8 The Conservative ,
Recent events
THK AIIC.KNTINK
have caused many
friends of THE
CONSERVATIVE to make enquiries con
cerning the Argentine Republic. There
fore the editor answers them collec
tively.
In 151(5 , twenty-four years after the
first landing of Columbus on the Island of
San Salvador Juan Dias de Solis , pilot-
in-chief of the King of Spain , made the
discovery of the Rio de la Plata , or
River of Silver. Sixty-four years after
Solis sailed into the river of Silver
the city of Buenos Aires was founded
by Don Juan de Gamy. That was in
the year 1580. And now Buenos Aires
has a population of more than a half a
million of people many of whom are
Europeans.
The Argentine Republic is bounded
nn the north by Paraguay , Bolivia and
Brazil ; on the west and south by Chile
and on the east by Brazil , Uruguay and
the Atlantic Ocean. It has an area of
one million one hundred and eighteen
thousand (1,118,000) ( ) square miles. It
has a population of five millions.
The province of Buenos Aires , the
most important of all , is bounded on the
north by Entre
THEPKOVINCE OF
Rios , Sant a F e ,
UUENOS AIHKS.
and Cordoba , on
the east by the Atlantic Ocean , on the
south by the territory of La Pampa and
the province of Cordoba. Its area is
(58,000 ( square miles and its population
1,500,000.
With the exception of a few hills in
the southern part of the province , it
presents the aspect of a general plain ,
with many small lakes , crossed and
recrossed with streams that constitute a
natural system of irrigation. Its soil is
principally adapted to grazing purposes ,
altho'ugh of late , agriculture has also
made great progress. In 1891 , there
were in the province 70,000,000 sheep ;
the cattle numbered 9,600,000 , valued at
$50,000,000 ; and the horses 1,860,000 ,
valued at $10,000,000 , the value of all
amounting to $185,000,000.
Without counting the city of La
Plata , capital of the province , the value
of the pastoral and agricultural indus
tries in 1891 was estimated to be $841-
000,000. In 1886 , the value of the laud ,
sheep , cattle , and horses of the province
of Buenos Aires , exception being made
of La Plata , amounted to abont $700 ,
000,000. The cultivated area , in 1891 ,
was 8,420,000 acres. It was distributee
as follows : Maize , 1,610,000 acres
wheat , 1,160,000 ; linseed , 100,000 ; lu
cerne , 200,000 ; barley , 40,000 ; potatoes
60,000. The total value of the crop of
1891 was $88,000,000.
A great quantity of maize is employee
by the different distilleries established
in the province , a fact which contributed
to make the crop too small for the inter
mil needs of the province. The rapid
increase of the cultivated area has , of
ate , remedied this evil , permitting1
vheat , maize and other cereals to bo ex-
lorted from Buenos Aires as well astern
torn other provinces.
In 1885 , the nineteen * /m/t'ms / / then
n existence slaughtered 243,875 head of
cattle , 200,000 head of horses , and 200-
000 sheep.
Of all the South American cities ,
Buenos Aires is the one which has lost ,
to a greater ex-
THE OK
CITY
fcont thftu
UUENOS AHUM. othcpf the Spftuish
aspect , which had characterized it for
ihree centimes.
A long time ago , it broke the chains
which bound it to Seville and Cadiz.
The civilians seem to have forgotten the
iimo when they furnished every com
mercial commodity to the cities of Span
ish America. When Buenos Aires re
ceives a cargo of salt from Cadiz it little
tliinks that this is a last vestige of the
exclusive commerce which , in former
; imes , was transacted between the two
cities.
The axis of international relations has
changed its position. The Argentine
Republic , after having received every
thing from Spain , its laws , its public
spirit , its private customs , its cuisine ,
etc. , now takes nothing from Spain.
Even its language is not pure Castilian.
During the lost three centuries , Span
ish literature has remained stationary
and has produced few good works. The
Argentines have therefore been obliged
to look elsewhere for such works , pre
ferring to read them in their own original
languages rather than wait for transla
tions. This has caused the Argentines
to take something from every language ,
consequently producing a certain change
in their style of writing.
It is now difficult to find in Buenos
Aires the old-fashioned Spanish house.
Even the houses built by the natives
thirty or forty years ago , have almost
disappeared , having been replaced by
modern buildings.
The Government House is modern ,
being a mixture of Italian and French
renaissance. One half of it , which for
a time was used for the postoffice , is a
reproduction , on a small scale , of the
Tuilleries , and the other half , built
afterwards , resembles an Italian palace
of the sixteenth century.
The plaza or square , which was laid
out in 1580 , in accordance with the
Spanish laws , has the classic 150 meters
in breadth by 800 meters in length. It
continues to servo the purpose for which
it was intended. Many public build
ings face upon it ; among others , the
Government House , the custom house
the city hall , congress hall , the cathedral ,
the palace of the archbishop , the Colon
theatre and the bourse.
The great traffic of this part of the
city overflows into the adjacent streets.
At every step traces of the old city are
found. Sometimes , one imagines him
self in a city of Andalusia , but this il-
usion soon vanishes at the sight of the
exceedingly active traffic on all sides ,
and the noise produced by innumerable
carts , tramways , and carriages of every
description , very few of which carry
idle people , for who could remain idle
in the midst of so much activity when ,
at every step , one is reminded of the
struggle for life ?
There has scarcely been time to re
build this portion of the city. Several
old structures arc yet to bo found , the
rental of which is sufficient to satisfy
; heir owners , who do not care to go to
bho expense of building new houses.
But alongside of these old houses ,
which are destined to disappear , palatial
buildings have been raised , most of
which , although originally destined for
other purposes , have been claimed by
the increasing demands of business.
The part of the city occupied by pri
vate residences surrounds the business
part , and the farther one gets from the
business center , the greater number of
modern houses are found. New thor
oughfares spring up every day , and
grounds which not long ago were used
to raise lucerne , are now covered with
fashionable dwellings. Everywhere , new
buildings are seen entirely different
from the antique style of architecture.
Many rich families have set the exam
ple by building beautiful homes , in
which they display a luxury unknown
before.
These residences are designed from
the Parisian private hotels , the chalets
of Norway , the Moorish alcazars , the
Italian palaces , the great seignorial cas
tles of France , while some are modeled
after Spanish castles. From Paris ,
principally , comes the furniture for
these residences , splendid tapiswricit ,
paintings of the best masters , and ob
jects of art , dernicrcit nourcdntes , etc.
Several Parisian houses have sent
then1 own men to superintend the fur
nishing of these dwellings , which the
most gorgeous private hotels of Paris
can not rival.
Vain would be the attempt to distin
guish among the new and old-fashioned
houses those which are occupied by the
high officials of the government , the
president himself , or the foreign diplo
matic ministers. The difference of for
tune only , and not of official rank ,
marks the difference of dwellings. The
state does not provide residences for
officials. A man occupying a high po
sition in the government is not required
to have a grand establishment. The
president and his ministers go every day
to the Government House to transact
the business of the day ; but they all
live in their own houses , more or less
elegant according to their private
means , their salary not being sufficient
to allow thorn to live with greater
luxury.
The principal driving park of Buenos
Aires is Palermo , where over 8,000 car-