Evening star., 1914-02-08

and the elimination of the rain barrels
and tanks viii do much TO wipe out the
mosquitoes
! first visited Guayaauil fifteen years
ago. 1t was then a town Of 4o"m in
habitants 1t has nov from $4,000 20
l"t.W'. and has greatly improved. The
streets have been widened. and many 0.
the new buildings are fine. They are of
two stories. covered, with Stucco and
painted all the colors of the rainbow.
Many of them have balconies which
reach out over the street and not a few
have galleries along the second story.
The town has large stores Iilled with
line goods. and great warehouses con
tanning bags of cacao. coffee and sugar
awaiting shipment IT has an electric
street car line and electric lights. both
of which have been introduced since
there. II has theater and several
moving picture shows. ana altogether II
is becoming quite modcrnized and up-to-
date.
Guayaquil has several large banks that
pay big dividends. and sugar mills. rice
factories and coffee hullers II has
cables which connect il with all parts ~
the world. and n system of telephones.
with long-distance connections to Quito
which is situated in the Andes. about
600 miles away. The railroad to Quito
belongs TO Americans. and was buili lT
them. but Ecuador Will soon haN' other
railroads. built by French. English and
the natives. One road Is planned to con-
meet Guayaquil with the oil fields AT ST
Helena. and another is PROJECTED that -
to go from the port of iiahai DE CaraaneT
To Quito.
The city has also a network of water
transportation. The GuayaS river s2s-
tenn is navigated in the rainy season hV
boats like those on the OHIO or M.sss
sippi, and they can then travel as far
o5o miles inland. They go To tn ~
lages and plantations. and bring "ut
cacao ivory nuts. sugar. coffee and ~
Der. Cacao and IVORY nuts are the chi"f
exports The country furnishes about
half of the chocolate beans consumed a.
the world. and the buttons from its ivory
nuts uphold the pantaiooris "f thu nations
| am told that n:ne-tenths Of all the foi
eign commerce of Ecuador passes throue
Guayaquil.
1t is also said that the business here is
IN the hands of IA few wealthy traders
who would prefer 20 keep Guayaquii a. ii
is, rather than to have IL made habitable t.
foreigners who may compete with them.
! doubt this. although ] have heard the
charge made many times. Politics also
enters into the question. and likewise the
rivalry between quito and Guayaautl a
to who shall have charge OF the funds 10
be used in improving the city aud coun
try.
At present most of the exports Of Ecua
dor come from the lowlands They con
sist of tropical products. but there are
great pasture fields in the Andes and on
the slopes toward the Amazon are othcl
vast tracts that are fitted for coffee.
sugar cane and cacao. Just row road
is being built TO connect the town or
Ambato which lies on the plateau with
the Curaray river. This new road will
run for about l2o miles through the Am
to one of the navigable tributaries of the
Amazon system. II will open up a r.ch
mining country, and a farming region 50
rich that il is said that il will support
millions of people. The streams Of tn.
country are those which gave much of
the gold of the Incas; and ! am told that
the Indians are still washing gold out of
their sands. This region is known the
Oriente of Ecuador 1t is inhabited al
most altogether by savages, but white
men can live in il, and II will soon be
thrown open 10 immigrants.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.