Mr. Eugenio Fernández was born in Cortina, Oviedo district, in the year 1870. Of farming stock, he began studies for the priesthood but decided to give them up on the day the village carpenter gave him a book about Magellan, the perusal of which suggested the idea of visiting those marvellous regions, believed to be the home of cannibals.

The famous settler, Mr. José Montes, his uncle, wrote to the boy's mother urging her to send him out. So one day the boy started out on the journey with Mr. Pedro Montes and two other relatives. They reached Buenos Aires in 1884, ready to set out for Punta Arenas overland, but finally they went by sea.

The young Asturian entered the service of the stock breeder, don Victoriano Rivera, and thence went to work at some gold washings to be found then at Cabo Vírgenes. Displaying indefatigable energy, he succeeded in saving enough to buy one hundred sheep. This was the foundation of his economic independence.

Finding land dearer in Chile than in Argentina, he and his relatives crossed over to Río Gallegos where they went to call on the Governor of Santa Cruz who at that time was Don Carlos Moyano. They petitioned him for lands to stock and were granted eight leagues apiece for a term of ten years at the rate of twenty pesos a league.

A year later, in Buenos Aires, a syndicate was formed to get possession of the lands granted to the courageous Spaniards, but the latter were able to defend their rights and hold the grant.

Mr. José Montes, knowing his nephew's strong will and accurate knowledge, appointed him as his agent in the administration of the property which post he filled with increasing success for sixteen years. They dissolved the partnership and another firm was formed by Mr. Fernández with don Pedro Montes being the firm which is still in existence at Río Gallegos under the style of Fernández and Co., owning the estancias "Alquinta", "Angelina" and "Delfina".

Now in the enjoyment of his honourably acquired wealth, and with his wife and nine children, Mr. Eugenio Fernández is another model of what Spanish endeavour means when incorporated in the commercial life of this continent.