Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-10-05
A NATURAL PARADISE.
The Beauties of Honduras and Its
Promising Future.
Heavy Influx of Americans and Their
Growing influence.

'eit as II i could have given ten Years of
my lie TO be an artist long enough to
paint single picture-a landscape
vas riding along narrow mountain road
ieaoipg into this city from a mountain
sliiase, where is situate miniug camp,
the mill and offices of one of the largest
mines IN the country. As rode l eoali
see from twenty TO forty miles off, look
ing over magnificent rayins down which
the mountain streams dashed and PARKED
with beauty beyond description. The
sun was not yet high, and did not strike
TOO notify upon me, as l rode mostly in
The shadow OF the mountain summit
Inc odor of flowers was Intoxicating the
fresh breeze gave new life; the sky was
cazzllnsty far. | said to myself, | pltied
the people of ths far Forth, who had to
"keep warm" with stove and CRATE and
furnsoe and steam, 10 shiver in heavy
outer garments, and to look up at the
heavens, and find them leadeu, while here,
IN this land, vas spring eternal.
Bat great many Of the people of the
United States seem suddenly to have CON
celved desire to know something shout
Honduras. We have had this season a
perfect influx, an infi,tration of the
North American element. The growing
interest in mining matters may have had
a good deal to do with il. The immense
amounts that are being invested in our
gold mines by Americans of the TEN per
ate zone denote this. They have already
reached the sum of $12,000,0OO. This Is
a good deal, when one remembers the size
of Honduras, which is no larger than. say,
Pennsylvania or New York state. An
the mining companies are American,
many having their offices in New York
Those thst are being worked are worked
with snsrgy. There is no half-hearted-
ness displayed. / have been at the zero
level of two great mines, where it was
positively cold, and where, looking out
over the clouds, one seemed 10 see
great white billowy ocean, through which
the tops of other mountains peered like
islands. At this level one is more com
Portable, nights and mornings, with fire.
OF course no one lives up there but mine
men. life in the valleys, such as this,
which is yet some 5000 feet above sea level,
Is simply delightful. tits pastoral without
boorishness; it is idyllic. The Hondur-
ians are blessed with level headed Pre-
sidsnt, gallant soldier. General Don
Luis Bogran should pay visit to the
United States and be iionizsd q little.
He deserves it, for both his liberal policy
toward American enterprise here and for
his own clever administration. He has
brought peace out OF the turmoil and
ca!med the contentious parties effectively,
it appears. Honduras wRs in badly up
set state before he took hold of matters
There was no end of strife, rows of all
sorts, hot-blooded Spaniards con5ending
for offices, Jealous Aztecs nursing their
grievances, cons piraoies of unprincipled
schemers, until nobody felt that his life
was safe. Nobody felt sure Of his tortil-
las or friioles for the next day, or of
waking IN the morning with his matched
rUof intact and his adobe walls still stand
ing around him. Bogran found every
thing thus at SKIES and sevens. Bat he
went to work nobly. Having lately been
re elected, he says in his message, after
abiding to the constitutions adopted
since the year 1925: How men possess
ing the same idea and born under the
same laws, can have commended with each
other SO long, can hardly be comprehend
ed. From mutiny and sapguinary con-
tests We cannot gain these lessons which
sensible people should follow to be pros.
porous. In Spanish America political
education has preceded social education.
The task now is &c raise our country to
the level of political institutions which We
have given ii, and thus render all equally
sble to properly fulGll the duties i'm posed
upon them by the institutions o. our
country. What we now require in order
to advance is the spread OF education"
etc.
General Bcgran will not be 80 until
next June. He was TO have pursued
literary career. was educated to that end,
but his father died and circumstances ell
tered the case. He became a soldier.
To day he is president of the Republic.
He is cry handsome, OF tail, iIn posing
figure and regular features. He married
early the daughter Of General Merejon,
beautiful ard accom- plished lady, who is
said to speak five or six languages wsll,
but who is unfortunately, SO delicate
physically as to be prevented from
spending much time at the capital. Be
sides this she is a most devoted mother
ID several young children, who take up
greatly her attention. She lives almost
constantly at tho presidents country seat
in Santa Barbaia, near a beautiful lake
of that region.
Speaking of lakes, the weird story of
the Lake of Blood" which has been
written in SO many differnt versions Of
late, contains more truth than poetry,
and of rather disgusting sort. It (the
lake, Is IN cave near the town of Virtud.
This cave is inhabited by ipnumerable
bate, horrible vampire creatures, who ex-
ist by sucking the blood of quadrupeds,
and who always, after feasting, go to haug
themselves up by the feet, when they dis
gorge part of the fluid with which they
have over filled themselves. This makes
the "Lake of Blood"
AID so any one who has INDUCED in the
hope Of coming 20 Honduras and navi-
eating in a sea of gore, will, / fear, be
disappointed. Still there are other at
fractions. The opal industry is Worth
looking into, if one has not longings
after gold mountains. But frankly,
must say, NJ one should come 20 Hon
dUras who is not a good rider, not mere
show figure like the majority seen in
Central Park bride paths, but rider of
endurance. For the mountains are
rough 10 daDgerousness in many places,
and there is no other mode of locomotion.
NO one who is not tough enough to sit all
day astGlde g mule with hard gait, or
rich enough 10 be carried in a litter by
four to six mozo5 should come here. Nor
should chronic grumblers come; nor
should any one who has not good long
purse, happy disposition and tender
ness for tortillas.
ANY one thus properly qualified may
be happy in Honduras. l have met some
such individuals. They are characterized
by noble scoTn for American dishes and
meal hours and e lofty disregard of the
ubiqRituous flea. By "ubiq1itous"
would denote that which is able TO bite
your ankle snd sting the nape of your
neck st the same time. Until he is fully
these little differences are apt
TO be felt as serious discomfOrts by the
stranger. Nevertheless | have met within
the last fortnig ht many serene Americans.
They sre seen on tie streets, in the shops.
on the plaza, at the thsater, in the cathe-
dral and at various social gatherings. One
cannot turn around without meeting one
or more. Then, too, many are so IN love
with the land that they have located here
permanently. Some hold high Offices.
The government geolosist is from Albany,
n. Y. The new D1rector-General of Tele
graphs is young American electrician.
The Chief of Police is a New Orleans
man. A prominent contractor is of ssco,
Me. The principal hotel, Hotel New
York Central" Is kept by an American.
The new paper, Honduras Progress, the
5rs: news paper printed in English ever
Issued in C~ntral America, consequently
Of great local glory and of more than
local significance, has an American pro-
prietor and editor. The Americans |
emit ova- these things Hon