The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-02-05
AND THE METHODS OF TRAVEL
ING IN THAT COUNTRY.
raveling by Mule and Rall-Departing Un-
der Good Auspices-A Palmetto Shaded
Road-A Region of Luxuriant Vegetation
Alajuela Is an Upto-Date City.

terminus. This Central railway, as it Is
called. to distinguish the division from the
Pacific railway on the west and the Atlantic
railway on the east, though only twenty seven
miles long, is by far the most important road
IN Costa Rica. 1t. connects the principal
towns and cities of the republic, all Of which
are situated comparatively near together in
the highlands Of the interior, and also fur
nishes an outlet for rich agricultural dis
trict and the gold mines Of Aguacate.
1t was dark when we entered Esparza, the
"Holy Spirit Of Hope town, and dark at the
other end Of the town when we left it; so
perhaps that Is the reason why it appeared to
US as the most uncanny place we had seen
in Central America. After being "settled''
for the night in the inn, and negotiations con-
Guided for mules with which to continue our
Journey on the morrow, we sailed forth to
do" the town, and very few minutes suf-
feed for the purpose. Its low white casas
and big white church, the latter topped by q
gibbet-shaped belfry, looked like the very
ghosts OF houses in the sickly smiling of the
moon, the more corpse-like because all I'M
tenanted, the people, to man, woman, and
child, being&ut in the streets or strolling in
the plaza. Men, old and young, lounging in
the moonlight and stunning on mandolins
or guitars, stared at us, open -mouthed as
upon strange creatures from the neither world,
While the women removed their cigarettes
long enough to calculate their surprise, sus-
picious as to the business Of Las Americans
Departing Under Good Auspices.
Next morning, an hour before daybreak, we
clattered out of town after having partaken
OF bread and chocolate in the inn and been
duly commended to God and his angels by the
host and hostess; and early as it was, un-
kempt men and women rushed to their door
ways and chorus Of dogs and gamins felci-
tated our departure. The highway from Els.
para, wide and we'll paved, leads up into
the hills, from whence, looking backward,
Nicoya gulf is full in view, with, white
winged ships, like great birds, sailing upon
1t. We met a constant procession of coffee
carts going down to the port, and occasion
ally party of cavalleros and their servants
On horseback. The horses Of Costa Rica are
understood and scrubby looking, but said to
be remarkably tough and surefooted. No
pen can do justice to the extraordinary out
Ats of their riders. We thought we had seen
gorgeous equestrian paraphernalia before, in
Mexico, Chilli, and elsewhere, but never had
we beheld anything which could put patch
on the caparisoning Of Costa Rica steeds!
However, only rich and proud hidalgoes ride
on. horses in this country; common people"
Including travellers and servants, must put
up with the less aristocratic mute. 1t makes
ones heart ache to see the oxen toiling along,
each yoke pulling by means of heavy cross
bar dashed to the horns and forehead, in such
way that neither of the beasts can turn
his head without the other, and then very
slightly. This cruel custom is practiced all
over Spanish America, where the people seem
to have no feeling whatever for their animals.
Think of the pain it must inflict, that heavy
bar bound tightly upon the head, bowling the
Door creatures nose almost to the ground,
while pulling the uttermost pound of which
his strength is capable, up hill and down hill,
all day long in the excessive heat 1t is no
wonder they seem to stagger along blind and
DIV frcn fn q orc
Of the drivers pole tipped with an iron spear.
A Palmetto-Shaded Road.
Just twelve miles from Esparza, as the crow
flies, is the village Of San Mateo, but con-
siderably more than that distance If all the
steep ups and downs between were counted.
Tho road dips deep into succession of small
green valleys, set like pockets in the hills. and
out of them again, and leaps many streams on
fine stone bridges approached by long cause
ways. The country is thinly settled and
sparsely cultivated--in fact, hardly one-twen-
tieth part of this fertile section appears to be
nut to any use at all. The bamboo houses,
matched with palmetto, are plainly the
aboGes of contented poverty. About every
third cottage has at the end of its little We
randa an oven Of mud and stone, fashioned
exactly like the beehives of picture books;
and these, like the ovens of savage Africa,
are each furnished with mortar and pestle
for pounding the corn. Often that staple was
piled up high, showing no lack of future tor
tillas, the favorite food article OF the country,
but not garden or vegetable patch was in
sight. We breakfasted at San Mateo, thou
sand feet above the sea, and then pushed on to
Atenas, on the other side of the Aguacate
mountains, where the mules and mozos ex-
pect long midday siesta.
Beyond San Mateo the famous rice lands be-
gin, and the principal mining section of the
republic is near, Rice has been produced
to-, inv, 49, To I. hiatt fny
every eight faneGas sown, 624 have been
-eapcd. The road crosses several rich miner
al veins and climbs the foothills OF that grim
volcano, Monte de Aguacate, to the height
Of 5000 feet. The panorama presented from
this altitude is one Of majesty; on the east a
misty view of three Of the chief cities of the
republic, in the center of an immense cult
waited tract, and coffee groves as far as the
eye can see; on the west, virginia. nature.
bordered by the ocean, which at this distance
looks like silver cord stretched along the
horizon. Then down we go again to Atenas.
a village only 2,400 feet above sea level, and
as unexpectedly beautiful as Esparza.
It's inhabitants are mostly engaged in rice
growing, and its delightful climate, spark
Ling streams, cozy homes, surrounded by or
shards and gardens, are very attractive. A
Few miles north of Atenas are the gold fields
IF Aguacate, believed to hide veritable
Klondike in the depths Of the earth, for lack
Of proper development.
Only three miles from Atenas, down In the
potion of dark ravine, is La Garita del Ric
3rande, place famous in the history OF the
past as the location of the custom-house. In
That remote spot, before the days of railroads
the duties on all foreign goods that entered
the country via the Pacific were levied. am
from there alone could such merchandise fin6
Its way into the inhabited portions Of the
country. Between Punta Arenas and the Ga
rita stretched vast wilderness; penetrated
by single wagon road, rocky, dangerous. ant
,robber- infested, Thanks mainly to the enter.
prise of foreigners, all this has been changed
within the last decade, and now incomers art
1eeced by the customs officials before the!
have fairly set foot on shore, at the end OF thu
Iron pier at Punta Arenas.
A wilder place than the Garita would b.
4 hard to find. Imagine stupendous ravine II
the heart Of a forest; roaring river at thu
bottom. and across the chasm a stone bridg
of one bold arch, with q gate and q covere
causeway, linking the roads descending OF
either SIDE Across this bridge all wayfarer
must pass. and pay we'll for the privilege. an,
any attempt to 1ord the river. above or below
used to be looked upon as proof conclusive Of
$ disposition TO defraud the government an
4 was punished with ten years imprisonment q
hard labor. II III
a Region OF Luxarlant Vegetation.
n Beyond the bridge, shaded BY splendi
grove q cocoa. palms. is 4 Ions. low woode'