The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-28

sugar lands 50 connected with noun
tain streams that their refineries could |
be run with water power.
AS to mines. Americans are largely
interested in them in different parts
Of Honduras. and some Of the mineral
properties are valuable. Altogether, |
seven hundred mines OF various kinds |
have been denounced and there are
placer deposits in the beds OF the
rivers from which the native women
are taking gold. washing it out
through a sieve. The Rosario mine,
not far from the capital, has been
operated for over thirty years and
from it alone la come gold and sill
yer to the amount OF $4,000, 900.
Honduras has rich deposits OF lead.
copper. and also OF iron. zinc. nickel
and coal.
The Case OF Nicaragua.
The possibilities of Nicaragua are
equally good. That country has an
area of forty-nine thousand square
miles. and the greater art Of this is
good land. The mountains contain
large deposits Of gold and silver. and
more than five hundred gold mines
are registered IN the bureau Of stat
istics Of the republic. American and
English companies have secured min
ing concessions. and, as 1t is now. b
principal mines on the west coast
are n the hands Of English capital
| lists. There are rich placer mines on
the tlantic slope, and also quartz
mines and goid-bearing reefs. I was
told in Costa Rica that II conditions
car be made safe in Nicaragua its
mineral deposits will be rapidly open
ed and hat much American capital
is now ready for investments there.
Nicaragua has great timber re-
sources. It's coffee Is OF the finest
~,ANlif, 0-1 AA4.4 1~n ~~<4-~l~> 1>-A-
which could be devoted to sugar.. The
present product Of the plantations is
already more h a million dollars
a year and the biggest sugar estate
Of Central America is located there.
There are also extensive banana plan
tations, h fruit going to New
Orleans. while quite a large area il
devoted to h raising OF cacao. thu
industry being subsidized by the gOy
eminent. At present the output j!
consumed in h country. selling a
from 20 to Is cents per pound. Thu
average yield per tree is two pounds
and an orchard will yield SOC pounds
to the acre. which can gross re
ceipts Of $12o per acre per annum.
; A Loan of SIS 5000. 200.
;. The loan to Nicaragua is SIS, 600.
) 900, and if it should be carried GU
$ it will result in the putting of tina
= ~ OA a. oo0AAo OooAS 0OS S0 ~
s the customs. The loan will lead t
: a stable currency in a land where tn
e paper money has been worth as 10,
r as 4 cents on the dollar. It woul
4 also bring about a railroad develop
ment backed by American capital,
t road having been planned from LAX
n Nicaragua to the asst coast, formin
s in connection with that lake a trans
O continental route across Central Amer
- ioo Frhoro ic M doubt hit that IN
interest could be paid by h custom
which would probably increas
O through our management. Durin
the pending Of the treaty the COY
eminent there put the customs unde
MT. Clifford D. Ham. former c~ollecte
/. at the port OF Manila. n under h
administration the receipts have a
a. most trebled.
n At the same time there is much Of
J. position to the loan. and when Sc
l. rotary Knox visited Nicaragua a pl'
was made to blow, up his train
,r it passed over a bridge. This ";
ks discovered through the premature e:
Is plosion OF a cartridge and the dyn'
mite removed. Forty men were a
Dt rested a being connected with Il
A. plot.
e. AS to the Costa Rican debt, tn
country has a better credit than al
to other of the Central American r
De publics. and its finances r more no.
is estly managed. It's foreign debt
e 1910 was about SIS, 00O. eco, OF whit
,e almost half was arrears OF intere.
N The bondho1ders met together, no,
Ia ever. last January n made q sc
Element which cut down this amou
k. almost half. and the interest rate "
ne only 4 or 5 per cent.
Of The Costa R1can resources T W
rs great. and the republic has reyen
id at present Of about 1900, 900 Per a
al mum.
AS to Salvador, it owes near
eleven millions. It borrowed ov
OF seven millions in 1889 to start the "a
he road which runs in from Acajutla
n AtenaS, a distance Of ~thirty-fye mil
lie Only seven miles Of the railroad W.
it built with that money, the balance e
e. ing to the politicians. Ten years lal
he the government. finding that the "a
he way did not pay. converted a part
I'd, the national debt into securities Of I