The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-01-23

from the table lands of the interior Stlli
it may be true. clai nel tat the natural
increase has been greater among the
whites than among the cOlored races. New
and costly buildings have tA"cn ne piit1e
CT old hoveis and shantie>; elegant stores
and warehouses hare taken the pla" OIL
former booths and sheds, and the new
market house would be a credit to some
of our own cities of greater pfetenllohs.
There are several excel ant hotel5-that IS
to say excellent compared with former
ones. There is an admirable system OF
water works, and the city now mas an
abundance of clear and pure water. ooiiie
OF the rr.rate schools are excellent, ana
the general tone of society has improved.
In short, there are very many worse places
for permanent residence.
Twenty years ago, the total value of an
nual exports from Barranuuilla- was less
than 100000 According to latest Official re
ports it is now nearly $l5,JG0W0 About
two-thrds of this trade goes to England,
Germany and France. England getting the
lions share, as usual. y small portion
goes to Holland We Of the UniteG States
have been content with few raw hides, a
little vegetable ivory ana a Cow hundred
bags of coffee. In return, we have shipped
little or nothing save few gallons Oh
petroleum and few sacks of flour.
And yet, whilst BarranQuilla and the other
Caribbean ports are fuly three weeks
from European markets, they are less than
five days from Savannah and Charleston,
less than seven from New Orleans, ana
about eight or nine from New York. AS it
is, there is direct communication Win
either of these ports. The only cornmunica-
ton with our gulf ports is by tramp
steamers under foreign flags wa
Havana. cargo thus shipped
is usually reShipped two or
three times. reaching its destination in some
three or four weeks and at a total cost of
about double the freight rates to European
ports large cargo for New York must be
shipped by an English line Of sSeemers,
and in roundabout way, reaching It's deS-
tination in about eighteen or twenty days,
and under freight rates about double these
te Liverpool and Northampton.
Still, III the face of these facts, easily
verified, some of our congressman eT-Nl ess
surprise that our trade via South Ameri-
ca should be 50 insignificant! The Valu-
able trade of those countries is rlShtiully
ours by reason of proximity, ulTersity or
climate and similarity of political instltu-
tons; and it is simply our own fault G'at
we have it not.
The other Caribbean ports of Colombia
are Santa Marta and Rio Hache. Both are
old historic places, but now commercially
dead In the old colonial times, Santa Mar
ia was port of considerable lmpoi lance;
but it's decadence set in carly n the present
century and seems to have Ste1iily &C n
tinued ever since. 1t is still the diocese Of
the Roman church, and the political capital
of one of the constituent commemorative Of
the federal union. But aside from these
considerations and memories Of Cepai ted
greatness, the place possesses few attrac-
tons and presents little Of interest to the
tourist.
Rio Hache has fine harbor and is the
natural outlet of the fertile and picturesque
Godjira valley. 1t is likewise contiguous to
some very rich coal and iron deposits. But
the Godjira valley is still, for the most
part, a mere wilderness, inhabited by a
tribe of wild Indians of that name who have
never been brought under subsection to the
government; and there are some half
dozen other places on the Caribbean coast
where mineral deposits are equally rich and
much more available, the probabilities are
that Rio Hache will have to wait a good
while for revival and development y either
native or foreign capital.