The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-06-21
FROM GUATEMALA.
Visit to Salt Lake of an Extensive
Coffee Grower.
Mr. Albert C. James Details to Herald
Reporter the Process Of Preparing
the Coffee Bean for Market.

Interesting facts concerning coffee, It's
growing, preparation and export were
gained.
Mr.. James has been a resident of that
country for twenty-five years and is one
of the largest and most successful coffee
planters there. He is a man of wide in
telligence, with all the energy and en-
thusiasm of q born Yankee, yet with the
amiability and big heart of the people
with whom he has cast his fortunes.
Mr.. James plantation, La Vina, is on
the Pacific slope, fifty miles from the
ocean, 1000 feet above the level of the sea,
where frost is never known, yet where the
temperature does not rise above 20 degrees
and the atmosphere is dry except in the
planting or rainy season, June, July and
August.
The many photographs in his possess
sion show TO advantage garden spot OF
the world with its acres and acres OF the
coffee trees set out eighteen feet apart.
The tree is beautiful, with glossy, pointed
leaves, resembling the fuscia, and at
their base grow the clusters of berries
which very much resemble our red cher
ries.
On the grounds about the house are
seen hedges of the orange tree; banana
trees also making fine variety to the
foliage, and a delight to the admiring eye.
The first thing that impresses one on
viewing the many pictures, is the scrupu-
| lous care, cleanliness and order with
which everything appears to be done.
a smart and spanking team attached to a
trim cart is driven tandem by neat, good
natured native, who guides with skill
| through the narrow avenues between the
coffee trees and receives the beans az they
have been picked. Horses, mules and
oxen, all are used; fine Kentucky stock
has found its way down there, and in a
picture Mrs. James stands proudly hold
ing her own steed, looking as though a
daily cdnter on the fine animal was one OF
her delights.
From fifteen to eighteen hundred pick
ers are employed on this plantation dur
ing the gathering season. The picking is
done by task, st rs cents per box of IL by
IL inches or 1928 cubic inches. Laborers
earning as high as So per day. The pick
ing begins the 1st. to the 18th. of Sep
TENDER and ends about the middle of Jam
uary. Coffee requires the richest OF soils,
and this is why there is no more Java
and Moca in market; the fields are worn
out. The fields of Guatemala are very
rich, and produce the finest coffee, thei1
third grade, being equal to the first
grade of that from Brazil. But we Amer
leans get none OF the best, as it ali goes t.
London, Paris and Hamburg. American
trade demands quantity, not quality
More is imported through San Francisco
, than through New York.
, There is notion prevalent that the
/ longer coffee is kept the better it is; but
this, the grower says, is mistake, for J.
the coffee is from good seed and soil, anc
has been properly treated; washed, driee
and separated, it is good for use at once
Coffee is planted inobeds as is lettuce Of
onion seeds. After sixty days in thu
first bed, it is taken up and set out il
nursery fields, one foot square apart
t where it remains frem eighteen to twenty
months when it is again transplantet
INTO INTO, coffee fields, being put int
holes three, feet deep and thre'
in diameter. The field is KEEP
perfectly free from weeds by la
borers who pass through will
long knives which resemble tn
Turkish sword. The earth Is kept loos
t. about the trees by constantly turning NJ
the ground with hoes. The life of tn
tree is as long rs the land is kept in good
strong condition, but the trees also re
the scraping off of mess, which is in
furious.
, When the trees are two years old, tn
top for about two inches is pruned il
order to strengthen the body. The thirt
year small crop is gathered, the fourtl
it increases and the fifth year full cro]
is produced.
i. When the coffee is brought from tn
field 1T resembles our red cherry. Eacl
pod contains two grains. These ar
7 thrown into large tanks filled with wa
ter, where the good grain, like GOLD
sinks. The first tank is the receivin
tank. Into this flows stream of water
and out into another which is the float
ing tank, for all the damaged grain rises
. The water is then drawn off from larg
receiving tanks where the good coffee lie
at the bottom. Doors are then opened
= the coffee turned into machine Gale
s'puiper,'' which takes of the first Goa
Ca coffee grain mas three coats leaving
q gumnIy substance or second Goa
g which is difficult to remove an
a lays in tank, without waite
c for forty to one hundred hours, accordln
to temperature. When the gum become
: loose the berry is carried by water into
washing machine to be thorough
cleaned. 1t is then thrown into g basi
with screen in center and subterranea
OF the building into "shuckers'' whic
: take off the second coat. 1t is now pr
: into polisher which takes the third Coz
e off. An eXhausser fans out all dust. Be
i fore the tanning process it is dried for fly
s to ten days. Then separation is made
4 and lastly it is classified and ready fC
/, market.
E The third grade, which is sent to u,
often carries black grains whic
e is laid on tables where girls and wome
y pick them out. This we, in the Unite
States, buy for Java and Mocha.
Mr.. James has invented an artifici
dryer, which he will soon have cast
iron, which will greatly facilitate I'll
: drying of the grain.
The laborers in Guatemala are a mil
ture Of Indian and Spanish and are +,
: more industrious people than the Indian
contented.
s Mr.. James says that at the present tin
Guatemala is in a very prosperous cond
, ton, notwithstanding that the silv,
g product is not as high as miners woul
wish it to be. The crops are not on
abundant, but they command excellel
prices. Little railroad progress is bein
made just now, the government awaitin
the disposal OF bonds which cannot |
st easily Negotiated in the existing cond
ton Of financial affairs at home ar
abroad. With new railroad lines, exter
siye copper tracts will be opened up ar
the exports very largely increased.
The reciprocity clause of the McKinlt
bill is quite unfavorably looked upon
Guatemala. Trade relations are drive
by it to European countries whe
machinery, agricultural implements ar
merchandise generally are bought.
Mr.. James, accompanied by his wifi
J. who is an accomplished linguist, as 81
speaks five languages, left Salt Lake la
70 evening for the World 5 fair and then
for tour OF the country.
There are twenty-eight cities bayi,
each more than 100, 900 population.