Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-19
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.
How 1t Could Be Stimulated With the As
>sistance of Reciprocity - General Os-
born Talks About His Railroad Scheme
Some of the Difficulties.

How 1t Could Be Stimulated With the As
| >sistauce of Reciprocity - General Os-
born Talks About His Railroad Scheme
Some of the Difficulties.
| ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.I
COLUMBUS, Aug. ls.-I found General
Thomas o. Osborn, ex-United States Minister
to the Argentine Republic at the Neil
! House tonight. He had been to Washing
| ton, was en- route to Chicago, and had
stopped off here to visit the scenes of his
| birthplace and early childhood near this
city. General Osborn was for 1s years To-
| Gated at Buenos Ayres, as the representa-
| tive of this Government. He was appointed
| by President Grant, and wns relieved by
President Cleveland. In the long years that
| he spent in the South American Republic he
| had opportunities to study that countrys
| o mmercial and industrial interests and its
| trade with other nations The General had
but little time tonight for an interview, but
what he did have he gave freely. He is very
enthusiastic over the project of building
| grand trunk railroad to Buenos Ayres from
this country, and in ten-minute talk he
| said
spent two months travelling in the Andes
Mountains in Bolivia in my search for the
President of that country. They have two
capitals in that country, as l presume you
know, and l went to the wrong city first
When discovered that the President had
left for the other capital l had to take a
jaunt over the noun tains, with my train of
IL pack mules and Indians. Sometimes we
slept in the midst of snow, with which the
mountains are covered. We had little
French folding beds along, which l had
bought in Buenos Ayres and in the morning
we packed them on the mules.
South American Hardships.
sometimes we had to make 40 miles day
in order to get to a valley where the Indians
grew barley for horse feed. Barley is the
only thing that they cultivate for feed for
beasts of burden, and the Indians charge 81
for bunch of it that can be encircled by
mans two hands. 1 finally arrived at the
city where the President of Bolivia was and
goG hearing, with the result that got GER
tain concessions for the Grand Trunk Kali
road through that country to the Peruvian
line. Ny trip to Washington was for the
purpose of making a report to our Govern
ment concerning these concessions. All the
different States in South America through
which the road will pass are interested in
getting the line established and in working
order, and will give 1t substantial encourage
ment."
"How much benefit would the people of
this country get from the operation of an in
ternational railroad2" was asked.
"Well, that's really incalculable. They
would sell millions of dollars worth of mer-
chandise to the South American States.
why, the people of those countries use NOW
ers and reapers and other machinery made
in this country now, but they get them from
Europe Bacon, ham and cheese from
this country would find big market there.
The fact is American bacon is brought to
Buenos Ayres now from Europe and sold as
Irish bacon.
How We Lose Trade.
"Anybody who knows anything about Ire
land knows that it don't produce more bacon
than enough for its own people. England
buys it from the United States, and then
sells it to the Argentine Republic. With |
pha sc tba phapea
on the South American markets that was |
branded Cheshire cheese 1t was nothing |
more than our Western Reserve cheese |
taken to England and rebranded. Now
there's no reason why this country shouldn't |
have the credit of this trade, and our COM
merce get the additional profit, except that |
the facilities for getting into the South |
American countries are not good. Railroads |
would furnish the facilities.
"There is another benefit that would come. |
The Spaniards, who make up the bulk of the |
population, don't like water transportation
They prefer to travel by railroad or over
land If there was a railroad from this
country they would come this way when
they go to Europe. They would spend money
in this country. They would come here to
South America on their annual pleasure
trip spend thousands of dollars. When
asked why they don't come to the United
States, they reply that they can't get there
without going to Europe first, and they stop
in Europe,
Difference in Ocean Travel.
''If there was railroad TO this country, |
they would be but eight or nine days cross
ing the ocean to Europe from New York.
Now when they sail from Buenos Ayres to
Liverpool they are on the water for 80 days,
and it is a tiresome journey. 1 have made |
the trip several times myself, and know how
it is.
81 think it would have some effect on
European travel from this country" con-
tinued General Osborn. People who go to
Europe for the purpose of viewing scenery
could find finer scenery in South America |
To show you how England has complete |
control of commerce in the Argentine Re- |
public. need only say that a ship carrying |
the American colors is never seen at Buenos
Ayres, while every day steamers flying the |
English flag come into port
''The mineral resources of the country are |
vast. / talked with the superintendent of |
an ore mine and learned from him that
while the present output is 100000 tons a
year, the mine, if properly worked with
ample shipping facilities at hand, would
yield SC, 100000 tons per annum."
General Osborn expects to leave for South,
America in October The General is an |
uncle of A. c. Osborn, late editor of the
Sunday World who was shot down and
LiIlad on the OF of Columhus bv r 1