The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-07

Central American country, but is cor.
respondingly capable of great mate
rial development. There are only
about 100000 people within its linn
its. OF these, five-sixths are upon the
western, or Pacific, side. The east.
ern, or Caribbean, shore lies low and
is drained by many rivers. The only
industry of this seton is the growing
of bananas, which were shipped in
1908 to the number of 100000
punches, valued at so cents a bunch.
The principal town here is Bluefields,
little south of the center, having
5000 inhabitants 1t is 1,1S6 miles
from New Orleans and 80 miles from
Colon. The only other important
places on this east coast are Grey
town. at the southern point, with 1000
inhabitants, near the mouth of the
San Juan river which was to have
been the course of the Isthmian canal
if built through Nicaragua and Cape
Gracias Dios, at the northern point,
with only 1900 people. On the popu-
lated Pacific slope the chief cities are
Leon, the historic and interesting old
capital, with 10000 inhabitants; Man
aqua, the present capital, with 10000;
Matagalpa, with 10000 Granada, with
12,000 and several other towns of
from 5000 to 10 600. The principal
port on the Pacific side is Corinto
near the northern end, with only about
1000 people. At the southern end is
the harbor of San Juan del Sur.
But One Railroad.
There is one arilroad in Nicaragua
which starts at Corinto and runs to
Managua, and thence across to Gren-
ada, on Lake Nicaragua, which is the
largest inland body of water in all
Latin America. If one wishes to go
to Nicaragua, he can take steamers
on the Atlantic side from New York.
New Orleans or Mobile. Going by
Pacific, he will take steamers from
San Francisco or from coast points
of other countries. Perhaps the quick
est way to reach it today is either
through Mexico by rail and by steam
er from Salina Cruz to Corinto, or
by steamer from New Orleans direct
to Bluefields. The latter journey gen.
orally takes about four days. If, how
ever, one lands on the east coast. il
is practically impossible to go to the
west coast on account of the lack OF
railroads and other facilities. A com
| mon way to go to the west coast is
via Panama and the Pacific side.
The total value of the foreign trade
| of Nicaragua in 1908 amounted to ST.
100000, of which exports were 81
100000 and imports $3,OOO,OOO. Nic..
| ragua bought from the United States
textiles, clothing, machinery, etc, val
ued at $1,300,0O0. She sold the Unit
ed States bananas, coffee, rubber ma
hogany, cattle hides, ETC., valued at
81 100000.
Nicaragua's Government.
Nicaragua has president a cabi
net with five ministers or secretaries
thirteen departments or states, and
five divisions like our territories. It's
national assembly consists of only one
! chamber, which is now in session.
Lying between 10 degrees As min
utes and IA degrees SO minutes north
latitude, and between SO degrees II
minutes and 81 degrees 40 minutes
west longitude, it is located all within
the tropics, but it has considerable
variety of climate. Although the east
coast is low-lying and very warm. the
central and western sections are in
parts so mountainous and elevated
that the temperature never reaches a
high point, and the climate can be
considered salubrious. The western
section, in which the greater part Of
the population is located, has such a
varying latitude, and the country is sc
| broken with lakes and so close to the
sea that it is not by any means as
hot as it would appear to be on the
| map.