The times., 1898-08-11
AMERICAN ENERGY.
1t Will Push business I'm Porto Rico
and Also Costa Ricn

Naturally the eyes of specuators and
of promoters of business enterprises are
turned toward the promising field of Por-
to Rico. It is a rich land. full of prom
Use to the audacious and active Ameri-
can. The New York Tribune reports
member of the firm that owns the New
York and Porto Rico steamship line as
saying:
There is no doubt that when the war
cloud has passed away and things have
quieted down, there will be large influx
of capital and enterprising Americans
into Porto Rico. But until then ii is not
likely that money will De invested in the
island to any great amount, or that peo-
pie will seek to establish businesses or
set up manufacturing plants. Porto Rico
offers an alluring opportunity both TO the
capitalist and the worker The land is
SO fertile that it needs to be merely
scratched to grow anything, and there
are valuable opportunities for the erec-
tion of factories for the making of arti-
cies which are now imported from this
country. But l am satisfied that little
will be done in either direction until
| peace has been restored One obstacle
to any immediate opening up of the
country is that the heavy import duties
are still in force. When these duties are
| abolished and the island resumes some
thing like its normal condition | expect
that large numbers of people will flock
there. and they may depend upon being
well rewarded for their enterprise"
| While capital for investment in the
new island possession of the United
States is waiting for peace companies
are forming for enterprises In the South
| American republics. The Atlanta Jour
nal says:
| "Col. j. Bascom Jones, who for years
| has lived in San Jose, Costa Rica, and
| Is now chief engineer of the Government
! at that point, has been in Atlanta for
weeks setting forth advantages of that
| country. He has also organized the
| Tropical Land and Investment Union.
| The object of this uniun is to give per-
| sons desiring to make a good safe in
| vestment of small amounts of money and
receive large. quick returns, a chance 10
/ do so by purchasing stock in the COM
! pany This company desires to clear the
| virgin forest and market the valuable
] timber of Costa Rica, and by so doing
realize large amount of money, from
wAich will be paid per cent interest on
stock, and the remainder invested in a
| isii sc p-dildtioii VI toDdccO, coffee, cnOcO-
/ late, etc. The union also offers sew
/ eral good things for small capital In the
! line of timber business farming, cattle
raising. etc
Some years ago a Mississippi octo-
! room named Juan Knight went TO Costa
| Rica without a dollar He went into the
mining business near the town OF Los
| Cobradas. He worked hard and saved
/ his money. He now owns the town Of
/ Los Cobradas and the country for twen-
! ty miles around, which he gradually
| bought from the people. buying them out
/ He embarked in hydraulic gold mining
and now has on his property four hy-
| draulic mines in operation. He has grown
| very rich, his fortune being now esti-
mated at $4,000 His sons are being
! graduated in Philadelphia college.
Juan Knight is large, fine-looking
man He Is 80 lignt that # is hard TO tell
/ that he Is negro. He has made his
/ great fortune by nerve and scheming.
and stands well both with the govern
ment and people of Costa Rica
He has big heart After his re-
! markahle success he returned 10 the
! State of Mississippi where he found his
| former old mistress, VINO had once been
! rich. living in straitened circumstances
| having lost most of her property by the
! war He bought and presented her with
! a handsome home. placed her in comfort
! able circumstances for the rest of her
| NE and taking her son with him TO Co.'S
| ia Rica. gave him u good position as fore
man IN one OF his hydraulic mines"