The St. Charles herald., 1922-05-20
'@DeSert'' That
Is BlOSSOnling

miles south almost to the tip Of the
continent. Its width varies from about
$50 miles in the south to 400 In the
north, and its area Is nearly twice
that Of California.
IAN idea Of the physical condition
and economic Development OF this vast
area can be conveyed best perhaps by
the statement that Patagonia Is to
Argentina what the great West ana
the Southwest were to the United
States just after the Civil war. There
was the myth Of the great American
desert then-a dry. cheerless country
that could never be reclaimed. But
with the extension Of railroads, farms,
ranches and irrigation systems this
North American desert is disap-
pearing
"Just SO Patagonia was labeled q
desert for many years; but farms ana
irrigation works have already rescued
great enclaves from the region ana
millions of head of cattle and score
of million sheep are supported today
on only portions of the area. After
few thousand more miles OF railway
shall have been constructed, a few
hundred steam shovels shall have been
set to work, and a few million YARDS
of wire fencing shall have been
stretched in place, the Patagonian
desert will probably 60 the way OF
it's North American precursor.
Darwin Gave Region Black Eye.
"It is an interesting fact that the
| statement of a careful scientist
Charles Darwin-did much to give
Patagonia an undeservedly bad repu-
tation before the world. Darwin
studied chiefly the forbidding desert
coast Of the lower portion OF the coun-
trv. and his discouraging report was
interpreted as applying to the entire
country. For decades, no one thought
# worth while even to explore the
hinterland.
.It is westward beyond the semi
arid pampas or plains that the mos'
interesting and least thoroughly
known portions of Patagonia are
found. Along the eastern slopes o1
the Andes and in some Of the valleys
between it's parallel ranges Is scenic
and climatic paradise. Grassy meadows
and forest-clad slopes alternate witt
sheer cliffs and towering, snowman
fled peaks, and scattered everywhere
are innumerable sparkling streams ant
sky-blue lakes. This is, in fact. ont
of the most extensive and most won
derful lake regions in the world. a
number of these bodies OF water ART
comparable in size to Lake Cham
plain. Only relatively few OF tn
smaller lakes have been named ant
some have been numbered. Many O
them. however, have not been ex
plored. It is in this inter-mountail
lake region that scientific expedition
will search for the strange creature
reported to have been seen there.
zone Of the best known OF tn
Andean Lakes Of Argentina is Nahue
Huapi. This lake is In the edge Q
patagonia. but Is still nearly LOO
miles north Of Cape Horn. The are
az this many -branched body Of waite
IL probably in the neighborhood Q
25O square miles. Its latitude In tn
southern hemisphere almost exactl
corresponds to that in the norther
hem,sphere OF the Rock Mountain M
tional park, just north of Denver; an
Il is about 800 miles from Buene
Aires. the same distance as thf
which separates Denver from Chicag
| Much territory will be made into on
: Of Argentina's principal national pla,
i. grounds. It is planned to harne'
+ the outlet river and to build at II
8 eastern margin of the lake, In q r
D pion Of delightful climate. a great il
dustrial CITY,"