San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-01
LITTLE COSTA RIGA.
SOMETHING ABOUT A CENTRAL
AMERICAN REPUBLIC.

| OOWG T1IN1 NDOO NGN NNk
AMERICAN REPUBLIC.
Luxuriant Vegetable Growth and Extensiv,
Resources-Intense Heat and Severe Cold
Never Mountaineering People Poor and
Lazy, but Honest.
The accounts in The Globe-Democrat of @
'disastrous volcanic eruption in Costa Rica
by which the city of San Jose suffered great
loss of life and property, has served to divert
considerable public thought in that direction.
Bringing up the subject without warning, !;
is not every one who can tell much, if any
thing, about that country. Without reading
up q little, it is doubtful if many even know
| that Costa RIGA is the smallest republic on
| the American side of the world 1t is located
| in what is called Central America, and comes
next south of Nicaragua The fact that the
| Nicaraguan canal will follow the dividing
| line between the two countries for some thirty
miles is interesting in this connection. In d
geographical way Costa Rica is part of a mar
row bit of iSthmus, not over hundred miles
across from the Pacific ocean to the Carib-
bean sea, where widest, and siXty-fve miles
in the narrowest. The main range of the
Andes traverses the entire territory at a gen
eral elevation Of from five thousand to six
thousand feet On the Pacific side of the
range are many beautiful valleys that CT San
Jose being especially 81.
THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE.
The ground about the city, that is, the
capital of the republic, rises in gentle undu-
lations to the east to a series of volcanic
lie ~ V-,i oil ic
bic for the late terrible disaster. The last
calamity was the destruction of Carriage,
about forty years ego, the same mountain
taking an active part also in that event.
Costa Rica's official head is Don Bernardo De
Soto, Sc years of age. He was called to the
presidency in 1885 by the death of Fernandez,
and in 1856 was elected to continue as the
chief executive for four years. Great i'm
provements have been made in his admin
istration, sound financial basis established
and a union of the five Central American
republics brought about
San Jose'S population was placed by the
last estimate at $4,000, and that of the re-
public at about 100000. The whole country
outside of the mountains abounds in luxuri
ant vegetable growth, and the agricultural
and mineral resources are great. The temper
allure seldom rises above eighty degrees or
falls below sixty degrees The merchants
are, for the best part, French and Germans
the professional men and laborers, or poems, |
being made up Of natives The prominent |
characteristic is laziness The people are in |
tolerably INDECENT. and are always putting off |
until tomorrow what should be done today. |
Some other time is their guiding star. This |
is carried into every private and public act. |
1t is dominant on the railroad that runs |
from Punta Arenas on the Pacific side, the |
best harbor, by the way, on the whole coast, |
through San Jose to Port Simon on the At I
lantic shore, the total distance being 100 |
miles. On every train are score If EN-
plOyeS There is a general manager of the
whole train, engineer and fireman, two
ticket takers and two brakemen on every car,
and two men to look after baggage, all
dressed in gorgeous uniforms, the manager or
conductor being actually respondent with
silver and gold decorations and bright colors
This system is in vogue on freight trains as
well as passenger.
Sixty days are given shippers to pay freight
bills, and people who are known can get
tickets to be paid for in the future Between
the mountain towns away from the railroads
goods are carried by OK teams, of which there
are many hundreds. The journeys are ter
ribly tedious, it frequently taking a week to
cover fifty miles The drivers and cartmen
are apparently totally Indifferent to every
sense but that of an overwhelming desire to
rest
TAKING LIFE EASY.
During festival, and they occur often all
abor is suspended. When a train of freight
wagons is on the road, if one breaks down or
stops for any cause, all the others pull up
until the one is ready to move on, no matter
E it be days. The wagon men are wonder
July polite. lifting their hats to strangers
md wishing them safe journeys and all sorts
If good luck. A drivers pay is seldom over
thirty cents a day, but they are scrupulously
honest. carrying thousands of dollars worth
Of gold between bankers, and never trying to
extract penny. Such thing as highway
'O6bery is never heard of
Sunset is the signal for the cessation of
work. With the wagon trains the oxen are
nhitched and preparations made for the
hight. There are numerous stopping places
along the roads, where there are sheds and
what would go in the United States as a way
ido inn, and the trains always figure to make
INC of these points as the sun goes down. The
evenings are given to singing, dancing and
gambling. The music is principally produced