The farmer and mechanic., 1913-01-07
FROM ST. LOUIS TO THE;
CAPITAL OF GUATEMALA A
Connecting Railways Soon TO be Completed-The Pan
American and Its Route to Panama-New
Lines to Salvador and Costa Rica-How
the Guatemala Railway, Owned
by Americans, Was Built

y
malan should pay "a year to aid |
in its building. The work was started, |
but war broke out and the funds |
for the railroad had to be used TO
support the president.
The year following another contract /
was made, and along in 1892 the /
work was again under way. At that I
time 10 per cent Of the salaries of |
the public officials, and per cent of
all the town revenues We're ordered 70
be set aside for railroad construction.
The contracts We're let and along
about 1896 or 1897 FIVE sections had
been built, extending from the sea-
coast 13O miles up the mountains.
At that place the road stopped. 1t
began at the ocean and its terminus
was .jungle. Many of the ties rot
ted and the rails rusted. until 1904,
c. Keith and Gen. Tom Hubbard got
a new concession for it and pushed it
on to its completion.
1t was finished in January 1908.
and it is now one Of the best roads
in Central America
This Northern railway is we'll built.
The gauge is three feet, and, with the
exception of one place, the greatest
grade is per cent. For a short
distance it is more than per cent.
The road has over 500 steel bridges,
one of which is more than 600 feet
long, ana announcer 10 1eet 1OnS. he
latter bridge is 229 feet hign.
This road has q guaranteed income
of 100000 year, the concession
| providing that the government will
insure the per cent dividend on the
| $4,000 900 invested in it, In addition
to this, last year it made more than
100000, and the traffic is steadily
growing.
Port Barrios to Guatemala City.
1t was over this road that I, came
| into Guatemala. r. landed at Port
Barros on ones ofsthe regular steaM-
ers which calrt thefG On their Way
from Panama. to New tQlGleanss. The
,port.has a, WIDE andSfeep hsrbor and
.vessels of the heaviest draft cam come
tto it's docks, The railroads pass for
thirty. or forty Wiles through the rich
banana plantations of the United
kERAlt Company and carry their freight
1&&1Ao the steamers While stayed
a Port Barrios about, 10000 900
fbanapas were loaded, and on my Way
over the road we we're some hours
passing through the plantations:
r Leaving Port Barrios, the cars GO
kxight into the jungle. They wind their
MaY .thr9ugh ;a: Motagsa vallsy
aain9su asGss ffsssR IS eSst aSs2 ss s
.Qn her seven-1eague T6ots: Palm
Trees a hundred feet high wall the
) Hallway, and the vegetation is the mos
y Pluxuriant TO be found in the tropics
After q few miles of such scenery yo,
enter the gSeat banana estates, ant
the cars fan the leaves Of banana
plants from thirty to forty feet high
many Of them loaded with fruit
There iS perhaps forty miles OF suef
riding> sand then you come to- tn
mountains. .twhere> the vegetation il
dryer and with many herds of cattf
are feeding upon it. -
? Like<Arizona. -.
The scenery now suddenly changes
2 1t is almost like crossing from, tn
valley of: the Nile. into the desert. Il
$ the valley the rainfall iH over 10
: Einches' per year.. On the highland
s there is almost no rain, and as yo1
0 ascend the mountains yo'H pas
0 through a region, like the desert land
e of New Mexico or Arizona IN
s ground is dry and cacti abound. TIL
: trees are silver gray. There does no
e seem TO be enough moisture to colo
i the leaves. The only green spots ar
n along the beds of the streams. w
e can still see the Motagua river, bu
beyond it's banks is the desert. I
+ it's upper course the river looks nc
Y unlike the Jordan. and the vegetatio
: is no more !uxuriant than that whic
n lines the famed river of Palestine.
II Still farther inland the mountain
8 make one think of the Rockies. The
# are bare. ragged and torn by ravine
G and canyons. There are thirsty tree
n upon which hang thirsty air plant
e the orchids of the desert. Now an
n then you pass a little valley with il
S, rigated patches along the stream rur
IS ming through it. Here are thatche
e huts the homes Of the Indians. Sue
q valleys are but a few hundred fe'
IS wide and the population is scanty.
.s \ Ten-DOllar Breakfast.
n My train stopped for breakfast :
Zacapa. and my meal cost me 81
When I left I took bottle of al
o pollonaris with me, for which / w
" charged 81, and also a package
s. cigarettes which cost me S5. | gay
le a five dollar fee to the parlor CO
ID porter at the close of the trip, ar
70 once paid boy a dollar to bring II
a. a drink. All Of these figures, howeve
n represent Guatemalan money,
n which it takes seventeen dollars
id make one of ours, SO that a five-doll;