Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-10-29

locally as "ascensors," connect the
streets by the shore with those on the
heights.
The situation of Santiago, Cbile's
capital, nearly 1900 feet above the
sea, is most attractive. 1t ranks in
beauty among South American cities
second only after Rio de Janeiro and
equals La Paz, Arequipa, and Caracas.
Santiago's Hanging Garden.
Its most notable physical feature is
Santa Lucia, a singular hill of vol
canic origin in the heart of the city.
This once barren knoll, 400 feet above
the plain, has been transformed into
a hanging garden. Over it's tree tops
one looks down on the great city of
half a million sOuls-a city of low
buildings and checker-bOard streets
set in emerald meadows and encom-
passed by snowy mountains.
South of Santiago "the Longitude
nal" passes through the long agricul-
tural valley between the Coast range
and the Andes. Wheat fields and
vineyards border the track. Stately
rows of Lombardy poplars and eu-
calyptus inclose the fields.
At the stations are female fruit
sellers uniformed in white. They
have melons for sale-big yellow mel
ons-which, like grapes, take first
rank. On all sides are indications
that industrial growth, though slow,
is certain. Besides possessing raw
material for manufacturing, Chile has
unlimited water power in the Andes
for hydroelectric development.
Excellent farms, alfalfa fields and
browsing cattle mark the southern
part of Chile's main valley
Few foreigners stop between Santi-
ago and Conception, a day or a night
journey on the express. Conception,
Chile's third city in Importance, is on
the north shore of the Bio-Bio river,
not far from the sea.
Nine miles from Conception lies it's
seaport, Talcahuano, with the best
harbor in southern Chile. It is the
seat of the whaling industry, whales
being found nearer the shore here
than in most parts of the world.
Southwark lie the ports OF Coronel
and Lota, where vast coal mines ex-
tend under the sea. Chile is the prin-
cipal coal-producing country of South
America, with an estimated coal re-.
serve of two billion tons.
When one crosses the Bio-Bio river
he enters that romantic territory
known to the Chileans as the From
terra. Within the memory of the liv-
ing. white men might not enter this
region of great forests and noble riv-
ers. 1t was the domain of the Arau-
canians.
Southern Chile Very Moist.
If the north-of Chile has gone dry"
the south is certainly wet. Here Ju-
piter Pluvius reigns. Vapor-laden
winds from the Pacific meet winter
chilled earth. The winds, ascending
the Andes, pass through Natures
wringer and are hurled back in tor.
rents. Annual precipitation must be
gagged in feet instead of inches. Six
teen feet, even eighteen feet, farther
south, is the official record.
There are now about 10000 people
of German stock in southern Chile,
mostly between Valdivia and Puerto
Montt.
The towns of La Union and OsornO
show marked German influence, whife
Puerto Varas, on the shore of lovely
Lake Llanquihue, is typical Teuton
village.
From Puerto Varas, "the Longitude
nal" continues on to Puerto Mont, on
the Gulf of Ancud, where it ends.
The only Chilean railroads south Of
the towns of ANGUS and Castro, on the
Island of Chloe, and a privately
owned stretch of rail near Punta
Arenas.
The latter city is reached after the
traveller, forsaking railroad for coast
ing steamer, sails past many miles Of
unexplored wilderness. Situated on
the mainland facing the Strait of Ma
gellan. Punta Arenas is the most
southerly town of any consequence in
the world. Tributory to it in TERRA
del Fuega is an exceedingly important
sheep country to which the city with
its 24,OO0 inhabitants owes its recent
prosperity. For its size Punta Arenas
is the most commercially successful
Of all Chilean cities. It's exports to
the United States in a single year
recently total $4,000 600.