Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-27

II. Whitley and A. g. hOdenpyl. Thinking
ssOrt sketch Of his trip would bs os interes
TO the public a TELEGKAs scribe called upos
him al has residence last night.
rHE wssT INDIES.
The tno left Grand Rapids Januar, -
and after leaving the United States mad.
their trst stop IN Cuba. and from there weni
10 Santo Domingo, Porto Rico ST. Thoma,
and the Windward Islands They also stop
| ped Oh al Jamaica and thence fetched a
| compass t0 Asplnwall Mr. Lacey sa,s tina.
al the time he visited the Vest Indies lac
/ found business of all kinds very much de
pressed owing 10 the low prioes of sugar and
coffee. The people were basing their hopes
upon the adoption of the Spanish treaty, and
It's failure will have the effect 10 still further
depress trade. Matters were worse ia Cuba
than IN the other islands, bat in all of them
he found a strong feeling in favor of com
mercial treaty with the United States, aud II
anything, II was stronger in the British West
Indies than IN the Spanish possessions. Al
ter crossing the Isthmus of Panama he went
direct TO Amspala, Honduras. touching al
NOStd nc hdtl nicaragua.
THE GREAT SHIP CANAL
Deternng 10 the ship canal he said that
there was we'll defined feeling among those
best posted that il would be a very difficult
matter TO ever complete the project Every
thing connected with II appeared 10 be in 4
bad condition. The canal runs parallel with
the railroad and he had opportunity 10 OBJ
serve the progress of the work. The portion
of 1t actually completed Is distance Of
about three miles from Colon and of the re
mainder only the surface or preliminary
work has been done. There has been an i'm
mense expenditure of life and money thus
far and the results have not been commen-
surate with the cost Not more than one
twenty fifth of the work Is completed and
$50, 10000 have been expended and the cOun
try has been made a sepulcher. At the pres
ent rate it will require fifteen years TO finish
II.
THE CENTRAL AMERICAN WAR.
He reached Amapala on the 18th of March.
only eight days after President Barrios had
issued his celebrated decree for the central
izatiOn of the Central American States
Active preparations were everywhere in
progress for resistance. On his way TO the
capital he met four or five thousand Hon
durian troops going to the frontier between
Salvador and Nicaragua TO prevent the in
vasion of that State and Costa Rica. From
the capital MIR. Lacey made his way TO Puerto
Cortez, on the Bay of Honduras. The main
part of the fighting occurred near Santa
Anna in Salvador. Barrois was killed at
Chalchuapa, in Salvador, a strongly fortified
town. His officers refused to lead the attack
upon the Notifications, whereupon he placed
himself at the head of his troops and
ordered them 10 follow him. The fortifca
tions were taken and he was afterward shot
by sharpshooters while riding through the
town with his son. During the progress of
the war business was affected to some ex
tent in consequence Of the conscripting that
was practiced, but now treaties of peace
have been ratified 10y the principal states
and no further interruption is anticipated.
Mr.. Lacey says he travelled across the coun-
try while the war was in progress on mule
back and met thousands of troops but was
not molested.
MAHOGANY LUMBERING.
The numbering operations of the Hon |
duras Lumber company are conducted on /
the north coast of Honduras. This company
Is the only one from this direction Of the /
United States that does cutting, though |
there are others who buy timber. Several /
natives are also engaged in cutting. The |
chief timbers cut are mahogany and Spanish I
cedar, both of which are cut into square /
timber and shipped in that state TO Europe /
aud the United States. The mahogany is 1
used for furniture and house furnishing. and /
the cedar for cigar boxes. The trees run
from fifteen inches TO seven feet in diameter.
and they are cut into lengths Of from ten 10 /
thirty feet. The Honduras Lumber CON
pany has purchased the stunpaee on
10000 trees from the government and they
are now engaged in clearing II of Mr.. /
Lacey say- the locations for cutting mabog
any are getting scarce. His company nov
has haul of from one TO eight miles 70 the
river where the logs are RATED 10 the coast.
a distance Of one hundred miles.
BANANA AND coooANuT CULTURE
The Honduras Tropic Fruit Cofnpauy "a
another Grand Rapids institution operating
in that section. Of which Mr.. Mills d Presi
dent. T.. Crofton fox Vice President. and
Nm. NJ Robinson SECRETARY and Treasurer.
They have planted 120 acres IN bananas
and have 100 more resdy 70 plant The trees
are nov N bearing condition They also
have tl.pD cocoaDUt trees leased from fhe
government located near Port Teia The
development of the fruit interest ia shown
IN the fact that IN 1879 the first fruit steamer
visited that section and now the shipments
amount 70 5000 bananas and 10000 CO.
s0anots per month. The fruit lands yield
from $50 to S2oo rer acre.
THE SEw ORLEANS FKPosTTTos
Mr Lacey thinks the New CDrleaus Frfso
.ItIon vii have 2 very saintary eject apdn
ieDtral America and may be the means IL T
,onDectiDn with proper oornuercisi treaties
Il opening Up very lucrative trade FOR ths
nited States. TIE state arp neeriv AL
-epresente5 ~ fhe Exposition by srhibifs
ND comm Is@lCuS.
Free Entertainment
TIE R0ysl Teropisrs havs moved into IRE
seT hal of TIE y. 7. T. 10 al. Pear