The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-24
LITTLE COSTA RIGA.
Something About . Central Amer
lean Republic.


81 = disastrous FoiaAtc -
costa RIGA. b. which the city OF san
Iosr suffered great i0sa Of life and
ssrnr~rtv. has served 10 divert eonsid-
srsi,le public thought II, that direction.
Bssneisg up the subject sits'out warn
inc. i i not every one who can tel
,-,s..h II ANYTHING. aiont that country.
Wifhout reading up little. Is IL DOUBT
ri n ynanv even know that Costa Elca
{. the smallest republic on the Amer
Ten s;se 81 the world. II i located
- -baf Il called Central America. and
rsrres ntxt south Of Nicaragua. Tae
ferf fhaf the Sicaraeuan canal viii
SrIinw lie dividing line between the
80 countries for SOME 30 miles IS In
s~re~1inr III this connection. In a
.r.s~venhicai way Costa Flea is part of
z nsrypv bet Of irthmfss, not over 100
,rIIe~ s6Y1ss from the Pacific ocean 20
fh~ Caribbean sea, where widest, and
n miles III the nafTowess. The main
vnnee az the Andes fraysrsez the en-
IRA territory at general elevation OF
frrrn H0fG 10 600 feet. On the Pacific
side a The range are many beautiful
valleys. that Of San Jose being espe-
TIE ground about the city that II,
he capital Of the republic, rises IN gen
fIe rnduIAtions 70 the east 10 . series
n volcanic peaks. one Of which. called
Raxa. Il. res ponsihie for the late terri
~ disaster. The last calamity was
TIE destruction Of Carriage. about 10
Years axo, the same mountain taking
a active part also in that event Cos
q Rica's official head Is Don bernardo
be Soto. So years OF age. He was
called 10 the presidency In 1876 By the
death of Fernandez. and in 1856 was
elected 10 continue as the chief execil-
tive for four years. Great improve
meuts have been made In his admins
ration. o sound finssnciai basis estab-
Ii4hed and union OF the five Central
American republics brought about.
San Jose's population was placed by
the last estimate at 3pOU, aud that OF
the republic At about ao,D0. The
whole country outside OF the noun
tains ab0unds In luxufiant vegetable
growth. and the agricultural and min
eYal resources are great. The temper
atlt-e seldom rises above 80 degrees or
falls below 20 degrees. The merchants
are, for the best part. French aud
Germans, the professional men and la
boFers. or poems, being made UP OF
natives. The prominent characteristic
b laxiness. The people are intolerably
lndOient, and are always putting of
until tomorrow what should be done
to-day. s'some other time II their
guiding star. This Il carried into
every private and public act. IL Ii
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 10 Pert
Simon ON the Atlantic shore. the total
distance being leo miles. GIN every
train are score OF employees. There
Il general manager Of the whole
train, engineer, fireman, two ticket
takers and two brakemen on every
csr, and two men 10 look after bag
gage, all dressed in gorgeous uniforms,
the manager or conductor being ae-
tuaIly Respondent with silver and
gold decorations and bright coiors.
This system Is in vogue on freight
trains as well al passenger.
sixty days are given shippers 10 pay
freight bills. and people who are
known can get tickets 10 he paid for
IN the future. Between the mountain
towns away from the railroads goods
are carried by OK teams. OF which
thore are many hundreds. The jour
neys are terribly tedious, II frequently
taking q week 10 cover 80 miles. The
drivers and eartmen are apparently
totally indifferent to every sense but
that OF an overwhelming desire TO
rest.
During n festival. and they occur
often, all labor l. suspended When a
train OF freight wagons Is ON the road
II one breaks down or stops for any
cause, all tho Others pull up until the
one II ready 10 move on, no matter ii
IL be days. The wagon men are won
derfuily polite. lifting their hats TO
strangers and wishing them safe Jour
neys and all sorts oi good luck A
drivers paw ia seldom over 50 cents u
day, bat they are scrupulously hon
est, carrying thousands OF dollars
worth OF gold between bankers and
never trying 10 extract penny. such
q thing ~ highway robbery Is never
heard Of
Sunset Il the signal for The cessation
Of work. With the wagon trains the
oxen are unhitched and preparations
made for the night. There are mum
erous stopping places along the roads,
where there are sheds and what would
go In the United States rs a waysisie
inn. and the trains always figure 60
make one OF these points a. The sun
goes down. The evenings are given 10
singing. dancing and gambling. The
music is principally produced ON the
national instrument known as the
'.marimba. II il something like the
xylophone. being made of two pieces
Of split bamboo cut IN different lengths
10 give the diiierent tones OF the scale.
and covers three oesaves. Where il
differs from the xylophone. however
Il IN the hanging of a goard under
each piece ~ bamboo by piece ul
wire. giving sonorous and sweet
tone not otherwise attainahle.
Sticks with padded leather ends are
used Ia strike the strips. and some al
the performers are sd expert that thev
have double headed hammers, skill.
fully hitting two notes with each hand
80 getting chord of four.
The women of Costa Riea. ameng
the lower classes. gu barefoot. They
wear dresses coming Ia about the
knee. Their regulation dress Is i
white cotton chegntse and single ~kif!
and their forms show every line Hats
and bonnets are hat little knewn. 4
scarf being worn instead, and this
enly by the wanen Of the higher circle,
toilee. sugar and tropical fruits arr
raised IN abundance. and form fhs
stable products. bananas. especially
grow to Perfection aud are brought Il
the scaports hy trains and Wagon
loads. Single steamers take aAtss
hsinehes AZ time, consigned so Aneri
can and European ports. la the for
cSts. alive with beautiful birds, Tan h
found elumps Of sugar caise. cocoanu
trees and tall and graceful fslhi,rr ire.
antefmingleSi AT intervals there ar,
clearings where coffee farm viii L.
conducted.
Costa Riea gives mere attention Ii
educational matters than would h
supposed when reading Of the cas-,
going ways OF tae people. - hoal AZ
tendance for childsen l,sEHrea ara
~ years IL compulsory. and il well On
turced excens In The hack country
Those who do nas send their rhllssrsss
70 either private or public school IA,
tax into the school fund There va.
al san Jose national university. wes
equipped and conducted. but Ii Ma
destroyed BY she eruption os Rasa.
A Proud oassar.
Albany IeaFnal.
AsH s4.au p.vsA- s.sssf 49, -