Corrientes, population 30,000, is a rather old fashioned quiet town in a sheep raising district, with some cattle; the last port on its left bank before the turn of the river, which beyond is called the Alto Paraná. Sailing straight north one is on the Paraguay, up which the larger steamers go to Asunción. The upper Paraná though broad is much shallower, accordingly at Corrientes smaller steamers are taken for Posadas 36 hours distant. The Aripe Rapids, 145 miles up, also make these necessary. Above Posadas, boats of still lighter draft are used for the three days’ sail to the Iguassú, where a landing for the Falls is made at Puerto Aiguirre, a mile up the river. The boats continue up the Paraná beyond the northern extremity of Argentina to the Falls of La Guayra.
Continuing north from Corrientes up the Paraguay, the mouth of the Bermejo is soon passed and at Asunción the mouth of the Pilcomayo is reached, the northern boundary of this part of Argentina, the Territory of Formosa. The lower large tributary, the Bermejo, separating Formosa from the Chaco, has recently been made navigable by clearing the banks and cleaning the river bed, so that with one transshipment traffic may be carried on for 450 miles. The journey requires three weeks; but Villa Embarcación, an important centre of trade on the border of Bolivia was thus made accessible by water, the town already having rail connection with Jujuy and Salta, and being but 15 miles from Orán, another important terminus. Tropical products, as sugar, cotton, and fruit, are of value, and oil from Bolivia. The native population of El Chaco is estimated at 25,000 Indians of various tribes; as many more in Formosa. The forest covered plains are not thoroughly explored, some persons having lost their lives in the attempt; several are known to have been murdered in 1900 and 1902. Aside from these rivers there is little steamboat service in the interior.
The Plata Basin, in size and flow of water second in the world, and now in economic importance surpassing the Amazon, includes also the Uruguay River which separates the two Republics, serving both for a considerable distance. The Uruguay, formed by several streams which rise in the Serra do Mar of Brazil, has a length of 800 miles. It is navigable for ocean steamers 100 miles to the falls at Concordia and Salta, above these for smaller craft. Steamers of the Mihanovich Line from Buenos Aires, after crossing the Plata enter the rather muddy Uruguay. Passing on the right the town of Fray Bentos in Uruguay, the first port of consequence in Argentina is Concepción del Uruguay, a stock raising centre near which are large estancias, some devoted to pure blooded, others to crossed stock. Nine of these estates cover 370,000 acres, with hardly 1200 devoted to agriculture. Concordia, population 25,000, a little below the Falls, is an important railway junction with good harbor accommodations, flour mills, elevators, etc., exporting wheat, cattle, hides, wool, linseed, mate, and quebracho.
Railways
The railway system of Argentina is developed to a greater extent than that of any other South American country, largely due to the opportunity for easy construction presented by its great plains. The land transportation is complicated, as there is a real network of railways centering at Buenos Aires besides smaller centres at Bahia Blanca, Rosario, and Santa Fé; other cities are at points of junction of several lines; the most important of these will be mentioned. The railways have an extension of 22,720 miles, about 4000 of which are Government owned, 18,000 of private capital, 670 provincial, and 600 of industrial railways.
The first railway line in Argentina, six miles long, was constructed in 1857. The first of importance, 246 miles, from Rosario to Córdoba, was built by Wm. Wheelwright in the 60’s. January 1st, 1918, about 22,500 miles of railway were open to traffic, with other mileage in construction. The careful policy pursued in Argentina during this development has prevented the great evils experienced in the United States of local land booms and town lot speculations. Large investments in railways have been made by European countries, especially by Great Britain, which has about $1,000,000,000 so placed, and France the next smaller sum. The value of the privately owned lines is $1,220,000,000, while that of the Government owned is $150,000,000. In 1915 the equipment included 7000 locomotives, 6300 passenger cars, 160,000 freight and service cars. The density of traffic in Buenos Aires is shown from the fact that 500 passenger trains daily leave the city. Instead of taxes the railways pay the Government 3 per cent of the net receipts, which is spent on making roads to the railway stations and bridges; 60 per cent is allowed for expenses. If above 17 per cent profit is made by a company in three successive years the Government has a right to lower the rates. The railways may build branch lines 47 miles long without special permission, if they do not run within 12¹⁄₂ miles of another road. Several roads have constructed irrigation works along their lines, for which they receive Government 5 per cent bonds at par. In 1917 an increase of rates of 22 per cent was allowed by the Government to cover extra operation costs.
The Central Argentina is one of the most important of the railways, serving the chief cities of north and central Argentina, Buenos Aires, Rosario, Córdoba, Santa Fé, Tucumán, etc., and some of the best agricultural lands of the country. It has the finest railway station and terminal in South America, the Retiro, and a mileage of 3300. The main line, extending 720 miles to Tucumán, crosses the Provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fé, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán; there are branches in these Provinces and in Córdoba. Elaborate extensions planned, but suspended on account of the outbreak of the War, will doubtless be carried out before long. On account of heavy suburban traffic the lines for 17 miles out of Buenos Aires have been electrified by a third rail. Two thousand passenger trains a week are handled at the station and 9,000,000 passengers annually. Through express service is maintained, and connection is made with the Government Line to the Bolivia frontier at La Quiaca. In 1913 about 22,000,000 passengers were carried; 9,000,000 tons of freight are handled, 2,000,000 head of cattle, and other live stock. Aside from the stock the chief freight is cereals, but sugar, timber, wool, hides, hay, and lime are also carried.
EASTERN ARGENTINA, URUGUAY
The Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway, equally important, with the longest mileage, operates about 3800 miles of road. Ninety per cent of the mileage is in the province of Buenos Aires, serving the important cities of La Plata, capital of the province, Mar del Plata, the famous shore resort, the port, Bahia Blanca, etc. The freight station is the largest in South America with storage capacity for 230,000 bags of grain and 2000 tons of other freight. A line goes west from Bahia Blanca through northern Patagonia to Neuquen and Senilossa, 480 miles, which is handling excellent traffic especially in cattle. Important irrigation works have been made by the railway in the Rio Negro and Neuquen Valleys. The road has a terminus in Plaza Constitución, Buenos Aires, where 35 trains daily, including express and de luxe, serve 25-30 million passengers in normal years. In 1913 besides 6,500,000 head of live stock the road transported 1,800,000 tons of wheat, 1,000,000 of corn, 227,000 of potatoes, 920,000 of lime and stone, and 2,500,000 general freight.