The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-22
At The Strait Of Magellan
no" the Republic of Chile Is Developing is Far
southern Territory.
copyrighted, 1914, by Frank G. Car
penter.)

plans for colonizing n developing
the Territory of Magellans. It has
sold at auction several million acres
and has leased large tracts for cattle
breeding and sheep raising. 1t is mn
ting in public improvements at Punta
Arenas, the capital OF the straits, and
elsewhere; and there are now some
thing like one thousand miles Of road
in the territory. Some lands have
been given over to two private colo
E~izatlon companies, and special in
ducements are offered to native Chill
cans who will go there to settle.
The Territory of the Magellans is
one of the least known parts of South
America. Ii consists of the southern
end Of the range of the Andes, includ-
ing a long strip of country that runs
from a little below Valdiyia to the
Strait of Magellan. 1t has also the
islands at the western emo of the
strait. and the most Of TERRA del
tuego. 1t comprises more thar one
fifth of all Chile, and it has a land
area almost as great as the State of
Missouri. About one-half of it is on
the mainland of the continent and the
rest is made up of islands.
This region has a fairly good climate
The northern part is temperate, and
IN the summer season, or from No
Icmber till May. one can travel almost
anywhere through it in a ~two-wheel-
"a cart. There are now about a thou
sand miles of ago roads in the ter
ritory, and these are being improved.
Until within the last few years the
Territory of h Magellans was sup
posed to be worth nothing. 1t was so
near the south pole thar many thought
1t was all ice and snow, and it's noun
famous character was such that no one
ia r.yinaI thn lands n.,1ll o,1. l.. &c
great value. Today this territory has
developed a livestock raising indus
try that bulks large in the assets of
Chile. 1t has n Sheep-growing com
pany, capitalized at more than ST.
coo. 1000, which is now producing nine
or ten million pounds of wool every
year. This company owns 1000, 600
acres of land, and it's sheep number
more than 1900, 600. 1t has also 25,-
GOO cattle, and more than 5000
horses. 1t Sheared more han L.
600, 900 sheep last year and the "
erage fleece weighed almost eight
pounds. 1t had more than a half mil
lion lambs, and it shipped vast guam
titles of frozen mutton to England.
La Sociedad Explotadora de TERRA
del Fuego or the TERRA del Fuego
Exploration Society, owns 1900, 5000
sheep and lis cattle and horses. 1t
has it's own meat canning factory,
and a plant for producing tallow by
boiling down sheep. A freezing es-
Enlistment has recently been install
ed there, and another freezer exists
al the Rio Seco. to which $50, 600
sheep are annually shipped. The an
nual output Of these wv freezing es-
tablishments Is almost 100000 car
caSses. and the tallow works connect
cd with them I'VE marketed more
than three-quarters OF q million
pc'nds Of that article.
During my stay at the Strait or Ma
eetlau in 1898 the era of sheep rals-
ing was at its beginning. The value
Ot the lands had just become known
and stock farmers were coming III
from Australia and Europe. Inc mrs
sheep brought in came from the Falk-
land Islands, which lie in the same
latitude about 200 miles eastward
The Falklands are and have Ions peer
famous for their fiue sheep. me mrs
expectations to the Strait OF Magel'
Ian occurred in 1873. Seven year,
later the flocks had increased 70 Az
600. and when 1 first visited llerIa
uel Fuego they were consloeraol
over q million. At that time one o
the largest sheep owners was tn'
American consul, a Russian by birth
who had spent most Of his life IN th'
hagelians. He had $4,000 acres o
iand in TERRA Fuego, n MS nous,
ct Punta Arenas was one OF the hnes
OF Chile. 1t is of red brick coveret
with stucco. and is SO finished tnat !
looks like a light brown stone. RIVER.
part Of the building was brought II
from abroad, and all h laborerS "h'
worked on it were imported IRON
Bucnos Aires or Santiago. The hous'
cost something like 100000, ano Il
still the wonder Of this part Oh III
world.
The grazing farms Of the STRAIT o
Magellan are not only on the man
land. but also on TERRA del fueso
They number millions Of acres, an'
some of the best are on TERRA &c
tGego. the great island which beons
rarty to Chile and party to Argenti
TERRA del Fuego is half as pig q
the State OF Ohio, and the greater pa,