The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-22

high and the fact that labor costs mors
 than it did before the war
 The line passes through Chiquimula This is the largest city in Eastern Gua.a- mala, and has some commercial impor- tance. The high schools for this section
 are located there.
 This part of Guatemala is semi-arid
 but rich in the valleys which are well
 watered making the prospects for ir-
 rigation excellent. The section pro-
 duces cattles hogs in quantity, corn.
 brown sugar in hundreds of small
 miles, tobacco and a number of other
 products which maele up a surplus which can be exported profitably to
 the United States
 The line then passes through the valley of Quezaltepeque to reach the small town of Conception de Alotepe-
 que. This is the center of the wes-
 tern mining district of Guatemala wksr@ silver and zinc mines are
 found Some of these silver mines
 have been worked since the time of the early Spaniards and worked again and abandoned. Some of them are in the process of reconstruction and the Government has given many patents for new mines. The zinc mines have been worked in small way and large quantities of ore have already been exported. Engineers, some of the best in the United States and Eurone have visited these fields to make special surveys and reports to their govern ments and there is no doubt that they are very rich They are bound to be great source of wealth to the owners and the government.
 This little line enters the republic of Salvador bordering the beautiful little lake of Guija. It then goes a volcanic country which boasts some of the most picturesque scenery of any country of Central CT South America. The town of Metapan is the first of importance within the Salvadorean border. This is the cen te rof the eastern mining district of Salvador and the country is rich in deposits of iron, silver, zinc and other metals Metapa is practically the only place where limestone in great quan- titles is found in the republic of Sal vador This stone is now sent on mule back from the Metapan kilns to Salvador where. it is placed on the railroad and distributed to other parts off the republic.
 The Zacapa Santa Anna line will give outlet to an Atlantic port to practically the entire republic of Sal vador. It connects Salvador with the only possible port on the Atlantic through which it could hope to do business profitably. Puerto Barrios.
 This little republic of Salvador is very rich and prosperous. It is a fact that Salvador is more thickly popu- lated per square mile than the United States. It is but 5000 square miles in area and has a population of nearly a million and a half persons. The country is well divided up in small properties and the people prosperous industrious and energetic. The trade reaches, probably, s90,00o, ,o00 with great possibilities of development
 Salvador. among the things which will be diverted from Pacific to gulf and Atlantic ports, produces coffee in large quantities. sugar. pamela, bal sama and is working the indigo blue or vegetable dyestuff and exporting it. In the eastern mining district and toward the boundary line of Honduras and near Fonseca bay are a number of silver mines in operation. These have up- date machinery. the wet process of treatment is employed and millions of dollars are invested by Charles But ters, the American metallurgist and financier. and other American capital ists
 All of the cattle that comes from the western part of Honduras which is trailed now at great expense and time 10 Zacapa from where it goes to the Pacific coast of Guatemala where it is pastured in the great pasture lands of the slope, will be carried on this new line. Cattle from Salvador also vii find it's way into cars of this new line. The tobacco production will be greatly increased. The tobacco .of Honduras, which has been transported by mule to Salvador ard Guatemala as lon gas Honduras has been settled will go on rails
 Thus the whole country of Salvador and the western part of Honduras will he tributaries of this new lfne and Puerto Barrios will be the exporting point Tor those countries. This port. aiready one of the most important in central America. will become the Iarg- est of the American countries