Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-22
GREAT UNDERTAKINGS.
Mr.. T. ]. Hurley Tells OF the Nica'a.
qua and Panama Canals and the
st of the Ssmes
The Panhandle Countrywide Future
of Fort Worth.

Learning that Mr.. Thomas J. Hurley
who has been up to the first of this yea
the second vice-president and genera
manager in charge Of the construction o.
the great Aguan Canal in Honduras, Cen.
trail America, with headquarters at Tux
lilo, Honduras, WAS in the city for few
da,s, reporter called on that gentle
map, asking II he would object to givins
the readers of THE GAZETTE some infor
nation on the canals, and on Central ant
South American matters in general? "Noi
st ALL" aid Mr.. Hurley. "Only In q shor
interview one cannottreat subject of sc
much importance as it deserves, and par
| ticularly its importance to Texss-ss this
matter OF cutting Of the Isthmus.'"
"What ID this canal intended for with
which you have been connected?"
"The Aguan canal is 10 connect the
Atlantic ocean or Caribbean sea as we call
it, with the Aguan river In the valley OF
the Aguan, Spanish Honduras. It is to
be twenty-one miles in length and will
open up 220 miles Of q great river, icon.
aiming on its banks loo, 600 of popuia,i IN,
and in natural resources the richest
spot on the globe to the trade OF the
world"
"Hog long have you been working st
it?"
"About three years and the work will
be completed we anticipate in December
Of this year"
sis 1t al American ctpitel?"
Yes. The capitalization of the com
pany is S., 100000. For the cutting of
this canal they receive the most
valuable concessions ever granted
any corporation in Central America.
Among the favors of the government they
have been selected to establish the first
bal ever opened in Honduras, to issue
paper money redeemabl in silver which
is now receivable for public and private
debts. A banquet YVES given in honor of
the opening Of the bank which WAS ct
tended by all the dignitaries of the land
who could come. / had the honor OF act
ing as toast master on that occasion, and
l can assure you the Americans are much
encouraged, from the manner in which
bank, managed on our national bank sys-
tenn, was received"
as Honduras arepublic?"
eyes. Honduras was formerly prov
ince Of the kingdom of Guatemsls, and is
Just 9lG miles frem Galveston, directly
south. II was in Honduras that
Columbus first planted his feet
on the continent OF America. In 1902,
while on his fourth voyage, he discovered
the Island Of Bonaca, thirty miles distant
from my headquarters, and at all times
visible to the naked eye-from whence he
saw the high mountains of the main land.
Twenty years afterwards HeTnsndo Cor
tez, inspired by accounts OF great and
populous empires, undertook an expeti
ton through Honduras and Mexico which
for length and difficulties, encountered
and ove,c come, stands unprecedented in
the history Of martial adventures"
"Suppose CorGez found large cities?"
was asked.
"Yes, 100 years before Hudson dis
covered the bsy OF New York, Honduras
had its large and furnishing cities, AND
be seen and scattered all through the
republic, her population must have
reached into the millions, but strange
TO relate the inhabitants of these
cities never left 8 trace OF history
by which thev could be identified.
The population now is about 100000 and
The srea OF the republic about one quar-
ter the size Of Texas. Directly In front
OF my headquarters was the first fort
erected in this hemisphere, about $50
years ago by Cortez. Roads of solid ma
sorry, inlaid with brain coral, bridges,
csthedrals and converts. In the interior
where there Is no apparent habitstion
these roads may be found; some Ct them
over mountains, m.ny thousands Of feet
in height; and when marble was found,
and the handiest, miles of solid marble
"If they could only tell their history"
the reporter suggested.
"Yes, they would relste a history that
would enlist the admiration of the world
1t was near one OF these marble roads that
tie gentle Malinche WAS buried. Ms
lilche WAS the interpreter for Cortez.
She WAS beautiful and Intelligent. Cortez
fell in love with her, and when
the Cholulsns arranged to assas-
sln,te the Spanisrds by
treachery, 1t was the gentle Mslinche who
informed Cortez. In his rage he turned
his army loose on the city, which was at
that TINA the seat Of learning for the en-
plre, containing 400 temples and destroyed
it with nearly ell it's people. When "the
beautiful and gentle Malinche," as trsdi-
ton speaks of her, died, Cortez had her
remains plsced in cofln Of solid silver
and placed around her neck the necklace
he captured from the Empress OF the
Montezumas. 1t Is in the blanche Valley
Of Honduras that tradition says the Gar
den of Eden existed. 1 rode through 1t
on horseback. spending forty-two daJ s in
the Valley. Oranges, lemons, bananas,
pine apples, hgs, pomegranates, etc +,
wild, and in abundance. And, IS for
flowers, orchids, roses, ETC., the varieties
numbered into the hundreds and in great
profusion. Here 1t is perpetual summer,
and most Of the natives have not changed
their style of wearing apparel since Adam
snd Eve existed, unless 1t might be
the ag leaves are smaller. However, l
said to my escort, no wonder Columbus
called this, in his first report, Paradise
found.'"
care Americans well receive6?"
eyes; they are in favor, although the
trade OF South and Central America is ID
the hands Of the English, Germans,
French and Italians. Last yesr the
countries south OF US purchased nearly
S400,000,0 900 Of manufactured goods. Of
which the United States sold but S22,-
00Q DO, ranking with Sweden and Hun
II \