Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-29
BY REX COLLIER.

| port, shares with its friendly Hondurar
rival, Amapala. the good fortnue OF
being caressed by the deep, commerce.
inviting waters of the Gulf of Fonseca
The American goodwill party, in its
small boats, had been introduced to
Unions harbor under rather unfa-
vorable circumstances, but native bust
ness men were quick to explain that
rough landing conditions such as we
had encountered were most rare. They
pointed out that freighters of deep
draught were regular callers at the
port, and that passenger ships put in
every now and then. TO vary the mo-
notony. The freighters brought hard
| ware, farming machinery, cotton goods
and other manufactured products from
the States" and carried away huge
| cargoeS of coffee, cacao, balsam, indigo
and rubber Attention was called to
the fact that more than one-fifth OF
Salvadors coffee, its main product. is
shipped to the United States.
And, had these native sons known
the vernacular, they might have added
with a sweep of the arm that "thar's
gold in them hills'-and silver and
copper and perhaps other valuable
minerals. Only the gold and silver are
being mined to any profitable extent,
however.
L'Union does not seem to take its
Importance too seriously. The city
any town in Central America with as
many as 5000 souls is city-leads an
eaSy-going sort of life until ship
comes in, when the routine livens up as
much as tropical sun will permit. A
ship in the harbor means pesos in the
pockets of dock loiterers, stimulation
of shop trade, increased railroad traffic
and a general revival of activity.
Train Unhampered by Schedule.
The arrival of a new kind of ship
bringing a cargo of good will, was an
event of exceptional interest. Most OF
the able-bodied citizenry had evidenced
their interest. to the full limit of an
undemonStrative makeup, by coming to
the Cutuco wharveS to witness the
landing of the unusual passengers.
The newspaper men, intent on a bit
of sightseeing in L'Union, found that
most of these spectators had preceded
them to the station and onto the lone
train, which was about to depart now
that the public reception was over. The
train consisted Of wheezy little loco
motive, suggestive of a contractors
donkey engine several fiat cars OF
the type used to haul lumber, and two
antiQuated passenger coaches.
The coaches and the fiat cars were
crowded with natives. There appeared
to be more standing room on the fiat
cars, SO the Americans climbed aboard
them. The Accomplishment engineer
gave couple of blasts with his whistle
| and the cars jerked forward over the
narrow gauge tracks. The trainmen
unhampered by time tables, adapted
their flexible schedules to meet condi-
lions of traffic, it was indicated.
The ride was short one, and unin-
teresting, through stretch of fields
and woods virtually uninhabited The
train ran right into the center of the
town and halted in the business section
It was nearly dusk and the quaint town
looked deserted, except for the passen-
gers just deposited by the train. The
sightseeing party had no guide and the
two members of the press who could
speak Spanish had stayed in Cutuco to
write stories. The prospects seemed
rosy" for an interesting evening.
Quakes Discourage Substantial Building
The group started forward, aimlessly
and curiously. They were on a narrow
street paved with uneven stones and
Dordered by two-foot sidewalks of flag
stones. The thoroughfare was lined
with rows OF squat plastered buildings
badly in need of paint. Salvador has
learned it doesn't pay to build expensive
substantial houses as they prove easy
! prey for earthquakes-and the little
| republic has more than its share Of
| these unwelcome visitors. In fact. Sar
Salvador has gained the sobriquet OF
the swinging hammock" The coun.
try's mountains are of volcanic origin
ana In addition to several peaks which
are Semi-occasionally eruptive there is
That constantly flaming fire demon
lZaico. identified as the volcano whose
| glowing had been visible to those or
the Maryland the night before.
There were no doors on the houses. So
members of the party felt free to pause
for .cursory inspection of the interiors
OF several OF the residences whose fiat
stucco fronts were damned against the
sidewalk. In one of the front rooms
the gay laughter of children attracted
attention. and glance behind the
calico drapery partially covering the
doorway disclosed, in the fading day.
light, a group of four or five brown.
skinned youngsters trying unsuccess.
fully to ride the family pig. Evidentl,
mamma and papa were visiting neigh.
borS or had not yet returned from
Cutuco.
Some of the householders had substi.
tuted folding screens for curtains at tht
front enrances, while others had no de.
vice whatever. for shielding them from
the gaze of paSsersby Through tn,
openings families could be seen at din.
ner, or chatting about the days event
or reading or listening to the phono.
graph. There were no movies to 20 tt
In L'Union, but there was, of course
that popular public place of assembly
the plaza. L'Union's plaza was modelled
along lines OF a sunken garden, wit!
stone terraces and steps and walks ant
small covered bandstand in the cente
OF the park. The bandstand was for
saken this evening because L'Union'
band had an important engagement
elsewhere-on the grounds of the rail
way building at Cutuco, to be explicit
Highway Development Planned.
Mrs. Hoover and her secretary, Mis-
FeSler, came driving along in a shin
Limousine about this time, and the
looSened their grips on the handles O
the bouncing car long enough to wav
a greeting to their friends on the side
walk. The automobile was having diff
Guilty with unions bumpy streets
some of which were haphazardly pave
with cobbles and others with reddisI
dust. Only two other automobiles wer
seen there that evening. Salvador, how
ever, is eager to encourage automobil
transportation, and has promulgated
definite highway development program
something that is lacking in her neigh
boring republic, Honduras.
The American visitors had come to a.
agreement on two points. They woul
like to do some shopping and the
would like to eat The decision reached
the group started toward the far corne
Of the plaza, where several structure
' with signs on them presented business
like APPEARANCE. A real thrill swept tn