The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-22

There is no more Striking evidence
of the fact that Costa Rica really be-
longs in class alone, when other trop-
ical republics are taken into consider
alton, than the great encouragement.
extended by the government officially
to any amateur athletic undertaking.
President Gonzales, ever since he has
been in office has given this matter
serious consideration and has urged
the men of every town and city in the
republic to organize Clubs for the pro-
motion Of athletic games. 1t is Presi-
dent Gonzales hope to build up the
Costa Rican race into a race Of power
ful men, healthy in mind and body.
He has tried, by the creation Of inter-
est in athletics, to wean the young
men away from the time-honored cock
fights, bullfghts, and other forms OF
amusement which do not inthe slight
est deEgee tend to elevate the moral
charasTer of the growing citizen. His
e1orts have been so successful that
there is not town in the entire re-
public of any size which does not
have its baseball team and football
eleven
Baseball has almost become the ma
tional sport. Every week there is
game either in Port Limon, San Jose
or some other of the cities in the in
terror. Every town has its ball field
and its regular club with a perfect
organization. The government even
allows the equipment of these clubs to
come into the country free of duty,
and the governor of every district will
go far out of his way to render assist
ance to athletics. The result is that
the popularity of the cock.fghts is
gradually being reduced. The young
men have taken to outdoor sports Of
every character, and they have be-
come developed physically into as
strong and athletic-looking a race as
one could expect to find in any Ameri-
can State, and far more athletic than
one would look for in the far tropics.
With the building up of the physi-
cal young man, there has been tear
ing down of the spirit of revolt. The
citizens have become broader in their
views, and the race of Costa RIGA turn
their attention to sport and leave dis
cord for some other country where
1dleness forms breeding place for
revolution and crime. The statistics
OF Costa RIGA will show a. steady fall
ing off in the numberspf criminals for
a dozen years, and a more pronounced
falling off in the past fewtyears. There
is no such thing as capital punishment
in Costa Rica The builders of the
Costa Rican laws did not consider that
they had the right to take away that
which they could not return. They
punish, but do not kin. The humane
theory, if it can be called by such a
name, seems to be wonderfully appro
pirate in this locality.
The rivalry between sports clubs in
the cities throughout the country is
kept alive by the looking forward to
the great annual championship games
presided over by the president Of the
republic. The best baseball teams,
and athletes from all over Costa Hica
gather here in San Jose for week of
outdoor sport. At one end of the city
there is magnificent open stretch OF
country, level, and as nicely kept as
lawn. On this field athletes meet.
Many Of the young men have been
educated in the United States and have
brought back home the training OF
Northern colleges. Among these young
men there are scores of excellent ball
players There is another faction, a
set of young men who have been edu-
Gated in England, where they have
learned the association football game
and have become skilful in that
branch of sport. The rivalry between
Port Limon and San Jose on the foot 4
ball field is very keen.
At these annual championship games
. men from far north, from the noun
tains, those from the Pacific slope, and
those from Limon and the banana dis
tricts, meet on friendly footing, and
the president presents the trophies
won. These trophies are offered by
the government Of Costa RIGA. The
younger men, the rising generation Of
Costa RIGA, become acquainted with
men Of their own age from all over the
republic, and by this contact in friend
ly games spread feeling of friend
ship which cements the population OF
the population Of the republic close
ly together.
President Gonzales is looking to the
future. He is aiming to build UP a
pride of country through these very
young men which will make absolutely
impossible any chance of returning to
the condition Of discord once known
here and so plentifully distributed