The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1906-09-29
IN SOUTH AMERICA.
OF RAILWAY TRAVEL
THROUGH HONDURAS.
Numerous and Narrowing Vicissitudes
Told OF by writer-laek Of Brakes
Gave Crew an Exciting
Few Minutes.

ne VlClSSltuucS VI a si'P ''ti 'i' |
Inter. Oceanic railway are numerous |
and narrowing. says a writer in the |
New Orleans Times-Democrat, dating |
his letter from San Pedro Sulu, Hon.
duras, which he reached after jour.
ney OF 81 miles in IS hours.
Our leaving time was six O'Clock,
says the writer. but We didn't pull
out OF Puerto Cortes until ten in the
morning. The nondescript AFFAIR
which they call a train down here.
| consisted of wood-burninS engine,
| four fiat cars and a passenger coach.
Our crew was composed of an en-.
gineer, a half dozen firemen, one
brakeman and the conductor
There was an extra man, but in the
whole vocabulary of railroads | find
no name for him. His position, how
ever, was a commanding one. and as
| important one. He perched himself
| on the front of the engine, above
where the cowcatcher should be, and
upon occasion industriously ladled
sand from box beside him TO the
rails in front.
| Our numerous firemen passed the
wood from the cars to the engine,
and at various points along the road
turned into bucket brigade and sup
| piled water from nearby streams to
the engine. The engineer was a ia.
maican imbued with an extraordinary
pride for the land of his nativity and
given upon occasion to declaring that
he was not native of HoHduras-he
was a British object" Jerry. | fear,
is something of gay Lothario, and
on his frequent trips over the road
has worked sad havoc In the hearts
OF dusky maidens all along the line.
He invariably announced our APP
proach to a village by putting the hard
pedal on the whistle. and the entire
population turned out to greet us.
Jerry's strenuous musical efforts
came near causing a catastrophe at
one point where We encountered a
very heavy grade. Jus. before we
reached the top OF the hill Jerry
thoughtlesc!y pulled the whistle cord.
and in the screaming blast that fol-
lowed the steam gave out and the
train began to slip back Although
l
kind. the company had prepared for
such emergencies by providing a
mahogany log on the rear platform,
TO be dropped under the rear wheels.
Unfortunately the rear brakeman was
asleep on "A fiat car In front, and be
fore he awakened the momentum of
the train was so great as to render
our remedy unavailing We ran so
fast and so far In the next 10 minutes
that II took us four hours to get back.
Leaving I.aguna. the train plunged
into a tropical swamp and forest The
foliage was indescribably luXuriant
and beautiful Mile after mile We
passed through archways OF bending
palms. gigantic in size. and through
groves of corozo trees. To my mind
the latter Is the most perfect repre-
sentation OF the picturesque In tropi'
cal vegetation. Its trunk Is clad In
the richest attire OF parasitic life; It's
wonderful feathcry leaves. often 80 OF
40 feet In length. bend in elegant and
graceful curves under the weight OF
their own luxurlance or the burden OF
ornamental vines, while beneath all
this mass OF tropical richness may be
seen clusters of these delicious cahorn
nuts hanging like immense cornuco
pias and containing two or more
bushels.
For q distance We passed beside a
deep. swift stream, which fows for
miles through wild Jungle. In tho
eternal shadow Of the gigantic celba
cedar and rubber trees, between whose
moss and vineciad trunks vrow palm
trees Of every description. Nature. all
giving and bountiful is here revealed
Precious woods are SO common that
rosewood Is often used for telegraph
poles. and the ties are OF mahogany.
Emerging from the Jungle. We came
to the banana plantations. and here
learned that this remarkable railroad
transports TO the steamers so per cent
Of the bananas which enter New Or
leans. Practically all OF the bananas
consumed west Of the Ohio river are
carried on tho railroad to the sea