The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-21

S125,00O. Altogether, Che race track and
 it's surroundings have cost more thar s1,000,0o0.
 The Jockey clubhouse in Buenos Aires is one Of the finest buildings of the city. During my stay have had the good for tune to dine there in company with the American minister and party of ten. We sat about 8 round table in a splendid little dining room, finer I venture, than that of any palace in Europe, and later on we looked into the state dining room, which Is one of the most beautiful i'll the world. It is lighted from above ard the walls are covered with costly taperstries and carvings. The clubhouse has been decorated by famous artists and It IS a mass Of treasures from one cnu to the other Entering from Floriia street the great business center of the capital, you pass a celebrated statue of Diana by Fal- Suieros, and then 80 up stairs 0, marble With balustrades of onyx, to the second floor Upon the walls are the paintings of such artists as Bonnat, Bouguereau and Royebet and there are statues by famous sculptors here and there.
 Notwithstanding the beauties of the clubhouse, the members are nor satis- fled with it and they have decided U give
 
 use as a building for the state depart- ment or ministry of foreign affairs. They are about to build a new clubhouse on the Gala San Martin, not far from the Hotel Plaza. This building will face beautiful park, and its site alone has cost sS,500,O0 The man who soli the property bought 1t some years ago for less than $5UO,O00; and the Jockey club sale will give you some idea of now land is rising in Buenos Aires
 Returning to the demand for horses for the European cavalry, the supply of the Argentine horse flesh is more than one-thrd large as that of the United States. According to the latest figures. the worlds total of horses is about SQ- 0O0,0O0, and of these one-tenth are fecd- ing on the Argentine pampas. Tle Ch- ted States has about 21,000,O00 horses and Russia has a like number. In round num- bers Germany and Austria have about 6,000000; France, 100000, and Great Bri- tain, 2,o0o.0o0 Canada has about 2,300 eco, Australia like number, and Argentina about S,5O00OO. During the Boer war many thousands of horses were shipped from Beunos Aires to South Africa and the outlook is that if the sea route can be kept open for the allies large pro- portion of the present supply will go to Great Britain and Farce.
 
 The origin of the Argentine horse is of especial interest to us. AS you know, our hemisphere had no horses until after Columbus came; and the fiYst horses of both North and South America were iin- ported from Spain They were descend ed from those produced by the .Moors from the cross between the Barb ana the Arabian. Some were sent to Mexico, where they ran wild, ani formed the wild horses of our western plains. Others were brought to South America and some of the first came over in the six teenth century. part of the latter lot belonged to Pedro de Mendoza. who, when attacked by the Querrandi Indians, had to abandon his settlement On the panpas. He then left lehnd him five mares and seven stallions, and it is sa'd that these 12 anincls were the progeni- tors of the great troops of Argentine horses. The animals increased in such that the wild droves a,1nust covered the plains. There were so many horses that mares ami geldings were sold to tie government for 2 tr . shillipgs each io supply the Indians with horse flesh Later tens of thousands of an- rlais were killed for their hires and ta- low, bringing from 15 to 70 sllillings T head, and 1t was .lot until recent years that horses became worth from $50 ard upward apiece The early Argentinos
 
 the first quarter of tine nineteenth cen tury more than a half million mares were butchered for what they brought in horse hair, fat and hides. New the mare is almost as valuable as the starion and horse breeding is exceedingly profit able.
 In riding over the country one sees large droves of horses feeding inside the great fenced inclogures ard there is a steady importation of all linds of fine including the Clydcssla,es and Percherons for draft purposes. r-ne nt:in- Der of horses Is steadily increasing. T.. has more than doubled within the past 20 years. and 1t is estimated that t;,cre is still room hcra for many times the supply now on hand.
 Indeed the possibilities nf Arseniina in stock development are beyond conCcp- tion As it is now, ioss than one seventh of the land is under cultivation, and ] am told that 20O,00o,0o0 animals could be be fed and still leave room for more.