Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-19
ON MULE BACK.

(By Leander Morally

When landed on this narrow little
strip of bog, which extends for mile
OF more into the Caribbean Sea, I felt
kin to the Irishman who was ship
| wrecked on South Sea island Aft
er a terrible struggle for life Pat final
ly managed to crawl to a point of safe
ty, where he espied dark-skinned ma.
tive looking at him.
HAS We govermint?" asked the
son of Erin.
The native nodded
thin I'm ag'in it." said Pat.
Well, after the mahogany-hued Cen
trail American who runs the custom
house here got through Maintaining
my baggage, and had mopped greasy
floor with my lingerie, was ripe for
revolution and anarchy.
Puerto Cortes is little place of per
haps 1000, situated on the northeast
coast of the republic Of Honduras,
about 1000 miles south of New Or.
leans. 1t struggles along the shore
of the harbor, which Is really the sole
excuse for its existence, as good har-
bors are scarce on this coast The
main portion of the town is built on
narrow peninsula, and SO low is 1t that
houses are set on piles above
the water which, during the
rainy season, is always under
them. Yet. swept as it is by the salt
breezes on three sides, in spite of the
utter absence Of sewerage or drainage,
| it is comparatively healthy.
| | stood today upon the exact spot
where Columbus first set foot on the
mainland of the American continent
At least that is what every courteous
caballero in sombrero and overalls in
formed me, and while Christopher for
got to erect any permanent monument
to mark the spot, it would be mani
testify discourteous to doubt the state,
ment of the polite native
According to history it was on the
fourth junket which the famous Geno-
ese explorer took at Isabella's expense
that he dropped in here early one
morning, and right on the spot where
| stood planted the standard of Ferd
and Issy and annexed everything in
sight. This was some years ago, in
1902, but to the best of my belief am
the first American to discover the
spot.
After six days on the heaving, tu-
multuous bosom of the Gulf, it was
good to hit old mother earth again,
even If she was wet and smelly of
swamp and rotting vegetation
! Tern1inl of Inter-oceanic Railway.
Puerto Cortes' chief claim to fame
is that 1t is one of the termini of the
most remarkable railroad in the
world, the Interoceanic Railway. In
this enlightened age of invention and
progress, when the toot of the locomo
tive is echoing around the Mount of
Olives, and the festive brakeman is
juggling with the famous names of
Biblical history, you would not look
for back number like this on the
American continent. Its rolling stock
would make mighty attractive exhib-
it for the jamestown exposition. 1t
belongs to past age, with the steam
boat of Fulton and the locomotive of
| Stephenson, 1t was built in 1870. and
a perusal of it's checkered history af-
fords substantial evidence that the
man with the muck rake has a good
subject in the Englishmen who pro
noted this graft
John Bull Came.
In those days the eye teeth of the
rulers of Central American republics
were In virgin state, and there COZ
fidence in the sons of Britain was in
nocent and childlike. John Bull came
and looked the country over, and 1t
| looked good to him. He confided to
the dictator who for the nonce pre-
sided over the republic that if suffi-
GENTLY urged and encouraged he might
be induced to build railroad to con-
meet both oceans. Thereupon there
were bull fights, cock fights, flestas
and mucho rum, and the great finan-
cier disclosed his plan He would is
sue bonds, sell them in Europe. and
construct narrow-gauge railroad
across Honduras.
The first issue of bonds sold like
hot cakes, as every mile of railroad
built was secured with a square mile
of land on either side, and the pro.
spectus described this land as densely
covered with mahogany, lignum-vitae
rose wood, ebony, and other valuable
woods. The country was described as
a virgin paradise and the ideal place
for nomeseekers.
Sixty miles of railroad were actually
constructed, the rails and equipment
pOAAS SooI-oA oIuu UIOuSuL over lTOu
England. This was not done, however
until Honduras had been tricked into
guaranteeing the bonds to complete
the hole line. More than $4,000 ,0O(
worth were disposed of, and then the
promoters abandoned the project. The
! bondholders are still waiting for theil
accrued interest. The English courts
declared the scheme was conceived II
iniquity and that the republic coulc
, not be held legally responsible fol
the payment Of the bonds. Honduras
has never repudiated them. Neither
has she made any provision for pay
ment. 1t was game of high finance
which deservedly should be classet
with the saturnalia Of graft, the ole
t Panama canal
!, The Interoceanic railway has nevel
5 paid, and as managed at present will
never pay more than operating ex
8 penses. Nevertheless, the country Il
SO inviting, so absolutely undeveloped
t that few years ago John Jacob Astor
Chauncey NJ DepeW and several othe,