St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-13
A TRANS-ISTHMIAN ROAD.
Observations by Consul on Central
American Railways.
A VERY DENSE POPULATION,
Which Could Be Placed Within Fifty
Hours Of the Port Of
Mobile.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-The United
States consul at San Salvador has made
report to the department Of state in
regard to the railway system of Central
America. He says that President Men
endez, of Salvador, is an earnest friend
OF the United States and, like the late
president, Barrios, of Guatemala, favors
the assimilation of the institutions and
business methods of his country to
those of the United States. BarriOs
projected the construction Of railway
from the bay of San Tomas on
the Caribbean sea to Guatemala
City, distance of $50 miles,
where it was to connect with the exist
ing narrow gauge of the Guatemala
Central, seventy-five miles in length,
terminating on the Pacific at the open
rOadStead of San Jose. Forty miles of
this transcontinental road from Puerto
BarrioS to Guatemala City were half
finished at the time of Barrios' death.
His successor, President BarilloS, pur-
sues the same policy, favoring the con-
struction of the tranS-iSthmian and
other railways projected in Qua
temala, particularly the one des-
tined to connect the capitals
of Guatemala and Mexico. SIN truth"
the consul says, "Senor BarrilloS and
other Central American statemen have
failed to discover that no Central
American union is desirable, which
may be pinned together with bayOnets,
and none desirable and enduring can be
achieved save through interstate rail
way systems" After referring to the
unhealthful climate of Central America
AT THE SEA LEVEL,
the consul says: The Nicaragua canal
and the ship railway and De Lesseps'
canal each and all are at the sea level.
No soft, cooling wind from the Pacific
may find its way into either canal or
follow gigantic locomotives tugging at
ships crossing Tehuantepec. and the
acclimated alone may cross the conti-
nent in safety at the sea level; but
there is perfect immunity from climatic
diseases the instant the traveller reaches
an elevation of 1000 feet above the sea.
Commerce, therefore, will traverse
the ship railway and the canal;
men and women will prefer this trans
isthmian railway, having perfectly
land-looked harbOr at each terminus
and an elevation at no point after leav-
ing the coast of less than 1900 feet
above the plane of the two oceans"
After describing the wonders of the in
terror country, such as the fathomleSS
lakes, extinct and active volcanoes and
relics of antiquity, the consul continues:
1.-The railway crosses the state
of Sta Ana, district of Salvador
fifty miles square, producing. it is
stated, more coffee than any equal area
of land in the world. In truth, every
acre of the Mesa of Salvador is culti-
waited, each producing from two to four
Hhnf 0@,,n4
from La Union to Puerto BarriOS OF to
Port Izabal, whichever harbor may be
its northern terminus,
A VERY PARADISE.
The average density of population
along the whole route exceeds 100 for
each square mile. Here villages and
towns are almost continuous, and the
pOpulation-AZtecS 92 per cent and
Spanish per cent-toil most industri-
ously. Labor costs 20 to 25 cents
and food 10 cents per diem.
There is not stove OF fire place in any
house in the republic. None are needed
where the thermometer never fails be-
low 70 OF rises above so deg. So great
is the annna! production of fruits, as
we'll as of indigo, tobacco, sugar and
coffee. and so short the distance from
Port BarriOs to Mobile, that it is be-
lieved that most delicate and delicious
tropical fruits, never seen in the United
States, will be distributed everywhere
from Mobile; and SO abundant are
crops of Salvador and of the district of
Guatemala penetrated by this
railway that it must have
two tracks-one for immense local,
the other for inter-oceanic freights and
travel. But the great good to he
achieved by this trans-isthmian road
,ycfc lHt mr. y,,f I,N Tr, -
will enabletraveiing multitudeS to cross
the continent where narrOwest without
possible danger from deadly fevers and
plaques incident to detention at the sea
level, but, with its branches, binding
together these five Central American
states in perfect political and social
unity, it accomplishes their perfect
commercial annexation to the United
States.
PUERTO BARRIOS
is within fifty hours or less of Mobile,
and only sixty hours would be required
to transfer traveller or bale of goods
from Mobile to the Pacific coast harbor
of La Union. United States and other
at La Union for English or Australian
coal. 1t may be delivered there from
Alabama over the tranS-iSthmian rail-
way for from IS to Sc a ton. Therefore
the government of the United States as
we'll as the people must confess keen in
terest in this short, easily-built railway.
which surely must accomplish most
beneficent political and commercial re-
suits" The consul alludes to the pref
erence given by Salvador and Gaute-
mala to Americans in the mat
ters of franchises, and concludes
his report as follows: 1.-The rapid
multiplication of foundries, furnaces
and FORCES in Alabama and other
Southern states induced the writer to
seek for the behoof of the common
wealth which is his home an Unsuitable
market for its products. From every
trading place of as many as 1000 or 5000
inhabitants along this interminable
coast railway will soon lead to farms
and villages in the interior. Twelve
such railways are now building between
the southern confines of Chill and Cali
fornia. If the trans-isthmian railway
be speedily finished. the iron and coal
and steel of England and Australia may
be supplanted everywhere by that pro-
duced in the United States.''