The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-30
A Farewell Look At Costa Rica.

back door, so to say, we will go out by
the front; or, in other words, since we
entered the country from the Pacific, via
Punta Arenas, we will leave it via Limon,
ON the Atlantic. The railway journey
from the capital to the eastern port is
without extraordinary features, but very
beautiful.
At this season of the year the climate is
superb and the varied scenery would
force admiration from stole. American
engineers have cut pathway along the
rugged face of the mountains, crossing
scores of deep chasms on bridges so light
that they look perilously frail and cob
webby in the distance, but are in reality
stronger than many clumsier structures
being made of steel. For seven hours
we follow the Rio Reventazon, which de
scends the Cordillera from an elevation of
.. 200 feet and seeks the Atlantic by tortu-
ems Windings, From many points of want
age along the route a wider and grander
view cannot be found within the five
Eepublcs-of hill and valley, forests and
farm lands; the river, rolling and tum-
bling down from the mountains; here leap
ne from boulder to boulder, there spread
ing out into surging masses of foam
and ahead. seen through frequent breaks
Ito the wooded hills, the Caribbean Sea
differing in tile sunshine like polished
silver, specked with many sails. Descend
ing by rapid grades, the mountains are
presently far above us, hidden in clouds.
The whole country looks comparatively
unoccupied, as if fresh from the hands of
God--and what country to lie fallow,
when the worlds surplus millions are
homeless and hungry! On every hand are
oranges. lines, bananas, cocoanuts
alligator pears, guavas, papayas, grandil-
las. citrons, and many other luscious fruits
of the tropics, whose names | do not
know, flourishing without any sort of
cultivation. There is no doubt that most
of the products of the United States
could be successfully grown in Costa Rica.
Many of the indigenous fruits and plants
are like those of Florida and our other
southern States-only in greater perfec-
ZION and variety here Among the vege-
tables already cultivated on the few
hacieDdas are a species of wild potato,
resembling the Irish; yams, beans, toma-
toes, squashes and melons-all needing
very little care and attaining prodigious
size. Sugar coffee, corn, tobacco rice,
chocolate and cocoa, of course require
more attention, but the astonishing crops
pay well for the labor bestowed. Wheat aud
other cereal grains flourish to perfection
in the mountain districts. one may have
about any climate lie wishes in Costa Bica
by simply going up a little higher or down
ii little lower, between the burning coast
and the frosty land of the sky" AS for
game, there are deer which seem to
actually invite the sportsman, by stalk
ing within easy range of his gun, wild
hogs species of wild tiger, birds with
out number: and by no means least in
the category, Iegions of apes aud monkeys
s9 impish and aggtayayng that one longs
to annihllate the whole race Of them, yet
So human in their actions that to want
only to destroy one seems like murder in
the inst degIee The poultry hereabouts
is unsurpassed, and besides the birds
that are usually eaten, Costarcans make
oanaries. buIltnches and panoquts
special dainties in their cuisine
AT Tu1ialba, an insignificant village at
The foot of the volcano Of the same name,
tile train stops 80 minutes for dinner.
The only object Of interest here, besides
The glorious mountain, is the plantation
If an American gentleman. 1t covers
several hundred acres of Incompatible
valley land, and is planted to pine apples.
coffee and sugar cane. SO methodically
Is it laid ont and so beautifully cared for
that it looks like one great market gar
den. It's value in the current money of
the country would probably reach quar-
ter of Million yet / am told that its for
tunate owner came here ten years ago
with only a few hundred dollars at com
mand In this neighborhood are several
small cafetals, or coffee plantations,
whose propretors live in straw matched,
windowless houses Of primitive architec-
ture. Each adobe casa is fronted by a
plat of beaten ground, which serves the
double purpose of dooryard and patio, in
which the owner dries quintals of coffee,
the good wife does her cooking in clay
pots over brush fire, and lean dogs and
naked children roll around together.
Puerto Limon-the only port of conse
quence on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica
and capital of the comarco territory OF
Limon, is, in a way, entirely different
from any other place in Central America
No doubt this is because it is essentially a
foreign city, where one hears good deal
more English, French and German than
the native tongue. Its houses, some OF
them three stories high, are built in the
North American style, and its wide,
straight streets are well paved and re-
markably clean. Stranger still, the larg-