Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-20
MakiVes OF Terra del Ete9o

lesAes million acres and has leased
large tracts for cattle breeding and sheep
raising. II is putting in public improve
ments at Punta Arenas, the capital Of the
straits, and elsewhere; and there are
now something like one thousand miles
of road in the territory. Some lands have
been given over to two private colonial
ton companies. and special Inducements
are offered to native Chileans who will
60 there to settle.
The Territory of the Magellans is one
Of the least known parts of South
America. It consists of the southern
end of the range of the Andes, includ-
ing a long strip of country that runs
from a little below Valdivla to the Strait
of Magellan. II has also the islands a.
the western end of the strait and the
most Of TERRA del Fuego. It comprises
more than one-fifth of all Chile, and II
has 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 November
till May. one can travel almost any
where through II in two-wheeled cart
There are now about a thousand miles of
wagon roads in the territory. and these
are being improved.
Huge Live stock Concerns.
Until within the last few years the
Territory of the Magellans was supposed
to be worth nothing. 1t was so near the
south pole that many thought 1t was all
ice and snow. and its mountainous char
acter was such that no one imagined the
lands could ever be OF great value. To-
day this territory has developed a live
stock-raising industry that bulks large
in the assets of Chile. 1t has one sheep
growing company, capitalized at moro
than $,0O0000, which is now producing
100000 or 100000 pounds of wool every
year. This company owns 100000 acres
of land, and its sheep number more than
100000. 1t has also 25,000 cattle, and
more than 5000 hotses. 1t sheared more
than 100000 sheep last year, and the
average fleece weighed almost eight
pounds. 1t had more than 10000 lambs,
and it shipped vast quantities OF frozen
mutton to England.
La Sociedad Explotadora de TERRA del
Fuego or the TERRA del Fuego Explora,-
ton society," owns 100000 sheep and also
cattle and horses. 1t has it's own meat
canning factory and a plant for produce
ing tallow by boiling down sheep A
freezing establishment has recently been
installed there, and another freezer exists
at the Rio Seco, to which 10000 sheen
are annually shipped. The annual out
put of these two freezing establishments
is almost 10000 carcasses, and the tai
low works connected with them have
marketed more than three-quarters OF a
million pounds of that article.
Brand New Country.
During my stay at the Strait of Ma
gellan in 1888 the era of sheep raising
was at its beginning. The value of the
lands had just become known and stock
farmers were coming in from Australia
and Europe. The first sheep brought in
came from the Falkland Islands, which
lie in the same latitude about 200 miles
eastward. The Falklands are and have
long been famous for their fine sheep.
The first expectations to the Strait of
Magellan occurred in 1878. Seven years
later the flocks had increased TO 5000
and when l first visited TERRA DEL
Fuego they were considerably over a
million. At that time one of the Iarg-
est sheep owners was the American
consul, a Russian by birth, who had
spent most of his life In the Magellans.
lie had $4,000 acres Of land in TERRA
del Fuego and his house at PlInta Are
mas was one OF the finest in Chile. II
Is or re- brick covered with stucoo, and
IS SO finished that 1t looks like a lighi
Drown stone. Every part OF the build.
ing was brought in from abroad, and
an the laborers who worked on It were
imported from Buenos Aires or SAINT.
lago' The house cost something INK,
$4,000 and is stlll the wonder Of thl,
part OF the world
The grazing farms of the strait .,
Magellan are not only on the MARYLAND
but also on TERRA del Fuego. They mum
Der millions OF acres. and some OF IN,
best are on TERRA del Fuego, the grea
island which belongs partly to Chile ant
partly to Argentina.
Rats Are a Menace.
TERRA del Fuego is half as big as tn,
state OF Ohio. and the greater part OF /
is made up Of plains and wide stretches
OF moorland covered with grass. whlcl
is green in the summer and reddisl
brown when winter comes on. This gras
furnishes good grazing ali the yea
round. In the winter the sheep some
times dig down through the snow and a
rule the SHOWS melt soon after falling
The grasses Of the Strait are noted 70
their richness and sweetness. They ar
excellent for the production OF both NUT
ton and WOOL and they would feed Ia
more stock than they do were II not 10
the rats. AS 1t Is. this pest is so grea
that II now takes three or more acre
10 supply one sheep. The rats not onll
eat the grass. but they burrow througl
the earth TO such an extent that 1t is i'm
possible 10 drive over the plains with
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