Los leoneses - Brothers from León

Hilarino Teófilo Arias (1899-1943)
Natural de Felechas, provincia de León (España), arribó a Río Gallegos en 1921, buscando reunirse con su hermano Eutimio, y al desembarcar fue informado que éste, en la víspera, había caído fusilado en Lago Argentino por los piquetes antihuelguistas del Teniente Coronel Várela.
Muy joven, en suelo extraño, con sólo una moneda de oro de 25 pesetas por toda riqueza y efecto, legado de su madre al partir y que conservó por siempre, emprendió la lucha por la subsistencia.
El tiempo lo vio como vendedor ambulante, atendiendo un almacén de ramos generales después, y finalmente aco-piador de frutos del país, alcanzando cierta fortuna.
Encaró la vida con valor y fe y armó su familia, pero al leonés el destino le resultaría aciago.
Quebrantada su salud por los crudos inviernos de ca-mionero, su vida se extinguió tempranamente, sin pedir ni dar cuartel en la batalla silenciosa por sobrevivir.
Breve y amarga es la historia de estos hermanos, que llegaron un día al país de la libertad y jamás pudieron regresar a su España natal.
De los recuerdos de familia.




Hilarino Teófilo Arias (1899-1943)
Native of Felechas in the Spanish province León, he arrived in Río Gallegos in 1921 seeking to reunite himself with his brother Eutimio. On disembarking he was informed that his brother had been shot in the vicinity of lake Argentino by the firing squad of Lt. Col. Varela's anti-strike picketers.
Very young, in a strange land, he started out on the struggle for subsistence, with nothing but a gold 25 peseta coin as all his worldly goods, a keepsake from his mother on parting and which he kept for ever.
Time saw him work as a street vendor, later serving in a general store, and finally he became a wholesaler of fruit, vegetables and other fresh produce from scattered small-holdings and farms throughout the country as well as locally, and achieving a degree of wealth.
He faced life with courage and faith and formed his own family, but destiny turned out to be unkind to this man from León.
His health was broken by the harsh winters driving far and wide collecting the fresh produce for his wholesale business, and his life was extinguished early, without his ever seeking a respite from the silent uncomplaining battle for survival.
Brief and bitter is the history of these brothers who one day reached the country of freedom but were never abte to return to their native Spain.
From family memories.

A los hombres de valor - To te valiant men

Los que poblaron
Genio y figura. John Cormack (1870 - 1938) y Annie Chapman de Cormack (1886 - 1972), naturales de Wick y de Kaithnness- Shire (Escocia), respectivamente, fueron los primeros ocupantes de la estancia "Cerro Negro", entre los años 1904 y 1908.
Posteriormente poblaron "Mendi-Aike" de 1909 a 1934, y finalmente se afincaron en la estancia "La Felicidad", en 1935.
Eran personas comunes, trabajadores rurales, que llegaron a estas latitudes sin más fortuna que su juventud, la fuerza de su trabajo y el ansia de porvenir en una tierra que se presentaba plena de futuro y posibilidades.
La vida no siempre resulta demasiado generosa. John falleció a los 68 años de edad, dejando una numerosa descendencia (Jessie, Jack, Willie, Donald, Charly, George, Alexander, Annie, Williamina, Ruth y Daisy).
Fueron, como muchos otros, quienes con sacrificio y esperanzas emprendieron la esforzada aventura de poblar. Tan solo por ello y por la hazaña de enfrentar con fe la dura vida cotidiana, es justo recordarlos como aquellos que aportaron su sudor para construir esta nación de los argentinos.




Early settlers
A genial figure. John Cormack (1870-1938) and Annie Chapman de Cormack (1886-1972), from Wick and Caithness (Scotland) respectively. They were the first occupants of the estancia 'Cerro Negro' from 1904 to 1908.
Subsequently they were at 'Mendi-Aike* from 1909 to 1934, and they finally settled at the estancia 'La Felicidad' in 1935.
They were ordinary people, rural workers, who reached these latitudes with no more fortune than their youth, their hard-working effort and their eagerness for a future in a land that presented itself full of possibilities.
Life does not always turn out to be so generous. John died aged 68, leaving numerous offspring (Jessie, Jack, Willie, Donald, Charlie, George, Alexander, Annie, Williamina, Ruth and Daisy).
They were like so many others who, with sacrifice and hope, set about the valiant venture of populating these parts. It is right to remember them for that alone, and for the feat of facing the harshness of daily life with faith, as so many who with the sweat of their brow contributed to forming this nation, Argentina.

¡A punta de pistola!

En la esquina sudoeste de la manzana 147 del ejido urbano de Río Gallegos, se encontraba el Banco de Tarapacá y Argentina Ltdo., en la primera década del siglo XX.
Era una construcción de madera y chapa lisa enarenada, a la usanza de la zona, de 570 metros cuadrados de superficie cubierta.
La historia no sólo es la narración cronológica de hechos memorables, de relatos épicos, de héroes y proceres, de sus esfuerzos y luchas; es también la memoria sobre rufianes y malvivientes, que con sus andanzas y fechorías también la escribieron.
El 14 de febrero de 1905, a las tres de la tarde; este vernáculo edificio demolido varias décadas después, fue el escenario de un espectacular atraco al mejor estilo del far west, perpetrado por dos norteamericanos, de la banda de Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (alias el "Sundance Kid, 1867-1908) y Robert Leroy Parker (el célebre "Butch Cassidy", 1866-1908).
El acontecimiento conmovió la tranquila vida de los novecientos habitantes en la incipiente Río Gallegos de entonces.
Basado en información suministrada por el Prof. Osvaldo Topcic



At gunpoint!
Back in the first decade of the 20th century, the Tarapacá and Argentina Bank Ltd. occupied the south western córner of block 147 of the urban grid of Río Gallegos. The building, covering a total of 570 square metres, was a wooden framed construction ciad in sand-coated sheet metal, typical of that era in these parts.
History is not just the chronological narration of memorable events or epic tales, or héroes and eminent personages and their efforts and struggles. It is also the remembering of ruffians and ne'er-do-wells, whose adventures and misdemeanours wrote the darker pages of the annals of history.
On 14 February 1905, at three o'clock in the afternoon, this vernacular building (demolished a few decades later), was the scene of a spectacular hold-up in the best Wild West style, perpetrated by two North Americans, members of the infamous gang led by Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (alias the Sundance Kid) 1867-1908 and Robert Leroy Parker (the celebrated Butch Cassidy) 1866-1908.
The occurrence shook the peaceful life of the nine hundred inhabitants of the budding township of Río Gallegos.
Based on information provided by Osvaldo Topcic, Professor of History at the local university.