Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-08
GONE FEATURES OF COSTA Riga.


Scenes Along the Narrow Gauge RailrsoA
Nearly an Accident.
The natives use cart whose wheels arc
made Of sections Of cedar, with the edge
cut thin and sloping down to the hub,
which is left five or six inches in diam
eter In the rim are bolted thin strips Of
iron The carts are drawn by oxen, and
1000 pounds is counted q good load The
oxen are of the Texan breed, but very
gentle being handled from calves and put
at work when they are years old. The
driver uses q goad and walks in front Of
his team, with the goad resting behind
him on the middle Of the yoke, which he
keeps in constant motion, much as our
Yankee or drivers swing continually their
whips without hitting the team.
These cedars as well as q tree called
guave are noticeable from the large num-
bers of orchids and parasites pendant from
their long limbs or fastened to their
trunks. 1t is said that often one tree will
have forty kinds Of these parasites. Some
Of them are like long ropes dropping from
the lofty branches to the ground, others
are punched on the body in green masses
with now and then flower upon them.
Indeed q naturalist familiar only with the
fora OF our Northern zone, must ind In
these intense tropical productions, an un-
ending delight since here nature rejoices
in the most fantastic and exuberant
growths. That our all day ride might not
want its due share of danger, we came
very near being run into by wild
banana train following us Our train
stopped after passing short curve for
wood and water without sending flag
man back to protect it. Suddenly there
turned q curve freight train,
which barely stopped as it reached us, but
not until our car had poured its fright
ened passengers into the deep grass and
bitches at the roadside. Sprained ankles,
q lost watch and much discomfort were
the results of the careless management OF
the train. In our country such negligence
would prove an expensive matter for the
company and cost the conductor his posi-
ton Here no such results are likely to
follow
Carlos is the end Of the railroad, and
thence to San Jose is trail barely passar
BILE for the rough carts I have described
But an immense business is done upon it
in bringing out coffee and carrying in
goods. The station has near it an i'm
mense building Of corrugated iron used as
q ware and custom house
The hotel was primitive establishment
kept by Jamaica colored woman. She
was exceedingly kind, and kept a neat lit
tie place under the shadow of an immense
mountain, whose tall trees seemed to
threaten her little place in case Of fall
A heavy rain fell in the evening, and the
air was delightful with the aroma from
the forest and the monotonous murmur
of running waters echoed in our drowsy
ears as we fell asleep. The good woman
told us Of her trials, among which was the
destruction in one night Of all her chick
ems and turkeys by tigers, as they call the
great cats of this country, so that the next
morning she hadn't feather left to throw
a grain to- These tigers are very fierce;
one was killed two days ago at Las Pal
mas, where we got our breakfast, which
the night before had killed fine young
mare.-Costa Rica Cor. Kansas City Jour
nal