The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-11
BARRIos AND HIS PEOPLE.
The Dictator as He Appeared TO
Man Who Doesn't Think
He is Dead.

coast, 1856 miles, Gen. ]. B. Gordon and
J. II. Lyman were thinking of taking
contract to build part of the road, Last
fall they sent an agent and Col. CrandalI
Kirk p Crandall of Ithaca) as chief en-
gineer to see about it. Col. Crandall re-
turned to New York on Saturday. Yes
terday he said;
''The Guatemala Northern is a failure.
They have one road from Guatemala to
the Pacific, some seventy miles long, but
this other road to the Atlantic coast will
not be built till the troubles there are at
an end Most of the road is graded, and
four or five miles of rails are laid, but
the government cannot float any bonds
now, and until it can the road will not
be built. The government is too inse-
cure. 1t paid the contractors directly
and was responsible for all expenses. 1t
was 10 own the road when it was finished
| saw there was no prospect of its being
built and l came back. When BarriCs
proclaimed himself dictator they wanted
to make me artillery captain in the
army.
"Barrios has been abused undeservedly
by people and papers who do not know
the kind of a nation he has to deal with.
Dictator Barrios looks just like a success
full Irish contractor. He is of middle
height and weight, and has full gray
ish beard. He is sturdy, energetic and
successful Fifteen or sixteen years ago
he was private soldier in the army. He
worked his way up to Captain, Colonel,
General, and by the aid of the army he
became President and Dictator. Before
that he had studied law, and was half
lawyer and half a mule trader. l do not
believe he is dead now. He is not that
kind of man.
''For five or six years he has been fix
ing up his army and getting ready for
this contest. lie has bought uniforms,
rifles, ammunition, and Gatling guns
and cannon. French officers have been
drilling his men, and his artillery corps
is very efficient. He issued his procla-
nation creating himself Dictator and de-
claring the union of Central America on
one Friday month ago. On Saturday
flags were hung everywhere and the city
was jubilant. Sunday was feast day.
On Monday morning recruits were
brought in He sent out the regular
army and snaked them in. He had uni
forms and rifles ready, and he mixed the
conscripts in with the old soldiers at
once. Every available man was inn
pressed. Thirty-fiye thousand were raked
in in four days They didn't dare to
kick.
Guatemala is a small country, and
man can't get out of it or travel through
it without passport When I left en-
gagged man and four mules to go to the
port with me. Before we got off they
impressed him and impressed the mules
and put them in the quartet, and it took
a day to get them out. When left Bar
rios had raised 60, 600 infantry from Qua
temala alone, without counting Hondu-
ras
"Barrios is an absolute dictator. There
is not Judge that dares make a decis-
ion against mis- wishes. A few years ago
the Senate would not pass one of his
measures. He got mad and told them
he wouldn't be President any more if
they didn't stop. Three or four of the
Senators worked against him at the last
election. Unfortunately they died sud
denly the next morning. He forces them
to elect him. Every man who votes has
to write his name on his ballot, and if
man signs his name for a candidate who
Is not elected God help him. There was
little rebellion on one of his coffee
plantations lately, and he sent some of
his officers with red breeches and an army
corps, and they shot 800 insurgents.
''They have a Senate and House of
Representatives, but they meet only to
vote what Barrios wishes. IF he wants
money he dips his hand into the *Treasu-
ry, and there is nobody to call him to ac-
count. Most of the revenue comes from
/ the custom house Forced loans are re-
| sorted to in time of war, but they have
been paid back every time so far. He is
credited with being worth $4,000 Coco
THE people have supported him be-
cause they had to, but it's hard to tell
whether they would get rid Of him if
/ they could Not one in hundred of
them knows what he is supporting. and
not five per cent. can write.
+ "Guatemala's population is 100000,
of whom 100000 are pure whites or
Spaniards. The others are mixed, brin-
die or yellow. You can get any shade of
color. There is a great deal of silver
and gold in the country, but the mines
are not worked owing to the troublous
times. The chief productions are coffee,
sugar, fruit, mahogany, and dye stuffs.
There are several miIlionaires in the cap
ital. The Guatemalans make poor sol