Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-09-17
Letter from Costa Rica.

Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
CARRIAGE, Aug. 23, lS72-Last Saturday
(3d) just as we had finished breakfast, 1--WE have
cafe at clock, before we go to work and
have breakfast sent out on the line to u.s. then
we come back and have dinner at O clock, and
WORK no more that day. Mr.. Marbury rode up,
and to our surprise, gave us our mail aud
checks for our months pay mine commencing
from the day | left New York, July lst.)
We all stopped work Immediately, and lying
90 the grass, commenced reading our letters
vigorously. 1t was the first time | had heard
can imagine how g lad | was to hear from home,
and at the same time how sad | felt at the
though of being SO far away but was not Il
bit home. sick land have not been since [ have
been on land You just ought to have" seen
us lying Oh the grass reading letters 1t put me
more in mind of I; soldiers life than anything |
had seen, and then when we went ''home" the
Gazette Was very carefully read aud specula-
| tons made us to who was the young man from
Alexandria who sent home after flannel shirts,
uuti Frank Marbury lack nowledged the corn, p"
and We all agreed to tease jim Evel=th about
it and declare it was he. am now staliond at
this place aud have been here since last Mon
day Our party is under Mr. FarrilI, an
American, and consists of Miller ia nephew of
Sidney Miller Of Connccticut) Cox, Frank
AIarbury and myself. There is also another boy
from Boston with Us, and about Is Pcoucs (ua-
tivcs) We have very nice time; the boys get
along pretty we'll MIR. Waller has just arrived
from the United States, (Virginia) and has
come out to join our party. | have my own
mule now aud ride in and out from work every
day. If you could see me riding out to work
every morning and man walking along carrying
my rod, you would think | owned one half of
Costa Rica aud wanted to buy the other half
When We have holiday, (which is pretty often)
we send out for our mules and take ride around
the country, and Frank Marbury aud myself
have race every day. This place was once the
capita! vi Costa Rica, but was destroyed some
moved to San Jose 1t is more than mile above
the level of the sea, and is 50 cold that we sleep
under two blankets every night and can see
our brcaths' every morning 1t is the most
healthy place in Costa Rlca. 1t seemed very
strange when read here how hot it was at
homc, and We way down 10 latitude aud SO
cold that fire feels comfortable. Wea to have
grand ir,lst here, commencing on Sunday. On
Monday night they had fireworks In the plaza,
which, 10y the way were very tlnc,as they We're
made in this country. Cine Was u mule fixed on
the back OF z man, who rau all around with it.
IL made dash for me, and | could feel the
heat Oh my neck SO made rush for store
and Knocked one woman down and ran over TWO
men. You never saw such sight in your life.
but they all laughed heartily at me and took it
as Il good Joke have been to one or two
churches, and they are all very curious look
Ing inside aud have some very remarkable
things in them. We have nothing but Catholic
Churches here. We 90 into camp tomorrow, aud
expect to live more like engineers. Up to this
tmc we have had very easy life, had our
own rooms, beds. &c. This place is about it-
teen miles from San Jose aud two stages come
from that place every day. so we hear every
thing that is going on. Mr.. Waller is with Us
now aud is very nice gentleman. He is a Eir
giuian, and is brother In-law of Mr.. Jefferson
Davis. The city is crowded with people and
there is bull fight going on. This is one of
the grand feast seasons, and will last till We'd
nesday. | was coming down the street the
other evening and as usual as | pass the wO-
men in this country say something in English.
This evening said well girls, and both of
them looked very hard at me, but did not say
anything. Some Of the boys laughed at me land
|
and that they understood me. | have not
spoken to a woman since. Letters here
should be written on thin paper az We have to
pay % cents for every letter We get, and when
they weigh fraction over We have to pay 80
cents.
When | wrote last We were just gong into
camp. Since then we have been there" and
have come back to Carriage to stay a little while
yet, after having been in camp only one week.
| Tn to the date at which We went into camp we
had very easy and pleasant time, but there
it was little rough, owing principally to our
not having things as nice is We had been ac-
costomed to, and as it was damp and toggy
every morning, when We got up 1t made Us tccl
little dsagrecabe, but even then We had a Jolly
time, for we used to fight the dogs at night that
got in our tents, aud every morning we would
get up and run to little stream to wash. So
We tried to have an agreeable time and succeed
ed pretty well. fluid out that there is moth
ing like trying TO ENJOY yourself. Ii you had
seen me in camp you would have thought
had been brought up either soldier or an en-
ginccr. had my cot and Blankets, SO every
night would put one single blanket under me,
use NY clothes for Il pillow, and put my double
blanket over me, and some nights would wake
up with my knees drawn under my chin; it
| was ST. CUlu w ildl wv you lhlIh VI ILLS ioi
the torrid zone? got an Invitation last week
addressed to "Scnor Don, - stating THAT his
Exccllency, &c, the Governor of Carriage, had
condcsccndcd to attend grand ball, to be
given in his honor" and most earnestly 50.
letting my attendance | did not 20 on &C.
count of not having my clothes up here, and as
| | had had on the same ones tor most three
weeks Tone Of the honors and advantages OF be-
ing an engineer J you will very easily sec that
had good excuse for not going. Last week
We worked pretty hard aud did not tinish 80
OH Saturday night while We were in excellent
humor reading our letters Mr. Farrill asked us
to work next day (Sunday!l had ''conscieu
tious scruples, aud said atterward that was
''tetotally, morally, politically, and regiously
opposed to working on Sunday, but as it was
case of necessity, we all went to work next
day and worked all day Sunday--a thing l
had never done before i'll my lite. thought it
was pretty hard, but the way we were asked
We could scarcely refuse. reckon | did right.
When We got through that evening we were all
told that we could 70 back to town and stay
| until otl ,nr ado so