The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-03-06

| Horace CrOnK ana James IL. ANDERSON
who have been on a sea voyage, got home
on Wednesday. The following Iettel
which reached here about the same time
that Mr.. Cronk did, is quite interesting:
SAvANILLA, COLOMBIA, s. A
| Mount Holly Neos:-There is tremen
dous difference in Jamaica since l was
here the first time at the Jamaica exposi
| ton. At that time it was one of the great
sugar producers of the world. To-day II
is one of the great fruit producers. In
stead of the sugar cane everywhere greet
ing the eye, it is the cocoanut palm, the
banana, the orange, the lime, the pine.
apple, the breadfruit, the guava, the paw
paw, the grape fruit and others too num-
erous to mention. With reference to the
breadfruit, gentleman told me he
thought that possibly its introduction had
been doubtful benefit. 1t is one of the
most beautiful of trees, grows everywhere,
in all soils, producing quantities of food,
so that with the yam (two varieties, the
white and the Yellow the earth seems to
produce food almost spontaneously and
the colored race don't seem to care Wheth-
er they work or not. The breadfruit was
introduced by Capt. Cook from the Pacific
islands and seem to have spread every
where in the West indies
The railroad system is about 100 miles
In extent, running from Kingston to
Spanish Town, thence one branch to Mon
tego bay, the other to Port Antonio, right
across the island. We went over to Port
Antonio. 1t is unrivalled in its peculiar
characteristics, vast plantations of the
banana, the valleys and ravines dotted
everywhere with the cocoa palm, the
hockey and breadfruit, an occasional or
ange and pineapple plantation, beautiful
mountain scenery; and then, running for
miles along the shore of the Caribbean sea-
make ride never to be forgotten, bring
ing to mind the lines: where every pros
pect pleases and only man is vile" for
great many of the natives of the various
mixed races are almost nuisance.
The island, no doubt in time, will be-
come one great fruit garden, as its posi-
bilities in that line cannot be estimated
The United Fruit Companies have built a
very fine hotel (The Titchenor) and several
pleasant cottages for guests from the
United States and elsewhere, giving the
very best of modern accommodation and
conveniences for winter visitors, with fine
bathing in the Caribbean sea.
The Admiral line runs direct to Port An
tonic, so it is possible in four days to run
from winter into summer, from the frigid
to the tropic.
Our next stop was at Greytown, Guata-
mala, the spot that is exciting the great
interest of the commercial nations of the
world, and more particularly of our own
country, the United States, the entrance
on the Atlantic side to the great Nicar-
aqua canal The obstacles seem to be
almost insurmountable. No harbor, the
bar at the entrance to the San Juan river
only two or three feet in depth, an annual
rainfall of over 300 inches, a country al
ways damp and unhealthy, great scarcity
of reliable labor, the small rise and fall
of the tide, render task which even mod
ern engineering will find a problem al
most unsolvable.
There is no doubt that canal connect
ing the two oceans will be cut either here
or somewhere along the isthmus, and that
it will be one of the greatest achievements
of the Goth century, making another ocean
way for the commerce of the world.
As you travel you realize that the world
is not as large as you thought it was.
This passage used to take As days, now 20
days.
After leaving Greytown, taking on part
of the return cargo in hides and coffee,
with some rubber, from barges coming
alongside, we go to Port Limon, the com
mercial port of Costa RIGA, from which
place, on February 20, we started for
home, having finished taking on our re-
turn cargo, 1000 to 5000 sacks of coffee,
| Is, 600 to $4,000 punches of bananas, the
finest have ever seen.
Costa RIGA is great coffee producing
country, the quality is excellent, it Is well
prepared and finds its market principally
In Great Britain and Europe; the govern
ment levies an export duty of $50 in gold
per ton, on all coffee exported.
Port Limon is the most progressive city
on the GENITAL American coast, thanks to
American push and energy; what was
practically swamp, is now well laid
out town or city with C. sea wall to pre-
vent the mourning of the sea, sewerage, a
water plant giving good and abundant
supply of water, an ice plant, good and
clean market, and railroad communication
with the capital, San Jose, 100 miles In
the interior. It will soon be fine COM
mercial port with constantly increasing
business.
Enough IL. CRoNK.