The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-04

for her extent Costa Rlca presents
greater variety of fauna than any
place in The known world. Il has 200
kinds of birds Tie exubeTalt yeGe-
tation reaches the highest mountains,
as web as -tlte--tess-s-- AID low
lands. The richest and most precious
metals abound in her mountains.
Pearls are gathered from her waters,
as We'll as the snail which produces
the TyTian purple. The forests are
teening with tie finest dye woods,
medicinal trees. herbs. cinchona. rose
wood. mahogany, cedar, sandal wood,
and all the fine timber of the two
zones Wild rubber is one of her
valuable products. Cotton grows
well, and coffee is her great staple Tor
export.
San Jose, the capital, IS a sort Of
Mecca for many Central Americans,
but the authorities do not properly
encourage the tourist travel. AT Ii
mon, and otctr ports, they charge 10
cents ner pound for the baggage Of ali
Passengers arriving in Tie country.
The traveller frequently has the OPP
portunity TO purchase valuable speci-
mems of ancient pottery taken from
the graves of the prehistoric settlers
/ 1t is said that purchases may he made
in all good faith, because the people
have not been enterprising enough TO
prepare bogus specimens Of the lost
arts,
American Trade is Small.
Heretofore, the trade with the Unit
ed States has been very small. out the
work on the. canal viii doubtless cause
a change in this respect. The Costa
/ Ricans were very much disappointed
when Nicaragua failed in her efforts TO
secure the canal. because. as one aU-
thority stated. their eggs were in the
same basket and Panama added them
( all" However. Costa Ricais rich re-
I sources, together with her proximity
I TO the great enterprise on the isthmUs,
will be certain to create d new era The
benefit She will receive viii be second
( only 10 Panama.
; Costa Rica enjoys its greatest fame
and prosperity because OF the opera
I lions of the United Fruit company.
which is doubtless the largest AmeTi-
( can concern doing business abroad.
| This. great corporation owns or oper-
ates 40 square miles OF territory; 1t
( engages seventy-two steamers in its
4 business, and last year marketed 260O0,-
! 600 punches of bananas. The banana
/ trade mas made more rapid strides
J than that of any other food product
/ in the world.
Origin of Banana Industry.
II, has been less than thirty-five years
since the first bananas Were brought
! from Central America 10 the United
/ States. The pioneer banana seller, or
+ importer, was a German waiter on a
I steamer plying between Panama and
/ New York. His name was Charles
Frank. He obtained permission from
the captain to take TO New York a few
/ lunches of bananas, which he sold at
/ good prices. and then began making
\ larger shipments. About 1865 he gave
/ up his place as waiter and went 10
planting bananas. as well as buying
500 punches could be obtained ut one
I cutting on the whole isthmus. Frank
/, sustained frequent losses Steamers
were not adapted to the fruit trade and
1 often the captains would refuse the
cargo of fruit when other articles less
! perishable were to be shipped. There
was no insurance for bananas. At the
end Of ten years Frank had not made
a dollar. but by appealing his case he
obtained better facilities, so that after
/ seven years more he retired with a for
tune which was the first on record
made from the banana trade.
Captain l. ID. Baker of Cape Cod,
called the millionaire banana king,
I founded the Boston Fruit company.
He went south with a schooner loaded
with notions which he offered for sale
in Jamaica. buying in return a tropical
product. His success was such that he
purchased large estates and turned
them into banana ranches The Bos-
ton Frriit company was the parent OF
the United Fruit company. one of the
I great enterprises of our time Minor
/ =. Keith. vice president Of the United
! Fruit company. was a resident OF Cos
Ia Rica for thirty-five years and built
the railroad from Port LimOn To San
Jose. The cosapany's plantations are
: the largest in the world. Acres upon