Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-05-12
LETTER FROM PAUL DELAVAN NOW At san Luis ARGENTINA
Both Luis Where Lo
Observatory
Defective Eyesight Resulting FromCo Night

he following letter received last
week from Paul Delavan, now at the
Southern Observatory, Carnegie In
sttution, San Luis, Argentine, will be
read with interest by Mr.. Deavan's
many friends in Gratiot county:
San Luis, Argentina, Apr. 5, 1910.
Editor Record, Alma, Michigan.
Dear Sir: 1t has been more than a
year since we arrived at San Luis, and
a larger part of the work has been
done than was planned. Within a
month OF the arrival Of the freight
the instrument was set up, and now
after little more than eleven months
OF observing, the job is about two
thirds done. With a reasonable a
mount OF good weather it should be
finished by the beginning OF 1911. The
past year has been rather uninterest-
ing for everyone, but we have been
very busy and the time has passed
quickly. But life in a town like this
Is rather monotonous as there are
very few facilities for amusement.
The contrast between Buenos Aires
and these interior cities is very strik-
ing. Buenos Aires is a city which is
up-to-date in every way. Much has
been written about its love of opera,
IT'S taste in adorning itself and its cos
mopolitan makeup. Nearly a fifth of
the inhabitants of Argentina live in
this city. The interior cities and
towns, on the other hand, are very
I -. IL.
backward of all the cities of the Re-
public
To leave Buenos Aires for Western
Argentina and Chile one takes the
Buenos Aires and Pacific r. r. This
road is English owned and managed,
as are most of the other railways in
this country. 1t is one of the greatest
railroads in the Republic, and the ser
vice is fairly good but not nearly as
good as on many of the smaller roads
in the States. The best passenger
trains average about thirty miles per
hour and carry first and second class
coaches, dining car and sleeping
cars.
The sleeping cars are mads by the
Pullman Company but are entirely
different from the Pullman cars oper-
ated in North America. They are
built in compartments, each being
separate from any other The berths
run across the car instead OF length
wise Of it. There are four berths in
compartment. The aisle runs along
the side of the car and is very narrow.
The cars are not furnished as well as
are the Pullmans at home For a long
distance out of Buenos Aires one
looks upon a perfectly flat pampas
with here and there a small clump of
poplars or willows which have been
set out around dwelling. There is
great deal of dust and the ride is
very tiresome. During the summer
one sees from the car window huge
swarms of locusts. These pests are
great detriment to the country
About 400 miles west of Buenos
Aires the pampas, or grass country.
suddenly ends and the way passes for
many leagues through the brush
Some grass grows in the brush and
some small trees The brush is for
the most part thorny. At the begin
ming OF this brush country is the
town Justo Daract, where the railroad
is divided into two branches; one line,
recently built, passing to the south
through the level country and the
other running to the northwest
through more hilly country through
I in
near Mendoga Most all of the
through trains use the new line to the
south to avoid the heavy grades, and
only seven passenger trains a week
pass through San Luis. West of Men
doga continues narrow gauge to the
summit of the Andes. near the inter
national boundary line. Here there is
temporary terminus On the other
side OF the summit the Chilian govern
ment operates railroad running to
Valparaiso. The two termini are only
AZ miles apart, and during the sum
mer passengers can travel TO and
from Chile by going on mule back
over the summit between the two
stations.
This cannot be done at any other
time of the year as the elevation is
more than 10000 feet. All that is nee
essary to connect the two railways is
the great tunnel which has been under
construction for several years. The
tunnel is now dug but will not be
ready for use for ,several weeks
When it is finished, travel over the
Andes will be possible the whole year
and the time from Buenos Aires to
Valparaiso will be reduced to about
20 hours. On the Chilian side the
railroad is narrow gauge nearly to
Valparaiso.
But to return to San Lnis. The
city is situated in the midst of the
brush country. In it are some 10000
poor, miserable people, doing nothing.