The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-12-19
FROM CENTRAL AMERICA.


Upala, (via Las Canas) Costa
Rica, G. A.
Editor Big Sandy News:--If you
think this letter of sufficient in
terest to readers of the Big San
dy News you may publish it in
your estimable paper.
All OF our home folks have heard
of corn crackers" some of them
have heard of "greasers, but | |
doubt if many of them have heard |
of "goo-goos." Well, before going |
further, these are nick names ap-
piled to people of Kentucky, Mex1-
co and Central America,the country
of which l propose to write.
Though more than twenty years
away from our dear old State al
ways feel deep interest in my
old Kentuckyh ONE. Now / live in
the country of the 'goo-goos" or
to be correct, in Costa Rica. SO
while home folks back in Kentucky
are enjoying their possum and rab-
bit hunts and working to keep off
the cola and to supply their 9TH
er needs, we here enjoy an occas-
ional hunt in the great forest, which
reaches from the SUBMITS OF our
Andes to the Caribbean Sea. Only
our game is different, being wild
hog, tapir, coon, red monkey, ar
nadia, and wild turkey and few
other birds and ANIMALS. Some
times for joke the native cooks
will deceive their scrupulous friends
by giving them highly prepared
monkey meat for chicken, then al
forwards they have the laugh on
them. Here we get out OF working
to keep Off the cold as we live at
a low altitude in the tropics. Some
people have an idea that oneSneeds,
to work very little in the tropics,
but that is a mistake ii a person
wishes comfortable surroundings.
At home in Kentucky the tolks
need coffee, sugar, chocolate, rub
Der, etc, SO we here must work to
help produce it, and we here need
clothing, tools, machinery, kerosene,
ETC., SO Kentucky people must work
to help produce them. Hence the
need or mutual friendship and trade.
So we are heartily III accord with
the views of President Wilson and
Secretary Bryan regarding Nicaragua
and Central America as regards
peace and progress and we hope
that the majority of congress Will
side with them.
Where the mountains are high in
the tropics (aboye 1000 it. temper
ate fruit and vegetables grow sue
cessfully; SO in Costa RIGA both
tropical and temperate plants thrive
well but in their corresponding al
titude.
1t is nothing uncommon to see
home grown potatoes, corn rice, ap-
pies, peache S, oranges, bananas,
cocanuts and bread fruit in the
larger markets OF the cross coun-
try railroad.
Fortunately Costa Rica has man
aged to avoid the ever recurring
Civil wars SO common in other Cen
tral American republics, and owing
to her peaceful condition she is
making rapid strides in progress. An
election Ior preslaent is to come
Oil III DSCSHDel Uul uO Oue SApSSSo
more than a few free for all fights
like used to happen in Kentucky
in the good old days of viva voce"
voting.
The public cshool system is
moderately good in the cities and
large towns but poor and made
quate in the country. However, as
the Spanish language is nearly
phonetic most anybody who tries
can read it and write it.
The Panama canal will be ready
for use within another year and
Central America expects great de-
velopment shortly after, owing to
its convenience to the canal and
the newly created routes of trade.
Civilization is advancing in our
part of the world and the condi-
tons of our race in the garden of