The Republican journal., 1897-09-30


i'll rainy weather pouring streams of water
upon the heads of pedestrians who are not
wise enough to walk in the fiddle of the
road. The lighting of the city shows its
various stages of Improvement Up to
1910 it was not lighted at all. When Ian
terms were put up, each provided with a
tallow candle, whose feeble illumination
lasted but a few short hours. Sixteen
years ago kerosene lamps were SUBSTITUTE
ed, to the number of about POO, in the
principal streets; and II years later these
were superseded by the electric light.
adopted by special contract, the service
universal throughout the city. AS yet
there is no system of sewerage, but a sort of
portable apparatus collects and removes
the refuse matter, also by contract with
foreigners. Water for drinking and gen
eral usei is brought to San Jose from con-
siderable distance; but never was a town
more plentifully supplied with the purest
and sweetest. 1t is deposited in five great
reservoirs; built on up-to-date lines, with
materials and filters sent from the United
States and thence distributed by iron
pipes, permitting every modern conven-
fence. Each OF the several plazas has its
handsome fountain, as also the court yards
OF the public buildings and the patios of
many private houses. The principal
business street, called the Gale del Com
ercio, is lined with shops, wholesale and
retail-the former long narrow halls. the
latter small and square, like slightly en-
larged dry goods boxes. They contain
surprisingly large and varied supplies,
among which American sewing machines,
English ready made garments, French
furniture and German drugs are prom-
nent. Speaking of this to our obliging
consul, he added the following articles to
my not yet voluminous stock of informal
ton concerning San Jose. The city CON
tains all kinds of commercial establish
ments, from first class 'emporiums''
where silks and diamonds are displayed, to
upwards of one hundred grocery and
liquor stores, beside numberess smaller
shops for the retailing Of arguardente and
tobacco. This seems to be a remarkably
thirsty country, for besides three big
breweries, working night and day and
turning out beer at the rate Of about -
000 barrels year, there is the National
Liquor Factory, which has no rival in
Central America. The latter is an i'm
mense establishment, provided with the
best distillely apparatus, and the product
is said by connoisseurs TO be unusually
fine. Besides the arguardiente, or pure
brandy, made from sugar cane, and alco-
hol, rum and other liquors, it produces a
great deal OF the celebrated anisado-a
kind of white brandy scented with
anise seed. The liquor monopoly
yields to the government an annual
profit averaging II. 800, 600. At the
same time the clandestne distillation
of liquors is general, and ther consump-
ton is estimated us being even greater
than that Of the National Liquors, not
vithstaDding the vigilance of the autAori-
ties. Another government monopoly is
the manufacture OF tobacco, at present
confined to common cigarettes and very
poor cigars; but it adds to the National
Treasury something over half million
dollars year The government also con-
ducts Remington cartridge factory,
which supplies the army with this neces-
sdry article; as imported cartridges are
affected by the moisture The San Jose
foundry and national work shop would do
honor to any country and have contributed
much to the progress OF mechanical arts
in Costa Rica. In them all kinds of foun-
dry, iron and cabinet work is performed,
and machines, implements and farming
tools made. In the car shops a young
Costa Rican has lately built a complete
locomotive for the railroads use. and an
English mechanic has made small steam
boat.
In and around san Jose are seven wood
factories, 4 dozen brick yards, several
tanneries, three or four manufactures of
saddles harness and other leather goods.
manufactures of soap, starch candles
and matches, cotton mill which turns
out excellent cloth, and a factory for the
weaving Of silk rebozas-long shawls worn
by the women There is a Touring
mill, too, the only one in Costa Rica,
operated by some gentlemen from Mime
sofa. An Italian runs prosperous oil
factory, using palm nuts, castor beans
and other oleaginous seeds of the country
an industry, by the way, to which there
might be no limit. Within the last few
years foreigners have started several other
Industries, such as the making of ice,
perfumery, chocolate and gaseous waters.
Their machinery, (mostly from the United
States, is allowed to come in free of duty.
because the government wishes to en-
courage these enterprises Since the era
of railway building so many foreigners
have visited Costa RIGA that its capital
has now rather an embarrassment of rich
es in the way of hotels. There are at
least half dozen of the so.called first