Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02

is narrow-gauge. but the road bed bridges.
culverts and all other constructions have
been made wide enough so that the COM
pany can change to a standard gauge
track whenever traffic will justify it. 1t
connects with the Guatemala Central at
the capital and in all probability the two
roads will be operated as through line
from coast to coast.
This will be the fourth transcontinental
railroad in Central America. The Tehuan-
tepec in Mexico is now in operation; the
railroad across Costa Rica between Porte
Limon and Puenta Arenas on the Paciic,
was finished by Gen. ]. S. Easement of
Ohio last year; and the road no longer
has monopoly of the traffic.
All Ships Seen but Ours.
when the Northern railroad IS finished
it will command a large commerce. The
Hamburg American Company is already
running steamers to Puerto Barrios; the
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Of
Southampton will be in there soon; the
French Transatlantic and the Italian Veloce
companies have already made arrange
ments for dock and warehouse accommo
dations and will sard steamers regularly to
that port. These companies hope and eX-
pect to divert the coffee trade from the
Pacific 10 the Atlantic and, of course. they
will be able to give much better rates be-
cause of geosra phical advantages.
Strange 10 say, the United States is tn ,
only country of commercial importance
which does not have a steamsh = line to
Puerto Barrios. We are the only country
of commercial Importance which has not
already arranged to take advantage of the
promising prospects offered for trade by
the opening of the new railroad and 1t is
only iGo miles across the Caribbean sea-
q short run of two days to New Orleans
CT Galveston and the other gulf ports.
One of the fast Atlantic liners could make
the voyage in day and a half. But we
never see an American steamer down there.
S Secretary Root, in his recent speech at
Kansas City, said that he saw only one
American ship his journey from Nor
felix to Panama. around the Straits of
Magei an, Il voyage of many thousand
miles. He had the advantage of the people
in northern Guatemala. however. because
they seldom. if ever, any. The fruit
trust runs banana steamers under foreign
fla s across tie gulf between the Central
American coast and New Orleans and Mo-
bile and on the west coast we see a Pacific
nail steamer every week. The latter are
very regular in their voyages between Ean
Francisco and Panama. ealing at twenty
six different ports along the coast, and do
ing big business.
The Cosmos Line. owned by the Ham,
burg American Company. runs splendid ten
thouSand-ton steamers from We ,Cria, Brit
ISL Columbia. down the ives: coast through
tie Straits of Magellan ard across to Ger
many. They call d all the principal ports
ana have an enormous trade. The Charge
Reunis, French company runs line be-
tween San I.azar, France. ana Mazatlan,
Mexico ana the por.s of the Gulf Ct Cali
forn!a. carrying copper and silver ores. cot
fee and hides. Thus we have abundant
facilities on both -c2rsts for Europe but are
shors or TRANSFORMATION to the United
States, although th" plyseal I'D -antages
are much in on" favor and the people
of Qua er2ala would be very glad to trade
with u.
The Guatemala Central.