Evening journal., 1897-08-19
IN sourn AMgRIcA.
Some English Comments on Teutonic
"Pushfulness."

Some HsnKlh NOHhncntA ON A&uNouAC
"Pushfulness."
The ubiquitousness Of the Teutonic
trader in Central and South American
republics is becoming keenly manifest
to many British merchants who for
merly considered several of these states
as their business preserves, and, to tell
the truth, In many cases grew lax and
nnenterprising in consequence. Colom-
bia is one of the latest South American
states to receive official attention from
the German government and early in
the year its enterprising foreign office
sent a specialist TO explore that some
what warm corner of the continent.
1t appears that the richest man in the
capital--Santa Fe de Bogota, a city OF
some 100000 inhabitants--is a German
halter, whilst a fellow Teuton, brew
,er, runs him very close in point OF
wealth. Evidently the Bogotans go in
for good hats and good beer; for both
halter and brewer, though so wealthy,
went out from the fatherlaud as arti-
sans. Both, it seems, have been smart
enough to secure lucrative monopolies
one makes all the hats, the other all
the beer required in the thirstecreating
republic The capital, though standing
$1,000 feet up in the Cordilleras, is very
unhealthy, the cold at night being as
intense as the heat by day; and so
fevers of a virulent kind are not to be
Wondered at The Bogotans are de-
scribed as insufferably proud, lazy, de-.
vout after their fashion, and--wholly
devoid Of moralityl The "top hat" and
froclS coat are de rigueur for all re-
spectacle Bogotansl Itseems, too, that
the German commissioner is by no
llneans smitten with the republic, de-
spite the success of the halter and the
brewer. The explorer had TO walk
through trackless country from Bogota
to Bolivar, a distance of 400 miles.
For nearly a month he had TO live on
black bread and jerked beef-beef cut
Into strings and dried in the sun.
lJerled beef, as a rule, can only be di-
gested by a healthy boa constructor.
Originally poor, being taken from the
more than half wild OK, it is made still
more leathery and sapless by the dry
ing process. According to the German
commissioner-who is apparently un-
accustomed to great hardships, and is
now on his way home-a square meal"
of jerlxed beef would be the last a Eu-
ropean would require. AS a compli-
ment, and a great treat, he says he oc-
casionally was given during his tramp
"a plantain by the "inhospitable natives
! lQn the tropics it is difficult to prevent
plantains growing-) He adds that, ow-
ing to the corruption prevalent in Co
lombia, proposal TO construct rail-
way from the capital TO the 0rinoco, 80
miles in length land so reduce the time
occupied in the transport OF goods 10
and from Europe by over one-half), has
been abandoned Well, there seems
little TO choose between the more cen
trail, at any rate, of the South American
republics and while the Bogotans re-
main content to let the journey foI
goods from Europe occupy 4S days
when il estimated the construction Of d
short railway and the introduction OF
shallow-draught steamers would re
dnce it to 22 days, we should imagine
that even the Germans won't extent
their trade very much in Colombia
Perhaps they will be wise in sticking
to Mexico, Argentina. Chilli, Brazil ant
one or two other Of the more settled
states, IN which they have already d
very strong hold on the trade.-Pal
Mall Gazette