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

ranging from a quarter Of a million dol
lars upward. The Puerta sastre OF Asen-
cion has almost 100000 capital. and the
Rio de Ia Plata Quebracho company mas
about $500, 900 invested. The quebracho Tor
league. Some Of the lands belong 70 me
government and the present policy Is to
lease rather than 70 sell them
Use United States Lumber.
1 asked Mr. Curran as TO the introduc-
tIon Of American lumber into the basin OF
the Plate. He replied that the most OF the
lumber now used In TINS part OF tne WoiIe
comes from the United States some Of II
IS shipped from Puget Sound and the Co
lumbfa river around through the strait OF
Magellan, and some comes from New Eng
Of getting out the native woods Is such
that this can be done at profit The iuIn-
lion feet. II is landed at Buenos Aires and
thence exported to all parts Of the country
Our common pine sells for about 10 cents
foot oak brings Is cents. and other wood
in proportion
These prices are less than those at which
the native woods can be sold. One reason
- r. bfgb rosf ~ the native timber Is
the lack OF railroads. and another the prirni-
tive methods Of getting the timber to the
market Many Of the logs are hauled By
animals carts TO the streams. and thence
shipped on boats 70 the market The axes
used are OF a well known New England
make The handles are Of hickory Iney
also come from the United States
In some places the lumber Is sawed out
BY hand In this case the log is propped up
another is below Some Of the trees are
very crooked. and II Is almost impossible
to get straight t,i boards = from On, them
The climate OF the Chaeo IS described
as being healthy and agreeable 1t IS trop-
zeal. but on the warmest days there is a
light breeze from the south which makes
the summer nights fresh. The winters are
pleasant There is but little frost and It
never SHOWS
On the other hand, some say that the
Chaco Is all that Is bad John Foster Fraser
declares when our ancestors invented nell
they had no knowledge OF the Cnaco- he
says that 10 Is all swamp and forest. NOS
Quitoes and fever, and in addition there are
Indians who viii put a spear into the back
OF the white man whenever they can get
a chance There are about 100000 indians
IN the Chaco and among them some Of the
widest tribes OF the continent
Has Many Wild Animals
As 70 the Wild animals Of the Chaco, they
consist OF alligators. 1aguars. tapirs and pee
carries or wild hogs From book given ne
BY the state department OF Paraguay have
descriptions o. certain traditional beasts and
birds that are unknown 10 natural history.
One Is the dOg-snake. which the indians say
has head ike dog and a cry Ike q puppy.
The end OF its tail Is hooked in order that
it may hold its prey more securely This
guna here In the Argentine and in parts Of
the Chaco.
Another interesting beast IS the ovv-ov,
white. long-haired animal the size OF a
sheep. which hunts in packs and attacks hu-
man beings, and another Is the spotted deer
or antelope. which Is somewhat like the deer
OF other parts OF this country
The indians also describe a monster called
the iguana-dog- The indian name IS the
teju-Juagua- They say It does not live now.
but the tradition IS that II had the head
and tail OF an alligator and the body OF a
dog They also speak Of a bird with phOs-
phorescent feathers. and an ant-bear that Is
bisexual- hear also OF many curious birds.
One IS said to 80 rnesmerizs birds Of other
species that II can kill them without their
making resistance. The ypecaha. according
10 Hudson, the naturalist. is a little bird
that holds public meetings and has dancing
performances, including a concert in which
a dozen or more will rush into an open
place and scream. raising their long beaks
as they do 50
Has Mud Fish
And then the fish The Chaco has some
that live IN the waters and some that live
IN the mud
There is one called the palomets that grows
TO an enormous size. and IS said TO now and
then bite at a bather.
The country has also the small plranha.
! which Theodore Roosevelt describes as a
'cannibal fish that eats men" The plranha
IS found in the waters OF the Paraguay II
grows TO a length OF IS inches and is. II
the stories told are correct. about the most
ferOcious fish known to man It will attack
anything living will tear wild fowl to
pieces. and will even attack cows and bite
their udders as they stand in the water
This fish has teeth as sharp a razor.
and its Jaw has muscles 50 strong as TO
drive the teeth through flesh and bone.
The Chaco has poisonous snakes in the