Omaha daily bee., 1912-09-08

Rica. From one end to the other II is a
soil which fills up the wrinkles and COW
ers the folds is composed Of volcanic
ashes and mud, and is one Of the richest
soils upon the earth. The land will pro-
duce both temperate and tropical fruits.
Most OF the country is so high above the
sea that the climate is perpetual spring.
and as far as the weather goes 1t re-
minds one of that inscription which was
carved In the marble room In the palace
Of Delhi:
IF there Is paradise on earth It Is
this! II is thIsl 1t is this!
Climbing Central American Andes.
But we can see the country better by
taking o trip from the Atlantic seacoast
up to the highland city Of San Jose. The
northern railway, which is leased by the
United Fruit company, starts at Port
Limon and climbs right over the noun
tains. It IL about ninety miles to the top
of the pass and In that distance we as
cend almost 5000 feet. The road then
goes down In the nelghborhood Of 1000
fest to the capital. leaving US at about
three-auarters OF q mile over sea level.
There Is now another road which has
been continued down the western side Of
the mountains to the Pacific. That was
completed only last year, and 1t has given
the country q railroad trunk line frors
ocean tc scean The fare on the nerthesn
railway is about scents mile and the
freight rates are comparatively high. The
road is a narrow gauge, but the roadbed
Is well ballasted, and as the locomotives
and other rolling stock were made In
America the trip Is quite comfortable.
Leaving Port Llmon. we so out into the
jungle, and for some miles skirt the At
lantic, whose silvery waves are rolling
up on the shore. On our left are many
eocoanut groves. the trees OF which are
80 close to the cars that the nuts might
fall down and crack the heads OF the
brakemen. After awhile we come to the
banana estates and ride for an hour or 10
through drnse forest made up OF these
wide-leafed rustling green plants. They
reach as high as the cars and are so close
that we can almost pull the fruit from
the stems. We see item cutting the
bananas and laying them on beds OF
leavesAby the tracks. Later on they Will
be carefully corded up and transferred to
the cars.
As we 20 on the land rises We stop at
Madre de Dios, and little later reach
the valley of the Reventazon river, an
emerald green stream which flows down
the wild valley which forms the greater
part OF the route to the highlands This
river winds In and out, now passing
through gorges between great walls OF
bright green, One bend is known as the
Devils Elbow, and above this are precip.
itous green walls 1000 fet high. The track
winds along the sides Of them and as you
look up your view Is bordered with emer-
aid cliffs and rooted by the sky. Except
for Its green tint the water OF the river
is beautifully clear save where 1t rolls
over the stones. foamlng and dashing.
transforming lts emeralds to silver
A Botanical Garden.
And then the vegetation. Our way up
the mountains Is through botanical gar
den more gorgeous and more beautiful
than the famed creations OF Java. Hong.
kongfor ceyloon. The plants change as
we rise and we have hundreds Of flowers
and trees the names OF which we have
never heard and which few Americans
have ever seen.
The first part Of the journey Is through
palm trees. Further on we find tropical
giants of other arboreal varieties with
trunks as big around as flour barrel
and 100 or 500 feet high, The limbs of
some are covered with vines and their
trunks are wrapped around with long
llamas or vegetable ropes which ex-
tend to the ground and root themselves
In the earth. In places these ilamas
have vines connected with them and
the trunks OF the trees seem 10 be drapei
In cloaks or mantles with great hobbie
skirts OF bright green.
wish | could picture the orchids.
They cover the dead branches and hang