The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-30
IN BANANA LAND.
Topeka Visitor Talks About
Nicaragua.
William Walkers War With Old
Commodore Vanderbilt.
ZELAYA, THEDICTATOR
He Has Ruled Nicaragua for
Fifteen Years.
Resources of Country and Pc
culiarities of Its People.


breakfast?
mode of preparation?
Did you ever realize that some day
this appetizing dish may become more
Expensive due to turbulent conditions in
the country where they are grown.
| Right now a sure enough war is going
on down in one Of the favored banana
patches and some men have been killed.
| All of which would be of but passing
| interest were it not for the. Americans
and their holdings in Nicaragua
Theodore Drew, ex-newSpaper man,
politician and real estate dealer, who
has been in Topeka during the past week
selling Florida land. was formerly n
resident of Nicaragua, ard had intimate
acquaintance with some of those in
volved in the present revolution.
And this is what he has to say about
the country, its interests, general condi-
tons and something with regard to the
American COLONY there:
"Politics-the same old game; the ms
and ousS-are responsible for conditions,
but more than that-the present crowd
and President Zelaya have held the job
too long.
Walker and Vanderbilt.
I'm 1854 William Walker, tired of prac-
ticing law in San Francisco, took down
o. cOpO1y TO nicaragua, OStenSlOly Tor
settlement, and they did settle. For the
|crowd remained there for three years
with Walker ruling the country, as it's
president, with an iron hand.
He made the fatal mistake of locking
horns with old Commodore Vanderbilt
who was shipping people across the
country on a route to California and all
because the New Yorker would not pay
taxes.
Vanderbilt armed a piratical crew
80
Mr.. Walker had to beat it to New Or
leans. He then organized another in
vasion, got as far as Honduras, was de-
feated again. and shot
Ever since Nicaragua has been a
land of exploitation, and attractive to
the soldier of fortune, because of the
feeling that some day a canal would go
across the country between the two
oceans, but this feeling received a chill
| in 1903 when President Roosevelt
| decided in favor of Panama.
| $50 the digging of gold in New York
| and sand in Nicaragua came to a stop.
| But other interests remained, for the
resources are undeniably many and
| rich.
I'm 1898 the country was ruled by a
started an upheaval and whipped the
rulers. When the victorious army
marched back to the capital they found
the palace and garrison occupied, head
6Q Dy one OdHIOS LGldyd-
| He addressed the soldiers and told
them he would be president. but would
| make their adored general his vice
president. He did this and the next
day gave the general a diplomatic mis-
sion with sealed orders, to Salvador
i When opened the instruction was not
4 to return.
Zelaya Greater Than Castro.
1.-THE constitution says a president
| shall rule for but four years. Zelaya has
done this and then some, for ever since
| the day that he and his Indian cow
punchers jumped on the job he has held
| it down.
s.Zelaya is much like an Indian, in
| breed, habits, and looks. He is adroit
1 and strong, and his marriage to a
| French woman gave him polish and
| ambition to be another Boliver.
/ castro was in the lfmelight more,
| but Santos with his eyes on Heaven,
| and hands on the earth did things, and
| when it came to being the dictator he
| outclassed the Venezuelan, as dia-
mond to a rhinestone.
| HE played no favorites, but took
ANYTHING from his loving subjects that
he could use, and If their objection was
| too strong, they escaped Jail by fleeing
| the country. There was a reason in
conf1scating a brandy still. but what
| could he do with a soap factory?
His method of addition, long d.
vision, and silence, was great, and now
| the press states that anyway, IL he Is
through, he has millions piled away in
European banks to be used either for
retirement, or his fond dream Of ANAL
gamating a lot os those black and tan
republics in the Central canal zone.
His nerve-tonic was from bottle
labeled The Monroe Doctrine when
dealing with any European country,
except one, in 1894. He grabbed
thirteen men from the eastern coast
and after nearly starving them in a
filthy pen in the interior, banished
them from the country without trial.
for conspiracy.
ct happened that eleven of these
men were British subjects, and the
English government Immediately dis
patched a war boat to the country.
--s aaused Mr.. zelaya to put up