El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-08

DUENOs AIRES. ARGENTINA, Nay
S.-Let me give you some x-ray
IL views Of the giant capital Of Ar
rsntfna- Buenos Aires is growing faster
than any city OF the world. When I
visited it Is years ago its population
was 100000. It has now double that
and it is increasing at the rate Of 100
600 a wear. The Argentines believe that
If will have two and One-half million
bv 1925. It is already neck and neck
with Philadelphia It Will eventually
surpass Chicago and 1t viii be second
only TO New York among the great
cities Of the new world
Wonderful Increase in Area.
It is wonderful how the town is in
creasing its area At the time Of my
last visit the surrounding estates had
been plotted out into lots. These lots
are now covered with buildings, ana
the area Of the city has grown TO be
twice the size Of Paris and three times
that Of Berlin. The houses are low and
they cover much ground. Altogether,
an area Of $4,000 acres. is devoted TO
buildings. the density Of population
being about the same as that of New
York The city is Is miles wide and
IS miles long. A motor car ride about
it eats up just about as much gasoline
as the trip from Washington TO Balti-
more
In the first stages Of the city's e1-
fstence every one went about upon
horseback. Even the beggars had
horses and each was required TO carry
v placard tied TO his saddle giving his
number One traveller records that he
counted IS such beggars in one walk
through The streets When / was here
in 1888 the town swarmed with car
-iagess Now II sWarms with autOmO-
biles, and the chug, chug, chug Of the
motorcycle is heard day and night.
The motor cars have doubled in num-
Der within the past two years, and
there are now something like 1000 mo-
tor taLicabs. which charge about one
half the rates Of New York or Chicago.
You can hire a taxi for a collar al
hour and ride four-fifths Of a mile for
p cents The taEls are OF French
makes They go like the wind and
seem to have no speed limit They all
turn to the left instead OF the right and
1ly around the corners without regard
TO traffic.
Good Street Car System.
Buenos Aires has a good street car
system It carried several hundred
million passengers last year. Its sur
face tracks Joined end to end would
New York, and its subways are the
finest ever constructed. Take for in
stance. the tube railway under the
Avenida de MAYO from the Great Vest
ern depot 10 the capitol building. tt
makes the underground roads OF old
London look like dungeon tunnels. It
has cars wider than those Of New
York. They are walled on each side
with plate glass and are artistically
lighted
The stations have walls OF tiles like
those OF a millionaire's bath room. with
a different color Of tiles for each sta
ton The advertisements are so framed
that they give no Offense to the eve.
The rates are IL cents Of our money
a trip
British Own the Subwuys.
The Euhu-awg hel0nr- the British
They were built by excavating the
streets from above, shutting off the
traffic for two blocks at time while
the concrete construction was put in.
The first subway cost $50, ,000 Since
then others have been built and they
are now making freight subWays by
which the cargoes viii 90 right under
Lhe town below the chief business sec
tons and be landed at the docks.
Buenos Aires is being repaved It
put down % miles Of roadway in 1912
am IL was then estimated that il would
take 100000 900 TO finish the plans
for new paving, and street construc-
ton The city is laying out avenues
without regard to the buildings already
erected
Cost Is Not Considered.
The old streets are being widened.
and the new ones being cut right
through the heart Of the cOstliest prop
critics. The only question seems 10 be
what viii be best for the city the ex-
ira cost being a mere matter Of bonded
Indebtedness that can be paid in the
future.
Before laying out a street the civ
buys. the property on both sides Of it.
and IN the increased values it has made
some OF Inc biggest improvements pay
1or themselves. This was largely so