Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-14
A LAND OF PROMISE.
Wonderful Resources of the Little
Republic Of Uruguay, S. A.
CHEAP AND HEALTHFUL LIVING.
Treasures Of Gold and Silver That Have
Been Lost for Centuries.
AN UGLY WAY OF GETTING AsHOR]
'rcoRREsPoNpENcEo OF THE DISPATCH. !

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH.1
MoNTEvIDEo, URUGUAY, Jan. IL
After our manifold and varied experiences
in South American ports, we fattered our
selves that nothing more remained to be
learned in the line of disagreeable methods
of transit from ship to shore. Those South
ern ports where vessels come up to civil
lied pier and discharge their passengers over
gang-plank are rare as angels visits. As
rule, anchor is cast three or four miles from
land, the ladder-like stairs are let down out
side from the upper deck and shore-going
people descend to row boats that come danc-
ing over the billows for that purpose. Even
that experience is bad enough in the usual
rough seas, for one must spring off the stairs
at the precise instant when the tiny boat is
tossed near on the crest of a wave; and hay-
ing successfully performed that feat, be
rowed through the surf, often wetted to the
skin, or occasionally swamped, to be fshed
out again, clamp, moist unpleasant
body"
At Yucatan we were carried to land on
the backs of men; at Guatemala on mules;
at Costa Rica in wagons; at Mollendo (Peru)
coasts, where the billows were too boisterous
for other means, we have been hoisted up
and swung out by cranes like cattle, seated
on platform or in rough box or tub
spun round and round in midair as the
clumsy apparatus slowly performed its
work; and finally dumped. with dull
thud, upon some waiting scow OF raft or
tender.
The Worst Landing in the World.
But we looked for no such trouble at
Montevideo, the rich and splendid capital
of prosperous Uruguay, which has SO often
been described as the finest city in South
America. Judge, then, Of the utter de-
moralization of unprepared feminine nerves
when we found here the very worst method
of landing we had yet encountered. Every
body made an unusually careful toilet on
the morning that we were due in Monte
video. expecting to skip dryshod over
gang-plank into the city, and emerged
smiling from his stateroom in answer to the
welcome summon, "All ashore" But to
our astonishment there was neither dock
nor pier in sight, the succeed palaces of
the city cleaned dim in the distance, and
even the stair-like ladder remained in statu
quo, lashed up under the life-boats. What
did it mean?
care you ready, lsdies?" said the ever
gallant Captain, and thereupon we were es-
corted to the end of the ship. Away down
below, screaming, tossing, rocking little
tug advanced and receded, the plaything of
the pillows; and straight down the steamers
side dangled ladder of tarred ropes-made
fast at the top, but swinging loose and end
ing off at nowhere far above the water
xuhi ho6 oft hQ
ors ascending and descending, like carIca-
lures of Jacobs angels, and maryeled at
their temerity.
II Was . Stunning Blow.
For moment nobody perceived the con-
nection between the steamer, the ladder
and the tug-and then 1t dawned upon us
like blow on the head. We were actually
expected to Chamber over the deck railing,
climb hand under hand down those sway
ing ropes to their stopping place and cling
there above the briny deep till that bobblng
tug bobbed near enough-then drop and
trust to Providence. You cling at the bottom
till somebody shouts "dropp' Then you
let 60, expecting to fall into fathoms of
water, or into the interior of shark as
Jonah was gobbled-and presently find
yourself an undignifed heap on the slip
perry deck of the little tug. Then gather up
your blushes (and probably your tears, if
not more strong minded than the average
woman) in tiny box Of cabin, striving
to repair damages and regain something
like composure while your comrades in dis
tress are undergoing the same ordeal.
Of course, aged people, children and in
valids cannot be trusted to make this Al
Serat descent for themselves, and all such
passengers are just picked up and dropped
overheard, into somebody's arms out
stretched below. To be sure, ''There's
sometimes happens-when a miscalculation
is made or the tug bobs away too soon-that
an unfortunate yoyager gets ducking; but
there are always plenty Of sailors at nand to
fish him out, and we were cheerfully as
sured that few have been drowned. sharks?
Well, yes, it was reluctantly admitted that
there are sharks in these waters, and they
have been known to snap of unwary arms
full about keeping out oftheir way.
AProsperous Little Republic.
Though least in area, let nobody imagine
that Uruguay is of lesser importance than
other Southern Republics. On the contrary,
though it has an area OF only 1885 square
miles (being tribe larger than Engdand),
one of the richest and most prosperous.
There is not an acre of unproduct1ve soil in
its whole extent and hardly q pauper; and it
the world-where American gold is at a dis
count. Whereas in Mexico, Peru, Chile,
Argentine, Brazil and all the rest of them,
one receives o good round premium on
Uncle Samuel's golden coins.
At present Uruguay's principal source of
wealth Is in cattle and sheep. So genial is
the climate and productive the soil that any
grain or fruit of the temperate, torrid or
frigid zones can be grown In abundance
from sugar and coffee to wheat and corn,
bananas and potatoes, ptneapples and pip
pins. There is plenty of the best pasturage
In the world, plenty Of water, plenty of stone
and timber for building material, and geolo-
gists say that tho entire upper corner of the
cone-shaped Republic is underlaid by ex-
haustless coalbeds. So many are the navt-
gable rivers that one can go by water to al
most any section of the country ana natural
harbors are frequent along the coast.
The Story of Uruguay Gold.
The old placer washings, from which the
Jesuits and the Viceroys of Spain used to
get such fabulous quantities Of gold and sill
yer were all long since exhausted or their
localities have been obliterated and forgot
ten, During 100 years of almost con nuous
warfare including the long struggle for in
dependence and subsequent revolutions, the
people were mercilessly robbed Of their
wealth. and many poor wretches who were