The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-02
south. AMERICAN
C|TYs PROGRESS

UJJI y ] uUUIIluU
Montevideo Using the Public
Funds for. improvements
Instead Of Insurrection
Montevideo, Uruguay, Dec. 2.-Mon-
tevideo. the capital of Uruguay, is Of
relatively recent origin, yet already
one of the great cities of South Amer
lea with q population Of possibly.
$50 900, or nearly one-third Of all the
inhabitants Of the state. Founded
originally by Spain in 1925 with the.
avowed purpose Of outflanking the
Portuguese Of Colonia, It remained
little more than military outpost
Of Buenos Aires until the year 177s.
when 1t entered on a period Of great
development as q free port. Settlers
were then attracted from all quarters.
and by the close Of the eighteenth
century Montevideo had become the
largest trading place in the South
American continent. .-A-...- ~, -,
It's commanding position hear the
entrance Of the Plate estuary explains.
tts commercial prosperity. which could.
neither be arrested by political trou-
bles nor by the rivalry Of other. ports.
Montevideo was affected much less by
these influences than might he sup
posed. Its trade. wealth and popula-
tien eeptinped, g incye1ss. end It u
Ez1Eaas "a s1t, et odseA Adpect,;
III Ss4[a2 tass.s| a |sR. ig. ln I & sn{, 9sls
|cre1tsk the neighboring Cerro, that ID,
| the Green Hill" from which It. takes
its name. y e g.
y The harbor IL magnificent, but near
the city 30 shallow that until recent
~, all vessels had to lie of In the
roads, and landing of both goods and
passengers was made by lighters and
Small. boats. The enormous amount
Of silt brought down by the Plate had
formed a great bank. extending far
out into the ocean; thus making the
estuary both broad and shallow.
To overcome this disadvantage
Montevideo fnaugurated In. 1901 q
comprehensive plan to excavate the
harbor and approaches and by long
breakwaters prevent the silt from
settling In the excavations. The work
is nearing completion, and when ln-
|ished Montevideo, with its deep water
channel and Its large basin and decks
In front Of the city, will abe q great
port, and. in time may rival .Buenos
Aires, across the LaPlata, both. in
commercial importance and in popu-,
lation. So. !,
This great harbor: Improvement, is
not being constructed with the aid of
foreign capital, but with. money. de-
rived from current resources. The
act Of 1899 authorizing the work pro-
vfdes for additional export and i'm
port duties, known as extra duties,'
for the construction Of the port of
Montevideo. From the date Of the
passage Of this act to November, 1902,
these duties had produced $2.795, ,942,
which amount. has been turned over
to the commission entrusted with the
work; In the first FIVE years the
amount expended had increased to
over $4,000, 900, and about the same
rate Of expenditure has been since
maintained. The work is so far ad-
vanced as to permit the use Of the
harbor by the largest vessels, an ad-
vantage which 10 bringing constant
Fly increasing tonnage to. Montevideo.
Built on peninsula ofesolid gneiss,
overlaid with q thin soil, Montevideo
has the best natural drainage of any
city In the world, and with its notably
fine. climate 10 an attractive place of
residence. It 10 modern city, and
modern Of the best type. Lined with
trees. the streets and avenues are
broad and straight and well paved.
There are several public plaSas,
numerous little psrksscalle gardens,
besides the splendid Pases del Pardo.
The new city park, Parque Urbano, .is
laid. out ON quite magnificent plan,
with grottoes. artificial lakes flower
|-plots, tree groups and broad avenues.
It 10 something more than an oriin-
|, ,ary park, In that 1t 10 also Q bathing
resort frequented not only by the
Aontevideans. but also by people from
the interior and from Buenos Aires.
Among the principal buildings Of
the city areath0 government palace.
the department OF fomento, the muni-
cipality, the. postofice, the school Of
arts and the university. i u y. & a I'd 4
ASrscent dihcation in the sfcrm:of
municipal administra ation n has been
made III tho screatlon of thu ONCE .of,
|intendente or chief Of Monteyideo..y
eeHnr Daniel sMunox, q distinguished
uruEnayan sdipl6mst, having been
chosen for the position. Masf this yeer
fin1talle % thA sdrst Intend denkA or the