The Republican journal., 1896-12-17

VI eldHSIeI along tne river, awaiting trans
portation; while goods from foreign coun-
tries en- route to merchants in the interi-
or, were piled higher, for the same reason
stranded for months and months be-
cause all of the river boats were in, the
pay of the Canal Company and crowded
with its business. Nicaraguans, like other
Central Americans, are most accommo-
dating people, and excellent hands at
waiting for manana, (the tomorrow that
never comes; )-but to have both exports
and imports lettering year OR more along
the short route between the Atlantic and
lake Nicaragua, was more than even their
patience could stand So trade shifted
over to Corinto, on the Pacific coast; and
when canal work was suspended, the At
lantic port, which at one time handled as
many as 5000 packages a month, had
nothing to fall back upon and became as
dead as worked out mining camp. Yet
the swamps and sandbars were held at the
same valuations 900 the acre. Of
course nobody wanted the land at any
price, but the holders We're able to hold
it, and are still waiting for the day-sure
to come, they say-when work on the
canal will be resumed, and with it sec
ond boom, mightier than the first. Mr.
Walter Ingalls,, nephew of the Kansas
Senator, who owns the tramway, says:
1.-The road has been running behind for
several years past at the rate of three or
four dollars day; but | would not sell the
franchise for 500, 600" The same gentle
man owns several acres of the swamp
aforesaid, which he declares that he
would not sell at any price. Truly, ''Hope
springs eternal in the human Breast
Greytown has had other ups and downs
in times long past, and perhaps, in spite
of its closed-up harbor and tenantless
houses, American enterprise may yet
make it blossom as the rose. Some time
after Columbus discovery of this coast,
the place was brought into farther notice
by Captain Diego Machuca, who entered
Nicaragua from the Pacific and in 1929
sailed from lake Nicaragua down the San
Juan river. The date of the first Spanish
settlement at San Juan del Norte is not
known, but there were Notifications here
early in the 18th century. In 1916, it was
made port of entry by royal charter and
new defences were erected. During the
Nicaraguan revolution the patriots seized
the port, but were expelled by the Brit
ish in lS4S, who claimed the district in
the name of the Mosquito Indians. and re-
manned in possession until the treaty of
1860. 1t was during their occupation that
the original name, San Juan del Norte, was
dropped and ''Greytown' substituted,
but since Nicaragua has gained posses
sion, it is recognized officially only by the
former name
San Juan is ostensibly free port, the
Custom House being S0miles up the river,
at Castillo, pronounced Cas- teel- yo,)
where the rapids are so shallow that
steamers must stop Just before reaching
them. Goods for the INTERIOR having
passed inspection by the Custom officers
are transferred by tramway to other
steamers lying in wait beyond the dan
gerous section. In lieu of tariff mer-
chants here pay 10 per cent. on the total
value OF their importations. Consequent
ly, prices Of imported manufactured arti-
cles from Germany, France and England
(the chief sources from which Central
American merchants draw are generally
much lower than they could be bought in
the United States. At Greytown the
bulk of the trade, such as it is, is center
ed in two OF three houses. though there
are many little shops, numerically out of
all proportion to the present population,
kept by Englishmen, Germans and Ameri-
cans. An odd feature of local business
is the cachedores, or travelling sales
women. These female drummers make
constant trips between Greytown and the
interior, and it is whispered that they are
expert smugglers and make a good deal
of money outside of regular ''business.n
They carry imported manufactured goods
to the interior and return bringing coun-
try produce, such as cheese, chickens,
eggs, vegetables, which they readily dis
pose of; for although such commodities
bring fancy price here, and are always
in demand, there are no market gardens
or chicken-ranches near the port. The
mystery is how the poor habitants make
out to earn a living, for very little work
seems to be doing, although the things
we consider absolute necessaries of life
are all very scarce and high priced. A
few scantily draped women may always be
seen washing clothes along the edge of
the lagoon-dipping the garments into the
water, soaping them, and then whacking
them on the stones in lieu of rubbing.
After several soapings, whackings and
rinsings, they are spread out on the sand
to dry. Hens run over them at will, and
occasionally wandering dog or donkey
strolls along and leaves track of muddy
feet-but nobody minds little things like
that in st. John of the North, and the