Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-13

ior in canoes, on the bacl4 of mules,
and frequently carried through
swamps by men; consequently, the
matter of packing must command
special attention to insure the articles
arriving at their destination intact.
Not long ago several boxes of mer-
chandise toppled overheard from one of
the lighters. Part of these boxes We're
from Europe and the others from the
United States. When the goods were
recovered it was found that those
pieces which had been packed in Eur
ope were lined with oil paper and the
contents were not damaged, while
those which were packed in the Unit
ed States were rendered yalueless from
the mishap. 1t may be argued that
this was an unusual occasion, but al
most every mule train that makes its
way into the interior encounters heavy
rains, and merchandise cannot be
packed too securely to warrant its safe
arrival.
Although the smallest of the Central
American republics, Salvador spends
more money for governmental purposes
than any OF the others. In a recent
year it spent $4,430,000 for such pur-
poses, while Guatemala, next in order.
spent $3,562,000. Much of this goes to
internal improvements. The people are
industrious, progressive and enterpris-
ing, and these qualities are reflected in
the state Of the government.
There are no great haciendas, or
ranches, in Salvador as there are in
Mexico and Guatemala. The land is
thoroughly subdivided, so that nearly
every rural family owns and tillS its
own little farm. The soil is very fertile,
and the heavy rains make things grow
incredibly fast. The coast of Salvador
is almost the only place in the world
1.
waited. Here it flourishes so profusely
that the territory is known as the Bal
sam coast. The balsam sap, which is
gathered by Indians, is used in making
perfume and several kinds of medicine
SalVadorean coffee sells for about 8
cents a pound, and some of the larger
coffee plantations yield several million
pounds a season.
Indigo is one of the principal exports.
1t is made from a plant which grows
where the ground is high and rocky
The crop is planted in May and is ready
for harvest in September, at which time
the flower buds are richest in indigo.
The plants are cut off few inches
from the ground, tied in bundles and
placed in big water-filled watts. Heavy
pressure is placed upon them, not by
the hydraulic process familiar to us,
BuI py ElllIlS OIl ItdNy HlOIltS- w IlCIl
all the juice has been pressed out of
the plants kind of shrub is placed in
the water which causes the solid mat
ter to settle to the bottom like grounds
in 4 coffee pot. Then the water is
drawn off, and the residue is a sort of
blue mud, ready to be dried and pow
dered into indigo.
In closing this series it may be we'll
to quote from an editorial printed re-
in
commenting on the trouble in Nicara-
qua and the intervention of the United
States:
I've are soon to witness the sight of
the eagle swooping down on its de
fenseless victim to tear out its vitals
with talons of steel, robbing it of life
as well as liberty. There is to be writ
ten one chapter more of those shameful
and reproachful pages of which history
is already full, chapter in which an
world will hear vibrating the
cry of a Poland, of a Transvaal, of a
Korea We have wished for another
government in Nicaragua, but we have
feared the intervention of America,
which we consider an act worthy only
of naughty Rome, which fell at last. ru-
ined by the leprosy of her corruption.
We have wished that Zelaya would
fall, but not by the blow of a foreign
invader. Therefore, if necessary, we
would gladly see today the tyranny,
which yesterday we execrated, reunit-
ing in it's turn all Nicaraguans and
burling itself against the hosts of the
modern Xerxes, leaving on the field OF
battle written in blood the record of the
last struggle for freedom"
If the fiery philippe of this writer
really is a true reflection Of the con-
ception his people have of the United
States attitude toward Latin America,
then indeed our neighbors do not pos
sess the intelligence with which they
have been accredited. Do they not
know that without the protection of the
Monroe doctrine every acre of their
territory would have gone the way of
British Honduras? Do they not know
that instead of tearing out the Vttals
of defenseless victims" the Americans
have helped Cuba to its feet and then
sailed away--not only once but twice?
Do they not know that if the Americans
had any intention of gripping them
with "talons OF steel" and doing all
the other awful things which they
charge, the job would have been COM
pleted long years ago? The best an
swer to such an outbreak as the one
quoted above is: Forgive them, they
know not what they do"
Tomorrow-HalIey and His Comet