The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-22
RAILROAD NEWS.
GuatemaIa Lines Are Slow But
Seem to Be Sure.
Station Names Suggest Ancient
Inhabitants.
SERVICE is GOOD.
Sixteen Trains Daily Run on
One of Branches.
Spurs Planned Will Complete
Great Rail Link.

Those who babble of revolution
racked Central America" and demand
Intervention of law and order" would
DO we'll to examine a certain bright
covered little pamphlet, which they
may pick up on any one of the racks
devoted to travel documents in hotel
1obbies. 1t is the official time table
or the Guatemala Central railroad.
Central Americas greatest railway
system which, with the Guatemala
railway, comprises an inter-oceanic line
40 miles in length, joining Puerto Bar
rios on the Atlantic coast with San
Jose on the Pacific.
Not bad record for a country with
population of less than 1900 900 in
habitants, two-thirds of them Indians
or half-breeds. with thousands of miles
OF its area of $4,000 miles virgin forest
or wilderness, and commonly supposed
to be a prey to instructions and die
tators.
According to the time table, the train
service on the Guatemala railroads is
reasonably modern. There are num-
Der of trains to select from, and, in view
of the mountainous nature of the
country, they seem to make pretty
good time. One can travel on the main
line, from Guatemala City, at an ele-
walton of 4,877 feet, to Champerico, 1856
miles distant, and only 20 feet above
sea level we'll within IL hours.
The names of the stations on this
main line sound particularly enticing;
they ring with suggestions of the lands
ancient inhabitants, the warlike people
who were vanquished by Cortez and
Alvarado. Also. they possess good
looking stations, pictures of which are
duly furnished for the benefit of Ameri-
can travellers.
One finds for instance, that, leaving
Guatemala City at o'clock in the
morning, Amatitlan, on the beautiful
III Oh % A.
Amatitlan is only about twenty-four
miles distant, but the right of way is
over mountainous country at consider
able altitude. Or one can start from
Escuintla, a prosperous town near the
Pacific coast, at HOS in the morning,
and reach Retalhuleu, at the junction
with the Occident railway, 50 miles
away at O'Clock. The Occident rail-
way, meager affair, so far as mileage
IS concerned, runs to the seaport OF
Champerico.
When it comes to suburban service,
the Guatemala Central apparently IS
equally efficient. On the Guarda Viejo
branch, there are eight trains daily in
each direction. Other branches are
planned and surveyed. including spurs
from Zacapa to the frontier of Saliva
dor. and from Retalhuleu to Coate-
peuue and thence to Ayutla, on the
Mexican border. which will mark the
completion of the Guatemalan link of
the cnd1n OF the great 1HleICOlllASAIdl
railroad.
AS an evidence of enterprise and APP
probation of publicity, it would be diff
ficult to surpass this time table. In
deed, the actual time table takes up
but a small part Of it's contents. A
large and comprehensive map of the
country fills one entire side of the
folder, and on the other-interlarded
with pictures of the imposing National
theater at Guatemala City, the massive
Cadet school barracks, the Presidential
palace, and various monuments-are
number of paragraphs COMPRISING
into small space a resume of the coun-
try's economic and political features.
DOVETT DECLINES TO ANSWER
Has Nothing to Say About Action of
japanese Steamship Line.
New York, July 22.-President
Lovett of the Union and Southern Pa