Years.Ships.Tonnage.187520,3943,116,161187621,4483,845,056187722,1024,370,721187820,9154,327,504187922,2724,595,040188021,8114,369,759188123,0534,435,860188223,1365,007,708188322,8375,422,538188426,7647,205,653188529,7318,590,543188628,5428,277,662188729,9949,423,337188835,20310,551,624188935,58212,444,462189032,21311,442,894189127,2079,482,644
During the last two years a diminution is observed, owed to the crisis and to the competition made by the Argentine ports—competition which will disappear when the work undertaken to improve Montevideo's port is complete, the project of which is already studied.
During the year 1891 have entered the ports of the Republic:
Tons.From abroad1,092ships,with1,429,661From the Rivers:Gen. coasting trade.2,941""1,302,648Receptories9,637""2,009,951————4,742,260
The ships were:
Tons.7,099 steamers, with4,157,9056,571 sailing vessels, with584,295————13,670 vessels, with4,742,200
That is to say, 1,139 vessels with 395,183 tons per month, or 37 vessels with 13,006 tons per day.
As regards the nationality of the 13,670 vessels entered, there were 5,229 national vessels, with 460,467 tons, and 8,441 foreign vessels, with 4,281,793 tons.
Of all the ports in the Republic Montevideo is the most important one.
During the year 1891 there entered:
From Abroad.
Tons.434 sailing vessels, with275,184658 steamers, with1,154,477——————1,092 vessels, with1,429,661
From the Rivers—Coasting Trade.
Tons.1,680 sailing vessels, with85,5421,261 steamers, with1,217,106——————2,941 vessels, with1,302,648
Which gives a total of 4,033 vessels, with 2,732,309 tons, for the year 1891.
The nationality of the vessels which entered the port of Montevideo was:
FlagsSailorsTonsSteamersTons.Germany2114.136112183.450Argentine Rep11925515Austria74.673.......Brazil41.0414230.721Belgium.......2033.668Denmark101.842.......Spain7321.4631530.577Chile.......122France156597236.963Holland95.49012.267England10385.818258456.690Italy5835.12997174.812North America1910.72023.081Uruguay Rep.124781.711Russia43.921.......Sweden12389.947.......————————Total434275.1846581.154.477
The vessels coasting were:
Ships.Tons.With the national flag1,55199,538With foreign flag1,3901,203,110——————2,9411,302,648
According to the statistics the goods moved in the harbor of Montevideo during the last five years are calculated thus:
Tons.18871,187,55718881,411,68618891,773,61018901,316,29618911,089,992————6,779,141
That is to say, a middle term of 1,355,828 tons moved per year, or 112,985 per month.
Along the coasts of the Republic, watered by the Atlantic Ocean and the River Plate, there are eleven lighthouses, established in the most convenient points, to guide and advise the sailors. To them must be attributed the notable diminution in the number of shipwrecks.
SituationLightClassLuminousTax topowerbe paidCape Santa Mariaflash1st18miles2cts.Poloniosteady3d15 & 16"1¾"Jose Ignacio"3d15"1"Punta Brava"4th8"1"Farallon"3d15"1"Panela"4th9"1"Coloniaturni'g3d12"1"Cerro"1st25"1"Isle of Flores"2d15"1"Banco Inglessteady3d9"1"Punta del Esteflash2d16 & 18"1"
The Republic possesses one Lazaretto, established in the Isle of Flores, at a distance of 17 miles southeast from Montevideo.
It is quite comfortable and provided with everything that may be required for disinfecting and fumigating luggage and correspondence.
There is a telegraph and telephone line established between Montevideo and the Lazaretto.
It has not yet been possible to calculate exactly and completely the interior commerce of the Republic, between Montevideo and all the other Departments. Statistics only give the figures representing the cattle and rural products imported to Montevideo by the Departments and that come by railway for local consumption and export.
This commerce gave, during the last five years, a total of 143,446 carts, that is to say a yearly middle term of 28,689.
There arrive daily to the Montevideo markets, by railroad and by the rivers, great quantities of skins, (oxen, horses, sheep) wool, horns, bones, tallow, ostrich feathers and other products of cattle industry, and among rural products great quantities of corn, wheat, flour, canary-seed, barley, mustard-seed, potatoes, garlick, French beans, onions, pumpkins, eggs, butter, fowl, cheeses, paving and lime stone, spirits and many other goods it would be too long to mention here.
There is an important increase every year in the quantity of cattle destined to local consumption, to the Montevideo saladeros and export.
During the year 1891, 20,328 licenses were paid for by trade-houses, industries, professions and work-houses. The nationality of those who asked for their trade patent was:
Natives4,134Argentines370Brazilians166Italians7,995Spaniards5,336French1,324English130Germans173Swiss186Portuguese116Belgians7Swedish7Danes5Norwegians6Dutch1Austrians52North-Americans28Russians6Peruvians1Chilians12Paraguayan11Other Nations262
Among the most important industries, must be mentioned: the Liebig Extract of Meat Company, thesaladerosor killing grounds, the spirits, wine and beer manufactures, flour mills, the starch and vermicelli manufactures, the soap, suet and oil manufactures, the gas, electric light and water companies, the match, brick, shoe and wooden shoe manufactures, the tan-yards, saw-mills, etc., etc.
There are in Montevideo a great many important spirit, wine, brandy, beer and match manufacturers; and there are sixteen of them in the departments. The Montevideo manufacturers give an annual product of:
Alcohol,2,000,000litres.Beer,1,700,000"Matches,55,000grosses.Wine and Spirits,400,000litres.
According to the declarations made for the payment of the license tax, the capital represented by the trade houses, industries, etc, is $89,329,539.
The clerks employed by all these houses, manufactures and industries, were 11,639, and the workmen of various nationalities 16,621.
As a demonstration of the industrial importance and progress of the country, among many other establishments, the description of which cannot be made here for want of space, one may mention the great breweryGermania, established under the direction of Engineer J. A. Capurro.
It occupies a magnificent building situated in the "Playa Honda" in front of the Montevideo Bay. Its construction and interior distribution completely corresponds to all the technical necessities required for beer manufacturing. It is provided for night working, with electric light produced by a eight-horse dynamo and 68 lamps.
The establishment was built and is worked by a stock company.
It receives the waters of the River Santa Lucia, the very purest, the same that is drank in the town. It possesses, nevertheless, two immense filters, so as to make the water still purer.
The machinery comes from the renowned German manufacture of Chemnitz; it is 25 horse-power, and can give from 18,000 to 20,000 litres per day. The receiving depositories are two, the first one of a capacity of 12,000 litres, and the second of 8,000 litres; the cooling depositories can receive 9,000 litres every hour and a-half, with a temperature that can go to 14° under naught. The clarifying is made by three filters of the most modern system, without any paper application. The fermentation cellar contains three large tubs of a capacity of 3,000 and 3,500 litres. There are also 6 great cellars, for depositories, with 34 tubs each; 18 of them can contain 5,000 litres each and the other 16, 3,500 litres.
With a compressed air machine they cork 10,000 bottles a day.
The ice depositories are beautiful; they always remain at a temperature of 12 or 20° under nought.
The "Germania" also has many other depositories for the raw materials, empty bottles and casks, another for 5,000 litre tubs, brought on purpose from Germany; a forge, a workshop for cask-making, ten carts and stables for 30 horses, and many offices.
It possesses a quay on the bay for loading and unloading and, during the season of most activity, employs over a hundred workmen and clerks.
This establishment represents a capital of over half a million dollars.
During the season it sells over 200,000 litres per month to nearly 1,500 or 2,000 establishments.
The same society possesses also a starch and an alcohol manufactory. They are very important establishments, provided with the very latest inventions of European and North American manufacture.
In the same conditions are also the Richling and Niding Beer Manufactories.
The Republic counts with a great many banks and anonymous societies, that make easier all commercial transactions.
The emission banks are: TheLondon and River Plate Bank, that on December 31, 1891, had an active capital of $8,911,000; theItalian Uruguay Bank, with an active capital of $7,714,521; theSpain and River Plate Bank, with $4,614,752; theItalo-Oriental, with $10,432,276, and the other banks calledNational Bank,English and River Plate Bank, which actually are in liquidation, being the active of the first bank, 31st December, 1890, $61,630,320, and that of the second, $15,298,406.
Among the discounting banks, there are theCommercial Bank, theFrench Bank, theSouth America British Bank, theAnglo-Argentine Bank.
The principal anonymous societies are; The "Credito Real Uruguayo," the "Industrial," the "Cobranzas, locacion y Anticipos," the "Agencia de Tierras," the "Colonization y Fomento del Uruguay," the "Caja de Credito Uruguayo," the "Auxiliar de Credito y Alquileres," the "Co-operativa de Consumo," the "Caja Nacional Uruguaya," the "Edificadora de Montevideo," the "Mercantil del Plata," the "Vegas Uruguayas," the "Viticola Uruguaya," the "Viticola Saltena" and many others that represent important capitals.
In Montevideo there is the important commercial centre called "Bolsa Montevideana," or Montevideo Exchange Hall. There are also the French, the Italian and the Spanish Commercial Boards, that make easier and easier the exchange of goods between the Republic and France, Italy and Spain.
All the towns and villages of Uruguay littoral communicate with the capital by the regular service of beautiful steamers between Montevideo and Salto, stopping in all the ports of the Uruguay and Argentine Republic littoral.
Other steamers start from Montevideo for Paraguay and Matto-Grosso (Brazil.)
The lines of transatlantic steamers establish constant communications between the Republic and European and American ports.
By land, a great many places in the Republic are put in communication by the railways and by the telegraph, established also between Montevideo and Europe, Brazil, the Pacific and Argentine Republic.
Where the railways are not yet established, there is a good and regular service of stage-coaches.
There are already seven railway lines in the Republic, the service of which is quite regular and comprehends an extension of 1,567 kilometres.
Some other lines are in way of formation, and for some others the necessary preliminary studies have begun, comprising a new extension of 1,231 kilometres.
The railways already established are:
1st.The Central Uruguay Railway.It starts from Montevideo, runs through the whole territory of the Republic, till it reaches the capital of the Department of Rivera, on the very frontier of Brazil, in front of "Santa Ana do Livramento," that is to say, with an extension of 575 kilometres. Besides this, it has also another line of 32 kilometres from "25 de Agosto" to "San Jose."
2d.The Northeast Uruguay Railway, between Montevideo and Minas, with an extension of 122 kilometres.
3d.The "East Extension" Railway, between Toledo Station, which belongs to the Northeast Uruguay Railway and Nico Perez, with an extension of 206 kilometres.
4th.The North Railway, between Montevideo and Santa Lucia, where are established the municipal slaughter houses. This railway furnishes with meat all the Montevideo markets and has an extension of 23 kilometres.
5th.The Northwest Uruguay Railway, from Salto to the River Cuareim, through the Department of Artigas, with an extension of 178 kilometres. In "Paso del Correo," where this line stops, begins the Brazilian Uruguayana Line.
6th.The Midland Uruguay Railwayjoins with the Central Railway in "Paso de los Toros" and with the Northwest Railway in the town of Salto and has its principal station in Paysandu, with an extension of 317 kilometres.
7th.The North Uruguay Railwaybetween Isla Cabellos, which belongs to the Northwest Line and San Eugenio in front of San Juan Bautista (Brazil). It runs through the Department of Artigas and has an extension of 114 kilometres.
There exist many important navigation companies with beautiful and comfortable steamers for the service of the River Plate, Uruguay and Parana.
Among these companies the English companyPlatensemust be mentioned. With its twenty steamers it represents an important capital. It possesses its own docks and wharfs in this republic and in the Argentine Republic. The principal steamers of thePlatenseare called:Venus,Eolo,Apolo,Minerva,Olimpo,Saturno,CosmosandHelios, the finest of all, recently constructed. All these steamers have electric light on board. They all go to Buenos Ayres and stop in Martin Garcia, Nueva Palmira, Mercedes, Fray Bentos, Gualeguaychu, Concepcion del Uruguay, Paysandu, Villa Colon, Guaviyu, Concordin, Salto and vice versa.
The steamers of the other companies have more or less the same itinerary.
The movement of goods and passengers is important and has always given good benefits to all the companies.
The journey between Montevideo and Buenos Ayres is of a few hours. The steamers start from Montevideo at 6 p.m. and get to Buenos Ayres, generally, at 4 next morning. The very same day, at 10 a.m. they start again for the ports of the Uruguay; getting to Salto the next day.
In all the departments where railways are not yet established there is a regular service of stage coaches putting the various railway lines in communication and making easier the conveyance of goods and passengers.
In Montevideo there are nine tramway lines: 1st Union and Maronas Tramway; 2nd Paso del Molino and Cerro Tramway; 3rd Eastern Tramway; 4th Buceo and Union Tramway; 5th North Tramway; 6th Oriental Tramway; 7th Reducto Tramway; 8th Montevideo Tramway; 9th Central Tramway. In nearly all the streets of Montevideo there is a tramway line and with such a shortening of the distances life and activity are a great deal increased.
In the centre of the town the tramway ticket costs 4 cents, and from one extremity of the line to the other it costs 10 cents.
During the year 1891 all these tramways made 916,798 journeys, which represent 9,285,940 kilometres, they conveyed 18,000,000 passengers. They possess 507 coaches and 3,622 horses. The number of men employed by the tramway companies is 1029. They have 14 stations.
In the town of Paysandu there is also a tramway line.
The telegraph, as it may be seen on the map, is established all over the Republic and in communication with all the towns of Europe and America. The different telegraph companies are:
TelegraphCable.The National Telegraph Cokilom.95115The Platino Brasilero"829...Rio de la Plata"233160The Western and Brazilian Co., Oriental Line"...694Telefonica del Plata"18045The Oriental"1,362...The Platense, Brasilero, United States direct"250...———3,805914Telegraph of the railway lines"1,568———"5,373914
There are two telegraph companies more between Salto and Concordia and between Paysandu and Concepcion del Uruguay (Argentine Republic). But they are of little importance.
The number of telegrams sent by the various companies was, in 1891, 256,467.
Many European and American Companies have their agencies in Montevideo. The principal ones are:
Italian CompanyLa Veloce.French CompanyChargeurs Reunis.English CompanyRoyal Mail Steam Packet Company.Spanish CompanyLa Trasatlantica.French CompanyMessageries Maritimes.French CompanyNouvelle Compagnie Marseillaise.English CompanyPacific Steam Navigation Company.N. American CompanyUnited States and Brazil Mail.English CompanyShaw, Savill & Albion Co., limited.English CompanyNew Zealand Shipping Co., limited.Italian CompanyNavigazione Generale Italiana. Societa Riunite(Florio e Rubattino).Italian CompanyFratelli Lavarello Fu Gio Batta.Italian CompanyLa Genovesse.French CompanyTransports Maritimes a vapeur.English CompanyLamport Holt Line.Brazilian CompanyCompanhia Nacional de Navegacao a vapor.
All these steamers put Montevideo in direct communication with Barcelona, Genoa, Naples, Dakar, Lisbon, Bourdeaux, Rio Janeiro, Saint Vincent, Vigo, Bahia, Pernambuco, Marseilles, Havre, Santa Cruz of Tenerif, Dunkirk, Plymouth, Liverpool, London, New Zealand and also the ports of the Pacific Ocean and those of North America.
In many points of the Republic telephone lines are established. The principal lines in Montevideo are: The Co-operative Co., the Telefonica Nacional Co., the Telefonica de Montevideo Co.
During the year 1891 these lines have had 21,000 daily communications. They have 3,600 subscribers and the wires they employ represent 5,500 miles. They have 10 offices and employ 174 persons, 74 men and 100 women. The capital of each company is: The Telefonica de Montevideo $220,000, the Telefonica Nacional $105,000, the Telegrafica Telefonica del Plata Company has established a telephone line between Montevideo and Buenos Ayres.
The movement in the Postoffices of the Republic is greater every day, owing to the continual improvement of the ways of communication.
The following table gives an idea of the movement in the Montevideo Postoffice:
Letters,Years.Papers, etc.1885,12,203,3811886,11,407,5961887,17,157,3451888,20,171,9291889,21,366,4721890,21,534,2091891,20,105,295
The movement during 1891 may be divided thus:
Letters, in general6,152,654Business papers, samples543,127Official correspondence423,178Post-cards55,955Papers, etc.12,930,381—————20,105,295
The number of coaches is very considerable in the Republic.
Montevideo alone counts over 4,000 carts and more than 700 carriages.
Primary education is gratuitous and obligatory in all the Republic.
The public schools are at the expense of the State, that gives the books and all the necessary materials.
Since the year 1877, in which was issued the law on public education, the primary education has improved a great deal.
The reform of the primary schools was initiated in the year 1868 by a private society, founded by the great reformer, Jose Pedro Varela, the Horace Mann of Uruguay, under the name of "Friends of Popular Education Society," which created an application school, called "Elbio Fernandez," in honor of one of the founders of the society. Various North American books and manuals were then translated for the use of the schools and masters. Varela's ideas soon were diffused among the people, and the reformer was appointed to a high situation in the Public Instruction Board, in the year 1876. Immediately he reformed all the official schools, and organized the scholar administration, being himself appointed principal director of it, with the title of "National Primary Instruction Inspector."
The number of the students in the University of Montevideo during the year 1891 was 668, distributed thus:
For law,377For social sciences,176For medicine,85For mathematics,30——668
Out of those 668 students, 631 were natives and 37 foreigners.
The professors were 75: 14 for law and social sciences, 23 for medicine, 19 for mathematics and 19 for the preparatory studies; being 58 of them natives, 12 Spaniards, 3 Italians, 1 German and 1 Frenchman.
In the year 1891 there were in the Republic 483 public schools; that is to say, 143 more than in the year 1886.
The number of pupils was then for the whole Republic 43,676 (24,541 boys, 19,135 girls)—14,763 boys and girls in the capital, and 28,913 in the departments.
All the schools cost $690,574, the education of each pupil representing a value of $13.27.
The professors were 863—272 men and 591 women.
Ninety-four schools were established in buildings belonging to the National Educational Board and representing a value of $448,541, and 11 of them in buildings belonging to the State, with a value of $45,942.
In 1891 there existed in the Republic 375 private schools, with 21,945 pupils and 930 professors (381 men and 549 women).
We obtain, therefore, the following result:
No.Pupils.Public schools483,with43,676Private "375,"21,945—————Schools:868,65,621
In this national school 114 girls received the title of professor for the first degree, and 29 for the second degree, from the year 1887 to the year 1891.
In the same building is established the "Museo Pedagogico, or Pedagogic" Museum, one of the most important institutions of this kind in South America, under the direction of Mr. A. Gomez Ruano.
This important establishment is actually under the care of the "National Charity and Public Beneficence Commission." It is established in a large building of its own, fit for 600 pupils. In 1891 there were 227 of them who received there, besides professional instruction, a very serious general instruction up to the third degree.
In that establishment they study for carpenter, cabinet-maker, ironsmith, shoemaker, bookbinder, typographer, lithographer, mechanican, turner, silversmith, tinsmith, sculptor, painter, etc. There are also classes of telegraphing, drawing, gymnastics, singing, and music. The professors are 46.
Montevideo Atheneum.—A beautiful establishment is being built for this literary, scientific and artistic institution, the object of which is, delivering gratuitous lectures and publishing reviews, to foment in the Republic the general literary, scientific and artistic instruction.
Professional League.—Very good results are attained by this institution. In its halls the best professors give every night gratuitous lessons on painting, drawing, architecture and mathematics.
This establishment is under the care of the Ministry of War and Navy, and works according to the latest improvements of military science.
It counts with the best professors of French and German tactics, physics and natural philosophy, mathematics, geography and history, lineal drawing and photography, fencing and gymnastics. It possesses also all the necessary apparatus for physics, chemistry, physiology and mineralogy, and has a complete library with the newest and best scientific works.
In the Republic there are a great many schools and colleges under the care of religious communities, in which more than 4,200 children are taught.
Under this name there exists in Montevideo an important establishment, the object of which is to improve and foment the primary, secondary, superior, artistical and professional instruction, not only in Montevideo but also throughout the whole country. It has also founded an important college.
During the 185 days in which that important establishment remained opened, in the year 1891, the number of the readers have been 2,849. The number of the books asked for was 2,698 and 64 manuscripts.
The library possesses over 21,000 volumes and 2,500 manuscripts, a great many engravings, photographs and maps.
There are also the "Archives" where all records are kept, ancient writings and documents that have a relation with the National History.
In nearly every department there is a public library.
International Book Exchange.—Uruguay is one of the nations that signed the Brussels treaty and in Montevideo there is a very useful office for International Book Exchange.
In the National Museum there are 24,226 objects, that is to say:
Orchæology814Numismatics4,201History140Paleontology107Zoology13,741Botany1,812Mineralogy3,253Fine Arts, Industries158
Great many newspapers and reviews are published in the Republic. They are agricultural, industrial, scientific, political, commercial, literary, religious, judicial, satirical or philosophical.
In 1891 there were 74 papers and reviews issued in Montevideo and 31 in the Departments: total, 105.
Out of them, 96 were written in Spanish, 4 in French, 1 in English, 3 in Italian and 1 in Portuguese.
26 were daily papers and the other monthly.
93 were morning papers and 12 evening papers.
In the capital town of each department there are various societies, the object of which is charity and mutual help.
Among the societies that exist in Montevideo, we must mention the societies called: Amigos de la Educacion, Ateneo de la Mujer, Agricola Italiana, Ateneo Militar, Confederacion Cientifica Literaria, Associacion Rural del Uruguay, Cosmo Italiano, Centro Catalan, Centro Gallego, Ciencias y Artes, Circulo Catolico de Obreros, Idem Napolitano, Clubs Aleman, Espanol, Frances, Ingles, Uruguay, Catolico, Colon, Dramatico Italiano, Societies Garibaldina, Hannemaniana Uruguaya, Homeopatica, La Lira, La Patrie, Laurak Bat, Liga Lombarda, Liga Industrial, Liga Masaniello, Nova Stella di Italia, La Romea, Tiro y Gymnasio Nacional, Union de Obreros, and also the French, Italian and Spanish commercial boards.
The Uruguay Masonry is represented by a Great Orient on which depend many other lodges. There exist also many foreign lodges.
Although the State Religion is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion, all the other religions are tolerated in the Republic owing to the liberality of the laws and to the independent spirit of the inhabitants. There exist Protestant Temples, not only in Montevideo but also in Salto, Swiss Colony, etc.
The budget of the Republic assigns $19,712 for all the expenses of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Republic has 43 churches and 36 chapels. The number of the priests is 161.
Actually they are building 7 more churches.
The public revenue is derived from the custom duties, direct taxes on property, licenses to trade houses, stamped paper, stamps, import and export duties, port dues, municipal duties in the capital and in the departments, duties on indirect inheritance, trade patents, cattle marks, etc.
Its amount has been during the three following periods: