Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-08-27
GUATEMALA'S TWO.
OCEAN ROAD
Opening Of New Transcontinental
Road That Means Much to the Cen.
traI American Country.


traI American Country.
(M A. Hays In Review Of Reviews)
There arc two railroad lines in this
latest transcontinental system, the
| Central OF Guatemala, built by the
late c. p. Huntington and his asso-
ciates. and still considered a South
ern Pacific enterprise land the Guate-
mala railroad, tho newer and larger
, line, formerly called the Northern,
completed many years ago from Puer-
70 Barios to Zncapa. LOG miles from
the coast. In 1904 the Northern rail-
way was acquired by an American
Syndicate, headed by Gen. William c.
Van Horne, Minor c. Keith. vice.
president OF the United Fruit COM
pany. and Gen. Thomas Hubbard OF
New York. The new company received
some important concessions from tho
Guatemalan government. and the Gem
trail railroad became interested in the
now enterprise. Work was begun near
~ three years ago on the extension
OF tho line to the capitol city and the
rebuilding of the older portion Of the
road. 1t was completed in January,
and on the 18th OF that month the
first train from tho Atlantic side Of
the continent pulled into Guatclama
City and the long planned occan-to-
ocean line was reality.
or the nearly n dozen completed and
building lines between the Atlantic
and Pacific only two are shorter than
the Guatemala route. with its total
mileage OF 269h miles from Puerto
Barrios to san Jose de Guatemala
90 from farrios to Guatemala City
and 74ia from Guatemala City to San
lose. These lines are the Panama road,
30 miles long, and the Tehuantepec
line in Mexico. 1s6 miles. As rail-
road proposition It has some advan-
taEes over both of them. and until
the completion of the isthmian canal
should be very considerable factor
in the trade between the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts of our own country and
Of Central and South America. ard, as
we'll. for certain classes of goods be-
tween Europe and the Pacific ocean.
It's greatest influence will he In the
| Development OF Guatclama and some
OF the territory on the Pacific side OF
neighborinE countries
The most important results from
the opening Of the transcontinental
| lines will be the increased American
trade with Guatemala and the de-
| velopments sure to be brought about
in that repGhlic. Guatelama is the
most populous, and In many respects
the richest and most dcvelopcd.of the
Central American countries. 1t has an
| 90 no, t,,v
about that of New York. No state or
| country of anything like similar area
| IS by nature richer or more promising.
1t has vast areas of fertile agricultur-
al land, splendid climate. great
| forest and mineral wealth, and is rich
in scenic and historical attractions.
Nearly nll the products OF both the
| temperate and rropic zones grow to
advantage. Wheat corn. barley and
hemp flourish. Coffee of a superior
quality and sugar cane are great
| staple crops. Fine cotton Is raised, and
the country seem. ideal for stock.
| over 100 fruits and vegetables are
grown. including all the common ones
of our country and many tropical edi-
| bles we do not know. The banana is
the principal fruit cultivated, and with
coffee. mahogany. and rubber makes
up the principal exports of the coun-
| try. Only small portion of the a
valuable area has been developed agri-
culturally. Little has been done with
the forests and the mineral resources.
From the mountain streams can be
developed largo amount of power,
! and wide range of industries should
be successfully established. where at
presnt there are scarcely any outside
| Of the sugar factories, n single cot
| ton-mill, a few small tanneries and
the salt works at San Jose.