The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-09

Planter ON His Country.
Jose Guardiolc, coffee and sugar planter OF
Guatemala, II at the Rainier hotel. lie has been
spending the winter In California, and Is now
on his way to his home in Spain. @Guafemaia
= an interesting country said he last evening,
uon ior revolutions and wars. have lived
there many years, and have been = good deal
Ia the United Etatcs
''The trouble down in the Central American
states Is Jealousy of Guatemala. That is the
largest and most influential of the states. For
years the flower of the youth OF Central America
came to Guatemala for m education, to study
lot law, medicine or for the priesthood at her
university. The result was that Guatemala be-
came the center OF intellectual life aud of polit-
Cal as well. And 30 Guatenala was able to Say
practically who Ahould be president of any of
tne neighboring states, although they are really
independent of her. The presidents Of these
smaller states usually scted in secret under
Standing with the political authorities ct
Guatemala.
"After awhile the people Of the smaller states
wearied OF this, and began plotting revolutions
20 GUST the presidents friendly to Guatemala, and
Guatemala was involved in the trouble.
I'm the last war with San Salvador the people
OF Guatemala were really unwilling to fight.
1ney were sent to the seat of war not under
Standing the reason, and when they found 1t out
they simply deserted by regiments One general
marched away with his whole brigade.
but generals down there do not always
amount to great deal They are made Is easily
az pancakes are made in this country. Never
tneiess these pancake generals often cause .
good deal Of trouble
Elections In Central America are frequently
farce, but then elections are more or less of =
farce all over the world-even in this country
OF which you are 90 inclined to boast In Qua
temala the Indians constitute over onc-haf of
the population. and by the constitution they
are allowed to vote. Yet they do not know even
what the word vote means They go to the polls
Ike nocks of sheep and deposit their ballots a.
they are toid-and still / have heard Of elections
in the United States that were not much better
than that Central America is not absolutely
singular in this regard
BE that as 1t may, we could net get along
without the Indians. They do all the work
commonly expected Of pcasantry. They raise
the husbandry. The country would fall
nat without them They make excellent
hands on the plantations ! had between 100
ana 1900 of them on my estates, and find they
are far more manageable than the whites, more
docile. When first began hiring them, they
would work for eighteen cents a day, but now
there has been stronger demand for them, and
they are getting tbirty-seycn cents. These In
dams seem to hold their own pretty well aud are
not dying out as in this country.
Resides the Indians there is race OF half
breeds who are rather more inclined to COM
merce.
.The climate of Guatemala is far better than
most people imagine On the coast and in the
lowiands it is hot and full of fever. My estates
lie on slope 5000 feet above the sea level, and
the table lands where the wheat il grown lie
from 5000 TO 10000 feet above the level. At my
place the climate is acknowledgements
spring We can raiss two crops of wheat each
year in many paris OF Guatemala,
and the soil is wonderfully rich. The principal
exports are coffee and sugar, but excellent rice
il grown there, mostly for homo consumption.
A curious thing about the rice is that it can be
grown without flooding or irrigation In other
parts OF the world one of these two processes II
necessary. But I have planted it on a hillside,
and it bears fine, full grains, equal to the best
from the Caroiinas"
Columbia, watch it grow.