The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-01-05

mules taking freight from one side of
the range to the other. The noun
tain trail goes over the Andes at al
most one half mile above the rail-
road tunnel It is much longer than
the railroad; but the freight rates
or n latter are SO high that these
mule trains compete for most OF the |
traffic.
The altitude Of the mountain trail
is l2,6O5 feet or a little higher than
the top of Fujiyama, Japan. 1t goes
over h Uspalata pass above the rail |
road tunnel WHICH is two thousand
feet lowers The tunnel is two miles
IN length, and it's altitude is just
above the level Of the sea. The boun-
Diary line between Chile and Argen-
tina runs through the tunnel, and it
was in the darkness tina 1 crossed
from one republic to the other. The
longer part of the tunnel is in Argen-
tina.
The scenery Of this route over the
Andes is magnificent. The mountains
are much like the rockies along the
Denver and Rio Grande railroad. The
formations are Of every description,
n in some places they have the col
Ors Of the Colorado canyon. Now you
go through mighty gorges, and now
under rocks which hang mountain
high over the track. A little further
up are beautiful lakes that sparkle
like polished silver in the clear noun
tain air.
There is but little vegetation on the
Pacific side Of the slope. Outside the
irrigated valleys the chief plants are
cacti, n among them is the giant
cactus. which is peculiar to this re-
gion. I has spines from ten to twelve
feet in length. and in some ways re-
sembles the organ cactus Of Mexico
/ q md 0on M f-7
cactus were covered with flowers Of
bright red, which I, at first thought
were h blossoms of the cacti. but
later found were Towering parasites
that grow on the highlands Of this
art of the world.
A little further up the mountains
the cacti disappeared; there was some
moisture and we had short brushes
!, with yellow and blue flowers upon
them. Higher up still these bushes
!, vanished, and we came into canyons
and hills of volcanic rock, which
$ changed in color with the sun and
! the shade. On one side q the can
5 yon the rocks were bright yellow
: while on the other they were Of q
gray turned Opalescent by the
s shadows cast by the sun.
e 1t was at Rio Blanco, on the Chi.
lean side, that we got the cog railroad
K and from there on we mouned by {
y series of jerks. each jerk marking {
y cog in the railroad. There are TWEEN.
s ty-five miles Of cog system, some o
e which, as I nave said, go upward OF
Il an 8 per cent grade. The whole roat
over the steepest part Of the mou
tains is a narrow gauge Ill mile
e long. It's rails weigh about SO pound
n to the yard, and the ties are Of oak
Ie The engines were built especially 70
II | o1ivohirU tho VNNvr%oino r~haxy eve
# made by Kitson & Co., Of Leeds, Eng
Re land, and are said to be very str,n>
The locomotives are double with
le rack and pinion arrangement at tn
S, front.
S. All of the rains have first and sec
" Ond class cars. My fellow passenger
SIS Of the first class were chiefly bushes
I'd men and clerks. Nearly every on
l. wore a buster. but this was to avoi
lie the dirt Of the lowlands rather tina
ey that OF the mountains. A large part {
er the Argentine pampas is covered wit
Id sand, and the trip across them is on
le Of the busiest known TO the Worlt
l In the second class were chiefly Chi
Id can peasants.
IN AS we crossed the high Andes
ey could see the enormous cost Of COZ
re struction and maintenance. We pas
ed many gangs OF men repairing tt
re track, and everywhere the track ha
to be watched for dirt slides such
I'd we have at Panama. In the Wint'
f. there is danger also from the av;
en- lanches, although the higher section
have been protected by the sno
he sheds. $500, 600 having been spent f
ng snow protection in the past two year
of 1t is only by such protection tn
zee trains are able to run throughout IL
winter. The labor used upon Il
in railway is Chilean and Argentina
,rs Each country furnishes the lahore
in for it's own part of the track. T.
;es ordinary wages are from rs cents
$1.10 a day, according to the time
ng I year n the labor market, The his