The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-23
WHEEI1NG INTEILTGENCER THURSDAY MARCH IS 1899
know how to do things are, welcomed

know how to do things are, welcomed
and encouraged" 4,
Are there good opportunities in Co
lompia Tor Investment"
Field for Investment.
Yes. In many lines. There Is great
deal OF gold In the country. Humboldt,
who explored great deal of Colombia,
and made n scientific study OF 1t.
thought 1t the finest part OF the Ameri-
can continent. Among other things.
ne said: Whoever treads the soil OF
Colombia walks on gold.' In q sense,
think this Is true. or course, It by
no means follows that every foot OF
Colombian soil would give good results
II worked for gold. nor was that Hum
boldts Idea. At the same time. we
Know that the Indians and Spaniards.
working by the most primitive methods.
took out a great deal Of gold. and 1t is
reasonably certain that they left n great
deal more there than they took out,
and by modern processes still better
resultS have been developed. Where
the field Is looked into intelligently be-
| fore work Is begun. and where work is
carried on according to the best meth
/
| course, there Is no boom In gold min
Ing, but there is constant shipment OF
Colombian gold to Europe, and the pro-
duct will Increase"
How about coal and iron?"
There Is an abundance of both.
Within q days Journey Of Bogota there
Is everything needed to make iron and
the men who have worked 1t say 1t Is
equal to the best In the world, and yet
they import their iron down to the rods
which the blacksmith hammers out on
his forge. and when they pay the first
cost IN England. for example, and add
the duties and frclghts up to the plain
OF Bosota, they pay at least twice as
much as their own manufactured iron
would cost II they We're utilizing their
own deposits. The difference in
freights as between the home product
and the foreign will always afford an
ample protection to home industry.
Here Is another opening for Americans
who understand the business of maxi
Ing iron, and their coming will be well
coined.
THE railroad development of the
country can hardly be said to have fair
~ begun. There are several short lines
OF railroads. but hardly any two are
this development undertaken seriously
by our countrymcn. and SO would the
Colombians like 1t. Natural condi-
tons indicate clearly where these rail-
roads should be constructed"
What about the agricultural pro-
ducts?"
Colombia is fine country for coffee.
cacao. (Which, you know. IS chocolate in
itscrude state), rubber, bananas, horses,
mules, sheep and cattle. There Is a
great deal of wild cacao and wild rub
Der, and both can be cultivated to great
advantage. The salt deposits are very
extensive and valuable. They are own
ed by the government, which has a mo-
nopoly OF the business. These deposits
II worked more scientifically. could be
made more productive to the govern
ment. and should be very profitable to
the operators. In short. there are very
many things In Colombia we'll worthy
Of the attention OF Americans, and II
Americans were to take hold In earnest
to develop the country, new and valua-
BILE commercial relations and the OPEN
Ing OF an important market for our
manufactured products would result. II
a syndicate or company OF Americans
were to take up the matter In earnest,
Tic #NHOle llelu
before investing, I am confident that
the results would meet all reasonable
expectations"
Travel in Colombia.
From what you say. Mr.. Hart, take
1t that travel in Colombia differs some
what from travel in the United States?"
Decidedly. To give you an idea,
when the war with Spain began I was
on my way to the Pacific coast, having
been sent by our government to investi-
gate murder case in which an Ameri-
can. citizen was involved. The round
trip BY rail and water and mule was
about 1000 miles, and Of this 1t was
necessary to make about 900 miles on
muleback. Part OF this Journey had to
be made over roads that had been rain
ed on continuously almos. nine months.
Very little Of the road was good. L con-
siderable part OF It was called impassa-
Bile. but had to pass and get through
AS you may imagine. this was not easy
5ourneyings In fair weather and foul.
but had excellent health on the whole
journey. This will serve to answer a
very natural question about the health
fulness or unhenlthfulness Of the cli-
mate. Those who take good care OF
themselves have little fault to find with
the climate. The fact Is that In the
hottest part OF Colombia life Is long.
And. speaking OF the temperature in
Colombia, suppose you viii be sur
prised to know that Colombians have