News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-04
A NEW Ell DORADO.
WHERE GOLD IS MORE PLENTI-
Full THAN IRON.
Resources of Honduras-Plenty of
Precious Metals, but an Enervat-
ing Climate.

N0SOuICoS "a Aouuu1 dS--1 4SnIy "a
Precious Metals, but an Enervat-
ing Climate.
The only way you can reach Honduras
is to go to Puento Cortez, on the CaTrib-
bean Sea, or to Fonseca Bay, on the
Pacific Ocean. The State is therefore
not easy of access. Perhaps that is why
so little is known of its geography, poll
tics. climate, natural resources and vast
wealth; and yet it has an intiguity of
rare interest, which is known to ante
date the discovery of Columbus by many
hundred years. The Toltec Indians are
supposed to have gone from Mexico into
Spanish America in the year 1880,
and at various places they have left
monuments of their mechanical skill
and scientific attainments. They were
an industrious, enterprising, and to n
considerable extent cultivated people.
They held possession of the country un-
til the conquest of Cortcz i'll 1923.
Honduras is certainly Il lovely land.
1t has magnificent mountains and fer
tile valleys, picturesque canyons and
enormous grassy plains. More than all
of these, it has inexhaustible deposits of
gold end silver, and for that reason is
called the new Ell Dorado. At present
it is being penetrated for the first time
by railways and opened up to enteTpris-
ing discoverers, that the richest of carth's
treasures may be rendered serviceable
to man S use. ....
Centuries ago, W henthe Spaniard was
lord of this realm, Honduras paid vast
tribute to the mother country, and gold
was as plentiful as any of the baser
metals. In fact, it is more q statement
of historic truth than a romantic legend
that the Spaniards in Honduras, three
hundred years ago, shod their horses
with golden shoes, iron being more diff
cult to obtain than the yellow stuff SO
massive fortress ON the Caribbean sea to
hold the royal treasure. The ''King'S
fifth, which was demanded from Hon
duras of all the bullion gathered was q
mighty sum, and the ruins of the old
fort show to-day the great vaults where
the gold brick were piled. Spain built
her palaces, cathedrals and ships with
the money from her distant possessions,
and when Honduras aided i'll driving
her from the field the loss was inestima-
BILE
I suppose Honduras now is as rich in
hidden treasure as she was then. The
entire country is filed with half-worked
mines, and to the superficial lookeron
the new Ell Dorado is located i'll the slow,
easy going and tropical republic. But
if so it will never be developed by native
energy, for of that there is none. A
Honduras native, or half breed, tolls not,
neither does he spin. A little coffee, q
few bananas, q bunch or two of peppers
and dash of maize supply his physical
wants. These the soil gives him with
out the cultivation, and lie is content to
doze his life away. He may work occa-
sionally i'll the mines, where his pay is
SO cents n day in debascd coin; but he
is not steady toilcr and he has no idea
of progression on advancement. One
cannot blame him The climate may bc
S1luhr10IS, tsut it is hot and cncrvating.
When the American comes here, as he
does occasionally, with his dash oud
hurry-for $4,000, 900 of American
money is already invested in the Hon
duras mines-hc soon loses his activity
and settles down into thin, slow NOV
ing Southcrncr, with wcIldcvcIOpcd
liver.
He sits under his own palm tree, sips
'agnadicntc," which is us strong as
Hercules, and while he talks loudly for
Honduras, i'll his heart he knows there
is no place like home. Still cannot
decry this interesting republic, for much
of it is fairy land, and its volcanic hills
are magnificent as well as productive.
AS compared with people have seen in
Costa Rica and Columbia, the inlabi-
+o, tr pf lxr 10
lied and civilized, but their industrial
are hundred years OF
more behind those of the United States.
In agriculture still more. A wooden
plow drawn by Il yoke of oxen, is FAM
liar sight; and corn is ground i'll about !
the same manner that the Egyptians |
ground it 5000 years ago. In Planting
grain q long, sharp stick is used with |
which IL hole is made i'll the ground, the |
grain dropped i'll and left to nature and |
the rich soil without any further atten-
ton from the husbandman till harvest |
time, and yet good crops are raised.
The business habits OF the people are
simple, and Judging by the case with
which every matter of business is char
it would lead TO the assump-
tion that they were not accustomed to
trade, yet such is far from the truth.
They bargain well, whether the amount
be for dollars worth OF dimes. The
store is generally i'll one corner of
front room, opening on the street, and
an old-fashioncd corner cup
board. Here are slowed laces, muslins,
prints, groceries and other commodities.
The retail price of an article is less than
5he quantity price. BY the quantity it
IS more than likely to be double i'll price,
or the simple reason that you want
hem, and, therefore, must pay. in the
;wo cities, however, are found large
stores, the proprictoIs of which do bust
less on more modern method.
In many of the large towns are market
places where the country people go to
sell their marketing beans,
lemons pineapples, melons,
coffee, tobacco, sugar, cheese; i'll fine,
from the haciondas to tempt
he appetite and appcase it. The seno-
.ita, with her dark, olive skin well washed
or the occasion, in her nice camisa,
mokes her cigarette ard laughs with
he bargainer, while hcy sparkling eyes
,nticc the unwary foreigner TO purchase
1t an exOrbitant rate.
Life is really II dream. Outside the
mines and the two big cities there is
practically no labor. Farming is little
lnown. The pineapple, the banana, the
ime, the orange, the cocOa-nut, the
,offec- bean and the pepper grows i'll
Wild luxuriancc. They fum 81 food and
lrink. AS for raimcnt, that is simply
not necessary. In the
they wear next to nothing, and
he DeODle are so dcnSely ignorant that
hey know of no outside world, and
nave no ambition beyond the animal
needs of the day.
The Government is modelled after the
United States, but the voting is confined
o the cities. Away from them the
people care little about it. The Presi- {
lent of the republic is, as a matter of {
act, an absolute tlespot. The one now
n power happens to be an intelligent,
earnest aud educated mau, Louis Bogram
" name. He is half breed who was
ent abroad and educated i'll Germany
3ogram is doing what he can to develop ,
he country, and is prodigal in his land {
lifts to foreigners. {
Rich as Honduras is it is not IL pleas
mt place in which to live. The hot
eason lasts from January to December, ]
nd for six months of that time rain is I
dded to heat and life is Il burden. What ,
man if he gain the gold |
f the earth and lGses the Joys of eXis- ,
encc? True it is that when the President 7
ives a grand bail at the capital,
superb appearing women
obe themselves III imported dresses, {
iamonds flash, and the scene is gay (