The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-26
R, R. PROMOTING IN
SOUTH AMERICA
Americans Unpop ularity
Forced Investors to
Sell Out.

New York. April 26.--An item the
other day told OF the liquidation Of the
Bogota City Railway company. This
WAS New York corporation which
the supreme court permitted to pass
quietly out Of existence. as 1t had sold
its rolling stock and franchise to the
City Of Bogota, which is the capital Of
the United States of Columbia.
This was tho only street railway
on earth that could charge dollar to
ride a block--and get IL. II was
peso, rather. which means dollar in
Spanish. but this was a Columbian
peso. which means no one knows what
Every man In Columbia has more mon
ey than any other man In equal sta.
ton In any other country In. the world
Drivers OF these Bogota street cars
get $50 day, conductors $35 day
Presumably the president OF the COM
pany would get about $500 day IL he
were not very high-priced man. But.
that's nothing. A bo0tblack gets 81
for shine. and fairly good bank
president ought to have 100000 a
year on a bargain for his services.
Az for the president Of the republic.
nobody knows what he commands as
nobody knows just how much money
10 printed down there. Probably the
president couldn't count all he earns
every year. Just what system of ac-
counting the official treasury and the
banks employ must be their own Sc
cret.
These figures do not mean real dol
lars. They only show in English how
much IL paid In Spanish words and
Columbian bills authorized by the gov
crnment. II is easy to get money
down there. Most Of the inhabitants
would rather give away money than
cigaret, or maybe light.
A pair OF common shoes cost $50.
Anyman's Sunday shoes are worth
800. but he doesn't mind because he
gets $500 or $500 week. II he saves
up a few weeks he can get enough
to buy suit OF clothes. II doesn't take
long to save couple OF bushels of
greenbacks. There Is very little coin
In the country.
Had Much Excitement.
Columbia was an interesting jungle
land. with civilized centers to keep
things boiling for the New York CAPT.
talists who built the Bogota street
railway and financed other enterprises
In the Columbian capital In the last
twenty years. Operating their little
railroad supplied them with all the ex.
element they desired. even at this
end. and every now and then one OF
them had TO 20 to Bogota. That was
an adventure In itself II took thirty
long days, tortuous days. some Of
them.
Il takes twenty-five days to get
there even now. by boat to Cartagena,
thence up the Magdalcna river.
through worse than African jungles,
to Honda. and then zigzagging across
a link Of the Andes mountains. At
the end the Columbians were refresh.
ingly impulsive. especially toward Am.
orleans. whom they regarded as pir-
ates and chief plotters In the secession
Of Panama.
One Of the organizers OF the Bogota
city railway was Tuis o. Bergen, the
lawyer. OF 100 Broadway. He was
long the had of II. In fact. and of other
enterprises In that troubled city. and
he 10 quite philosophic about II. say
ing we have street car riots every.
where and Bogota Is no different from
Our own cites. He explained the with
drawal OF his people from Bogota this
way:
Every since the peaceful REBELLION
In Panama. which the United States
was 30 quick to recognize. the Colum-
bian government and its people look.
ed uDOn all North Americans. "a thew