| Show i n 3 i IM A 0 r ADIT II COSTA COST A RICAS CAPITAL I II I Travels of the Brigham Young Academy Exploring Expedition I tion lion in Richest of Central American States f Tho Model Ol and Enterprising Town o of 01 I nt at tho the Capital and Given Passports find and Recommendations Leave Civilization Behind and Enter Unknown Wilds o 01 tho the Isthmus 5 Fear o Roving Bands of Revolutionists J j n 1 n W N dayn drive from lIco ha haciendA clenda the tho place of last writIng writ writing ing brought us to tho ho end of ot ONE our bad roads roade and amI to the foot of the ascent which lends leads to San Han Jose To our rigid right n a few miles was waA Punta Arenas a Q seaport aea ort and a port of entry and amI shave It lying dying di 11 directly direct really on our road rond was the tho little town of ot Esparta sparta The Tho country along alone tho the i road was tuna generally rolling roiling crow cross cro K sea Hec often orten by shallow rivers riverN containing contain containing ing In clear cleur water In spite of tho the rains Tho Piro mini laud Is very Ver rich onIt whore where not cleared Is la covered with a i heavy growth of ot timber But na ns a n rule there are arc ox clearings principally for pas paa pasture ture tUrc purposes which are planted to para grass Brass Jf Originally tho the forests forest con COli contained tamed much valuable woods principally pally cedar but these have lung long since 1 been cut cu t and exported I From I rol Punta Arenas AruMs northward through a narrow strip of country II twenty tenly miles wide live IIvo most of the In Inhabitants Inhabitants habitants of the republic With tho the ox ex exception I of t Liberia nil all tho large towns are found In this strip Here Herl too most mo t tot of ut tho the coffee cortee plantations arc found The Tho banana plantations aro on the tho At AI i r g side While the coffee corree plantations lire are yielding well wull and looking well tho crop crOll I does docs not the tho returns In cash that It did a 1 few tew years ego ngo and many i i planters lire now turning their atten attention tion to ether crops I 1 was Informed at tena that cotton land a 0 tow few years ngo ago which sold for tor one thousand dollars could coulet be bought now note trees and all for from three to four hundred dollars Many live In hopes bOP 8 however that tho the price of ot coffee correo will go no up and thus make their crops moro more valuable Corn Is very lIry dear We pay a II dollar for less lees than a 11 peck peele and as us corn Is III the principal article of ot diet for fur the tho na natives natIves tives Homo Home a aro are placed In straightened circumstances and It Is thought there ther i will be he before tho the next crop lit ts harvested Hut But tho the corn holds fields look well and will soon yield their nhun Already the tassels are appear lag Ing and an nil soon ROon as roasting oars oara como come i there thore will III be b food tood for tor all nil nilA allA allA A MODEL TOWN One of ot the must most enterprising and ad nil advanced r little towns along alone the way Wo Is Its streets nm oro rounding In Instead instead stead teall of at to tho the middle as os time the i streets of ot most of ot tho limo towns do and are graveled grA and rolled rollot The Tha housell are nen t and and have hMO a look of ot very foreign to tn most of the 1 towns In Central America There Is a n 1 system of electric lights and a n lavish s profusion of lamps not enjoyed by many of or our cities In tho the north The plaza or public square In nil 1111 of ot tho lie liei i leading towns attracts the attention of ot the stranger Hero here are tiro always beau I fully tully arranged beds bells of ot lowers hovers even the choicest to us growing gro In abundance Alice ance Ibira It fro plants and heel all nil well veil y Ii A kept anti and n lawn well mowed i pony pany tho the Then Thant there thoro Is the tho i band stand sian which seems to bo ho moro more l necessary than the shrubs and It usually stands In the center Every town has hall its band and as ns the pie people I generally are good musicians and nil all lovers of or music mu lc every clear evening 1 tine the band Is out and tho the whole town Is l tilled filled with music I COSTA lUCAS CAPITAL On Thursday at S 8 In tho tiro t o wo we reached San Jose having broken camp at nt 4 a n m In an hour or BO so we Wt had hall secured 0 tot for our animals near town ami and n good place to camp calli 11 Our first call was wn on all I the tho consul Mr Caldwell from whom we 0 received letters from the Columbian government containing passports and notes of at Introduction anti tion to the tho civil and military authorities ties tI I From Prom this point we leavo leave civilization to a certain extent and for tor the next six ilz weeks or until wo we reach Panama will wilt travel through the wildest end endmost most mo t unknown part port of our Journey I had written to obtain papers from train the tho Colombian government that would In Insure Insure sure sUtO us the assistance of the authorities authorities ties along our route The Tho letter given r me by Mr Caldwell contained these necessary papers The Isthmian trip has hal always been b an nil objective In our Journey and wo we have hae looked forward nut not without misgivings ml to Its Us comple completion tion Many Man have told us that It could not be mode made that there was wan no road or trail and that tho the swamps were Im passable Others have said that there was a II troll trail but used only by Indium on foot Coot and not nol passable for or white whit moo men m n Others Othell still have wild sold lI that the therond road rond was all right but that It would be ire Impossible for us to pass a 1 certain wild tribe of or Indians Indian living In the tho district Ill Among the many con conflicting conflicting fueling reports we Wo derided decided that but lit III little littie tie tle Is 18 known of the Isthmus and amI lIt we would be doing humanity a service serke by hy making the till trip and giving to the time world u II of the country 3 PASSPORTS But the tie letter rather put Iut new IIO n es n donors danger g In III the field e tan Ke r s not nol entirely unlocked unhooked fur for or however for wo we had known of the nut Hut these roving bands band are mere robber bands not pure revolutionists following 1 Is IR the this consuls letters tetter Consular Service U IT S A Juno lath 1001 Mr dr Ir BenJ Cluff Han Jose JOM Jo C e SIrI I um am In receipt of your our letter front from Han Salvador and I have with the authorities at nt this place e In regard to tho the matters you ou mentioned therein In regard to the boxes that are areto areto areto to cOllie come to you here hare they will be en Ill toned fr free fN e and shall be token taken care core of ot ofIn otIn In reply to my rny letter concerning thu the passport for you OU and your our party part to en on enter ter the Colombian harder border from Costa Cost Inca lUca the tho governor replied that he would woul Issue Is ul this hurt hilt that ho wished to first call your attention to the fact that thore thoro were Several roving bands of or In n the Interior of ot the thu department and anti ho hUll hud as yet yel hee Unable to apprehend these or suppress them In any way WRY This being the till ease case he lie wished to state that It was wall sible for him to guarantee you ou a A sate ar artrip r trip through the Interior districts I wrote him In reply to this tint that I was wai wn cognizant l of the tho state slate of affairs and that I would lay Illy the tho matter before you In this light lI ht Now It Is III Just possible that you yell OU might make the trip without any trouble at all nil and at nt the same time Um you ou might aright have trouble with some Homo or Ot these Interior people Such Hueh being the ease case you can readily see el that should you OU inako mako thus this trip It would be at nt your our risk rink Enclosed ed you will find the passport from tram the civil c loU vII and chief of ot the tho department depart mont You will Till note nole that It IB la dated the of ot May Ia which should read rend the of ot June Trusting you will have ha e a safe passage aAe should you ou decide to make mako the trip I 1 remain Sir Very VCr truly FRANCIS Vice Consul U S A Of Ot course courso we e travel nt ot our own risk So tar far we have hBO come como very successfully suCcess Cull that way wa and I r have no doubt the rest of the Journey joural will be made mode the tho sane same way wa The Time matter maller was WS thoroughly ells die discussed cussed last night and not nOl a man felt to turn back or change chane tit the th program Today Toda therefore we wo roll out and It Is IB quite nalto that we may not be bo able to write n again aln for Cor some sOllie time but its as Boon toon oon as 9 possible letters will be sent making g known our welfare San Jose Joso Is IA a city of ot or pt P oU olih There Is 8 a goodly colony of or foreigners and the Imprint of American Ideas cleall Is noticeable In III many ways The Tire houses are usually one story and like liken H n houses abut tho the where there here Is one or the street where there Is not set GRAND OPERA HOUSE There Thero IB Is II one OM house however at attracts tracts the attention of all It Is tho the opera house the lime second ond most beautiful and most moat expensive le In the world It was teas built buill at a cost of at about three mil 1011 million lion The marble columns statuary and und frescoes oil ll paintings on the tiro ceilings s mid walls the time floors of ot mosaic tho large mirrors minors all are arc of the finest quality quality ity and best beet workmanship But nut the opera house In II not n a paying Institution In fact It Is a white ele elc phalli on the tho th hands of the govern government government overn ment As a 1 gentleman expressed him himself himself self yesterday When we tee dont use It It costs and when we do use It It costs still more There Is not nol sufficient pro peo people I o opIe pIe to 10 Justify n a troupe and anel when one ono Is obtained the government has Inns to pay a 1 heavy subsidy Why Shy h did you OU build so expensive n a house I Asked the same came gentleman We start started ed to build a dollar house but hut additions adorn adornments adornments ments and nd the time like ilkI run the expenses tar far up was wag his reply It Is III needless to say the tho government dont know what to do with It II so an the house hou e stands and the thu Janitor Is paid for taking care of It ADVANCED EDUCATION Costa IUca Is further advanced In education than any of ot her slater sister re republics republics publics In C America Lust mast year she hll gp spent nl for the schools and has hils a I total population of only The primary schools are Ire free and at nt attendance attendance compulsory Besides these she Nhe has haa colleges and academies aCAdemics ac of or good goods standing s I n that are well attended She has hiss also an Institute for the study of physical geography now under the direction of a very vory able abla man named Henry a Swiss with whom yesterday I spent n very profitable af ot afternoon Ills His researches extend In bot bat botany botany any zoology and In the physical geog geography raphy of Costa Cosla Rica Inca DELIGHTFUL CLIMATE Tho The climate of San Jose Joso Is mild and equable Just now one sleeps Bleeps with comfort under two blankets There Is never the h heat hent at of some of or our eastern cities neither their cold for tor It never freezes The altitude Is a little over Oer three thousand thou Run feet feel but tho the proximity of tho the two to oceans exercises a I great reat Influence on tho the climate AGRICULTURAL WEALTH Tho The products of the th soil are various A visit to 10 the market yesterday re revealed veiled n a choice of fruits and vegetables that would satisfy even a strict vege vegetarian tartan There were Irish potatoes In great abundance and anel of size and quality quality ity Ily equal to our own sweet potatoes were plentiful String beans green greencorn greencorn corn bananas plantains oranges yams peaches apples alligator pears and our common pears onions cabbage carrots turnips ll radishes lettuce squash and a great number of other outer fruits anti vegetables not known in iii the tho north Cheese butter lIer sugar beans benny corn etc and an tinned of excellent coffee coerce were also seen In tact fact tho the market was well stocked and I am om Informed that It continues well stocked throughout the tho year ear CITY EMBOWERED IN BEAUTY In AUTY Time The surrounding country countr Is of en enchanting enchanting chanting beauty Time The mountains enclosing en enclosing closing clo the valley are aro covered with timber limber tI mb I to their very vor summons summits except where the hand of man loan has hils felled MINI the trees to give place to pastures and holds fields The whole valley valle Is III covered with green Grass grows growa where the trees trl S do not or where cultivation Is not thorough On the north Is a n little town the two large churches of which h can be he seen Reen above the high sigh foliage Houses Mouses haciendas and little villas lIIas are seen In Inthe Inthe the time other directions mid and atom olon the foot toot foothills foothills hills hille Thus surrounded the city seems to take lake new lIew beauty beauly from Its trimmings Consul Caldwell first Introduced us to Senor Benor Manuel Aragon director of the tho department of or statistics to whom we weare are under obligations for Cor much valuable valuable able Information Senor Aragon MOlIon Is a n awell awell well educated man of lIf perhaps 56 6 years of age lie He has imas served his country In one capacity or another for many mony years yearn as IU minister of finance as chair chairman chairman man of or congress and In time the capacity now of director of statistics His Ills edu education education cation Callon was waa obtained In Costa Rica IUca but being helm a natural scholar he rends reads and speaks English I and German wr well I t II though he has hils a never attended al an all allI English I or a n f German school lie He Is la well versed on the geography of or his country anti and considers Costa ono of ot the richest little republics republica In the world In speaking of oC the tho government he ob observed observed served ered that to a n certain extent the con can constitution constitution follows that of tI tl United States and cord yet el he ad said wo we arc are quite a m J military people You In the tho United States honor hammer your our Constitution we do donot donot donot not honor ours and this marks a n tIlt dif difference ference he continued Ho lie said how however however however ever that there was a gradual tendency among all alt classes closseR to make Hake the constitution supreme and to lift the law 11 above the officer or executor at if the tho law but as they had bad obtained much of their form and many of or their Ideas from Spain It II was no wonder yonder that militar militarism militarIsm ism Isn prevailed To Mr we are also much Indebted In Indebted for assistance and Information Hi Ifs had hall spent a 11 year In time tile country lying between here and the border of or Colombia and being conversant with the roads mill mid cm t l the tho difficulties I coula warn worn us beforehand A not very wel welcome welcome welcome come bit of ot Information was to the effect that In one t f the rivers we wo must mUt cross rolS there war vicious Several men hall had been taken and when he crossed two years ears ago alCO one of his horses swimming alongside of ot the boat mid a leg bitten off orr Ho Ibo also ad advised Isell us of several places where whore wo we must travel trawl In forests for tor several days das at n a time without food for our animals other than palm leaves which Were |
