Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-15
AMERICANS IN URUGUAY
Northern Firms Filling Large
Contracts in Southern Republic.
offsets Continuous Paint that Ameri-
can Export business Does Not
Show Typical Enterprise of
our Domestic transactions.

business in big, organized way, de-
clares writer i'm the THE Americas"
published by the national city bank OF
New York It is told as cheerful
offset to the continuous plant that
the typical enterprise of American
domestic business; also to suggest some
thing definite to the man who is Won
dering whether this country is really
making any progress in lasting foreign
commerce.
Under the authority of the govern
ment of Uruguay, the cities of Salto,
Mercedes and Paysandu. municipalities
Of about 5000 inhabitants each. situated
on the Rio Uruguay or just few miles
inland from the river Plate, on navig-
able water, are having modern water
and sewage systems built for them The
government has issued 100000 of its
bonds for payment. A French construc-
ton company undertook the construction
before the war. and its engineers pre-
pared the plans in detail for "A system
of filterages and electric pumping for
the water supply and of concrete pipe
sewers the work to be done for the
three cities simultaneously The war
made it Impossible for the French con-
Germ to carry out the work. and an
American contractor, the Ulen Contract
ing company of Chicago, last year un-
dertook the plans.
As Uruguay was to pay in bonds,
this concern made an arrangement with
the American international corporation
by which the latter buys the securities
ha
as it proceeds, also becoming a partner
in the contract. through the medium of
the Stone and Webster Engineering cor
poration of Boston, which is also con-
tractual partner and stands responsible
for the proper and economical carrying
out of the agreement with Uruguay
The Tine contracting company Is itself
a wel-orsanizcd concern that has sue
cessfully and satisfactorily built about
90 waterworks and sewerage systems IN
the United States, and has already done
construction work in South America.
The arrangement was made in Fehru-
airy, after the Stone and Webster organ
izaton had checked up the contracts
between the Ulen company and the gov
eminent Of Uruguay. and had found
that specifications and estimates of
cost We're correctly figured. The agree
ment provided for completion Of the
work in three years. Upon, the closing
of the arrangements here not a moment
was lost before tho mobilization" of
forces and materials for carrying out
the contract was begun. The Stone and
Webster Engineering corporation detail
ed the engineers, and the Ulen company
men to go in squads to Uruguay. The
| first squad sailed on the first Of March,
second about the first of April and
| the rest are to follow shortly. Upon
the arrival of these men in South
America they joined others that the Ulen
forces already had as veterans and be-
gan the recruiting of laborers The lat
ter will he almost exclusively natives of
| Uruguay, who are declared to be most
efficient workmen, physically strong
and willing.
A few of the men who went from this
country were fairly proficient in Spanish,
| lnasmuch as this contract is not ex-
pected to be the last to be undertaken
by the tripartite organization. there
were Americans who went down with
families and household goods. also a few
eligible" unmarried men, who went
with the idea of remaining for years
The companies are to provide instruc-
ton in Spanish for all who go.
Practically every pound Of machinery
and material for this construction not
obtained in Uruguay is to be sent from
this country Some 1900 tons of cast
iron pipe will be used, and all OF that
| is to be made in L. S. A" large
part of the cement required will be pur'
chased from local producers in Uruguay
In the quick mobilization of this con
struction force the first thing needed
would be engines, steam shovels. ma
chnery for the making of concrete
sewer pipe, derricks, and other big ant
heavy tools, also thousands of picks
axes, crow-bars hand shoves, and thu
like. In the present condition of ocear
shipping it looked like a big problem t.
get these started, but 2oO tons of spac,
We're contracted for in vessels that wer,
to sail in three to four weeks TheI
the efficiency Of the Stone q Webste
and the Ulen organizations in this coun
try was drawn upon to gather the en-
gines and get them to the ships in time
Some big pieces came from Salt LAX
City. Others came from Chicago Sew
eral had to be purchased new, alon
with mass of minor material. Not
day was wasted The things were oh
tanned, loaded on cars, and men detail
ed from the various units of the bi
Stone e. Webster organization in diff
ferent parts of the country followed tn
movement of every car on its way t
J the shipping ports, In New York,
railroad map of the country, tackled t
thumb tacks, representing the cars CON,
ing eastward with the munitions wa
| watched hourly as wires reported tn
: movement of the machinery, 1t wa
kept moving, despite freight embargo
) and it sailed on time. 1t is probabl
= in Uruguay now
More machinery and advance materia
, has gone since, However, the situatio
I, in regard to shipping was so precariou.
and freghts were so high, that. cor
( sidoring the determination of the me
= managing this contract to have It don
e on time, it was thought best to d
5 something heroic in providing for trans
portatiun. The good American saiin
g schooner Alice NJ. Colburn of Bosto
n WAS purchased especially for the pun
n pose She is a four-master of 1900 ton
r. net measurement. She flies the Amer
f can flag. The ship cost nearly thre
n time her normal market value but
a was figured that she will more tina
t pay for herself in freights upon retur
o cargoes, to say nothing of the savin
!, lunon the enormous charges for the ma