The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-03
NICARAGUA And THE CANAL
The characteristics of the Former
and Utility of the Latter.

anu IIlitN Oh IilS LditeE-
One of the American photographers
Describes the Country and Its
People. Need of Civilization Ap-
parent-A Restless Spirit Prevails
After two years of wandering through
the wilds of Central America the hydrog-
raphers of the Nicaragua Canal Commits
sion have returned 10 their native coun-
Try These men. in some CiGes. have for
over two years been deprived of the sight
of a white man and almost totally isoiat-
ed from human COMPREHENSIVE
They were sent from Washington with
the new Walker Commission on July !,
1893. and since that time have been in
Vestigating conditions which would tend
TO facilitate the construction OF the canal
g. c. W. MagrUder. OF Tenleytown was
among the first o. the hydrograp pliers sent
out by the Commission. He has brought
back with him i complete diary of his trip.
as well as a large collection. Of curios and
| relics. Mr.. MagTuder spoke extensively
Of his trip and experiences and in doing
SO displayed q comprehensive conception
of the natives OF Central America and
their country.
Mr.. 3Iagru5'cr said: with three com
panions ] left Washington July Z, 1888
bound for Nicaragua We went from
here to New York, where we engaged
passage on a sailing ship for the entire
"Trip. This trip by water > as d most in
/ teresting one When we lad been out
! about three days We stopped at Fortune
island, which is northeast Of the Isle of
Cuba, and there shipped about twelve ma
tives to help work the boat across the
+ Caribbean Sea. This is done by nearly
! all the boats which ply between this
/ country and Central America on account
/ Of the low prices paid for hire the
amount paid 10 each native for the entire
! Journey across and back hardly exceeding
! SO
We PASSED Cuba about sunset Of the
fourth day out as we sailed swiftlE
/ through the Windward Passage Our next
. stop was at Kingston, Jamaica, from
: which town we proceeded straight across
. the Caribbean Sea to Cartagena. Colon
! bia and thence to Greytown, Nicaragua.
/ Here we found the chief Offices of the
canal located, among which We're tie
( commissary department, disbursing Office,
/ superintendent IF borinSs. and the hos
( pitaI in which all the ailments of the
! employees are attended to- 1t is almost
! unnecessary to say, considering the eli
mate, several wards were always filed
/ with fever patients alone
-'Greytown is located at the mouth CT
| the San Juan River. which is the princi-
pal outlet of Lake Nicaragua This lake
/ VIII be an important and convenient link
| in connecting the Atlantic and Pacific
/ Oceans if the Canal is completed
/ After a short stop at Greytown, We
/ procured boats and ascended the San
Juan River from the mouth to the source.
! a distance OF 12g miles The course. of
/ the trip up the river was marked by
| frequent Recommendations. caused by VA
/ terfalis and rapids and necessitating the
/ conveyance o: boats and baggage around
/ the obstacles. In this manner we reached
San Carlos. which is situated al the
/ source OF the San Juan on Lake Mica
/ TagUa- Here We expected TO meet Mr.
Hurd the acting chief photographer, who
/ was TO assign US to our respective sta
( lions throughout the country We
/ learned however, that he was sick al
Granada. which is on the opposite side o.
the lake. and We were uncertain as to
! what We were to do. when We received
telegram from him stating that he would
come over on the next steamer, which,
by the way, only runs once a week
When Mr. Hurds vessel arrived he
( immediately assigned Us to our positions
1 was stationed at San Ubaldo. which
IS the northwest side Of the lake
about sixty miles from Granada I re-
NAMED IN this place OF the immediate
/ vicinity from August IL sSg9 until Feb
| TuaTy u, 1871. and during that time had
/ many interesting experiences and queer
/ encounters with large game, in which the
country aboundS- During ny stay there
| l was fortunate enough 10 establish
strong friendship with Senior Don Qua
ORA, who IS a nephew ard SOn-in-laW Of
the late President Cuadra- Senior Cuadra
I Is one OF the Wealthiest men of Nicara-
| qua, and he was so impressed by his
talks with me on the subject Of modern
/ methods OF farming that he offered me
/ a farm Of fifty acres of good land if
| would stay on his plantation awhile and
/ conduct II according u our principles
( For instance, all OF the oxen there are
I yOked by means Of heavy wooden bar
! across their horns. thus throwing all the
( weight on the neck instead Of being har-
/ Eessed across the shoulders 50 as 70
equally distribute the strain on all parts
I Of the body I have actually seen oxen
while IahOring under this disadvantage
pull at a heavy load until they had torn
/ their horns from their heads This IS
/ not due 10 any uEWarranted cruelty on
the part of the natives, but from pure
| ignorance anu lack Of better understand
'.The better class Of the Nicaraeuans
| are very willing TO learn and are ANXIOUS
! TO improve their customs and habits in
accordance with d more modern and civ
| iliZ1d method The race is one of mixed
Indian nd Spanish blood and rs a gen
est When ] say honest il reminds me
Of incident that occurred at the
inn in VI i.h l stopped for several DAYS
One morning [ left q small cake Of soap
| on my window sill and when I returned
in the afternoon and went 10 wash my
/ hands / missed it and asked the landlord
/ i he had seen it lying around anywhere.
H= replied, he had not but that ne would
try and find it for me.
! Shortly after he brought a young man
( into my room and asked me il [ had given
/ him that missing cake Of soap. / said that
! I had not, and without other provocatiou
he commenced to cuff the miScreant sound
~ until finally he extracted the soap from
/ one Of his ragged pockets. and returned
/ II 70 me with the explanation that, though
| il would De perfectly safe TO leave SO or
| 81 laying in my open window, an object
| Of small value such as soap CT matches
were liable 10 be stolen / think this i'm
/ pressed me with the lack Of civilization
as much as anything / saw. although in a
different manner. They yet in the
crude stage as not having learned 10 stea
on Il large scale, but time and civilization
accomplish great things, and I suppose
this viii be one of them
Before / left San CbaldO Twas pre-
| scented with a very handsome cane by
Senior CaudTa and given an educated mon
key for my son, Marshall Madame eau
dra also sent my wife several beautiful
( specimens of ancient taxa, or Indian plate,
| dug from the grave Of a noted Indian
| chief / was presented with a red-headed
I parrot by Governor Guerrero. Of San L.
BaldO, and given Two of another species
by the clerk Of customs at that place. All