Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14

As to the Argentfnes themselves, they have
not been cuccessful in running railroads,
nor do they succeed generally in the man
aGement of business.
| have met a number of prominent rail-
way men in South America who came here
poor but who have made fortunes. Mr..
Barrow, the general manager of the South
ern, came to BuenOs Ayres ten years ago
to work for the Southern railroad ut $50
month. Within eight years he was at the
head of the system, and he is now the most
Influential railroad man in the Argentine
with an annual salary, 1t is said, of some
til. ng like $4,000. II. H. LOveday, the GER
eral manager of the Central Argentine, be-
gan a the traffic manager of little pam
pa railroad twenty-five miles long. He has
now charge of one of the greatest railroads
of the country. Duncan Monroe general
manager of the Central Cordoba railroad,
whose salary is said to be half as large as
that of the President of the United States,
came to the Argentine as a railway clerk,
and there are number of instances of
rises equally remarkable.
Among the railroad constructors there
are Americans, SWedes, Germans, Danes
and Englishmen, and l was told that they
are on the lookout for good men, although
they do not care for persons who cannot
speak Spanish.
No Chance for Poor Americans.
No American should come to the Argen-
tine without a knowledge of Spanish. This
is the language in general use, and without
it a man cannot direct his employees nor do
business of any kind. The Argentine IS TO
place for men without capital, unless they
have extraordinary business brains and
knowledge of Spanish People with capital
can buy their interpreters, but they VIII
labor under disadvantages.
There should be many opportunities for
Investments So far the electric railway
system of the country is undeveloped. The
street car system of Buenos Ayres would
he . fat conceSSi On if electricity could be
applied. So far the only electric railways
are suburban lines. Rosario, which is
town Of 10000 people. is now using moth
ing but horse cars, and Cordoba and Bahia
Blanca could use electric railways with
profit
There is a chance to make money in
Argentine lands, if a man will be content
TO buy at present prices and hold on. Real
estate is steadily going up, and has been
for years. Shortly after the Indian trou-
bIes in Patagonia public lands were sold
for 800 a square league. A square league
is G.6GG acr.s. Such lands We're scattered
throughout the different provinces and
many Of the men who invested in them
grew wealthy.
Two American photographers of Buenos
Ayres. Mess-s. Chute and Brooks, bought
five leagues for 81 600 An American den
list took sixteen leagues at the same price,
and another American got five leagues.
Some of this lend is now worth about
q
BILE rise from 500. OF course, such chances
are not common.
There is however, a steady increase in
values. and there are, l am told, lands on
the Rio Negro rear the Atlantic coast
which are worth $4,000 a league, and
plenty of good sheep land in the province
of Buenos Ayres which will bring from
s500oG to s60,OOO. Right near Buenos Ayres
city there are lands which are worth half
million a league, while far off on the
frontier property is sold for $1,000 league
and less.
Most of the land, however, now belongs to
some one. There Is comparatively little
good public land left. and the greater part
of the real property is In the form of large
estates. which by the Spanish law of in
heritance must necessarily be subdivided
every tine the head of the family owning
them dies.
An American Steamship Line.
When we have our own steamship line to
the Argentine the chances for Americans
will be materially bettered This will be
especially as to our import and export
trade. nation cannot work we'll CONNER
cially without tools any better than an in
dividual can. Our greatest trouble is that
we have not the best tools of commerce.
Steamers are among comm ercial tools. and
the European nations have all the steam
ers- There Is today not a single maritime
port of Importance on the coast of Europe
that has not its regular steamers for Bue-
nos AyreS, and the Argentine merchants
can order by cable, and know that they will
surely get their goods within twenty-five OF
thirty days.
The lines from and to New York are all
English, and they are so slow that 1t takes
thirty days to make the actual voyage, and
they are far apart that replies from ca
bic orders are uncertain. There is a steam
er from Europe to Buenos Ayres almost
every day in the month, and one can leave
Buenos Ayres for Europe nearly every day.
The steamships which go to Europe are
much finer than those which go to the
United States, so much better, indeed, that
passengers to New York often go there by
way of Liverpool or Southampton rather
| than direct. The fare is not very much
more and the time not much longer, al
though the distance via Liverpool is greater
| by more than 5000 miles.
The steamship lines which ply between