Don Ibon Noya's personality has become such an outstanding one in the territory of Santa Cruz, with such unmistakable lineaments, that the popularity he enjoys, and the great liking of the settlers in the zone, is not to be wondered at.

Above all he is generous, and as such gives himself up entirely to any campaign or form of activity that succeeds in awakening his interest. He loves the land where he has spent the greater part of his existence, and this feeling, which has taken deep root in his soul, inspires his every act and humour. His private interests vanish when the general good is in question, and we see this in the tragic happenings of the years 1921 and 1922, when he was lavishing his money, his courage and his activity so that the troops sent by the National Government, for the purpose of suffocating the seditious movement that had broken out in the territory, might fully carry out the mission confided to them. As a business man, a stockbreeder, a man of credit and responsibility, he put into play all the resources within his reach, in order that the affront to our institutions and our flag should be effaced as soon as possible. The events mentioned, whereby a group of unruly foreigners had undertaken to ignore and revile our flag, and disturb the peace and tranquility of those zones, by a series of tragical disturbances. That he staked everything in the campaign is shown by the imminent risk to his life, and the gratitude felt towards him by every settler in the territory.

Don Ibon was President on various occasions of the Town Council, of the Argentine Patriotic League, and of the Rural Association at the present time, and his conduct in these leading posts was inspired by the public good and the progress of the zone in which he had evolved his activity since childhood as a strong man, honest and hardworking.

Don Ibon Noya was born in Spain and came with his people to Puerto Deseado in 1885, when he was barely eight years old. His family and those of Douchon, Pais, Vencat and Jenkins came to Argentina at the invitation of the National Government to settle the lands of that zone, in accordance with a decree to which we referred in another section of his book.

By said decree the Government was to make over a league of land, 250 sheep, 7 cows, one bull, two horses, a mare, six hens, one rooster, and provisions, for one year. But things did not turn out as the authorities had foreseen, the stock came into possession of the settlers two years after their settling down, and in the meanwhile they had to undergo hardships and privations which had altogether discouraged them.

Don Luis Noya, who was the head of the family, and his people held out for three years in Deseado against this life of anxiety, but at the end of that time, seeing no brighter prospect for the future, he crossed to Tierra del Fuego, where, shortly after arriving, he began to work at his trade as a builder.

They remained there for two years, going thence to Sandy Point, and thereafter to Gallegos. At this place, Don Luis Noya began the construction of the port-wharf, which at present belongs to the Swift Freezing Establishment working in that town.

In 1890, the father of the person spoken of, went into business and founded the firm which figures under the name of Varela & Fernandez. In 1895, he gave up this occupation and took to that of stockbreeder in which his pluck and perseverance were to gain him the reward sought. He stocked the lands of "Paso del Medio", which he left to his children as a legacy, and on which, some years later, Don Ibon was to carry out such skilful and progressive plans as to place him among the farmers of the first rank in the territory.