Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-02

In natural resources Nicaragua is one
| of the richest OF all the republics OF
Central America. Its mineral deposits
are large. both in extent and variety. The
deposits Of gold alone are such that with
only a beginning made in the mineral
exploitation Of the country the annual
output OF the gold mines aggregates
about million dollars in normal year.
| In agricultural wealth Nicaragua is
fully as well favored as in the richness
| Of its mines. With fertile uplands and
rich coastal plains. Nicaragua. with its
diversified climate. is able to profitably
produce almost any crop that flourishes
i between the equator and the latitude OF
New York. Sea island cotton grows In
the coastal plain region along the Pa
| cific ocean, and a number Of Americans
and other foreigners are making money
growing this long and much-prized va
riety OF vegetable fiber. In the upland
regions coffee. wheat, oats and barley
thrive, and Nicaragua may look forward
to the time when Its lands will produce
every kind Of food the people use in their
national dietary.
| On the east coast in particular, and
throughout nearly all OF the territory Of
| the republic in general. the banana hour
ishes like Jonah's gourd. and the de-
veloprnent Of European markets for trop-
ical fruits means that the many thou
sands of acres OF untouched banana
lands at no distant date will be under
profitable cultivation: that Is, PROVIDED
4 the Nicaraguans ever get down, to a
corn can be grown in this country In q
single year, and there is a vast acreage
| OF tillable ground which might be put
under profitable cultivation. Beef cattle
| thrive in the upland district. and there
| Is much territory which might be con-
verted into valuable grazing land.
With drought unknown during the
growing season, except on the west
coast, a n q
PLENTY If Rainfall there seldom in
Assures Good Crops. tropical agri-
| culture, Nicagagua, given peace and as
surfing a friendly attitude toward foreign
capital, could indeed be made to flow with
the milk and honey Of agriculture.
| In timber resources Nicaragua is one
of the richest countries in the western
hemisphere. Except for a comparatively
| small coastal plain on the Pacific side,
another like it on the Atlantic, and a
| farming region in the north central part,
known as the MataSalpa district, Nicara-
| qua is practically primeval forest, SO
uenSe that men accustomed to the Jun
| gle wilds Of Africa declare that Ntcara-
| qua forests are as difficult to penetrate
as the densest in the world.
| In these forests there are untold mil
| lions of feet Of the finest hardwoods IN
the world. There are more than half
dozen hardwoods, some far exce.ling the
Mahogany in hardness, and taking fine
polish. Cedar, large. smooth and ex-
ceptionally fragrant, abOunds In Ntcara-
qua, and the major portion Of the fu nj
ture in the homes of the well-to-do Is
made of 1t. AS previously stated. cedar
commands a better market price in Mica
ragua than mahogany, which Is not sc
expensive here, log about sixteen inches
square and fourteen feet long Oeine
| worth from seven to ten dollars. delivered
to the boats which ply In the lakes OF
tho interior.
There are also about forty different
kinds OF trees In Nicaragua which pro
| duce valuable
Wealth Passed by dye woods Oils
for Meagcr Spells. ucts These are
gathered indi1erently, and one is sur
prised that a people with such an abun
dant supply Of natural wealth around
them can allow these great resources te
grow undeveloped while they fight among
themselves over the possession of the
scanty power that goes with political
ascendency In the republic Of only 6OOW(
souls, and contends over the comparative
~ slim finances OF the national treasury
| So rich In those things which 80 to
i go Ann
| try as to win for 1t from an ancient trav-
| eler the epithet, "Mohamet's paradise,
! Nicaragua is yet one OF the poorest coun-
tries Of the world In actual available as
sets. Once its resources are developed II
| will be a rich nation, considering extent
of territory and population. but today the
| country IS in the condition of the man
who has a million acres Of land and can
scarcely raise enough money to sat1sI!
| the tax collector Its devastating revolu-
tions have so impoverished the people
| that they have no money with which to
carry forward, even in the slow Latin
American way, the development of the
natural wealth they possess. Likewise.
the government has diverted nearly all OF
! its revenues to private purses and TO the
| financing of repeated wars until its treas
ury is practically bankrupt, and 1t can
not supply the money required even Tor
| the absolutely necessary purposes OF gov
| eminent, much less for carrying forward
| the internal improvements essential to ma
tional expansion and growth.
| * X
A remarkable picture of what happens
| in Nicaragua in seasons Of revolution Is
| afforded by the
Ru1k If Coffee Cr0D story of the cot.
Perished on Trees. the last reyolu.
,ionary period. The Weld for the season
Of 1913 had been approximately 14.OOO.
600 pounds The yield OF the following
season promised to be a record breaking
i Lii Tan, that Ia 000 "a