Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-13

There Is plenty Of the best pasturaee in the
world, plenty OF. water for mechanical pur-
poses and for the docks and herds, plenty of
stone and timber for building material. and
biologists say that the entire upper corner of
tne cone-shaped republic is underlai by ex-
haustless coal beds. So manyare the nayieable
rivers that one can go by water to almost any
seetlon OF the country, and natural harbors are
frequent along tho coast. The fact is Uruguay
is almost a peninsula. having an Atlantic sea
Doard OF 10 miles. southern shore line on the
lilo de la Plata of 235 miles and a western
sfore line along the Uruguay river Of go miles,
wniie on the north, separating it from Brazil,
are the rivers Chuy, Yaguaron and Duareim
and Lake Hirim, leaving a land frontier of
only $50 miles from the Rio Cuareim to the bar
OF the Chuy on the Atlantic coast The Rio
Negro and its big afiuent, the vi, intersects the
country dlagonally, and there are numerous
o'ner streams OF unpronounceable names but
great local Importance
The old placer washings, from which tho
1es1its and the viceroys OF Spain used to get
such fabulous quantities of gold and silver,
we're all long since exhausted or their localities
nave been obliterated and forgotten. During
hunored years OF almost continuous warfare.
including the long struggle for independence
ana subsequent revolutions the people were
merciiessly robbed of their wealth, and many
poor wretches who were suspected OF knowing
wnere gold or silver might be obtained we're
prosecuted until they revealed IL g secret or
died to conceal it, and SO such pains were
taken to hide all trace of natures store houses
that In many cases after the lapse of few
years the descendants of the original owners
could not find them. Within the last quarter
century, however, new mineral deposits of ex-
traordlnary richness have been discovered,
anu the report OF recent geological commits
SION appointed by the government to examine
these resources reads like tale OF the Arabian
Nights.
RAPID INCREASE OF POPULATION.
fha last do Dat
quay has doubled. as much from natural causes
Is from immigration, the birth rate averaging
forty-fve per thousand and the death rate
twenty-seven. 1t is enthusiastically claimed
by resident foreigners that this Is not only the
healthiest place on the face of the globe but
that good living is cheaper here than anywhere
else. The best of beef. mutton and pork can
ducks, chickens and psrtridges from 10 to Is
cents per bird and vegetables Of all kinds are
correspondingly cheap. With a population of
about $1,000 Uruguay produces not less than
o,oOOOO1 bushels OF grain every year. or an av-
erage of ten bushels to each man, woman and
child In the country. The largest export is
wool, valued at $4,000, 900 per annum. Beef
comes next on the list in quantity, valued at
about the same figures. and hides third, of
which not less than So, 100000 worth are
shipped every year. Then comes wheat, about
S5OOO, 700 worth; corn, one million, and other
agricultural products footing up to nearly
$1,000 OO0 worth. All these have more than
doubled during the last ten years and continue
10 increase like compound interest.
1t Is not generally known, but nevertheless
true, that the famous Leibigs extract of beef,
In such universal use in hospitals and elsewhere
as tonic, is all made in Uruguay, though put
up in jars which bear an English uade mark.
DR.. Leibig, the celebrated Antwerp chemist,
invented the extract about fifty years ago, but
In 1866 an English company purchased the pro-
cess ana removed the establishment from Ant
Nerp to this comparatively unknown republic
The grsat works are at Fray Bentos, a little
place away up on the Uruguay river. The same
English company has lately been putting up
extensive building for the purpose of canning
meats and the works are in charge of Chicago
men. FANNIE b. WARD.