The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-08-31

this country as IN Mexico and Guatemala.
The whole labor of the country until
quite recently, has been employed IN Ma
hOgany cutting and very little land is in
cultivation-not dozen Of cane or sugar
plantations IN operation The Weld Of cane
is equally as good under proper cultivation,
as IN the Islands. I am assured, that two to
two and half tons per acEe is made. The
agriculture IS of the rudest, and if such pro-
ducts are now had, we may expect much
greater, under a better system Lands are
very imperfectly cleared they are not
cleared IN my opinion. The process of clear
ing, is to cut down all upon the lands and
trees, canes and vines are thrown heller
skelter upon the ground-when dry enough
the torch Is appied-of course the small
growth, vines. etc, is burned, but the large
trees lie too thick upOn the ground to admit
of plOughing, or hauling IN the cane to plant
or hauling out to roll This rude wav of
clearing wiz doubtless not be practiced by
SOutherners who settle in Honduras That
of the Mississippi Valley will be adopted,
viz cut down ali growth under one foot di
ameter, and girdle all above that diameter
The cost Of clearing land IN the rude way
named IS about five dollars per acre To do
as have indicated it should not cost more.
Labor Is from six to eight dollars per month,
and rations valued at four dollars per month
say twelve dollars per month Ia one or
two years alter commencing IN Honduras,
provisions should be raised on the place
The labOrers are Jamaica men and Caribs,
blacks and Creoles and Spaniards, who are
Of mixed races and some few Chinese The
laborers Of Honduras compare quite favora-
bly, with those of the South, neither iniure
themselves by hard work
The labor laws are admirable Parties to
such contracts are made to execute their
contracts The most perfect respects shown
/ by employees for employers. Fully ninety
/ i've per cent, / think, of the population is
/ of the races named, yet such obedience to
/ the laws and generally respectful conduct. |
/ had not witnessed in many a day and this
/ is the remark Of all Southern people, all are
/ legally equal, and the a0hite man is the
/ equal of the black
In three months stay in Honduras /
witnessed no disorder.
/ The country is healthy, / am assured and
do not doubt Il is so. That disease will ap-
pear as the lands are cleared, / feel confident,
! It has ever done so In other countries
The heat Is not greater than in Louisiana,
/ this is the consequence of the Trade
/ Winds. The Thermometer does not indi-
/ cate greater heat than in Louisiana. I
imagine that felt the heat less IN Honduras,
! than ! do here now
There are not as many insects as in Lou
I
insect, the house Fly, is unseen / saw but
| one snake and know of one other being seen,
IN the three months was in the colony
! there are doubtless enough and to spare and of
mosquitoes In the rainy season.
Lands may be purchased in large tracts
at thirty-seVen and half to fifty cents per
acre much of it is not adapted to agricul-
4 ture. The Ridges are covered with Pines
/ which are smaller than ours of Louisiana
/ n Mo of l. e,
In the colony
Emigration from the South to Honduras
must go with the expectation of encounter
/ ing the hardships and discomforts of q new
/ settled county, not more than pioneers meet
/ IN other countries. They must clear land
and build cheap houses, such as they may
live in quite comfortably Such houses
/ cost but few dollars. There are few or no
/ Saw Mills and lumber is taken from the
/ South.
1 cannot say what it would cost to engage
IN cane planting. In my opinion several
should unite in putting up Mills and ma
| chinery. horse or cattle mill pans, etc.
and the necessary buildings for a sugar
/ house, should not cost over two thousand
dollars in Brstish currency-Gold or Silver
And such an establishment would IN five or
six months rolling, take off a crop Of five
hundred hogsheads of twelve hundred lbs
each.
Oxen, small and unbroken, may be had
at fifteen to twenty dollars. Mules, quite
SMALL at fifty dollars.
The density Of the cane Juice found to
be from ten to thirteen degrees by Beaume' 8
scale-Ours Of Louisiana varies from six to
nine degrees seven and half is fully an
average of the density. The greater rich
ness of the juice In Honduras causes a
corresponding reduction in the expenditure
of final Odd 81 - IL
so much less fuel that the Bagasse is nearly
all that is acquired In my opinion, the
simplest machinery is the best to be used,
as good mechanics are not numerous.
No one should go alone to settle in the
country with his family. Friends and
neighbOrs should unite to the number of
fifteen or twenty families or more buy the
necessary land and erect school houses and
churches; and have within each settlement
the society so necessary to us ALL The
present population does not furnish that
society and it can only be had IN the way I
have indicated, and without it emigrants
will become dissatisfied. These remarks ap-
ply to the rural districts.
Southern people who 90 to Honduras,
must 60 to work the same talent and en-
ergy which have been exhibited recentlv
VIII enable them to live comfortably under
a good government, a government of ciUiI
law which metes out to all alike. He that
wishes to play the drone had better not 90
there The climate admits of ones laboring
as well as ours, and our poverty requires
that we shall labor. All classes I find well
disposed to receive us. The Governor is a
man of enlarged views, and very favorably
disposed to emigrants from the South, and
this IS characteristic of ali whose acquaInt-
ance | made
1 know not when can return to Honduras
NY affairs here require my presence. When
l return it viii be as I have recommended
with some of my old friends and neighbors,
and | would be pleased that yourself and
family were of the number.
/ i am yours tr1Iv