The Republican journal., 1897-07-15
Coffee Growing in Guatemala.
special correspondence of The Journa

slstr. should not fail to visit some of
lincas which have made this small
igpublie one of the most prosperous in
-Ae world and given her the reputation of
erally growing gold" as her enormous
sor IS annually exchanged for the gold
other countries. Since 1880 Guatemala
has devoted herself almost exclusively to
Ike cultivation of sugar and coffee; and
he TWO industries have gone on increas-
ag year by year, to such an absorbing
e4ree that now nearly her whole pro-
ctive force is concentrated in them. 1t
WIS the elder Barrios' idea in the begin
us, amply justified at the time by the
A price of sugar at home and coffee
oad, but probably the Dictator did
toresee that in one decade his beloved
nupelled to import most of the grain,
Il, beans and potatoes required to sus-
the life of her people. The rapid
in coffee production is indicated in
shipping records, which show an ex-
alton OF go quintals in 1855
.1dt three times as much as in 1881
nU1l being 100 pounds. To-day nearly
he plains and high tablelands are
red with coffee groves, even to an
cl-iOn OF 5000 feet, though half that
,nde is supposed to offer the best con-
ms. From Quetzalteuango to the
Aican border, distance of fifty leagues
lore, the country, after dropping down
-v hundred feet nearer to sea level, is
endless tinca, plantation adjoining
lLaton, some of them as large as old
principalties. Among the most
3Ule estates of this section may be
nJioned La Libertad, ''Porvenir, "
4ocolat. Mercedes, y each claiming
ElIlion coffee trees, besides extensive
5 in sugar cane and paying immense
lends. Nine. Barrios, (the late Die
T. 5 widow until she married in New
X few years ago. was formerly the
-Jhiest planter in this part of Guate-
.t and now that distinction probably
Hngs TO eX-President Barillos, whose
me from his several coffee estates is
ilOus. 1t is said that all Americans
come TO Guatemala take to coffee
ing as ducks TO water and that the
rguero fever, ii. e. the desire to own
~ spares neither age, sex nor previous
l.itlon," A comparatively recent ad-
on to the rank Of foreign planters on a
.-e scale is Ex-Governor Pacheco of Cal
ia President Barrios in the Coban coun-
The last named district, by the way.
LIE most celebrated in Guatemala. being
-.s~t of access and therefore best known
-.e outer world; but it is by no means
e lest ton coffee growing. The garden
Var excellence is within thirty miles
czaltenaugo, down toward Retathu-
t ~ average elevation of 1900 feet
t4 5 a trihe too high for untailing re-
since above 1, ZOO feet the planter is
'a5s in danger of having his trees
rned by frost To the stranger that
ems q IaradoXicll statement-until he
ru- thdt ii is NOT the frost that kills,
he hot sun which quickly follows the
4ud produces tile effect Of scaldng
st-susoeptible localities where coffee
uted in spite Of the risk, it is Gus
my to ring all the church bells late at
whenever tie serenos, (night watch
consider frost imminent. Instead
familiar cry from the belfries,
Maria purissima La nocheyes-
" serene they wake the echoes
l-e sleeping town by beating wild
tpon the bells; when all hands has
20 The orchards and light huge fires,
by saving much Of the coffee.
Coban district, which lies but one
day 5 journey flom Livingston, the
a-ic port, and less than a week from
Tleans-is peculiarly rich in seen
we'll as in agricultural posi- ibilites.
- are a few wagon roads from the
and you travel over the trails only
lie back-continually rewarded for
ae. short rations and other discom-
py some of the grandest views this
round world can show The price
Tee lands in Coban is just now having
"om-but ordinarily they are relative
4eaper than those on the Pacific coast.
ha american, who lately returned from
section, says: Foremost among the
al grahbers and boomers in Coban are
-o Germans, who predominant in this
-nJry. Most of them keep shops in
arger cities and thus run two trades,
wing coffee finquero during four
Anths of the year. The great majority
hose who have been here ten years or
4re have become very wealthy, having
ded up fine estates at good deal less
-al their value. A few years ago
lqen boom in coffee filled all their cof-
with gold-for the product is always
l .or gold and nothing else. Many of
Arse beer guzzling coffee kings have re-
ee from active work and live abroad,
nng once in year or two to gloat over
@tI bonanzas. They (the Germans)
4ase no bones about trying to keep