Wichita eagle., 1889-08-22

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, Il
is not every one who can tell much, if any
thing, about that country. Without reading
up little, it is doubtful II many even know
that Costa Rica 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 viii follow the dividing
line between the two countries for some thirty
miles is interesting In this connection In q
geographical way Costa Rica is part of mar
row bit of thmus, not over hundred miles
across from the Pacific ocean to the Carib-
bean sea, where widest, and sixty-five miles
in the narrowest The main range of the
Andes traverses the entire territory at gem
eral elevation of from five thousand to six
thousand feet. On the Pacific side of the
range are many beautiful valleys, that Of San
Jose being especially so.
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 q series OF volcanic
peaks, one Of which, called Raza, is response
BILE for tie late terrible disaster. The last
calamity was the destruction of Cartago,
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, 36 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 union of the five Central American
republics brought about.
San Jose's population was placed by the
last estimate at 1000, and ths Of the re-
public at about 20O, eco. The whole country
outside of the mountains abounds in luxuri-
ant vegetable growth, and the agricultural
and mineral resources are great The temper
ature 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 ere in
tolerably indolent, 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
lantic shore, the total distance being 100
miles On every train are a score of en-
ployes. There is q general manager of the
whole train, engineer and fireman, two
ticket takers and two brallemen on every car,
and two men to look after baggage, all
dressed in gorgeous uniforms, the manager OF
conductor being actually resplendent with
silver and gold decorations and bright colors.
This system is in vogue on freight trains as
well as passenger.
Sixty days ere 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 eway 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 10
rest.
TAKING LIFE EASY.
During festival, and they occur often, all
labor is suspended. When a train OF freight
wagons is on the road, if one breaks down OF
stops for any cause, all the others pull up
until the one is ready to move on, no matter
if it be days The wagon men are wonder
fully polite, lifting their hats to strangers
end wishing them safe journeys and ali sorts
Of good luck. A drivers pay is seldom over
thirty cents 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
robbery is never heard Of
Sunset is the signal for the cessation Of
work. With tho wagon trains the oxen are
unhitched and preparations made for the
night There are numerous stopping places
along the roads, where there ere sheds and
what would 60 in the United States as a way
side inn, and tho trains always figure to make
one of these points as the sIn goes down. Tho
evenings arc given to singing, dancing and
gambling. The music Is principally produced
on the national instrument known as the
'marimba-" It is something like the xylo-
phone, being made Of pieces OF split bam-
boo cut in different lengths to give the diff
ferent tones Of tho scale, and covers three
octaves. Where it differs from the xylo-
phone, however, is In the hanging of gourd
lnder eech piece Of bamboo by piece Of .
wire, giving sonorous and sweet tone not .
otherwise attainabie.
Sticks with padded leather ends arc used to .
itrike the strips, and some of the performers
Ire 50 expert that they have double headed
lammers, skillfully hitting two notes with
,ach hand, 50 getting a chord Of four
The women OF Costa Rica, among the lower
,lases, 60 bare foot. They wear dresses
,oning to about the knee Their regulation
lress Is white cotton cheInise and singls
kirt, and their forms show every line. Hats
md bonnets are but little known, q scarf
,eing worn instead, and this only By the
women Of the higher circles
Coffee, sugar and tropical fruits are raised
n abundance, ard form the staple producta
3ananas, especially, grow 70 perfection and
re brought 70 the seaports by train and
wagon loads. Single steamers take 5000
lunches at a time, consigned TO American
nd European porta IN the forests, alive
nth beautiful birds. can be found cluups Of
ugar cane, cocoanut trees and tall and grace
ul rubber trees interntpgled- 1T intervals
here are clearings where a coffee farm VIII
. conducted
Costa Rica gives more attention 70 educa
ional matters than would be supposed when
eading Of the easy going ways Of the people.
'chool attendance for children between
nd "A years is compulsory, and is well e.
oroed except Il the back country. Those
7ho do not serd ths.T children 20 either
-ivate or public school pay tax into the
,hool fund TAsre was a: Sen jose g ma
.oral univerx.y, wel equipped and conduct
I, but If was destroyed il TIE eruption ot
.aza-St Louis 5e-Denocrat
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Their Corner In Lind
Y 6 not % many dozen vea-z ss-cs -.