The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-21
SMALLEST
REPUBLIC
Will Soon be Connected With United States by Rail
Oad-Americans Will Build New Lines-A Land
of Coffee and Indigo-Up-to-Date Sanitation One
of the Notes of Progress
Copyright. 1913. by Frank G. Car
Denter.)
Guatemala.

am writing this letter at E%Squint!a,
Guatemala. 1t is the biggest town
between the capital and the ~SeacOast.
1T lies on the Guatemala Central rail-
road some distance north of Santa
Maria, the junction where the Pam
American road will cross the Central
or its way to Panama. The Pan
American line is now practically com
pleted from Santa Maria to Mexico,
n the plan. is to extend the rOad
southwark to Santa Ana in Salvador.
The distance between these two towns
is less than 100 miles, and We shall
then have railroad connection between
Salvador and the United States. An
American syndicate will probably
build this road, and the same syndi-
cate has plans for a line from Ia
capa, on the Guatemala railway on
the other side Of the. mountains, to
connect with the Salvador system.
When these roads are finished Sal
vador will be able to ship goods to
Port Barrios. on the Caribbean sea,
M it will be within less than three
days of New Orleans.
L understand the concessions for
these branches are we'll under way,
and hat their completion is a matter
of a very short time.
These two roads will form a part of
a great Central American railway sys-
TEN, the chief owner Of which are
Minor E. Keith and his associates,
many OF whom are connected with
the United Fruit Company. Mr.. Keith
controls the roads Of Costa Rica. and
also those Of Guatemala. He. has
large interests in Honduras, and also
a grasp upon the railways of Nicara-
qua. The road from Santa Maria to
SAINT Ana@was originally granted to
MI. Rene kpilhauar hrf II ic nn~ in
the names of Minor G.. Keith and
Eradley NJ. Palmer. The line from
Santa Ana to Zacapa is also said to
he backed by Mr.. Keith. 1t will be
seventy-nine miles long. and it's gauge
will be standard.
Salvador. Railways.
AS 1t is now, Salvador has lust
about l22 miles Of railways and these
belong to a British Its
lines were built with British capital.
although they have a number Of
american engines and cars. Some of
the locomotives are Baldwins. and a
number OF the cars were manufac-
tured in Philadelphia. At present the
company is building it's own coaches.
Ihese roads connect the port Of
IicaJutIa with the thriving town OF
santa Ana. and also with the capital
at San Salvador. The owns
an iron pier at Acajutla. which cost
over "a million dollars to build. and
IL mas a line of steamers which plies
along the a running to Honduras.
Nicaragua and as far north as Salina
cruz in Mexico. These carrv
the salvador mails north to Tehuan-
,epec' cutting down the postal time
tive Salvador and Europe ID only
a little over two weeks. whereas i
used TO be one month. Thew enable
one TO go to Salvador from here every
rev days. With the completion If
the Panama canal. the traffic of Aca-
1utia will be greatly increased. and
the road will be a very valuable prom
erty. The prospect is that il will
eventually go into the hands of the
American syndicate.
n Smallest of American Rec,b,;cs
these railways will bring Salvador
into close connection with the limited
states. 1t is one Of the most interest.
ing countries on this continent. Great
parts OF Guatemala are savage. wild
and appropriated. Salvador is more
thickly settled than most parts Of our
Union. 1t has an area less than that
Oh massachusetts, and it's Inhabitants
number two millions. If the United
states were as thickly populated it
would nave more than four times as
many people as now, n if our soil
were as rich, we would
nave wealth beyond the dreams of
avarice. Salvador a two ranges of
mountains. which are rich in iron
copper and lead and in gold and
silver as we'll. As il is now. it's min
erai exports are between two and
three million dollars a year. and the
totai exports. including coffee. Geo
and sugar. are more than IS. 900. 600
The bulk OF the exports go to the
United States. France and Germany,
while the most OF the imports come
Krom he British and us. The Ger
mans. who have less than a half
million dollars Of the export and
ABOUT the same Of the imports. have
large financial interests, and thew are
doing what they can to capture the
trade. "o
American Trade in SaIyador.
Indeed. it behoOves the American
10 be up n doing az to CentraI
America. i find the Germans every
where. n the British have long haa
= hold on the various countries. A.
Il Is now Great Britain is supplying
twice a. much cotton to Salvador IS
we do. and it is crowding us close