The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-08-12
HUNTING FOR CL0YS.
HE WILL HAVE TO PROVE HIS
STATEMENTS.
Captain Ferguson Pronounces His Letter
Tissue Of Falsehoods all
Through.


which appeared in this mornings paper
He wants to see him, and to see him
badly, and so does his attorney, Mr.,
Charles Creighton. In an interview
with STAR reporter this morning
Captain Ferguson said
"The statements contained in the
letter of Mr.. Clogs, printed in this
mornings Advertiser, are false from
beginning to end, and intend to make
him take them back or commence a
suit against him for criminal libel If
l cannot find him | shall proceed
against the editor of the paper. So
far have been unable to find out who
the man is, as he is not known among
the Portuguese colony, nor is his name
on any directory. suspect he is some
ignorant sailor who has probably been
in San Jose de Guatemala day or two
on some coasting vessel and thinks he
knows ali about the country What
Mr.. Clogs says about the climate is
false, as can be easily proven. 1t is
not true that large part of Guatemala
is nothing but swamp, etc. To dis
prove this statement it is only neces
sary to refer to any standard geography
or encyclopedia.
"Take the American Encyclopedia,
for instance, a standard authority. On
page $50 of volume VIII, under the
head of Guatemala, is found the fol-
lowing
"Almost the whole surface of the
republic is composed Of an elevated
plateau, which is continuation of the
table land Of Yucatan, intersected by
numberless mountains, with deep and
extensive valleys, particularly in the
west and northwest, adjacent to Chiapas,
but no continuous chain traverses the
country The depression of the table
land toward the Pacific coast, however
is so rapid and presents SO many steer
activities that, when viewed from the
sea, it looks like an elevated mountain
range the illusion is the more COM
plete as the edge Of the plain appears
marked by number of volcanoes
some of which are still active. *
The shore region consists of a strip o.
flat low country, not more than thirty
miles broad. Il The climate
excessively hot in the low and cool ir
the elevated regions, is generally salu-
brious' The Encyclopedia Britain
MICA, volume TX, page 2Ia, says: Sex
cept in the marshy lagoons along the
Pacific, which are inhabited by groups
of fishers and salt gatherers, the climate
of Guatemala is considered healthy
one In Consul General Kimberey's
report to the Department OF State a
Washington, speaking of the climate
he says: The climate, with the ex
ception of the coast, is healthy, thu
soil is the richest that ever came unde
my observation, and anything will grow
almost anywhere. Guatemala, witt
the exception of about fifteen miles
inland from the coast on either side
is from $500 to 1000 feet above TIT
level of the sea, and for scenery anc
richness of soil it beats any country il
the world.
To show the writer's ignorance o
the country Captain Ferguson went OF
to say: 'Coffee cannot be grown ex
cept at an altitude between 25oo anc
$500 feet above sea level. Whoeve
heard of such country being IN
healthy, or of coffee being grown in ;
marsh. Clogs is wrong again abou
the laborers being housed in big bar
racks of corrugated iron. The labor
ers houses on the coffee plantation
are all constructed of wood ant
matched with native grass Some o
them are very long, and these are par
titioned off into separate rooms, eacl
family occupying one. On some plan
tations the laborers live in huts, eacl
family having one for its exclusive use
Most of these huts, of course, contain
only one room, but some have more
Corrugated iron may be uSet
for Hawaiian laborers, but it i
not used in Guatemala. The state
ment that the laborers get nothing bu
beans and jerked beef to eat is ais
false, Under their contract, which wa
printed in full in the STAR, they receiv
stated amounts weekly of rice, corn
plantains, beans, -four, vegetables, fres
meat and soy. With every shipmen
of thirty laborers | send from her
enough soy to last them six month:
With regard to the further Statement
that every luna carries Colts A
calibre revolver, that is equally untrue
Men always go armed when travelling
in Guatemala but not otherwise, an
they do that simply because it is tn
custom of the country. although n
necessity exists for it. As all the Jap
anese shipped from these Islands ar
intended for lunas they cannot com
plain on that score. AS to the state
ment that am said to be promisin
$Io per month, and that dollar
only worth fifty cents in Guatemala
must refer you to my printed contraC
once more, which reads, Payable i
United States gold COIN So muc