The farmer and mechanic., 1915-08-31
UNCLE SAM TN URUGUAY
American Trade and Investments at The Mouth
of The Rio de la Plata


the coast ports and extend to Para |
at the mouth of the Amazon. We
shall then be able to go from the
mouth of the Amazon to the mouth OF
the Rio de la Plata by rail.
The Farquhar company has it's chief
offices in New York City and its roll
ing stock and the most of it's ma
terials for construction are being pur
chased in the United States Among
the articles bought are spruce and yell
low pine lumber for buildings, white
oak for ties, cement telegraph poles,
and bridge steel and steel rails. Some
thing like one hundred fiat cars and
engines and other rolling stock have
been recently shipped.
Another American company, which
will probably do more business as the
| financial conditions improve, is the
Pan-American TranscOntinental Rail
way. This has a capitalization Of $751;
| 100000 It's project is to build a road
| in a northeasterly direction across the
republic from the city of Colonia to
| the Brazilian border. It is the first
| American railway to enter the Rio de
| la Plata region; and it's scheme will
open up a very valuable country
which is now largely undeveloped. At
present it is mostly pasture, consist
ing of rolling prairie, broken here and
there by low ridges. The number Of
cattle, in the departments, crossed by
the route, is estimated at two millions,
and the number Of sheep at ten mill
lions. Moreover, the soil is said to be
rich, growing alfalfa and yielding
something like forty bushels Of wheat
to the acre. / would say that the lat
ter estimate seems eXtravagant.
| This Pan-American TranScontinen-
tai Railway Company is q part of a
great trunk line which was projected
: to connect the roads of North and
South America. It's ultimate object is
the completion of a rapid and direct
railway communication between Val
: paraiso and the Pacific by way Of Ar
S gentina, Uruguay and Brazil to Per.
2 nambuco on the Atlantic, from which
' points lines of steamers Will esta blisf
D rapid communication with Europe anC
4 North American. 1t will also be a con
) tinuatiOn of the line running south
e ward from the United States through
e Mexico to the ISthmus of Panama
y and from there down through Colon
S bia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile
d When the work here was original.
o started-it has been stopped sine
! then for lack Of money-it was unde
d the National Railway CONSTRUCTION
: Company. 1t had an office at Monte
e video and tn engineering force an'
: clerks were Americans. At one tim
it had nearly thousand men work
ing on the construction. The most o
l. them were Italians.
III AS to the present railway systems c
is Uruguay, they have altogether abou
70 1000 miles of lines. Outside tn
IS American enterprises there are fiv
Is great railway companies, each
he which receives government guarar
lg tees. The most important by far is tn
e. Central Uruguay, which operates i
~ the neighbOrhoOd of a thousand mile
lie of track, and has net receipts of a
N most three millions a year. It's mai
s. line earns $4,000 or $4,000 mil
r and the gross receipts of the systel
n are more than sG,000,0OO The Centr;
r, handles annually more than a millio
re tons of freight, about a million and
n half hear of live stock and somethiT
O. like seve teen hundred thousand pa:
v sensers. It's capitalization is a lit
over $12,0OO,OOO, not including i
bonded Indebtedness, and it's dividen,
IN are from to per cent per annum.
ad The Midland Uruguay has a capita
v ization of about twelve millions
n stocks and bonds. 1t has about 81
to miles Of track, and it connects wi
a the chief ports of the Uruguay rive
TO The Northwestern Uruguay and Il
ch Uruguay Northern and East Goa
90 railways are still smaller
he In short the whole country is on t
OF edge of its railway development. Ur
'er quay is twice as large as the state
ITS Indiana and intensively cultivated
'r- will support a large population.
OF present there is but one city Of 81;
'X- Montevideo, and this is practically t
ire only port Of the country 1t has abo
mt 100000 inhabitants. The next town
las importance is PySandu on the JJr
yer quay river. 1t is one of the centers
ins the meat industry. 1t has 10000 pc
ILL ulation. Salto and Mercedes are 81
to less in size. The total population
leo Uruguay is not as great as that
viii Philadelphia.
eS-
The J1ruguay has been hard hit nv +
Is war. A general moratorium was
TO tabllshed last August and it continu
until the latter part Of January Spe