Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-15

although 1t contained some good men, was.
as far as international trade was concerned,
a sort OF a Falstaffs army, and It's march
through the Argentine brought ridicule upon
the business interests OF the United States.
At the same time that these commercial
travellers were masquerading as American
capitalists, some big English capitalists were
quietly investing millions OF dollars in Ar
gentine property. The English capitalists
do not send national trade commissions.
They send their own financial agents out
over the world with a good bank account
behind them. They are always on the look
out for good things, and they can tell you
just about what percentage nearly every
new enterprise pays.
what England Owns in Argentine.
A large amount OF the business done in
the Argentine Is with English capital. The
best OF the railroads are owned by the Eng
fish. They have been recently buying up
the government lines. and The day will come
when they will own them all. The Argentine
now has about II 900 miles Of road, repre-
senting a capital Of more than $500. 00O, 900.
1t Is fast increasing its trackage, and the
Southern railway alone has 600 mile Of ex-
tension in construction which it Will COM
plete within a year.
az Southo' ANYWAY u CuieHy tuiOusH
south Argentine, and among the new lines
1t LIS building is one across Patagonia to the
Andes. 1t will eventually cross the Andes
and come out on the Pacific at the port Of
Valdevia, making the shortest road across
the continent.
The Southern railway might be called the
Pennsylvania railroad Of South America. 1t
has now 1000 miles of track and is putting
down new roads at the rate of three miles
per day. Eight years ago the track Of the
company was only $50 miles. 1t now has
a big reserve fund and 1t paid last year a
dividend Of 5h per cent. Since it was or.
ganized 1t has never paid less than S per
cent.
Other great roads are the Central Argen.
tine, the Rosario and the Western Pacific.
All OF these companies get much OF their
rolling stock from England and most OF
them are now making their own cars. As
to the Argentines themselves, they have not
been successful in running railroads., nor
do they succeed generally in the manage.
ment Of business.
Poor Men Who Have Risen.
have met a number Of prominent railway
men in South America who came here poor,
but whit have made fortunes. Mr.. Barrow,
the general manager Of the Southern, came
to Buenos Ayres ten years ago to work for
the Southern railroad at $50 q month. Within
eight years he was at the head Of the sys.
TEN, and he was the most influential rail-
road man in the Argentine, with an annual
salary, it is said, Of something like $25, 900.
H.. H. Loveday. the general manager OF the
Central Argentine, began as the traffic
manager OF a little pampa railroad twenty.
five miles long. He has now charge of ono
OF the greatest railroads Of the country.
Duncan Monroe, general manager of tho
Central Cordoba railroad, whose salary is
said to be half as large as that Of the presi-
dent Of the United States, came to the Ar
gentine as a railway clerk, and there are
a number OF instances OF rises equally re-
markable.
Americans. Swedes, Germans, Danes and
Englishmen, and I am told that the con-
structing companies are always on the look
out for good men, although they do not
care for persons who cannot speak Eng
lish.
No American should come to the Argen-
tine without a knowledge Of Spanish. This
Is the language in general use, and without
1t a man cannot direct his employees nor do
business Of any kind. THE Argentine Is no
place for men without capital. unless they
have extraordinary business brains and a
knowledge Of the Spanish. People with
capital can buy their interpreters, but they
will 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
be a fat concession II electricity could be
applied. Its only electric railways at pres
emit are suburban lines. Rosario, which is a
town Of 150,00 people, Is now using moth
ing but horse cars, and Cordba and Bahia
Blanca could use electric railways with
profit.
Money i'm Land.
There Is a chance to make money in Ar
g%entine lands II 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-
bles in Patagonia public lands were sold
for $500 a square league. A square league
Is 6,666 acres. Such lands were scattered
throughout the different provinces, and
many Of the men who invested in them
grew wealthy.
Two American photographers Of Buenos
Ayres, Messrs. Chute and Brooks, bought
Ave leagues for 81, 200. An American dem
tlst took sixteen leagues at the same price,
and another American got five leagues.
Some Of this Lane Is now worth about
$50, 900 a league, which is a very respecta-
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 near the Atlantic coast which
are worth $50, 900 a league, and plenty OF
good sheep land in the province Of Buenos
Ayres which will bring from $50. 900 to $780,
600. Right near Buenos Ayres city there are
lands which are worth $500 900 a league,
while far off on the frontier property Is
sold for $1,000 a 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 inheritance
must necessarily be subdivided every time
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 so as to our import and export
trade. A 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 commercial tools, and
the European nations have all the steamers.