The sun., 1894-02-04
THE ISTHMIAN PRODUCTS.
cURIosITIEs OF FARMING AND TRADE
VEST OF PANAMA.


Al odd Pack Hsstet aud Conteuts-PossibIs
EReets OF CoGee Growing on Euterprise
sad Prosperity-sugar that Resembles
Mspie-where strong Drink q. Cheap
A List ofth Exports orn BonEo Port.
During tho afternoon oithe day on which ar
rived In Aguadulce de veraguas in the manner
that has been described In THE SuN. saw as
sat In the shade OF the vcraDda mat n cross the
plaza carrying pack baske ct OF novel shane on
his back. The majority OF the readers Of THE
Sun know something about the pack basket
used bv the natives Of the Adirondack region
the baskets shaped like flsh creel with mar
row mouths and bulging sides-which the
guides use In carrying supplies for fishing and
shooting parties into tho woods The notice
able feature OF the Adirondack basket is In
the placing OF the weight Of it's con-
tents on the small OF the back OF the
one who carries H. But the rack basket
on the back Of the native al Aguadulce re-
yersed the Adirondack idea. Tnstend Of bulg-
ing out over the small OF the back It fared out
like the mouth OF trumpet above tho
shoulders. and was quite narrow over the
small Of the back. The shape OF It. indeed.
was exactly like q section OF a buGle cut from
the flarlng end.
When the man entered n store on the corner
followed In to take a look at the basket. and
had the luck to learn OF the storek eeper more
than had expected to do. The man was n
farmer and had come to town to sell some OF
his produce. and very interesting product it
was. because OF tho bearing Il is likely to have
In the future on the prosperity and develop
ment OF the people Of the Isthmus. Slowed
loosely in the bottom Of the basket were about
twenty pounds Of fragrant. plump. and small
coffee berries. very nicely cured. but not well
picked over.
"A everybody knows, tho coffee y, fhe world
may be said to grow on great plantations only.
The coffee growers Of Mexico and Central and
South America are men worth many thou
sands. and in somo cases millions OF dollars
each. To the casual observer coffee is only a
rich mans crop for ono must have capital TO
prepare the land. even whore land is free. and
capital to SGT out the trees. and capital to live
on for four years or 30 whilo the trees ma
ture. Nevertheless ms is now being demon
strated in the interior OF the Isthmus OF
Panama, coffee Is emphnticaly n poor mans
crop. In cash and other personal property
the Ladino farmer OF tho Isthmus Is poverty
stricken. He has usually but one agricu-
tural i'm plement-the machete Ills wardrobe
includes hat. two or three shirts. and as many
pairs OF trousers made OF choose cloth. His
household utensils include few bowls and
pots OF terra Gotta and cups and bowls made OF
gouris. His live stock includes few chick
ems. some dogs and very often a few pigs and
a COW or two. His homo is a hut Of poles and
grass with hammock and a mat for beds.
His farm is q three-acre patch cleared afresh
every year from tho solid. though second
growth. green.
Tho only capital that tho Isthmian farmer
has had with which to travel the road that will
lead him to the home OF a millionaire is the
ability to work living out OF n patch OF
cleared land in the Isthmian forest. Never
theless he is proving that that capital is sum
Client OF course he is proving IL slowly.
Several years ago perhaps seven tho
stories OF the great profits made by the coffee
growers OF Costa Rica. Guatemala. and else
where. permested the Isthmus in such a man
ner as to rouse the people to emulation. There
arc q few men OF wealth there. especially at
SANTIAGO and David. the capitals. These men
got into furry. They went back up into tho
mountains. selected land that seemed Just
right, cleared and planted 1t with a rush. and
then sat down to wait They did not know
how to select their land. nor how to prepare or
care for II. The rich men of Chiri1ui alone
are said to have invested s15OOOO in the en-
terprise. and they lost every cent OF 1t. The
trees died. 1t will take Don Juan a long time
to recover from the depressing effects OF that
loss. Everybody said that coffee growing
could not flourish there. and a good many
still believe SO.
Ono day. however one OF these rich dons
while sitting In his store every rich don keeps
a store on tho Isthmusl saw Juan-the plain.
poverty stricken farmer OF the mountain side
come across the plaza as l saw him do. 1t
was a matter Of momentary interest because
every storekeeper is Anxious for trade. but
when plain Juan had entered and exhibited
coffee for sale the casual interest developed
into a state OF humpbacked excitement.
Did he steal 1t 7
Who're did he get ie1
Raised IL.
Iis Hsf bhS hS aaEy SaEy moro to sell'
How many trees did he havei
Where did he get them?
Why. Don Juan gave them to him whom
was So generous that he apWay. ,oTpot nn u1n tha
many Kind attentions he paid to his poor em-
Carambo That was so "a to the giving Of
the trees; That was nothing but did they die I
They did not. thanks To God.
rms little Incident which, say 1--WE years ago
stirred Aguadulce and NJ about the same time
santiaguAnd David. has been re peated over aud
over again eyery year since, nut the mum Der OF
Juans bringing In their little measures Of cof-
Zee has Increased In at least arit hmetcal ratio
the tG Hasn ore sss S5SS AKA
each year for his corn. his cane. his rice. aud
ms Sssns ~ 10 out I'M, ms house Is picture In the
hes planted tree or two OF coffee every year.
and In some cases more.
Moreover there 10 a lowland as we'll as a
highland coffee in Neraguas. Near Santa FG
1000 feet aud more above the sea. grows the
ordinary coffee. hut saw coffee growing in
the yards Of tho low lying villages Las ialmas.
Tole Sc. Tho grade is Inferior. II brings but
go silver per 100 pounds, whore highland coi-
fee brings $50 to $50 in Panama; but 1t is 40 |
prolific that an acre might yield as great an in
come on tho low ground as on tho high.
for 3OO years these farmers had been con-
tent to live each yoar as they lived tho year |
before. raising only enough grain and meat |
to supply the simplest wants. The surplus |
products. including the skins of wild animals !
taken. could be exchanged for enough store |
goods to satisfy them. Then came the coffee |
tree. and In It's branches the spirit of progress
Coffee could be sold for cash. and the CLINT |
OF the silver stirred the greed tor mOre-a |
greed that had Deen latent most OF the time !
. nee the death OF their remote white ances- |
tors. the spaniards or tho freebooters who en- |
tered the country some centuries ago looking |
for gold. Juan does not know perhaps that |
he is on the road TO great wealth, hut. as Will |
% told AZ another time, the experience oi the |