The farmer and mechanic., 1912-09-17

II
the Switzerland of Central America
We are in the mountains of Costa
Rica, the upper end Of the Andes,
north Of the range through which we
are cutting our great ditch at Panama
We are in a land made up Of noun
tans. 1t is $50 miles wide and over
200 miles long, and the most Of it is
composed of these tropical highlands,
some of which kiss the clouds at two
miles and more above the Caribbean
sea. 1t is a land of rugged volcanoes
and Of earthquakes which destroy
cities, but nevertheless it is one of the
most beutiful parts Of the face Of old
mother earth.
At the Caribbean Gateway.
We enter Costa Rca at Port Limon,
it's gateway on the Atlantic. We have
sailed north from Bocas del Toro, the
last town Of the Panamanian republic,
and been landed at a wooden settle
ment of 5000 people which annually
ships to us at least one-tenth of all
the bananas we eat. 1t exports every
year over 100000 punches or about
l,500,O00,00O bananas, enough to give
one to almost every soul in the world.
The town belongs largely to the
United Fruit Company, which does an
immense banana business here, but
by no means the whole. 1T has over
1000 workrncn employed on it's Costa
Rican plantations, but there are prob
ably one-half as many more on the
outside estates.
AS our ship comes to anchor, we
see at the wharves cars filled with
bananas, and watch an endless river
of the green fruit flowing on the long
carrying belts into the holds of the
steamers. There are two ships now
loading. One belongs to the Ham
burg American and another to the
United Fruit Company. The bananas
from here are taken to New Orleans.
Mobile. New York and Boston. They
go also to Manchester and Bristol in
England, and at last find their resting
place in something like a billion and
We shall find bananas for sale at the
stations as we go up the railroad to
San Jose. and will pay for them just
about the same as at home. The ba-
mana is the poor mans fruit, and it
can be bought for from / to cents
a finger, for that is what the single
fruit is called, in any part OF the
union.
Indeed, l 90 not know but that it
may be even cheaper within a few
years from now. The plantations are
growing and a rival company is being
trust. This Is the Atlantic Company
which. as 1 am told has bought man,
of the outside plantations and is
about to make a fight for the
trade. 1t is backed by somt
West Indian Jews in eombina binsr
stes mship line which wants a share
in the freight. 1t has much to do
however, before it can successfully
compete with the United Fruit Com
pany. 1t will require a new port ano
will have to build railroads to bring
the bananas down to their ships
This banana business is not small
proposition. The United Fruit Com
pany, which has done more than an!
other to give US cheap fruit, has many
great interest here outside the ba
nanas, and it has farms and rancho!
where it raises the cattle, horses an<
mules used on it's banana estates. Th'
ranches are in the highlands, an<
upon them there are now 1000 heat
of stock, including horses and mule
raised from imported stations an'
jackasses. There are alco 1000 cows
from which come the butter used II
the banana trust commissary. an
there are other farms for ralslnl
vegetable and various supplies IN
business is so extensive that a
efforts are made to cut the cost I
the lowest possible notch. and
should doubt much the ability OF tn
Atlantic Company to compete as t
prices.
But let US come back to the beaut
OF this Costa Rican republic. IN
banana Plantations form put a SIIld
part OF it and they aYe confined to
strip OF the lowlands along the Carib
bean sea. There are similar lowland
on the Pacific, but the bulk Of tn
country is made up Of these noun
tains which roll over one another i
all sorts Of shapes, now In grea
sorses and again in little hollows
nests of comparatively smooth Ian
which are, covered with farms.
Some of the mountains are over tw
miles in height, and from one G
them, Irazu, you can see the wv
oceans, the Atlantic and the Paclh'
each being only about seventyfiv
miles away. That volcanic peak ca
be reached from Cartago, which
just ninety miles from Limon, an
we may possibly ascend it before
leave Costa Rica. It's two craters 81