The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-03
Mr.. f. 0. POpenOe Returns from
Visit to Costa Rica
Where He Has Been Looking
After Mining Properties.
WHAT LIVING is LIKE
In a Hot Country SWarming
With Insect Life.
The Climate Pleasant, But Not
Much Else.

You can get rich IN costa Rlca, says
F. O. Popenoe, unless the poor food
kills you too soon.
It is an interesting country and peo-
pie, but their ways are not our ways.
F. o. P0penOe of the Accounting
Trust company returned this morning
from a trip to Central America. The
purpose of his visit was to inspect GER
tain properties on the Pacific coast of
Costa Rica, in which the accounting
Trust company is interested. He ex-
perienced some rough life both on sea
and on land, but returned in good
health and feeling well repaid for the
trip. When asked as to that country
and the opportunities for profitable in
vestments there, he said:
There is no doubt about the oppor-
tunity to make money, but the hard
ships to be encountered are many, the
difficulties to be overcome are numer- !
Gus. and the ways of living so absO- |
lutely unlike ours that nearly all who
go fortune seeking to that country be
come discouraged and leave. 1t is
practically an outdoor life, day and
night the year round. The houses are
mere shelters. In the rainy season |
they are wet, in the dry season they are
dusty, and at all times they are full of
bugs. insects and creeping, crawling
things. The food is therefore not suf-
6Ciently clean to say it would not be
injurious to the health. And instead
of only one peck of dirt in Il lifetime,
the Costa Rican gets his half bushel
per month
Some people here seem to think it is
hot in Costa Rfca- So it is, il you are
on the low lands of the coast. But on
the interior plateau, at an altitude of
1900 to 5000 feet it is delightfully."- cool |
and the climate is as near perfection
as can be found. have no fault to |
find with the climate. In fact, good |
climate was about all we had that was |
A xT--lr tod -aT~x- 11r1f7
TO trade some good climate for some
good food 1t seemed to me absurd |
that iE a country where nearly all kinds |
OF fruits and vegetables grow wild the
hotels should cOnfine their bills of fare
to meats and drinks. At the Hotel
Frances, San JOse-and practically the
same everywhere elsa six course
dinner embraced five courses of meats
The sixth was some kind of dessert
Oranges rarely found their way to the
breakfast table-toO cheap, I suppose,
two cents q dozen. We used to buy
them at the market. together with a
delicious pineapple or half dozen to-
matoes, and by diligent and careful
watching, plentifully Sprinkled with
kicks to the steward, would get them
specially served. suppose the coffee
was good. The Costa Ricans seemed
to like it. 1t was too strong for me.
And there never was any cream COT
fee without cream is like home with
out a mother. After I had dOctOred
a cup of their strong coffee up with a
a.
carefully brushed the ants out of a
spoonful of sugar. and added that, I
lost my appetite for coffee and turned
my attention to the bread, which, al
though sour and heavy, had by this |
time attracted the aforesaid ants and
a colony of reinfOrcements. At first
I was much shocked and disturbed by
the freedom of these ants and other
kinds of animal life-fleas, for instance
but latterly. through becoming ac-
custoned to their affectionate ways I |
got onto a basis of philosophical ac-
Quaintance with them. and & t one time |
and another suppose 1 ate several hun
dred thousand of such small creatures |
in my food Commend me to Costa /
Rica for climate but not for food.
The people of Costa Rica are kind |
gentle. intelligent and honest They |
are small in stature. slow in notion |
and, as in all southern countries take |
life not too seriously. Manana tomOr- |
row! The natives are more intelligent |
than the native Mexicans, and love |
fighting much less. They are pleasant |
to live amongst,and did l wish to spend |
my life in kind of dilatory. idle, |
trif1ing sort of existence, not dong to-
day what could be put off till tomor- |
row, should take up a residence there. |
1 expect one with high moral stand
ards would lose his standards or be- |
come a nervous wreck if he stayed there |
long The women smoke, everybody !
drinks, and the marriage contract is an 4
arrangement with such ease of ad- !
justment and varying shades of degree |
that 1t IS a practically go as you please !
business
As to the Kansas people he met there
Mr.. FOpenoe said:
e L. Foutch of the Accounting !
Trust company, is business manager Of /
the Bella Vista Mining and Milling /
company The mines of this company |
are located in a beautiful spot in the |
mountains near Los Queuados a |
small native village, at an altitude of |
2,2G0 feet. This altitude gives a de- |
lightful and a healthy climate
''Dr. E. c. Franklin, formerly of the
state university, Lawrence is chemist
for these mines, and is making a great |
success of his work.
H. B. Holman, brother of Charles
L. Holman of the Accounting Trust
company also of Topeka, is looking the
country over preparatory to engaging
in what seems most desirable and lu-
crative.
Il met a number of people from the
United States there, all of them on the
lookout for investments.
President Ralston Stricken.