The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-09-24
inc beauu1ul Women and How They Dre>s-Bare-
footed and bareheaded Women Clad in Silk
sha"ls-lhe Big Market Which Is Like a Mighty
Bazaar; the Ox-Cart as a Factor in Transporta-
tIon; Curious Features of a Little Known CITY at
The Tail End Of Our Continent-Fight for Santa
ton in a Land of Hookworm

i.aN YOU one Of the most interesting
little towns of the world. mean
sam Jose, this capital of Costa RIGA
sitlated down here in the mountains
~ the tail end of our continent. 1t
is blgh up in the Central American
hudeS, within a thousand feet, per
tops, of the altitude of Denver, sur
rounded by mighty mountains which
trr green to. their tops, but whose
tlelds are lost in the clouds. The sky
Is bright blue and the air is SO clear
that you can see many miles. The
s-mi-tropical sum paints the clouds
tN the hills. 1t brings out the red
roofs of the city lying in the hollow
below and shows the gay buildings
which are of bright yellow, sky-blue,
grass-green and dark red. The little
capital is just bout a mile and a
half in diameter. 1t runs up hill and
down, covering the arena of an am
ritheater. the walls OF which are the
mountains.
San Jose has about 10000 people.
Il is 4 city of one and two story build
ings. with many Catholic churches, a
Sood-sized cathedral, q great theater
and some other public structures ris-
ing above them. There are a half
dozen parks scattered throughout the
city. The narrow streets cross one
another at right angles, the main
one being the Avenida Central, which
~ IA CT ~ IilIOild pain 1tdI ~
Northern railway station and ends
in the grassy polo grounds. known as
the savannas at the opposite end Of
the town.
San Jose Houses.
The buildings of San Jose are made
Of adobe with this stuccO finish paint
Cd as | have described. The roofs
extend far out owe the walls, and
along each is u gutter with drain pipes
leading Town and connecting with the
open concrete cutters which line the
SIDES of the roadway. Along the sides
OF the street are narrow stone flag
sidewalks, and the pavement etween
is Of a combination of earth and rough
stones which when the heavy OXcartS
move over it gives forth a sound like
that of "a traction engine on a cor
GurOy Dad
The houses are all Spanish style.
They have wide doors and windows
facing the street and many OF the
windows are barred. l suppose to
keep in the girls. Behind the more
p%retentious structures are patios or
little courts filled with palms and
other tropical plants, n in some
cases with a fountain or SO. h
rooms run about these pat1os and
face upon them, and h ordinary
tine house is just one room deep all
the way around. The poorer dwell
InBS sometimes have q garden at the
back, but more often they consist or
merely one or two rooms facing the
street, and with no back outlet what
ever.
Business at the Capital.
The stores are scattered all Over the
town. with the best not far from the
POST office in the heal Of the city.
There are many large establishments
among them. San Jose is the bust
EesS center Of all Costa Rica and the
most of tho wholesale and retail
business is done right at the capital.
Not q few Of the firms turn over a
nail million dollars a veal and | know
IS one little drug store which does a
business Of over 100000 per annum.
There are some stores with plate
glass windows which would be Of
credit to any city in the United States
OF 1our times the size, and the goods
within them. while the prices are
double our prices at home, are the
pest Of their kind and have come from
dl over the world.
Many Of the merchants are Ger
mans, some French and some Span
Llrd, and not a few Costa RicanS. Inc
I4fSer places have fixed prices, and
JneE seem to work on he principle
1T least 100 per cent. The necessities
~ life cost far more here than at
nome, and the luxuries are proper
tohately higher. Salt costs 0 cents
bound. sugar 10 cents n bread,
weight for weight, about three times
IS much as | pay in Washington city.
bought a half-pint can of straw
perry jam this morning to eat with
my bread and coffee, which is all
one gets for breakfast at the lead
ing hotel. 1t cost me As cents, or
three times what | pay at home.
San Jose's Great Market.
tut We can see the native business
- this country best in the market
i-Fery town has it's large market
oUidlnS filled with stalls and shops OF
"i KINDS, and it is there that the
,omtnon people go to buy and sell.
me markets are much like the ba-
ears Of the orient. or those which
we're 50 common all over Europe at
Nt time of the middle ages. The IN