Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-01-13
In SOUTH AMERICA.
Some Items Of Interest from the Ar
gentine Republic.
A Former Milwaukeean Who Has Been
There Twenty-Four Years.

a former Milwaukeean. who il now n
resident of Buenos Ayres, where he hes
heen located for twenty four years past,
writes as follows to a well. known gentle
man or that city who went to South
America shortly after the war. anu came
back becaus, he did not iud things there
up to his expectations:
we have had two successive seasons of
drought, which has left great number
OF FAMILIES In the greatest misery. Many
lost every sheep they owned, and are left
absolutely without home. money or en-
ployment. We had for the last eight
years prosperous times cummercially-a
reckless expenditure and ~ild specula.
lions. The end has come. We are now
IN the beginning of the greatest crisis
this country has ever hal. Money is
worth 3 per cent. per month. PaDer
money Is worth just sc cents on the dollar
a forced currency, with a tendency
daily toward greater depreciation.
There will be blue ruin for some time. I
think 1t Is needed in order to reduce
things TO normal standard. The ex
peuse of living here is something enor-
nous. do not at all exaggerate when l
say 1t Is necessary for family to be
economical to live on $500 per month. |
mean this not for wealthy families, but
TOT persons more or less In my sphere
OF life. House rent is outrageous.
small house of, say five rooms, removed
from the center, can not be had for less
than $40 to Sl2O per month. Meat is
really worth more than in London, when
quality Is taken into consideration
taxes, too, are something frightful As
Tor instance, l pay yearly city tax on
my own little homestead of S4S. Add 10
this for lighting and cleaning, per month,
Sl6O; and as soon We have the sewer
age and water laid in, S6 in gold, or its
equivalent (say So, more per month. 4
SUIT of clothes costs from $50 TO $50, a
hat $40, and pair of boots 81 TO $40, q
ladg's hat something like $50.
Everything has increased with the ex-
cePflon of labor, skilled and otherwise.
y good mechanic gets an average of So
to 81 80 pen day; lahorer, 81 20 70 81 so;
camp hands, from SO to SO per month
the average is SIP. Clerks get from
$50 to Sl2O. A single man cannot live
for less than $50 per month, ana that with
economy. For The mere wockinCman
this Is undoubtedly the worst place he
could possibly be in. The labor market
Is overstocked. On the other hand, for
man knowing the country, and with q
knowledge Of business ard capital, know
of no place where the profits are greater
or even SO good as here. If YOU are on
the road to fortune, all is we'll. Should
man be unfortunate, or lack the means to
establish something on his own account.
be II ever so humble, believe he would
better have never been born than have
his lot cast here. | speak of what know
from sad experience. Even now, mod
crate capi'al, with ability, is no. to be
rlsked in business here. The man who
should attem pit it would be swamped be-
fore he got Il fair start. 1t is only large
capital that can succeed. Ny own obser-
Vations Is that the poor are growing grad
ually poorer, while the rich are getting
Weather and Weather as the years roll
by,
The lands are in the hands of a few,
comparatively. In many cases hundreds
of leagues are in the possession of a sim
gle person or company. Good lands
command very high rents. Formerly for
the run of flock of sheep, $3.50 per
annum was usual. OF late years from
5000 to $500 has been charged and OBJ
tanned, aud good land IS not always to ne
had even at that. We have plenty of
rack-renters here, without going to Ire
land. regret to have to state cur own
countrymen and their descendants are the
worst type. l do not mean to be under-
stood that the foregoing applies to Irish
men as class; only limited extent. 1t
is strange, and yet 1 believe quite true,
that as a race, there is very little medium
we are as a rule either very good or
quite the opposite"