The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-04-26
WANTS TO BE A STATE.
Costa RIGA Would Like to Become q
Part of the United States.
Minneapolis Journal

Former County Attorney L. A.
Reed, who has just returned from trip
to Costa RIGA says that he people of
that country-that is majority of the
ruling classes-would like to see Costa
RIGA admitted as state of the Ameri-
can union. They want the assurance
OF governmental stability and the in
tiux of capital which would follow
annexation. All this is in spite of the
fact that Costa RIGA is one of the most
| stable OF the Latin-American repub-
lies Of course there is no organized
movement as yet to effect annexation,
but there is plenty of quiet talk, and
longing glances towards the United
| States are frequent.
Mr.. Reed left Minneapolis in the lat
ter part of Febr 1ary and proceeded to
Costa Rica via. New Orleans. He
found much to interest him in the
little republic which has about 800, 600
| people and is of the size of West Vir-
ginia. Life and property are as safe
as anywhere in the world, so far, at
| least, as the foreigner is concerned,
and the people are contented and in
dustrious.
The soil is rich, and, according to
location, is adapted to sugar, coffee,
| rubber, banana and cattle raising.
Land is cheap. The exports and i'm
ports are about S., 600, 600 each year.
Formerly the United States had but
little of this business, now it has about
| 30 per cent. The coffee is of superior
quality but none of it comes here,
England and Germany taking the en-
| tire output. The banana industry is
| we'll developed and has called into ex-
istence line of steamers from New
Orleans. A settler should have at least
SIS, 900 capital
At present there is only one railroad
in the country-that from Port Limon
| to the capital, San Jose. 1t is owned
by English capitalists who are very
exacting. A road is now being built
from San Jose to the Pacific. The
completion of this road will bring a
reduction of freight rates that will
save $500, 900 year.
The temperature ranges from 65 to
So above Most of the republic is
| about a, 900 feet above the sea level
and the climate is balmy and agreeable
and far from oppressive. Except in
the lowlands, the country is very
healthfui.
The Costa Ricians, Mr., Reed says,
are greatly interested in the Nicaragua
canal, the route of which touches the
northern edge of their republic The
building of the canal would open up
the rich San Carlos valley OF course
the Costa Ricians are certain that the
Panama route would never do for a
| canal.
San Jose is an old-timeg Is city with
three modern improvements electric
| street cars, electric lights and recently
installed waterworks. 1t has a So, 900, :
600 theatre, which is probably finer
than any other theatre on the CONT
nent. =
%sReturning from Costa RIGA, Mr..
Reed travelled through the south and
visited New York. The industrial
awakening of the south amazed him,
especially in Georgia and South Caro-
lima, where new mills and factories in
process of construction are almost con-
tinuously in sight from the Car win
dows. The number of new cotton
mills going up is wonderful. In 1880
the south had $50 cotton mills with
$50 spindles now it has 800 mills with
4, 900. 600 spindles. Mills now build
ing will have 500, 900 spindles New
England cotton manufacturers are
moving to the south for cheap labor
and proximity to the cotton fields.