Until the accomplishment of the Entre Rios railway this Province
was known as the “Poor Sister” of Buenos Aires and Santa Fé. Now,
this disparagement cannot be thrown on her; for her prosperity is
advancing literally by leaps and bounds. This is very largely owing
to the communication and transport afforded by the Railway and its
train-carrying Ferry Boats which run between ZÁRATE on the Buenos
Aires side of the River Paraná and IBICUY on the Entre Rios side, thus
permitting of traffic without change of car between the Federal City and
the Entre Rios system—and, in fact, also, onward through the Province of
Corrientes and the Republic of Paraguay to Brazil, by several links in
the chain of railway lines one day to run the whole length from North and
South of the two Americas.
The journey by rail from Buenos Aires to Paraná, the capital of Entre
Rios, is a delightful one, not the least pleasant part of it being the
voyage in the well-appointed Ferry Boats up and across beautiful winding
reaches of the Paraná River.
From the Provincial capital one can again take a train through
interesting country across the Province to Concórdia, on the River
Uruguay, and so back to Buenos Aires by one of the fine and comfortable
River Boats. That is, if one does not first of all go further North to
the famous falls of Iguazú, further mention of which will be made when
writing of the National Territory of Misiones.
The City of Paraná is a quiet, pleasant Capital, redolent of the memory
of General Urquíza, the one-time “Tyrant” of these parts of the River
Plate Territories. One sees the old large low building which was the
head-quarters of his government, and where, as history hath it, he
contrived to have many of his political enemies put to death. On the
other hand, there is much evidence of his enlightenment in the shape
of schools, first established by him and later fostered by “The School
Master President” Sarmiento. The fact is that Urquíza, like Rozas, whom
he supplanted, and Artígas, the national hero of Uruguay, were all strong
men of good purpose according to their lights and times; times which were
turbulent and in which it was necessary for him who would govern to kill
first if he would not himself die by an assassin’s hand.
Opposition politicians had short shrift in those days. They were caught,
convicted and executed almost before the plots of which they were found
guilty had been fully formed.
Each of these tyrants had a far-reaching and minutely penetrating police
system, from which nothing was hid of the movements and meetings of other
people in those sparsely populated days; days when no man’s business was
a secret to his neighbour. As a result, order sprang out of disorder and
was maintained by iron rule.
Looking back from this distance of time one can perceive the great and
good work done by these men for their country. Their methods were of the
time; necessary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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