New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-16
ON THE HONDURAS COAST.
A COUNTRY WHOSE SOLE INDUSTRY n
FRUIT GROWING

n
BECAME OF 1.-THE "BURCHARD CONCESSION"
Puerto Cortez, Honduras July 2O.-Four days IN q
fruit steamer, facing strong southeast tradswin1,
Is sufficient introduction to life on the ocean
wave' to satisfy the most fastidious II was juuk
four DAYS after leaving New-Orleans that cur ship
dropped her anchor In the British port Of Baze One
day spent there IN discharging cargo and mails
and taking in fruit, when the anchor was weighed
and during the night again steamed SOUTH stopping
at sian Creek and Monkey River to deliver MANS DAY
light opened tn the narrow channel forming ue
barber OF Puerto Cortez In the Republic OF Honourss
which We SLOWLY entered and where we lay al ancnor
anotle. do; taking or fruit and sending ashore
llg,,cr lad OF rail. The Breakwater carr1eu ou'
seven Lassengerss On her outward trip anu 10. "e
on the return the reason for which harne' heef'
The ennu OF the passage was, for five OK the seVe'
unpleasany interrupted by that sickness when seems
the necessary penalty OF a sea voyage ibis pehANy
was remitted in nv own case, and was In conse-
oucnce enabled to enjoy the excursion across t1e
Gulf which Is equal TO a voyage across tne huA'.'
and to watch with eager interest the hrst hi'ihe Vi VIC
curtain which would reveal the new and strange ne
OF the tropical shore. The day AT Bahze was iui VI
interest although the shore and town were TWO mules
away but as an illustration Of distance ana enchan'
ment It was good. The town OF Baize Is seem'hsiy
built upon a tongue OF land reaching north from ne
boundary line OF Guatemala coward a point o' i"e
reaching south from Yucatan OUTSIDE OF thess p''u'
and the Caribbean Sea, Is a cluster OF siahas' sns
largest two OF which Ambergns Cay ana iurhens
ISLE which receive and break the first SHOCK u .ne
ocean storms ard secure comparatively safe she'er
between them and the shore. lew ships swung
idly AZ their anchors in the roadsead; an occasional
boat with widowed sails added life to the haroor out
the white houses the town glowedent In the sun ana
only the swaying foliage Of majestic palms indca'eo
that 1t was a real and not painted town at which we
were looking The feathery foliage OF numerous palms
buf in
BOARD OF Health are being strictly enforced, and these
prevent our leaving the ship and returning 70 II again.
At BaIIze we were looking at the outside Oh }hs
tropical garden standing at the gate ana ioohhg over
the wall Here We inside and have our nrst reai
introduction to tropical life. The south shore Is lined
with cabins OF natives rude IN CONSTRUCTION WIN muo
walls palm matched, but picturesque wnen seen irsm
tbs distance Just abreast Of the ship Is the custom
house standing partly upon the shore and parity upon
sbstan tal dock TO 1t are Few houses OF oeter
quality occupied by custom house ofhcers ana white
merchants and traders Far up the bay ana appar'
emily on shore, IS a Honduran manol-~ar' iooAns
more like trading schooner than snip III 10 nai'sn
the dignity OF a Republic like Honduras.
Fruit raising Is the principal industry, In fact 0e
only industry among these natives and fruit alone rr-
nlshes profitable cargoes for the regular lines as wen d.
many tramp steamers. The Italian nrh OF hachi'o'
OF New Orleans the owners OF the line OF steamers
OF which this the Breakwater, Is one. which MAKO
ports bringing. out varied cargo and returning wtn
fruit alone when quarantine rules are not enforced
passengers are also carried The return cargo OF .ns
shin will be 80 900 punches OF bananas ana oVVVo
cOcoanus. A large proportion OF THIS iruit Is raiu
BY the natives on small fncas (plantauonsl, anu 10
brought down the river and from along the shore 10 e
ship in the native boat, the dug out" by the piseh
planters themselves. The company have also erected
receiving houses upon the shore TO which frut Is
brought and where II is stored between the Ns,s OIL
the steamers as the effort Of the company Is 10
monopoze the entire fruit trade OF the Central Ameri-
can Atlantic coast. railroad has been consuucleo
from Puerto Cortez TO Pedro, distance OF about
forty miles which finds its principal business in bnng-
Ing fruit from the interior a train OF four car loads
came In this morning for this ship and as II was slowly
pushed down the receiving house, regretted my IN
ability to go on shore and examine the cars more
closely.
The history of this road is interesting and Instructive
as 1t usn illustrate most Of the railroad enterprises OF
Central America The original grant by the Republic
OF Honduras was to English company, 70 construct
an eroceanc road from Puerto Cortez on the At
lantic TO the bay OF Fonseca on the Pacific. such
road would largely increase the facilities for travel
and commerce, would vastly increase the Importance
of the Republic, add TO its material prosperity and In
sure its immediate development. As as the
charter was secured bonds were issued IN Europe and
the work Of construction began. The Importance OF
the work fully appreciated by the Honduran Gov
eminent, and the operallOn OF rOdo "do
watched with eager interest. Bonds TO the amount OF
S27 900 900 We're issued and sold forty miles Of road
was constructed and put into operation and then the
work construction ceased and has not been renewed
The amount OF money actually used could not have
exceeded 50 100000, probably not SO much. and the
balance has been placed where II would do the most
good" The enterprise from which so much had been
expected failure. Hopes were disappointed, con-
ndence destroyed credlous investors swindled and in
cipient Industries blotted out. After many changes
and vcissiudes the road Is said TO have passed into
possession OF New York syndicate and that the 20
ctfic Mall Steamship Company are interested In the
completion Of the road as originally planned. intend
ing to run II In connection with their line Of ships
II this report is true 1t is important as the road would
form connecting link between the two oceans. afford
Ing market to the immense quantities Of fruit
which are now grown the coast, and bringing into
market the vast tract OF coffee. fruit and mineral
lands which are now worthless because OF lack OF
transportation facilities.
because OF the impossibility Of transporting II,
frnit culture has been confined 10 narrow strip Of
territory is admitted to be the most unhealthy por
ton OF the entire country, while the heahest terri
elevated land away from the and the river bottoms.
The finest bananas raised on the mesas loo feet
above the sea, while the most delicatey havored
coffee requires an elevation at least 1000 feet higher
Much OF this valuable land would be reached by this
lime 9t Ms co snS b s are the
in the Pennsylvania coal fields, at small expense.
With this road competed ana In the control OF an
American company, TIE trade OF Honduras would be
largely In our hands our cotton mills would furnish
the goods used BY the Honduan people; our canned
goods tools and machinery would take the place Of
the goods now supplied BY Europe to the exclusion
" American manufactures.
seventy miles east OF Puerto Cortez is the territory
known through It's glowing advertisements as a. The
Burchard Honduras Fruit Company Concession where
II is proposed To form agriculture, colony for the
purpose OF cultivating fruit. similar To the fruit
settlements In southern California. Mr. Burchard, the
sar gune promoter OF this scheme. asserts that all the
fine frnits now raised In Southern California be
raised upon his Honduras Concession In greater
cost and can be delivered by fast steamships ut the
port New York in better condition than the fruit
from the California fields can be. Bananas, cocoanuts
and pines could not come into competition with