The Washington herald., 1909-11-07
BY JAMES II. MORROW.

OF banana plantations.
Tho unwritten romance OF the United
Fruit Company. with It's ships and rail-
ways it's cattle, mines. and lands, IN
clude, so It Is said, several stirring chap
tsrs on diplomacy. politics, and revolu-
tion pertaining 10 various southern ma
tons. AS TO Costa RIGA, the report may
not be altogether true because that tran
gull little country. filed with home own
eFs and workers. is a preaOhment on the
blessings Of peace to the rest Of tho Lat
In-American republics.
Yet, elsewhere-in Santo Domingo. Hon
duras. Guatemala, Colombia, and Pan
ana. Tor misunderstanding millions IN
the hazards OF business. the silent and
watchful men OF Boston have probably
mixed government with fruits and 9TH
er articles OF domestic commerce. Any
way, the charge IS made. and II gives a
new touch OF interest and mystery 70 an
imprinted and jealousy guarded story.
Coffee, good coffee. sold under false
name. was once the chief export OF Costa
RiCa- An American here and there may
drink Il at breakfast Most Of II. how
ever. still goes to England where a snug
profit is added before II is reshipped all
over the universe But bananas. 20 the
honor Of the energy and enterprise Of
Boston. have overtaken and passed cOf-
feo as q commodity.
Rapid Growth OF Trade,
The first shipment OF bananas to the
United States was made in the year 1851
and amounted to 800 punches. BY the las:
published figures the total shipments are
shown to he 10165 100 punches annually
or enough bananas TO load 1854 railroad
81.
where people are being taught to eat be-
nanas. but the bulk Of n is consumed
in the United States. The banana APP
petite, which yet may conquer Europe
is peculiarly a Boston creation.
For thirteen years Don Joaquin Ber-
nardo Calvo has been envoy eXtraordi-
nary and minister plenipotentiary from
Costa Rica 70 the United States. I saw
his two handsome. plack-eyed little song
on tho front steps of the legation. They
were playing American games and speak
ing I'm unaccented English. Mr.. Calvo.
a middle-aged man, looks Ike a pros
porous planter. merchant or banker. Be
fore he came here he was governor OF
the Province OF Carriage. HIS father, a
public man and an editor established
the first weekly publication IN Costa
Blca.
In 1875, or just ffty-three years lator."
Mr.. Calvo said Il established the first
daily newspaper I'm my country. I had
always been fond Of writing. although
had been in business and had studied law
San Jose. the capital. where I was born
and lived. needed the news OF the world
every day, I thought. instead Of but
once week, and even then Il WAS iu-
adequately presented. Ny experiment
for six months was very doubtful. but
the business men OF the city were help
ful and sympathetic, a banker being so
much interested that he came 10 my Of
flee each day to assist ME I'm transat-
Ing my cable dispatches from English
into Spanish No other publisher can
say, I fancy, that n banker OF great In
fuence and Importance has been voIun-
teer member Of his editorial staff At
the end Of tho first half year the paper
was on a solid basis. but 7 sold il long
ago"
Once Owned Plantation.
Have you been personally concerned
IN agriculture / asked
II have liked agriculture and hortlcul-
ture better than anything else" Mr..
Calvo answered. 'Once I owned a coffee
plantation Of 1000 trees. Our coffee. by
tho way, IS of a very fine quality. and
when sold IN this country is called Java
and Mocha. We get a large price. three
times more IN the New York market than
IS paid for coffee grown in Brazil. and
] suppose we ought 10 be satisfied but
II the product OF our plantations were
sold under its right name the advertise
ment would do US considerable good
Our yearly crop is valued az about $780,
l 900 and would fill nearly $50 American
freight cars. Brazil stu produces three
fourths Of the worlds supply Of coffee
but we boast Of quality and not or
quantity.
Our original seed was obtained In
Arabia and has not deteriOrated by the
change Of soil and climate. The con-
sumption Of coffee in Europe and America
is increasing all the time and now
amounts 10 more than 100000 tons q
year. ] am told that very little Java
or Mocha coffee IS sold I'm the United
States, which can be explained, perhaps.
on the ground Of fits scarcity and price
I have heard that the best quality of
Java coffee becomes better with age and
IS kept for six years before II is exported.
In other countries coffee Is hurried TO
market. bust as farmers in America sell
their wheat, corn, and cotton almost as
soon as they are harvested. Coffee lands
I'm Costa Rica are on high ground and
when improved are worth as much as
1000 an acre"
States been invested In the coffee bust
ness OF Costa Rica?"
A number OF Americans are growing
coffee and several are engaged in raising
sugar cane one OF our largest sugar
factories is owned by Americans who
came to our country and worked aq
carpenters. They saved their money got
into the sugar business IN a small wav
and made a fortune"
will you tell me about the United
Fruit Company. which has invested
100000 IN Costa Rfca?"
Operates n Railroad.
The investments Of the corporation 7
think. now amount to S17.O00O0O, Mr.
Calvo answered. 1T owns banana pIanta-
tons. a rich gold mine on the Pacific side
Of the republic, many hundreds OF horses
and mules. and many thousands Of cattle
Besides II operates a railway from Port
Limon on the Atlantic Ocean, into the
banana country and has 100 miles or
branch lines. 1t owns 10000 acres of land
and leases as much more II also has
large interests in Santo Domingo. Cuba
Honduras Guatemala, Colombia. and
Panama. Immense quantities Of bananas
are grown by the company, but IL buys
the crops OF our farmers, and thus has
been of direct benefit to the people
The company has a fine Office build
ing at Port Limon, a large pier and a
hospital IL has ships Of its own and
has contracts with many more Alto
gether It keeps 100 vessels in the banana
trade between the countries of the south
and the cities Of New Orleans, Mobile
New York, Boston and Manchester and
Bristol In England. II you will visit