New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-10
Costa Rfca.

The following interesting letter regarding
railroad affairs in Central South America
appears N the columns of the New York
Times. 1t is from the pen of Hiram Fuller,
of the Cosmopolitan
As have long taken an interest in South
and Central American affairs, after reading
the letter from San Jose de Costa Rica in
the Times OF yesterday, l called on my
friend, Henry NJ. Kieth, Esq, the contrac-
tor of the railroad alluded to by your clever
and generally accurate correspondent, from
whom learned the following facts in re
gard to the suspension Of work on the Costa
Rica railway: Mr.. Kieth paid to Mr.. Henry
Meiggs 10000, not 80, 900, for the con-
t act and the government agreed to give
him 81 100000 to build the road from
Alraiuela TO San Jose and Port Limon, l2O
miles, not Simon, as printed 10 the Times.
The road is three-foOt and half gauge,
2l2 foot grade to the mile, With a
feet" It is utterly impossible for the
contractor to make $20O0,00o, as stated
by your correspondent. 1t ls true that the
government took possession OF the untin-
ished work on or about the twenty.tifth OF
June last year, including $50 coolies im-
ported by Mr.. Keith, from Macao. This
arbitrary seizure included the surveys and
plans of the whole line extending to the
Pacific. and even the private books and
papers belonging to the contractor and his
engineers. Mr.. Keith has taken the neces-
sarv steps to have his property restored,
and is fully prepared to complete the work
according to contrast, Geaucting the time
that has ELAPSED since the forciole suspen-
sion of the work. Mr.. Keith regards Don
Tomas Guardia not as the legitimate head
of the government, but simply as military
dictator, and does not recognize his au-
thor,tv in the premises. Mr.. Name, who
has been sent to Europe for the purpose OF
raising money to complete the road, was a
former employe of Mr.. Keith, whose char
acter is we'll known both as Costa Rica and
at the Costa Rican Consulate in New York
As the Costa Rican loans, amounting
| to e3 500. 900, were raised in London,
| where the bondholders are looking in
| despair at their unpaid coupons, the COM
| pletiOn OF this inter-ocean railroad ls con-
sidered the only possible means OF redeem
| ing Costa Rican credit. Touching the socla
| condition OF Rosta Rica, Mr.. Keith admits
the truth of your correspondents state
| meuts, except in regard to ''depraved
| women" He says that in no country in the
world has he found this class of womer
| more conspicuous by their absence, while
| the ladies of Costa Rica are among the elite
| of London, Paris and New York. In regarC
| to the Senores Montealegre, they are MOI
mulattos, as asserted, but wealthy white
| merchants Of high standing, We'll known II
San Francisco. New York and Europe, an(
most of them are married to English ant
American ladies. Mr.. Keith says the grea
trouble with Costa Rica is that the govern
ment officers, encouraged by the remarkable
success of their London loans, have enriched
themselves through foolish contracts, there
by exhausting the treasury, and leaving
nothing in the country to meet the semi
annual interest on their bonds. AS to tn
rich mineral and agricultural resources o
| Costa Rica, it is scarcely in the power Q
language to exaggerate them. In thi
respect your correspondent fully confirm
| all that has been written on this subject.