The times., 1898-11-28

naturally very much interested in the
canal, which will mean SO much"
Costa Rica is just now deeply interested.
he said, in the construction of a national
railroad across the country. to extend
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The plan
IS TO have ii run from San Jose, the cap
ital and principal city Of the country, to
Taviyas, on the Pacific coast. At the lat
ter point the government has erected a
dock at the cost of $1,000. 600. With the
completion of the railroad and the canal,
he said, Costa Rica will become the lead
ing country of Central America. and will
rival the South American republics.
The president was asked If the Costa
Rican government contemplated joining
the other Central American republics,
which have already formed themselves in
to the United States of Central America.
He replied that Costa Rica was awaiting
the result OF the union, regarding It as
somewhat of an experiment, and, under
certain circumstances, likely 10 fall
through.
The president of Costa Rica is deeply
gratified at the reception given him by
President Mckinley and the American
Government, which he looks upon as an
evidence of that good will which this Re
public has for all the governments of
South and Central America
vi your ne Cdfl bIly
say that It surpasses all that we hear
of it. ! have had some opportunity to see
the extent and beauty of your public
buildings, libraries and art galleries. as
well as your great commercial houses,
and they have all impressed me as char
acteristic of that influence which the
United States Is exerting in the affairs of
the world. / am anxious to visit the
schools the hospitals and the charitable
institutions TO see how in those lines
as in all others this country is giving
splendid example TO the rest, of the world.
But have already seen enough to assure
me that the great northern Republic is
advancing in all the branches of indus
try, science, art and education, which go
to make up civilization
President Yglesias prefers TO have the
United States, Nicaragua and Costa Rica
deal directly with the canal question,
without reference to private individuals
and is In favor of the bill drafted by
Senators Morgan and Harris, which will
be presented at the Forthcoming session
of Congress. He Is sanguine as to the
future of the project and feels that the
United States will build II, in spite of
conflicting private interests.
The concessions made by Nicaragua to
the Cragin-Eyre syndicate caused some
apprehension in Costa Rica, as it did
here because the rights of the latter
republic were entirely ignored and no
reference was made to it. In the event
of the passage of the canal bill, how
ever, those concessions will be worthless
The president was a little indisposed
last night as the result of a slight cold
contracted yesterday afternoon. He at
tributes il to a trip which he made to
the Washington monument late in the
day and to lack of foresight in failing to
don muffiers and heavy clothes before
venturing out upon the streets. Costa
Rica is possessed of warm, tropical ell
mate, and to its inhabitants. even In
cluding the president, bleak nor westers
and icy blasts are an entirely foreign ar
ticie, to be met with only in books of
travel and in Biographies. Before he re-