The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-02-12
MANKAro FREE PRESS,
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY IL. 1885.
DELIGHTFUL HONDURAS.

tSt-s1- NFk - ~ hs~p - - ~
Francis X. Fast, prominent New York
lawyer, has recently made visit to Hon
duras. and following are some of his
personal observations and statements Of
what he saw. Mr.. Fast is IN old tray.
nlcr, familiar with the peoples and Ian.
guagcs of many countries. although still
vonng in years. Honduras is u wonder.
full land. Mr.. Fast says, and no one can
even cstimat" lis immense wealth. Gold,
silver. precious stones, rubber and opals
are among its resources The country
is plateau. and is about the size OF the
State of Ohio Prior to the year 1921
il was tecminw with mining enterprises.
Gold and silver mines had been opened
up all over the country. The inhabi.
tants were Spaniards, and they were
the finest engineers in the world ut that
time. I'm 1921 the great revolution &C.
Cured. The engineers and most of the
inhabitants were either driven out or
killed. The people who captured the
land knew nothing about mining. and
us consequence the thousands of tons
of ore containing silver and gold, mined
over seventy years ago, still lies there on
the top of the ground.
Three wears ago Doro Marco Soto,
president of the republic and the most
progressive man in the country. started
movement which resulted in the form
inc of several American mining com
panics. Since that time large reduction
works have been built and are still
building. Large shipments of silver are
already being made TO this country. The
people of Honduras have little idea of
the immense wealth they possess. | was
travelling through the country on mule
hack one day, when ] came to , colony
where cigars were manufactured. One
man had orders for so worth, and i'm
order tn ship them be took IN axe and
chopped into Il log of mahogany that
would sell for 500 in New York. Their
cigars are fine article, but only sell for
so cents per 100. Tho government has
imported expert cigar-makers from Cuba
TO teach the natives.
The inhabitants are mixture of
Sn...niards and Indians. Their chief
characteristic is honesty. During the
five months of my stay never heard of
a theft 4 German physician whom /
met there while riding along the noun
tain lost . valuable package of papers:
He was unable to find them, and so con-
tinued his journey. Eight days after
ward n native overlook him, and.
with polite bow. handed him his pack
AGE of papers. asking if he had not lost
them. The overioyed doctor offered
him $50 gold piece, but the man re-
fused tn touch il, saying he had only
done his duty. He had found them,
and knowing that stranger had
passed thai way several days before,
Immediately mounted his mule and trav-
elcd I'll he overlook him. Words will
hardly describe the hospitality with
which an American is received by the
natives. The government is also ex-
trcmely liberal toward American enter
prise. The constitution of the country
is almost taken bodily from the consti-
tuition of the United States, and the
government is rpn in much the same
way.
The land is very fertile. Cotton of Il
finer quality and a greater yield than
that raised IN our country is being sue
ccssfully introduced. Sugar cane, which
was planted twenty wears ago, and from
which twenty crops have been harvested,
is Just rs fine rs ut first, The scenery
Is unsurpassed There are immense for
csts in which the stately cedar hobnobs
with the luxurious mahogany and rub
Der trees. IN which the beautiful birds
fill the air with sweet songs.
Game abouuds in great quantities.
Honduras is the home of the lguana or
edible lizard. | sat down one day to
dinner in the house of the mayor of a
small town and ate heartily Of what
supposed was tender .tcwcd chicken.
After ! was through my host almost
paralyzcd me by asking me how liked
Another of the wonders of that coun.
try is the remains of beautiful temples
built centuries ago by the Aztecs. In
the midst of immense forests, and in
some instances aimOS. covered by earth
are 10 be seen idols. monuments and
pillars OF the mos. beautiful workman
ship. Companies have been formed to
collect these valuable relies, making ex.
plorations in SECTIONS hitherto untrod-
den by any American foot. The name
of the place where our syndicate is con.
Quoting It's operations gives some luea
of the beauty of the place. 1t is Ell
Paradise, or the Paradise.
Another thing this country is noted
for is the absence of contagious dis
eases. The people, though crude in
their habits, are healthy and long.
lived, Physicians and medicines are
almost unknown Mining companies
are being organized in New York and
other cities: some of them are already
in unexpectedly successful operation. to
develop and realize the resources of this
land of lIna SnIias - IlLnnu .L0Mrn0I