River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-01-19
IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
Some of the Hardships Experienced b
Travellers I'm Costa Rira.

Some of the Hardships Experienced by
Travellers I'm Costa RIGA.
tn Jusands of ox-carts are still employed
bet zen the towns Of Ezparza and Alajaela,
tn termini of the Costa Rica railway, car
rying freight over the mountains, and II us
ually takes week for them to make the jour
ney of thirty-five miles, often longer, for on
religious festivals, which occur with sur
prising frequency, all the transportation
business is suspended. A traveller who in
tends TO take a steamer at Punta Arenas
must send his baggage on week in ad-
vance. He leaves the train at Alajuela,
mounts mule, rides over the mountain h
the town Of Atenas, where he spends the
night. The next morning at daybreak be
resumes his journey and rides fifteen miles
to San Mateo, breakfasts at eleven, takes
his siesta in a hammock until four or five IN
the afternoon, then mounting his mule
again, covers the ten miles 70 Esparza by
sunset, where he dimes and spends the
night, usually remaining there, 70 avoid the
heat of Punta Arenas. until few hours be-
fore the steamer leaves; and then, IL the OK
carts have come with his baggage, makes
the rest of his trip by rail.
The journey is not an unpleasant one.
The scenery is wild and picturesque. The
roads are usually good, except in the dry
season, when they become very dusty, and
after heavy rains, when the mud is deep.
But under the tropic sun and in the dry air
moisture evaporates rapidly, and in six
hours after rainfall the roads are hard
and good. The uncertainty as to whether
his trunks will arrive in time makes the
inexperienced traveller nervous. The
Costa-Rican cartmen are the most ire
sponsible and Indifferent beings on earth.
They travel in long caravans or process
sions, often with two o. three hundred
teams in line. When one chooses to stop,
or meets with an accident all the rest
wait for him II II wastes week. None
viii start until each OF his companions Is
ready, and sometimes the road is blocked
for miles, awaiting the repair Of some
damage. The oxen are large white patient
beasts, and are yoked by the horns, and
not by the neck, as in modern style, lash
ings Of raw cowh.de being used 70 make
them fast. They wear the yokes con-
tinually. The union is as permanent
as matrimOny in a land where divorce
laws are unknown. Fhe oartmen are
as courteous as they are indifferent They
always lift their hats TO a odbdliero as he
passes them, and say: MAY the Virgin
guard you on your lourneyr Thousands
Of dollars in gold are often intrusted 70
them, and never was penny lost A
banker of san Jose told me that he usually
received 81, 900 in coin each week during
coffee season by these ox-carts, and consid-
cred il safer than If he carried il himself,
although the caravan stands IN the open
air by the roadside every night Highway
robbery IS unknown, and the cartmen, with
their wages Of thirty cents q day, would not
know what use 10 make Of the money II
they should steal il. Nevertheless they al
/ ways feel At liberty to rob the traveller Of
the straps on his franks, and no piece Of
baggage ever arrives at its destination 50
protected unless the strap Is securely
nailed; and then II Is usually cat 10 pieces
| by the cartmen IS revenge for being de-
prived Of what they considered tseir per
! quisite.-W E. Csrtis Ia HarPT's -dagasfne.