The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-15
NEW FIELD OF TRADE
Opportunities Central America
Offers 10 Seattle.
a STEAMER LINE IS NEEDED.
n. 4. Chubsrg Tells OF ssattie's Ad-
v.nt.xes fer Capturing the Trade
of Guatemala.

Mr.. and Mrs. ]. r. chilberg returned on
Tuesday from Central America, where
they have spent the last year, their time
being divided between the republics OF
Guatemala and San Salvador. Mr.. Chii-
berg vent as the representative OF the g
A C. mills Of Spokane. and comes back
full Of anxiety TO see steamer line
started from Seattle 70 Central America.
which he predicts would soon build up
considerable trade, IS the Sound has
many advantages over Gan Francisco IN
regard to the commodities demanded IN
that section and transportation facilities.
In discussing the results OF his trip ana
the business possibilities Of tue country be
said to PosT-IsTEI1IaExcER reporter last
night:
81 opened up good trade and our mills
are already shipping 400 to 800 tons OF
-four a month 20 Central America. la
Guatemala there are two or three mills
which make good flour from the wheat oil
the country, but il Is only about y per
cent. Of their consumption, and Salvador
grows no wheat and has no -four mills
Those countries have been getting their
-four, groceries. hardware, lumber ana
drugs--in fact everything bat clothing and
dry goods--from San francisco. but they
get their clothing and dry goods from New
York or Europe. Lots Of our lumber Is
shipped through San Francisco jobbers.
who resbip II at San Francisco. which
makes il very expensive. The principal
export Is coffee. but Guatemala exports
from $500. 600 TO $500. 900 worth Of bananas
from the Atlantic coast to New Orleans.
There are plenty of bananas on the Pacific
side of the mountains. but there Is no de-
mand for them and nobody has attempted
% export them. The country also exports
q very little mahogany and some cocoa
The exports OF Salvador are about the
same. except bananas, the country having
no Atlantic frontage. The area Of Saliva
dor Is only about 1000 square miles, bat It
has a population OF about 10000 being
the most denseiy peopled country In Cen
trail America
with any reasonable freighting facili-
ties We have al equal chance with San
Francisco of securing that trade, though
we should have our ignorance of the re-
Quirements of the country TO overcome
first We ought 20 build good trade.
both in exports and imports. The first
thing necessary IL TO put on q regular line
OF steamers. beginning by running every
month or forty-hve days, and adding
others as the business made il necessary
In that way the people there could de-
pend on receiving the goods they ordered
at q certain time. As 1t Is now, shipping
from Spokane. we have 10 transfer to
steamers at Portland or Tacoma and again
ut San Francisco. and we are uncertain of
making connections. so that We may miss
connections.
with steamers and connections with
our four railroads we would have the adj
vantage over San Francisco and New
York in shipping coffee as far east as Chi
cago. At present about one-tenth OF the
coffee comes TO San Francisco, two-thirds
goes 20 Europe and the balance TO New
York. The coffee we get comes through
San Francisco and is the poorest grades
they turn out, for they send the better
grades to New York and London. much of
IL being reselected and sold as Mocha or
Java Guatemala grows the finest coffee
on the continent. though we never see
any of IL here. We could have lumber,
flour. groceries, corn, hardware, etc, as a
return cargo and can undersell San Fran
cisco on lumber. potatoes. -four, and prob
ably coal, and can meet all competition on
hardware. drugs, any liquors except
wines. stationery. lime and almost any
thing shipped by way of San Francisco
and manufactured throughout the Middle
states.
President Barrios, OF Guatemala, spent
several years in the United States before
he was elected. speaks English well, is
especially friendly 20 Americans, and is
anxious 10 encourage intercourse with this
country. He il founding schools and
educating the people on the American
plan. Guatemala is the most peaceable
and stable government in Central Amer
lea. aud Barrios is one Of the few presi-
dents elected without bloodshed lie is
stu more of soldier than a civilian.
wears a uniform ON all occasions, aud does
everything in military style. Stll he is
well liked by everybody except the few
who are aspiring Tor his place.
''They are doing good deal down there
20 improve their transportation facilities.
In Salvador they were building a railroad
from sansanata Go Santa Anna, the town
which was lately hombarded. This will
open very rich coffee producing district
and only lacks SIX miles TO complete the
line from the port OF Acajutia TO San Sal
vador City. this six miles being through
the mountains, where the work il difficult
aud costly. In Guatemala they are push
ing construction Of the Guatemala South
ern railroad from Puerto Barrios 20
Guatemala City. which will 90 $50 miles
long and viii make it possible 90 reach
Guatemala from New Orleans in four days.
Some nfty TO sixty miles of this road
are completed and they are pushing con-
straction from both end. Ii is about 800
miles from the most southern point OF the
Mexican railroad system 10 the Gaatema-
Ian roads. III the inter-eontinental rail-
road Is ever built Il will have 90 depend on
local traffie for business and will therefore
have 20 run entirely through the noun
tainS. where the difficulties would be
enormous; those OF the Cascades are moth
ing by comparison. In order 10 keep out
of the mountains the road would have 20
ran through the TERRA ealisnte, which is
nothing bat tropical jungle and would
furnish no business"