Evening star., 1898-10-29

f% n Ih Still its winters are
~ /P 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
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. more than a
hundred miles north of Cape Horn. Pun.a
Arenas is the commercial capital of vast
II gion Of sea and land which is almost IN
HI own to the rest of the world. From
where I write I can see the blue forests of
TERRA del FUego, on the opposite side ot
the strait. There are a vast number of
smaller Islands about 1t, and behind ME
stretching away for hundreds of mics are
the mountains and sheep farms of Pata-
gonia. There is no town of any size within
loo miles of this. We have no telegraphie
connection with the rest of the world, ard
the only news We get comes from the
steamers passing through the Strait of Sl.-
E"lIan- All of the supplies are brought in
hy steamers and many of the ships STOP
Mere to lay in Few stores. as they 20 on
their way fICm Australia to Europe or III
passing 10 and from the east OF west coast
OF south America. The city does Il big Dus-
ln'ss as coaling station. and it scruples
not To put on the prices whenever II can.
~ hen the Oregon coaled here on her way
home from the Pacific at the breaking Out
OF IN" war she was charged ~ shillings, CT
about 81 ton for coal, and her bill was
more than E3u,mD- PunTa Arenas is free
port, and quantities of provisions and ol!ic..
stores are brought here to supply the
Steamers and sailing vessels when pass
through the Strait of Magellan. Just now
Iir3' are LhSIlSh and German steamers Oh
ihrtr way to and from Europe in the harycr
leading and unloading freight. An Aln.r-
le-sa schooner from Boston, with a partg of
4 dozen nm en route Tor the klOndIke is
tsk king in provisions, and one of the ships
q: Grace & Co. bound for New York pass
ti hE this morning. \ steamer from New
Zealand with cargo Of frozen sheep for
LDL-gn left yesterday. There are d num-
t,E % wool sChOOuers in the harbor ana
the H-tlc steam tug which carries pilsseI.-
G,Fs three tines d week TO and from TERRA
del tuegD Is jtst pulling out OF its voyage
across the stIait.
On the Southern Frontier
Punta Arenas lies right on the Strait of
Magellan There is d good harbor al this
point the land about which slopes gently
upward from he wa.er, Upon This a beea
built a Struggling town more than q mile
long and quarter of mile wide Back
Of it there is hill perhaps a hundred feet
hiShr ami farther away in the rear you can
see the last Of the Andes which here rise
if'ta ".Vr3 10 $3.50 feet above the sea their
tops covered with snow. The city has been
cut pLt .t the woods. and as YOU enter il
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 its houses are scattered
along wide streets with many gaps These
streets are mass of black mud through
~hi'H huge oxen drag heavy carts pushing
th.m along by yokes fastened to their
horns. Here the sidewalk is of c0ucrefa
iAeTr II Is OF wood, and little farther on
you uud II Of mud and must balance your
self on log you make your WAY over
It: Many Of the houses are built OF sheets
OF corrugated iron, their walls wrfnkIed
I'D Liz wash heard al Ea,-
OF tL-7 material. y few are painted! but
mary al. are Of the galvanized sIaty color
ot the metal as il comes from the factory
N"u" OF the cheaper houses mas a chin
my ne stove pipes, which stick up
'fou+H the roofs and which YOU see here
az 'A"Fe coming out through the windows
MIN uplurned elbows. take their places
IL.-rs Is plenty Of building space Inn
Wteu You ask the prices of the vacant Infs
you md that property is very high What
"'i'i De- Il 500 shanty in America is here
Mor'h 500: and a good business corner
WI -et' Tor several thousand dollars
Ne'"rtheicSS within a few wears thasa
same I0lS were given away for a revenue
stamp The Chilean government was amy.
-o"S 70 increase the size of the colony and
't oHSltd building sites to all who would
''-St houses and pay the I-Cent stamn
"A"sh t!,g Jaw provides shall be upon every
t. a. IhdJ lot" said a man 10 ms. today
~ bolhIed 10 a corner just above the
I''@Hly~ toteI. cost me postage stannp
'.i / mold It now at 5000 The davs for
-" H.''.-' iiehtS. however. are past and
i,'F htilHIhSS are going up every wear
nov '''fE inch Of town property has a
liA't Naiue, and there are several business
b.'-As which would not be out of pIace in
al American city. p1oo7 al
HI" Palace of the MageIInps.
4Here is one residence here which would
o. mansion in the best Part of Washing
ION city II is by all od1s the finest house
near the south pole. /: has COST roo~. Than
d hundred thousand dollars. and lis nv.re,.
Is millionaire widow. young. beautffuI
and accomplished. SIZE Is the sister of our
consul mere. anG the daughter Of a Russian
who made a .args fortune IN sheep raising
Shv Fot Gpother fortune with her husband
ana she Eow owns thousands Of acres Of
mouse = situated on the plaza or public
square This is Il grass plot Of about .wo
aSi,s- fenced with a wooden paIins. II has
WIZ. pathways running through * and a
'dI'd sand II the center. On the north
sue "L II IS the governors house . long
H''"L t"o-story structure. with a wall of
gas IN me rear. On the west is a large
frame building. the new barracks of the
ia ionaI guard. and on the east are some
stores and the palace Fl his millionaire
WIDOW II Is made Of red brick covered
with stucco, so finished that IL looks like
nsht brown stone 1t has two stories
anu a InanSard, with several towers and
plenty OF gingerbread work The artists
are now decorating It They were i'm
ported from BuenOs Ayres for the plIrpose
as were also the carpenters, the brickIavers
and in fact. all of the laborers eonnecred