Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-01-14
Debt Ridden
HO dur as
By Frederic j. Haskin

the republic asking him to revoke the Ice
cream concession. Troy had with him
wild Irishman who had been stranded,
and this fellow conceived the idea or
peddling ice cream on the streets. He
was soon making from so to SIS day
from his ingenuity and industry.
The Bay Islands, belonging to Hon
duras, are said to be the nearest known
approach to a lazy mans paradise. CO.
coanut growing constitutes practically
the only industry and according to an
enthusiast, all one has to do Is to burn
off a piece of ground, plant the NUS
20 feet apart and wait five years for re-
most unheard Of The natives thought
suits. After that he is fixed for lie,
with an income safer than governments
bonds. The nuts are never picked, but as
they mature they drop off, and this
shower of fruit goes on month after
month for a lifetime Bananas, pineap-
PIES mangoes, plums and oranges grow
without the slightest cultivation.
While cocoanut growing may have
some disadvantages not enumerated In
the above prospectus, 1t is undoubtedly
an industry of great possibilities. The
by-products of this tropical luxury are
and meat provide the native with de-
licious food and drink. Its dried meat
is called copra. The shells are valuable
as household utensils, and can be made
into many kinds of ornaments. The tree
provides lumber for the construction or
houses, and the foliage makes an ex-
cellent roofing. There are SO distinct uses
to which the substance of this wonderful
tree may be put, ranging from the man.
ufacture of toothpicks to the preparation
of dye and hair oil.
The custom OF giving concessions. a
practice which recently caused so much
trouble for Mr.. Zelaya, of Nicaragua, OBJ
tains also in Honduras, though 1t may not
be abused as 1t was in the neighboring
state. One thing the Honduraneans have
long desired is railway connection
throughout the republic. With all the
enormous national debt made to secure
railroad the capital city of Honduras
still remains without rail connections
with the seaports. and the journey must
be made by automobile or other convey
ance. 1t is only in recent years that even
good public highway has been open.
The result is that the Honduraneans
will give almost anything that is demand
sion of 1000 acres of land was made for
every mile of railroad the concessionaire
would build In one of the provinces. AS
the route for which the concession was
granted presents no serious engineering
difficulties, and the land through which it
passes is fine banana land, capable Of
being made to yield a profit of $50 per
acre per year, the concessionaire may Sc
cure for himself a fixed income of $4,000
a year for every mile of railroad he
builds, even though the line yields him
no net profits during the period he is al
lowed to operate it under the concession.
In another instance a concession of
$4,000 acres of banana land was granted
to an American for an annual rental of
less than cents per acre, the concession
to last for a long period. and the conces-
sionaire to have the privilege of buying
the land at unimproved land prices at the
end of that period. Honduras we'll re-
alizes that it's concessions are tremend-
ously liberal and that they offer oppor-
tunities for the making of great fortunes,
but 1t also understands that Americans
and Europeans will not invest their
money in tropical America unless they
are assured of great returns. Unlimited
natural wealth is OF no account unless
there is capital to develop It,
British Honduras Is not associated with
Honduras itself, except in name. IT was
originally a part of Guatemala. instead
of Honduras, as the name might impiy.
1t is British territory by reason Of the
English lumbermen who settled 800 years
ago. They saw the opportunity to get
themselves under. the protection of the
mother country by claiming the territory
In the name of the crown, and asserted
Britain's title to 1t before Monr6s dsliv-