The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-29
ATLANTIC CITY OF
CENTRAL F R
is punta Arenas, Which Me ans Sandy po;nt-r4,e
Town Nothing Like American Resorts, However
Streets Unpaved and Heavy With Black: Sand
Eating Awful -" "%2*e - =
copyright, 1912, by Frank G. Car
Denter.) ~.

down the mountains OF Costa Rica !
IN the Pacific ocean,, and i am now
st the chief port on this side Of the
awaiting a steamer for
The port is named Pun |
"a Arenas. The words mean Sandy
point, and there is enough sand here
To- plaster the locks Of the Panama
Everything is sand. The
are Of a black sand and the
beach is covered with sand Of Il SOM
her hue. "*
Punta Arenas has about 5000 pop
~nIation. 1t is built on a sandy spit Of
land which runs out into the Bay of
BY an estuary nine miles long. up
which one can go into the interior
Of the country. This part Of Costa
i,ica Is heavily wooded 1t ~has~fOrests
If cedar, cocObOla, mahogany n
other hard woods, and on my way
over the railroad l passed many little
sawlnills which were cutting tinbe
for shipment abroad. / passed also
,hc road to the Abang:irez gold mines,
which are located ONE distance
away in the woods. Those mines
belong 10 an American company. and
il is taxing out something like $780,
600 worth Of gold every month. They
have stamp mills and gre now EN-
plos ing over $4,000 men.
\ Costa I,iIAn Resort.
punta Arenas Is sometimes called
rne Atlantic tYty OF Central America
Or. Franklin, the American druggist
here, says il deserves the name, but
I har yet TO lind any reason for the
Statement. Atlantic City has white
sand and II Is comparatively clean.
The sand of Punta Arenas is as black
rs your hat and it is mixed with
the debris Of the eastern Pacific.
Yhe bathing is good at Atlantic City.
although now and then the water Is
cold. The sea here is as warm as
boarding house soup and 1t Is SO in
tested with sharks that one is lucky
not to lose a leg while swimming.
Indeed, there is only one place that
IS safe. This Is inside an Enclosure
where the sea Is fenced around by a
woven wire fence go fine that the
sharks cannot get through. Inside
the fence is q public bathhouse with
steps leading down into the water.
The bathhonse has union suits, which
IL lets Tor IL cents IL swim. but these
suits are SO poorly knitted that il
you set near the wire fence you may
break a thread and be unraveled to
nudity before you get in. ~
Moreover. the dark sand diScOlOrS
the water, and when the tide comes
IN IT Is somewhat like swimming
through mud. Punta Arenas. like At
'antlc CITY, has a promenade walk
With concrete seats on each side and
y handstand at the end. IT is about
une-iiftieth AS long lis the walk at
Atlantic City.
~ Tho Central American Seaside.
This town Is nothing like n OF
our American seaside resorts. Take
the hotels. The one at which l am
Stopping is called la Europa" and
~ Is about the best in the place. II
va two-story building made OF wood
WIN :, roof Of galvanized iron. Last
hsnt We had AN earthquake, which
made the wood creak and the galyan.
yea iron rumble like so much stage
thonder. but otherwise no damage
was q There is no plaster or
VIC walls to fall and none on the
selMs. The walls consist OF plair
soafns nailed to studding about four
.eet apart n the ceiling. which i.
fifteen feet high, has a lattice work
around it about ten feet from tn.
roor that tho air may blow through
.nere are no windows in my room
Mh'ch faces the Pacific ocean, bu
mere Is a wide open transom ovel
me door, with a lattice. work higher
~. 1t is only when the door is ope1
III can look out on the Sea.
Ihe dining room OF the hotel ex
~ ONoI the sea-. anu LHO AAdIu
sweep the dirt and droppings RICH
"ut INTO the water. The floor is o
.o"gh lumber. and there Is a low
'ehce along the side which faces tn
ocean.
Ihis hotel Is disnined in that !
nus two stories. The other building
IRE mostly OF one story. with room
looking out on the street, so that on
frequently sees tho people >dressinl
as ne goes by. The buildings ar
made Of boards and rooted with re-
nies ending in a gutter which has
p4pe extending out OVer tho ! a.
Maik. 1t rains now and then, an
the water from the roofs pours dow
trough these pipes upon the mld
"io OF the pavement so that one ha
20 shy in and out to keep from re
Selving a cataract down the back o
ms neck.
wish ] could show you the street
OF Punta Arenas They r unpave
and heavy with the dirty black SAM
some Of them are lined with
hAf n IL