New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-24
CENTRAL AMERICA.

tCOL0NIZING EXPERIMENTS IN COSTA RIGA.
] From Our Own Correspondent
SAN JOSE, Monday, Feb 90, 1854.
The want OF hands and capital is the principal rea-
son why the State Of Costa Rca in spite of the ad-
vantage Of its natural conditions is kept back from
more rapid progress and extended prosperity.
Its hstoriographersa weas its people complain of this
want of brazosy captales which becomes every day
more sensible and if this natural want is not soon to
be supplied by the artificial means of foreign i'm
migration, it is easy to foresee, in distant
moment the most distressing consequences for the
tons wealth The greatest efforts Of labor which
be employed are even not sufficient to gather
trey the blessings of the SOIL and the impOssbty of
harvesting the riches Of the plantations and placing them
in safety might easily occasion second edition of that
dIeary event OF 1915 when many of the colee-plant
ers Of Costa Rica, seized by panic in consequence of
the sudden falling of the prices of coffee at the London
market, cut down the young coffee trees, with their
brilliant green foliage, and changed the destroyed gar
dens again into pastures which require less care, and
the produce Of which has nothing to fear to hope
from the state Of foreign affairs.
The Government, not less convinced than the people
Of the impo lance OF an increase OF a5orlng forces
leaves untred to direct the current OF Euro
pean emigration to Costa Rca aud to promote it by
premiums and all kind of concessions. In the last few
years the Government has granted considerable mate.
rial advantages to French, English and German compa
Mes and presented them large tracts of primitive land
with the condition that within certain period they
must be at least partly cleared and settled by certain
number of cOoDists.
The French "COmpagne du Colo Dulce' was found
ed few years ago by the former Consu-Genera Of
France in Costa kica, NJ Gabriel iafOnd with the OBJ
iect of establishing in the vicinity of BOca del Toro,
where the Isthmus narrows to IS English miles, a
canal and railroad junction with the Pacific Ocean.
The company received from the Government large
tracts of land between Boca del TorO the Atlantic
and David on the Pacific Ocean large tract OF land
of about $40 acres and other considerable privileges
but has since lost these Important grants account of
having neglected to introduce the first settlers within
the period Stipulated by the treaty Before however this
annulment took place, the French company ceded its
rights and privileges to an English company, the Costa
Rica Atlantic Pacific Junction and Colonization Com
pany But this new-foA ed company also neglected
the execution of the prQe and resigned, as it seems
even the already inves, ID not because they con-
sidered the undertaking mpractcsbe or disadvantage
ous but because they observed some dangers tor their
capital invested in the still pending contest about the
boundaries between Costa Rca and NewGranada
through Which territory the road was intended to lead
The German or Berlin Colonization Company for
Central America proposes, according TO the eeOa sense
Of its statutes from the 10th February, lou, the
foundation of a German commercial and agricultural
COLONY in one of the Republics Of Central America
This company. which unfortunately consists more OF
theoretical public officers than OF practical commercial
men, charged its agent, the well known cOioh'zer
Baron Alexander Buow, with the selection OF terri,
tory suitable for their purpose ana ater soou
many projects and purchases bad been broken
off, the delegate of the company selected at length ior
the cuton of this humane andimpOrtant enterprise
large fertile tract OF land, which extends from the
elevated plains of Turralya down to the Atlantic
Ocean Most of the territory Of Costa Rlca is YET
public property and the negotiations for the acquire
ent OF the territory selected for the German settle
ment had therefore to be carried on with the Govern
nent IL can however easily be conceived taal uider
The prevailing circumstance, tie Government was
ready 10 grant to the Berlin Company the desired
territory of square league or o0VOU acres, On
condition that within fortye years thus territory
should be partly cleared and that within the mrs,
twenty years al least thousand cmgants should
ette upon il otherwise the whole territory together
With all the other privileges granted to the Berlin Com
,any. would be resumed by the Government OF
Eosia Rca Besides, the Government granted to the
Rs,ln COMPANY for each single emgrant settling under
4. direction. a premium of - acres and ordered
that for three leagues in circumference Oh e
,l.ces upon which the Berlin Company intends 10 e.
hhish settlements, other company SNAIL n"'o
he right 10 COLOMBO. -.. o,,,;.
,.tea country would make its proprietor one OF lne
richest men in the world while in the primitive forests
ma uoodv maintains of Costa Rica its possession Is
Ant of relative value: for all will depend on the more
Az less Wise and successful disposition OF the territory
hposses sor. If the company succeeds 10 inc uuo'
hk of ceainp cultivatng and coonlzing ID 1ne "! ~
neans short space of AZ years the fertile ANUS "u
valleys and elevated plains Of its property une enci
sr,e will tprn ont 10 be an extremely brilliant one
bat II. on the contrary for want OF means the wue
kntory remains in its primitive condition. or pecoaies
bat sparselv popuattd BY few fororn individuals 'en
s the great advantages of climate and soil are los. io
Tie enterprise, and there remains to the berih CGn,
psny nothing but the dreary satisfaction 0. ha'
Ne rich evergreen forests OF Costa h'ca io' 10 '''
ground , .
Tia ex;stence of the Berlin Company dates but one