The Washington herald., 1908-07-26
BANANAS YIELD A PROFIT
President Reyes shows How some
Good Investments Can Be Made to
Pay-TObaccO, Sugar, Fruits, md
Cotton Grow LuxuriaatIy in that
COunrry-FactOrfesA Already Started.

/ TO the Atlantic coast, set forth many
ideas as 70 the future OF Colombia, some
of which seem 10 offer excellent oppor-
mites for the investment OF American
capital and. therefore. for the extension
Of American trade.
| President Reyes has called the attention
OF the people to the opportunities for the
| cultivation OF bananas and other market
able fruits. Of cotton, tobacco. and sugar
cane: for the development OF manufac-
lures. especially OF cotton, leather goods.
| tobacco. and sugar, for the exploitation
Of the mineral resources OF the country.
as yet relatively dormant.
The President declares that reports
have been made 10 him OF the mineral
wealth OF the Antioquia and Cauca dis
tricts which satisfy HIN that there is
much highly productive ground OF a pla-
/ Ger character yet untouched: that quartz
| deposits are TO be found all over these
departments which viii IN time develop
into veritsbIe high-grade paying mines.
2Iany new mines are being opened and
| developed in these regions, and yet there
1 IS ground for countless more. These are
not poor man" propositions, but oppor-
/ tunities for investment Of capital
Bananas a Good Crop.
| In the development OF the banana indus
| try President Reyes is paying especial
attention 10 the district OF Santa Marta,
at the base OF the Sierra Nevada Noun
/ tains. although there Is much other good
/ banana land II many parts Of the Attain
| tic coast
/ The valleys OF the rivers Leon and At
rato have long been recognized as having
| proper characteristics for the cultivation
| of this fruit On the Sinu River there IS
| also much good banana Ia1d. as well as
/ land proper for the cultivation OF oranges.
/ pinecppIes. alligator pears. and many
| other tropical products. This IS the great
I cattle belt. as il IS also the source Of The
| cedar and mahogany exported from Co
/ ionbla- IN this valley are both coal and
! petroleum awaiting capital for their de-
4 yelopment
In the Leon and Atrato district lands
/ can be had under concession from the
/ government The purchaser may select
| and deu0unCe the land by paying the ex-
| penses OF measurement, CT land may be
| had b. purchase of land scrip. granted
/ under previous concessions. for a few
! cents per hectere C2s-1 acres. The lands
I OF this region are said 10 be very fertile,
I and a small expenditure IN dredging the
mouths Of the rivers Leon and Atrato
I would make those rivers uavigable for
I fruit ships FOR many miles Into the iute-
I -ior.
There are transportation routes await
/ Ing development which would pay-routes
I which wOuld develop districts rich IN min
/ eral and agricultural possibilities which
are Idle and abandoned for lack OF trans
/ pOrtauOu facilities There IS no doubt
7 that one Of the greatest helps n adva1c-
[ ing American trade n Latin America IS
| the presence Of American capital n the
/ Industries Of these COUNTRIES
Among the important proposals made
I by President Reyes recently was one sug-
I gesting the construction OF a railway 20
| connect with the CHr1agena (COlOmbia)
| Railway leading southwark parallel TO the
| Caribbean coast. passing through SINGER
/ n. where the new sugar mandatory is
/ being erected. 20 the town of Tolu on the
| Gulf Of lIurrOsQulIIo- This route would
| open 10 transportation one Of the richest
| agricultural territories of the hot zone OF
| Colombia, q territory which has produced
| Il -000. 900 pounds Of tobacco for export dur
| ing the past two years. many thousand
cattle, much rice and cotton. and which.
! IN al expanEe OF $3.50 acres OF land tribu-
| tary thereto. could be made TO produce
great quantities Of sugar bananas. and
D E4-LDcA ENEA E---A "a AADA--dA AA-AAL- / 1Ae
| land IS generally level. exceedingly fer
! tile. and well waJe-ed-sn important fea-
ture n tropical agriculture Coal. iron,
! and petroleum are known 10 exist near
I the suggested route, while mahogany.
l Spanish cedar, and other valuable tim
Der, as well as rubber, are found near
| thereto.
Sugar Factory 20 start.
At since-in a sugar factory viii. within
q few months. begin grinding the cane
! from 1900 acres now planted. the first
| harvest OF which IS expected to produce
| 1900 metric tons. OF 255 coo bags OF sugar.
| There are 100 men engaged in the work
Of installation of the sugar plant and ex-
! tending the cane plantation The estab-
l.shment OF other factories OF this char
acter only await transportation.
This proposed railway would n time
according TO the hopes Of President Reyes,
be a branch Of g grand transcontiuentaI
/ system leading from Santa Marta on the
northeast 10 Colon at the mouth Of the
Panama Canal
The government OF Colombia and the
/ commercial interests Of Cartagena are
/ again cosidering the dredging and reopen
| ing TO traffic OF the dixie OF canal leading
from the Magdalena River al CaIamar 70
! the opening into the bay Of Cartagena,
with a view 10 re-establishing direct
steamboat connection between this port
and the ports OF the Nagdalena
The first improvement OF this dixie was
n 1925, but IN 1874 It had began TO fill I'd
again. when the King OF Spain had Il re-
opened at the expense Of the former con
tractor. In 1874 a American engineer
took a contract for its excavation and
opening, with view TO steamboat traffic,
and in 1Sls he had completed its canaIiza-
ton. and its opening was publicly cele-
brated
II was kept pretty free from obstruc-
tons until 1882 or 1898. since when It has
been neglected Among the greatest OBJ
structions to It's easy navigation are the
great beds Of Wild nyacinths. which at
times almost cover its surface. Another
difficulty Is its tortuous character, caus-
ing steamers much delay
The idea Of dredging this channel has
been frequently n1ooted OF late years. but
a prominent American engineer who re-
Gently passed through its entire length
states that Strengthening the canal IN
many places would be necessary to make
Il a practical waterway for rapid trans
portation. This, he thinks. would require
considerable expenditure. but once done
and the channel dredged and cleared OF
the drift and the hyacinths which foul a
steamers wheel. It would be g valuable
connection OF the AIRgdalena and Cauca
River transportation routes.
Such q WORK carried TO conclusion
would open up a rich bed OF agricultural
II