Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11
DELIGHTS OF ECUADOR
Gen. Sampson Tells of His Ex-
periences as Minister.
RESULT OF NEW RAILWAY
Machinery Will Be Carried Into the
Interior.
RESULT OF NEW RAILWAY
OF MANUFACTURING
Prices Cheap for Everything but I'M
ported Articles-Country Mer-
chants Fear the Parcels Post.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.


Herald.
Cen A / Sampson of Arizona has re-
Gently returned from several years resi-
dence at Quito where he was appointed
minister to Ecuador by the late President
Mckinley Although Ecuador is consider
cred a dreary and lonesome place Tor d
foreigner because of its primitive conol-
tions and isolated situation, Gen. Sampson
was fascinated with the country and says
that he is going back there for a visit
as soon as he can find the time.
1.-The climate of Quito is the finest IN
the world" Gen. Sampson asserted III
Is June all the year around The ther-
mometer never goes below sixty nor ABOVE
seventy-nve. We have all the fruits anu
the staples and vegetables of every zone
from January to December; plenty to eau
and drink, and living is very cheap ex-
cent when you have 10 buy imported goods
We found thirty-six different kinds of fruit
and berries in the market of Quito, all or
the finest flavor and including everything
we have here. l never saw better Vegeta,
bles or a greater abundance of them, anu
on the market stands we could ma every
variety that grows in the United States
We had oranges every day in the year,
the best you imagine, for ana
cents dozen, and, as everybody Knows
the pineapples of Ecuador are unsurpass-
ed. You cut off the top with sharp knlle
and dig into them with spoon. The hoer
is so tender and delicate that pulp Will
melt In your mouth We had the finest
meats possible also. There is something
about the climate and the pastures that
give a superior flavor to the beef and NUT
ton and the hides of Ecuador cattle COM
maud the highest price in the market.
Tenderloin steak sells for and cents
pound. and veal mutton, lamb and poul-
try at similar prices.
Cheap Labor.
Labor is very cheap. We had five serv-
ants I'm our house and their wages aver
aged So a month. 1t did not cost as much
to keep them all as it costs to keep one
servant in Washington or Chicago.
I'VE had a very agreeable little Ameri-
can colony in Quito. The director of pub
lie works for the government Is Yale
man and from San Francisco. c. Hallock.
He was a mining engineer in Esmera!da,
where he attracted the attention of Presi-
dent Plaza and was offered the appoint
ment. He is building railroads, bridges,
public buildings and making other i'm
provements and is doing great work for
the republic Maj. John a. Hartman, re-
Gently an officer of the United States regu-
lar army, Is chief engineer of the railroad
and Mr.. c. c. Sommers, from Tonaw wanda,
y. y, is his assistant Both We're very
welcome additions TO our little circle. Prof.
and Mrs. Compton, from Delaware. Ohio,
have charge Of the normal school at Quito,
and Miss kinsman of New York is en-
Gates are operating gold mines. Mr.. j. w.
Mercer of Denver is manage of the Zaruma
Company and Mr.. II. c. StapletOn of Joliet,
Ill. IS manager of the Playa de ORC. They
claim TO be doing very well, but / do not
know much about their business.
Effect of the New Railway.
Ecuador is going ahead rapidly. and the
recent revolution Will not interrupt its prog
ress because General Alfaro. who is re-
q is al nd
triotic man, and, without doubt, the most
progressive man in the country He will
do everything he can to promote the devel-
opmeEt of its material resources, and the
railway. which is now in operation three
fourJhs of the distance between Quito and
the seacOast, has been his fad. This road
will reyOlutionize Ecuador When it is fin
ished you Will see that country make most
rapid strides. The people are beginning TO
Introduce manufacturing. Two cotton mills
and two wooden mills are now running on
native raw material. An excellent variety
OF cotton Is produced there Up till now
all mechanical industries have been con-
fined TO the households and all the work has
been done by hand because IT was impossi-
bile To get machinery into the interior. All
traffic between Quito and Guayaquil was
conducted over mountain trail two and
q half times as high Mount Washing
ton and higher than the top of Pixies Peak
Everything that went into or came out of
the interior had TO be carried up and down
that tran on mules or on the backs of men.
anu II was Impossible 10 take IN neaNy ma
chinery. There are several pianos in Quito
which required seventeen men thirty days
TO carry them up from Guayaquil. They
We're handled by two squads of eight men
each, with poles on their shoulders and
the seventeenth man was the general traffic
manager of the outfit. The railway is now
finished over the mountains to Ambato,
from which the road TO Quito is compare
lively level and smooth. and II Is now pos
sible to get In any kind of machinery or
implements
The railway viii open up a vast and
ricn country, capable of producing unlm-
tied quantities. OF coffee sugar cocoa
ivory nuts. wool, hides and all kinds of
agricultural products, and there is a plan
TO extend II eastward over the mountains
Into the heart of the rubber country. The
chief product OF Ecuador is cocoa from
which chocolate is made. Ecuador produces
sumed In the world. and Its product is OF
the best quality This product is grown on
the hot, damp lawlands along the seacoast.
The railway Will also give access TO rich
mining regions, which have been inaccesi-
BILE up to this time for heavy machinery
and hence were at disadvantage In their
development. The mountains are filled with
all kinds of minerals, especially gold, sill
yer and copper and IL Is believed that
there are deposits of iron and coal There
has never been a thorough scientific ex-
ploration of the country
THE commerce of Ecuador Is improving
every year The exports have Increased
from five millions TO ten millions during
the last few years-since Alfaro came into
power-and the revenues of the government
are improving The public debt is only
S3.SJs,OO0. and as soon as the railway is
completed the prosperity OF the people win
DO still more advanced