this unexplored
stream, in 1526. In a small vessel of only a
few hundred tons he ploughed through these
waters, avoided destruction on the islands, and
ascended to a point above the site of Asuncion.
He was months in accomplishing that voyage,
which is now made twice a week in five days.
It is not a hard trip, except that the scenery
becomes rather monotonous. Otherwise the
accommodation is quite good, the fare is cheap,
and, as a rule, the cabins are comfortable and
are kept very clean.
By steamer it is nearly three hundred miles
from Buenos Aires to Rosario, the second city
in the republic, and takes just about a whole
day. The great delta of the Parana, just above
The River of Silver 79
the metropolis, is very interesting, for it is
studded with numerous islands. There are
several ports on the left bank where large fri-
gorificos, meat-freezing plants, are located,
where vessels may be seen at the docks at all
times waiting for their loads of beef and mut-
ton. The largest of these is at Campafia, only
fifty-one miles from Buenos Aires, where the
River Plate Meat Co. has its freezing works.
At Zarate is the freezing plant of the Las
Palmas Produce Co., and at San Nicolas is
another large frigorifico. At last Rosario,
which used to be an unimportant place, is
reached, but that designation would not answer
for the hustling city of to-day.
Soon after leaving Rosario the river passes
through the rich wheat belt, with the province
of Entre Rios on one side of the bank and
Santa Fe on the other. For a distance the
banks of the Parana are quite high on one side,
but they gradually become lower. At length
the town of Parana, a city of twenty-five thou-
sand inhabitants, and the capital of the prov-
ince of Entre Rios, is reached. It is the dis-
tributing point for quite a large section of
country and a shipping port for the products
as well.
80 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Opposite Parana is the city of Santa Fe, cap-
ital of the province of the same name, which is
of about the same importance as its rival on
the other side of the river. The river leads
up past La Paz and Esquma, at which latter
place the province of Corrientes is entered.
The city of Corrientes contains a population
of about twenty thousand, and is a distributing
and shipping point for that province. It is
not a pretty city at all and has nothing to dis-
tinguish it. Here a change must be made to
boats of lighter draught, for there are rapids
between this city and Posadas that will not per-
mit a draught of more than three feet in the
dry season. It is only about twenty miles to
the junction of the Paraguay River, and is two
hundred and twenty-five miles from Corrientes
to Posadas, the capital of the territory of Misi-
ones. It is the collecting depot for the up-
river trade above this point, and is a thriving
little city of about six thousand inhabitants.
The Parana becomes grander and more pic-
turesque the farther up one ascends it. Its
quiet picturesqueness grows upon the traveller.
It is hemmed in between the hills of Paraguay,
on one side, and those of Misiones on the other.
Its width, hitherto anywhere from two to five
The River of Silver 81
miles, suddenly shrinks to two-thirds of a mile,
and its depth increases. The well-wooded
ranges of hills slope to a current running five
knots an hour. A graceful line of waving bam^
boo marks the mean height of the river and
is only broken by the many streams which come
tumbling down. You are travelling toward the
equator, and the vegetation changes. The
trees become still larger, and the grass is more
luxuriant. Many varieties of palms make their
appearance. A thousand miles from Rosario
is the junction with the Iguassii River, and a
few miles from its mouth are the famous falls
of the same name. They are on the boundary
line between Brazil and Argentina, and only
a few miles away from the border of Paraguay.
At some imaginary point on the broad Parana,
in the midst of these vast solitudes, these three
republics meet.
The Falls of the Iguassii, which here lie half
concealed by the crowding forests, are a worthy
rival of Niagara. The scenery surrounding is,
in its lone loveliness, in harmony with the sol-
emn grandeur of the cataract. The roar of
the waterfall is all the more impressive because
of the solitude that reigns in these primeval
forests. These falls cover a wide area, as they
82 Argentina and Her People of To-day
are nearly two miles in length. They are so
great that they must be viewed from several
points before their full magnitude dawns upon
the traveller. They plunge out of the hidden
recesses of the forest in many places, for nu-
merous islands have been formed which are
now densely wooded. Nature here seems to
have revelled in perfect abandon in producing
this wonderful spectacle. It is like another
Niagara set out in the midst of a wilderness,
where the hand of man has done nothing to
add to or detract from what nature has here
prepared for the delectation of mankind.
The falls may be divided into two sections,
the Argentine and Brazilian cascades. The
Iguassii River is very wide just above the falls
where it takes a very sharp turn prior to ma-
king the first plunge. It makes a series of three
leaps, the last being a drop exceeding two hun-
dred feet. The unequal erosion of the rock
has given the falls a horseshoe shape very sim-
ilar to Niagara. Below the falls the water
passes through a narrow gorge where the depth
is so great that a hundred fathom line has
failed to sound it. The natives call it bottom-
less. In 1905, during an unusually severe rainy
season, the water rose so high here, because of
The River of Silver 83
the narrowness of the gorge, that for five days
it was backed up to the total height of the low-
est falls, two hundred and ten feet.
Ascending the Alta Parana, another one hun-
dred and twenty-five miles, one reaches the
smoking cataracts of La Guayra. So scored
are the river's banks on either side by cascade
and torrents that it might be called ' ' waterfall
land.'' The Falls of La Guayra are another
series of mighty cascades on the border be-
tween Paraguay and Brazil. Above the falls
is a great lake all of the waters of which must
pass over these precipices and through a nar-
row gorge. At one point it is only two hundred
feet from cliff to cliff. The current piles up
in the centre with a corkscrew motion which
forms a maelstrom, with which the famous
Whirlpool Rapids are a quiet pool. The total
plunge of these falls is three hundred and ten
feet. Above the La Guayra the Alta Parana
widens out and the hills retreat. At a distance
of four hundred miles, or a total distance of
one thousand six hundred and forty miles from
Buenos Aires, are the Uberaponga Falls, an-
other frantic water power awaiting the har-
nessing by man. One can follow this stream
on up to its source in a flat, swampy section,
84 Argentina and Her People of To-day
which is also the source of one of the principal
affluents of the Amazon. It drains a very large
section of Brazil, for, because of the range of
mountains which follows the coast line in
Brazil, water falling within a few miles of the
Atlantic turns its back on the blue waters of
the ocean and journeys from fifteen hundred to
two thousand miles before entering salt water
by means of the La Plata.
The route up the Uruguay River is much
more picturesque than that up the Parana.
This majestic stream is about six miles wide
at its junction with the latter river. It is some-
what less obstructed by islands here, so that
both banks can usually be seen. And yet this
great stream has moods, as well as other rivers.
The current in its main channel will oftentimes
change. It will encroach here and recede there,
submerge an island in one place and form a
new one in another. After a long drouth nav-
igation must be conducted with caution, but
the normal depth is generally sufficient for all
purposes. During times of flood all kinds of
strange small animals and vegetation are
brought down by the Uruguay. The water is
decidedly clay coloured. On one side is the
flat Argentine plain, and on the other the undu-
The River of Silver 85
lating shores of Uruguay, for this river is the
international boundary line between these two
republics. Small topsail schooners may be seen
coming down the river loaded with timber or
fruit, and bound either for Montevideo or
Buenos Aires. Farther up the stream con-
tracts and one gets a more intimate acquaint-
ance with the country. The banks shrink back
and reveal a glimpse of flowering shrubs, wil-
low trees, and an occasional palm. A stretch
of bright, sandy beach may occasionally unfold
itself. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish
shore from island. Buoys mark the channel,
which is very much zigzag. The sunsets on
these broad waters and flat pampas are really
wonderful. They paint the clouds in every
colour and shade of rosy pink and brilliant red,
and the waters become of a bluish hue. The
cliffs on the Uruguay side are tinted in many
colours, while the Argentine bank is nothing
but a straight, black line.
The boats stop on either side. One hundred
and thirty miles from Buenos Aires, and on the
Uruguay side, is the town of Fray Bentos,
where the great Liebig's Extract Factory is
located. On the opposite side and a little fur-
ther up is Concepcion del Uruguay, which is
S6 Argentina and Her People of To-day
an interesting little town. The busiest and
most important town of Argentina on the Uru-
guay River is Concordia, two hundred and sev-
enty miles from the metropolis. It is a town
of perhaps fifteen thousand inhabitants, and
has railway communication as well. Because
of a falls and rapids at this point the large
river steamers cannot proceed beyond Con-
cordia, although light draught boats can as-
cend considerably farther.
Between the Parana and Uruguay Rivers lie
the two goodly-sized provinces of Entre Rios
and Corrientes, and the territory of Misiones.
The two provinces are each about the size of
Indiana, and are rich in agricultural lands.
Wheat was first successfully cultivated in
Entre Rios, and these provinces still produce
large quantities of grain as well as much stock.
Each one has a population of about a third of
a million and it is increasing each year. A
number of colonies have been established there
which have been quite successful. Corrientes
contains several swampy lakes which cover
many hundreds of square miles. A part of
the year the greater part of these lakes is dry
and then furnishes excellent pasturage. Their
worst feature is that they are the breeding
The River of Silver 87
places of the tick and other pests to stock. A
good system of drainage might make these
lands invaluable. It also possesses one large
body of water, called Lake Ibera.
Misiones is a little larger than Massachu-
setts, and has a population not exceeding
thirty-five thousand. Its lands are fertile, but
the climate is more tropical and it has not been
developed so rapidly as the other sections of
the country. It is the only province in Argen-
tina that shares the tropical conditions of
Southern Brazil. The name was derived from
its settlement by the Jesuits after they were
expelled from Brazil. For a time their colo-
nies were very prosperous and thousands of
Indians were gathered together at Apostoles,
Santa Ana and San Ignacio. The work was all
done by the Indians under the direction of the
priests. The ruins of San Ignacio, which was
established in the sixteenth century, and which
can still be traced in the forest growth, show
the solidity with which the place was built.
Many ruins of the houses can still be seen, each
one with a niche in which was placed the statue
of a saint. New settlements of Eussians and
Poles have recently been established in this
territory which give promise of success. There
88 Argentina and Her People of To-day
is much rich virgin land awaiting development
in forest-covered Misiones. Yerha mate, to-
bacco, mandioca and sugar-cane grow in great
abundance.
Proceeding up the Paraguay River from its
junction with the Alta Parana it is about two
hundred miles to Asuncion. The river twists
around over its wide bed in a very capricious
manner, and in flood times spreads over thou-
sands of square miles of the llanos, or plains.
One can travel several hundred miles farther
by small steamers up into the great state of
Matto Grosso, Brazil, which is twice as large
as Texas, and perhaps of equal fertility. The
unoccupied grazing lands of that state will,
some day, support millions of cattle that
will be demanded by earth's teeming mil-
lions.
Flowing into the Paraguay River from the
west in Argentina are two rivers, the Bermejo
and Pilcomayo, the latter of which is the inter-
national boundary line with Paraguay for a
long distance. Each of these rivers is more
than five hundred miles in length. The Ber-
mejo River is entirely within Argentine terri-
tory. It is exceedingly tortuous and its actual
length is about three times as great as the real
The River of Silver 89
distance between its source and its mouth.
Small steamers can navigate it for at least half
of its length.
Between these two rivers and extending
across the Paraguay River into Paraguay lies
what is known as the Gran Chaco. This is a
broad plain, alternating with forest, which in-
cludes thousands of square miles of territory.
It is the least known of Argentine territory,
because of the difficulties of travel, and also
because of the fact that wild and savage Indi-
ans who lead a nomadic existence are still to
be found in certain sections. It was a mysteri-
ous and strange country to the early explorers.
Into this wilderness the natives fled, and both
fancy and imagination peopled it with all man-
ner of strange wild beasts. The territorial
boundaries were never definitely settled, until
President Hayes, acting as arbitrator, fixed the
boundaries between Paraguay and Argentina.
These vast leagues are now divided into two
territories, Formosa and Chaco. The former
is almost as large as Ohio and the latter equals
Illinois. In the two territories the reported
population is about one person to each ^ve
square miles. There are many curious phe-
nomena in the Chaco. The edges between plain
90 Argentina and Her People of To-day
and woodland are as clearly cut and as straight
as if a surveyor had done the work. In fact
the line of demarkation is drawn with remark-
able exactitude. On one side will be a forest,
and on the other the smooth plain stretches out
with not a tree upon it to break the severity of
the contrast. In other places there will be only
palm trees, with not a single specimen of an-
other species for variety. It is a land of
strange watercourses. Broad streams that
have ploughed all the way from the Andes in
the full light of day burrow beneath the ground
in the Chaco and continue their course under-
ground. During heavy rainfalls it is claimed
that small fish descend from the clouds. Fish
eight or ten inches in length will be found in
pools after showers, where there had been no
water, and the ground had been in a parched
condition for months. Do they lie imbedded
in the earth like frogs? Are these fish amphib-
ious? These questions have not yet been an-
swered. It is a fact that there are many odd
phases of nature in this little known section
of Argentina; the same character is found in
a goodly part of Paraguay, and it even extends
up into Brazil.
The forest section of the Chaco is not a dense
The River of Silver 91
growth like the tropical forests. The trees do
not stand close together; and the spaces be-
tween are not impenetrable, although some
underbrush and tall grasses impede the way.
Yet a man on horseback can easily thread his
way through them. The only inhabitants are
the Indians and half-breeds, the latter of whom
are only partially civilized. Their homes are
mud huts of a single room where the entire
household, irrespective of age and sex, lodge.
The Chaco abounds in game of many kinds.
Partridges, wood-pigeons and snipe are very
plentiful, and almost every species of water
fowl in addition. A species of wild turkey is
also to be met with, which affords most excel-
lent sport as well as eating. The osprey, whose
plumes are so much in demand, is a native of
this land. The tapir, ant-eater, wild pig, ja-
guar and the lone wolf — a creature that has
never been known to live in captivity — are
found here in their native wilds. Poisonous
snakes are very common, and huge pythons are
occasionally encountered in the swamps. It is
the innumerable insects, however, that make
life almost unbearable for the white man, for
he is subjected to both diurnal and nocturnal
torture by the hordes of these pests.
92 Argentina and Her People of To-day
At the present time this section is chiefly ex-
ploited for the quebracho wood. This is a very
hard, fine-grained and tough wood. It was so
named from the words quiebra-hacha, the axe-
breaker, and was well named, for it does defy
ordinary axes and saws. It is a tree found
only in the Chaco. There are two varieties, the
Colorado (red) and bianco (white), of which
the former is the most valuable. From this
tree are made railroad ties which will last for
thirty years, and it is the richest in tannin ex-
tract of any tree yet discovered.
The quebracho tree usually stands out by
itself and is easily discernible at a distance,
both from the character of its bark and the
peculiar formation of its branches. Four or
five trees to the acre is about the average yield.
The tree is tall, two or three feet in diameter,
and is crowned by a rather thin, oval mass of
branches and leaves. The leaves are oval,
smooth and shiny, and it is only partially de-
ciduous. It lives to a great age, but also grows
quite rapidly, so that it can be cultivated in the
future as necessity demands. Formerly this
tree was sought only by the railroads for their
sleepers. About fifteen years ago it was found
to be full of tannin, and, as oak bark was be-
The River of Silver 93
coming scarce, this demand was rapidly devel-
oped and now forms the principal use for que-
bracho. Not only the bark yields tannin, but
the sap and wood as well. The bark contains
about eight per cent, of tannin, the sap three
or four per cent., and the heart of the tree will
yield as high as twenty-five per cent, of this
essence so necessary to the tanner. It is a dif-
ficult and expensive product to market because
of the remoteness of the forests and scattered
character of the trees. In many places narrow
gauged railroads and spurs have been run out
through these trackless wastes in order to bring
the logs to the mills or rivers. Otherwise it
would be slow work, for during a large part
of the year the roads are almost impassable
and oxen suffer much from the climate and
insects. These light railways have been found
to be by far the most economical means of get-
ting the logs to market. One company owns
four million acres of the Chaco, and is pre-
pared to cut logs into sleepers, make fence
posts, or prepare it into tannin extract, which-
ever offers the most profit. There is a big and
constantly increasing demand for all. The in-
crease in construction of the Argentine rail-
ways makes a demand for sleepers, and failure
94 Argentina and Her People of To-day
of other sources of supply gives an ever widen-
ing market for the tannin extract.
Some of the railways in the Chaco end at
the rivers, where the logs are loaded on boats
and taken down to Rosario or Buenos Aires.
Small sawmills are now found way out in the
Chaco far from civilization. Other companies
have their factories in the Chaco district, where
the whole work is done and the extract pre-
pared for shipment. This substance is known
in the markets as *' Quebracho Extract.'' It
is easily manufactured where the proper ma-
chinery has been installed. The wood is passed
through a machine which cuts it into shavings
and the smallest possible chips. These are col-
lected into immense kettles, where it is treated
by chemical processes until all the tannin has
been removed. After this the fluid is reduced
by evaporation to a thick, jelly-like mass which
is poured into sacks, where it is finally dried
into the substance sold in commerce. Some of
the companies engaged in this business have
been capitalized for very large sums, and con-
siderable towns have grown up around their
establishments. Civilization and development
have followed the construction of the railroads
here as everywhere.
AN INDIAN WOMAN OF THE GRAN CHACO
i
The River of Silver 95
In 1895 the first exportation of quebracho
extract is recorded from the River Plate. In
that year it was four hundred tons only. By
1902 it had reached nine thousand tons, and
now the annual export exceeds thirty thousand
tons. Of this enormous export the United
States takes fully sixty-five per cent.
There are several thousand Indians who live
in the Grran Chaco, and they comprise a num-
ber of tribes, all of whom, however, have the
same general characteristics. These Indians
are absolutely unlettered, and they have devel-
oped no civilization or institution of their own.
Furthermore, they have the reputation of being
treacherous and cruel, and many small parties
of whites have been treacherously murdered.
They are perhaps the most barbarous of any
Indians in South America. Others of the same
tribes inhabit the Chaco of Paraguay. It is
said by those who have made a study of them
that these Chaco aborigines are more ignorant
and much less tractable than any of the natives
of Patagonia.
They dwell along the rivers in this great wil-
derness in the simplest kind of abodes, and
away from the settlements wear practically no
clothing whatever. One distinguishing feature
96 Argentina and Her People of To-day
is the habit of tattooing the skin, which is very
common. Not only the warriors, but the women
as well, indulge in this custom, which, in their
opinion, beautifies them. At first glance these
tattoo marks oftentimes resemble the markings
of smallpox, but a closer inspection shows that
it is all in geometrical design. It is effected by
pricking the skin with a big thorn, dipped in an
acrid milky substance obtained from a plant
that grows near there, and whicli leaves an in-
delible mark wherever it touches. It is absorbed
by the epidermic tissue. This juice is obtained
by breaking off the clusters of flowers of the
plant, called the iguoqui, and this milky sub-
stance then exudes from the stem. It is used
as it comes out of the stem, for it must be fresh.
The Indians are also almost hairless on the
face and body, due to the habit of depilation of
the skin. This latter characteristic is in com-
mon with our American red men, and the tattoo-
ing takes the place of paint.
Horrible tales are told of these Cliaco Indians
and their murder of travellers. On the other
hand numerous instances are known where they
have saved the lives of white men and tenderly
ministered to their wants. They have been ac-
cused of being cannibals, and probably were in
The River of Silver 97
the past. '' I have seen them drink the blood
of animals killed for our use with avidity/' says
an Argentine writer. They do not live exclu-
sively on meat, but also eat roots and wild
fruits, and the wild honey which is found in
abundance. From fruits and honey they also
make fermented drinks, of which they are very
fond. They are nomadic, and wander from one
place to another in quest of game and fruit.
They have few domesticated animals, such as
the dog and horse. They neither understand
nor practise agriculture, although they some-
times plant little patches of corn or sugar-cane,
which they have learned from the priests. They
barter a little among themselves, but of trade
in general they know nothing, and so they beg
of travellers whom they meet instead of offer-
ing to trade. It is said they cannot even count
above four. In medicine they resort to sorcery
and incantations rather than to any curative
herbs.
Polygamy is permitted among these Indians,
but is not commonly practised. The portion of
women is very much as with the red men, for
to them falls the hard work of the home. If
her husband dies the wife mourns for a year,
and it is not proper for her to marry again
98 Argentina and Her People of To-day
during that time. She -even refuses to converse
and walks apart from all the others. The dead
are burned by some tribes and buried by others.
Those tribes who bury always place a gourd
of water by the grave. This is both for the
deceased and his friends, who come to visit the
grave, and is probably due to a fraternal and
hospitable idea in this land where a drink of
refreshing water is sometimes more welcome
than food.
I
CHAPTER V
THE GAEDEN OF THE REPUBLIC
The second city in Argentina is Eosario de
Santa Fe. It is the Chicago of Argentina, for
it is the chief wheat market, and is about as
far inland as Pittsburg. It is connected with
Buenos Aires by two branches of the Central
Railway, as well as river communication. Ro-
sario is to a great extent a replica of the na-
tional capital on a much smaller scale. The
streets all cross each other at right angles.
One-storied buildings predominate everywhere,
and I do not believe that there is a structure
which exceeds three stories in the city. Even
in the business section one story is the general
rule. In the way of municipal improvement
Rosario is up to date, and contains all the ad-
vantages of the metropolis except population.
There are a number of plazas after the usual
style, and a beautiful park adorns one section
of the city. Electric light and cars serve the
entire city, so that in physical comforts Ro-
100 Argentina and Her People of To-day
sario is not behind similar cities in Europe,
or North America. There is quite a consider-
able foreign colony and each one boasts its club
where the members can meet, eat, drink and be
merry. Although Rosario is almost two cen-
turies old, it was an obscure little village up to
a generation ago. In the past ten years it has
doubled its population.
As a commercial centre Rosario is of great
importance. Tapping the greater portion of
the rich provinces of Cordoba and Santa Fe,
it receives enormous quantities of wheat and
other cereals as well as live stock. It is acces-
sible to ocean-going steamers, and hundreds of
vessels leave it each year loaded with food for
the millions of Europe. The Parana River at
this point is nearly a mile wide, and is an im-
posing, if not beautiful, stream of water. The
river has cut its channel down into the soil to
such a depth that the bluffs upon which Rosario
is built stand about sixty feet high. Ware-
houses line these bluffs, and the wheat is trans-
ferred to the waiting vessels below by gravity.
Each warehouse has a long chute running down
to the river bank through which the grain is
poured. It has been bagged on the estancias
and is shipped in the same bags to Europe. As
The Garden of the Republic 101
soon as a bag touches the chute it speeds down
the inclined plane into the waiting vessel. The
bags follow one another in quick succession.
At harvest time the wheat often becomes con-
gested at this port.
Large port works have been constructed so
that the docks have accommodation for a
goodly number of boats, although not compar-
ing at all with Buenos Aires in extent. From
here the river lines carry passengers up and
down the Parana for hundreds of miles, and
then they branch off to the Paraguay and Alta
Parana. Quite a network of railway lines also
converge at Rosario, and altogether it is a hus-
tling and busy place.
The large and rich province of Santa Fe is
second in importance only to that of Buenos
Aires. It is long and narrow, being several
hundred miles in length from its northern to
its southern boundary, and is almost as large
as England. The capital of the province is the
city of Santa Fe. For a long time this little
city was an unimportant place, even though it
was the provincial capital. To-day it is, after
almost three hundred and fifty years of exist-
ence, a place of about twenty-five thousand in-
habitants. It is proposed to deepen the channel
102 Argentina and Her People of To-day
so that ocean-going steamers can reach this
port, but this project will not be done before
* ^ to-morrow. ' ' The northern part of this prov-
ince partakes of the character of the Chaco and
is undeveloped. At least three-fourths of the
state, however, is rich land, well suited for the
cultivation of cereals, which form the principal
product, and have contributed most to the
wealth. There is usually sufficient rain in this
province, but its nearness to the Chaco makes
it subject to a visitation which is almost equal
in its destructive qualities to that of the
drouth.
The farmer everywhere thinks that he has
his full share of troubles. But the American
farmer has never had to contend with the lo-
custs to the extent that frequently befalls the
Argentinian. One who has never seen a plague
of locusts can scarcely appreciate the troubles
undergone by Pharaoh when the clouds of lo-
custs appeared as a punishment for his diso-
bedience. The farmer in Argentina, however,
can heartily sympathize with the Egyptian
king, and, like him, would be willing to do or
promise almost anything to secure relief from
this enemy to his peace and prosperity. Dur-
ing the past season these abominable insects
The Garden of the Republic 103
destroyed millions of dollars' worth of grain
in that republic, and roused the people to
greater efforts than ever to find some means of
exterminating them. In travelling across the
country last winter, which is their summer, I
saw thousands of acres of corn absolutely
stripped of all the leaves, and millions upon
millions of the winged locusts were visible from
the train, so thick in places as to almost cast a
shadow.
The locust is blessed, or cursed, with a vora-
cious and unquenchable appetite. This appe-
tite is perhaps equalled in extent only by the
hatred with which it is regarded by the farmer.
Prior to 1905 Argentina had not had a scourge
of locusts for several years, but since that time
they have come almost every year. The first
intimation of their approach is usually in Oc-
tober, when a few flying locusts will appear
coming from the north. These seem to be the
advance guard, for in a few days they are fol-
lowed by increasing hordes, until the clouds of
insects are so thick that they obscure the sun
like passing clouds. Although these locusts are
so numerous they do not do so much damage,
as they are migrating and do not stay in one
place long. A farmer may wake up some nice
104 Argentina and Her People of To-day
morning and find his beautiful shade trees
stripped almost bare by the locusts that have
alighted during the night. But in a day or two
these will be gone, although others may follow.
Future trouble has been laid up for him, how-
ever, for eggs have been laid by the millions.
These are usually deposited in a small hole
which has been bored down in a bare space of
ground.
With the advent of the young locusts about
six weeks later the real troubles of the farmer
have begun, and matters begin to wear a serious
aspect. The little gaudy-coloured creatures,
with their yellow, green and black bodies and
red legs, are shaped very much like grasshop-
pers. They cannot yet fly, and for that reason
remain as the guests of the landowner for sev-
eral weeks while they are awaiting their final
development. They pass slowly along, jumping
in grasshopper fashion from stem to stem, or
leaf to leaf. They cling in clusters to each leaf
and stem like a devouring army, and stay there
until it is absolutely bare. The extent of the
damage which they are able to inflict can be
seen by inspecting a corn field after their visit.
The transformation is as marvellous as it is
tragic. Every shred of the rich, luxuriant
The Garden of the Republic 105
leaves and tassels has disappeared, and only
the thin, bare stalks, shivering and desolate,
remain. Even the houses will be invaded by
these unpleasant creatures (beasts, the English-
man would say), and to say that they are un-
welcome but mildly expresses the real feeling
of the farmer who sees the fruit of his toil thus
disappearing before the hordes with insatiable
appetites. The only vegetable growth that will
not be touched, except as a last resort, is the
Paraiso tree. They will eat everything else
first, and only fall back upon the leaves and
bark of this tree when all other food has
failed.
In about six weeks the wings have developed
and the ^* hoppers '' become ^^ fliers." Their
bodies have waxed fatter, but their colouring
has become sobered. Then flights will again
become noticeable. A swarm will sometimes re-
semble a vast smoke-cloud from a burning city
or straw stack. They will oftentimes settle on
the boughs of limbs in such quantities as to
cause the limbs to bend and crack beneath their
weight. Carriages, trucks and the fronts of
locomotives will be thickly coated with the frag-
ments of the bodies of the insects, which they
have killed. In such armies, where numbers are
106 Argentina and Her People of To-day
countless, casualties go for nothing. A trifling
loss of a few thousand or a few millions is only
a drop in the ocean. You might as well try to
stop a cloud passing across the sky by shooting
at it as a swarm of these insects.
One newspaper account, which I saw, re-
ported: '' The north and centre of Entre Rios
are simply covered with locusts both in the hop-
per and flying stages. The city of Parana was
invaded by a swarm calculated to be nine miles
in front and several miles in depth, and so thick
that the sun was partially obscured. Other
cities are hurriedly being enclosed with screens
in order to keep the locusts at bay. In places
they have completely devastated the vineyards,
orchards and maize. In many places a cry of
desperation is heard. In the province of Santa
Fe swarms of fliers passed Santa Isabel bearing
east; enormous swarms passed General Lopez
proceeding west ; Monte Vera reports the pas-
sage of fliers towards the north and south. The
work of destruction goes on successfully. To-
day between Zarate, Pilar and Campana were
destroyed sixty-eight thousand kilos (more than
seventy-four tons) of saltona (hoppers).''
The farmer is in a quandary what to do.
If he had only a hundred acres to look after
The Garden of the Republic 107
it would not be so difficult, but none of them
have fewer than thousands of acres. How to
secure the labour to drive these locusts is a
difficult problem.
The government has passed laws requiring
each landowner to maintain men to fight the
locusts, on the basis of about one to each thou-
sand acres. If this is not done the owner is
fined. The general method is to dig pitfalls
three or four feet deep, the outer edge of which
is protected by overlapping sheets of corru-
gated iron. These traps run out for some dis-
tance. The locusts, while still in the hopping
stage, are driven towards this trap until these
pits are oftentimes nearly filled up with their
bodies. They are then covered up with a coat-
ing of earth, and they die very quickly. If this
work is thoroughly done it is quite efficacious,
but it is oftentimes difficult to get sufficient
labour, for it is unpleasant work because of the
nauseating odour from the bodies of the crushed
locusts. Unless the work is systematically and
thoroughly done, however, it does not have
much effect, for a few millions will not be
missed. If one man does his work well, and his
neighbour is indifferent to his duty, then his
work is for naught, as they will soon swarm
108 Argentina and Her People of To-day
over his land again from his neighbour 's fields.
United effort alone is efficacious, and that is
what the government is endeavouring to either
induce or compel the people to do. It has a com-
mission at work studying this and other insect
pests, and the best way to exterminate them.
The source of these insects is not positively
known. They come from the north, in what is
known as the Chaco, which is a vast wilderness
little known, and covering tens of thousands of
square miles. Some think that they come from
the state of Matto Grosso, in Brazil, which is
an empire in itself just north of the Chaco.
Accurate knowledge of the location of their
hatcheries is yet wanting. The insect is for-
tunate in having chosen the wild and unex-
plored portion of the country for its home.
The wisest and surest method of getting rid of
these locusts, in my opinion, would be to search
out this place and destroy them there. In that
way it might be possible within a very few
years to absolutely rid the country from this
scourge of locusts as it is to-day.
No one knows any good purpose that the
locust serves unless a chastening against pride
and vain glory. They are relished by the os-
triches and poultry, who devour them greed-
The Garden of the Republic 109
ily. Chickens will enjoy a hearty meal upon
them, but the result is that the eggs are ruined
for edible purposes. The interior becomes
dark, almost a wine colour, and they are given
a fishy flavour, which is altogether unpalatable.
Thus the malice of the locust towards man holds
fast even in death, and makes him useless as
food for the fowls which frequent every barn-
yard. It is little wonder that the far-reaching
cry comes up from Argentina for help and de-
liverance from this awful pest.
Adjoining Santa Fe on the west is the still
larger province of Cordoba. The eastern part
of this province is level, but the surface begins
to rise and is broken here and there by ridges
and hills. During the summer season many
seek the hills of Cordoba to escape the heat
of the summer. There is a fine train service
from Buenos Aires to Cordoba. This city is
about two hundred and forty-six miles beyond
Rosario. The Central Argentine runs through
trains and makes the trip in about sixteen
hours. The railway reaches the hills quite a
while before the city of Cordoba is sighted,
and there are a couple of little branches
that run to Alta Gracia and Rio Segundo re-
spectively, each of which boasts a summer
110 Argentina and Her People of To-day
colony. The former is quite noted as a health
resort.
The city of Cordoba is the capital of the
province of the same name, and one of the most
important commercial towns of the republic.
It is situated at an elevation of fourteen hun-
dred feet and has a population of almost fifty
thousand. It lies in a hollow, and can hardly
be seen by the incoming traveller until almost
upon the town itself. The woods and hills, with
the Eio Primero (first river), in the fore-
ground, make a very pretty picture. Cordoba
has always been noted for its university, which
was granting learned degrees long before our
own universities were even thought of ; and it
has been granting them continuously ever
since. It is also a strong centre of Catholicism,
and has more priests in proportion to the popu-
lation than any other city of Argentina. The
public buildings are all very creditable, of
which the University, Cathedral, National Col-
lege, Normal School and government buildings
are the principal. There is quite a noted ob-
servatory located on a nearby height, which is
under the control of the national government.
Its first director was a North American. The
work accomplished by this observatory has re-
^he Garden of the Republic 111
ceived high praise from both Europe and
America, and has aided much in the work of
studying the southern heavens. There are sev-
eral pretty squares and promenades. The
many hotels are filled with a well dressed
crowd of people in summer, and much of the
fashion of the capital is transferred to this
place for a few weeks.
From Cordoba the Cordoba Central Railway
conveys the traveller through a not very
thickly settled country and across some salty
marshes to the fair city of Tucuman, which is
situated in what is called the garden spot of the
republic. This city is about the same elevation
and has about the same temperature as Cor-
doba. ^* Have you seen Tucuman? '^ is a ques-
tion usually asked of the foreigner, for the
Argentinians look upon this city and district
with a pardonable pride. Here is the effusive
description of a native writer, who becomes
poetic in dwelling upon the beauties of this
favoured city.
*^ Tucuman! thou the most beautiful
among thy sisters, all hail to thee! Whether
I contemplate the level plain or lift up my eyes
to the lofty mountains encircling thee on the
side of the Circola Massimo or the Occaso, my
112 Argentina and Her People of To-day
soul is thrilled with delight and admiration.
Nature, who has been somewhat niggardly to
thy companions, has lavished her gifts on thee,
her favoured one, because thou wert beautiful
and beloved! To thee she has given the vast
plain of the Pampa, and bounded it with a
semicircle of hills so as to welcome the Alisian
winds, that in return for thy hospitality, en-
rich thee with the life-giving elements gathered
in their wanderings over numberless Alpine
heights, and fraternize with thy river, called
by thee the Fondo, but changing its name over
and over again, according to the caprice of the
friendly lands whose bosoms it fertilizes. And
if the sun shines on thee with burning rays, his
heat is tempered by the moisture dropping
from the clouds as they are rent by elec-
tricity, with sudden explosion, or prolonged
thunder.
** Hence thy soil is verdant in the winter,
and in spring is adorned with innumerable
flowers — a treasure-house of exotics — giving
place one to the other for thy embellishment
during half the year ; and in the summer and
autumn thou gatherest abundantly the fruits
of a few growths. ' *
The city is laid out in the usual checker-
The Garden of the Republic 113
board fashion, with extremely narrow streets.
In a public hall here the declaration of inde-
pendence was signed on the 9th of July, 1816.
There are a number of large churches, a cathe-
dral and several schools. The spiritual wel-
fare of the people is not neglected through lack
of opportunity to attend service. There is a
public library, a theatre, etc. It is an ancient
town, having been founded in what was then a
remote district, in 1585. It is in sight of some
very high peaks of the Andes, although a con-
siderable distance away. Tucuman is in the
centre of a rich sugar district, there being
about thirty sugar factories at work. Almost
one hundred thousand tons of sugar have been
produced in a single year, in addition to large
quantities of alcohol. Rice growing is also
quite a feature of this district. The soil is
carefully cultivated and irrigation is resorted
to by many of the planters, for an abundance of
water is easily obtained. The climate is what
might be termed semi-tropical. Tucuman is
the last city of any size or great importance in
the northwestern provinces.
North of Tucuman are the provinces of Salta
and Jujuy, both of which reach to the borders
of Bolivia. To the west of Tucuman lie the
114 Argentina and Her People of To-day
provinces of Rioja and Catamarca, as well as
the territory of Los Andes, all of which border
Chile. These are all mountainous states, but
they are neither small nor unimportant. The
smallest one is as large as Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Maryland, and the largest
one, Salta, is nearly as large as all of New
England. The altitude of the towns varies
from Rioja, the capital of the province of the
same name, at an altitude of only seventeen
hundred feet, to Jujuy, capital of that prov-
ince, which lies four thousand two hundred and
seventy feet above sea level, and is the highest
city in the republic. Jujuy is distant just about
one thousand miles from Buenos Aires by rail-
road, and is at the foot of the spurs of the
range of mountains that reach up into Bolivia.
Although so near the Tropic of Capricorn yet
the elevation prevents the extreme heat that
prevails in the lowlands during the summer,
while the freezing point is never reached in
winter. The scenery in the neighbourhood of
this city is really beautiful, for hill and valley,
wood and plain all contribute to make up an
enchanting landscape. When the connection
with the Bolivian railway is completed this city
will be on another transcontinental line from
The Garden of the Republic 115
the Atlantic to the Pacific. The territory of
Los Andes, in the extreme northwestern corner
of the country, is the most mountainous section
and is very little known.
The provinces of Cordoba and Santa Fe are
the home of many beautiful birds. One of
the most gorgeous of humming-birds is to be
found here. Its body is green streaked with
gold, with a vivid scarlet tail. A common song
bird is the Men te veo (I see you well), so
named because its song is supposed to repre-
sent those words. The call, which is an ex-
tremely musical one, is repeated over and over
again. It is brightly coloured and is a species
of thrush. The oven-bird is a favourite bird
and is looked upon much as the robin with us.
It is chiefly remarkable for its nest, which is
built of mud and is entered by a doorway. The
nests are usually built upon any convenient
post, and in places one will find half of the tele-
phone and telegraph posts surmounted by one
of these nests. It is a common saying that the
oven-bird will not, under any consideration,
build its nest on a Sunday.
There are many birds of the vulture tribe in
Argentina. Patagonia is especially a wonder-
ful country for these birds of prey. Of these
116 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the chinango is a small carrion-liawk of a
brown-gray colour. Another is the carancho,
which is very common throughout the Camp.
This bird is a dark brown with a light band
across the wings. These two birds prefer car-
rion, but will attack enfeebled and helpless
small animals such as hares or lambs.
" Next comes the condor, awful bird,
On the mountains' highest tops,
Has been known to eat up boys and girls
And then to lick its chops."
Thus runs the nursery rhyme about the chief
of the larger army of the vulture tribe, which
is common in the states adjacent to the Andes.
Seen against the pale blue of the sky, swerving
in graceful circles at a great height amidst the
inner solitudes of the Andine peaks, its stately
flight and grand spread of motionless wing
make it seem like a noble bird. On a nearer
view it shares the repulsive appearance of all
birds that feed on dead animal flesh. Eagles
are scarce in the Andes, and the condors take
their place. They are difficult to approach un-
less they are gorged so that they cannot fly.
Their size is enormous. One writer tells of
killing one in Patagonia that measured nine
The Garden of the Republic 117
feet, three inches across the outstretched
pinions, and some of even greater size are re-
ported. They are sometimes four feet long
from tip of beak to tail. They hatch their
young amid the snow-covered crags at an alti-
tude of twenty thousand feet, so it is said, for
they can endure a temperature which renders
human existence impossible.
These birds, which fly so high that they be-
come mere specks on the intense blue of the
skies, exceed the vulture in their ability to dis-
cover a dead carcass. It has been said that
they will follow a mule train a long distance
waiting for a disabled animal to be left behind.
If a sick animal, large or small, is found they
will immediately pluck out the eyes, and then
wait for the animal to die before eating it.
They fly so high that it is impossible to shoot
them, and the only way to kill the condor is to
place a dead animal as a decoy and then lay in
ambush until the birds appear. It is one thing
to admire these birds wheeling in graceful cir-
cles on quiescent wing, but it would be quite an-
other for the lonely and helpless traveller out
among the hills where no help was near. Long
before aid could come this powerful and un-
scrupulous bird might discover the helpless
118 Argentina and Her People of To-day-
one. These gigantic birds have been tamed
when captured at a sufficiently early age. Some
have found them interesting pets, but their im-
mense size soon makes their presence very un-
desirable around the house and farmyard.
Argentina is undoubtedly rich in mineral
deposits which have as yet scarcely been
touched. All along the Andes, from Bolivia,
herself extremely rich in the precious metals,
to Tierra del Fuego, traces of silver, gold and
copper have been found. The indifference to
the exploitation of this mineral wealth may be
due to the lack of available capital, the difficul-
ties of transportation of the ore and the scar-
city of fuel in the mineral zones of the country.
The exports of all minerals do not reach half a
million dollars yearly, of which copper is one
of the principal items. The early history of
the country records a story of marvellous
wealth dug from the earth. The future may
have a still greater story to tell. The workings
of many of these earlier mines have been abso-
lutely lost. The locations of mines from which
fabulous wealth was wrung are unknown to-
day. Some of these mines date back to the
early conquerors, and others to the Tncas them-
selves, who overran this section of the country.
The Garden of the Republic 119
Ancient bronze instruments of that race have
been found here, giving indisputable evidence
of that fact, although it is doubtful if they ever
had a permanent abode in these mountains.
The Indians used to bring tributes of gold to
the priests, but would not reveal the site of
the hidden mines.
The principal mines of Argentina, that are
being worked to-day, are in the provinces of
Rioja and Catamarca, in the northwestern part
of the republic, and in Mendoza. The most
important are undoubtedly the Famatima cop-
per mines of Rioja. The government has re-
cently constructed a wonderful aerial wire
ropeway here which is really a marvel and has
greatly aided in transporting the metals. The
main ropeway is nearly twenty-five miles in
length, with its highest terminal nearly four-
teen thousand feet above sea level. Power is
available for control and to assist the upward
traffic. One span of this wonderful ropeway
is half a mile in length where it cuts across a
deep valley.
Argentina possesses some fine marble quar-
ries and their production has been gradually
increasing. The production of gold and silver
is comparatively small. Within the past year
120 Argentina and Her People of To-day
petroleum has been found near Mendoza, and
a number of good wells have been sunk. If this
valuable oil can be found in large quantities it
will go a long ways toward solving the problem
of cheaper fuel. Nearly three million tons of
coal are imported annually to supply the need
of fuel. Nearly all of this coal is imported from
England, the shipments from the United States
in 1909 being only a few thousand tons, but
petroleum products are nearly all imported
from North America. The value of the prod-
ucts of the mines of Argentina will average
nearly a million dollars a year.
CHAPTER VI
THE PROVINCE OF GOOD AIRS
** You must see La Plata/'
I heard this from so many Argentinians that
it led me to visit this made-to-order city of
which they are so proud. It is an hour's ride
— thirty-five miles — from Buenos Aires to
La Plata. After leaving the suburbs the train
crosses the dead level of the pampas in a line
as direct as the crow would fly. Through great
estancias, with their immense herds of cattle
and flocks of sheep, the line passes, after esca-
ping from the suburbs of the metropolis, with
a half dozen small and unimportant towns
along the route, in which the one-storied build-
ings are ever built in monotonous lines with the
front wall a little higher than the rest in order
to give it a fictitious height. One explanation
given me for this high front is that it acted as
a protection in street fighting. Whether built
for that purpose or not, this parapet has fre-
121
122 Argentina and Her People of To-day
quently been used by both civilians and troops
as a protection in the revolutionary scrim-
mages which have been so frequent in the past.
At last the train runs into an imposing station
that would be a credit to almost any city, with
a facade which is really an architectural gem.
This is La Plata, the wonderful.
When the national government appropri-
ated the city of Buenos Aires as the national
capital the inhabitants of the province of the
same name, which had hitherto dominated the
country, were highly indignant. Unable to
change the official edict they set to work to
create a rival city. At that time there was not
even a settlement at La Plata, and only a few
mud huts denoted its location. A site down the
river was chosen in order to secure a deeper
natural channel, and avoid the necessity of so
much dredging to keep the channel free from
mud. A new port, called Ensenada, was con-
structed, with commodious docks, the new capi-
tal having been located five miles back from
the water front. To complete this stupendous
undertaking the province assumed a bonded
debtedness of $70,000,000, most of which was
obtained in Europe, and not until then was the
vanity of these provincials appeased. It was
The Province of Good Airs 123
one of the greatest follies that the Argentin-
ians have ever engaged in.
It was in 1881 that the government decided
to build this new capital for the province of
Buenos Aires. It was to be a model city, and
worthy of its rank as the chief city of the
wealthiest province of an opulent republic. To
this end the finest architectural raiment for a
corporate body that could possibly be con-
ceived was erected, with all the ostentation pos-
sible in a Latin nation. Magnificent public
buildings, palatial law courts, a great cathedral
and stately edifices of every kind — all were
comprised in the scheme. Broad avenues
paved and planted with rows of trees, stretch-
ing their long lengths between the imposing
facades, were traced upon paper by the archi-
tects, and builders were set at work to repro-
duce these plans out of brick, stone and mortar,
and the resulting city of La Plata stands to-
day as their monument.
The city was laid out with an astonishing
degree of boldness and originality, and upon
an ambitious scale. It was hoped by the
builders that its splendour would bring to mind
those pictured conceptions of the perfect town.
Each edifice was to be so placed as to lend its
124 Argentina and Her People of To-day
own proper proportion of dignity. In this
model town there was to be no crowding to-
gether of palaces, as had heretofore been com-
mon in Spanish cities, nor were rows of squalid
little one-storied houses to be permitted to
jostle with their imposing fronts the walls of
stately palaces. No, not in La Plata. To ac-
complish this result the resplendent palaces
were planted at regular intervals about the
city, each in its own garden and faced by its
own boulevard and plaza, and separated from
the next one by a becoming row of private
houses. There was to be no confusion or con-
gestion as a result of buildings crowded to-
gether, and no vulgar hustling. In justice to
the builders it may be said that there never has
been anything of the latter quality, for the
strenuous life has never yet found lodgment in
La Plata.
The first impression upon the visitor is very
peculiar, for a somnolent atmosphere seems to
prevail. As one emerges from the station two
broad thoroughfares open up before him.
These broad streets, which are still designated
by numbers, with their extensive sweep of car-
riageway, were designed to resound to the
hoofs of horses and the noise of wheels ; their
I
The Province of Good Airs 125
broad pavements were intended to ring with
the tramp of multitudinous feet — but they do
not. The founders of La Plata reckoned with-
out their host. One may gaze down the entire
length of a street and not see a single figure;
one might stroll through any of the little parks
set out with trees and palms and find every
bench unoccupied. The vast white palaces are
practically empty. Occasionally one will see an
electric car sweep leisurely around the corner,
or a cabman lazily waiting for a '^ fare," but
the car does not hurry and the cab driver does
not worry over his inactivity. One wonders
where the inhabitants are. The fact is that the
few who do live here fill so little of the space
that they are seldom seen. It has never suc-
ceeded in becoming a residential city in spite
of the beauty of the parks, the low rentals and
other advantages. The grass is abundant
everywhere. In fact some people are so un-
feeling as to assert that the green grass grows
all round, round, round, as the song has it.
As it is, the green tufts thrust themselves up-
ward in many places through the pavements
and around the rough cobble-stones of the
driveways. In some of the suburban streets a
little more grass would make a solid lawn. It
126 Argentina and Her People of To-day
sprooits from crevices of neglected walls and
roofs, and even from the uncompleted walls of
the great cathedral, which lies in neglect. This
structure, great in plan, is oppressively deso-
late in its abandonment and the silence that
broods over it. The sparrows build their nests
within its yawning walls and are undisturbed,
and one wonders how long such a condition will
remain.
Magnificent buildings have been built and
are in use. The Government Palace is a beau-
tiful building set facing a great and imposing
plaza. The Legislative Palace, Municipal
Building, Law Courts, Bank of the Province of
Buenos Aires and other palaces are all splen-
did buildings, worthy the capital of one of our
own states. In them some life is visible, and
one will find a number of clerks busy over the
books in which the records of the provincial
business are kept. The officials prefer to live
in Buenos Aires and make the trip back and
forth each day, spending only a few hours in
La Plata. A university, one of three in the
republic, has been built with beautiful buildings
adapted to its purposes, and a number of stu-
dents are enrolled on its roster. There is a
beautiful park with a fine zoological garden
The Province of Good Airs 127
where the roar of the lion and the trumpet of
the elephant disturb the silence of the groves.
It contains one of the finest avenues of trees
that I have ever seen. In the centre of this
park has been built a large museum, which is
a treasure-house of curios of the native tribes
of South America. When the public offices
close after five or six hours of opened doors,
and the evening train pulls out for Buenos
Aires, La Plata sinks into repose until another
day breaks.
There was a time When La Plata was a live-
lier place. The docks at Ensenada were much
used before the new docks were constructed at
the larger capital. Now the great boats, flying
the flags of Great Britain, France and Ger-
many, steam majestically by this sleepy port
and unload their passengers and freight at
Argentina's metropolis. Nevertheless this
city with its palatial buildings and broad
streets, overspread with silent gloom, is still
the official capital of a province. There are
those who say that La Plata is only sleeping,
merely in a state of coma from which it will
emerge one day and surprise the world with
its great and wonderful doings. Perhaps —
maybe ; that is for the future to decide. If it
128 Argentina and Her People of To-day
has a great future it probably lies in the docks
at Ensenada, although a large slaughtering
house has recently been built here by an Amer-
ican firm. At the present time it is enjoying
a prolonged siesta from which nothing seems
to awaken it. Built for a hundred thousand
people there are not more than half of that
number that live there.
The province of Buenos Aires is the richest
and most populous province in Argentina. In-
cluding the federal capital, it contains one-third
of the entire population. On several occasions
this province seriously considered secession
from the rest of the republic — but that was
before it lost the metropolis. In area it is
more than twice the size of Illinois, and resem-
bles that state very much in its physical char-
acteristics. It contains a number of towns of
fair size, and a trip across the province to
Bahia Blanca, about three hundred miles dis-
tant, is a very interesting journey.
There are two or three different routes, but
the most interesting one is that via Tandil.
Passing out through the English suburb of
Temperly, the main line heads out for the level
pampa with scarcely a turn for mile after mile.
The fields are thickly dotted with cattle and
The Province of Good Airs 129
sheep, for this is one of the best stock countries
in the republic. Although a number of small
stations are passed it is not until Dolores is
reached, after a run of more than a hundred
miles, that there is a town of any size. This
is a city of probably eight thousand, with the
usual plaza and church of the Camp towns, and
is a junction point for several branches of the
Great Southern. It is the seat of the courts
of justice for the southern portion of the prov-
ince, and has a prison of considerable size. At
Maipu is the branch for Mar del Plata, the
seaside resort, but the main line turns west-
ward. This passes through a fine pastoral dis-
trict where Scotch landowners are very nu-
merous and prosperous. Soon afterwards the
railroad enters the only transverse range of
hills in Argentina, some of the peaks of which
reach an elevation of from three to four thou-
sand feet and furnish a pleasing variation to
the monotony of the horizontal landscape.
Tandil, which is distant from Buenos Aires
more than two hundred miles, is picturesquely
located among these hills and has a population
of several thousand. About three miles from
the town is the famous rocking stone, which is
an irregular flattened cone about thirteen feet
130 Argentina and Her People of To-day
in height and sixteen feet in diameter at its
base, and is so beautifully poised on the edge
of a slope that it sometimes moves even in a
slight breeze. And yet the combined strength
of several teams of horses has been unable to
move it from its base. There are many other
picturesque spots and curiosities in this neigh-
bourhood, and there is a very pretty water-
fall formed by a stream which comes down
among the hills. Juarez and Tres Arroyos
are the only other towns of any importance
until the thriving new port of Bahia Blanca is
reached, at the mouth of the Naporta Grrande.
Bahia Blanca, the '' white bay,'' is a thriving
place. It is a name the significance of which
is not yet wholly appreciated in the United
States, or the world at large, for its impor-
tance has not yet been fully grasped. The
growth of this city has been phenomenal, mush-
room-like, and yet its development has been
substantial. As a port its strategic value can-
not well be overestimated. It is the only safe
naval harbour for the big battleships, and the
government has built an arsenal and docks on
the eastern side of the estuary, called the
Puerto Militar. It is a natural outlet for one of
the richest agricultural sections of the repub-
J
The Province of Good Airs 131
lie. The wheat which was formerly shipped to
Buenos Aires, and exported from that port, is
now loaded on ocean liners from Bahia Blanca,
and forwarded to Europe. The railroads are
pushing out their lines west and south, and
opening up new wheat and grazing lands each
year, so that the shipments from this port are
jumping by leaps and bounds. Not very long
ago this site was nothing but a sandy waste,
with an unimportant settlement at which only
coasting vessels stopped. Now there are elec-
tric tramways and lights, great elevators and
a good system of docks. The value of the land
has increased and a few far-sighted individ-
uals have reaped fortunes. The '^ boom,'^ if
such it can be called, is still on as development
progresses. The Great Southern Railway at
first had a monopoly on the business of this
port, but the Buenos Aires and Pacific has built
into it, and now claims a share. The port
works of the Great Southern form an addition
by themselves and are called Ingeniero White,
in honour of the engineer who built them. Sev-
eral moles and elevators with an enormous
capacity and which cost a million and a half
of dollars have been constructed at these ter-
minals. Puerto Galvan is the name of the
132 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Pacific Railroad terminals. To what extent
Bahia Blanca will become a rival to Buenos
Aires is uncertain, but it seems to me that
there is room for both and to spare. It now
ranks next after Rosario. Three hundred
miles is a goodly distance, and each town ought
to continue to grow rapidly, and neither neces-
sarily at the expense of - the other. Bahia
Blanca is bound to expand, as she has the great
undeveloped western pampas and the fertile
part of Northern Patagonia right at her very
doors. At the present time Bahia Blanca has
a population in the neighbourhood of fifty thou-
sand inhabitants.
Between Bahia Blanca and the Andes lie
three rich territories, all of them of goodly
size. The most important one at present is La
Pampa, which is directly west of the southern
half of the province of Buenos Aires. It is
about the size of Iowa and is rapidly being
populated and stocked. A few years ago this
territory was entirely undeveloped, and the
gaucho in charge of wandering herds of sheep
held full sway. Railway extensions brought
private ownership, however, and now this ter-
ritory bids fair to become one of the richest
sections of the republic. The Western and
I
The Province of Good Airs 133
Southern Railways are both continually push-
ing extensions across the fertile plains, and
material prosperity everywhere follows. It
now has a population of about one person to
each square mile. According to statistics it is
third in the number of sheep of all the terri-
torial divisions, which is a good showing for a
new country. Wheat and flax culture is also
being rapidly developed. Toay and General.
Acha are the only towns of any importance,
the latter of which is the capital.
The territory of Rio Negro lies directly to
the south of La Pampa and stretches from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Andes. It lies between
the Colorado and Chubut Rivers, and is wa-
tered by the Negro River as well. Along these
rivers there are a number of estancias already
located, most of which are owned by companies
and many by foreign landowners. A new
branch of the Southern Railway has been con-
structed across this territory, following the Rio
Colorado, the red river, for some distance, then
cutting across to and following the Rio Negro,
the black river, as far as the town of Neuquen.
This has led to the establishment of other es-
tancias along those streams. All three of these
rivers carry an abundance of water, and it
134 Argentina and Her People of To-day
will not be long until the question of irrigation
will be taken up on the same lines as in our
own western states ; then there will be a devel-
opment take place that will make this land
blossom as the rose. The possibilities are
there and the great demands for grains will
sooner or later lead to this action. There is
no doubt that those lands are fully as rich as
any part of Colorado or California, and that
is saying a good deal. The Rio Negro and Rio
Chubut are both navigable for vessels of light
draught for a considerable distance.
Neuquen is another large territory, as large
as Ohio, lying right at the base of the Andes.
It is mostly mountainous and as yet very little
is known about this province, as few have vis-
ited it. Its population does not exceed fifteen
or twenty thousand, many or most of whom are
Indians. The rainfall is not abundant, but
it is well watered by the streams which are
formed by the melting snows. It is possible
that it could be cultivated just as profitably as
the province of Mendoza, which .joins it on the
north, and which partakes of much of the same
character of soil and physical configuration as
Neuquen. Chos Malal, a small town in the
mountains, is the capital, but it is difficult of
I
The Province of Good Airs 135
access. A railroad extension, however, is now
beaded in that direction.
The slopes of the Andes here and in many-
parts of the republic are covered with valuable
timbers. If these timbers were near the mar-
kets or easy transport they would be worth
fabulous sums. As it is Argentina imports
nearly all her building lumber at high prices,
with an undeveloped wealth of timber within
her own borders. Most of these forest lands
have scarcely been explored, and it would be
impossible to give even a faint estimate of
their real value, but it is undoubtedly very
great.
CHAPTER VII
THE MYSTERIOUS LAND OF THE PATA - GOAS
Patagonia has always been a land of mys-
tery. Only a few years ago the geographers
labelled it *^no man's land," because no nation
seemed interested in it. Later Chile and Ar-
gentina, longing to expand, cast envious eyes
upon this great territory immediately adjoin-
ing their borders, and parcelled it out between
themselves. The Andes was made the general
boundary line, and this gave to Argentina by
far the greatest share of the territory. Even
Tierra del Fuego, the Land of Fire, was thus
divided, so that each nation has a share in that
large island which is the last inhabited land
on the way to the Antarctic continent.
Patagonia impresses the traveller as vast
and elemental. Its natural configuration is
stamped with these characteristics. From its
northern boundary it tapers gradually to the
Straits of Magellan. The Argentine section
naturally divides itself into three divisions,
186
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 137
running north and south. Along- the Atlantic
shores lie the pampas, the flat and level plains.
These plains rise in gently graduated terraces
toward the west, one level plain above another.
Then follows a network of lagoons and lakes,
some connected by rivers and others by chan-
nels, many of which shift and alter under the
climatic influences. On the western side the
Andes range of the Cordilleras stand out
against the sky like a mighty barrier. They
are a tumult of mountains ever climbing up-
wards, their lofty gorges choked with glaciers,
their hollows holding great lakes of ice-cold
blue waters, and about their bases stretch thou-
sands of miles of forests of which only the
mere edge has been explored. Thus it is that
the vast extent of Patagonia offers the most
extreme and the most abrupt contrasts. Flat
pampa, with hardly an undulation in sight,
stands in sight of mountains almost inacces-
sible in their steep escarpments. Side by side
these contrasts lie, mountain against plain, for-
est against thorn-scrub. The wind is the only
element common to both. For a thousand miles
the Atlantic coast is a low-lying, level, treeless
series of bleak and brown downs, with few bays
that offer protection to shipping; the Pacific
138 Argentina and Her People of To-day
coast, in Chile, is dented and notched with
fiords, and the shores are covered with dense
forests due to the excessive rainfall.
Patagonia is a land of big distances. On the
Atlantic coastland it is often a ride of three
or four days from one farm to another. The
holdings are measured by the square league
and not by the quarter-section. There is one
farm that covers five hundred square leagues,
or more than two million acres of land, and is
larger than the state of Rhode Island. No
wonder the distances seem almost appalling to
the traveller. One accustomed only to cities
would indeed feel very forlorn here. As one
travels into the interior, a white face becomes
more and more rare; empty leagues upon
leagues surround you on every side. One
seems to stand alone with only the wind, the
mirages and the limitless distances, and the
blue sky above for a canopy. This wild land
appears, according to geologists, to have been
the last habitation of the greater beasts of pre-
ceding ages. It is now one of the last to be
occupied by civilized man, and receive its
proper share of the human population.
The discovery of Patagonia dates from 1520,
when that intrepid explorer, Ferdinand Ma-
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 139
gellan, forced his way down the east coast of
South America in the face of continuous storms.
With his little fleet of five vessels he pushed
on in the hope of finding a strait which con-
nected the two oceans. He was compelled to
winter one season along the coast of Patagonia.
A mutiny broke out among his captains and
only one remained loyal. Two of the others
were executed, and one was marooned upon the
shore. For months no signs of life appeared
on shore, although expeditions were sent a
short distance into the interior; but one day
a painted savage, very tall, appeared. One
of the crew wrote, '' So tall was this man that
we came up to the level of his waist-belt. He
was well enough made and had a broad face,
painted red, with yellow circles around his
eyes, and two heart-shaped spots on his
cheeks.'' Thus was the report of giants in-
habiting Patagonia first carried back to civili-
zation. They were named Pata-goas, big feet,
and that name has since clung to the country.
Sir Francis Drake visited these shores a half-
century later with a small squadron, and during
the succeeding hundred years a number of
navigators skirted along the coast. Several
of them brought back tales of the giants, but
140 Argentina and Her People of To-day
these have since been found erroneous, as the
Indians are not much taller than the North
American Indians, whom they strongly resem-
ble in physical characteristics. Darwin visited
this country early in the last century and gave
the first detailed account of the country and
people, and his report dwelt strongly upon the
desolate character of the land. Since then it
has become better known, and a number of
travellers as well as scientists have visited
Patagonia and recorded their impressions.
The Chilean and Argentine boundary commis-
sions have also been at work for several years,
establishing the international boundaries, and
their reports have contained much valuable in-
formation.
On the eastern coast there are a number of
settlements, such as Santa Cruz, San Julian
and Gallegos, at the mouths of the half-dozen
rivers which pour their icy waters across the
wind-swept plains. Gallegos is the name given
by the Spaniards to the strong west wind, so
this name was given to a river, and, finally,
to the little settlement at its mouth. This vil-
lage of corrugated iron is a Mecca for the sheep-
men and Indians who dwell in the vicinity.
From it a few highways may be traced out on
I
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 141
the pampas, where they disappear. The Welsh
have founded settlements at Dawson, Gaimon
and Trelew, which have grown into thriving
colonies, and there are a few smaller ones in
the interior. The Welsh settlements are made
up of good sturdy folk, who are excellent pio-
neers for an undeveloped country.
The sheep ranchers on these lonely pampas
are interesting studies. Some of them own
hundreds of thousands of these useful little
animals, and there is one company that pos-
sesses more than two millions which are kept
on their several ranches. These are usually
divided into herds of a couple of thousand each.
Each flock has several square miles of pasture
allotted to it. The shepherd has a number of
dogs who aid him in controlling the recalci-
trant ones, and they understand their masters'
orders very well. These herders are Scotch-
men, Germans and half-breeds. The animals
feed all the year around on the pastures. The
successful ranch in Patagonia must possess
both a winter camp and summer camp. The
winter camp is land available for pasturage
which is protected from the fierce winds and
where the snow does not fall too deep for the
sheep to get at the grass, as no provender is
142 Argentina and Her People of To-day
put up for them. The summer camp is any-
other grazing land which is so exposed that
sheep could not feed on it during the winter.
From this it may easily be seen that the num-
ber of sheep that can be maintained is deter-
mined not by the total acreage, but by the ex-
tent of winter camp. Even under the best con-
ditions an unusually severe winter greatly deci-
mates a flock. At the end of winter the shep-
herds always go out over the ranch, taking the
pelts off the bodies of the animals that have
perished during the winter. Another feature
to be sought is accessibility for the bringing
in of supplies and taking out of the wool. For
this reason most of the ranches are located
near the rivers so that boats can be used.
From some places in the interior it is a trip
occupying days and weeks for the ranchman
to transport the wool to market.
The estancia buildings are usually insignifi-
cant affairs, for all the material has to be
brought long distances. One of the most dis-
tinctive features is a large square corral into
which the stock can be driven, and the miles
upon miles of wire fencing which spread out
across the plains in a thin line. Every farm
has its own store, where the men get their sup-
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 143
plies at good prices. The '' scab '^ is one of
the enemies of the sheep here, as elsewhere,
and the ranchers constantly fight it. The
* ' dip ' ' is usually employed, in which the sheep
are washed several times each year. It is ex-
pensive to keep the sheep free from this troub-
lesome little parasite, which spreads so rapidly,
but it must be done, for it will eat into the flesh
and the sheep will frequently die before many
days after infection. The dip fluid is placed
in large vats so deep that the sheep must swim
in order to get thro-ugh it, and they are then
driven into it at one end and emerge on a drip-
ping board at the other side, where they are
allowed to remain for a few minutes for the
'* dip " to drip and run back into the pool.
The cost of running a sheep ranch in Patagonia
is comparatively small because of the low value
of the land and low wages paid.
It is not difficult to leave civilization behind
in Patagonia. For hundreds of miles in the
interior there are few pioneers and only an
occasional tribe of wandering Indians. Other-
wise it is absolutely unpeopled. Near the Cor-
dilleras it is practically houseless; scarcely a
human inhabitant can be found, and little ani-
mal life flourishes under the snow peaks and
144 Argentina and Her People of To-day
in the unmeasured spaces of virgin forest.
There are hundreds of square miles of forest
land, gorges, open slopes and terraced hollows,
on which the eye of a white man has never yet
fallen.
For the traveller across this vast land it is
necessary to take a supply of food and an en-
tire camp outfit, including a reliable guide. A
man alone seems very puny within this vast
setting. The wind-blown grass stretches out
as far as the eye can see, with the thorn and
a green shrub called " poison-bush '' for vari-
ety. In other places the surface undulates in
graceful monotony, and occasionally a swift-
flowing river cuts across the plains on its im-
patient way to the sea. Mirages like lakes or
squadrons of cavalry will often be seen near
the horizon. Many long reaches are almost
desert wastes and are known as the ** land
without water.*' Over the sterile wastes the
cold winds from the Andes sweep and raise
great dust and sand storms which are almost
blinding and suffocating.
Herds of wild cattle are found in some places,
although not in such numbers as the stories
that are sometimes heard down in that region
would lead one to believe. The guanaco is the
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 145
principal game animal, and helps out the trav-
eller in the way of food. This animal is very-
much like a wild llama and they are found by
the thousands, although generally in small
herds. They look very picturesque when seen
in an attentive attitude, with their long sleek
necks stretched out in inquiry or curiosity.
Wild ostriches may also be found in many
parts, while duck and geese are generally
plentiful where there is water. Of the wild
animals the puma is the most dangerous, and
will sometimes attack a man. He is a terrible
foe to the sheep farmer, levying heavy toll
upon his flocks before strychnine or a bullet
puts an end to his career. The wolf is another
enemy of the farmer. The curious armadillo
is quite common, and is considered very good
eating by the hunter.
Lake Buenos Aires is one of the big lakes
of Patagonia. One writer, who spent several
weeks in that vicinity, says : ^ ^ Lake Buenos
Aires is certainly the very heart of the wind's
domain. While we were there the wind never
died down; it blew all the time, often lifting
sand and gravel, and sometimes a great piece
of our camp fire, sheltered as that was. It
raged on most days, blowing so hard that most
146 Argentina and Her People of To-day
people in England would not have cared to
venture out of doors." This lake is the largest
of a chain of lakes which lie in the foothills of
the great Andes system. It is fully seventy -
five miles in length from north to south, and
its waters are in perpetual motion from the
action of the winds. Near the lake is a stretch
of arid land that is the very picture of desola-
tion. There is a very horror of bareness about
it that almost makes the eyes sick to look upon
it. Right near it is one of those sudden con-
trasts that one will find in Patagonia, fine and
fertile land where sweet flowers bloom in pro-
fusion. Lake Argentine is another large lake
to the south of the other. It is a great sheet
of blue water, is higher up, and the peaks of the
Cordilleras are nearer. This lake and those
farther south are often filled with small ice-
bergs, for the climate is getting colder all the
way.
At almost the southernmost point of the
mainland lies the little city of Punta Arenas.
It is situated on the Straits of Magellan, and
is sheltered from the worst storms by the many
islands which lie between it and the Antarctic
seas. Punta Arenas is the most southerly city
in the world, several hundred miles farther
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goag 147
south than the Cape of Good Hope. There is
plenty of building space left in this city, but
a few years ago, when the boom was on, the
people had visions of a southern Chicago. Fab-
ulous prices were asked for building lots and
real estate agents were almost as plentiful as
the Indians. That time has passed and the
town has dwindled. Its latitude is about that
of Labrador, but it is much more equable and
is not so severe as many imagine. Perhaps
fifteen thousand people live here and seem to
be contented. It is a very mixed population.
You can hear Spanish, English, German, Ital-
ian, Eussian and even the Chinese mingled with
the guttural tongues of the Indians. The
Scotch are probably the most thrifty of the
inhabitants and many of them have lived there
two or three generations. There are many
rough characters, some even who have drifted
from the mining camps of our western states.
The loafing places are the bars, where many
brawls occur during the long winters. There
are clubs, however, where the well-to-do gather
and have their games and drink their favourite
drinks just as they do the world over. Most
of the buildings are cheap one-story affairs,
frequently built of the corrugated iron so com-
148 Argentina and Her People of To-day
mon in this land. Punta Arenas is a free port,
and" this makes it a great supply station for
vessels passing through the straits. All the
vessels passing through the straits call there
for supplies and coal, and this business, to-
gether with the trade in whaling products, wool
and furs, furnish the inhabitants with employ-
ment. It is one of the great wool-exporting
ports of the world, having shipped more than
sixteen million pounds of that commodity in
a single season, and four hundred thousand
pelts. It is a beautiful ride through the Straits
of Magellan, with their many narrow channels,
and the icebergs, which are always in view.
Out upon the pampas the traveller will occa-
sionally stumble upon the toldos (huts) of the
Tehuelche Indians. These are simply made
huts of the skins of the guanaco sewn loosely
together at the edges, and supported squarely
upon awkward-looking props or posts forked
at the top to admit the ridge pole;^. The skins
are fastened to the earth by wooden pegs. The
Tehuelches are the native Indians of Pata
gonia — the so-called giants — and are well
built specimens of manhood. These Indians
live almost as their ancestors did hundreds of
years ago. They are still nomads and exist
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 149
entirely by tlie chase. They do not cultivate
anything whatever, but sometimes own a few
cattle. In general they still dress in skins,
although some of them have purchased store
clothes at the settlements. As a rule they are
mild mannered, when sober, and do not deserve
the name of being bloodthirsty savages. Their
numbers have greatly decreased since the first
discovery of Patagonia through dissipation
and disease, and some have estimated that the
total number yet remaining will not exceed a
few hundred. They still hunt with bows and
arrows and the bolas. This consists of three
thongs of rawhide fastened together at one
end, with stones or bits of iron on the free end
to give them weight. The Indian throws the
holas with marvellous accuracy at any animal
he may be pursuing, and the thongs wind them-
selves around the legs of the animal, thus en-
tangling it. The principal game animal is the
guanaco, which furnishes them food, raiment
and shelter, and skins which they can barter
with the trader for fire-water or other luxuries.
They are an ignorant and superstitious race.
A death will invariably cause them to shift
their camp, for to their superstitious minds the
place must be accursed. Sickness is always the
150 Argentina and Her People of To-day
work of the evil spirit and is driven away by-
incantations. With them there are good spirits
and bad devils. The dominant spirit of evil
is called Gualicho. He is an ever-present ter-
ror, and they spend a good portion of the time
in either fleeing from his wrath or propitiating
it. They believe in a future life which will be
much the same as the earthly one, except that
there will always be plenty of food with an
abundance of grease.
There are practically no tribal laws, as the
Tehuelches are usually peaceable. Quarrels
and fights occur only as a result of drink. Po-
lygamy is permitted but is uncommon. The
women are well treated, although they have the
bulk of the work to do as among all primi-
tive tribes. The men practically live on their
horses and a Tehuelche is lost without a steed.
The women are not at all overburdened with
beauty. Progress does not appeal to the Te-
huelche. As his forefathers were, so is he con-
tent to be — a human atom with a movable
home, passing hither and thither upon the
waste and dreary spaces of his native land.
He is silent when in the presence of strangers,
dignified at all times; unobtrusive as well as
inoffensive, and very lazy. He does not par-
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 151
ticularly care to mingle with white people, but
will not run away from them.
The Fuegian Archipelago, that little known
group of islands at the southern extremity of
South America, covers a goodly territory.
It contains as much land as Nebraska, and
is several hundred miles long from east to
west. A perfect labyrinth of tortuous, wind-
swept waterways separate the hundreds of
islands which form this group. They are no
doubt formed by the submerging of the lower
end of the Andes Mountains. When the land
sank these stormy waters beat through the val-
leys and chiselled the shores into incongruous
shapes and labyrinths. They are not all a des-
olate mass of ice and snow, however, but con-
tain plains which are covered with succulent
grasses and slopes which are thickly wooded.
The largest island, called Tierra del Fuego, is
half as large as Illinois. It is divided longi-
tudinally between Chile and Argentina, by far
the largest portion belonging to the former na-
tion, and the best part of it too. This name
was originally given to the entire group of
islands by Magellan when he saw the trails of
smoke made by the camp and signal fires of
the natives who dwelt on them.
152 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Thirty years ago this entire island was
roamed and hunted over by the aborigines.
The fact that the northern part consisted of
open country, with few ranges of hills, caused
the white man to look upon it with envious eyes,
as pasturage for sheep. Then began a warfare
against the Indians which almost resulted in
their extermination. Thousands of sheep now
quietly graze in the rich valleys and on the
verdant plains, and thrive very well indeed.
Very little of the land is cultivated, although
perhaps susceptible of cultivation, but the mar-
keting of the products would be a difficult fea-
ture at the present time, and the season is short.
Its latitude is about that of Labrador but the
climate is probably milder, and its longitude is
that of Boston. In the summer the grass is
green, but in the winter the chilly winds change
it to a rich brown. The ground rats are a ter-
rible nuisance to the farmer, as they burrow
in the fields so much that they destroy half the
usefulness of a good meadow. The mountain
slopes are covered with a thick growth of trees,
ferns and mosses up to a height of a thousand
feet or more, due to the great amount of rain-
fall, but above that distance the growth is very
stunted. It seems strange to see green trees
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 153
and green grasses amid snows and glaciers, but
such is the contrast offered by this *' land of
the fire." The trees are mostly evergreen, not
very high, but very close together. A deep bed
of moss, into which a man may sink knee-deep,
generally surrounds them, and large ferns with
leaves a yard long grow in places otherwise
bare. Even bright flowers make this sombre
landscape seem almost gay when the sun shines
on a summer day.
Desolation Island, on the Chilean side, is a
bleak and barren island well indicated by its
name, while others are Clarence, St. Inas, and
Navarin. There are many others, from islands
twenty miles in length to some so small that
a good base-ball pitcher could toss a stone clear
over them. Cape Horn is a monster rock which
thrusts its jagged outline into the Antarctic
seas. It is a couple of hundred miles south of
the Straits of Magellan, and more than a thou-
sand miles south of the Cape of Good Hope.
It is surrounded by waters that are tossed by
terrific storms which mariners fear. The hulks
of wrecked vessels can be seen on every hand
as reminders of the terrible tribute which has
been here levied. Even in the Straits of Ma-
gellan the glaciers are always in sight, and
154 Argentina and Her People of To-day
masses of ice hundreds of feet high are fre-
quently seen, seeming to threaten the venture-
some mariner for invading those beautiful
waters. It is sometimes impossible for vessels
to force their way through the Smythe Chan-
nel, which is the most picturesque route
through the Straits, but is least used. There
is not much animal life except seals, with oc-
casionally a whale, but wild ducks and geese
are generally plentiful.
Midway on the southern coast of Tierra del
Fuego, and on the Argentine side, is a bleak
and inhospitable coast upon which the govern-
ment has established a prison. This place,
named Ushuaia, is the southernmost settlement
in the world. The barriers created by nature
are impassable without the massive and forbid-
ding walls erected by man. To the south is the
unknown Antarctic, to the north the impassable
barrier of snow-clad peaks, and in all other
directions the fathomless channels separating
it from the other islands. With the exception
of the irregular trip of a small steamer from
Punta Arenas and an occasional visit from an
Argentine warship, this little settlement is un-
visited, and not even a telephone or telegraph
wire keeps it in communication with the world.
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 155
There are two prisons here — one for military
and one for civil prisoners. In one are the
offenders of the Argentine army, and in the
other several hundred criminals, many of
whom are the very dregs of humanity sent
down here from Buenos Aires. Here in this
unknown quarter of the globe, guarded by a
few score of armed men, these unfortunates
work on the roads, dress stone for new and
stronger walls, or make the coarse garments
worn by the prisoners. Few attempt to escape,
and fewer still succeed, for the loneliness and
desolation alone would keep a prisoner where
human companionship might be found. There
is little danger of a prisoner escaping if he
attempts, as there would be no means of a
wanderer supporting himself.
There are two races of Indians who inhabit
these inhospitable islands, the Yahgans and
the Onas, both of whom are very low in intel-
ligence. Even though the climate is very cold
a part of the year, these savages formerly wore
very little clothing, but greased their bodies
with fish oil that keeps out the cold. In recent
years, however, they have begun to wear
warmer garments. They are very treacherous,
and many murders have been traced to them.
156 Argentina and Her People of To-day
They will mingle very little with white people,
but always hold themselves aloof. Their houses
are of the most primitive character and are
frequently little more than a hole in the ground
or side of a hill, or a rude construction of brush
on a skeleton of sticks stuck in the ground.
Sometimes they are made of guanaco skins
sewn together, from which the hair has been
removed. They are not particular about food,
as to whether it is very fresh or not. They
live entirely by the chase and fishing, and in
every way are as near to primitive savages as
it would be possible to find in the Americas.
There is frequently a dearth of food, and then
it is that they are driven to eat the flesh of a
stranded whale or of an animal found dead.
Ground rats and the fishy-flavoured penguin
are included on their regular bill of fare. As
usual among savage tribes, the women do the
most of the work, and assist in the hunting and
fishing as well as prepare the meat after it has
once been caught.
The Yahgans are short and muscular and
below medium height. Their lower limbs seem
rather stunted, but above the waist they are
heavily built. The Onas are better built and
will average above the American in stature.
The Mysterious Land of Pata-Goas 157
They are strong and well built specimens of
the human race. The struggle for existence
has made them inexpressive in feature and
stoical in actions. Good fortune or ill fortune
is met in much the same way. Their settle-
ments are now usually found in the regions
which have not attracted the white men. On
these islands and the southern part of the larg-
est island where it is not rock, there is gener-
ally bog or impenetrable forest, and here these
pristine people dwell.
CHAPTER VIII
CROSSING THE CONTINENT
At Retiro station in Buenos Aires one takes
the tri-weekly transcontinental train for the
ride across the continent. *'B. A. P." upon
the coaches stands for Buenos Aires and Pa-
cific, which is the line that carries the traveller
to the limits of Argentine territory. The gong
strikes, the Argentinians who have gathered to
see their friends away on this long jouirney
wave their adieus and the train slowly pulls
out without the clanging of an engine bell, with
which these British locomotives are not pro-
vided. The passengers are all leisurely in their
preparations for the journey, and one will sel-
dom see the spectacle of a woman grabbing a
box in one hand and a struggling child in the
other and rushing frantically for her car.
There is usually plentj^ of room, and whether
there is or not the passenger takes his own
time.
The trains on this line are very comfortable,
168
I
Crossing the Continent 159
although one misses the luxurious Pullmans of
the United States. All the passenger coaches
are compartment sleepers, and one diner is at-
tached. There is no smoking or observation
car, so that the solitary traveller oftentimes
finds it lonesome, but smoking is permitted
everywhere except in the dining-car, where gen-
tlemen are requested not to smoke " when the
senoras are present.'^ Some of the passengers
gather in the diner after the tables have been
cleared and talk or play games. The diner has
good service and the only trouble is to keep the
dust out of your food. A good meal of several
courses is furnished in this comedo r for two
Argentine pesos. All of the diners of course
have a bar, so that no one need to go thirsty,
whatever his needs or demands may be.
The passengers on this train are always a
mixed crowd. One will find tourists from many
countries, English or Grerman engineers, Chil-
ean business men, Argentine estancieros, half-
breed gauchos in their picturesque trappings,
etc., etc. A half-dozen languages will greet
one's ears in the corridors. This feature is,
however, one of the pleasures of such a trip.
One will begin to speculate about his fellow
passengers, and then as he meets them he will
160 Argentina and Her People of To-day
learn how far his conjectures come true. He
will also learn that this is one of the meeting
places of the four quarters of the globe.
One of the chief discomforts in riding across
these plains is the dust which sifts in through
the windows and doors at times until it is al-
most stifling. Then again a baby paynpero may-
come up and blow almost with the force of a
hurricane. A Kansas blizzard is hardly equal
to it in force and velocity. The dust at times
comes in such clouds that it makes difficult
work for the section-hands, for it must be re-
moved from the track. I have heard stories
of the real, simon-pure paynpero, which comes
up from the Patagonia plains, blowing cars off
the track, and the propelling of cars by means
of a sail hoisted up on the car. One thing is
sure, it is decidedly unpleasant and will so fill
your mouth with dust that you feel you are
continually chewing sand.
The real pampero generally follows a
drouth and is preceded by a few days of ex-
treme heat. At last a cloud appears on the
pampas which looks like a great woolly ball set
in a frame of gold. The dust of the road begins
to fly and whirl about in little eddies. Bird
and beast seek shelter and the people may be
Crossing the Continent 161
seen scurrying in every direction. Millions of
insects scud past in the clouds of fine dust. The
lightning flashes in sheets and forks, and the
thunder seems to shake the very earth. Then
comes the welcome rain, not in drops but in
sheets, and mingled with it hailstones big as
nuts. A few minutes after the rain ceases and
the sun shines in a tranquil, cloudless sky. The
atmosphere is so transparent that one can see
almost incredible distances. The people breathe
in deep draughts of the delicious air, the blood
circulates freely and one feels as though he
had renewed his lease on life.
One could scarcely imagine an easier coun-
try through which to build a railroad than
across these pampas. Not only is it level but
a shallow excavation gives a solid road-bed
which needs little ballast. The work has mostly
been done by Italian gangs who are employed
by contractors. One can see their camps in
many places. They live in small '^ A '' tents
and a car fitted out as commissary wagon is
labelled the provideria. It is really a small
department store on wheels, where almost any-
thing can be purchased at reasonable prices.
The line from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, six
hundred and fifty-five miles in length, is built
162 Argentina and Her People of To-day
on the broad gauge so common in Argentina.
For several himdred miles after leaving Buenos
Aires the country is as level as a barn floor,
and the train traverses fertile fields in which
wheat, corn and grazing lands alternate. One
will pass through corn fields miles in length
and then wheat fields still larger; and follow-
ing these the alfalfa pasture will extend clear
to the horizon, with immense herds of cattle
dotting it until, in the distance, where earth
and sky meet, the largest animals appear as
mere specks on the landscape.
One is impressed with the great agricultural
resources of Argentina, for only a small por-
tion of this part of the republic is uncultivated.
All of it is owned in large estancias that are
measured by the square league, which com-
prises almost six thousand acres. The man
with only one square league is a small farmer,
and many of the estancias measure ten square
leagues, or even more. Statistics show that
among the one hundred thousand reported
landowners there is an average holding of six
square miles. The locusts are a terrible curse
for the farmer, and they were very bad last
season. I saw millions of them in crossing the
pampas. It costs these ranch men thousands
Crossing the Continent 163
of dollars each year to fight this: scourge of
locusts, and as yet no permanent remedy has
been discovered.
The road runs nearly due west. An insane
asylum called ** The Oi)en Door '' is passed
about forty miles out from the metropolis. A
number of Camp towns, such as Mercedes, Cha-
cabuco and Vedia, are passed, but none of them
are attractive places. At the latter j)lace the
province of Santa Fe is entered, and a number
of small towns are passed before the province
of Cordoba is reached. Several branch lines
shoot off to the south, which are feeders thus
thrust out for freight, and branches of other
lines run in from the north. Villa Mercedes,
four hundred and thirty-two miles from Buenos
Aires, is the first large town. The land has
begun to rise and this town is sixteen hundred
feet above sea level, although the aspect is still
that of plains. It is situated on the Rio Quinto,
and is a place of perhaps ten thousand people.
This used to be the terminus of this line until
it absorbed the Great TTestem a few years ago,
which continued the westward route. It is one
of the concentration camps for the instruction
of conscripts drafted into the artillery regi-
ments.
164 Argentina and Her People of To-day
The broad pampas are perhaps not so lonely
as they seem, for there is generally an abun-
dance of bird life. Flamingoes haunt the la-
goons, and long-tailed hawks sit like silent sen-
tinels on the fence posts. The largest bird is
the ostrich, of which there are tens of thou-
sands scattered over these broad leagues, which
have not yet been broken up by agriculture.
In the entire republic it is estimated that there
are more than four hundred thousand ostriches.
They will feed among the stock, but the agri-
culturist soon makes them disappear. These
long-necked and long-legged birds form a very
pretty addition to the landscape. The South
American ostrich is smaller than the South
African species, and its feathers are not nearly
so valuable. They are extremely abundant, how-
ever, and bring in a pleasing revenue for the
farmer. The feather gatherers bargain with
the estanciero to pay him so much for each bird
found and picked on his estancia. Many of the
ostriches are very tame, for the owners do not
allow them to be hunted, but they roam at will,
easily getting over the low fences that hedge
in the fields. In some places the South African
ostriches have been introduced and are raised
for the commercial value of their plumes.
I
Crossing the Continent 165
The next place of importance is San Luis,
capital of the province of that name, at a still
higher elevation. The dead level aspect has
now changed to gentle undulations. The long
gray shadows on the horizon are the peaks of
the Andes, at a distance of one hundred and
fifty miles. In this city tTiere has recently been
located an observatory by the Carnegie Insti-
tution of Washington. The purpose of this
observatory is to observe the motion of all stars
of the seventh magnitude in the southern heav-
ens, and several American scientists are in
charge of the work. A few miles beyond San
Luis is an artesian well two thousand feet deep,
which was sunk by the government and yields
an immense supply of water. The pampa grass
now stands in clumps and bare spots become
more frequent. The railroad changes its direc-
tion time and again instead of taking a bee-
line for some distant point. The stony char-
acter of the soil increases, but at last a land
of vines and tall poplars is entered, and it is
not long until the train rolls into the station at
Mendoza.
'^ Hotel Grande.'^
This was the instruction I gave to my cab
driver at the station in Mendoza after my bag-
166 Argentina and Her People of To-day
gage had been deposited in the vehicle by a
portero,
** No hay," he answered, meaning that there
was no such hotel.
I then told him to take me to the best hotel
in the city. When we arrived at the hotel se-
lected by him I saw an imposing building on
the opposite side of the plaza with '' Hotel
Grande " upon it in large letters, and in-
structed my Jehu to drive me over to it. The
secret of the matter is that the other hotel paid
the driver a peso for each guest. There is only
one good thing to be said about the cabs in
■ Mendoza, and that is, the fares are cheap — if
you know the established rates. A few years
ago a tramway company laid tracks and began
operations. Enraged at this intrusion upon
their rights the cab owners began a war of
fares. They lowered their charges to the level
of the rates of the tram line, and announced
that they would carry passengers to their very
doors for the same price as the street car line
would deposit them at the nearest corner, which
might be blocks away. The deserted and aban-
doned rails which one may see in a few places
proclaim the glorious victory of the cab owners.
Although the fares have advanced somewhat
I
Crossing the Continent 167
since the abandonment of the street railroad
they are still remarkably low.
Mendoza is one of the most picturesque cities
in Argentina. It is an oasis in the midst of a
stony desert. There is hardly a drier climate in
the world, and, where the rainfall alone is de-
pended upon, nothing will grow. Lying at the
very foot of the lofty Andes range, it is the
westernmost city of the republic. The streets
are quite wide and the buildings are almost
without exception of one story. The reason
for this is the earthquake. The greatest dis-
aster of that kind happened in 1861, and the
inhabitants have been haunted ever since by
fear of a return of such a holocaust. The
tremors which occasionally occur are a con-
stant reminder of the dangers; and the ruins
of the great cathedral, whose walls crashed
down upon the crowd of supplicants who had
gathered within for protection, still stand as
a warning. Reports vary greatly concerning
that disaster. The most generally credited fig-
ures are that of a population of twenty thou-
sand no less than twelve thousand met with
death. It is difficult to believe, in the face
of similar modern disasters, that any such pro-
portion of fatalities occurred either from the
168 Argentina and Her People of To-day
earthquake, the fires that followed or the law-
lessness which prevailed in the confusion of
the next few days. It is said that many fell
victims to the assassin's knife when they were
trying to escape with their few earthly be-
longings. The new houses have all been built
of mud bricks with an extra amount of straw
or cane mixed in, and the one-storied walls
are made very thick. The result is an elas-
ticity that is considerable of a safeguard
against the earth's tremblings.
The old ruined town lies about a mile from
the new town and is a mass of ruins, scarcely a
single house remaining intact. There is some-
thing sadly depressing about these heaps of
fallen stones, broken arches and sightless win-
dows — relics of the old Spanish-Moorish ar-
chitecture. The old city covered about two
hundred acres and contained seven churches
and three convents. The first shocks levelled
almost every building to the ground. They are
a place of frequent pilgrimage and one may still
find burning candles in nooks and comers,
placed there by devout relatives of those who
were hurled unshriven into the beyond. Surely
purgatory cannot long retain the souls of those
who were overtaken by death while at worship,
Crossing the Continent 169
even though they were unprepared to leave this
world.
The centre of the town is the broad Avenue
de San Martin, the alameda, with its double row
of trees and the stream of water that runs on
either side of the roadway. Were it not for
this shade and the running water, the streets
of Mendoza would be pretty hot in the middle
of the day. Down this wide, cobblestoned
street the Mendozians have their corso, or car-
riage drive, and one will see victorias with bells
on the tongue wedged in with two-wheeled coun-
try carts, and all other kinds of vehicles.
Happy farmers and the distinguished citizens
of Mendoza mingle together on this occasion.
There is a certain kind of provincial good
humour about this little city so near the lonely
Andes. Small boys armed with buckets on
long poles dip the water from the canals and
fling it across the thoroughfare. On Monday
morning, or following a fiesta, this battle
with the dust is conducted by a lot of shame-
faced men who are not volunteers or employees
of the city, but are working out a fine for the
previous day's debauch. The city also pos-
sesses a very pretty park besides a number of
plazas. There is considerable street life in the
170 Argentina and Her People of To-day
city, and the cafes afPord evidence of this, for
they are wont to spread their tables far out
under the trees in this genial climate.
Mendoza is not a temperance resort, for it
is a great wine centre. This is the country of
the grape, and it is this fruit that has brought
wealth to Mendoza. All about the city are
vineyards and meadows, and the outlines of the
farms are marked by rows upon rows of grace-
ful poplars. Millions of those poplars have
beautified this country, which at one time was
a barren waste, and would still be so were it not
that man has harnessed the streams formed
from the melting snows which rush down from
the snow-clad peaks. Irrigation was first es-
tablished by the Spaniards several hundred
years ago, but it has been extended and sys-
tematized by the grape growers in recent years.
Dams have been built across the rivers and the
waters forced through artificial channels, until
now there are more than twelve hundred miles
of these channels, which water a district of ap-
proximately one thousand square miles.
As soon as you leave the city you will see
the grapevines growing. Some are trained
upon a low prop, as in France or Germany,
others climb a staff and look like hops, while
Crossing the Continent 171
many vines creep up the poplar trees and
stretch their tendrils across to the next tree,
so that the tree trunks are all connected and
form a cool, vine-covered lane for hundreds of
rods. The vines are thus trained to form cool
drives for the owners, and they are especially
seductive when the great bunches of ripe fruit
hang just high enough out of reach to be tan-
talizing. Little canals trickle here, there and
everywhere among the fields of vines, and thus
keep the roots ever moist. The prosperity of
Mendoza is bound up in these tiny little
streams, which give life to the grape, the onion
and potato, for it seldom rains here. The day
of my visit the sky became overcast with dark,
foreboding clouds, as though a terrific storm
was threatening. I hesitated to venture forth.
The landlord said, " It looks this way nearly
every day but it never rains. '^ I found out
this statement was true and that rain is a rare
event.
The development of the wine industry in
the Mendoza district has been almost phenom-
enal. The greater part of the wine produced
is not of a high quality, so that it appeals only
to the masses and not to the connoisseur. The
wealthier classes are satisfied with nothing less
172 Argentina and Her People of To-day
than the finest of European wines and cham-
pagnes. The quality of the grapes produced is
of the finest, and the very best European vari-
eties have been imported. The profits in some
years are almost fabulous, for a few acres will
bring in a handsome return. Some of the wine-
manufacturing establishments are quite large
and produce great quantities of that liquor so
popular in all Spanish countries. The presses,
vats, casks and everything in them is of the
latest design. One will find wines leaving these
establishments with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Mo-
selle and Muscatel labels. It is shipped in both
cask and bottle, and one will see high ox-carts
and cumbersome wagons loaded with large
casks on their way to the railroad station on
almost any road leading to Mendoza. Thou-
sands of tons of the grapes are shipped each
year in the fruit form, for it is a peculiarly
luscious growth and the bunches attain enor-
mous size. Other fruits have been found to
grow equally well at Mendoza and fruit canning
is becoming quite an industry there. Peaches,
pears and plums grow to good size and of good
flavour, while apples, quinces and cherries do
very well. The fruit culture is spread over a
wide area of country and the culture is rap-
Crossing the Continent 173
idly increasing. It is the boast of the Argen-
tinian that the country is capable of producing
every conceivable species of fruit, and it is not
an idle boast. If the same care was taken that
they give that industry in California they could
flood the markets of Europe with their fruits.
The general trouble is that the trees grow so
easily that they are practically unaided, so that
the fruit is oftentimes full of flaws and will
not pass for prime quality in the markets.
Grapes are about the only fruit to which scien-
tific methods of culture have as yet been ap-
plied.
At Mendoza a change is made to the less
comfortable narrow-gauge train, which conveys
the traveller through the fastnesses of the
Andes. The mountains are now plainly visible
and the snow peaks can easily be distinguished
from the dark background. The route leads
first through grape and peach orchards, but
these soon give place to the cactus and scrub
growth which cling to the foothills. The Men-
doza River, fed by the melting snows, tumbles
along on its way down from the mountains and
is crossed and recrossed many times. An occa-
sional station is a somewhat forlorn outpost
of human life. It consists principally of a
174 Argentina and Her People of To-day
water-tank and pile of fuel. The sole occupants
visible are usually a woman, some children and
a few goats, for the master of the house is prob-
ably at work. The solitudes are broken only
by the shrill whistle of the locomotive. One
enters a land of torrents, chasms, precipices
and other freaky outbursts of nature.
At a distance of about one hundred miles
from Mendoza is the Puente del Inca, Bridge of
the Incas, one of the famous natural bridges of
the world, and near it are some mineral springs
and a hotel. This bridge is of limestone forma-
tion, the span being about one hundred and
fifty feet in length, with a width of one hundred
and twenty feet, and is about sixty feet above
the Mendoza River, which flows beneath. There
are many legends and tales which are told
about this curious bridge, so named because it
is said to have been on an old trail used by
those ancient people.
A little further on is the station of Las Cue-
vas, the last stop in Argentine territory and
the entrance to the tunnel under the mountain.
The elevation at this place is in excess of ten
thousand feet. There is a certain weird fas-
cination about this spot so high up and seem-
ingly so remote from all the hustle and bustle
Crossing the Continent 175
of the twentieth century. It is a place of con-
trariety. The contrast between light and shade
and the different colours is very marked. There
is no delicate and gentle shading of tints. There
may be a black wall surmounted by the clear
white snow; near by will be other rock walls,
pinnacles or spires of green, violet, pink, blue
or yellow. It is as though nature had set up
a great kaleidoscope between the sun and the
bulwark of rocks in order to flood this valley
with colour.
When I crossed the Andes it was just a few
weeks before the tunnel was opened to traffic.
In early days this intervening distance between
railhead was covered on foot or in the saddle.
Later came the broad, white-covered four-
horse coaches which conveyed our party. Five
hundred horses and mules, many carriages and
baggage wagons and a considerable force of
men were maintained for this service. Four
times the air-line distance is covered in reach-
ing the highest point on either side. Extra
riders with a hitch rope to assist a stalled vehi-
cle follow the carriages. The manager, who
was an American, and his guards, took short
cuts and appeared in the most unexpected
places. Scrambling, twisting and turning, the
176 Argentina and Her People of To-day
cavalcade mounted biglier and higher, and the
air became so cold that a heavy wrap felt com-
fortable. The air was wonderfully clear, and
the distant mountain peaks were clearly out-
lined against the turquoise blue of the heavens.
As the long line of carriages winding their way
up the zigzag trail neared the summit, a sharp
turn in the road suddenly revealed a striking
statue outlined against the sky, and a feeling
almost of awe fell upon us. While the car-
riages were stopped for the driver to examine
the harness preparatory to the descent, the pas-
sengers gazed in silent admiration upon this
monument. Lofty peaks lifted up their weird
masses of black basaltic rock and dazzling snow
into the clear blue of the Andean sky, among
which were Aconcagua and Tupungato, which
were clearly visible if one had a sharp and
quick eye.
** Sooner shall these mountains crumble into
dust than the people of Argentina and Chile
break the peace to which they have pledged
themselves at the feet of Christ the Redeemer."
This is the inscription that appears on one of
the tablets placed on the monument known as
'' The Christ of the Andes." I know of no
other monument, except the statue of Liberty
Crossing the Continent 177
enlightening the World, in the New York har-
bour, that is so imposing or impressive as this
colossal statue, which is placed on a gigantic
column in a pass almost thirteen thousand feet
above the level of the sea. The silence and
grandeur on all sides make it doubly impress-
ive. The figure of Christ is twenty-six feet
in height. In one hand it holds a cross, while
the other is extended in a blessing, and as if
uttering the one magic word ' ' peace. ' ' It was
erected as a symbol of perpetual peace between
the two nations, and was cast in bronze from
the melted cannon of the two nations. Its lo-
cation is on the international boundary line,
which had just been established by arbitration,
after war between these two countries seemed
inevitable. A boundary standard has been set
up right near it with the word ^^ Chile '' on
one side and *' Argentina '' on the other.
When this monument was dedicated, on the 13th
of March, 1904, more than three thousand per-
sons witnessed the ceremonies in this wild re-
gion. The appalling silence was broken by the
roar of cannon and the music of bands. After
these sounds had died away in the distance,
there came the words of the Bishop of Ancud :
*' Not only to Argentina and Chile do we dedi-
178 Argentina and Her People of To-day
cate this monument, but to the world, that from
this it may learn the lesson of universal peace. ' '
Now that the railroad is completed these sturdy
little animals have made their last trip, and
fewer people will gaze upon this striking monu-
ment. The peon with a mail bag strapped on
his back has tramped his way for the l^st time
down the rocky trail in the winter snows. El
Christo stands among the lonely crags, de-
serted, isolated and storm-swept, but ever with
a noble dignity befitting the character.
The Chilean terminus of the tunnel is at
Caracoles. From here another railroad of
metre gauge, called the Trasandino Chileno,
carries the traveller to the station of Los An-
des. It has been found necessary to construct
snow-sheds in many places in order to protect
the track from snow-slides, which are likely to
occur in August and September. From Los
Andes to Valparaiso the route is over the Chil-
ean State Railroad, which is of standard gauge,
and passes through some rich and fertile val-
leys on its way towards the Pacific.
The scenery on the Chilean side is grandly
picturesque and affords some magnificent views
of mountain scenery. There are one hundred
and eighteen bridges, an average of more than
J
Crossing the Continent 179
two bridges to the mile, from Caracoles to Los
Andes- At El Portillo is the rock-bordered
Inca Lake, on whose surface is reflected the
mountains which slope abruptly into its waters.
Masses of rock seem poised on ledges ready to
project themselves down into the valleys with
destruction in their path. One of the most
wonderful sights is a narrow gorge, very deep,
which forms the bed of a swift stream. At
one place the overhanging rocks nearly meet,
and this is called the Sajto del Soldado, the
Soldier's Leap. It received this name because
it is said that, during the early struggles for
independence, a Chilean soldier, pursued by
the enemy, escaped by leaping his horse over
this chasm. How true the tale is I do not know,
but it is a striking freak of nature, and is
plainly visible from the train. There are in
all one hundred and forty miles of the sublime
in nature on the transandine railways, which
will compare with any mountain railroad in the
world, although the most sublime part, hitherto
crossed by wagons or mules, will not be visible
from the international express.
The Cordilleras of the Andes are formed of
three distinct ranges running north and south.
The western range forms the watershed and is
180 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the boundary line between Argentina and Chile,
while the central range contains the highest
peaks, Aconcagua, Mercedario and Tupungato.
The eastern range is divided from the central
one by a wide plain or plateau, several miles
broad, known as the Uspallata, which is some
six thousand feet above sea level and is one
hundred and fifty miles long from Mendoza
north. Without lakes or trees, this plain is one
of the most desolate and uninteresting spots
imaginable, but thje varied colouring of the
stratification is marvellous. This lower range
conceals the higher peaks from view as one
approaches from the Argentine side.
As one proceeds from Mendoza the upper
valley begins to close in and the track pierces
the main range of the Cordilleras between walls
of porphyry and granite. To the north one
gets at last a glimpse of Aconcagua some
twenty-three thousand and eighty feet above
sea level, and higher than any peak outside of
the Himalayas. It is more than ninety miles
from the Pacific and can be seen on a clear day
from Valparaiso, for its lofty head is lifted
up above its neighbours. It is on the Argen-
tine side, and all the melted ice and snow from
its slopes pours down over the pampas of that
Crossing the Continent 181
country. It is surrounded by winding valleys,
by rugged and precipitous spurs and ridges
which are difficult of access. One of the best
views is from the Puente del Inca where the
Horcones Valley opens out into the Cuevas
Valley. It has been termed a volcano, but there
are no signs of a crater and few traces of
scoriae. To the north of Aconcagua lies the
Mercaderio, over twenty-two thousand feet, and
to the south Tupungato, just a few feet lower.
On the Chilean side, near the Cumbre, is Juncal
(19,500 feet), and near it are the peaks of Pol-
lera, Navarro, Maipo and the great volcano of
San Jose.
The most striking aspect of these Andean
solitudes is their terribly bleak and desolate
appearance. Trees there are none, but only a
few shrubs and blades of grass growing in the
clefts of rocks here and there; nothing but a
huge expanse of yellow sand and stone, with
peaks rising on every hand whose extraordi-
nary stratification presents many-coloured hues
which are almost bewildering to the eye. Great
torrents flow down their sides whose waters
are of a dull, brackish colour. These are ex-
ceedingly rapid and full of dangerous holes,
so that the fording of them is perilous. The
182 Argentina and Her People of To-day
line of perpetual snow is about seventeen thou-
sand feet, although this varies. In the spring
there is a very curious phenomenon at times on
the glaciers and snow slopes. It consists of
huge fields composed of cones, or pyramids,
of frozen snow, some four or five feet high,
placed close beside each other. These cones
are called the nieve penitente, or penitent snow,
because of its semblance to the cowled Penitent
Friars. This effect is caused by the combined
action of the sun and wind upon the frozen
masses.
Aconcagua is distant about a dozen miles
from the Inca or Cuevas. The weather, how-
ever, is uncertain even in summer, and a terri-
ble wind usually prevails after sunrise. These
render exploration work difficult and even dan-
gerous. In the winter the snowfall is exces-
sive. In the summer there is no snowfall and
the wind blows the dust from the desert-like
valleys in stifling clouds, which are oftentimes
almost unendurable. Storms which are almost
blizzards spring up as by magic on the high
altitudes. The lightning is especially vivid
and dangerous.
The pass of the Cumbre is one of the most
dangerous passes because of its fearful storms.
Crossing the Continent 183
Every few miles there are the dome-shaped
casuchaSj which have been built for shelter,
with their doorways perched up high above the
ground as a precaution against being snowed
under. In one of the most dangerous parts
is a little graveyard by the roadside, with nu-
merous little wooden crosses in various stages
of decay which bear eloquent testimony to the
toll which has been demanded by the storm
king.
The arrieros, or mule drivers, that one may
engage, never set foot on the ground if they
can avoid it. It would, I suppose, be a loss
of caste to walk, and they would rather ride
their horses over a precipice than humiliate
themselves by getting off and walking. The
general appearance of these arrieros is deci-
dedly picturesque, is certainly distinctive and
gives them a rather striking appearance. They
ride an old-fashioned Mexican saddle with a
number of sheepskins strapped over the top of
it. They generally have their feet encased in
soft slippers made of a square piece of raw-
hide strapped on the foot by leather thongs,
which would certainly make walking over stones
decidedly uncomfortable. They are fond of
silver trappings and gaudy accoutrements, and
184 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the more jingling these accessories make the
better pleased is the rider, for he declares that
this noise encourages the animals.
Aconcagua is distant a dozen miles from the
Cumbre. The agcent of this peak has been
made up a valley which runs over toward it.
Vegetation gradually disappears on the upward
journey, an^ the most of the streams contain
water unfit to drink. Soon the giant cliffs and
crags of Aconcagua tower over the traveller,
a great mass of rock rising like the battlements
of some stupendous castle. Its vast propor-
tions are bewildering to the pygmy onlooker.
Amidst this amphitheatre of peaks and valleys
it would seem was the arena of one of the early-
world dramas ages and ages ago. The cold
becomes greater and more acute as more lofty
heights are reached, especially so just before
daybreak. The wind is biting. The loose round
stones make a footing difficult. What looks like
a mere step from one part of the mountain to
another often means hours of toil to the ven-
turesome climber.
One writer says : ' ' The sight that met my
gaze was an astounding one. An immense gla-
cier separated us from the glacier below — the
difference between twenty-three thousand feet
Crossing the Continent 185
and thirteen thousand feet. It was a precipice
of gigantic size. As I looked down its dizzy
sides, I saw spurs of the mountain flanking the
glaciers beneath to the left and right, giving
the appearance of some huge amphitheatre.
The sun was low in the heavens, and did not
penetrate into the vast pit, and the great
masses of vapour slowly moving about in it far
below, gave it the aspect of a giant cauldron,
into whose depths the eye failed to penetrate,
two miles vertically below. The arete, about
five feet wide at this point, ran east to the sum-
mit and west to the snow-clad western peak of
the mountain, growing ever narrower in that
direction, until, where it sloped up to the high-
est point, its edge became knife-like. ' ^
In '' The Highest Andes," by E. A. Fitz-
gerald, the following description is given of the
summit of < Aconcagua. *' Over Argentinian
territory range beyond range stretched away;
coloured slopes of red, brown and yellow, peaks
and crags capped with fresh-fallen snow. I had
hoped to look down upon the pampas of Argen-
tina. In this I was disappointed for, though
I gazed down over the range, a sea of moun-
tains some sixty miles in width, and averaging
a height of quite thirteen thousand feet, made
186 Argentina and Her People of To-day
such a view impossible. Away over the sur-
ging mass of white cloud that lay on the glacier
at my feet rose the southern frontier chain.
Torlosa and the Twins, on either side of the
Cumbre Pass, stood like colossal sentinels
guarding the great highway between the two
republics; then there were the lofty glaciers
lying between the rugged crags of Juncal, the
ice peaks of Navarro and Pollera, the Leones
and the Cerro del Plomo, that overhangs the
city of Santiago, Chile, and some sixty miles
farther on the magnificent white summit of
Tupungato.
** No lens or pen can depict the view from
the Chilean side. I looked down the great
waste, past the western peak of the mountain
to right and left, over ranges that dwindled in
height as they neared the coast to where, a hun-
dred miles away, the blue expanse of the Pa-
cific glittered in the evening sun. The sun lay
low on the horizon, and the whole surface of
the ocean within the points of vision was dif-
fused with a blood-red glow. The shimmering
of the light on the water could be distinctly
seen. So near did it seem that I could not real-
ize the immense distance that separated one
from it.
Crossing the Continent 187
*' All the forces of nature had been brought
to bear upon this mountain giant. Visible signs
lay around one of the power of the weather
and rapid changes of temperature to destroy.
Aconcagua, with all its cherished secrets and
its mystery, lay here before one, confessing
itself as nothing more than a colossal ruin, for
not a single vestige of the ancient crater of this
extinct volcano remains. Foot by foot the re-
lentless forces of nature have reduced the moun-
tain to its present proportions. The innumera-
ble traces of ruin and decay around one, the
crumbling rocks and the disappearance of the
crater told of an Aconcagua of the past, whose
gigantic base filled the glacier-beds around,
whose sides rose towering to the heavens sev-
eral thousand feet higher than the Aconcagua
of to-day ; of an Aconcagua of ages yet unborn,
split, broken and powdered by frost and heat,
pouring itself over valleys and plains in sedi-
ment and shingle, a mere shapeless mass whose
height will no longer distress the mountaineer.
*' I looked at the time. It was twenty min-
utes past six. The sun, a great ball of blood-
red fire in a cloudless sky, was dipping into the
waters of the Pacific. Rapidly it sank and dis-
appeared from view, yet, as if struggling for
188 Argentina and Her People of To-day
supremacy with the fast-approaching night, an
afterglow of surpassing beauty spread over
land and sea in a series of magnificent changes
of colour. The mighty expanse of water from
north to south, together with the sky above it,
was diffused with a fiery, red glow. While the
red in the sky remained, the waters, through
a variety of intermediate shades of colouring,
turned slowly to purple and then to blue. And
yet we were not in darkness, for with the sun's
departure the risen moon declared itself with
wondrous brightness, penetrating the thin at-
mosphere and flooding everything with its
colder light."
CHAPTER IX
THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CHAEACTEEISTICS
Argentina is made up of a complex popula-
tion. An Argentinian is a person born in the
country, just as we class our own population.
Perhaps nearly one-half of the inhabitants are
foreign born, and most of them from the Latin
countries. A large proportion of the remainder
do not have to go back more than one or two
generations until a European ancestor is dis-
covered. The Latin races soon become mixed
and cannot very easily be traced after a gen-
eration or two. The English and German set-
tlers continue distinct and apart. They always
remain foreign. The English traits in those
who have lived there a generation or two are
almost as marked as in those who have recently
come over from the tight little island. The
later Spanish and Italian immigrants are the
workers and do most of the common labour.
Wherever newer methods have been introduced
the influences are distinctly English. The rail-
189
190 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ways are all owned and operated by the Eng-
lish, and these have given the British touch to
all the later developments.
There is an aristocracy in Argentina as in
all countries. The real aristocrat here, as in
other Spanish countries, is the pure-blooded
Castilian, who follows unfalteringly the tradi-
tions of his native land, and who prides himself
more upon the accomplishments of the past
than upon anything his family or race have
done in modern times. The greater aristocracy,
however, is not an aristocracy of the old Span-
ish regime, such as one will find in Chile or
Peru, but a more recent upper ten based upon
wealth. The more picturesque attributes of a
Spanish civilization have almost disappeared
beneath the spirit of modernism in Buenos
Aires. The development of social grades all
over tlie republic has been rapid and has kept
pace with the opening up of new lands. Tt
is possible even now to watch this development,
which is still in process of evolution in the
newer communities. A material prosperity has
sometimes overwhelmed the other virtues and
inherited characteristics. Any way to make
money is the aim of the Argentinian, and an
aristocracy of money has grown up.
The People and Their Characteristics 191
The Argentine magnate is not a man who has
attained his prominence after a bitter and
strenuous commercial struggle, which has de-
veloped a hard-headed, practical side, but his
wealth has come through the automatic growth
in the value of his expansive leagues of rich
campo. His income has waxed greater each
year through no effort of his own. So one will
find the rich estanciero, intoxicated with his
own wealth, disporting himself in the national
capital on as lavish a scale as one will see in
New York or London. These wealthy land
aristocrats not only spend their money, but
they are eternally bent on devising new ways
for divesting themselves of the surplus pesos.
It is spent lavishly and not always well, for
the development of the finer tastes has not kept
pace with the increase of material wealth.
Some of these moneyed estancieros are de-
scended from honest farmers, whose fathers
had no intimation of the wealth that would fall
to their descendants. They lived the simplest
of existences, and looked upon their broad acres
only as a source of food and shelter. Then the
land began to rise with almost incredible rapid-
ity. A league that would have been wagered
on a Camp race soon represented a small for-
192 Argentina and Her People of To-day
tune. The approach of the railroad to his
estancia showed the son that fortune was in
his hands and he longed for excitement. A
palace in Buenos Aires was added to his pos-
sessions, he joined the famous Jockey Club and
became a devotee of sport — following the odds
on horses even more closely than he did the
price of wheat or cattle. He now visits Europe
frequently and has added a sort of cosmopoli-
tan veneer to himself, and may possibly have
learned to speak two or three languages. Thus
it is that this hidalgo has added up-to-date and
European customs and habits to his inherited
traits, of which perhaps the vices have been
imbibed fully as generously as the virtues and
graces. So also it is that his life passes along
in smooth and easy channels, with little to
worry him except the problem of amusement
and sufficient excitement.
There is no doubt that the Argentinian is
ambitious. We may laugh at some of his im-
practical ideas, or the seeming stupidity of
some of the more ignorant ones, but the fact
remains that each one is endeavouring to get
ahead. The Porteno is aiming to make Buenos
Aires the finest city in the world, the state gov-
ernments vie with each other in prodigality,
The People and Their Characteristics 193
and the ranchman is trying to develop the very
best breeds of stock on his estancia. They want
the best modern appliances and luxuries, and
even the ladies must have the very latest Pari-
sian designed hats and gowns. The workmen
join labour organizations and they are as free
to strike as in any other country in the world;
in every way they are breaking away from the
old traditions and trying to enter into the spirit
of the modern, be it for good or ill. The same
trend is observable whether the person is the
descendant of one of the old families, or is one
of the recent importations from Spain or Italy.
This modernizing spirit seems to be in the air
and is as contagious as the most virulent form
of fever or plague. All differences of social
station fade away before this one vital force
which pervades both Camp and city. It is al-
most as marked as in any part of the United
States and cannot be overlooked by the most
unobservant traveller.
A general wastefulness characterizes all
classes, both urban and rural. In many cases
this is probably due to ignorance. The very
bountifulness of nature has no doubt accentu-
ated a natural disinclination to attend to detail
and small economies. If conservation would
194 Argentina and Her People of To-day
be studied much more profit could be realized
by all. On the estancias this wastefulness is
noted in the methods of taking care of the crops
and vast herds of stock. In the city one will
see it in the administration of municipal gov-
ernments in the various departments. In pri-
vate life one will discern it everywhere, and
even the common labourer shows the same
traits of improvidence and lack of thriftiness
so characteristic of the German or French peas-
ant, for example.
The railroads are wasteful oftentimes and
are unprepared to handle the immense crops
produced by a bountiful nature, so that thou-
sands of tons of grain have been lost through
sheer inability to get them to market, and the
estanciero was unable to take care of his grain
because he had no elevators or granaries to
hold his crop. Thousands of cattle have been
lost in a dry season because the owner trusted
wholly to nature and had no food to keep them
from starvation when the pasture failed. But
then Argentina is not alone in these traits, and
it is perhaps easier to find fault or give advice
than to do the things ourselves if we were
placed in the same position.
Like all Latin people, the Argentinian loves
The People and Their Characteristics 195
politics. The opera bouffe style of government,
which can still be found in Central America,
has disappeared, so that the melodramatic ele-
ment no longer exists. With each year the
people grow less inclined to indulge in revolu-
tion simply as a pastime. The risks of the
revolutionists too are greater in a nation of
nearly seven million people than formerly,
when there were not one-fourth that number,
and a country in which prosperity and educa-
tion have made great strides. Furthermore,
there is the feeling on the part of the Argen-
tinians that their country is on its way to take
its place as one of the great nations of the
earth, and this idea has undoubtedly sobered
them somewhat. There are, no doubt, many,
even to-day, who enter politics with no other
purpose than to enrich themselves. Their
methods, however, are far more subtle than the
revolutionists of old, and they hedge them-
selves about with an air of apparent honesty
and patriotism that is difficult to penetrate.
They have had good examples of genuine patri-
ots in the not distant past, which has no doubt
aided in clarifying the political atmosphere. It
is in the question of government contracts
where the test of honour comes. If the tales
196 Argentina and Her People of To-day
that are told are to be believed, then rich pick-
ings often fall to officials. In some cases this
has been done openly and yet caused little com-
ment, because such a result seemed to be but
natural and expected as a matter of course.
Argentina is a country that is purely pas-
toral and agricultural, for the proportion of
those engaged in manufacturing is numerically
very small. And yet one city contains nearly
one-fifth of the total population. Wlien you
include the other cities, such as Rosario, Tucu-
man, Mendoza, etc., the proportion of city dwell-
ers is still greater. The cities of Argentina
have outgrown the rest of the country. With
people of an excitable nature, such as the Lat-
ins are, it may bode serious trouble in the fu-
ture. Strikes have become very common, and
lawlessness in connection with them is very
easy to stir up. Just before my visit the chief
of police was killed in one of those disturbances.
The method of the government in dealing with
these exigencies is sensible but drastic. A state
of siege and martial law is declared, and every •
suspicious character is deported as an unde-
sirable. Following the killing of the chief of
police, several hundred Italians and Spaniards
were deported. It was only after several weeks
The People and Their Characteristics 197
of martial law that the ban was lifted and life
moved along as before. Many of the Italians
are, no doubt, anarchistic in their tendencies,
and sometimes it might be wondered that dis-
turbances are not more frequent and more gen-
eral than they actually are. The police of the
city usually show themselves competent to cope
with the situation.
Notwithstanding the cosmopolitan character
of the population, the republic is governed
solely by the real Argentinians. No foreigner
is permitted to sit in Congress or take any hand
in the legislation of the country. The charac-
ter of elections has undoubtedly progressed,
but they are still far from being perfect or free
from criticism. It is very easy to tell before-
hand who will be elected by observing the forces
and influences behind the various candidates.
How it is accomplished might be difficult to
explain, but it is done, and the man with the
proper support will almost invariably win out
in some way. Absolute freedom of expression
is allowed the individual and press; one may
listen to or read political addresses full of flow-
ery eloquence and fire, or hear the most bitter
denunciation, with no police interference what-
ever. The government does not worry itself
198 Argentina and Her People of To-day
about such trifles, which are merely abstract
questions and do no one harm. The chances
are that if the opponents of the government are
allowed to work off their pent-up emotions in
this way, their opposition on election day will
not be very active. Hence they always treat
the * * not-ins ' * with a sort of good-natured for-
bearance that would be irritating to a North
American.
There are perhaps fifty thousand or more
persons in Argentina who might be classed as
British. It would be difficult to find a com-
munity where a few of these Anglo-Saxons do
not dwell. Of this number a large proportion
are of Hibernian extractidn. As a rule they
may easily be spotted. In Buenos Aires and
Rosario this colony remains entirely distinct
and mingles very little in social relations with
the natives. They are engaged in commerce
and the other business enterprises. The Brit-
isher is self-satisfied and the Argentinian would
call him boorish, although he is welcomed, as
is any one who will contribute to the develop-
ment and material progress of the country. In
the Camp it is sometimes different. There one
will find former citizens of the British Isles who
have almost forgotten their native tongue.
The People and Their Characteristics tl99
Their children will speak Spanish in preference
to English, and they have imbibed many of the
characteristics of the Spaniards. If this Brit-
ish estanciero speaks English his conversation
will be interspersed with Spanish phrases. The
Camp seems to have a fascination for him, and
he will prefer the blue and white banner of his
adopted land to the British Jack. The rich
land of Argentina, which can produce such
abundant crops, has wielded a spell over him.
This process of welding and consolidation has,
in numerous instances, been at work for sev-
eral generations.
The Englishman is a born sportsman. He
loves horseflesh and all games, and has initiated
the Argentinian into the mysteries of many.
Football is now played all over the republic
by thousands of the darker-hued Argentinians,
side by side with the fair-haired Anglo-Saxon.
Football has to all intents and purposes be-
come the national game of Argentina. It is
really astonishing what a hold this game has
upon the people. The love of sport in the Camp
has no doubt had an influence in leading to a
closer understanding and better feeling be-
tween the two races in the rural districts; it
has been a good influence and the result has
200 Argentina and Her People of To-day
been for the best interest of the nation. If the
two races are to live side by side it is well for
a good fellowship to exist between them.
The seal of Spain is upon everything that she
has touched. The Spaniard has left his relig-
ion, language, and social creed all over the New
World south of the Rio Grande, and his mark
can be traced upon face, laws and landscape.
Wherever he appeared the Spaniard has writ-
ten his racial autograph in a hand that neither
time nor political change has sufficed to efface.
The Anglo-Saxon has never succeeded in ac-
complishing the same results except by colo-
nization. One who is proficient can detect from
what part the Spanish- American woman comes,
for each national face has an individuality.
The Mexicana, the Chilena, the Uruguayana
and the Argentina all differ — and yet there is
a kinship that can easily be traced. The olive-
brown tint is there, but in different shades.
The perfect morena (Spanish-Moorish) is a
rarity, but it is as near perfection as complex-
ion can be — so fine, so soft and so richly
warmed. This type can frequently be found
in the Argentina.
Outside of Buenos Aires the old conserva-
tism concerning the position of women still
ONE OF ARGENTINA ri DAUGHTERS
The People and Their Characteristics 201
prevails. It must be admitted that there is
something attractive about their life. The big
roomy windows, and the balconies which jut out
over the street on each floor, and the women
seem made for each other. The balconies were
first designed for the wives and daughters of
the Spaniards to look out upon the street, since
they were not allowed to go out freely. I know
of no sight prettier or more enchanting than
to see these balconies filled with women and
children on the occasion of a carnival or other
festive occasion. Two, three or four tiers of
balconies, one above another, will be crowded
with women all in white, and it is a sight upon
which to feast the eyes. Then a family group
in one of the big windows, with the young ladies
seated on the window itself, forms a picture
that will linger in the memory.
The women of Argentina are the antithesis
of English or American women in many ways.
The masculine type is very rare, for the re-
strictions and customs rather accentuate the
purely feminine traits. In youth they are beau-
tiful and none can help but admire both face
and figure. They can express in the flash of
an eye what an English girl could not say in
a quarter of an hour. In addition to the at-
202 Argentina and Her People of To-day
tractiveness granted her by nature the Argen-
tina is an adept at all the arts of the toilet, and
is generally familiar with rouge, the pencil and
the powder puff ; in these she is a connoisseur,
and does not hesitate to apply her knowledge.
In many the Spanish and Italian types have
been moulded together and the beauty has
probably been accentuated. As a rule her car-
riage is graceful, but her voice — that is the
one disappointing quality. The voice is gen-
erally rather shrill, and, when excited, very un-
pleasant. Furthermore, they always speak in
a monotonous, high-keyed, sing-song manner.
A lack of exercise and a love of big dinners
and wines soon develops a stoutness that does
not add to the beauty of the Argentine woman.
One will seldom see a woman in any city walk-
ing if a conveyance can possibly be had, and
it is certainly a good thing for the cabbie. It
is at a late hour when they arise and they sel-
dom don other than negligee before the middle
of the afternoon. In later years they become
very stout — one might cruelly say, fleshy. In
Buenos Aires they are beginning to look upon
a little more freedom as their birthright. One
will see young women on the street or in the
street car unaccompanied by the duenna or
The People and Their Characteristics 203
other companion, which would be unknown in
Spain. Whereas they used to look upon Eng-
lish girls as fast, because of their freedom,
now they are longing to adopt the same free-
dom of action, and it seems to be coming by
degrees. The matron becomes very much do-
mesticated and devotes herself unstintingly to
her children and their welfare. In this way
many of the youngsters are really spoiled.
Their devotion to their children is, however,
to be greatly admired, and a great affection
seems to exist for the mother among all her
children, both girls and boys.
' ' I should think that these mothers would get
tired of black hair," said an American woman
to me in Buenos Aires. And then it dawned
upon me with full force that all of these Latin-
American children have black hair. It had not
seemed to me as monotonous or tiresome be-
fore, for there is an individuality about each
face, just as there is about that of children the
world over. It is true that the hair of these
children is almost uniformly of that hue, but
I am very sure that the mothers find their chil-
dren no less interesting because Carmencita,
Juanita, Consuela, Maria, Juan, Jose, Santi-
ago, Antonio and all their little brothers and
204 Argentina and Her People of To-day
sisters have hair of the same shade. These
children of Latin- America are very numerous,
for families are generally larger than they are
in the United States. It is nothing unusual to
see the mother or both parents get on board
a train followed by six or eight children, all of
whom are of tender ages.
The Spaniard has the reputation of being
cruel. He is so to his horse or mule, he can
view the cruelties of the bull-fight with enthusi-
asm, but his voice softens in speaking to a
child. In fact the children are often petted and
humoured too much, and the affection lavished
upon them becomes a passion. And yet these
bewitching little people are never unmindful
of the simple courtesies of life. They learn the
amenities of speech almost from the cradle.
Ask some little fellow in Spanish America his
name, and he will probably roll out a long
name, such as Jesus Antonio Martinez y Al-
corta, ** at the service of God and yourself
Pass some compliment on little Carmencita and
see how quickly she will say, ** It is a compli-
ment you pay me,'' or '' mil gracias/' a thou-
sand thanks. Offer her some little courtesy
and she accepts '' con mucJio gusto/' with much
pleasure, to which you should reply *' the
The People and Their Characteristics 205
pleasure will be mine." It is hardly safe to
admire an ornament of a little mite of only-
eight or ten years. She will instantly remove
it and offer it to you with the expression, '' It
is at the disposal of your worship." The
proper '' disposal " is to refuse the gift in nice
polite terms. It is really remarkable, and
oftentimes touching, to observe these little
courtesies in the ninas and muchachas. It even
extends to their prayers, for here is the Span-
ish form of bed- time prayer : —
« Jesus, Joseph, Mary,
Your little servant keep.
While, with your kind permission,
I lay me down to sleep."
Most of these Argentine children are rather
solemn-faced in the presence of strangers.
They are not quite so free to make up with
some one unknown to them as the average
American child, and it is often rather difficult
to coax a smile. One can even casually pinch
a little cheek without provoking the smile so
free with American children. It is not fear,
for they do not seem afraid, but there is a cer-
tain shyness which is very noticeable. They
will look up at you with their big, black eyes,
206 Argentina and Her People of To-day
but the smile which should accompany it is not
forthcoming. Especially is this true of little
girls, who thus early in life seem to realize the
narrowness of their lives.
It has always seemed to me sad to contem-
plate a girl's life in these Latin lands. No
sooner has one crossed the Eio Grande into
Mexico than the restrictions upon a woman's
freedom become evident, and these same cus-
toms extend clear to the '' Land of Fire," at
the southernmost limits of South America.
Not only are the little girls held in a species
of bondage, but in later years they miss that
care-free, happy period of American girls in
their early " teens," when every one considers
it a privilege and pleasure to contribute to their
enjoyment. They are hemmed about by serv-
ants and duennas during these years, and they
then suddenly emerge into young womanhood,
almost before one realizes that they are more
than little girls. One year they are ninas
(which means little girls), and a year or two
later they are sefioritas, or young ladies. They
have almost skipped that delightful age of
being '* just girls," which the Spaniards term
muchachas.
If there is one feature about them that is
The People and Their Characteristics 207
especially beautiful it is the eyes. Large, dark
and radiant orbs are almost universal, and
especially is that true in childhood. They very
early begin the use of powder and paste, and
oftentimes of rouge and the black pencil. It
is a shame, for youth does not need these arti-
ficial aids and the evil effects are seen in the
complexions of those of maturer years. This
beauty of youth is more evanescent than with
American girls, and the girl of even twenty
has oftentimes begun to fade, and at thirty she
is decidedly matronly in appearance.
Love and religion are the only two things
that a Spanish woman should concern herself
about, according to the theory of that land,
and the same sentiment permeates even the
childish amusements. Love and lovers run
through all the childish rhymes of the children
of Spanish-America. But more frequently it
is religion. To begin with, their very names
all have some religious significance. Mary is
a very common name, but to it is added one of
the attributes of the Virgin, such as Mary of
the Sorrows, Tears, Annunciation, etc. Thus
smiling little Dolores (sorrows), Lagrimas
(tears) and the other little Marys bear these
sad names, but their smiles come just as easy
208 Argentina and Her People of To-day
as if their names signified joys. Saints are
appealed to in many of their childish amuse-
ments. ^^ Jesus '' and ** Mary Most Pure "
are common forms of exclamation for the tini-
est of tots, and their conversation is punctuated
with these sacred terms in the most innocent
way imaginable. They are used just as Ameri-
can tots would say *' oh, my,'' or " good gra-
CHAPTER X
THE PEOPLE AT PLAY
S-p-0-R-T is the word you will find at the head
of the sporting columns of the Spanish, as well
as English newspapers, in Argentina. This
word has been transferred over bodily, as no
term in Spanish exactly expressed the mean-
ing of the English word sport. Baseball has
not yet become popular and cricket is little
understood by the Argentinians, but they are
passionately fond of the turf, and horse racing
is perhaps the favourite sport of all classes.
It is not the excitement of the racing alone that
appeals to the Argentinian, but the opportu-
nity it gives for indulging in his love of betting.
Argentina possesses some of the finest horse
flesh in the world, and sales of favourites
oftentimes take place at almost fabulous
prices.
Sixty millions is a tidy little sum to be placed
upon horses in one year. And yet that is the
amount staked upon the races in the city of
209
210 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Buenos Aires last year, according to the mu-
nicipal statistics of that city. Estimating the
population at one million, two hundred thou-
sand, this is an average of fifty Argentine dol-
lars for each man, woman and child in that
great city. Naturally the reported figures do
not include all the money that is wagered on
the horse racing, so that it is impossible to give
the total amount of the bets, but it was un-
doubtedly several million dollars in addition
to the above sum. Reducing the figures to
American money, the wagers would represent
twenty-five million, eight hundred thousand dol-
lars in gold coin with the American eagle
stamped on the back.
The race track of Buenos Aires, called the
Hippodromo, is a monopoly of the Jockey Club
in that city. This club is an exception to the
general run of clubs in the world, for it has
more money than it knows what to do with.
The troublesome surplus in the bank is the
only problem that bothers the board of direc-
tors, and it is bringing gray hairs to their de-
voted heads. A half million dollars (an Argen-
tine dollar is worth forty- three cents) is de-
voted to charity each year, but that is only a
small part of its income. Ten per cent, of the
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The People at Play 211
total amount of stakes on the races is the prop-
erty of the club. This, together with the gate
receipts and membership dues, gives the Jockey
Club an enormous income, running up very
close to eight figures. The several hundred
members each pay dues amounting to fifteen
hundred dollars annually, and the initiation fee
is four thousand dollars. The membership is
always full, and there is a long waiting list of
eligibles. About a year ago a proposition was
seriously discussed by the club to purchase a
dozen blocks right in the heart of the city, con-
struct a broad and beautiful boulevard through
it and make a present of the improvement to
the city. The estimated cost was in the neigh-
bourhood of fourteen million dollars. When
the proposition came to a vote it was lost by
only five votes. It was defeated, too, not on
account of the cost, but simply on the question
of the advisability or practicability of such a
scheme. The club had the money on hand, and
they are now worrying themselves again as to
what to do with it.
The home of the Jockey Club is a rather
unpretentious-looking building on the narrow
Calle Florida, in the very heart of the city.
The interior, however, is magnificent. As one
212 Argentina and Her People of To-day
enters the massive doors, a marble staircase
faces you, which is the boast of the members
and the pride of Buenos Aires. Then there are
dining-rooms, reception-rooms, parlours and
all the other apartments required in such an
establishment. All of these rooms are fitted
and furnished regardless of cost, and with the
artistic taste which is inherent with the Latin
races, so that it will compare favourably with
any palace in Europe. The banquet-room is
fitted with a circular table, with a running
fountain in the centre. This table is so made
that it can be arranged to seat twenty people,
or enlarged to accommodate a hundred, and
still be a perfect circle. I had the pleasure of
dining in the club with the American minister,
and found that one will meet with representa-
tive Argentinians of all classes, for the mem-
bership is confined to them; but few foreign-
ers, outside of the diplomats, are able to get
their names on the membership books even as
honorary members. A good introduction will
sometimes give the visitor a chance to take his
meals there and have a hand in the games, in
which fortunes are oftentimes lost in a single
night. The club possesses some exquisite
works of art. They have followed the plan
The People at Play 2ia
of purchasing one picture each year, but that
picture must contain merit, for the price is no
object. In this way they have collected some
paintings and statuary that are worthy of
places in any museum of art or palace in the
world.
The Argentinians are natural bom gamblers,
and nothing suits them better than to take a
chance on a lottery or on a horse race. The
Hippodromo has one of the finest race courses
in the world. There are three tracks, one
within another. The outer one is three kilo-
meters, or about one and three-fourths mile,
in circumference. There are three grand-
stands, the central one being a magnificent
structure, which is reserved for members of
the Jockey Club and their invited guests. The
gates are as fine specimens of brass gates as
one can find of modern manufacture. The big
races are all held on Sundays, or national holi-
days, from twelve o'clock to three. Then all
of the society folk put on their best bib and
tucker and pour out toward the Hippodromo.
A perfect stream of luxurious automobiles and
fine carriages with liveried drivers will carry
the society out to the races. During the races
these vehicles line up along the curb facing the
214 Argentina and Her People of To-day
middle of the street, for blocks, with mounted
police mingling in the line at intervals.
Here is a typical flowery description by an
Argentine reporter of a race at the Hippo-
drome : * * It was a lavish spectacle of content-
ment, of spirits absorbed for the moment in
the coming sport — regulars eager to try their
palpitos, simple-minded folk who carried the
* sure-thing ' safely tucked away in their pock-
ets. Dreamers of fortune, these, lulled by the
music of the trot. And out of the vague in-
tonation of all this multitude there came, here
and there, like a breath of fresh air, the
glimpses fluttering, elegant, of luxurious car-
riages carrying radiantly dressed ladies, the
luminous note of undulating ribbons and plumes
standing out like a spring-like, feminine bou-
quet against the black mass of these absorbed
in the sport.''
It is a study of Argentine life. They are not
as noisy as an American crowd, but the tense
faces express the keenest interest, for nearly
every one, old and young, man or woman, has
a personal interest in the outcome. There are
none so old and few so young that they will
not wage a few pesos on a favourite. Between
the races the crowds leave the grandstand and
The People at Play 215
wander around below or visit the betting
booths, which cover a half-acre of ground.
One booth will accept wagers of ten dollars,
another of fifty and still others of one hundred
dollars. The money is then apportioned after
fixed rules. Ten per cent, is first deducted for
charity, another ten per cent, for the Jockey
Club and the balance is divided among the bet-
tors. When the result has been figured up, the
amount to be paid on the different horses is
posted up on a black-board and the winners
can draw their money. This board, it is need-
less to say, is eagerly scanned after each race.
More than one hundred races were given by
this club last year, and they were attended by
nearly three-quarters of a million of people.
The big races were witnessed by a concourse
of people which sometimes numbered fifty thou-
sand. The average attendance of all the races
is more than six thousand. The attendance and
the money wagered is increasing rapidly each
year. The statistics show an increase in the
past ten years of more than three hundred per
cent., and the amount of money wagered has
increased still more rapidly. The Argentin-
ians are prosperous now, and they spend their
money more freely than the average American.
216 Argentina and Her People of To-day
The Tiger — that is the meaning in Elnglish
of El Tigre, the Thames of Argentina. It is
situated a half -hour's ride by train from the
city of Buenos Aires, and is the favourite re-
sort of all the lovers of water sports in that
city. '* Going to the Tigre '' is the usual ex-
pression you will hear from the passenger at
Retiro station on Saturday, Sunday or a holi-
day, and it may be said in Spanish, English,
German or Italian. It is an inaccurate expres-
sion, for the name Tigre is properly applied
only to one of the most insignificant branches
of the network of streams which abound in that
vicinity.
El Tigre is not an old resort. Thirty years
ago the banks of the many little streams which
wind in and out along the shore of the Rio de
La Plata for several miles were almost bare
of arboreal growth, just like the plains, or pam-
pas, are for hundreds of miles. In fact it has
only been within the past dozen years that
Buenos Aires in all its cosmopolitan entirety
^* discovered " El Tigre. At the present time
the banks are all fringed with a dense curtain
of vegetation. The eucalyptus, poplar and
willow alternate with each other, and closely-
set peach and pear orchards are very numerous,
The People at Play 217
for the Tigre fruits are large and delicious, and
are in great demand in that republic. The
transformation has been wonderful, and the
average visitor would think that the growth
was natural and not planted. This class of
trees grows very rapidly when once planted by
the hand of man, but nature herself slighted
Argentina in the matter of trees.
As one sails in and out of the numerous ca-
nals new scenes of beauty continuously open up
before his eyes. The broad canal from the rail-
road station is taken first, for this leads past
the principal club houses. Imposing creeper-
clad cottages are dotted along the bank on one
side, and some of them are very beautiful. On
the opposite side is the Tigre Hotel, with its
many flowers and refreshment grounds. As
the motor boat speeds along the regatta course
the procession of passing craft is never-end-
ing. There are launches, punts, skiffs and
canoes filled with cosmopolitan parties of
nearly all nationalities. Among these crowds
the olive faces and graceful figures of the dark-
eyed Argentinian senoritas may easily be dis-
tinguished from the blonde, ruddy-faced Eng-
lish girl, or the more buxom German type. The
senoritas have learned to skull and manoeuvre
218 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the rudder, as well as their fairer haired rivals
for the affections of the youths who are fortu-
nate to be the owners of some craft that will
float on these seductive waters.
An excursion to the remote waters savours
of the adventurous, for the uninitiated would
soon lose his bearings. One will wind in and
out of the maze of streams in continual wonder
as to what the next bend will reveal. There
are broad streets of water, lanes, narrow pas-
sages and even blind alleys. One might follow
one course and emerge upon the broad La
Plata, or he might wind in and out for hours,
or even days, without once doubling on his
track. Along these less frequented water ways
the honeysuckle and swamp flowers bloom un-
aided, and the large crimson blossoms of the
ceibo tree add a brilliant touch of colour. Na-
tive boats laden with willow or fruits will occa-
sionally be met, for these watery lanes furnish
the only outlet for the most of the islands to
the railroad station. In fact it is a sort of
rural Venice, in which the water furnishes the
only means of communication. Occasionally a
boat will disappear into a narrow opening that
you have not noticed before, for it was so well
shielded by the overhanging willows.
The People at Play 219
Many and beautiful boats will be seen upon
the Tigre. There is the swift motor boat
decked up high so that it can glide through
the waters swiftly; again there is the broader
build made for carrying a larger complement of
passengers. Then there are yachts of all kinds
as well as row-boats of every shape. The most
of them are built in Europe, but an occasional
one constructed in the United States may be
singled out. There are a number of boat clubs.
The oldest one was established by the English,
but this has been absorbed by the Argentinians
and a new one built by the British colony. This
is said to be the largest rowing club in the
world. The Germans have a club house, and
even the Italians have built their own home.
There are not enough Americans in that south-
ern metropolis to own a club house, but some
of that nationality belong to the English club,
and own or have an interest in some of the
gasoline-propelled launches.
The people love the good things of life. In
the evening those who wish to dine in a becom-
ing manner go to the Tigre Hotel. As the light
begins to fade, here and there the launches dart
in and out of the shadows to the landing-stage.
The dining-room quickly becomes crowded with
220 Argentina and Her People of To-day
diners in outing flannels or evening dress. Af-
ter a while the tables in the dining-room become
filled to overflowing with a gay and happy
crowd, and they spread out upon the terrace by
the river side. If there is moonlight the effect
is oftentimes almost fairy-like. Then the moon
and the Southern Cross look down upon such
a scene of beauty and vivacity as must make
the Queen of the Night smile, and cause the
stars to twinkle more brightly than usual. The
rays of moonlight are intersected by the re-
flection of the lamps, while here and there a
twinkling point that denotes a launch darts in
and out of the shadows. Later the notes of the
guitar and mandolin may be heard on the
waters, as the happy crowd disperse to the cot-
tages, and the youthful gallants remain yet a
few minutes more by the home of the charmer
and breathe in the fragrance of the magnolia
blossoms upon the banks. At last at a later
hour all becomes quiet, save for the silent
splashing of the little waves upon the banks
of the canals. Then the darting glow of the
fireflies and the song of the mosquito is all that
remains to indicate life on El Tigre.
** Come on in; the water is fine."
It did not sound that way, for the words were
The People at Play 221
in Spanish. It was in January, too, and the
latitude about the same as that of Washington.
There is this difference, however, that Mar del
Plata is south of the ^^ line." While we are
wearing heavy wraps, the people in that part
of the world are enjoying warm weather. Dur-
ing January and February Buenos Aires is
deserted by society and officials, just as are
New York and Washington in July and Au-
gust. Buenos Aires can only be compared to
the two cities, for it is both capital and me-
tropolis.
Argentina has but one seaside resort. This
one place is the fashionable Newport, the
merry-making Coney Island, and the cosmo-
politan Atlantic City, all in one. It is the
English Brighton and Blackpool united. The
life at Mar del Plata is like none of its proto-
types or its contemporaries.
Here is an enthusiastic description of Mar
del Plata by a native writer : ^ ^ All at Mar del
Plata suggests the refinement of a bathing re-
sort. The waves of the Atlantic beat softly
upon the sandy beaches. The magnificent ho-
tels are filled with a monde cultured and socia-
ble, that fills the summer evenings with joy.
The English cottages and the luxurious cha-
222 Argentina and Her People of To-day
teaux are dotted upon the slopes with all their
graceful architecture and modern comfort. The
days are balmy and the nights perfumed; the
concerts, dances, strolls upon the ' Rambla,'
the gracious life of the elite — all this enlivens
the sport, and causes the summer months to
pass by in an enchanting fashion. And, above
all, the inevitable * flirtation ' is wont to insin-
uate itself in the midst of this delightful frame
of mind, commencing with discreet love-makings
in the romantic light of the moon, in improvised
excursions, during which one may enjoy with
a full pulse the beauty of nature, and ending
in the interchange of marriage vows to the
accompaniment of delicious blushes on the part
of the maiden, and nervous agitation on that
of the future Benedict.''
A few years ago a site on a beautiful little
bay of the Atlantic, two hundred and fifty miles
from Buenos Aires, was chosen by a few of the
wealthy residents as a summer home. At that
time the property could be purchased for al-
most a song, as there was nothing on the site
except a little fishing village. These people
built commodious homes, and it was not long
until this small advance guard was followed by
others, and the colony began to attract atten-
The People at Play 223
tion. In the last six years alone it has in-
creased one thousand per cent., and to-day
Mar del Plata is an attractive summer resort,
with scores of palatial homes, several large
hotels, asphalt streets and other improvements
which follow population. There are a number
of low hills that line the shore, which form a
pretty break in the flat plains that lie all the
way to Buenos Aires. The main portion of the
town is built in one of the breaks in these hills,
on the largest bay, and the palatial homes are
on the slopes and summits facing the sea.
There are some beautiful rocky formations
around the bay, deep narrow cliffs through
which the waters break with thunderous noise.
The finest golf links in the republic are on one
of the hills which overlooks the sea, and this
is the favourite spot for the English visitors
to this resort. There is also a beautiful drive
which extends for several miles up and down
the hills and near the shore along the yellow
sands, past the picturesque rocks and ever look-
ing out upon the blue waters of the ocean.
There is not the life about Mar del Plata that
one finds at an American seaside resort. Span-
ish conservatism still prevails, although mixed
bathing is permitted. This was introduced for
224 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the first time four years ago. The people have
hardly accustomed themselves to the innova-
tion yet, as one will only see the mixed groups
in small family parties. As a rule the women
and children go in together and the men keep
by themselves. Furthermore, no one in bathing-
costume will be seen strolling on the walk, or
along the beach. The women come out of the
bathroom with a cloak over the shoulder, and
are generally joined by an attendant. He re-
moves the cloak as soon as the water is reached,
and it is hung on a line to await her return.
The suits worn are generally skirtless, but with
a coat reaching half way to the knees ; and they
never wear stockings. The attendant accom-
panies them out to where the surf is breaking,
always keeping near the life line. There they
play around for twenty or thirty minutes and
then leave the water. The cloak is placed on
their shoulders again, and they immediately
disappear into the dressing-rooms. The au-
thorities are very watchful of the bathers, for
the undertow at times is very strong. Scattered
along the beach one will at all times see men
in bathing-costumes bearing coils of rope, who
are ever on the alert. These haheros have
saved the life of many a venturesome bather.
The People at Play 225
The bathing is generally done in the morning,
for at eleven o'clock the promenade begins.
This takes place along the board walk, called
the ^^ Rambla," which follows the line of the
shore for a distance. This walk is open to the
sea and covered with a roof, but on the shore
side there are little curio stores, cafes, photo-
graph galleries and moving picture shows.
Many families also have little private bath
houses along this walk ; but that name is really
a misnomer, for they are principally used to
sit in and watch the promenade, as well as to
entertain friends.
The promenade in Spanish countries is a
great feature of social life. Because of the
restrictive social customs there is little freedom
in the life of women, and they therefore wel-
come this diversion. It also gives the seno-
ritas a chance to exhibit their charms before
the admiring young men, and very often leads
to ardent love affairs. Every woman and girl
who is able to get around will be on that walk
just as sure as the men. And then for an hour
or more the crowd will walk back and forth,
until you think they would all tire themselves
out. By one o'clock the promenaders have dis-
appeared, and during the afternoon the walk
226 Argentina and Her People of To-day
is almost deserted. That is the time for the
siesta, which is followed by a drive along the
sea front. At six o 'clock the promenade begins
again, and is kept up for about two hours more,
a repetition of the one at midday. Thus it is
that life goes on day after day for three months
every summer at this greatest resort in South
America. This parade is a study in the life
of Argentine society, for the real four hundred
visit Mar del Plata. It is a place for dress and
no one with a slender purse can afford to visit
it, or, at least, stay any length of time. The
costumers' establishments of far away London
and Paris, as well as Buenos Aires, have been
ransacked for gowns to be worn at this re-
sort.
With all the increase in hotel accommodation
that has been provided in recent years, the
hotels were full for weeks the past season, and
it was almost impossible to secure accommoda-
tion unless one had friends, or arranged for it
weeks ahead. The Hotel Bristol is the largest
hotel in South America. There is a main build-
ing, which contains a spacious dining and ball
room, and two annexes, each of which is as large
as the average city block. The prices corre-
spond with the magnificence of the furnishings.
The People at Play 227
It is a night's run from Buenos Aires, and a
day train is run on Saturdays and Tuesdays,
which makes the trip in about seven hours.
The night that I went there were five trains,
each carrying fourteen sleepers, and all of them
were full. The traffic had been just as great
for almost a month. The country is as flat as
a barn floor, with thousands of cattle and sheep
dotting the Camp as far as the eye could reach.
Great, long-eared rabbits are so numerous that
drives are often formed by the estancieros to
get rid of them. Arrived at Mar del Plata,
there was a close line of carriages almost a
mile long waiting for *' fares." As soon as one
carriage was filled another moved up and took
its place. At these times the '' cabbie " is the
real monarch, for the Argentinians are very
fond of carriages and seldom walk if a carriage
is to be had.
The wealthy promoters of this resort are aim-
ing to make it a sort of Monte Carlo. A new
club has just been built, which is the largest
and most imposing building in Mar del Plata.
In this building three roulette tables and sev-
eral games of trente et quarante were running
in full blast, one roulette table being in a spe-
cial room for ladies. The building was not
228 Argentina and Her People of To-day
quite finished at that time and only the gam-
bling rooms were in use, they being much more
necessary than the rest rooms or dining depart-
ment. The most prominent men in the republic
are members of this club. There had been a
public casino, but the governor of the province
had closed that. He could not reach this pri-
vate club, however, without the aid of another
official, who favoured the gambling. They were
hoping in a few months to elect another gov-
ernor who would not be so strait-laced about
such an important thing as gambling. Large
sums are oftentimes staked on the games at
Mar del Plata, for the Argentinian is reckless
enough to risk his last dollar under the excite-
ment of the game.
Mar del Plata has become quite a fishing
place and many of the inhabitants are engaged
in that occupation. It is very interesting to
watch the fishing boats when they come in from
their excursions. First one, then two or three,
and perhaps a dozen of these picturesque crafts
will come around the point and head for the
beach. Watching a favourable swell, one after
another of the fishing smacks will head for the
shore with all sail set. Awaiting them will be
men with teams of horses, by means of which
The People at Play 229
they are pulled up high and dry upon the sand
to await the coming of morning, when they will
again start out in their search for the ocean's
game.
CHAPTER XI
EDUCATION AND THE AETS
** Found schools and you will do away with
revolutions/' was the favourite expression of
President Sarmiento. It was during this ad-
ministration that education received its great-
est impetus. Sarmiento, who has been called
the *' school-teacher president/' inaugurated a
most liberal policy towards popular education.
He was deeply interested in this problem, had
made a study of the educational systems in the
United States and caused the establishment of
very many schools and public libraries. The
provincial and municipal authorities of the re-
public were everywhere encouraged and urged
to establish an efficient system of public instruc-
tion, and his efforts produced beneficial results.
The later administrations, however, have been
absorbed in other lines, and many of the pro-
gressive ideas of Sarmiento were allowed to
pass into * * innocuous desuetude. ' ' There have
230
I
Education and the Arts 231
been occasional spurts of energy, but these have
been far too spasmodic.
The subject of education arouses less interest
than it should with the people in general. This
lack of public interest is perhaps accountable
in a great measure for the indifference of the
provincial and national administrations. Here
is a criticism of Mr. Akers, the historian, of the
educational system in Argentina. ' ' A smatter-
ing of many subjects is taught, a sound knowl-
edge of any one is the exception. It is not that
the pupils are deficient in intelligence, but
rather that teachers are lacking in experience
and ability. Nor can any other result be ex-
pected under existing circumstances. The pay-
ment of officials is inadequate, and frequently
salaries are months in arrears, while lack of
discipline in primary, secondary and higher
education is conspicuous. Provisions for the
orderly exercise of authority in colleges and
schools are also most defective.'' This criti-
cism was written in 1903, but it is applicable
to-day, except that the payment of the teachers
is somewhat higher and a little more regular.
The teaching profession is still greatly under-
paid, as the money is turned into other channels
which are more purely political. It is simply
232 Argentina and Her People of To-day
another example of that utilitarian policy
of looking only to the present and letting
the future generations take care of them-
selves.
Public instruction in Argentina is divided
into three classes — primary, secondary and
higher education. Primary education is com-
pulsory by law, though seldom enforced, and
is given free to all children in the republic be-
tween the ages of six and fourteen. Education
in the capital and territories is under the con-
trol of the Federal Government, and there are
in all five thousand, two hundred and fifty pub-
lic schools for primary instruction maintained
by it. Each of the provinces maintains large
numbers of these schools for elementary in-
struction also, and in addition each city con-
tains a number of private schools to which peo-
ple of means send their children rather than
to the public institutions. All of the schools
having the support of the Federal Government
are under the supervision of the National Coun-
cil of Education, which is housed in a beautiful
building in the city of Buenos Aires. Second-
ary education is not compulsory, but it is prac-
tically free, as only a very small fee is charged
for registration. There are sixteen lyceums
Education and the Arts 233
and thirty-five normal schools which come un-
der this class, and they are located in all the
larger cities of the nation. The national uni-
versities of Buenos Aires and Cordoba are both
noted institutions, and these, together with
the provincial universities at La Plata, Santa
Fe and Parana, provide the higher education.
In addition to this the various provincial gov-
ernments send a number of students abroad
each year to complete their studies at the noted
universities of Europe and North America.
At the present time there are about thirty of
these students at the various universities and
colleges of the United States, and others are
pursuing their studies in England, France,
Germany and Italy.
Many technical schools are also maintained
by the national government. Among these one
of the most practical is the Industrial School
of the capital. This institution has elaborate
workshops which are well equipped with ma-
chinery and appliances, in which the trades and
crafts are taught. The National Conservatory
of Music, the School for Drawing, the School
of Art, and the School of Commerce, in which
instruction is given accountants and transla-
tors, are situated in Buenos Aires, and there
234 Argentina and Her People of To-day
are commercial schools in Cordoba and Bahia
Blanca. There is an agricultural school in
Santa Catalina, province of Buenos Aires, and
agricultural experiment stations have been es-
tablished at Tucuman, Bella Vista, San Juan
and Tenna.
Argentina is, at the present time, spending
a great deal of money for education. In the
city of Buenos Aires there are sixty-seven
buildings devoted to educational purposes.
Many of these are very attractive structures
and the total cost has run up into the millions
of pesos. The general plan of education is
being modelled very much after that of the
United States. System and practice, however,
are often two different things, and so it often-
times happens in Argentina. In actual practice
there is often a misconception of what real edu-
cation means. Superficiality is too often a
characteristic of the education offered. There
are many finely educated persons in the coun-
try, but not many of them teachers. The posi-
tions are too often the reward of politics, al-
though there are many very efficient women
who are teaching. Graduation is easy for the
scholar with a pull, for the students will bring
in recommendations at graduation time in or-
Education and the Arts 235
der to be sure of passing, especially if they
have not been very diligent. A glitter is too
often allowed to take the place of real scholar-
liness and learning. This superficiality is too
often allowed to pass muster where solidarity
should be demanded.
The University of Buenos Aires is one of the
great educational institutions of the New
World. It is not quite so old as the one in
Cordoba, which was founded in 1613, but it
has a much larger attendance of students, prob-
ably because of its location in the capital. The
buildings are scattered over the city in differ-
ent sections, as the various departments have
been added from time to time. A few of the
oldest buildings are very venerable looking
indeed, and are among the oldest structures in
the city. It is planned to rebuild much of the
University in the suburban sections in the near
future, so that more space can be utilized in
quadrangle and park. Almost ^ve thousand
students receive instruction in the various de-
partments, of which the largest number, about
one-half of the whole, are matriculated in the
College of Medicine, which is a large and well-
equipped institution. Many departments are
included in the institution, however, which do
236 Argentina and Her People of To-day
not strictly come within the designation of a
medical institution proper, and that accounts
for the numerical enrolment. The next largest
department is that known as the Faculty of
Law and Social Sciences. A recent addition to
this ancient university is the National Agro-
nomic and Veterinary Institute, which is de-
voted to developing what are, and perhaps
always will be, the greatest sources of the
national wealth of Argentina. The courses of
study of the University are very complete, and
contain what is best in Argentine education.
It is by far the best and most thorough educa-
tional institution in the republic.
It is not to be expected that one would find
in Argentina a very great number of writers.
The greatest incentive to a writer, as well as
to a publisher, is that a book will be read by
many people. In the republics of Spanish
America, with education only imperfectly
spread among the masses, the number of read-
ers has been necessarily small. Another ob-
stacle to the development of literary activity
has been in the frequent wars and revolutions
which have kept most of those nations in a
state of political turmoil. Furthermore the
comparative isolation of those republics pre-
Education and the Arts 237
vented a cooperation among them even though,
there was a sameness of language. Therefore
the editions were necessarily small, and the
remuneration consequently inadequate to en-
courage a literary career. In the face of these
disabilities it is to the credit of Spanish- Ameri-
can writers that their activities have been so
considerable.
Politics and journalism have always been in-
timately connected in Argentina, for the edi-
torial has oftentimes been of greater interest
than the news columns. Many of her writers
have been intimately associated with this form
of activity. Avellaneda, Pellegrini, and Bar-
tolome Mitre, all of whom occupied the presi-
dential chair, first made their mark in the jour-
nalistic field. The last named wrote an able
work on the history of the emancipation of
South America and a biography of the Argen-
tine patriot, San Martin. Vicente Fidel Lopez,
another historical writer, gave to the world a
*' History of the Argentine Eepublic," which
has taken its place among standard historical
works.
Poetry and the drama have always been fa-
vourite forms of writing among Spanish wri-
ters. Perhaps no language can boast of so
238 Argentina and Her People of To-day-
many dramas as the Castilian. Argentina has
nourished a number of these, among whom
might be named Tomas Gutierrez, Rosa Guerra
and Juana Manso de Noronha, the latter wri-
ting a drama called '' The Revolution of May,''
which is very popular in that country. There
are few Spanish writers who do not at some
time stray into poetic writing to which that
tongue is so well adapted. Although none of
the poets have secured a world-wide hearing,
some very sweet poems have been penned by
Echeverria, Lafinur and Figueroa. In fiction
translations of French writers have generally
been demanded. Only one novel by an Argen-
tine writer has received a favourable hearing
in Europe, and that was *^ Amalia," by Jose
Marmol. It is an historical novel treating of
the dictatorship of Rosas, and has been very
highly commented upon by competent critics.
It probably gives the best picture of the stir-
ring events of that interesting period in the
history of Argentina. In more recent years,
since the population has increased, and better
political conditions prevail, and the reading
public has been so greatly augmented, writers
in all fields, including philosophy and political
economy have become more numerous, and the
Education and the Arts 239
next decade will probably be marked by much
greater literary activity.
The press is well represented in Argentina,
for there is scarcely a town of any size that
does not support a newspaper. They are well
patronized too, and the towns take a pride in
their publications. The press of Buenos Aires
is one of the most polyglot in the world. There
are in that city almost five hundred different
publications, of which four hundred and twelve
are printed in the Spanish language, twenty-
two in Italian, eight in French, eight in English,
eight in German and one in Arabic. Then the
Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Eoman and Dutch
tongues each have at least one representative.
There are sixty-six dailies, sixty-four month-
lies and almost two hundred weeklies.
La Prensa, which means The Press, is a news-
paper of which any country or city might be
proud. Although not a government organ, for
it remains independent, this newspaper un-
doubtedly exerts the widest influence of any
newspaper in Argentina, and perhaps in South
America. It is most frequently quoted by the
people and its statements are taken as facts.
It has a circulation of over one hundred thou-
sand. In appearance it is a large metropolitan
240 Argentina and Her People of To-day
sheet seldom containing less than sixteen or
twenty pages. Its news columns are well writ-
ten and newsy, and its editorials are weighty
and well-digested. La Prensa publishes more
foreign news than any newspaper in the world.
This is its claim — certainly more than any
daily in the United States. There are seldom
less than two pages of foreign cablegrams from
all parts of the world, principally Europe, of
course. The establishment of this newspaper
is on the Avenida de Mayo, in an imposing
building which cost three million dollars and
is one of the finest newspaper homes in the
world. Here will be found not only a complete
and modern newspaper plant, but a number of
unique features for the good of the public and
the glory of the city. At its own expense a free
consulting room is provided where an able phy-
sician, aided by several assistants, administer
to the sick without charge ; there is a law office
where, during certain hours, indigent persons
can secure free legal advice; a large, well-
stocked library is open to all without payment ;
there is a large hall for public meetings and
where fine musical entertainments, as well as
private operas, are sometimes given for the
force. Another unique feature is a suite of
Education and the Arts 241
finely furnished apartments where distin-
guished foreigners are gratuitously enter-
tained. There are private grill rooms for the
reporters and other employees, and the pro-
prietor has a fine office which he does not oc-
cupy more than once in six months. The owner
of the La Prensa is a very wealthy man, but
he takes absolutely no part in the conduct of
the paper. He engages an editor-manager, and
the entire management and policy of the paper
is turned over to this one man. If this man
makes good he retains his position ; if not, he
is at once supplanted. In a long period of
years there have been but four editors, which
speaks well for the care with which these men
have been chosen. They have all been men of
prominence, and their ability is shown by the
high standard of the paper which has been
maintained during all of these years.
After La Prensa, La Nacion, which was
founded in 1870 by the famous Argentine
statesman, Bartolome Mitre, is second in impor-
tance, and has a large as well as distinguished
clientele. It is large and metropolitan in ap-
pearance, and might be called the government
organ. The principal evening paper is El
Diario. La Argentina, El Pais, La Razon, El
242 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Tiernpo, El Pueblo, Tribuna, etc., are the names
of some of the other leading dailies. There
are two English daily newspapers, the Stand-
ard and the Buenos Aires Herald, each of which
has a good circulation. They are both typical
English papers in appearance and general
style, although the Herald was founded by an
Anaerican. The Review of the River Plate and
The Times of Argentina are weekly publica-
tions devoted to shipping and the general finan-
cial news and interests of the country. The
former has a well-established reputation as a
financial authority in British commercial cir-
cles. Caras y Caretas is a unique illustrated
weekly which has a large circulation and is
exceedingly popular. La Illustracion Siid-
Americana is a handsomely illustrated monthly,
one of the best published anywhere. La Re-
vista de Derecho, Historia y Letras is a literary
periodical of high character.
The Spanish cavaliers left Europe just prior
to the Renaissance, when the dark ages were
nearing their end. Europe was then striving
with the life which was soon to burst forth.
The wealth of knowledge and art, which had
heretofore been confined within the dark and
forbidding walls of monasteries and convents.
Education and the Arts 243
was about to be given forth to the world to
which it belonged. St. Peter's was then in the
hands of architects full of new ideas, the great
cathedral of Seville was nearing completion and
work was in progress on many of the other
famous cathedrals of that continent. This
genius for building crossed the seas with the
new colonists, and they soon turned their at-
tention to the upbuilding of great temples dedi-
cated to the Almighty. It was an age of won-
derful activities in art and architecture, and
the New World profited by it. It was not long
until hammer, chisel and trowel were busy in
all the new settlements, and their accomplish-
ments now gladden the eye of the people of
this age. The oldest Spanish cathedral in the
Americas is probably at Santo Domingo, as
that was first settled. It was here that the body
of Columbus rested for a time. Cortez marked
his subjugation of Mexico by the inauguration
of great public works on which the newly-
enslaved inhabitants of the country were em-
ployed, as did Pizarro in Peru. The great
cathedral of the City of Mexico, the most stu-
pendous of the New World, was begun in 1573,
on the site of the ancient altar of sacrifice of
the Aztecs. This is said to be outranked by;
244 Argentina and Her People of To-day
only three cathedrals in the world, St. Peter's,
St. Paul's of London, and that of Seville. The
cathedral of Lima, Peru, is the earliest and
largest in South America, and was founded on
the same day as the city itself, by Pizarro. The
corner-stone of this magnificent structure was
laid on the 16th day of January, 1535, and the
bones of the founder now rest beneath its roof
and are shown to the curious visitor.
There are some old churches in Argentina
which one will find in Cordoba and other old
towns. The cathedral, however, is more mod-
em, as it was not begun until comparatively
recent times, although erected on the site of
a chapel that was founded in 1580. Were it
not for the dome surmounted by a cross its
appearance would not necessarily suggest a
religious edifice. The twelve massive Cor-
inthian columns suggest the Church of the
Madeleine in Paris. It shows a tendency to
depart from the old models and adopt newer
schemes of embellishment, just as has been the
tendency in North America. Its fagade, how-
ever, is imposing on the Plaza de Mayo, around
which centre the commercial and political ac-
tivities of this great city. It is perhaps em-
blematical of the new forces which are at work
Educa tion and the Arts 245
in Latin- America. The interior of this cathe-
dral is commodious and will accommodate sev-
eral thousand people. The Church of San Fran-
cisco is a fine example of church architecture,
and has just been almost wholly remodelled.
San Domingo is an historic old church, in the
tower of which a number of cannon balls are
imbedded, which were fired into the city by the
British fleet.
The principle of subsidy to art still retains
its vitality in South America. In Argentina
there are several municipal theatres, or opera
houses, and the finest of which is the Teatro
Colon, or Columbus Theatre, of Buenos Aires.
This handsome structure was erected by the
municipality at a cost of two million dollars.
It is three stories high. The first story repre-
sents the Ionic, the second the Corinthian and
the third the Doric style of architecture. It
is of recent construction and will seat nearly
four thousand persons. The very best artists
of the world are brought here, as the annual
allotment from the municipal budget enables
the management to do what the box receipts
alone would not warrant, because of the long
voyage necessary to bring these high-salaried
artists to Buenos Aires.
CHAPTEE Xn
THE FORCES OF DEFENCE
No modern institution has been more talked
about and written about tiian that of the police.
The police problem is, in all cities, one to which
continual thought is given by citizens as well
as officials. The debt we owe to the police can
more easily be understood by thinking for a
moment of what city life would be without that
body. In Greater New York, with a population
of five millions, there are about ten thousand
policemen, or one to every five hundred inhab-
itants. In London the proportion is one police-
man for every four hundred and ninety-six
dwellers in the world's metropolis. In Buenos
Aires there are twice as many in proportion
to the population as in New York. If these
guardians of the peace were to be suddenly
withdrawn, no man's property or person would
be safe at any time of the day or night in these
great congested centres. Men would be obliged
to go armed; business places and dwellings
246
The Forces of Defence 247
would have to be barricaded by night ; no one
could leave his home with a feeling of security
as to what might happen during his absence.
It was so during the middle ages when the peo-
ple locked and bolted their massive doors and
remained at home, or went about at night in
companies in order to insure safety.
In ancient times many of the duties of the
modern police were performed by the soldiers.
In the early days of Persia and ancient Greece
guards were stationed at the gates, and at night
military watchmen were placed on the walls.
Eulers and persons of affluence had in addition
their own personal body-guards. It was not
until the days of Augustus Caesar that the idea
of a body of men trained and disciplined to
maintain order for the benefit of the citizens
at large was developed. The Eomans were
averse to the presence of soldiers within the
walls, for fear that they might become a menace
to public liberty. As a result of this prejudice
a body of civil police grew up, a part of whose
equipment were buckets of rope made water-
proof with tar, for they were the firemen as
well. Because of this outfit the people in deri-
sion called them *' squirts," or '^ bucket-boys."
The Anglo-Saxon system pf police was not per-
248 Argentina and Her People of To-day
fected until in the time of the eminent Sir Rob-
ert Peel less than a century ago. After several
years of strenuous work in Parliament he suc-
ceeded in passing a law organizing the Metro-
politan Police of London. Although this body
of men gave security and protection to the citi-
zens of that city it was considered an inroad
upon personal liberty and the members of the
force were termed in derision *' bobbies '* and
** peelers,'' names which have clung to them
ever since.
It has often been a query in my mind whether
we fully appreciate the work of the policeman.
The soldier's praise has been sung in every
land and in every tongue, but the man who
walks the city's streets has not succeeded in
inspiring the muse to any extent. The police
are a mighty army in themselves. If one could
shout the one word *' Police! " so that it might
be heard the world over, it would call together
an army of more than a million men. Among
these would be the stalwart ^' bobbie " of Lon-
don, giant Chinese policemen from Hong Kong,
barefooted Zulus clothed in English helmets
and suits, tens of thousands of American
*' cops," and last, but not least, the little brown
policeman of Argentina. Buenos Aires alone
The Forces of Defence 249
could furnish five full regiments of a thousand
men each.
These dark-skinned, undersized men are al-
ways on duty. At regular intervals a sergeant
comes along and signs the officer's book, which
is his record of service. The summer uniform
is white, helmet and all. At night you will see
one of these officers at every street intersection.
As far as you can see down the narrow thor-
oughfares one of these white sentries may be
seen on duty at every corner. Should a dis-
turbance occur he will blow his whistle and this
will be answered for many blocks. Soon police-
men will be seen running from the four direc-
tions, and in a few minutes quite a force can
be collected. A call to the central station would
bring an additional force. In this way an in-
cipient disturbance could soon be checked. As
these men are under the pay of the national
government, they form a part of the defensive
forces of the country and are a really credit-
able body. The mounted men are well mounted
and have a very smart appearance as they can-
ter through the streets.
Since the probability of war with Chile
passed away the army of Argentina has not
been kept as full as prior to 1904. The pro-
250 Argentina and Her People of To-day
portion of soldiers to the population is perhaps
less than in any other republic of South Amer-
ica, except Brazil. There are thirty infantry
battalions, nine cavalry regiments, eight regi-
ments of the various branches of artillery, be-
sides the numerous special features. The cav-
alry in particular will compare most favourably
with those of any other nation. They are re-
cruited principally from the gauchos, the cow-
boys of Argentina, who are born to the saddle
and sit upon the horses with a grace and nat-
uralness that only comes with familiarity to
such form of locomotion from the very cradle
itself almost. The infantry are well equipped
with modern arms and accoutrements, but they
will not bear comparison with the troops of
Uncle Sam, Germany or France. They are
fighters, however, when once aroused and inter-
ested in the cause for which they are fighting.
There is in addition to the permanent army a
reserve army of about one hundred and fifty
thousand. By the provisions of the law every
Argentine citizen, from his twentieth to his
forty-fifth year, a period of twenty-five years,
is subject to compulsory military service. Ac-
tual service, however, except in the navy, rarely
extends beyond one year. Naturalized citizens
The Forces of Defence 251
are exempt from military duty for a period of
ten years after their naturalization. The fact
that every one born on Argentine soil is con-
sidered an Argentine citizen has led to some
unpleasant experiences among the foreign pop-
ulation, whose children have been born in that
country. Many women have gone back to the
home land so that their children would not be-
come Argentine subjects.
General Leonard Wood, of the United States
army, makes the following comment upon the
Argentine army following a recent official visit
to that country.
^' Instruction in this army is vigorous and
thorough during the entire period of service.
They have a good general staff organization,
and a superior school of war for training staff
officers and special training of line officers,
under the care of specially selected line officers.
In Argentina there are excellent relations be-
tween the officers and the men. There are few
court-martials and insubordination is rare.
Their infantry is of a sturdy type, good march-
ers, well uniformed and equipped. The cav-
alry is well mounted and they are good horse-
men. The bulk of the cavalry is armed with
sabre and carbine, and there is also one regi-
252 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ment of lancers and one heavy regiment of
cuirassiers. They are all very smartly turned
out and make fine troops. Compulsory service,
it has been found in Argentina, as elsewhere,
is useful not only in making good soldiers, but
also good citizens are so made. Men from
remote districts, after a year's service with
the colours, have a greater respect for the flag,
for the authorities, and the national govern-
ment. These men have also benefited physically
and acquired habits of promptness and exact-
ness. They return to their communities in
every way improved by the service. All who
enter unable to read and write are taught dur-
ing their service. After the year 's service with
the colours men are called out at intervals,
gradually decreasing in frequency, for short
periods of service with the colours during ma-
noeuvres, usually about six or eight days a year.
Careful track is kept of the reserves, who are
almost immediately available in case their serv-
ices are needed. Sufficient equipment for them
is held in reserve.''
In travelling over Argentina one sees very
few soldiers. A man in a navy uniform will be
encountered much more frequently. The stand-
ing army only numbers twenty thousand men,
The Forces of Defence 253
while the active naval force is not less than
twenty-five thousand, most of whom are young
men of twenty and twenty-one years of age.
This force is kept recruited by conscription.
All citizens are registered at birth and a num-
ber placed opposite the names on the register.
Numbers are drawn each year of the young men
who have reached the age of eighteen. The
higher numbers pass into the navy for two
years, and the lower numbers enter into the
army for one year. Then after their discharge
from active service these men pass into the
reserves, where they are kept enrolled until
they are thirty years of age. This keeps a
large reserve force ready for duty in both army
and navy. The Escuela Naval Militar, a naval
college, is maintained where young men are
trained to take positions as officers in the navy,
similar to our own naval school at Annapolis.
In nearly all the public schools the boys are
given a military training under the direction
of retired naval and military officers, and are
allowed the gratuitous use of firearms and
ammunition. Nearly every city and town
has a shooting range where target practice
is carried on under the direction of offi-
cials. The tactics are German, but the uni-
254 Argentina and Her People of To-day
forms in both army and navy are of French
design.
The Argentinians are very proud of their
navy. There is a great jealousy between that
republic and Brazil, and a consequent rivalry
in building up a navy. A few years ago Brazil
ordered three Dreadnaughts from English
builders, the first two of which have just been
received, and the other one will be delivered
very soon. These boats were supposed to be
the most powerful representatives of this style
of war vessels ever constructed, but the Argen-
tine naval experts believe that their new marine
monsters will be still more effective. They
considered the proposition for a long time, and
maintained a committee in Europe for a year
in order to peruse plans and keep in touch with
the very latest developments in naval construc-
tion. The plans finally adopted were the result
of this careful and painstaking study. The
boats will be seventy feet longer than the Bra-
zilian Dreadnaughts, twenty-five hundred tons
greater displacement and will have a guaran-
teed speed of one additional knot.
A twenty-two million order for battleships
was not a bad thing for American ship builders.
And yet that was the contract given them by
The Forces of Defence 255
*
the Argentine Kepublic, after a fierce compe-
tition in which twenty-five firms from five of
the leading nations of the world were engaged.
The Eagle may well scream a little, for it is
the first time that the United States has been
considered a serious competitor in the building
of battleships. The European nations used
every influence, including that of their diplo-
matic representatives and a " knocking " of
American manufacturers, to secure the order,
but all to no avail. The American builders were
the lowest bidders ; they promised the boats in
a shorter time ; and the visit of the fleet a few
years ago showed the Argentinos that we could
build first class battleships. The writer was in
Buenos Aires when the contract was let, and
it awakened the people of that section of the
world to the fact that the United States has
become an active competitor in all lines of
business.
These '' Dreadnaughts, " which will be known
as the ^^ Rivadavia " and *^ Moreno," will be
604 feet long, with a displacement of 20,500
tons, and a speed of 221/2 knots will be gener-
ated by engines of 40,000 horsepower, and the
normal draught will be 27 feet. The height of
the turret above the water will be 26% feet and
256 Argentina and Her People of To-day
at the poop it will be 17 feet. The armour will
extend for 250 feet in the centre, 4% feet above
and 3-1 feet below the normal water line with
a uniform thickness of one foot. The total
weight of the armour will be 7,000 tons. The
outward appearance of these two leviathans
will be very similar to the " Arkansas '^ and
'* Wyoming,'' of our own navy. The armour
both above and below the water line will be
heavier than has heretofore been in use, while
the bottom will be well protected against sub-
marines by nickel steel. The armament will
consist of twelve thirteen-inch guns in six tur-
rets, twelve six-inch guns in the central case-
ment and an equal number of four-inch guns
well located. The coal bunkers will have a
capacity of four thousand tons, besides several
hundred tons of petroleum. Both of these levi-
athans of the deep will be delivered early in
the year 1912.
The navy of Argentina aggregates over
thirty vessels, and some of them are very good
boats. Among these are four armoured cruis-
ers, all of which are 328 feet in length. Two
of these, the '' General San Martin '' and
** Pueyrredon," are twin ships of 6,773 tons
displacement; the '' Garibaldi " and '' General
The Forces of Defence 257
Belgrano ^' have a displacement of 6,732 and
7,069 tons respectively. The oldest one, the
** Garibaldi,'^ was launched in 1896, and the
newest one, the ^' Pueyrredon," in 1901, all of
them being built in Italian yards. They de-
velop 13,000 horsepower with a speed of twenty
knots, and have a daily coal consumption of
one thousand tons. All carry a crew of five
hundred men, except the '' Garibaldi,'' which
carries only three hundred and fifty men. The
cost of these vessels averaged about $3,500,000
each. The '^ Almirante Brown," named after
the famous English-Argentine admiral, an
older boat, is what is generally known as a
central battery ship, and is a considerably
smaller and less effective boat. There are also
four cruisers. Three of these, the ^' Buenos
Aires," ^^ Nueve de Julio " (Ninth of July),
and the ^^ 25th of May," have a speed exceed-
ing twenty- two knots ; the ' * Patagonia " is a
smaller vessel with a speed of only thirteen
knots. The coast defence vessels number two,
the '^ Independencia " and ^^ Libertad." The
^^Espera" (hope), *' Patria " (fatherland)
and ^^ Eosario " are torpedo boats with a speed
of twenty knots. The ^ ^ Sarmiento " is a train-
ing ship which has twice visited the United
258 Argentina and Her People of To-day
States in recent years. Fifteen new torpedo
boat destroyers have also been ordered which,
with the new battleships, will place the Argen-
tine navy in a very effective condition.
The entire fleet is mobilized for four months
each year. An annual review, which is held
about the first of June, is made the occasion
of great display. The President boards one of
the vessels, which is then made the flagship, and
the other vessels pass in review before it and
manoeuvres take place. Target practice is held
and mimic engagements are '' fought."
What to do with these big monsters now
building is a problem which is seriously enga-
ging the minds of the naval department. At the
present time there is only one port in the re-
public which they can enter, and that is the
Puerto Militar, at Bahia Blanca. They will
not be able to reach Buenos Aires, because the
waters of the La Plata are too shallow. The
same is true of the other naval bases. It looks
as though they will be obliged to stay near
Bahia Blanca, or else anchor out on the broad
Atlantic the most of the time.
In the writer's opinion Argentina has little
use for a big navy. It cannot be placed on a
par with European navies, and it is a big bur-
The Forces of Defence 259
den of expense. She lias only one city on that
coast, Bahia Blanca, and has not many vessels
engaged in commerce, except on the La Plata
and its affluents. Buenos Aires is protected
from the Dreadnaughts of other nations be-
cause of its shallow harbour. One great item
of cost is coal, of which great quantities are
consumed, and all of which is imported either
from Europe or Australia, the cost per ton
being very high. The new Dreadnaughts will
have a coal-consuming capacity of sixteen thou-
sand tons per day. The annual expense at the
present time of the navy is $7,500,000, and the
new ships will increase this by at least
$4,000,000. This will make a per capita cost
of nearly two dollars for each man, woman
and child in the republic. It simply resolves
itself into a jealousy of and rivalry with Brazil.
If the United States builders will construct
Dreadnaughts that will have better armour,
greater speed, and more powerful guns than
the new Brazilian boats, then American manu-
facturers can get anything they want in Ar-
gentina.
CHAPTER Xin
RAILROADS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT
In the Argentine railway world Buenos Aires
occupies the position of ancient Rome, for all
roads lead to it. A glance at the map is suf-
ficient evidence of that fact. It has become the
centre of the greatest network of railroads in
South America. Like the colossal web of a
spider it sends out its strands of steel north
to the border of Paraguay and Bolivia, east
to the trackless Atlantic, south into Patagonia
and west across the Andes with a terminus at
Valparaiso. There are at present about six-
teen thousand miles of main track in operation
in that republic. This is nearly as much as all
the rest of the continent combined and shows
the progressiveness of the country. All of the
railroads, with the exception of the national
lines and the Provincia de Santa Fe, which is
a French line, were built by British capital and
are under British management. Nearly all of
the materials and equipment have been brought
Railroads and Their Development 261
from that country, and everything has a dis-
tinctly John Bull stamp. Only one exception
has been made, and that is that the compart-
ments have been abolished in the day coaches.
The sleepers, called dormitorios, are made into
compartments and are called '' Pullmans,'^ but
they lack the luxurious qualities of the cars
after which they were named. The stations are
generally very creditable and show a spirit of
enterprise. Two-thirds of the mileage is of the
broad gauge, nine and one-half inches broader
than our own, which makes the seats and aisles
extremely comfortable. The same English re-
gard for safety is evident and every safeguard
is applied toward that end. In fact they are
English railroads transplanted to the pampas,
with just a few concessions demanded by the
nature of the country served.
The government of Argentina has been ex-
tremely liberal in its railroad policy. It has
recognized the fact that there is no better way
to develop its resources than by spreading the
parallel bands of steel all over the republic.
Perhaps nowhere in the world were there fewer
difficulties or fewer perplexing engineering
problems than here, for there was no grading
and it was only necessary to take off the surface
262 Argentina and Her People of To-day
soil and dig ditches to carry off the water. A
number of the concessions originally contained
a government guarantee of six or seven per
cent, on the investment, but most of these have
since been altered as the receipts generally paid
ample returns, and in consideration of release
from the contractual obligation the government
granted some other privileges. Many of the
charters also granted an exclusive territory of
about twenty miles on each side of the right of
way.
The principle of consolidation has been going
on in Argentina the same as in the United
States. The large lines have been taking up
the smaller ones until now three companies own
one-half of the total mileage, and these three
companies are very evenly matched. The orig-
inal charters of the many lines differed greatly
in their terms. They are now all being rapidly
brought under a law passed in 1907, which is
exceedingly liberal. Under this law the com-
panies pay no import duties on construction
materials and articles used in operating the
lines, and are exempt from all taxes until 1947.
During that period, however, they contribute
three per cent, of their net receipts towards the
construction and maintenance of the bridges
Railroads and Their Development 263
and roads of the departments traversed by
their tracks, particularly those roads leading
to the stations. Furthermore they must convey
free of charge the mails and men in charge of
them. Government materials and articles for
the construction of public works, war materials
and stores, troops, government employees on
public service, immigrants sent up country by
the central immigration office, and employees
of the provincial police shall be conveyed at
one-half of the regular rates.
There is one American whose name stands
high on the roll of honour in the development
of South America, and in particular of Chile
and Argentina. His name is William Wheel-
wright. This captain of industry was born in
Newburyport, Massachusetts, March 16th, 1798.
He came from that sturdy Puritan stock which
has contributed so largely toward making the
United States one of the most enlightened na-
tions in the world. Not a few of his ancestors
rendered conspicuous service in the French and
Indian wars, and one of them served under
Washington in the war of the revolution. He
began life as a sailing master in charge of a
vessel trading with South America. Being
stranded in the La Plata he finally concluded
264 Argentina and Her People of To-day
that his destiny lay in that part of the world.
One enthusiastic Argentinian biographer calls
him ' ' a new Hernando Cortez, who remained in
the land of his shipwreck to conquer its soil,
not by arms, but by steam ; not for Spain, but
for civilization." He first began his work at
Valparaiso, Chile, where he transformed that
city by constructing docks and sanitation. He
was constantly engaged in voyages of explora-
tion for the purpose of discovering natural re-
sources and means for their development. The
lack of transportation greatly impressed him,
and through his efforts the Pacific Steam Navi-
gation Company was organized, and he secured
concessions for that company from a number
of republics. United States capitalists turning
down this proposition it was finally financed in
England. The two vessels first placed on this
route opened a new era on the west coast of
South America, for they were the first trans-
atlantic steamers to establish regular communi-
cation on that coast. At last he turned his
attention to the wild and sparsely populated
pampas of Argentina, at that time an unde-
veloped but fertile wilderness. Although his
greater project for a transcontinental line
failed, he succeeded in building the first impor-
Railroads and Their Development 265
tant line in Argentina from Kosario to Cor-
doba, a distance of two hundred and forty-six
miles. This was done after seventeen years of
reverses due to civil strife and the Paraguayan
war. The road was finally inaugurated on the
16th of May, 1870; and was opened with im-
posing military, religious and civil ceremonies.
His last public work was the construction of a
railway from Buenos Aires to Ensenada, the
port for La Plata, which was opened just a
half-century from the time of his own ship-
wreck in that same bay. He had further plans
in mind but his health failed, and he sailed for
London to secure medical attention. His great
age was against his recovery and he died in
that city on the 28th of September, 1873, and
his remains were taken back to his old home
in New England. A monument to his memory
has been erected in Buenos Aires, and several
streets have been named after him in Argen-
tina, one in Rosario.
Just a half century after Wheelwright sug-
gested to English capitalists the feasibility of
a railroad across the Andes to connect the At-
lantic with the Pacific, the road was opened to
traffic, although not by the route contemplated
by him. On the 27th of November, 1909, the
266 Argentina and Her People of To-day
last thin line of rock, which remained to com-
plete the tunnel between Chile and Argentina,
was demolished by the explosion of a dynamite
charge. Through the opening thus made the
workmen who had been employed on the two
ends mingled, and a line of communication
which has been the dream of two generations,
was completed, that may change the political
relations of South America, and which will
have a marked effect on commercial relations
throughout the world. On the 25th of May, of
last year, this route was formally inaugurated,
and an all-rail route was thus opened up be-
tween Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Valpa-
raiso, Chile, thus establishing the first trans-
continental railroad on the continent of South
America. That date is a hallowed one in both
republics, for it is the first centenary of the
revolution which gave independence to both
nations; and it is fitting that so auspicious an
event should celebrate that occasion. To the
South Americans it is as great an accomplish-
ment as was the opening up of the first through
line across the United States. At the present
time the trip is made from one terminus to the
other, a distance of eight hundred and eighty-
eight miles, in thirty-eight hours, and the offi-
Railroads and Their Development 267
cials hope to reduce the running time to twenty-
nine hours.
This through line is made up of three differ-
ent systems, and there are as many different
gauges of track. The longest section is that
through Argentina, which is seven hundred and
seventy-eight miles in length, or seven-eighths
of the entire distance. All of this is now owned
and operated by the Buenos Aires and Pacific
Kailway, although it was built in several
different sections and by different compa-
nies.
From Buenos Aires to Mendoza, a distance
of six hundred and fifty-five miles, this road is
built on the broad gauge plan. At Mendoza a
change is made to the narrow gauge railway,
known as the Trasandino Argentino, with
tracks of one meter (3.28 feet) width. The
scenery on this line is very beautiful as it
winds around bends, passes through tunnels
and continues to climb up the passes of the
Andes. In several sections on this side, as well
as on the Chilean side, where the grade is over
2% per cent., the Abt system of cogs and racks
is used to assist the engine on the steep climbs.
On the way the famous natural bridge, known
as the Bridge of the Incas, is passed, and a
268 Argentina and Her People of To-day
hotel has now been built there by the railroad
company. The Trasandino Argentino ends at
Las Cuevas, which is the beginning of the tun-
nel on that side of the *' cumbre." Las Cuevas
is 10,468 feet above sea level. The tunnel,
which passes almost directly underneath the
'' Christ of the Andes," is 10,385 feet in length,
of which a little more than half is on the Argen-
tina side, which is just a few feet less than the
altitude above the sea.
The Chilean terminus of the tunnel is at
Caracoles, which is nothing more than a camp
for labourers, and is a few hundred feet higher
than Las Cuevas. From here another railroad
of meter gauge, called the Trasandino Chileno,
carries the traveller to the station of Los
Andes, a distance of forty-five miles. It has
been found necessary to construct snow sheds
in many places in order to protect the track
from snow slides, which are likely to occur in
August and September. From Los Andes to
Valparaiso the route is over the state railroad
of Chile, which is of standard gauge (4 feet
8% inches), and passes through some rich and
fertile valleys on its way towards the Pacific.
This project, which has now reached comple-
tion, has had many vicissitudes. Its real his-
Railroads and Their Development 269
tory may be said to date from 1873, when the
first practical step was taken by two brothers
named Clark. It was while engaged in connect-
ing Chile and Argentina by telegraph in 1869
that these brothers conceived the idea that this
route was the most feasible for a transandine
railway. The Clarks obtained a concession for
a railroad between Buenos Aires and the Chil-
ean boundary from the Argentine government,
and were soon afterwards climbing over rock
and ridge in the work of surveying these deso-
late mountains. Several routes were consid-
ered, but the most practical one seemed to be
the old Inca trail across the Andes, and this
was the shortest as well. Along this trail in-
numerable hordes of the primitive races have
passed for unknown centuries. The Spaniard
named it Camino de los Andes, the Andean
Trail. For almost four centuries since the
white men found this route, they have followed
it on foot or on mule between the two coun-
tries. The first section was built from Men-
doza to Villa Mercedes, a distance of two hun-
dred and twenty-two miles, and completed in
1880. Three years later this line was continued
to Buenos Aires. In 1887 work was begun
from Mendoza toward the Chilean frontier and
270 Argentina and Her People of To-day
new sections were opened up every few years,
but progress was very slow.
X On the Chilean side the work progressed even
more slowly because of financial difficulties.
Several times construction was begun, and then
stopped because money was not forthcoming
from the government, as it was too costly an
undertaking for private capital. In 1901, how-
ever, the financial arrangements were com-
pleted through the American firm of W. R.
Grace & Co., and the final work was undertaken
in an energetic manner. Argentina also took
up her part again as soon as ultimate success
was assured, and from that time until now the
progress has been steady, but the difficult char-
acter of the work necessarily made it slow.
Work on the tunnel was prosecuted from both
ends, and it was a difficult undertaking because
of the high altitude. Several lives were lost
during its construction. It was found neces-
sary to line the entire tunnel with a two-foot
facing of cement because of the crumbling na-
ture of the rock when exposed to the air. It
is eighteen feet high and wide enough for a
double track of the broadest gauge. The Chil-
ean government guaranteed five per cent, on
the capital invested in the Trasandino Chileno,
1
Railroads and Their Development 271
almost seven million dollars, and the Argentine
government practically constructed the Trasan-
dino Argentino Railway. Thus, after thirty-
seven years of work and planning, vicissitudes
and discouragements, this railroad, which
promises so much not only for the two govern-
ments but also for the whole of South Amer-
ica, has become an accomplished fact.
Heretofore it has been necessary to go
around through the Straits of Magellan, a
voyage of ten days, in order to reach the west
coast of Chile from Buenos Aires, the metrop-
olis of the southern hemisphere. This has been
reduced to a little over a day. It brings Chile
nearer to London by nine days. It is almost
in the same latitude as Cape Town and Mel-
bourne, and may eventually provide a shorter
route to Australia from England, if steamers
on one coast should run in conjunction with
those on the other. With the present steamship
connection, via the west coast and Panama, it
will be possible to go from New York to Buenos
Aires, or vice versa, in twenty days, and this
will probably be reduced to at least eighteen
days before a great while. At present the best
time made is twenty-four days by the east
coast route, and it generally requires more,
272 Argentina and Her People of To-day
as the boats stop for two or three days often-
times at Rio de Janeiro and Santos on their
way down and back. When the Panama Canal
is completed, there will no doubt be a direct line
of good steamers that will run from New York
direct to Valparaiso. This route will be then
still more desirable and the trip will be
made to Valparaiso in not more than two
weeks.
North of Mendoza the Buenos Aires and
Pacific Railway has pushed a line to San Juan,
capital of the province of the same name. This
region is rather sparsely settled, but it has a
good irrigation system and will no doubt at-
tract settlers because of the profits in fruit
culture. South of Mendoza a branch has been
built to San Rafael and another is being con-
structed to San Carlos. Although most of the
country traversed by these branches presents
the appearance of a hopeless, flat and unpro-
ductive desert, it possesses some of the finest
soil in the republic when once irrigation is in-
troduced. Two and even three crops of cereals
can be produced, so it is said, and it is espe-
cially well adapted for grapes and alfalfa.
With these and many other branches, and the
extension of its lines to Bahia Blanca, the
Railroads and Their Development 273
Pacific road now has the greatest mileage of
any of the Argentine railroads.
The Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway may
be said to bisect the country into two parts.
North of this line by far the most important
railroad is the Central Argentine. This com-
pany controls two thousand ^ve hundred and
thirty miles of track, and is the third system
in number of miles in the republic. By the
absorption of a number of smaller lines it now
has a network of main lines and branches which
serve that section of Argentina. The last ab-
sorption was of the Buenos Aires and Rosario
Railway, which added more than a thousand
miles to its lines and gave it a monopoly of
railway service from the metropolis to the
northwestern provinces. It now operates two
main lines between Buenos Aires and Rosario.
It also has under constructiofl extensions and
branches which will add nearly six hundred
miles of track to its mileage.
The original section of the Central Argen-
tine Railway was from Rosario to Cordoba, a
distance of two hundred and forty-six miles,
for which a concession was granted to Wheel-
wright and his associates. From Rosario it
began to construct extensions northwards,
274 Argentina and Her People of To-day
southwards and westwards. It purchased the
tracks of the Western, old Northern and lastly
the Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway, until
it reached its present commanding place on the
railway map of Argentina. Its southern
branches touch the Buenos Aires and Pacific
in several places, and its western feeders reach
out through the provinces of Cordoba and
Santa Fe in a number of places. Northward
it reaches the city of Santa Fe.
This railroad is now building a magnificent
new station in Buenos Aires which will cost
several millions of dollars, and which will be
jointly used by it and the Pacific line. It is
also making great improvements in its subur-
ban service and dock frontage by filling in the
shallow muddy shore of the river. Further-
more, it has made application to the National
Congress for a franchise, or concession, to con-
struct an underground electric railway to con-
nect its station with those of the Southern Rail-
way at Casa Amarillo and Plaza Constitucion.
It is also elevating its tracks in Rosario so as
to avoid all level crossings, and is building a
large new station at Cordoba.
The purchase of the Buenos Aires and Ro-
sario line gave the Central Argentine an en-
Railroads and Their Development 275
trance into the rich province of Tucuman over
a track of the same gauge as its own. After
leaving Rosario this line passes through a rich
agricultural section as far as Eafaela, and is
intersected by several branch lines of the Santa
Fe system. Shortly after leaving that place,
which itself is only three hundred and fifteen
feet above sea level, the country gradually be-
comes lower and swampy, being about at its
lowest on the frontier between the provinces
of Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero. After a
considerable distance of this low, swampy land
the level rises until it is over six hundred feet
in elevation, where a branch four miles in
length connects the main line with the city of
Santiago del Estero, capital of the province of
the same name. This city of fifteen thousand
has nothing to distinguish it beyond the fact
that it is the capital of a province. The line
continues to reach higher elevation by easy
grades. After crossing the frontier of the
province of Tucuman it reaches a most fertile
section and at last enters the pretty little city
of the same name about which the Argentinian
writers grow eloquent.
At Tucuman connection is made with the
Central Northern Railway, a national railway
276 Argentina and Her People of To-day
of more than twelve hundred miles in length.
It starts at Santa Fe and almost parallels the
Central Argentine to Tucuman, at no point
being distant more than fifty miles. It is a
narrow gauge track. Leaving Tucuman it runs
in a general northerly direction, but with many
twists and turns in order to avoid the more
mountainous sections of the districts through
which it passes. At Tala the frontier of Salta
is crossed at an elevation of two thousand six
hundred and seventy feet, and a short distance
further the elevation has increased to over
three thousand feet. It then descends to the
little town of Rosario de la Frontera noted for
its thermal springs. At Guenas, one hundred
and eighty miles from Tucuman, a branch runs
to Salta, the capital of the province. This is
a neat, well-paved city of about thirty thousand
people with the usual public buildings and
churches of a provincial capital. San Fran-
cisco church has a tower over two hundred feet
in height which is pointed to with pride by the
inhabitants. This city is very old, having been
founded as early as 1582 under the name
of New Seville. Pampa Blanca (the white
pampa), is the first station in the province of
Jujuy. Near here another branch is headed
Railroads and Their Development 277
for the rather important town of Oran, but the
main line soon reaches the capital. Jujuy for
a long time was the northerly terminus of the
Argentine railway system. This is the highest
town in the republic, and, although near the
tropics, the altitude gives this little city a fine
and healthful climate. It has a population of
ten thousand and is distant from Buenos Aires
one thousand miles. The town has nothing to
distinguish it, but the surrounding scenery is
very beautiful. Hill and valley, wood and
plain all contribute to make up a most enchant-
ing landscape. The Rio Grande River runs
through the town. It is the general bathing
place as well as furnishing the power for the
electric light and some mills located there.
There are many thermal springs in the vicinity
which are said to have splendid medicinal prop-
erties. The most noted are those of Los Reyes,
the kings. There are four springs, one above
another, the water being at a temperature of
one hundred and twenty-five degrees Fahren-
heit.
The Central Northern has recently been ex-
tended to La Quiaca, on the Bolivian frontier,
where it will meet the railways of that republic
when they are extended. At present the Bo-
278 Argentina and Her People of To-day
livian lines reach Tupiza, and it is about a
three days' journey by coach or mule between
the two points. The distance still to be cov-
ered is not very great and completion is prom-
ised in about one year from this writing. There
will then be a continuous railway connection
between La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, and
Buenos Aires. Peru is promising a road from
Cuzco to Lima, and there will then be contin-
uous connection with the Peruvian capital, ex-
cept on Lake Titicaca over which there is
regular steamship service.
The national government also owns a line
of railway running from Cordoba northwest
through the mountainous provinces of Rioja
and Catamarca, more than five hundred miles
in length. These lines are known as the Argen-
tino del Norte (Northern), and there is another
which is being pushed up into the Gran Chaco.
The government has pursued the beneficent
policy of running its lines through the districts
where private enterprise was afraid to venture
because of the uncertainty of the investment.
They are contributing greatly to the develop-
ment of those regions.
The Central Cordoba Railway is quite an
important system. One line runs to San Fran-
Railroads and Their Development 279
Cisco, where it connects with the Cordoba and
Rosario Railway which runs to Rosario. Its
principal track, however, is a narrow gauge
line which runs from Cordoba in a northerly-
direction to Tucuman, and, with its several
branches, serves an extensive territory. A
goodly part of the territory traversed is forest
land, but a part of it is a salty waste. An in-
dependent entrance to Buenos Aires is now
being constructed. The lines known as the Pro-
vincia de Santa Fe start at Rosario and run
north, following the basin of the Parana River
as far as Resistencia, a town opposite to Cor-
rientes, touching at Santa Fe and nearly all
the important places in that district. They
were built by French capital and now have
more than a thousand miles of track. The
company is gradually extending its railhead up
into the Gran Chaco, and will probably even-
tually reach Asuncion. They are now only a
neck behind the lines on the opposite side of
the river and are far ahead from a financial
point of view. They have always paid hand-
some dividends from the quebracho wood,
which they bring down from the Chaco. It
would not be surprising if this line would even-
tually be pushed clear up into the state of Matto-
280 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Grosso, Brazil, for development is looking up
that way.
The district between the Parana and Uru-
guay Rivers is served by two railway systems,
the Entre Rios and Northeastern systems.
These two systems were formerly isolated and
had a stormy career for many years. At the
present time they work under a traffic exchange
agreement and their financial standing is now
good. These are the only railroads in the re-
public, with one exception, of standard gauge,
4 feet 81/2 inches width between the rails. The
first mentioned road serves the province of the
same name. It was originally a line that ran
from nowhere to nowhere. The road was built
through loans contributed by the government
of the province of Entre Rios in 1885, and was
completed three years later. The money was
squandered so recklessly that it cost twice as
much as was necessary, and was built of such
poor material that it had to be rebuilt within
a few years. The government soon found itself
unable to meet its obligations and the road was
turned over to the bondholders. It was not
placed on a profitable basis until the branches
were completed which connected it with im-
portant points in the two provinces through
Railroads and Their Development 281
which it now runs. The main line of the Entre
Eios Railway cuts across this province from
Parana to Uruguay. One branch runs down
to a point near Buenos Aires, and freight cars
are now ferried across to that city. This is the
only car ferry in operation in South America,
and it is quite a novelty in that part of the
world. Another branch runs to Concordia
where connection is made with the Northeast-
ern system. This road has one fork which
leads up to and another which follows the Uru-
guay River. It was built there to carry the
traffic around the rapids of that river where
navigation was impossible. It will, however,
soon be a much more important line, for it is
gradually approaching Posadas, the commer-
cial capital of the upper Parana, and the most
important town on the river north of Rosario.
The Paraguay Central is also approaching
Villa Encarnacion, on the opposite side of
the Parana, and within a short time there
will be continuous communication by rail
between Asuncion and Buenos Aires, with
the exception of ferrying across two riv-
ers.
South of the transcontinental line there are
only two railway companies now operating.
282 Argentina and Her People of To-day
The Western Kailway, or, as it is officially
called, the Ferro Carril de Oeste, serves the
southwestern part of the province of Buenos
Aires and La Pampa. It reaches one of the
richest agricultural districts of the republic
and a section that is rapidly developing. The
various extensions are being pushed out a few
miles each year, and this company now owns
fourteen hundred miles of track. The Western
Railway has had a checkered career. In point
of age it is the oldest line in the country, as
about fifteen miles of track were built a half
century ago. When this little railroad was
inaugurated a great celebration was held, and
the President delivered an address full of opti-
mism and prophetic of future development.
Fortune, however, refused to smile on the proj-
ect, and money was scarce, so that the national
government was obliged to take over the road.
It was not a success until an English com-
pany took it over in 1890, and began pushing
out the extensions over the pampas that are
now bringing in the revenue-producing freight,
which has placed the Western Railway on the
road to prosperity.
The Ferro Carril del Sud, or Great Southern
Railway, is the second largest railroad system
Railroads and Their Development 283
in Argentina,^ and one of the best freight pro-
ducers. It has a monopoly of the greater part
of the rich province of Buenos Aires, and its
main station at Plaza Constitucion in the city
of Buenos Aires is a busy place, with trains
continually running in and out loaded with pas-
sengers for the suburbs or more distant points.
It was due to the enterprise of this company
that the busy port of Bahia Blanca was opened,
and the seaside resort of Mar del Plata made
popular. The section traversed by the Great
Southern is threaded here and there by the
many branches and feeders of this system, and
more are being built each year. Passenger and
freight traffic have increased so rapidly that
the earnings per mile have almost doubled in
iThe following table shows the length of the various lines of
railway in Argentina, and the width of track, as they were at the
close of 1909.
RAILWAY
GAUGB
MILES IN OPERATION
Buenos Aires and Pacific.
broad
2,967
Great Southern
((
2,745
Central
((
2,628
Western
((
1,360
Entre Rios
standard
688
Northeastern
it
660
Buenos Aires Central
((
165
Central Cordoba
narrow
772
Cordoba and Rosario
((
180
Province of Santa F6
((
1,028
Northern
t(
667
Central Northern
it
1,409
14,969
284 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the last ten years. It has built a strategic line
several hundred miles long to Neuquen, ahnost
directly west of Bahia Blanca, which will even-
tually become a transcontinental line. Engi-
neers are now at work selecting the most feasi-
ble route across the Andes to connect with the
Chilean state railways. This plan has already
been approved by the directors and work will
no doubt be begun before long.
The Southern has in construction a line south
to the port of San Antonio, to open up the rich
lands on the borders of Patagonia. It will con-
nect with a government road which is now
building from San Antonio, which is a new port
on the Gulf of San Matias, westward to Nahuel
Huapi, and which will be about three hundred
miles long. The government is to be com-
mended for its far-sightedness in planning this
enterprise. Already a large part of the road-
bed is graded and track has been laid for fifty
miles or more, but service has not yet been
begun. Work has also been begun on a rail-
road from Puerto Deseado, still farther south
than San Antonio, which will run inland to
Nahuel Huapi and open up an extensive coun-
try. This is but the beginning of extensive rail-
road development in this large southern section
Railroads and Their Development 285
of Argentina, and plans have already been
formulated to extend other lines into the very-
heart of Patagonia, and over to Lake Buenos
Aires. In all the government now owns and
operates a little more than two thousand miles
of main track, which will be increased to fully
three thousand by the new extensions of the
old ones now being built.
The amount of traffic carried on these rail-
roads is enormous and reaches big figures. I
have before me the report of one of the great-
est systems of Argentina for the year 1910.
This states that the amount of grain carried
by this line for that year, in tons of two thou-
sand two hundred and five pounds, was as fol-
lows: linseed four hundred and two thousand
one hundred and ninety-three, wheat nine hun-
dred and ninety-one thousand one hundred and
eighty-eight, corn one million one hundred and
forty-two thousand four hundred. Other
freight carried, not including its own supplies,
amounted to five million nine hundred and
eighty-three thousand one hundred and forty-
three tons. Three hundred and forty-one thou-
sand iive hundred and seventy-seven head of
live stock were transported. The number of
passengers carried numbered almost fourteen
286 Argentina and Her People of To-day
millions. The gross receipts were twenty-five
million dollars. Its capital stock is one hun-
dred and seventy-five million dollars. It has
paid for many years a regular dividend of six
per cent., besides devoting large sums each
year to betterments and extensions. All of
these roads have been conducted along con-
servative lines, and their stocks are nearly all
quoted on the London stock exchange consid-
erably above par.
1
1
CHAPTER XIV
BELIGIOUS FORCES
At the time of the conquest Argentina did
not possess a large indigenous population.
Wandering tribes dwelt in all parts of the coun-
try from Tierra del Fuego to Brazil, but the
proportion of these Indians was very small
when compared with the extent of territory oc-
cupied. On the slopes of the Andes were found
tribes that were very closely allied with and
subject to the Incas, who ruled all along the
Pacific coast from Ecuador to Chile, and there
was continuous intercourse between them. No
ruins of temples dedicated to the sun have been
found in Argentina, although some reminders
of the Inca civilization have been uncovered in
the northwestern part of the republic. The
principal strongholds of the native tribes were
in the northeastern sections of the country, on
the rich plains and low hills which border on
the great rivers of the country. Indians who
287
288 Argentina and Her People of To-day
were related to the Tupi-Guarani tribes who
inhabited Brazil, had established themselves
there in considerable numbers.
These Indians were not so bloodthirsty as
those in the extreme south, although some of
them were given to cannibalism. Their slaying
of human beings, however, was for the purpose
of food and not as a part of their religious
worship. They were not especially hostile to
the incoming Spaniards, until the members of
the tribes began to be impressed into slavery,
and they then resisted the advance of that race
in a feeble way. Their religion was simple and
consisted of a few good deities and a number
of evil ones. The former they tried to honour
in their simple way, but a great deal more
attention was given to appeasing the latter, in
order to avoid physical suffering, for which
they believed these malevolent deities were re-
sponsible. Theirs was an ignorant belief and
a simple faith, and they rather welcomed the
teachings of the priests who first came among
them. The new doctrines were accompanied by
ceremonies which appealed to their childlike
natures. The chanting in an unknown but
sonorous tongue, the visible emblems and the
incense cast a spell over these simple people,
CHURCH IN CORRIENTES, BUILT IN 1588
Religious Forces 289
who did not attempt to grasp the abstract idea
of a trinity or the sacrifice of a Saviour.
By far the most persistent and determined
attempt to convert these aborigines was made
by the Jesuit priesthood. As a result of its
tireless and systematic efforts this order suc-
ceeded in establishing in Paraguay, and the
country adjacent to it on the east and south,
about the beginning of the sixteenth century,
a seat of power which lasted for two centuries,
and which has been referred to elsewhere in
a general way. It developed into an ecclesias-
tical autocracy, with the heads of the Jesuit
body as the actual as well as nominal rulers.
This remarkable order subdued the Indians liv-
ing between the Uruguay and Paraguay rivers,
and brought all of them under its domination.
This was done without resort to the sword.
Although these pristine people were reduced to
a condition of peonage, or serfdom, they re-
mained loyal to the Jesuits and assisted them
in repelling all invaders. So secure did the
clerical rulers feel in their position, that all
other white persons were forbidden to settle
within the territory over which they claimed
jurisdiction. It was perhaps well for the na-
tives that they did take this position, for the
290 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Spanish adventurers would have enslaved the
Indians, just as did the Portuguese '* Paulis-
tas " in Brazil.
When the Jesuits were expelled from Brazil
they crossed over the Parana River into Para-
guay and Northern Argentina. Then was
founded Misiones, a series of missions along
the eastern shores of that river. Although
these religious settlements have long since
crumbled into ruins, the name still clings to
one of the territories of Argentina. The Jesuit
effort did not extend all over Argentina, but
it was felt even to the foothills of the Andes.
The Jesuit emissaries encountered the Spanish
advance guard who had crossed the Cordilleras
from Peru and met with a repulse. The lack
of gold in the section occupied by the Jesuits
was also in itself a protection, because it did
not excite the cupidity of the gold-seekers.
These settlements were engaged solely in agri-
cultural pursuits. Their increasing wealth and
prosperity, however, did finally excite this
cupidity, and the arrogance of the order
aroused an intense jealousy in the rulers of
the province. As a result of these two influ-
ences this order was forcibly expelled in 1768,
and their property was confiscated. Some of
Religious Forces 291
it was bestowed on other religious orders, but
the most of it was devoted to secular uses.
The power and prestige of the Jesuits among
the natives were not at once destroyed by the
blow. For a long time their influence was
paramount, because of the blind obedience of
their followers who had been gathered together
in little settlements and had been taught useful
pursuits.
In other parts of the country the subjugation
was not so peaceful. Those Spanish troops
who crossed the Andes and entered Argentina
from that direction pursued different tactics.
Gold was sought and everything was sacrificed
to that one ambition. The conquerors were
determined to acquire T^ealth, or at least to
secure a means of livelihood without the neces-
sity of manual labour. The natives were mal-
treated if they resisted, and enslaved when once
subdued. Where agriculture was attempted
these Indians were compelled to do the work,
with no compensation except the right to live.
The priests were always ready to accompany
the soldiers on the most arduous campaigns.
Without raising a hand against indiscriminate
slaughter they held up the crucifix to the sur-
vivors, and then turned about and risked their
292 Argentina and Her People of To-day
own lives to spread the Christian faith into
hitherto untrodden regions. Even the desolate
interior of Patagonia was not too distant or
too inaccessible for these indefatigable mis-
sionaries. Sword in one hand and the cross
in the other these teachers of religion spread
the doctrines of their church over the whole
of the La Plata basin and the rest of South
America, and gave Roman Catholicism such a
grasp on the continent that it will probably
never be broken. The one difficult thing to
understand is how the Church of Rome could
countenance the harsh and bloody methods of
subjugation pursued under the very eyes of its
commissioned representatives, and the viola-
tion of all the ethics of humanity as well as
Christianity, unless it was simply the spirit
of the age with which even the heads of the
Church were also imbued. The Jesuits founded
schools for the natives, in their settlements, but
the other orders did not do this, although they
aided in inculcating orderly ways among them.
The alliance of Church and State still exists
in Argentina. The second article in the con-
stitution reads as follows: '* The federal gov-
ernment supports the Apostolic Roman Cath-
olic Church.'* This condition exists in all the
Religious Forces 293
republics of South America, except Brazil.
The president and vice-president must be mem-
bers of that church. Religious liberty prevails
and absolute freedom of worship is guaranteed
to all persons of whatever belief. Protestant
or Jew has the same right to erect a place of
worship as the Roman Catholic. The alliance
of Church and State, however, tends to weaken
each. It oftentimes drags down the high office
of the Church to the low level of politics and
tends to cheapen its influence. It sometimes
ties up the government in ways that work to
its detriment. It will be better for the Church
as well as government when this alliance is
separated. It will probably not be many years
before the final break will come in Argentina,
and it is to be hoped that it will come peaceably
and without a rupture of peaceful conditions.
Although the Church is a nominal partner of
the State it seemed to the writer that its in-
fluence was not particularly strong. The day
when the Archbishop could dictate government
policies has evidently passed away. The bond
between them is weak. It appears to be an age
of remarkable indifference toward religion.
The men openly avow their indifference and
say that they " leave religion to the women."
292 Argentina and Her People of To-day
own lives to spread the Christian faith into
hitherto untrodden regions. Even the desolate
interior of Patagonia was not too distant or
too inaccessible for these indefatigable mis-
sionaries. Sword in one hand and the cross
in the other these teachers of religion spread
the doctrines of their church over the whole
of the La Plata basin and the rest of South
America, and gave Roman Catholicism such a
grasp on the continent that it will probably
never be broken. The one difficult thing to
understand is how the Church of Rome could
countenance the harsh and bloody methods of
subjugation pursued under the very eyes of its
commissioned representatives, and the viola-
tion of all the ethics of humanity as well as
Christianity, unless it was simply the spirit
of the age with which even the heads of the
Church were also imbued. The Jesuits founded
schools for the natives, in their settlements, but
the other orders did not do this, although they
aided in inculcating orderly ways among them.
The alliance of Church and State still exists
in Argentina. The second article in the con-
stitution reads as follows: ** The federal gov-
ernment supports the Apostolic Roman Cath-
olic Church.'' This condition exists in all the
Religious Forces 293
republics of South America, except Brazil.
The president and vice-president must be mem-
bers of that church. Eeligious liberty prevails
and absolute freedom of worship is guaranteed
to all persons of whatever belief. Protestant
or Jew has the same right to erect a place of
worship as the Eoman Catholic. The alliance
of Church and State, however, tends to weaken
each. It oftentimes drags down the high office
of the Church to the low level of politics and
tends to cheapen its influence. It sometimes
ties up the government in ways that work to
its detriment. It will be better for the Church
as well as government when this alliance is
separated. It will probably not be many years
before the final break will come in Argentina,
and it is to be hoped that it will come peaceably
and without a rupture of peaceful conditions.
Although the Church is a nominal partner of
the State it seemed to the writer that its in-
fluence was not particularly strong. The day
when the Archbishop could dictate government
policies has evidently passed away. The bond
between them is weak. It appears to be an age
of remarkable indifference toward religion.
The men openly avow their indifference and
say that they '^ leave religion to the women."
294 Argentina and Her People of To-day
A visit to tlie churches is a practical demon-
stration of that statement so often reiterated.
The great Cathedral of Buenos Aires, which
seats many thousands, will oftentimes have
only a mere handful of men at the regular serv-
ices within its walls. Some of the moral con-
ditions in the republic show that the cardinal
teachings of the Church are not being followed,
although practically all are nominal adherents.
How much of this condition might be improved
by a better priesthood would be difficult to esti-
mate. Any statement made might be construed
as based upon an erroneous view, or given from
a prejudiced standpoint. It is a fact, however,
that there is great room for a religious awaken-
ing in Argentina, as well as the rest of South
America, and the Roman Catholic Church ap-
pears to be the only one able to propagate this
work aggressively among the many millions of
inhabitants.
Protestantism has not gained much of a foot-
hold among the Spanish-speaking population.
There are a great many adherents of Protes-
tant denominations among the British and Ger-
man population. In Buenos Aires, Rosario and
Bahia Blanca the Anglican and Scotch Pres-
byterian churches have edifices and support
Religious Forces 295
ministers. They are organized solely for the
people of that faith, and do not make any effort
to evangelize those speaking other languages,
as their services are conducted only in English.
Occasional services are held in other cities
where a colony of English-speaking people re-
sides.
The only church that is aggressively pushing
its work in Argentina is the Methodist Epis-
copal Church. This church has about thirty
missionaries at work in various parts of the
republic, and a number of congregations have
been successfully established. Buenos Aires is
naturally the centre of their efforts, and in that
city they have organized a half dozen churches.
Of these the principal one is on Calle Cangallo,
in the heart of the city. This is generally
known as the American Church, for people who
are members of the various non-Catholic bodies
all unite in the services here, which are con-
ducted wholly in English. The pastor, Eev.
W. P. McLaughlin, has been in charge of this
work for almost two decades and is very much
beloved by all. This church is entirely self-
supporting and contributes considerable sums
to the work in the other churches. The other
churches of this denomination in Buenos Aires
296 Argentina and Her People of To-day
are intended for work among the Spanish-
speaking population, with the exception of an
Italian mission. Congregations have likewise
been formed in Rosario, Bahia Blanca, Cor-
doba, Santa Fe, La Plata, Mendoza, San Juan,
Chacabuco, Junin and other cities. They claim
a membership exceeding five thousand and seem
to be very much encouraged in their work.
Educational work has received considerable
attention from tliis body and a number of
schools are conducted by it in which well-quali-
fied teachers from the United States conduct the
classes. These schools are recognized as worthy
institutions, and many families send their chil-
dren to them even though they do not accept
that faith. Their influence cannot be other than
beneficial and uplifting, for any effort that
aims to spread enlightenment and moral ethics
cannot fail to be of service in the general ad-
vancement of the country. Their work will
likewise stimulate similar effort by others, and
thus the general cause of education and moral-
ity is greatly furthered.
The Morris system of schools was founded
by an Englishman as a missionary enterprise,
but the scope of the work has since been broad-
ened, until now it has become a great educa-
Religious Forces 297
tional enterprise with several thousand stu-
dents under its tutelage. The schools receive
government aid, and by that means those in
charge have been enabled to branch out much
more than was permitted by the limited means
in the early years of their history.
The Young Men's Christian Association has
a very flourishing society in Buenos Aires
which is doing a great work. At present they
are hampered by poor quarters, but a campaign
had just been ended at the time of the writer's
visit and two hundred thousand dollars had
been secured for a new building. A site was
purchased in a central location and work was
to start at once on a fine new building. With
these new quarters and enlarged equipment,
the work of this great world-wide organization
ought to be increased many fold, and there is
room for all the effort it is able to put forth.
The Young Men's Christian Association forms
a rallying place for young men who have broken
away from home ties and started life in a for-
eign country. The extension of the work among
the Spanish-speaking people also brings about
a fraternizing between the two races which is
exceedingly beneficial.
CHAPTER XV
THE STRUGGLE AGAINST OPPRESSION
The reign of Ferdinand and Isabella is per-
haps the most noteworthy epoch in Spanish
history. It resounded wfth the clash of arms
and with the thirst for discovery. It was also
an era of intolerance. A distinctive tendency
toward cruelty has ever been a prominent trait
of the Spanish character. The driving out of
the Moors and the elimination of the Moorish
civilization, the harsh treatment of the Jews
and, finally, the establishment of the Inquisi-
tion are all indicative of that tendency. These
traits were carried with them into the New
World in their worst forms. The Spanish ex-
peditions to South America were marked by
ferocious cruelty, unlimited bloodshed, and an
unquenchable lust for treasure. A low stand-
ard of personal relations as well as a narrow
conception of public morality prevailed. It
was from the very worst of the population of
Spain that the early colonists to Spanish South
The Struggle Against Oppression 299
America came. Most of them were adventur-
ers who had nothing to lose, and who were
quite willing to risk their lives for the possi-
bility of treasure. It is not unnatural that the
worst characteristics of the Spanish character
should early be developed, and to an abnormal
degree. One quality they had to aid them —
there was no lack of personal courage. Igno-
rant they might be, but of personal bravery
there was no question, as their deeds bear wit-
ness.
In South America there were two great ra-
cial divisions, besides the tribes dwelling in
Patagonia, who were quite different to either
of the others. On the Pacific slope the Incas
had joined together the various tribes from
north of Quito to Chile into a great community
over which they exercised supreme power. The
people lived under established conditions ; they
built towns and public works and were profi-
cient in agriculture. On the Atlantic side of
the Andes, from Venezuela to the La Plata, the
Indians belonged to Tupi-Guarani stock. The
features and habits of some of the tribes had
become slightly modified, but they show enough
similarities to leave small doubt as to their
common origin. These tribes were all nomadic,
300 Argentina and Her People of To-day
and existed principally on the products of the
chase or wild fruits which they gathered. The
Araucanian and Tehuelche Indians of Pata-
gonia were also nomadic, but they are of a dif-
ferent temperament.
For three centuries after its discovery no
immigration was permitted to the South Amer-
ican colonies except of Spaniards. These Span-
iards intermarried freely with native women.
From this mixture grew up the greater part of
.the original population of Argentina, as well as
the other colonies. The gradual development
of population and wealth was little understood
in the mother country. Trade with foreign
countries was prohibited, all mineral wealth
was heavily taxed and the Crown " milked ''
the colonies in every way. All of the officials
were native Spaniards. A feeling of animosity
gradually grew up among the colonists toward
the Spaniards which finally led to the outbreak
of hostilities at the commencement of the nine-
teenth century. South Americans perhaps give
too little importance to the influence of the
United States in the outcome of their struggles
for liberty. The idea of America for the Amer-
icans existed long before the enunciation of the
Monroe Doctrine in 1823. That idea was in the
The Struggle Against Oppression 301
minds of Washington and his co-workers.
Their success also fired the patriotism of Boli-
var, San Martin and other South American
liberators.
The story of Argentina is but another chap-
ter in the history of the short-sighted attitude
of Spain toward her colonies in the New World.
The sole purpose of the colonial policy of
Spain seemed to be to protect the trading mon-
opoly which had been farmed out to the mer-
chants of Cadiz, and to keep a record of the
production of silver and gold, in order to
insure the collection of the royal one-fifth.
Every Atlantic port of South America was
closed to traffic except Nombre de Dios, on the
coast of Panama. Everything destined for that
continent had to be taken there, transported
across the isthmus and reloaded to vessels on
the Pacific. Goods destined for Argentina also
had to follow this route. They were carried by
vessels to Callao, Peru, and from there were
taken overland even as far as Buenos Aires.
It was for this reason that the early settlers
of Argentina mostly came in from the Andes
side. To further enforce this monopoly of
trade the governors of Buenos Aires were in-
structed to forbid all importation and expor-
302 Argentina and Her People of To-day
tation from that port under penalty of death
and forfeiture of property to those engaged
in it.
It is little wonder that a system of corruption
and an evasion of such iniquitous laws was de-
veloped. The several governors recommended
modifications, but the Cadiz merchants were
obdurate. Smuggling and surreptitious trading
grew popular, and the officials soon became
silent partners in the traffic. Although the laws
remained upon the statute books nothing could
keep the people from trafficking with their own
products. Buenos Aires became a community
of smugglers. English and Dutch ships landed
their goods under the very noses of officials,
took their pay in hides or money and then con-
tinued their way around Cape Horn to the west
coast, where the same process was repeated.
Mule trains carried these goods thus illegally
entered across the plains to Cordoba and Tucu-
man ; the officials along the way winking at this
evasion of unpopular laws. The profits were
distributed among officials and the soldiers
were hired to shut their eyes. The abstract
right of the government to enact such restrict-
ive regulations was never questioned. They
broke the laws without any qualms of con-
The Struggle Against Oppression 303
science, but contesting them was not even
dreamed of. The idea that the right to trade
or to practise a profession existed only by suf-
ferance of the government has not been eradi-
cated even to this day. It is a relic of this age.
It is not surprising that otfice holding became
the popular vocation and has remained so even
to the twentieth century.
For a long period the whole of South Amer-
ica was under the viceroyalty of Peru. Some
of the larger capitals had bodies of officials
known as Audiencias. The viceroyalty was
divided into provinces, each of which had a
governor. Each new region occupied was or-
ganized into a municipality, which was the real
unit of their political structure. The governing
body of this municipality was termed the Ca-
bildo, and was composed of from six to twelve
members who were appointed and held office
for life. This body exercised the civil and judi-
cial administration. Most of these men secured
their appointment through actual purchase.
The territorial jurisdiction of these municipal-
ities was generally poorly defined, and it was
sometimes almost coextensive with the prov-
ince. Although the colonial governor was sup-
posed to give a full account of his administra-
304 Argentina and Her People of To-day
tion, he often failed to do so and conducted his
office as a despotic and irresponsible ruler.
The governors were always Spaniards, and
only one exception appears in Argentina, Her-
nandarios Saavedra. This man appears as one
of the brightest names during the seventeenth
century. For several years he acted as gov-
ernor of Buenos Aires, and he did a great deal
of good in securing justice to the Indians and
curbing the military power. He retained the
confidence of both natives and Spaniards by his
reputation for giving a square deal to all sides.
Under his policy the colonies prospered and
the pastoral pursuits were greatly extended.
The sixteenth century contained very little of
interest to the general reader. The inhabited
portions were extended but little, and there
were one or two uprisings of Indians against
the white man^s rule. Only one was serious
and that was of the tribes on the Andean slopes,
who were stirred up by a leader who claimed
to be the direct descendant of the old Inca
princes. This disturbance lasted for fifty years,
but it ended with the capture and execution of
the leader, who was known to the Spaniards as
Bohorquez.
Some struggles took place between the Por-
The Struggle Against Oppression 305
tuguese settlers of Brazil and the Spaniards,
who had attempted to penetrate the regions
watered by the upper Parana. The '' Paulis-
tas," inhabitants of the state of Sao Paulo,
resisted the encroachments of the Spaniards,
as they feared the Jesuit influences, which they
both feared and hated. They raided the settle-
ments of that order in Misiones and carried off
several thousand of the poor natives as cap-
tives. The Iguassii River and the east bank of
the Uruguay seemed to be adopted informally
as the dividing line between the two races, al-
though later differences arose over the terri-
tory now embraced in the republic of Uruguay.
The Portuguese established a settlement, called
Colonia, in 1680, almost opposite to Buenos
Aires, which was ever a sore spot for the Span-
iards and gave rise to much trouble. It be-
came a harbouring place for smugglers and
offenders against Spanish laws, but it re-
mained under Portuguese control for a long
period.
With the eighteenth century Spain adopted a
little more liberal policy toward her colonies in
regard to trade. The prestige which England
and Holland had obtained practically forced
certain concessions. Uruguay began to be set-
306 Argentina and Her People of To-day
tied by Spaniards. The increase in population
and greater demand for wool and hides in Eu-
rope caused a remarkable advance in trade. In
1767 the Jesuits were expelled, as they had been
in Brazil some time previous. This order had
accumulated enormous wealth and ruled a large
section of the country with an iron hand. The
members of the order were forcibly driven out
and their property sold at auction or divided
among other orders.
In 1776, just a few days after the declaration
of independence in the American colonies,
Buenos Aires was established as a viceroyalty.
Lake Titicaca on the north, and the Andes on
the west, were established as the boundary
lines. It included the territory now divided
into the four republics of Uruguay, Bolivia,
Argentina and Paraguay. South of the city
of Buenos Aires, however, there was practically
no development. The first viceroy was named
Pedro de Zeballos, who came over with a large
force of soldiers and sailors in order to drive
out the Portuguese. Free commerce with Spain
was now permitted and commerce greatly in-
creased. Buenos Aires became the centre of
all this trade, was greatly prospered and its
population rapidly increased. Wines, brandies,
T he Struggle Against Oppression 307
hides, tobacco and mate (Paraguay tea) were
the principal articles exported to Europe.
The beginning of the nineteenth century saw
unrest all over South America. It began in
Quito, Ecuador, and spread in every direction.
It did not take long to reach the loosely cohered
sections of the viceroyalty of Buenos Aires, in
which the different elements had not coalesced.
The Spaniards generally lived in the populated
centres, while the gauchos, mostly half-breeds,
had their homes on the broad pampas. It was
essentially democratic as compared with more
aristocratic Peru and Mexico. The only com-
mon bond was religion, and that was not strong.
Spain ^s selfish policy had destroyed her pres-
tige, while the revolutions in France and North
America had propagated the idea of democracy
among the youth.
Perhaps no one incident had greater influ-
ence upon the final events than the attempt of
England, encouraged by her successes in South
Africa, to capture Buenos Aires. In June,
1806, a British fleet bearing on board fifteen
hundred troops appeared in the La Plata. The
Viceroy immediately fled, and the British flag
soon floated over his late residence. For sev-
eral weeks the people acquiesced in this change,
308 Argentina and Her People of To-day
but a Frenchman, named Jacques de Liniers,
headed the opposition. He organized a force
in Montevideo and advanced on Buenos Aires.
The citizens, reanimated by his enthusiasm,
flocked to his banner and, after some bloody
street fighting, the English were compelled to
surrender. Their flags were captured and are
still exhibited as trophies of Argentine prowess
in the Church of Santo Domingo in that city.
The success of the Argentinos, who had accom-
plished this victory without help from the
mother country, greatly encouraged the patri-
ots and aroused in them a hope of separation
from Spain. Keinforcements came from Eng-
land, to renew the conflict. The troops marched
confidently into the city. The flat roofs of the
buildings and the parapet-like fronts, however,
provided excellent shelter for the defenders,
and the British general was finally compelled
to ask for terms. He had lost a quarter of his
force but was allowed to leave on honourable
terms. The attempt of Napoleon to place his
brother, Joseph Bonaparte, on the throne of
Spain also fermented the spirit of revolution
that was becoming rampant, for the people felt
no loyalty or allegiance to this upstart. A new
Viceroy was sent out by the mother country,
The Struggle Against Oppression 309
but he did not remain in peace very long. In
an effort to placate the Spanish- American colo-
nies a royal decree was issued that the colonies
were considered an integral part of the mon-
archy and should have representatives in the
Cortes. ^' At last you are raised to the dignity
of free men/' came the message to the colo-
nists. It was too late.
A group of patriots had already risen who
were holding meetings to decide what could be
done in this crisis. The leader in this band
was Manuel Belgrano. They decided to ask the
resignation of the Viceroy and waited on him
with this request. He knew that his position
was untenable because of the disaffection
among the troops. On the 25th of May, 1810,*
an armed assembly met on the plaza in front
of the government palace under the leadership
of Belgrano, Moreno, Castelli and Valcarcel.
The colours of blue and white were seen every-
where, for these were the colours adopted by
the revolutionists. A provisional junta was
selected who assumed the executive powers of
government. For several years, however, their
^ The author desires to acknowledge his obligation for a number
of historical facts to the South American Republics, by Hon.
Thomas C. Dawson, and published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, of
New York and London.
310 Argentina and Her People of To-day-
acts all run in the name of Ferdinand VII, King
of Castile and Leon. No attemj)t was made at
this time to secure the adherence of the other
provinces, but emissaries were later sent asking
their cooperation. Troops were afterwards
sent, and a number of encounters occurred.
Both sides killed their prisoners as a general
rule, and the combats were very sanguinary.
Manuel Belgrano was a native of Buenos
Aires. He had been educated in Spain and
had there imbibed republican ideas. His en-
thusiasm, his radicalism and his ability soon
placed him at the head of the revolutionary
forces. Though lacking in military training he
proved himself an able general. He led an un-
successful expedition into Paraguay, whither
he went to induce the Paraguayans to join in
the revolt. Another great defeat had been
given the Argentine forces in Bolivia. Monte-
video was evacuated, and the situation was be-
coming desperate. Belgrano was then placed
in command and gathered together the scat-
tered forces at Tucuman. The result was a
decisive victory for the patriots. The gaucho
cavalry followed the fleeing Spaniards clear to
the boundaries of Bolivia, and inflicted great
losses upon them. Belgrano foolishly followed
The Struggle Against Oppression 311
up this real victory by another invasion of
Bolivia, and met with an overwhelming defeat
at Vilapugio, and again at Ayohuma. With the
remnant of his army he returned to Argentine
territory, and was, succeeded in command by
San Martin, who proved to be the real genius
of the struggle for independence.
Jose de San Martin first saw the light on the
25th of February, 1778, in a little town on the
Uruguay River, his father being an officer in
the Spanish army. While still a small boy he
was taken to Spain to be educated. Entering a
military school, for his father had destined him
for a military career, he finished that course,
and at an early age enlisted in the army. He
served in the many wars of that country against
Napoleon, and rose to the rank of lieutenant-
colonel. He also fought for a time under the
great English general, Wellington, in his cam-
paign in the Iberian peninsula. In these con-
flicts San Martin had imbibed liberal principles,
and a hatred of all forms of oppression and
injustice filled his soul. The success of the
American republic inspired him as well as oth-
ers, so that he joined with many in a secret
society, pledged to the work of establishing a
republic in Spain.
312 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Man proposes, but God disposes. The strug-
gle for independence in Argentina appealed to
this patriot and he decided to return to his
native land. He arrived at an opportune time,
for the successes of the Spanish troops had
plunged the patriots into despair. In March,
1812, San Martin landed in Buenos Aires. His
first step was to organize and drill some effect-
ive regiments of infantry in that city, for men
trained in military tactics were wanting. He
selected the finest physical and moral speci-
mens of manhood that could be found, and sub-
jected them to a rigid discipline. The lazy and
cowardly ones were weeded out, until he had
only a small force, but this body was composed
of real soldiers. With these men he gained
some victories, but success did not seem possi-
ble to him along these lines. He therefore
planned a new move with all the genius of a
great commander, who cares not for temporary
success but sees only ultimate victory.
To San Martin the only hopeful plan seemed
to be to drive the Spaniards out of Chile, and
then attack Peru, the stronghold of Spanish
power in South America. He aimed not only
for the independence of Argentina, but of all
of that great continent ; he vowed he would not
The Struggle Against Oppression 313
be satisfied until the last Spanish soldier had
left the soil of South America, and every prov-
ince was free. To this end he sought the ap-
pointment as governor of Cuyo, nestling up
against the Andes on the direct route to Chile,
and now known as the province of Mendoza,
in Argentina. The inhabitants of that section,
who breathed the free air of the mountains,
were notoriously anti-Spanish, brave and en-
during. Chilean patriots who had been exiled
were numerous here, too, and it offered good
recruiting ground. He brought with him as
a nucleus a part of the troops he had drilled
in Buenos Aires, and the government later sent
him a corps of negro slaves, who had been freed
from bondage. For three years San Martin
laboured steadily building up a great war ma-
chine. Though civil war waged in and around
the capital he kept aloof from all these disturb-
ances, and busied himself in recruiting, drilling
and instructing officers, as well as men, raising
taxes, gathering provisions, making powder,
casting guns, building portable bridges and
making all arrangements for transport and
commissariat on his contemplated march into
Chile.
Dictator succeeded dictator, military chief
314 Argentina and Her People of To-day
followed military chief in Buenos Aires. A
formal act of independence from Spain had
been drawn up and proclaimed on the 9th of
July, 1816, in Tucuman, where Congress had
convened for that purpose. Pueyrredon was
selected as supreme director. He was suc-
ceeded by Rordeau, and he again was defeated
by Artigas. Then came Ramirez and other
military leaders who gained more or less power
and authority. San Martin paid no attention
to these military or governmental affairs. One
idea, one definite plan absorbed all his energy
and attention. This plan he confided to no one.
This taciturn general, however, was preparing
a thunderbolt that would clear the Argentine
sky of all these clouds, except internal dissen-
sions. When summer came in 1817, which is
our winter, and all the passes were freed from
snow, he felt that he was ready to advance.
Among his forces were the picked youth of
Buenos Aires, reckless, enthusiastic and ambi-
tious, who were willing to follow this leader
anywhere; manumitted negroes, who were
scarcely inferior to their white comrades ; Chil-
ean exiles, who preferred death to submission,
and looked upon this as their only hope of
again seeing their homes. All of these men had
The Struggle Against Oppression 315
been thoroughly drilled in the arts of war as
practised by the armies of Europe in the Napo-
leonic era. No detail had been omitted. The
last few months had been spent in preparing
rations of dried beef and parched corn, in gath-
ering mules for transport, and in making
sledges to be used on the slopes which were
too steep for cannon on wheels. Every possible
route across the Andes had been examined, and
the most careful calculation of distances made.
Spies were placed in all the passes, and the
Spaniards were kept in absolute ignorance as
to which of many passes along hundreds of
miles of frontier would be used for the impend-
ing attack. These men were sworn to remain
* ' united in sentiment and courage, in order not
to suffer for the future any tyrant in America ;
and like new Spartans never to bear the chains
of slavery while the stars shone in the sky and
blood ran in their veins. ' '
The precautions of this astute leader are
shown by the fact that his real intentions were
not revealed until on the very eve of the ad-
vance, through fear of treachery. In the middle
of January General San Martin broke camp
and left Mendoza. His army was divided into
two divisions. The smaller force was sent
316 Argentina and Her People of To-day
through what is known as the Uspallata pass,
which was the old Inca trail, and is now fol-
lowed by the railway which has just been com-
pleted across the Andes. This trail runs across
the Bridge of the Incas, one of the most famous
natural bridges in the world. The other fol-
lowed the more difficult pass of Las Platas, far-
ther to the north. The solitude, barrenness and
utter desolation of these Andean passes can only
be fully appreciated by those who have trav-
ersed them as has the writer. Majestic Acon-
cagua looks down upon both routes, and all
around are lofty peaks which seem like giant
sentinels guarding these solitudes of nature
from the invasion of man. Terrific wind and
snow storms are common, and the dust blows
in clouds that are almost stifling at times. It
was an undertaking that would have appalled
an ordinary man.
But San Martin was no ordinary man. A
high and lofty purpose thrilled his soul and
steeled his heart against all discouragement.
An advance guard of the Spaniards in the Us-
pallata pass was driven out by that wing of his
little army of four thousand men. Before rein-
forcements could come up the two divisions had
successfully accomplished the crossing and
g
1 s
c o
C H
1
The Struggle Against Oppression 317
were united. Disconcerted by the report that
two armies had crossed the Andes and were
advancing against him, the Spanish commander
retreated to Santiago for reinforcements. With
admirable forethought San Martin chose his
positions and awaited the conflict which was
inevitable. The two armies approached each
other. The Spanish commander had a superior
force, composed of veterans of the peninsular
wars. San Martin's men were inspired by an
enthusiastic commander and a love of country.
The battle raged for hours until, surrounded
on three sides by the enemy, their artillery
gone, a third of their number dead on the field
of battle, the Spanish forces broke and fled
toward Santiago. Less than half their number
escaped death or capture. Thus was the deci-
sive battle of Chacabuco won by the patriots
on the 12th of February, 1817, with a loss of
only twelve men killed. The next day the Span-
ish governor of Chile was flying from the cap-
ital, and two days later the conquerors entered
that city. San Martin had won his first great
victory, and was everywhere hailed as a deliv-
erer.
Steadfast in his purpose of driving the Span-
iards from all of South America the victor re-
318 Argentina and Her People of To-day-
fused to be drawn into local fights. The Argen-
tine patriots were fighting among themselves
and his friends wanted San Martin to return
and aid them. This he refused to do, and his
friends were embittered. Unwilling to accept
the supreme authority in Chile, General 'Hig-
gins, who had materially assisted in the victory
at Chacabuco, was selected as executive. The
independence of Chile was soon after pro-
claimed. In connection with Lord Cochrane, an
English officer, San Martin began to devote all
his energies to the building of a fleet, in order
to drive the hated Spaniards from Peru. Three
years more were spent in these preparations.
At last, in 1820, a little fleet was ready, and he
sailed with a small army for that stronghold
of Spanish power. In four months, without a
pitched battle, he sent the enemy flying from
Peru. Lima yielded and that country was de-
clared to be independent. He then assumed the
role of protector of Peru and commander in
chief of the insurgent army. San Martin de-
sired to cooperate with Bolivar, and a personal
interview was arranged between these two lib-
erators at Guayaquil. Bolivar refused. With-
out a word of explanation, without a complaint,
the disappointed San Martin gave up the com-
The Struggle Against Oppression 319
mand of the army, resigned the dictatorship of
Peru to Bolivar, and left that country. There
was no place for him in Argentina, except as a
leader in civil war, and this he would not in-
dulge in. For honours or position he cared not.
Thus he went into voluntary exile. Eather than
jeopardize the independence secured after so
much hard fighting, rather than take part in
the divisions of the factions fighting among
themselves, he sacrificed home, friends and hon-
ours, and even submitted to cruel charges of
ingratitude and cowardice. Few finer examples
of unselfishness are recorded in the annals of
the world's history. If not abler San Martin
was at least more unselfish than Bolivar.
General San Martin, heartbroken and disap-
pointed, went to Boulogne-sur-Mer, in France,
and established his home. The remaining years
of his life were passed in obscurity and pov-
erty, with only a faithful daughter to comfort
and cheer his old age. Once he started for the
land of his birth, and got as far as Montevideo.
There he learned that Argentina was in the
throes of a revolution. Fearing that his pres-
ence might be misconstrued, the old warrior sor-
rowfully turned his face back toward France.
The generosity of a Spaniard was all that saved
320 Argentina and Her People of To-day
this hero from absolute want during the last
few years of his life, for he lived to a good old
age. Reading was the only resource left to
brighten his later years, but approaching blind-
ness deprived him of even this pleasure during
the last few months. On the 17th of August,
1850, General San Martin expired in the arms
of his loving and faithful daughter.
It was many years before Argentina fully
appreciated the services of this grand old man,
and it was then too late to bring cheer to his
broken heart. His sacred remains were brought
back to Buenos Aires and placed in the Cathe-
dral, where they now repose. Honours were
decreed him. There are few cities in that re-
public that have not erected a monument to his
memory. Chile and Peru have raised statues
in his honour. Only a few months ago the Ar-
gentine government dedicated a fine memorial
in the French city where he died. Last year,
while Argentina was celebrating her first cen-
tennial, the memory of the patriot San Martin
was kept green, and the youth were taught
his great and unselfish love of country. It
is little wonder that the Argentinians do not
go into raptures over the name of Bolivar, but
hold up their own San Martin as the real lib-
The Struggle Against Oppression 321
erator of at least four of the republics of South
America.
For a half-century following the 25th of May,
1810, the history of Argentina is a record of
wars, revolutions and other disturbances. It
was the unavoidable conflict between oentraliza-
tionists and autonomists, between military and
civil principles of government. A detailed ac-
count of all these conflicts would be confusing
and wearisome, and it can best be treated in a
consideration of those involved in the strug-
gle.
An oligarchy grew up in Buenos Aires at first
that sought to rule the rest of the original vice-
royalty in almost as arbitrary a manner as
Spain herself had done. This caused constant
friction with the other cities, each of which
aspired to be an independent province. Mili-
tary chieftains arose here and there who defied
the authority of that oligarchy. Civil war
broke out in numerous places, and bloody en-
counters took place followed by much devas-
tation. Within a few years nearly all the prov-
inces were practically independent of Buenos
Aires and there were a half dozen centres of
authority, although that city did not yield in
her pretensions. San Martin was peremptorily
322 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ordered to return, but refused. Belgrano at-
tempted to lead his army there, but they re-
volted and abandoned him, joining the local
forces. The outside provinces themselves split
up through local differences. Cordoba lost
Kioja, from the old intendencia of Salta seceded
Tucuman, Santiago del Estero and Catamarca,
and Cuyo split up into Mendoza, San Juan and
San Luiz. Buenos Aires itself was subdivided,
losing Uruguay, Corrientes, Santa Fe and
Entre Rios. Thus were formed the provinces
which have since become the units of the Ar-
gentine confederation. The outside provinces
were willing to unite with Buenos Aires on an
equal basis, but the people of that city would
not consent on such terms.
For years no really constructive statesman
appeared out of the confusion and selfishness
of the oligarchies. At last there loomed above
all the personality of Rivadavia, who undertook
the reformation of the laws and their admin-
istration. He introduced numerous reforms
and founded a number of charitable institu-
tions, and infused a more modern spirit into
the government. A congress met in Buenos
Aires in 1825, in which all the provinces were
represented by delegates. By this time the
The Struggle Against Oppression 323
independence of the Argentine Confederation
had been acknowledged by all of the leading
powers except Spain. Eivadavia and his fol-
lowers gained control of this assembly. In the
following year he was elected president, al-
though this selection did not mean much be-
cause of the power of the military chieftains,
called caudillos. Buenos Aires was not satisfied
because of his plan to place the city under the
direct control of the federal government, much
as Washington in the United States. At the
same time war broke out with Brazil. That
country attempted a blockade, but the doughty
Irish sailor, William Brown, made this inef-
fective. He destroyed a large part of their
fleet. General Alvear defeated the Brazilians
at Ituzaingo, and this victory caused great re-
joicing. Negotiations for peace followed soon
afterwards. Rivadavia's envoy agreed to allow
Uruguay to remain a part of the empire of
Brazil, and this treachery aroused such a wave
of indignation that he was compelled to resign.
He was succeeded by Dorrego. Dorrego did
not rule long in peace. The standard of revolt
was raised in Buenos Aires and General La-
valle declared himself as governor. Dorrego
fled to the interior, but was pursued. He was
324 Argentina and Her People of To-day
finally captured and, without even the form of
a trial, was shot by the direct order of Lavalle.
This precipitated a bloody civil war which soon
desolated Argentina. The gauchos arose in re-
volt, and a series of campaigns began in dif-
ferent sections of the country. It is the leader
of the southern gauchos who stands out as the
strongest historical character of this period.
One of the most picturesque figures in Argen-
tine history is Juan Manuel Rosas, a native of
the province of Cordoba, who soon became the
chief figure in Argentine affairs. This man
ruled the new nation with an iron hand for
almost two decades. He became an absolute
tyrant and the most bitterly hated man in the
country. Descendant of a wealthy family he
devoted himself to pastoral pursuits from early
life. By the time he was twenty-five he was the
undisputed leader of the gauchos on the south-
ern pampas, and had a full regiment of the half-
breed horsemen of the plains at his back and
ready to do his bidding. He had been fairly
well educated and had ability, but this talent
was not supported by character. He can best
be compared with the notorious Santa Anna,
of Mexico, in his greed for power, his cruelty
and his craving for homage. Another similar
The Struggle Against Oppression 325
type was the half-savage Carrera of Guate-
mala.
Rosas first appeared in public life at the head
of a troop of gaucho cavalry, in a revolution
that began in 1818. During the civil war he
gave valuable aid to the Federalist cause. Af-
ter a decisive defeat of the famous General
Lavalle in 1829 he was appointed governor over
the province of Buenos Aires with the rank of
Captain-General, and this made him nominal
head of Argentina. This event gave this mon-
ster his first taste of power and whetted his
insatiable appetite for more. The remaining
provinces were gradually subdued and one after
another came under the authority of this dic-
tator, although thousands of lives were lost in
the conquest. As a rule no quarter was given,
and the losing side generally fought it out to
the last man. On one occasion Qve hundred
prisoners were shot in cold blood at Tucuman.
From the year 1832 the power of Rosas became
absolute. Says Mr. Akers : ' ' Unitarian advo-
cates were hunted down like wild beasts. Rosas
became suspicious of his own generals, and one
by one they disappeared. Quiroga was assas-
sinated at Cordoba; Lopez died suddenly in
Buenos Aires; and CuUen, Reinafe and Here-
326 Argentina and Her People of To-day
dia were sentenced to death. Under the tyr-
anny of Rosas human life had small value. If
any man was a danger to the dictatorial regime
he was murdered by a band of assassins re-
tained for this purpose. Expression of public
opinion was rendered impossible. Men dared
not think for themselves, much less put into
words their abhorrence of the dictator."
The attempt of Rosas to close the Parana
to foreign commerce led to a blockade of Buenos
Aires by French and English warships in 1845,
so that this attempt failed. He also endeav-
oured to annex Uruguay, but foreign influence
prevented this also. These acts made him in-
tensely jealous of foreign governments. Never-
theless, with all foreign powers against him, and
with powerful forces in his own land opposing
him, he ruled Argentina with despotic tyranny
for eighteen years. Rosas placed his political
favourites at the head of the provincial gov-
ernments, but he was not able to keep them
loyal to his interests. His arbitrary acts alien-
ated his best friends. The longer he ruled the
more united became all other factions. A com-
mon hatred of the tyrant overshadowed all
other differences of opinion. Foreigners were
excluded from the provinces, everything im-
The Struggle Against Oppression 327
ported or exported was required to be tran-
shipped at Buenos Aires in order that duties
might be collected. It was not long until the
whole population was ready to support a rebel-
lion. The provinces which had placed this
tyrant in power finally overthrew him.
The chief lieutenant of Rosas for many years
had been General Urquiza, whom he appointed
governor of the province of Entre Rios. The
administration of Urquiza was successful, and
he could always be counted on to raise troops
for Rosas from among the ranchmen of that
province. Urquiza was a ^' caudillo/' but had
no particular thirst for power. At last, in 1846,
the rupture with the tyrant came, and from that
time on Urquiza led the fight against Rosas.
Three times his efforts failed, but the fourth
time in alliance with some Brazilian and Uru-
guayan troops he crossed the river with an
army of twenty-four thousand, the largest army
ever assembled on South American soil up to
that time. Rosas awaited Urquiza at Buenos
Aires and trusted all to a single battle. Of his
army half deserted him and many of his officers
betrayed him. The result was a disastrous de-
feat for the tyrant-dictator. When General
Urquiza entered Buenos Aires, Rosas fled the
328 Argentina and Her People of To-day-
country. Clad as an English sailor he escaped
to a British man-of-war and was conveyed to
England. He lived on a farm near Southamp-
ton until his death on the 14th of March, 1877,
upon the proceeds of his ill-gotten wealth.
CHAPTER XVI
THE EKA OF DEVELOPMENT
The great question that was ever disturbing
peace in Argentina was the fight between the
Federalists, those who favoured a centralized
power, and the Unitarians, who wanted the
provinces to remain supreme. It was similar
to the problem of states' rights as against a
strong union, which was not settled in the
United States until a disastrous civil war had
been waged between the two factions. The
question first arose under Rivadavia, who al-
lowed it to drift along. It did drift, and became
more formidable each year until it became the
pivot around which all struggles centred, and
was the primary cause of forty years of strife
and much bloodshed. The province of Buenos
Aires was always a strong adherent of the Uni-
tarian idea, for that meant its continued
supremacy by reason of its overshadowing
strength. For that reason the other provinces
rejected it. As the city of Buenos Aires en-
329
330 Argentina and Her People of To-day
larged, the question became more and more for-
midable. The mooted theme caused Rivadavia
to resign his office; it made possible the disas-
trous dictatorship of Rosas ; it hampered Pres-
idents Urquiza and Mitre in the reforms at-
tempted by them. It was not until Buenos Aires
was forcibly organized into a Federal District
that this cause of perpetual friction disap-
peared.
Argentina felt -a sense of relief upon the
downfall of Rosas, and once more the people
breathed freely. The supreme power naturally
fell into the hands of the victorious Greneral
Urquiza. The provinces had suffered most
severely during the long period of civil wars.
In Rioja the government had been overthrown
fifteen times in seven months. Some of them
were isolated, others had been badly devastated,
but all of them were poor. Buenos Aires alone
had increased in wealth and population. Hun-
dreds of liberals had left the city or been ex-
iled, but thousands had sought that city as a
refuge from the disorders of the interior.
Many English and Irish had settled in that
province and engaged in the raising of sheep
and cattle. The city alone contained one-fourth
of the entire population of the confederation,
The Era of Development 331
and the rest of the province had increased more
rapidly than any of the others. Although mili-
tary rule was ended with the change in govern-
ment, the real subject of dispute was far from
being solved.
As soon as he was named provisional execu-
tive General Urquiza adopted measures looking
to the adoption of a constitution. The govern-
ors of the various provinces met and it was
agreed to call a Congress in which each province
should have an equal vote. Buenos Aires alone
protested, and to avoid the predominance of
that province the session was called to meet in
Santa Fe. The legislature of Buenos Aires
refused to assent to this arrangement. The city
rose in revolt and sent an army to attack Santa
Fe, while the Congress was holding its sessions.
By this action Buenos Aires practically de-
clared her independence of the other provinces,
but never asked recognition of foreign govern-
ments as an independent state. Although the
rest of the confederation never took any steps
to force a union, they knew that it would never
do to permit Buenos Aires to remain independ-
ent with its control of the La Plata and its
tributaries, which furnished the only natural
communication with the interior. It was the
332 Argentina and Her People of To-day
pacific policy of Urquiza alone that prevented
more serious trouble at this time. He refused
to become another Rosas.
On the 1st of May, 1853, a constitution was
adopted which was substantially copied after
that of the United States, and this constitution,
with few amendments, remains the fundamental
law of Argentina to-day. The Parana River
was declared free to all the world, and the city
of Parana was selected as the temporary cap-
ital, with the city of Buenos Aires as permanent
capital when that province should join the
union. General Jose Justo Urquiza was elected
the first constitutional president. Under his
rule the provinces greatly prospered. The con-
nection of some of the border provinces was
very slight at first, but they gradually began
to see the benefits of a closer union. The rela-
tions between Buenos Aires and the confedera-
tion became so strained in 1859 that the former
marched an army against Urquiza. The Presi-
dent defeated them and, advancing upon the
metropolis, compelled them to accept the con-
stitution and join the confederation. This was
about the last national service of President
Urquiza, as his term expired in 1860. For many
years after that he remained governor of Entre
The Era of Development 333
Eios, and his influence was paramount in that
section between the Parana and Uruguay Riv-
ers. During a revolt against his authority in
1870, the aged general and ex-President was
cruelly assassinated in his own house by some
followers of the opposing leader.
The successor of Urquiza was Dr. Santiago
Derqui. Trouble soon arose in the new govern-
ment over the intervention of the federal gov-
ernment in the province of San Juan, because
of the assassination of the governor. His suc-
cessor, who had been selected by the people, was
captured by the government troops and shot.
Buenos Aires protested at this summary execu-
tion, and the Congress resented their protest
by refusing admittance to its members. The
forces of Buenos Aires under the command of
General Mitre defeated the federal army in the
battle of Pavon, and Derqui was thus deposed
after a brief rule, being compelled to flee from
the country.
Greneral Bartolome Mitre, one of the most
illustrious men of Argentina, was born in the
city of Buenos Aires, on the 26th of June, 1821.
His early education was received in his home
city, but later he was sent to Montevideo. It
was in this city that he imbibed revolutionary
334 Argentina and Her People of To-day
doctrines, and took up arms in 1838, in one of
the disturbances so numerous in that country.
A few years later, when just of legal age, he
joined an expedition against Rosas, the dicta-
tor. The failure of this expedition caused Mitre
to return to Montevideo and turn his fight
against that usurper through the columns of
the newspapers, a calling which he followed
during a large part of his life. At the early
age of twenty-three he headed another attack
against the tyrant, and was promoted to the
rank of lieutenant-colonel. Disagreements with
the authorities caused the young officer to leave
Montevideo, and he went to the province of Cor-
rientes, where he took part in several engage-
ments against Rosas. The failure of this enter-
prise caused him to flee to Bolivia, where he
spent a number of years in newspaper work
and as teacher in the military college. His
career also led him to Peru and Chile, in each
of which countries he joined in the political
struggles, always in behalf of public liberties
and generally opposed to the existing govern-
ments. His conduct in those countries led him
to a number of persecutions, so that he fled
from one country to another, generally being
received by the people as the champion of mod-
The Era of Development 335
ern political ideas. He returned again to Mon-
tevideo, where he united with Urquiza, who was
at that time a leader of the movement toward
liberty from political dictators. He soon sep-
arated from that leader, however, becoming an
active opponent of his, and to that end founded
a newspaper in that city, called Los Debates.
In the revolution of 1852, Mitre entered the
service of the National Guard, and this move-
ment being successful he was appointed to a
cabinet position, the first political office he had
held in his own country. This government did
not last long, and Mitre was soon found in the
military service again. For a while he edited
El Nacional, and took a part in the forming of
a new constitution. For a number of years his
time was alternated between military service,
literary work, editorial services and political
office. In 1860 he was elected governor of the
province of Buenos Aires, and in 1862, by the
victory of Pavon, General Mitre succeeded to
the presidency of the republic. The accession
of this high-minded patriot ended the period
of uncertainty in Argentina. Although he
reached his high position as the representative
of victorious Buenos Aires, he immediately set
himself to work to remodel and strengthen the
336 Argentina and Her People of To-day
federation, a task for which he had loug pre-
pared himself. Buenos Aires became the seat
of government once more. The autonomy of
the provinces was not interfered with, but
power and population naturally gravitated
toward that city. From that time the tendency
has constantly been toward strengthening the
bonds of cohesion. President Mitre also sought
to work out a more democratic form of govern-
ment, as preventative of the uprisings which
were so numerous and distracting. This work,
however, was seriously interrupted by the Par-
aguayan war, in which he acted as Commander-
General of the allied forces from 1865 to 1868.
The aggressive and ambitious policy of General
Lopez, the dictator of that country, united
Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina in an attempt
to throttle his pretensions. It was only accom-
plished after a bloody war of several years, and
the killing or disabling of almost every man in
Paraguay capable of bearing arms. In 1868
President Mitre's term of office ended, and he
was presented by the people with a fine home
in the capital. After his retirement he served
as senator for that province, in which he did
good service for his country. He did effective
work as editor of La Nacion, a journal which he
The Era of Development 337
owned, and through which he propounded his
political ideas. At last ripe in years, full of
honours and with the universal appreciation of
his fellow countrymen he departed from this
life in 1906.
During the term of President Mitre Argen-
tina made great strides in material prosperity
and industrial development. The Paraguayan
war furnished a splendid market for the pro-
duce of the country, for the expense of the war
was mostly borne by Brazil. When the election
was held in that year Dr. Domingo Faustino
Sarmiento, a native of the province of San
Juan, was chosen. This election was held with-
out interference from any source and the candi-
date himself was in Washington as his coun-
try's representative at that time. It was a wise
selection, for even the jealous Portenos could
find little fault with the policy and attitude of
the new President. His most bitter opponents
were compelled to admit that upright dealing
and a desire to promote the best interests of
Argentina characterized his administration. He
is best remembered for the work done in behalf
of education, and for that reason has been re-
ferred to as the ^' school-teacher President."
He was a great admirer of President Lincoln
338 Argentina and Her People of To-day
and wrote a biography in Spanish of our mar-
tyred president. One of his books closes with
these words: *' Without instruction liberty is
impossible; '' and these words seem to have
been the expression of his creed. Comparative
peace reigned, and prosperity again made
strides in spite of the weight of the heavy debt
incurred by the Paraguayan war. An epidemic
of yellow fever at this time is also memorable,
as it is said to have caused the death of twenty-
four thousand persons in Buenos Aires within
six months. Notwithstanding all these hin-
drances to prosperity, the termination of Presi-
dent Sarmiento's term in 1874 found great ad-
vances made in the republic. Education had
progressed, railways had been extended, and
the administration of justice had been im-
proved. Immigration on a large scale had been
turned toward Argentina. Perhaps the great-
est criticism that can be offered is that his
administration was practically the beginning
of the policy of national and commercial ex-
travagance which finally ended in financial dis-
aster. Sarmiento died in 1888, at the age of
seventy-seven.
The question of a successor to Sarmiento
again aroused the old jealousies. At that time
{
The Era of Development 339
Argentina was a loosely-joined organization of
fourteen states, each enjoying sovereign rights
and each jealous of the national government.
Both Mitre and Sarmiento had endeavoured to
unite the provinces more closely, but with little
effect. The difficulty of communication was
perhaps detrimental to consolidation. Sarmi-
ento absolutely refused to be drawn into the
controversy or take any part in the selection
of his successor. The provincials, however,
won again when Dr. Nicolas Avellaneda, a na-
tive of Tucuman, was chosen. This election
almost resulted in a serious revolution. After
his inauguration, and in order to intimidate the
Portenos, the President made an ostentatious
parade of military strength. A meeting of
prominent citizens was held, and a discussion
as to the best means of combating the
President followed. It was decided to found
the Tiro Nacional, an organization ostensibly
formed for rifle shooting, but in reality a vol-
unteer military organization. The enthusiasm
of the young men for this organization was un-
bounded, and every Sunday thousands attended
the parade grounds to receive instruction. It
was not long until the Tiro Nacional aroused
the suspicion of the President and his advisors.
340 Argentina and Her People of To-day
General Mitre and other officers in the army,
who were active in the Tiro, were summoned
and told that their further connection with that
organization would subject them to the charge
of treason. As an answer to this they immedi-
ately resigned their commissions. Conflicts be-
tween national troops and members of the Tiro
were narrowly averted in several instances. A
compromise was finally effected which tempo-
rarily averted hostilities, as public attention
was again centred upon a successor.
General Bartolome Mitre might have been
chosen again, but he refused to become a can-
didate. There was no lack of willing candi-
dates, however, but it brought to the front one
of the strongest men that Argentina has yet
known. General Julio Roca. General Roca, like
his predecessor, was a native of Tucuman. He
had distinguished himself in campaigns against
turbulent Indians, and also in command of
troops in several revolutionary outbreaks. He
had shown great skill and tact in organization.
One of his campaigns had opened up the vast
region of Patagonia to civilization. As a re-
sult of his victory, this land, which had hitherto
been considered as a barren waste, was added
to the national domain and given territorial
The Era of Development 341
government in order to avoid state jealousies.
This caused General Roca to be called a national
benefactor by his friends. Foreseeing that a
call to arms would come sooner or later General
Eoca applied himself to strengthening the army,
while his followers fought his political battles.
For the first time the nationalists openly and
strenuously advocated the confiscation of the
city of Buenos Aires as the federal capital. To
this Roca gave his adherence, and he became the '^
candidate of the powerful Cordoba ''League,"
which was a political organization of unusual
strength.
Each side now began to prepare for the im-
pending conflict, although for months these
strained relations continued. The Porteiios
were hampered by a lack of arms and ammuni-
tion. In June, 1880, an open rupture occurred
in the capital between the presidential escort
and a group of citizens. The incident was re-
ported as an attempt upon the life of President
Avellaneda. The President fled the city and
joined the main body of federal troops a few
miles out. General Roca commanded these
troops, which numbered about eight thousand,
and some gunboats. The city was unfortified,
but the Portenos began to throw up entrench-
342 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ments and had about fifteen thousand men
under arms. These troops, however, lacked
military training, while the government forces
had seen service in several minor campaigns.
Wrangling, vacillation and jealousy all weak-
ened the power of the Porteiios. Each side de-
layed the conflict which all felt to be inevitable.
There were minor skirmishes, but it was not
until July that a serious encounter took place,
on the 20th of that month. Koca decided to
make an attack and placed his forces accord-
ingly. Several points of assault were arranged.
The battle began very early on the morning of
that date with picket skirmishing. The defence
stubbornly resisted the advance and made a
valorous fight. The losses on both sides were
severe ; especially was this true of the Portenos,
who also began to be distressed because of lack
of ammunition. They had no reserve stores
on which to fall back. On the second day the
fighting was renewed with odds in favour of
the government. The national troops finally
forced their way over the Barracas Bridge into
the city. The total casualties had been not less
than five thousand, with the greatest loss among
the city's defenders. Both sides rested for a
day, the 22nd. An armistice was declared and
The Era of Development 343
negotiations opened. The national government,
knowing the lack of ammunition, imposed on-
erous conditions. Participators in the revolt,
however, were not to be punished, but should be
denied official employment. When Congress
met a few months later it ratified the election of
General Roca as President. The city of Buenos
Aires was proclaimed a federal district and the
national capital. Thus the principal cause of
friction between the provinces was forcibly re-
moved. This was practically the last step in
the process of consolidation which had been
going on. This great city is now one of the
strongest ties binding together the different
provinces, as each one has a sense of joint
ownership in and pride of their beautiful capi-
tal.
Centralization received a fresh impetus with
the ascendency of President Roca. The prov-
inces, however, got more than they had bar-
gained for. They had succeeded in humiliating
the province of Buenos Aires, but a strong cen-
tral government was not one of their desires.
Roca, hitherto an unknown political quantity,
set himself to work to bring order out of chaos,
and to develop a national spirit; to teach the
people of all the provinces that first of all they
344 Argentina and Her People of To-day-
were Argentinians. He surprised both his op-
ponents and supporters; the first by his fair-
ness, and the latter by the fact that they could
not dictate to him. He did not act hastily but
studied the situation. He had visited nearly
every section of the country and knew the im-
mense undeveloped resources of the country.
To populate these lands and bring them under
contribution to civilization was his great aim.
Within a year his power was absolute, but he
began no repressive measures. He never al-
lowed militarism to become obnoxious. As a
result Argentina entered upon an era of devel-
opment and evolution that was simply marvel-
lous. A reckless optimism ruled the country.
Eailway extension on a broader scale began;
immigration agencies were opened up in Eu-
rope, government lands were sold at low rates.
Public works were inaugurated, on a scale
hitherto unprecedented, new docks were built
in Buenos Aires and adequate drainage un-
dertaken. European money lenders offered
money for any enterprise. The petty jeal-
ousies were restrained and foreign capital en-
couraged. With all the skill and diplomacy of
a shrewd ruler a discontented element still re-
mained, those who were '* out." In Santa Fe
The Era of Development 345
and Entre Rios disturbances arose whicli were
quickly quelled, and in Buenos Aires further
trouble threatened. This latter was due to the
national interference in elections. The vanity
of the Porteiios was somewhat appeased by the
efforts they made to beautify La Plata, their
new capital, which was intended to rival the
older city in magnificence and importance.
When the question of a successor became
necessary Roca declared he would maintain ab-
solute neutrality. Such a thing was almost un-
heard of in South America, and the people
placed little credence in it. Among the several
candidates was his brother-in-law, Miguel Ju-
arez Celman. This man stood before the coun-
try in the guise of the official candidate. If Roca
did nothing to assist, he did nothing to hinder
Celman 's selection. When the election arrived
there was practically no contest, and Celman
was chosen almost unanimously. At the elec-
tion in March electors equal to twice the number
of representatives in Congress are elected, who
meet on June 12th and choose a president and
vice-president.
Celman was an unfortunate choice. As gov-
ernor of Cordoba he had shown no administra-
tive ability, nor later in Congress. There was
346 Argentina and Her People of To-day
little to recommend him and he had been chosen
by the Cordoba ^' Clique," because of his pli-
ancy. The almost four years of his adminis-
tration are memorable for reckless private
and public borrowing. Flattery and adulation
turned the head of the new President. Many
thought that Roca would be the power behind
the throne, but events disproved that idea.
With his head turned by the servility shown
him, Celman soon chafed at any restraint. He
broke loose from all control, and even Roca soon
cooled. Political adventurers began to fill the
offices and an era of carpet-bagging followed.
Elections for senators and deputies were openly
manipulated. Bribery and corruption were
everywhere apparent. Concessions and monop-
olies were scattered broadcast. A healthy ac-
tivity was followed by a mad rush of specula-
tion. The provincial governments followed suit.
The corruption of former days sunk into insig-
nificance beside the orgy of this administration.
Banks of issue were established throughout the
republic, whose notes were guaranteed by na-
tional bonds. The paper circulation was almost
quadrupled and the premium on gold rose. As
the banks were obliged to purchase bonds of the
government, this gave it a ready supply of
The Era of Development 347
money. Soon this was squandered and the na-
tional government found itself obligated for
one hundred and ninety-six million dollars on
these guarantees.
The conservative element looked on this ex-
travagance with dismay, and rumblings of dis-
content were heard throughout the republic,
although many did not seem to have any appre-
hensions until the final crash came. The public
continued to speculate on the scrip issued.
Meetings were held by these malcontents, but
the discontented centres were too far apart. A
central league was formed which was called the
^* Union Civica," in which a number of notable
names were included, men who were actuated by
purely patriotic motives. This was in 1887, just
a year after Celman's inauguration. Meetings
were held, and literature freely distributed call-
ing upon the people to protect themselves
against the dangers threatened by this admin-
istration. During the two years following its
organization the Union Civica spread its prop-
aganda extensively. The headquarters were
maintained in Buenos Aires, but local clubs
were formed in nearly every town and village
throughout the country. Adhesion was publicly
given to the tenets of the Union Civica in many
348 Argentina and Her People of To-day
provinces, for public feeling was greatly-
aroused.
In 1889 the beginning of the crisis came, and
by the end of that year the organizers felt they
could count on the moral support of the major-
ity of the people. The government did not sleep
during this time. Meetings were broken up,
newspapers were censored and editors threat-
ened. Terrorism, however, did not check the
growth of the anti-administration feeling. The
President's action with the Mortgage Banks,
which were practically forced to loan money on
worthless securities to political favourites, was
the last straw. Celman, although aware of the
tremendous opposition, relied upon the strength
of his army. The foreign colonies protested,
and their influence was strong as they owned
all the public utilities. Congress passed a reso-
lution demanding his resignation. Force did
not avail with public sentiment so aroused. An
uprising was finally advocated as the only re-
course, although hitherto the Union had acted
within its constitutional rights. The army and
navy were sounded and considerable encourage-
ment was received. The date for the revolt was
finally set for the 26th of July, 1890, and the
Plaza Lavalle as the place. This plaza was
The Era of Development 349
barricaded and a force of fifteen hundred armed
men occupied it. The government troops ren-
dezvoused on the Plaza Libertad, a few hundred
yards away. Sharpshooters were placed on the
housetops to pick off the insurgents, but they
were unable to dislodge them. Some vessels of
the fleet attempted to bombard the government
buildings, but their shells fell wide of their
mark. Reinforcements of the government, as
well as a shortage of ammunition, prevented the
success of the revolutionary forces. An armis-
tice was arranged and negotiations opened up
for a settlement. The insurgents demanded for-
giveness of themselves and the resignation of
the President, and this was agreed to. His res-
ignation caused scenes of the wildest excite-
ment, and not until then was the real magnitude
of the disaffection known. Public holidays were
observed for three days. In no quarter was a
good word to be said for the defeated President
or his administration, and he disappeared from
view almost as completely as if the earth had
engulfed him. In Europe the keenest pleasure
was shown, as the downfall of the President
was looked upon as evidence that Argentina
would thereafter insist upon honesty in the con-
duct of its public officials.
350 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Dr. Carlos Pellegrini, the Vice-President,
succeeded to the office of chief magistrate. The
new President had already acquired a somewhat
varied experience in public affairs. The name
signifies his Italian descent, but his mother
was an Englishwoman of distinguished family,
and he had thus inherited some sturdy Anglo-
Saxon qualities. He had many friends, but
there were skeptics also, because he had not
protested against Celman's policy. No one
doubted his ability. His first duty was to or-
ganize a cabinet that would conciliate the vari-
ous factions, but that was no easy task. He
succeeded in getting former-President Roca to
accept the portfolio of Minister of the Inte-
rior, and the other appointments were then
easily and successfully filled. The new cab-
inet was a fortunate combination of the di-
verse political elements. Every one seemed
fairly well satisfied, except the Cordoba
'' Clique. ^^
An empty treasury and a legacy of debts of
the Celman administration soon made trouble
for the new President and his cabinet. Con-
cessions which contained money guarantees
had been scattered broadcast, and these obli-
gations were being pressed. The Congress still
The Era of Development 351
contained the corrupt members who had been
elected through the official influence of Celman.
Things drifted from bad to worse, and the gen-
eral inflation of public and commercial enter-
prises brought about an economic and financial
crisis. The government had no funds with
which to meet even the ordinary expenses, let
alone the contractual obligations, and national
bankruptcy was threatened. The resources had
all been mortgaged. As a makeshift the Pres-
ident decided to issue inconvertible notes, and
an issue of sixty millions was legalized. This
gave temporary relief only and paved the way
for greater complications in the future, as the
currency rapidly depreciated. Foreign credit-
ors became pressing. The government finally
defaulted in its obligations. The Banco Nacio-
nal failed, and the resources of all the banks
were taxed to the uttermost. Pellegrini, know-
ing that his tenure was only temporary, became
discouraged, and no permanent solution was
attempted by him. No human foresight could
devise measures that would immediately bring
prosperity, and the people were impatient.
Dr. Pellegrini was obliged to wait until later
years before his work was really appreciated.
He served as national senator in after years,
352 Argentina and Her People of To-day
and passed away in 1906, mourned by the
nation.
A large following began to hail General Bar-
tolome Mitre as the only saviour, and he finally,
but with reluctance, consented to be a candi-
date. Another element wanted Roca, but
neither of these men aspired to the presidency.
The two held a conference and decided that
neither would be a candidate, if a non-party
candidate would be selected. Dr. Luis Saenz
Peiia, who had been a judge of the Supreme
Court for many years, was chosen as this can-
didate, and was elected practically without
opposition, and with the active support of Pel-
legrini, who imprisoned some of the opposition.
Saenz Pena was sixty-eight years of age, and
it was thought that his high character and
broad experience of men and matters would be
just the thing for the country. He had no part
in the means taken to exile the opposition lead-
ers and prevent a free election. In fact it is
doubtful if he had any real desire for the posi-
tion.
Thus it was that on the 12th of October, 1892,
Dr. Saenz Pena took the oath of office as Pres-
ident, and Dr. Pellegrini retired almost unno-
ticed. This was the first instance where a Pres-
The Era of Development 353
ident had assumed the office of executive with-
out a party behind him. President Peiia had
no political following upon whom he could de-
pend for support. His idea was to administer
public affairs for the general good, without
reference to political exigencies. Unforeseen
obstacles soon arose, for the Senators and Dep-
uties were opportunists and looking for per-
sonal advantage. The first cabinet resigned
after a few stormy months. His thirty years'
service on the bench had unfitted him to grasp
political exigencies. He refused to use his
official prerogatives to influence Congress, al-
though the latter constantly threw obstacles in
his path. Disturbances in several provinces
because of local conditions stirred up the feeling
of revolt and a revolution was narrowly
averted. The opposition endeavoured to make
it a general uprising but did not succeed. Al-
though Saenz Peiia had allied himself with
those opposed to Roca, that general took the
field against the revolutionists in Rosario and
Santa Fe and restored order, or at least a sem-
blance of it. The President was determined
to effect economies in national expenditures,
but this was opposed by Congress. The scene
of contest was transferred to Congress and the
354 Argentina and Her People of To-day
* press. When Congress met in June, 1894, the
relations between the two departments were
strained very much. The President was too
conscientious in his efforts to be free to initiate
reforms to use his patronage in order to influ-
ence the legislators. Congress did nothing
from month to month and neglected to pass the
necessary appropriation bills. Taxes had been
increased to pay the obligations of the govern-
ment, so that the people were rebelling and war
with Chile began to seem imminent. Congress
refused to grant the request of the President
for money and supplies. A ministerial crisis
arose, and Dr. Peiia found great difficulty in
the formation of a new cabinet. The friction
became more and more intense, until the Pres-
ident presented his resignation early in 1895,
and the tension was relieved. He never again
appeared in public life.
Dr. Jose Uriburu, who succeeded to the pres-
idency, had been in diplomatic positions for
many years. He was also unacquainted with
political methods, for he had spent much of
his life in foreign countries. Knowing that a
repetition of the Pena failure would bring dis-
aster to the nation former-Presidents Roca and
Pellegrini decided to support Uriburu with all
The Era of Development 355
their resources. This assured the new Presi-
dent a working majority in Congress. Hardly
had he assumed office before complications with
Chile over the boundary threatened almost
immediate war. Excitement became intense,
and a large credit was voted by Congress for
defence. The question was finally submitted
to arbitration and war averted. President
Cleveland also decided a dispute with Brazil
over the limitations of Misiones adverse to
Argentina, but this award was quietly accepted
by the government. A default in the subsidy
of the railways also caused trouble. The Pres-
ident asked for fifty millions of dollars in bonds
to compound with the companies, and this was
finally authorized. The support of Roca and
Pellegrini during the three years and nine
months of Uriburu's term carried it safely
through a trying period, and much was accom-
plished in restoring the finances to a better
footing.
As the election of 1898 drew near public sen-
timent seemed to concentrate on former-Presi-
dent Roca as the man to steer the ship of state,
and he was elected practically without opposi-
tion. His former administration had been
successful; he was at the head of the only
356 Argentina and Her People of To-day
really national party in the republic ; he seemed
to have the qualities of a leader who could rally
around him the discordant political elements
into which Argentina was divided. In October,
1698, Dr. Roca assumed office again, just eight-
een years after he had first been placed in con-
trol of Argentine affairs. During his second
term the boundary question with Chile was
settled by W. J. Buchanan, the United States
minister, as arbitrator, although a rupture in
the negotiations was narrowly averted on
several occasions. President Roca cleverly
avoided the rupture, although it was at times
difficult because of the excited state of public
opinion. He scathingly rebuked the adminis-
tration of justice in one of his messages to
Congress, and this led to reform and the dis-
missal of several judges. A meeting with
President Errazuiz of Chile was arranged, and
this took place at Punta Arenas. On the way
the President visited several of the coast set-
tlements in Patagonia. Hitherto these south-
ern territories had been neglected, but this visit
brought them prominently into notice. Pres-
ident Roca also visited President Campos
Salles, of Brazil, and received a return visit
from that official. No revolutionary disturb-
I
The Era of Development 357
ances arose during this second term, but sev-
eral of the provinces experienced trouble, and
in Buenos Aires the national government was
obliged to take charge of the provincial admin-
istration because of financial irresponsibility.
Many reforms in the finances of the country
were accomplished. The value of the dollar
rose to forty cents and the beginning of a gold
reserve was made. Dr. Roca deserves great
credit for the work of his administration, and
he still lives to enjoy the confidence and good
will of his fellow citizens.
At the meeting of the electoral college on the
12th of June, 1904, Dr. Manuel Quintana was
chosen President. Several prominent men, in-
cluding former-Presidents Pellegrini and Uri-
buru, were candidates to succeed President
Roca, but a new man was selected. President
Quintana came of a distinguished family, and
was a native of Buenos Aires. By profession
he was a lawyer, and had been the legal advisor
of many corporations, including several of the
railways, so that his election was eminently sat-
isfactory to the foreign interests. When elected
he was sixty-eight years of age and had been
active in politics for many years, but his record
had been clear. The administration of Presi-
358 Argentina and Her People of To-day
dent Quintana was marked by a steady advance
in the financial standing of Argentina. Peace
reigned, and there was only one slight revolu-
tion in February, 1905. At that time revolts
broke out simultaneously at Rosario, Baliia
Blanca and Mendoza among some government
troops, but this disturbance was soon quelled.
The greatest damage was inflicted in the last
named city, where the revolutionists turned
their cannon on the Governor's Palace and
almost reduced it to ruins. Some encounters
also took place in the streets of Buenos Aires.
The revolution came to an abrupt end, however,
after a few days, but not before a number had
lost their lives. Several of the conspirators
were sentenced to short terms in prison, while
a larger number escaped across the border into
Chile. This was a radical departure from the
former custom of granting general amnesty to
all who took part in revolutions against the
government.
In 1906 President Quintana died and the
office fell to Dr. Jose Figueroa Alcorta, who
had been elected with him as Vice-President.
President Figueroa was only forty-four years
of age at the time of his inauguration and in
the very prime of life. He was a native of
The Era of Development 359
Cordoba, and bad been a National Senator from
that state. He proved himself to be well fitted
for the duties of that high office, and safely
guided the destinies of the country without
serious friction. He himself was a hard worker,
and the executive could be found at work in his
office early and late. He cared little for display
or the social features of the position, and was
a much more difficult man to meet than the
average President of South America. This
administration is too recent to generalize ; but
suffice it to say that both external and compara-
tive internal peace reigned, and the develop-
ment of the country and its resources steadily
progressed.
In the campaign of 1910 there were two ac-
tive candidates. Dr. Udaondo and Dr. Roque
Saenz Pena, son of the former President of the
same name. Many meetings were held by the
followers of the former, the billboards were
plastered with statements and appeals to the
voters, but there was not at any time a question
as to who had the *^ call.'' The official party
was well organized and the log-rolling was
quietly conducted. When the electors met the
vote was almost unanimous for Dr. Saenz Peiia.
The newly-elected President, who assumed of-
360 Argentina and Her People of To-day
fice on the 12th of October, entered upon a po-
litical career early in life. His first office was
deputy in the state legislature of Buenos Aires.
Later he became Minister of Foreign Affairs
under President Celman. Following the fall
of that man, and the scandals which were un-
earthed, he retired from public life for several
years. Since that time he has served in sev-
eral diplomatic positions, and was a member of
the Pan-American Conference held in Washing-
ton. At the time of his election he was minis-
ter Plenipotentiary to the governments of Italy
and Switzerland. President Saenz Pena as-
sumes his office with the good will of the foreign
colony, and promises to give Argentina a peace-
ful and progressive administration. His term
of office will not expire until 1916.
CHAPTER XVII
TRADE CONDITIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA
Walking along the extensive docks at Buenos
Aires, and going through the immense ware-
houses which extended one after another along
those docks, I was impressed with the small
proportion of the immense traffic coming into
this port that belonged to the United States.
It was an object lesson far more impressive
than the perusal of statistics. Section after
section would be visited without a single pack-
age bearing the name of one of our manufac-
turers, while great boxes and bales with
*' Hamburg '^ stamped upon them, French
boxes .of both wet and dry goods, labelled
^' fragile,'* and English shipments were piled
clear up to the ceiling. The question ^' why is
this condition? " arose in my mind, and set me
upon inquiry. Are North American manufac-
tures not adapted to the needs of our fellow
Americans? Can it be that our goods are not
361
362 Argentina and Her People of To-day
fully known or appreciated beneath the South-
ern Cross?
It was just at this time that the naval com-
mission of Argentina awarded the contract for
the two battleships to United States builders,
after a fierce competition from the ship-build-
ing firms of five nations, and one in which even
the diplomatic representatives of more than
one nation became involved. This act brought
out a great deal of favourable comment upon
the United States from the leading journals
of Buenos Aires. A reporter of La Prensa,
perhaps the most influential daily in that re-
public, came to interview me, and I took the
occasion to say that the United States had en-
tered upon an era of commercial conquest, and
hereafter must be reckoned with. A number
of Argentinians whom I met afterwards com-
mented on the subject, and everywhere the
encouraging words were heard: ** We will wel-
come you ; indeed we have wondered why it
was not done long ago. ' ' This convinces me that
no prejudice exists among the Latin-Ameri-
cans against their fellow Americans of North
America.
It may be that the manufacturers of the
United States have been a little ignorant of
Trade Conditions in South America 363
conditions in South America. A little igno-
rance is excusable. As the United States has
not been a colonizing nation, having undevel-
oped lands and resources at home for its sur-
plus population, there has not been the inter-
course between North and South America that
there has been between South America and
Europe. But there is one characteristic which
I noticed everywhere and greatly admired, and
that is that South Americans of every country
are satisfied only with the ' ' best. ' ' The * ' just
as good '^ argument does not satisfy. When
once convinced that the manufacturer of the
United States is putting out a better article,
it will be bought. The manufacturer of that
country has oftentimes been at a disadvantage
because the importing houses are mostly of
European nationality, and for that reason prej-
udicially inclined towards their fellow-country-
men. North American-made goods have forged
ahead simply and solely upon their own intrin-
sic merit.
'' All of our printing machinery is of North
American make, as is almost everything in the
establishment, except the type,'' said the man-
ager of La Prensa, as he courteously and with
justifiable pride showed me through their fine
364 Argentina and Her People of To-day
office building with its humanitarian and soci-
ological features. ** We have found those
goods to be the best. Furthermore, our presses,
as you will see, are the North American make ;
and not from the branch factory in England.*'
And so I found as we went through these of-
fices, being taken from one floor to another on
an American elevator, that the '' copy " was
being written up on typewriters, set up on
linotype machines, and printed upon presses,
all of United States manufacture; the checks
to the reporters were signed by fountain-pens
and the cash received over the counters was
rung up on cash registers from the same
land.
'' Where do you purchase your paper? ''
He answered: '' We buy some of it in the
United States but most of it in Germany. We
prefer that made in North America, but it is
so carelessl)'^ packed that we always figure on
a ten per cent. loss. The German manufac-
turers carefully surround the rolls with boards
to prevent the paper from damage, while the
North American paper is simply wrapped with
a little heavier paper, which tears or becomes
water soaked, and damage results. A short time
ago we returned nearly nine hundred bales to
Trade Conditions in South America 365
the manufacturers because of the damaged con-
dition in which it was received. ' '
'^ How does American machinery sell? '' I
asked of an importing merchant in Buenos
Aires, who represented a few American manu-
facturers.
" Very well indeed, for the people generally
like them. But there is one thing your North
American manufacturers must learn, and that
is to be very careful in putting every necessary
part in the shipment. Several times we have
received engines, or other complicated machin-
ery, and when it was put together some part
would be missing. As it was impossible to get
that part in less than three or four months, the
customer lost a season's business, and his
friends bought English machinery because
there was no danger of that same trouble."
It would be possible to relate numerous other
instances of personal experiences, all of which
would be of similar tenor to those herewith
given. It is humiliating to an American to
travel throughout the length and breadth of
South America and see the trade which legiti-
mately belongs to us slipping away to Europe,
when some of our own factories in that line
are idle because of lack of orders. It leads one
366 Argentina and Her People of To-day
to ask the questions: '^ What is the matter
with the American business man? What is the
matter with the American manufacturer? ''
The South American field is an extensive
one, and it is a discriminating one. The idea
that anything is good enough for that continent
has been exploded. Buenos Aires, for instance,
is a live, hustling up-to-date metropolis. The
people have money and they spend it freely.
What they buy they want of the very best, and
nothing is too good for them. It might also be
added that nothing is too expensive for them,
as they are used to paying high prices, and
money seems to be of little moment when once
the desire for the article exists. So it is not
a cheap or a low-price market that awaits the
American merchant.
Argentina is essentially British in her sym-
pathies. That is but natural, for England owns
her railroads, public improvements and gov-
ernment bonds. Almost two billion dollars of
British gold is invested in that republic, and
perhaps fifty thousand of her subjects dwell
there. There is not a boat that sails for Buenos
Aires from an English port which does not
carry some young English boys to that city,
who expect to enter commercial life there. It
Trade Conditions in South America 367
is only natural that this should create a pref-
erence for English-made goods, for the Eng-
lishman always carries his atmosphere with
him as well as his ideas of taste and style. And
yet German houses have aggressively entered
this field in the past decade and have made
terrific inroads on English trade. The Ger-
mans have studied the markets; they aim to
eater to its demands; they grant the terms
asked by the merchants, and do anything to
secure the trade — and they generally get it.
One noticeable feature of the German com-
mercial invasion is its imitation, and a desire
to furnish ^' similar " articles at a cheaper
price. As a prominent man told me: ** Their
goods are worth no more than you pay for
them, and they are bound to lose out in the
long run." It is this commercial rivalry that
has caused the intense feeling between Ger-
many and England, for the German manufac-
turer has been somewhat unscrupulous in his
methods. If a manufacturer in the United
States or England has succeeded in evolving
some new and valuable contrivance, it will not
be long until a German imitation will be on the
market, and bearing an English name. It is
well known that the North American manufac-
368 Argentina and Her People of To-day
turers have evolved the best and practically
only successful typewriters, cash registers and
computing machines. Within the last year or
two, however, German imitations have ap-
peared in all markets. The machines in some
instances have such a wholly misleading name
as " Columbia,'^ showing the plain intention
of deception. In these lines their methods have
had little effect. One can hardly go into an
office anywhere in South America without see-
ing one or more typewriters with familiar la-
bels, for a half dozen or more manufacturers
are working in that field, and nearly every store
has from one to a half dozen cash registers of
one or two North American makes. " We are
bringing them in by the shipload,'' said an
agent in Buenos Aires, who handled both lines,
and there was not much exaggeration in the
statement.
It is in the practical and useful things that
the genius of the United States has been most
manifest. A great undeveloped country rich
in natural resources stirred the inventive gen-
ius of the people, and the result has been a
continual increase in time-saving and labour-
saving appliances of all kinds. These same
articles are equally adapted to conditions all
Trade Conditions in South America 369
over South America. In some places these
articles are known and appreciated; in others
they are still unknown. No manufacturers
have evolved farming machinery of all kinds
so well adapted to conditions in South America
as those of the United States.
American manufacturers look with longing
eyes towards the Orient as a promising field for
expansion. It will be many years before China,
for instance, will be a great importer of manu-
factured goods, because of the extreme poverty
of the people and the consequent low purchas-
ing power of the masses. The imports of that
country, with its teeming population of four
hundred millions, for the past year were about
$333,000,000, an average of less than one dollar
per capita. It will be many years before that
percentage will greatly increase, because the
rise in the standard of wages will be very slow
owing to the abundance of labourers. Further-
more, as soon as trade has once been estab-
lished, the low wages will induce manufacturers
to establish factories on Chinese soil so that
the cost of production will be decreased. Japan
is, and will always be, a formidable competitor
in the Orient, because of her ingenuity and sim-
ilarly low wage scale.
370 Argentina and Her People of To-day
South America, on the other hand, is not and
will not be for a long time, if ever, a manufac-
turing country. Brazil has encouraged some
lines of manufactures, because of her extensive
water power, but still is and will ever remain
an importing nation. Argentina, Uruguay and
Paraguay have little available water power and
scarcely any coal. Chile, Peru and all the other
republics of South America remain importing
nations. In none of these countries, except
Chile, has coal been found in large quantities,
and millions upon millions of tons are imported
each year from Europe and Australia. The
matter of fuel alone will always deter manu-
facturing in South America.
Let us glance for a moment at the purchas-
ing power of these republics. Argentina, al-
though not so populous as the immense repub-
lic of Brazil, easily stands at the head of the
list. During the year 1909 the total foreign
trade of the Argentine Republic was valued at
$700,106,623, of which $302,756,095 was im-
ports. This was an average of almost $108.00
for each man, woman and child in the nation,
and an importation of more than $46.00 per
capita. Thus this one republic, with a popula-
tion of less than seven million, imports almost
I
Trade Conditions in South America 371
as much as China with more than fifty times
the popuhition. In the last decade the imports
of Argentina have increased one hundred and
fifty-four per cent., an increase exceeded only
by Canada. She now ranks thirteenth in total
imports and sixth in per capita imports. Those
nations, such as England and Holland, which
exceed in per capita imports, are large import-
ers of raw materials and not manufactured
goods, as is the case with Argentina. Further-
more, the population of Argentina is increas-
ing rapidly, both by natural increase and im-
migration. There are no idle men in the coun-
try, as every able bodied man seems to be able
to secure employment. Wages are about as
high as in the United States, and the cost of
living higher. The people spend their money
freely, and the importing houses do an immense
business which is increasing each year.
Brazil will one day be one of the great powers
of the world, for she contains within her bor-
ders the greatest amount of undeveloped, fer-
tile land in the world. The United States, ex-
clusive of Alaska and the island possessions,
could be set inside the territorial limits of
Brazil, and leave a state as large as Texas on
the outside. The Brazilian government esti-
372 Argentina and Her People of To-day
mates the population at a little more than
twenty million, but it would probably be better
to place the number at eighteen million. Brazil
has fostered some lines of industry, especially
the manufacture of cotton goods, where water
power is an invaluable asset, but most of the
goods are imported. The purchasing power of
the people is not as great as in Argentina,
because there are several millions of negroes
and Indians included in the population. The
total imports for the year 1909 were $179,690,-
125. This would be at the rate of ten dollars
per capita, or ten times that of China. In other
words, the imports of Brazil, with her eighteen
million population, is equal to that of half the
Chinese Empire. If the coffee situation im-
proves there will be a great increase in Bra-
zilian imports, for many improvements are
withheld in the coffee regions at the present
time on that account.
Chile, that long, narrow strip of land, whose
two hundred and ninety-one thousand and five
hundred square miles stretch over thirty-eight
degrees of latitude, is well worthy of considera-
tion. In 1909 the imports of this republic were
$94,349,795. With a population of less than
four million, this makes a per capita importa-
Trade Conditions in South America 373
tion of twenty-five dollars. Peru, with a
slightly greater population, but a larger num-
ber of Indians who are not purchasers, im-
ported in the same year about $25,000,000.
Uruguay ranks next to Argentina in imports
in proportion to population. Larger than New
York and West Virginia combined, this repub-
lic, whose physical characteristics and agricul-
tural resources are very similar to its neigh-
bour across the La Plata, has a population of
one million one hundred thousand. It is a
great stock country, and ninety-four per cent,
of its $37,000,000 exports for last year were
hides, frozen meat, jerked beef, meat-extracts
and tallow. Its imports amounted to $35,000,-
000 in round numbers, making the compara-
tively small republic well worth consideration
by the exporter. Venezuela imports will aver-
age $10,000,000, Bolivia $16,000,000, Ecuador
$7,000,000, Columbia $12,000,000 and Paraguay
about $4,000,000.
These figures are eloquent in themselves.
They bespeak great possibilities of trade among
our South American neighbours. Of the total
imports of Argentina, during the year 1909,
the United States sent $43,068,829. For the
last two years the percentage has shown a
374 Argentina and Her People of To-day
gradual increase, as a few lines of American
goods have been systematically pushed. In
percentage of increase over the preceding year
the United States is ahead of the other com-
mercial nations. Specialties such as type-
writers, photographic cameras, firearms, ele-
vators, phonographs, toilet and medical arti-
cles, and petroleum products, have made their
market, but it is the larger competitive field
that needs attention. In this class are included
motors of all kinds, electrical appliances, steel
in every form, railway and tramway equipment,
and a thousand and one things made by manu-
facturers of the United States, which are al-
ways equal to and oftentimes superior to any-
thing of their kind made elsewhere.
We purchase more than twice as much from
Brazil as any other nation, more than half the
total, and sell that country less than half as
much as Grreat Britain and less than Germany.
We sell more to Argentina than we purchase
from her, but Great Britain sells almost three
times as much, and our percentage is only
fourteen per cent, of the whole, with Germany
still in the lead and France not far behind.
We purchase nearly twice as much from Chile
as Germany, and more than twice as much as
Trade Conditions in South America 375
Great Britain, and yet the latter country sells
Chile more than twice as much as we do and
Germany almost half as much again. And so
the figures might be given for the other coun-
tries, which would show about the same ratios,
and which make the American travelling
through those countries lose some of his ego-
tism.
Here are a few of the obstacles encountered :
the leading banks are either British, German
or Italian ; the importing merchants are of the
same nationality, and there is quicker trans-
portation because of the numerous steamship
lines running to European ports, although
there are good steamers running direct from
New York to the ports on the east coast. And
the following are a few of the remedies sug-
gested : an American bank would greatly facil-
itate business, as it would aid in exchange and
the handling of credits; American manufac-
turers should study the markets and send sales-
men who understand the languages, people and
customs ; great care in packing goods for South
America should be exercised; fourthly, and
lastly, establish independent houses with hus-
tling Americans in charge, and not trust to for-
eign representatives who have a natural pre-
376 Argentina and Her People of To-day
dilection for things made in their own land.
The shipping question will solve itself, for
boats will be run whenever business demands
them. A little attention to these principles and
suggestions will help in solving the question of
American trade in South America. They are
Americans, also, and pride themselves on that
fact. They rather resent our assumption of
the name ** Americans,'' and insist that we
should use the term ** North Americans.''
They are the '' South Americans." Then, as
they say, as we are all '' Americans," let the
cry be ^^ America for the Americans."
CHAPTER XVIII
A PROMISING REPUBLIC
Argentina has just celebrated the first cen-
tennial of her independence from Spanish dom-
ination. On the 25th of May, 1910, there was
opened in the city of Buenos Aires an exposi-
tion that continued for six months. It was
undoubtedly the greatest exposition ever held
in the southern hemisphere, just as Buenos
Aires is the largest city in that half of the globe.
For almost a year active preparations had been
going on for this celebration. The United
States honoured the occasion by sending five
warships for the opening, and appointing a
special commission to represent the govern-
ment in an official capacity.
The exposition really consisted of five sepa-
rate exhibitions, which were located in differ-
ent parts of the city and were practically inde-
pendent of each other. These were the Inter-
national Exhibition of Railways and Land
Transports, the International Exhibition of
877
378 Argentina and Her People of To-day
Agriculture, the International Exhibition of
Hygiene, and the National Exhibitions of In-
dustry and Arts. The first mentioned was per-
haps the most important, for it consisted of a
display of every kind of land transportation
from animal traction to steam and gasoline.
There were special sections devoted to each
phase of railways, from the building of stations
to the equipment of the finest trains in the
world, including all systems in general use;
other sections were devoted to tramways op-
erated by the various kinds of power, automo-
biles and all forms of motor cars, etc. Nothing
was overlooked to make this transportation
exhibit the most complete ever held in the
world. Six sections in a choice location, com-
posing about fifteen thousand square yards,
were assigned for United States exhibitors.
Great Britain, on the other hand, had asked for
and was given more than three times that
amount of space. This condition cannot be
blamed upon the Argentine government, how-
ever, as the United States commission secured
all the space that they asked for, and the com-
missioners found it difficult to fill their allot-
ment.
The Exhibition of Hygiene was also impor-
A Promising Republic 379
tant in this age when science has made so much
advance in overcon;iing the obstacles placed in
the way of health by nature. This included
buildings devoted to hygienic sports, hygiene
of dress, naval and military hygiene, ventila-
tion and calefaction in general, sanitary work
of cities, hospitals, surgical instruments, and
other allied subjects. The agricultural exhi-
bition was particularly devoted to live stock,
and the other exhibitions are made clear by
their nomenclature.
Each one of the foreign colonies entered
heartily into the exposition spirit, and planned
to present to the city some memorial in the
way of a permanent work of art, in commemo-
ration of this first centennial of the revolution
which led to the independence of Argentina
from Spanish rule or misrule, a date which is
as sacred to the Argentinians as the Fourth of
July with us. The British colony, which is one
of the largest and wealthiest and numbers prob-
ably twenty-five thousand, presented a clock
tower of artistic design. The German colony,
of almost equal numbers, began the erection of
a monumental fountain on a great and imposing
terrace which was prepared by the city, and
cost one hundred thousand dollars. The Aus-
380 Argentina and Her People of To-day
tro-Hungarian collectivity offered a meteoro-
logical monument, similar to those found in
the cities of Austria and Hungary, which will
be adorned with meteorological implements and
appliances. The Italians, who are the largest
in number but not the wealthiest, built an ar-
tistic monument in Italian marble of that great
discoverer, Christopher Columbus. Lastly, the
three hundred Americans offered a statue of
Greorge Washington, to whose work and exam-
ple more than anything else the liberty of all
the Americas is due, and the government do-
nated to them a beautiful location on one of the
principal plazas. Thus, by this tribute, will
another connecting link in the friendship be-
tween the two republics, each of which is pre-
dominant on its own continent, be added.
All over the city of Buenos Aires men worked
for months in the attempt to beautify the city
for the centennial exposition. Plazas were re-
arranged, and new monuments erected in them ;
public buildings were redecorated and over-
hauled; the new Supreme Court Palace was
hurried in order to have it ready for the ses-
sions of the Pan-American Congress, which
were held there contemporaneous with the ex-
position; six solid blocks were bought and eon-
A Promising Republic 381
demned in order to give an approach to the
new Congress Palace, and thousands of men
were employed for months in tearing down
these buildings, hauling away the debris, and
preparing the ground for the beautiful little
park into which the space has been created.
The great problem with Argentina is the set-
tlement of the immense tracts of unoccupied
land. These formerly belonged to the national
government, but they are now generally owned
by the various provinces. As in most Latin
countries the government adopted the plan of
subsidizing the railroads, instead of giving
them lands which would have been an incentive
to stimulate settlement along their tracks. The
railways have only recently grasped the advan-
tages of encouraging such migration. A large
part of this land has already been secured by
private owners. The country is overrun with
land companies, and every newspaper is filled
with advertisements of auction sales of lands
and corner lots in projected colonies, or in es-
tates which comprise thousands of acres. No-
where will one find such elaborate advertise-
ments of real estate as in the newspapers of
Buenos Aires, where they spread over page
after page of their bulky papers.
382 Argentina and Her People of To-day
The government is making earnest effort to
encourage immigration and has been more suc-
cessful than any other republic in South Amer-
ica. The immigration department publishes
prospectuses containing elaborate and detailed
information concerning public lands and guides
for prospective settlers. The efforts of the
national government are ably seconded by the
provincial administrations, and they are jointly
endeavouring to attract a class that will adopt
an agricultural life. Free transportation is
given desirable immigrants, and in many places
money is advanced to build a modest house. A
number of European companies are also estab-
lishing colonies and bringing in settlers. Some
landowners who find their estates too unwieldy
are letting their land out to tenants on shares.
The immigrant receives far different treatment
there from what he does in the United States,
where he is simply turned loose after the in-
spectors have passed him. It has been charged
in some instances that the government does not
always keep its promises with these incomers,
but I do not believe that can be at all general,
for they are too anxious to populate the coun-
try. The country has been pretty well surveyed
and good titles can generally be obtained. It
A Promising Republic 383
will require all of the power of the government
to break the city habit and induce the people
to establish their homes in the campo. The
lonesomeness and monotony of the never-end-
ing pampas, where distance seems limitless,
will no doubt always be an objection to them
as places of habitation.
Statistics show that, during the year 1909,
two hundred and thirty-two thousand four hun-
dred and fifty-eight immigrants entered Argen-
tina. Nearly every steamer landing at Buenos
Aires has a few hundred of these poor people
down in the steerage quarters. They are just
the same as one will see disembarking at Ellis
Island from the Mediterranean steamers. Dur-
ing the past ten years the total number arri-
ving over those departing was almost a million
and a quarter. A great many come in for tem-
porary work in the harvest fields or elsewhere,
and after earning a few hundred dollars go
back to their homes in sunny Italy. Of the
number arriving nearly one-half are Spaniards
and about one-third Italians. The proportion
of Spaniards has greatly increased in the past
two or three years. The other nationalities
include Syrians, Russians (mostly Jews),
French, Austrians, Portuguese, British, etc.,
384 Argentina and Her People of To-day
in order of numbers. All the North Americans
numbered less than three hundred. It will be
seen that the overwhelming population come
from Southern Europe. This is only natural
for language, customs and religion are almost
the same, and the transformation from Italian
or Spanish to Argentino is easy. It is a fact,
however, that this element does not furnish the
sturdy agriculturalists that the country needs.
This is not the fault of the government. It
seems impossible to induce settlers from North-
ern Europe to go down there. Large as this
emigration seems it does not nearly keep pace
with the production of the nation, and there is
always a scarcity of labour in the rural dis-
tricts.
It has been heretofore, and perhaps always
will be, the case that Europe will devote greater
attention to the Eiver Plate countries than
North America. There are two good reasons
for this: first, the temperate regions of South
America provide an outlet for the surplus pop-
ulation of the Latin nations of Europe; and,
secondly, these countries are depended upon to
furnish a large part of the food supplies for
the thickly populated nations of that continent.
The Anglo-Saxon has a choice of the many colo-
A Promising Republic 385
nies of his own land, such as Canada and Aus-
tralia, and he, together with the German, finds
the United States a congenial country in which
to live. The Frenchman, Spaniard and Italian
finds conditions in Argentina, Southern Brazil
and Uruguay more in accordance with his tra-
ditional customs. For the Spaniard the lan-
guage is the same, and the Italian soon masters
the difference in idiom. So this nation forms
and should form the natural haven for these
people, when the struggle for existence drives
them from the land of their birth. As the gov-
ernment improves it will become still more at-
tractive for them, and it is to be hoped that
the stream of Italian immigrants who now seek
our shores will head for the River Plate. This
will redound in every way to the interest of the
whole world. If the production of cereals and
meat in that quarter of the world is sufficiently
augmented, it will mean a substantial reduction
in the price of these essential foodstuffs — it
will mean cheaper bread and a lowering of the
present almost prohibitive prices of meats.
Another reason is that the La Plata ports are
more accessible to Europe than the United
States, while on the north and west coast of
South America the conditions are reversed and
386 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the North American influence is much more
pronounced.
The peaceful conquest of Argentina by Eu-
rope was but a natural outcome of conditions.
That continent had long realized the advan-
tages of those broad fertile plains situated in
a temperate climate. Europe likewise was in
need of a granary near her markets, and these
rich leagues with easy access provided what she
ardently wanted and greatly needed. Force
was not necessary in this conquest, for the
power of money alone won the day, especially
for England, British gold built five-sixths of
the railways, nearly all the great frigorificos,
the port works, and many other enterprises.
British banks handled the national loans, and
in every way British money won its way and
made that country paramount in influence, even
though Spain and Italy had two million former
subjects living on the country. The total
amount of British money in Argentina exceeds
$1,500,000,000. Germany and France also have
large investments there, and Italy as well, but
they are small when compared with the Eng-
lish sovereigns. The United States invest-
ments are hardly worth considering, as they
are so insignificant. In the last few years our
A Promising Republic 387
large meat packing firms have been endeavour-
ing to get a foothold in Argentina, and two are
already operating establishments of their own.
The spectre of a meat trust is already begin-
ning to haunt the Argentinians, and the gov-
ernment in particular. It is said that some of
the old established concerns have been bought
out by the American firms, and are simply
operated under the old names. This it was
impossible to verify, so I am unable to state it
as a fact or simply rumour. The fact that
these meat barons are entering that field is in
itself significant, and they will no doubt make
an etfort to gather up the entire industry, and
thus be able to govern the prices just as they
do in the United States. Adverse legislation
will probably head them off, however, unless
the power of money should stifle the opposi-
tion.
The financial history of Argentina has been
a checkered one and not without its scandals.
In reality for years investors looked askance
at all kinds of Argentine securities. The fact
is that the national government suffered from
its moral, if not actual, responsibility for the
numerous loans floated by the various states.
The national government in a real sense should
388 Argentina and Her People of To-day
have no more responsibility for a provincial
debt than our Federal Government assumes the
obligation of a state under our form of govern-
ment. Creditors naturally tried to press this
responsibility whenever a province defaulted,
and in many instances the government accepted
the liability. Money was borrowed for all kinds
of purposes, in particular by the notorious Cel-
man administration, and the government be-
came badly involved. The province of Buenos
Aires became a notorious defaulter in its ced-
ulas,'' and its administrators have many times
been characterized as '* robbers " by the Brit-
ish security-holders. The municipalities of
Cordoba and Santa Fe also have rather un-
enviable records. Many of these debts are
being slowly adjusted, however, while the na-
tional government has no difficulty in placing
new loans under the more recent administra-
tions.
Argentina to-day possesses one of the largest
banks in the world, the Banco de la Nacion. It
succeeded another national bank which went up
in smoke a few years ago after a notorious ca-
reer. Foreign banks do a large part of the
business of the country. The first bank, called
the Casa de Moneda, was established by Eng-
A Promising Republic 389
lish and Argentine capital as early as 1822.
One of the leading banks of the present day
is the London and Eiver Plate, which has been
established for almost half a century. It has
paid many dividends as high as twenty per
cent., so that its stock is considerably above
par. Interest used to be as high as twenty-
four per cent, on loans, and exchange fluctuated
greatly. To-day interest is much lower, though
still high, and exchange is more steady. The
London and Brazilian Bank, the British Bank
of South America, the Anglo South American
and the Bank of London and Mexico are other
British banks. Then there are German, French,
Italian and Spanish banks, which do an im-
mense business. The Provincia de Buenos
Aires is one of the largest native banks, and
it has a number of branches.
The Argentine Commercial Code, as it exists
to-day, is a well-selected and well-digested as-
sortment of the best points in the commercial
laws of other countries. Many eminent men
have participated in the development of this
code. The laws relating to trade and contracts
are excellent, but the latter have sometimes
been at the mercy of judges who were not over-
scrupulous, although foreigners have had less
390 Argentina and Her People of To-day-
trouble in that line than natives. The laws
relating to the organization of incorporated
companies are excellent. Under them each
vote counts irrespective of holdings, a man
with one share having as much influence as the
man with a thousand. This prevents a one-
man company, as there must be at least ten
shareholders. Any concern working under a
concession must have a fiscal agent, who is
nominated by the government or municipality,
and whose duty it is to supervise the accounts
and general conduct of the concern. If this
agent is an honest man, and not susceptible to
bribes, he can have great influence for good;
if, however, he is corrupt, the shareholders are
doubly unfortunate.
The Bolsa, or stock exchange, in Buenos
Aires is a great institution. Millions of dollars
worth of securities and grains are sold on the
floor of this building. It reminds one of our
own stock exchanges, except for the very ba-
bel of voices. Although the cries of the brokers
are all in Spanish, you will see excited groups
around you talking in Italian, German and Eng-
lish. Most of the brokers are able to join any
group and converse in that language. Argen-
tine securities are sold on this exchange in
A Promising Republic 391
parcels and they rise and fall rapidly, the mar-
gin in one day often being considerable. Prior
to the great crash of 1890, a half billion dollars
worth of securities in gold values were sold at
this exchange. When the panic came ninety
per cent, of the companies failed, and the shares
were not worth a cent on the dollar. The great
national bank, with a capital of $50,000,000
national money, which closed its doors, precip-
itated the crisis, and brought down with it the
London house of Baring Bros. The depositors
of this bank lost more than $70,000,000 by the
unfortunate failure, which was brought about
by crookedness on the part of the management,
and high financing. Money came in so easily
and rapidly that the directors thought there
was no end to the golden stream headed their
way. Immense sums were loaned to irrespon-
sible politicians with no hope or scarcely expec-
tation of having it returned. Large drafts
would also be cashed from the same sources,
and bribery was rampant. Its loans at one
time were over four hundred million dollars in
national money.
However old the history of Argentina, the
civilization of the country is essentially new.
One may find a beautiful mansion in the midst
392 Argentina and Her People of To-day
of a princely domain. Everything else, how-
ever, is crude. The workmen who are scattered
over the estancia are ignorant and unprogress-
ive, and if left to themselves would retrograde.
Even near the cities the people live in a very
primitive way. The roads across the pampas
are hardly distinguishable from cattle trails,
and they are certainly no better. The bones
and carcasses of cattle and sheep that have
died on the march are numerous, and do not
beautify the highway. The railroad maps are
no criterion of the actual settlement of the
country. Names will be seen in abundance, but
most of them are only stations for freight upon
big estancias, with elevators, stock-pens and
perhaps a water-tank. Even a small town may
be distant twenty or more miles from a farmer
in some of the older settled provinces. Every-
thing points to a country in its infancy. The
habits of the natives and colonists are usually
sluggish and seemingly unrefined in many ways,
but the kindliness and hospitality of the Latin
is everywhere in evidence. The village life of
American states is missed, for the little rail-
road settlements seem composed of a shifting,
wage-earning population different from our
villagers, most of whom own their own modest
A Promising Republic 393
little dwelling. Here a shack answers for a
habitation.
Argentina could furnish homes for and feed
a population of one hundred millions. In this
settlement, however, it is doubtful if the Anglo-
Saxon will have much part. It will be a har-
vest field for that race to reap the wealth, but
a breeding-place for the Latin. The Anglo^
Saxon does not find a companionship among
the Italians and Spaniards. Furthermore the
loneliness of the plain grows upon him. The
poor man who attempts to make a home in this
country, as the homesteaders have in our west-
ern states and in Canada, will not succeed. He
must have money to begin with and ability to
compete with the wealthy estancieros who
would be his neighbours. There is still plenty
of opportunity to acquire virgin land at a com-
paratively low price within five hundred or six
hundred miles of the capital, and watch it grow
in value. Some colonies or communities have
been quite successful, if the management has
been in good hands. Several European com-
panies have tried the plan of bringing in colo-
nists and selling them lands. They advance
money for machinery and the necessities, re-
ceiving in payment a certain share of the prod-
394 Argentina and Her People of To-day
ucts. The Baron Hirsh colony of Jews has been
quite successful, but in this case unlimited
money was back of the scheme in addition to
the spirit of benevolence rather than the com-
mercial and money-getting mania.
The number of acres of land under cultiva-
tion in Argentina has more than doubled in the
past ten years. The acreage that was tilled
for the season of 1909 was 47,000,000 acres. Of
this number 15,500,000 was sown in wheat,
7,500,000 in corn and 3,600,000 in flax. The fol-
lowing are the figures of production of cereals
as reported by the Department of Agriculture
in metric tons of 2,205 pounds avoirdupois:
wheat, 2,576,009, corn, 2,336,334, linseed, 918,-
413, oats, 435,540. Of this production seventy-
five per cent, of the corn is available for export,
seventy per cent, of the wheat and ninety per
cent, of the linseed. Only a small portion of
the wheat is ground into flour before it is ex-
ported. The cereals are sent to Great Britain,
Germany and Belgium, although the United
States has been buying considerable quantities
of linseed. There were 2,723,000 frozen car-
casses of mutton exported in 1909, going almost
wholly to Great Britain, and 2,584,301 of beef.
In addition to this a lot of jerked, or salted,
A Promising Republic 395
beef is sent to near-by markets. The United
States purchases the bulk of the hides, and for
the year 1909 received 2,608,230, weighing
38,798 metric tons. Horse hides, of which two
hundred and fifty thousand were exported, went
to Germany, sheep hides to France and goat-
skins to Uncle Sam. Argentina exported 176,-
682 metric tons of wool, of which France took
almost one half and the United States 18,961
tons more than Great Britain.
The present population of Argentina is only
about five to the square mile. In 1869 the pop-
ulation was estimated at less than two million.
A dozen years later it had risen to three million,
and in 1895 it was still less than four million.
From 1857 to 1897 the number of immigrants
was estimated at a million and a half in round
numbers. Of the total number of inhabitants
those of other than Latin origin probably do
not much exceed one hundred thousand in num-
ber — by this I mean those who do not inherit
Latin blood from one parent or the other. This
would not include the native races that dwell
in considerable numbers in some of the terri-
tories. It means that Latin customs and tra-
ditions are likely to continue to prevail, al-
though they will be considerably modified by
396 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the conditions and influence of a new land. The
old conservatism and hindrance of tradition
will, to a great extent, disappear before the
new-world aggressiveness and progressiveness.
Thus there will be a new type, which can al-
ready be traced, with perhaps a French stamp
upon it, but it will nevertheless be distinctively
Latin.
The growth of cities and towns in Argentina
has been out of proportion to the increase in
population. Buenos Aires, of course, receives
the largest number, but the same disposition to
reside in the crowded centres is apparent in
Kosario, Bahia Blanca, Tucuman and the other
cities. This massing together in municipalities
is not the healthiest condition that could be
devised. As none of these cities are manufac-
turing districts this concentration of popula-
tion hinders economic development in a nation
whose resources are in the cultivation of the
soil. Every man thus withdrawn from farm
work is a loss to the producing power of the
country, for much land is lying idle for the
simple reason that labourers are lacking. Until
the bulk of the land is alienated from the pres-
ent princely estates and broken up into smaller
holdings it seems likely that these conditions
A Promising Republic 397
will continue to prevail. A change may occur
before long, as many of the big landowners bor-
row money at exorbitant rates of interest in
order to live in luxury. This will possibly re-
sult in breaking up some of these holdings. If
the government would enter upon a systematic
campaign to encourage the homesteader and
small farmer, much good of a permanent value
might be accomplished, and a stable as well as
intelligent population be built up. The fertile
soil and kindly climate of this republic ought
to easily support a population of more than
five times the present number.
Politics has been one of the curses of Argen-
tina. A certain class has had all the oppor-
tunity to get the benefits of office holding. The
politicians work night and day — they are the
counterparts of our own, and never sleep on
the job. A little more tact and grace on the
surface only covers the same motive — graft.
The elections are always one-sided. Formerly
they were conducted at the whim of a dictator
or political autocrat; to-day the ballot box is
stuffed and the election laws are ignored. The
elections are never really an expression of the
sentiment of the people. They are held on
Sundays at the doors of the churches. Outside
398 Argentina and Her People of To-day
the church door are tables around which sit
several men. The ballots are of paper and are
dropped through slits in the boxes. Many hand
their ballots to the receivers to be voted. Some
voters openly repeat their ballots by giving dif-
ferent names, and the receivers pay no atten-
tion to the palpable fraud. In Kosario, for in-
stance, out of forty thousand Argentine citizens
qualified to vote at the presidential election of
1910, only ten thousand registered. Of these
ten thousand only one-fourth took out their
voting tickets, and of these all did not cast their
ballot on election day. Thus less than twenty-
five hundred actually voted at the June election
in Rosario, in that large city. One party, call-
ing themselves the Radicals, decided beforehand
not to go to the polls, because certain electoral
reforms demanded by them were not granted.
Says the Review of the River Plate : ** In elec-
toral matters the country is as backward as it
was one hundred years ago, and outside the
federal capital there is no freedom of the
polls, force always carries the day — and the
elections. The official party say that they will
not bring forward any candidate for deputy
who does not subscribe fifty thousand dollars
towards the funds of the party. This is a
A Promising Republic 399
pretty stiff price, as the period is for six years
and the emoluments of a deputy only amount
to fifteen hundred dollars a month, which is the
highest figure paid to any legislator in any part
of the world. The voters ' tickets, when issued,
are often traded about and sometimes bring
quite a premium about election day. ' '
Mr. Carpenter tells a story about the mayor
of a certain city. On the voting list was the
name of a man who was dead, and some one
protested: *' Why, mayor, Munyoz is dead.
Don't you remember we. were together last
month when the report of his death came in? ''
*^ Oh, yes, I remember,'' replied the mayor,
'' but if he is dead that is all the better; he
can't now make any fuss as to how his vote
shall be cast." Nothing to preserve the se-
crecy of the ballot has yet been adopted. This
has led to much political unrest which has
shown itself in various disturbances. Added
to this has been the agitation of professional
disturbers, who have come here from Italy and
Spain and attempted to spread their propa-
ganda of social revolution. It is a fertile soil
for such doctrine, for nowhere is the discrep-
ancy between wealth and poverty greater. In
one generation hundreds have become wealthy
400 Argentina and Her People of To-day
by the growth in land values, the unearned
increment, and they spend their money like
water. Their arrogance inspires envy in those
less fortunate. Argentina may well be glad
that the age of demagoguery has not yet been
reached, for it is fully as dangerous as open
bribery and corruption, in my opinion. At pres-
ent the country is materially prosperous and
every one is able to find employment. The cost
of living, however, is very high and rapidly
increasing, so that differences between capital
and labour seem to be on the increase. The
enormous fortunes in the hands of the few,
many of them ignorant and without tact, may
cause trouble in the future.
It is a mistaken view to think that Argentina
is governed by revolution alone. It is true that
in the past quarter of a century there have been
three more or less serious revolutions, as well
as minor disturbances. Two Presidents, Cel-
man and Saenz-Pena, were compelled to resign
by these malcontents. As a rule little blood is
shed, and it was simply their method of intro-
ducing a change. The majority of people sim-
ply looked upon them as an interruption to
business and a nuisance in general. The gov-
ernment, however, has undergone a great
A Promising Republic 401
change in recent years. The comic-opera traits
have generally disappeared. The constitution
is admirable, but its provisions are not always
carried out to the letter. The laws are much
better administered in the larger centres than
in the remote Camp. Bribery used to be com-
mon, and was considered as a matter of course
as much as stamp dues. This has generally
disappeared, at least as an open custom. Many
Argentines no doubt still enter politics with
the expectation of enriching themselves and
hope to retire with a well filled purse.
It is not a rare thing for a President or other
high official to quit public life after many years
of service poorer than he went in. President
Bartolome Mitre was one of the more recent
types of that kind, as he bore a reputation for
financial integrity that was absolutely above
reproach. The country is becoming too big for
petty graft and petty revolutions. The increas-
ing importance of the nation has rather sobered
all classes by a feeling of responsibility for its
reputation. The spirit that formerly showed
itself in revolutions now occasionally makes
itself felt in disorder during strikes. And yet
I do not know that this disorder is much greater
than has been experienced in our own land. In
402 Argentina and Her People of To-day
either country it is reprehensible and is a dis-
grace to pretended civilization. The authori-
ties have a drastic way of dealing with disor-
ders by declaring a state of siege or martial
law. This submits the disturbance to be dealt
with according to military law and often effec-
tually stops it. The Italians are there, as here,
often the greatest disturbers during the strikes.
The bull-fight has been abolished, and they now
have no sport that equals in brutality, or ex-
ceeds in gambling proclivities, the prize fight,
the so-called '' manly art.''
Absolute freedom of the press prevails in
Argentina, as well as liberty of speech. The
papers are at times filled with caustic criticisms
of the government which go unnoticed. Public
orators also unburden themselves with the
most bitter arraignments of officials with im-
punity. An instance of this nature occurred
during the writer's own sojourn in Buenos
Aires. A large meeting was held in the Plaza
de Mayo where two socialist orators arraigned
the President and his ministers as '' a gang of
thieves " in the most intemperate language.
The Argentine constitution is so free in its
wording that the people seem to believe it has
no limitations at all. They appear to think
A Promising Republic 403
that liberty is such an elastic and unfathomable
principle that there is nothing beyond. This
intemperance, unless checked, bodes trouble
for the future. Orators and so-called advanced
thinkers must remember that the status of free
men is only possible while the beneficiary ac-
knowledges his obligation to bestow the same
privileges that he enjoys. If the citizen is pro-
tected by law against violence and calumny,
he must not be guilty of a violation of the same
legal precepts by calumniating the government
and its officials. If the officials are forbidden
to do acts which are ultra vires, then the citi-
zen must be inhibited against an excessive zeal.
An ignoring of these plain principles can lead
to nothing else than anarchy and the subver-
sion of all legitimate government.
One cannot study this promising republic
without an awakening interest and a consider-
able degree of admiration. There are faults
that one can easily find, and many criticisms
that can be made. Its development, however, is
recent, even if its history is as old as our own
land. The future means much for Argentina,
and its advancement during the next decade
will be marvellous, unless all signs fail. The
North Americans can have an important part
404 Argentina and Her People of To-day
in this development, if they desire and pursue
the right policy. It is well to study the coun-
try and its needs, the people and their wants,
and the result will be interesting as well as
satisfactory.
THE END,
APPENDICES
I
AEEA AND POPULATION
The population of Argentina to-day prob-
ably exceeds six and a half millions. This does
not average quite six to the square mile, a very
small population indeed, considering the great
extent of fertile and productive soil. Only a
very small proportion of the inhabitants are
other than Caucasians, a marked distinction
over the other republics of South America.
The states are very unequal in size, and the
population is very unevenly distributed, as the
following table, furnished by the National Dem-
ographic Bureau for 1908, will show:
Provinces
Buenos Aires . . .
Catamarca . . . .
Cordoba
Corrientes . . . .
Entre Rios ....
Jujuy
Mendoza
La Rioja
Salta
San Juan
Santa F6
Santiago del Estero
San Luis
Tucuman . . . .
Federal District . .
Area
117,720
47,500
62,130
32,560
28,770
18,970
56,470
34,530
62,150
33,700
50,890
39,740
28,520
8,920
70
Population
1,647,029
106,891
546,844
319,386
406,867
59,075
216,196
86,851
142,937
111,743
816,401
198,529
107,471
293,211
1,189,252
Capital
La Plata
Catamarca
Cordoba
Corrientes
Parani
Jujuy
Mendoza
La Rioja
Salta
San Juan
Santa F6
Santiago del Estero
San Luis
Tucuman
Buenos Aires
405
406
Appendices
Territories
Area
52,710
Population
Capital
Chaco
23,876
Resistencia
Chubut .
93,380
24,317
Rawson
Formosa .
41,380
13,995
Formosa
Los Andes
22,000
2.246
San Antonio
Misiones .
11,820
42,933
Posadas
Neuquen .
42,320
26,417
Chos Malal
La Pampa
56,290
76,393
General Acha
Rio Negro
75,890
24,312
Viedma
Santa Cruz
109,090
4,214
Puerto Gallegos
Tierra del Fuego .
8,290
1,637
Ushuaia
1,135,810
6,489,023
n
SUGGESTIONS FOR TBAVELLERS
It is no longer necessary for the person vis-
iting Argentina to take the roundabout way
via Europe. The Lamport and Holt Company
runs some very comfortable boats between New
York and Buenos Aires, making the round trip
in from twenty-three to twenty-six days. Since
the completion of the Transandine Railway one
can go from New York to Buenos Aires by the
way of Panama and the West Coast, in even
a shorter time, if close connections are made.
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company and
Compania Sud Americana de Vapores main-
tain a joint service between Panama and Val-
paraiso, stopping at a number of ports en route.
It is advisable for any one visiting that coun-
try to go by one route and return by the other,
and thus secure a comprehensive view of the
greater part of South America. It requires
from ten to fourteen days to make the trip be-
tween Buenos Aires and Valparaiso via the
407
408 Appendices
Straits of Magellan. The boats that make that
trip do not go up the river to Buenos Aires,
but it is necessary to transship at Montevideo.
One should not miss the opportunity to visit
Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, which is a
night's journey from Buenos Aires down the
Rio de la Plata, and on the opposite shore.
Comfortable steamers make the trip every
night, and the charge is $5.00, including berth.
Montevideo is an attractive city of about four
hundred thousand people, and contests with
Santiago, Chile, for the position of third city
in South America. Two or three days can be
devoted to that city very profitably, even by
the hurried traveller, and there are two or three
very comfortable hotels. The money of Uru-
guay is on a gold basis, the peso being worth
about $1.04 in United States currency.
It is well to remember that the Spanish lan-
guage is universally used in Argentina. In the
cities, however, there are numerous British
residents, and quite a number of Germans, most
of whom understand English ; so that it is not
difficult at all for one to visit the populated
centres of that country without being able to
speak the Spanish language. The railways are
almost entirely under British management, so
Appendices 409
that it is generally possible to find some one
speaking English at the stations in the impor-
tant towns. At the hotels it is not so easy to
find an English-speaking clerk or waiter, al-
though there are quite a number who keep a
clerk who understands English. Comfortable
hotels will be found in most of the cities, as
new ones have been erected within the past few
years, owing to the increased travel and the
growth of the cities. In the city of Buenos
Aires there are many hotels of merit. The
Phoenix, at which the writer stopped, is a very
comfortable hotel and centrally located, with
an English air predominating, and is a favour-
ite stopping-place for English-speaking people.
The hotel rates at most of the hotels are rather
higher than for similar accommodations in the
United States. The rates are generally inclu-
sive, and provide for coffee and rolls in the
morning, which is generally served in the bed-
room, and two substantial meals which differ
very little.
The railway equipment of the roads in Ar-
gentina is generally very good, with wide and
comfortable coaches and good seats, although
one wishes for the Pullman trains of our own
country on the long journeys. The principal
410 Appendices
discomfort arises from the dust, which at times
fills the cars and covers everything. The sleep-
ing-cars are all of the compartment style and
are quite comfortable. The dining-car service
is very commendable, and an excellent meal of
several courses is furnished at a uniform price
of two pesos, so that with the tip and all it
does not cost the traveller to exceed $1.00 in
United States curren 
