Omaha daily bee., 1912-09-08

FH&2x%t In the mountains OF Costa
&sssa@s@ Rica, the upper end of the
Andes, north OF the range through which
we are cutting our great ditch at Panama.
Z We are In a land made up OF mountains.
1t is $50 miles wide and over 200 miles
! long. and the most of it is composed Of
4 these tropical highlands. some Of which
kiss the clouds at two miles and more
above the Caribbean sea- 1t is land Of
rugged volcanoes and Of earthquakes
which destroy cities. but nevertheless IL
is one OF the most beautiful parts Of the
I face of old mother earth.
At the Caribbean Gateway.
We enter Costa Rica at Port Lmon, its
: 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 settlement Of 5000
people. which annually ships to us at
least one-tenth OF all the bananas We eat.
1t exports every year over H,VUoW
bunches or about 900 bananas,
enough 10 give one to almost every soul
in the world The town belongs largely
70 the United Fruit company, which does
= an l01In6Itrt bN9ttFoc hSANs 49,
4 BY no means the whole. 1t has over 1000
workmen employed on its Costa Riean
plantations, but there are probably one
half as many more on the outside estates.
AS our ship comes TO anchor, we see
at the wharyes 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 Hamburg 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 Eng
land, and at last find their resting place
in something like a billion and half
/ stomachs all over the world. We shall
find bananas for sale at the stations as
we so up the railroad to San Jose, and
will pay for them Just about the same as
at home. The banana Is the poor mans
I fruit, and II can be bought for from
to cents finger for that is what the
single fruit is called in any part OF the
union.
Indeed, / do not know but that II may
be even cheaper within few years from
now. The plantations are growing. and
!. rival company Is being formed here to
compete with our trust. This is the At
isat.c company whleh, as am told has
bought many of the outside plantations
and is about to make a fight for the
trade. 1t is backed by some West Indian
Jews In combination with the Hamburg
American steamship line which wants
a share In the freight 1t has much to
do. however. before It can successfully
compete with the United Fruit company.
1t will require new port and will have
TO build railroads to bring the bananas
down to their ships. This banana bust
ness IL not a small proposition. The
United Fruit company, which has done
more than any other 70 give us cheap
fruit, has many great interests here out
side the bananas and II has farms and
ranches where II raises the cattle horses
and mules used on its banana estates
The ranches are In the highlands. and
upon them there are now li.0Oo head OF
stock, including horses and mules raised
from imported stations and jackasses.
There are also 1000 cows, from which
comes the butter used In tho banana
trust commlssary. and there are other
farms for raising vegetables and various
supplies. The business is so extensive
that all efforts are made TO cut the cost
70 the lowest possible notch, and should
doubt much the ability of the Atlantic
company to compete as to prices.
Beautiful Costa Rica.
But let us come back TO the beauty of
this Costa Rican republic. The banana
plantations form but IA small part Of Il
and they are confined to a strip OF the
lowlands along the Caribbean sea There
are similar lowlands on the Pacific, but
the bulk or the country Is made up OF
these mountains, which roll over one an
other In all sorts Of shapes. now In great
sorges and again In little hollows or nests
OF comparatively smooth land which are
covered with farms.
Some OF the mountains are over two
miles in height. and from one Of them.
Irazu. YOU can see the two oceans, the
Atlantic and the Pacific.= each being only
about seventy-fiye miles away That
volcanic peak can be reached from Car
tago. which Is Just ninety miles from
Llmon. and we may possibly ascend II
before we leave Costa Rica~ Its two
craters are now quiet, but they are liable
at any time TO burst into action. This
country has nineteen volcanoes, and some
OF them are perpetually smoking. The
average height OF the mountains, how
ever. Is only that Of the tallest peaks OF
the AlleghenIes. and they can be cuitI-
yatad almost to the tops.
Down at Port Limon It rs hot IT IL 80
tropical that the natives cannot labor on
account OF the climate and jamaican
negroes have been brought In to do the
hard work. Higher UP we shall find the
people cream-white. They are the de-
scendanfs Of the Galllc'ans, hardy and
intelligent race from north Spain, who
are far superior to the descendants OF the
Spanish OF other parts Of Central Amer
lea, and also 10 those Of the South Amer
lean continent. They are an independent
people. and the most Of them are property
owners and liberty lovers. They do not
believe In revolutions. and for more than
generation they have had continuous
peace. This can be said OF no other Gem
sral American state.
The Republic In "A Nutshell.
But before take you on the trip mp the
mountains let me put this little land In a
nusheli You know where It lies. Con-
siderlng Panama as the hinge which joins
The North and South American contl-
rents. Costa Rica Is the lowernost coun-
try OF our grand division. IT borders on
Panama, and Just now party Of Ameri-
can scientists headed BY Mr.. John Hay
ford. the eminent geographer ana sclen-