Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-10-15
SUCCESS II ASSURED.
Work Progresses Steadily on the Nicaragua
Canal

CHICAGO, Oct. 10.-"The Nicaragua
canal is a success. Work is being car.
ried on steadily, and if American capi.
tai refuses to complete the enterprise
it will be done by British capitalists,
who are only too eager to obtain con-
troll of this commercial Gibralter,'' -
said III. |. Strong at the Palmer House
yesterday. Mr.. Strong arrived in the
city from Nicaragua, where, in con-
junction with c. A. Thornton, of San
Francisco, he has obtained grant of
great value from the government in
consideration of building railroad
across the country. The grant to the
Strong Il Thornton company is for
2,O36, 400 acres OF land. The land
can be selected by the grantees, and is
to be given them by tenths as the work
on the railroad is completed.
A part of the projected road on
which work will be commenced Oeto-
ber 1st, will run from Coronto, on the
tance OF fifty eight miles. 1t will be the
second road in the country, and with
its connections with the existing lines
will convey freight and passengers
from the capital, Momotomba, to New
Orleans in four days. The main line
will run through the District of Mata-
galpa to the east mouth of the Rio
Grande. 1t will be 21O miles in length,
and with its connections have.a total
mileage of 26S miles, making it a trans
Atlantic line. Work will be started on
the road along the valley through
which the Rio Grande runs. The grant
calls for the completion of the road
within five years. A telegraph line will
be built along the railway.
The grant is liberal one. All inn
ports OF the Strong company will be
admitted without impost, employees
are exempt from military service, and
nc taxes of any kind will be levied
against the realty holdings, road or
employees OF the company.
"Our road will run through the cof-
fee district" said Mr.. Strong. "The
resources of this have scarcely been
computed, much less marked. The
lands in the grant are susceptible of
growing coffee, rubber and cocoa, from
which chocolate is made. 1t also pro-
duces vanilla beans, bananas, pine
apples, lemons and oranges. Coffee,
cocoa and rubber are the most profit
able. Fruit growers there realize 5000
profit per acre each year, and the
riches OF the country have been allowed
to waste owing to the lack of trans
portation. Nicaragua produces the
finest hard wood, such as mahogany,
ebony, rosewood, lignum vitae, and
various kinds of cedar. The climate
of Nicaragua is especially healthy for
the reason that the trade winds blow
northeast to southwest, making the
heat so intense on the Pacific coast
that vacuum is formed. thereby in
suring a continued breeze of sea air
across the country. The climate of
the country has been greatly misun-
derstood. The hottest l saw there
was eighty-eight degrees. 1 believe the
climate excels that OF southern Cali
fornia. There is no more danger of a
revolution in Nicaragua than in the
United States.
81 have been over the line OF the MIC
aragua canal and can only say it
would be a crying shame for America
to allow British capital to control
that great enterprise. 1t is a project
that means untold reimbursement to
its promoters"