Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-08-20
Letter from Costa Rica.

Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette
SAN JOSE, July 24.-My stay here has been
of too short duration TO enable lue to give you
any better description of the place than can be
found in the late editions Of the school geOgra-
plies, so merely stating that it is almost entire
ly surrounded by mountains and is 1000 feet
above the level Of the sea, LII proceed to tell
you of other matters The Trans Continental
Railroad is being pushed forward as rapidly as
possible. Work is now in progress at PIT.
limOn on the Atlantic coast. Instead Of com
menciug at the coast, in the first place, and
working towards the interior, as Americans
would do, they began at this city and arc work
so, they say arc to let the people in the interior
see that railroad can be built in Costa Rca,
ia thing very hard for them to bclieve) and to
induce them to pay part Of the expense
Of hawking material. think the first is the
reason. There are now two engines running on
the ruad-onc from PIT. Llmon towards San
Jose aud the other from AIayuea to Heredia;
also towards this place to which the track will
be laid by the lst OF September. Most Of the
railroad officials are Americans though nearly
every nationality is represented. and amoug
them is German baron, won Heppe) who is
a division engineer, and gentleman of fiue
attaiumcnts Mr. II. d. B. Norris Of Eau
quier county, Va, is Chief Engineer and Mr..
Addison Marbury, of Alexandria, Principal
Assistant They are both thought great deal
of by the citizens of the country, and now that
Costa Rica has gotten loan Of II millions
very men to push the road through. Mr..
Keith, Mr.. Mcigg's nephew, is the contractor
for the whole line and expects to finish it in
three years. The other Acxandrans in the
corps of engineers to which am attached are
Thomas Dwyer, james EveIeth, Cornelius Cox,
George Latham and Frank Marbury. | went
to work to-day and had mule Of my own to
ride, and native to look after him while | was
employed. When 1t was time to return |
mounted my mule and rode back, giving the
native my rod to carry; so you see we work out
here like gentlemen" When | got here
they sent me TO the San Jose Hotel, where
slaid week at So a day, the company paying
| expenses.
This is the greatest country for churches and
bells you ever heard of. 10 every little village
there is at least one church with two bells, and
in the larger towns aud cities the churches and
| bells are numerous and some OF the former
very handsome The bells arc not hung here
ruug by men who strike them with hammer.
1t is also great country for bull fights, chick
en- fights and other similar sports, all of which
generally take place on Sunday, or if they COM
mcncc on other days continue until Monday.
Sunday is the day here, more business being
done on that day and Saturday than on all the
other days in the week The stores are all
kept open during the entire day and whenever
"a high official gives dinner or u. bali it is al
ways on Sunday. They have military mass
every Sunday morning at 5 o'clock in the
largest church, and u full brass band and file
OF soldiers attend The President of the coun-
try or the Vice President always sits IN the
chancrl on these occasions and during the
vice reyerentlalIy kisses the bible aud prayer
book.
There is only one Protestant church 10 Costa
RIGA and that is in San Jose 1t is very
ward with beautiful flowers and orange trees
growing around it. Mr.. Tullage Of the | Dited
States is the rector and the service is i mixture
Of the Episcopal and Presbyterian.
There are water works here and large rescr
voir and pretty fountain plays on each OF the
many plaZaS. La the plaza there Is music by
Il brass band every Thursday and Sunday night
at s u clock.
One Of the most interesting sights have
witnessed is the market on Saturday. ln it
there is the greatest display of fruits, vegetables
sugar, corn, &c The potatoes are the largest
| ever saw.
One OF the chief sources of the Government $
revenue is the Fabrica, at which is conccn-
tratcd all the liquor manufacturing business in
the country, and as all the liquors are made OF
sugar they are OF course pure The way
travelling is now done in this country is alto
gether on mules, aud produce and other sorts
Of freight are carried in curious looking carts
with solid wooden wheels with iron tires, drawn
by oxen. The houses, with few exceptions are
only Que story high and all have tile roofs.
Some Of them have handsome interiors and are
handsomely furnished, and they rent for much
more than might be suppOscd-sOme Tor as
much as 500
The people are very polite and all seem anX-
ious to learn English. | have seen the orange,
lemon, lime banana, cocanut, pine apple and
; many other tropical fruits growing; have
pluckcd them from the trees and eaten them,
and if it were not for the resemblance they bear
to these things called by their names in Alexan
drla, would not know they were the same kinds
of fruit They slice bananas out here and fry
them with potatoes. | was told before came
that the climate of the country vas so hot
could not stand it but every night I've been
here have slept comfortably under blanket
aud yesterday morning when got up 1t Was
so cool that | could see my breath. The Ma
seasons have changed as it don't rain now as
much as it did, Our meal hours are as follows:
Coffee at g. a. M, breakfast at Ioa m. and
dinner at D. H. This don't look like hard
work, but its the way of the country. -