El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-06-19

! - l write TINS morning u
! L - the biggest blocks OF uneNploreu
J land known to the world. The terrltoIy
, has an area four or five times as Ia -
J as Neyv England. and three times Ihal
J of New York, New Jersey am 80 80
/ svIvauia combined There IS ehousn
I land in it to make seven STATES ne ne. 80 -
/ of Ohio five the size of Illinois ana II
] most forty as big as Massachusetts -
! contains more than 100000 square lllLs9 5
/ and if il could be lifted up ana spte--'A
over the United states il would moe ~
most One-tenth Of our country lIOHi
f; the light OF the sun -
! ChacO. Some Of II Delonss 10 90
1 over into Bolivia and Brazil II S1
I tends for five or six hundred mllSS
/ along the western side OF the fataIa
| and Paraguay rivers ana runs DdSh =
/ most TO the foothills of the Andes me
| Paraguayan part if it is opposite Wnese
| I am writing these notes. and It's capt-
tai is Asuncion, where TINS letter -
/ dated
] The Gran ChacO is a vast plain the
| most OF which is less than Ihouselnu
/ swamps and lagoOns, and It IS traF-
/ ersed by the PilcOmayo ana kermeJO
] rivers. each Of which rises IN Bolltld'
/ and crossing the Chaco enters me
] Paraguay. The Pilcomayo is ABOUT
] 1900 miles long and the Nerme1o SUI.
! Attempts have been made TO explore
! both rivers, with a view 10 opening q
1 route to Bolivia. hut without success
| Both streams are crooked and shallow
! and obstructed by sand bars Ihets
I are small boats on the Pncomayo, ana
navigation is being opened up on Ihe
VermejO, on account OF the lumDer IN
| terests and plantations along its banks
3 It is now possible to go several hun
I dred miles up the NermeJo and sInal
steamboats,. which have speea o.
about seven miles an hour. travel upon
I it The boats are fitted with CABINS
and are lighted by electricity They
I do not move during the night
[ The Chaco in general is well Watereds
/ although some parts are sem-arid- II
| has millions Of acres OF uplanos COW
! cred with grass and undeveloped FOR
| ests Of large extent
Has Great Pasture Lands.
As to the pasture lands OF the Chaco,
] they are large enough to fill the meat
I baskets Of millions The regions that
have been explored have shown vast
plains covered with rich grass, and IN
! those adjoining Bolivia the cattle run
I wild
In the northern part OF the Para
guayan ChacO are the rancheS DelonS-
! ing to the Americans. Of which Tex
I Richard is the managing director.
Their territories comprise about $780,
600 acres, or 1000 Paraguayan leagues,
and the cattle ranch they are estao-
fishing is to be one Of the largest in
the world They have already about
I $4,000 head OF stock on them and am
1 told that this number is rapidly in
The majority Of their cattle are a
] cross between the Indian zebu and the
South American tranquero, but good
breeding stock viii be imported and the
! ranching is TO be scientifically carried
: on The company is studying markets
and Mr. Richard has been shipping
some OF his stock down to BuenOs
river TO the port Of AsunciOn, and
/ thence south by rail through Paraguay
proper and the province Of Entire Rios
| 10 the capital OF Argentina Mr. Rick
ard estimates that il costs something
! like $40 a head in freight, duties and
| loss Of weight to get the animals 70
/ the market and nevertheless he says
| they can be sold at a profit
Plan Railway to Cattle Country.
movement is under way IN Brazil TO
/ build a railway from san Paulo across coun-
| northern edge OF the Chaco- When this
! is completed the cattle Of Matte Crosse and
I the northern Chaco will have a haul OF
| only about 500 miles TO the markets. This
IS about as far from New York to Cleve-
land. and the freight cost would be low.
An American packing company Is now erect
ing its buildings at san Paulo with the ex-
pectation that much OF its beeves viii come
from those regions
Among the other railroads proposed TO
open up this territory Is the system that
viii 90 from Argentina northward into east
/ ern Bolivia and eventually be extended on to
the Amazon A number OF lines have been
Amazon number OF lines have been
planned. and when under way they viii open
up a vast empire Of good country great
part OF which will be in Bolivia
The Argentina Republic IS making mar
row gage railway 70 cross its part OF the
Gran Chaco running from the Parana river
at Resistencia back into the province Of
Saita, and it will have other lines extend
forests. The only railway now In operation
in the whole territory Is a line built BY
French capital which connects Resistencia
with the Argentine system In addition
there are several hundred miles OF narrow
gage timber roads. made By the ouebracho
and other companies to get out their lumber
The Forests Of ChaeO.
The forests OF the Chaco OF vast extent
not only in Argentina but also IN Paraguay.
During my stay in Buenos Aires had an
Interview with one OF the experts OF our
forestry department who has gone to South
America 10 aid Argentina in the eUplolta-
name IS II. " Curran. who Is now con-
nected with the forestry department Of Ar
gentina- He had samples Of many OF the
woods OF the Chaco. and Is perhaps the
best posted OF all men upon the forests OF
this part Of the world said he;
The area OF the Argentine forests +
something ike 100000 square miles. It Is
twice as large as that OF Kentucky. Vir-
Einia and Ohio combined. At least one-fourth
OF Il is solid timber and the greater part OF
II IS covered with trees. The woods are OF
many varieties. and they are fit for every
use under the sun Some Of them are soft
and some hard Some will take up mois-
ture ike n sponge and others viii not rot
under water. Some OF the SOFT woods viii
float. but most OF the hard woods will sink
like a stone. The algarrobo for instance.
Is like our black walnut. It IS very hard
and IS used for paving blocks. A large part
OF Buenos Aires Is paved with t. This tree
grows only about 50 feet high. and the
common log IS not more than three OF four
feet long. although 1t may be 80 inches in
diameter. The lapacho is another hard
wood Il has much the same properties as
hickory and can be used FOR sposes and wag-
on rims ard for all kinds OF bent work
II has a beautiful grain and takes a fine
polish We have red cedar which grows
largely in Para Euav II is used for cigar
boxes We have also woods that are fitted
for pulp. We have altogether 500 differ
emit kinds or species Of woods. but so Tar
the only one that has been OF great COM
mercial profit has been the quebra cho.''
Quebracho Valuable Wood.
Tell me something about the quebracho
industry" said I
The quebracho Is one OF the most valu-
able woods OF the world" said Mr. Curran.
1T Is used for railroad ties. fence posts
and telegraph poles. and more than any
thing else for tanning and 10 make tannln
extracts Nearly all OF the leather OF the
United States is tanned with quebracho. It
gives the leather finer color than can be
gotten from any other tanning material.
and Is now used IN most parts OF Europe"
Where Is the tree found -
ct IS scattered throughout the forests
Of the Chaco..' was the reply. "A forest OF