The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-30
Its Latitude Is that OF Labrador, Yet
It's winters Show a Higher Tenn
peratzre than Washington.
SOUTH AMERICAS BOOM TOWN
LOTS WHICH COST A POSTAGE STAMP
NOW HELD AT HIGH FIGURES.
A Millionaire Widow and Her Palace
mia and How They Are Managed.

Copyright 1898, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
PUNTA ARENAS, Patagonia, Sept 25-
Punta Arenas is the southernmost city of
the world. 1t is at the bottom of the South
American continent, 1900 miles nearer the
south pole than Cape Town, at the lower
end of Africa. 1t is 1000 miles south of
New York and its latitude is that of Labra-
dor. Still, its winters are warmer than those
of Washington city, and just now, at its
coolest, everything is covered with green.
Situated on the northern coast of the
Strait of Magellan midway between the At
lantic and Pacific oceans, more than hun
dred miles north of Cape Horn, Punta
Arenas is the commercial capital of vast
region of sea and land which is almost I'M
known to the rest of the world. From
where l write I can see the blue forests of
TERRA del Fuego, on the opposite side of
the strait. There are vast number of
smaller islands about it, and behind me,
stretching away for hundreds of miles, are
the mountains and sheep farms of Pata-
gonia. There is no town of any size within
1000 miles of this. We have no Geographic
connection with the rest of the world and
the only news we get comes from the
steamers passing through the Strait of Ma
gellan. All of the supplies are brought in
by steamers and many of the ships stop
here to lay in new stores as they go on their
way from Australia to Europe or in pass
ing to and from the east or west coast of
South America. The city does a big bust
ness as coaling station, and it scruples not
to put en- the prices whenever it can.
When the Oregon coaled here on her way
home from the Pacific at the breaking out
Of the war she was charged 80 shillings, or
about $22, g ton for COAL and her bill was
more than $4,000. Punta Arenas is free
port, and quantities of provisions and other
stores are brought here to supply the
steamers and sailing vessels which pass
through the Strait OF Magellan. Just now
there English and German steamers on
their way to and from Europe in the harbor
loading and unloading freight. An Ameri-
can schooner from Boston, with a party of
a dozen men en- route for the Klondike. is
taking on provisions, and one of the ships
of Grace & Co., bound for New York,
passed by this morning. a steamer from
New Zealand with a cargo of frozen sheep
for London left yesterday. There are a
number of wool schooners in the harbor, and
the little steam tug which carries passen-
gers three times week to and from TERRA
del Fuego is just putting out on it's voyage
across the strait.
FRONTIER OF THE HEMISPHERE
Punta Arenas lies right on the Strait Of
Magellan. There is a good harbor at this
point the land about which slopes gently
upward from the water. Upon this has been
built a struggling town more than a mile
long and a quarter of a mile wide. Back
of it there is a hill perhaps a hundred feet
high, and farther away in the rear you can
AZ - ,-;-4
from 5000 to 5000 feet above the sea-, their
tops covered with snow. The city has been
cut out of the woods, and as you enter it.
you are reminded Of the settlements of our
wooded frontier of the Northwest. 1t is
just now one Of the boom towns of this
continent, and it's houses are scattered
along wide streets with many gaps. These
streets are mass of black mud, through
which huge oxen drag heavy carts, pushing
them along by yokes fastened to their
horns. Here the sidewalk is Of concrete,
there it is of wood, and little farther on
you find it of mud and must balance your
self on a log as you make your way over
it. Many of the houses are built of sheets
of corrugated iron, their walls wrinkled
up like washboard, and all have roofs
of this material A few are painted, but
nearly all are of the galvanized slaty color
of the metal as it comes from the factory.
None of the cheaper houses has a CHM
ney. The stove pipes, which stick up
the roofs and which you see here
and there coming out through the windows
with upturned elbows, take their places.
There is plenty Of building space, but
when you ask the prices Of the vacant lots
you find that property is very high What
would be a fifty-dollar shanty in America
is here worth $500, and good business
corner will sell for several thousand dollars
within few years these
same lots were given away for revenue
stamp. The Chilean government was anx-
ious to increase the size Of the colony and
it offered building sites to all who would
erect houses and pay the fve-cent stamp
which the law provides shall be upon every
deed. THAT lot said a man to me to-day,
as he pointed to a corner just above the
Kosmos hotel, ''cost me a postage stamp.
and hold it now at $1,000" The days for
such investments, however, are past, and
better buildings are going up every year.
Now every inch of town property has a
fixed value, and there are several business
blocks which would not be out of place in
an American city.
PALACE OF THE MAGELLANS.
There is one residence here which would
be mansion in the best part of Washing
ton city. 1t is by all odds the finest house
near the south pole. 1t has cost more than
100000, and its owner is a million
aire widow. young. beautiful and ac-
oomplished. She is the sister of our con-
sui here, and the daughter of a Russian
who made a large fortune in sheep raising.
She got another fortune with her husband,
and she now owns thousands of acres of
land ana tens of thousands of sheep. Her
house is situated on the plaza or public
square. This As grass plot of about two
acres, fenced with wooden paling. 1t mas
wide pathways running through it and a
band stand in the center. On. the north
side of it is the Goyernor's house. long
brown two-story structure. with wall Of
glass in the rear. On the west Is a large
frame building, the new barracks OF the
National Guard, and on the east are some
stores and the palace Of this millionaire
widow 1t is made Of red brick COW
cred with stucco. so finished that 1t looks
like light brown stone. 1t has two
stories ard a mansard. with several towers
and plenty Of ginger bread work The ar
lists are now decorating it. They were inn