The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-20

ern states. The cost of getting out the native woods is such that this can be done at a profit The lumber comes in shiploads of two or three million feet It is landed at Buenos Aires and thence ex- ported to all parts of the country. our common pine sells for about 10 cents foot, oak brings 15 cents, and other wood in proportion. These prices are less than those at which the native woods can be sold. One reason for the high cost of the native timber is the lack of railroads, and another the primitive methods of get ting the timber to the market. Many of the logs are hauled by animals on carts to the streams, and thence shipped on boats to the market The axes used are of a well known New England make. The handles are of hickory. They also come from the United States.
 In some places the lumber is sawed out by hand Tn this case the log Is propped up and one man stands on the top of it while another is below. Some of the trees are very crooked, and 1t is almost impossible to get straight boards from them.
 find great difference of opinion here
 
 that the country has so much swamp that it cannot be valuable, but others describe vast tracts of lowlands GOV cred with grass and of highlands that can be turned into farms There is no doubt that the Argentine Chaco mas some excellent soil, and it is known that the lands nearer Bolivia are fitted for graz ing and farming. The Americans who have settled in the northern part of the Paraguay Chaco are enthusiastic as to the fertility of the soil. In a recent inter view Tex" Rickard says that family can easily be supported on 10 acres Of land He declares that bananas oranges and pineapples grow with but slight cul- tivation, and that some kaflir corn will yield twice as much as in America. He says that hogs thrive. They begin breed ing at year old, and feed themselves until they are ready for market.
 The climate of the Chaco Is described as being healthy and agreeable It IS tropical but on the warmest days there is light breeze from the south which makes the summer nights fresh. The winters are pleasant. There is but ht- the frost and it never snows.
 On the other hand, some say that the Chaco is all that is bad. John Foster Fraser declares when our ancestors invented hell they had no Knowledge or the CHacO.f= lie says that IL IS tll swamp and forest, mosquitoes and fe- yer, and in addition there are Indians who will put spear into the back of the white man whenever they can get a chance There are about iU0,00G in- dians in the Chaco and among them some of the widest tribes of the con tinent
 As to the wild animals of the Chaco. they consist of alligators, jaguars, ta- pirs and peccaries or wild hogs From book given me by the state depart ment of Paraguay I have descriptions of certain traditional beasts and birds that are unknown to natural histoi y. One is the dog snake. which the In- dians say has a head like a dog and a cry like a puppy, The end of It's tall is hooked In order that it may hold it's prey more securely. This creature Is said to exist in the Great Laguna Ibere in the Argentine and in parts of the Chaco.
 Another interesting beast is the ow- ow, a white long -haired animal the