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116

INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN CONFERENCE.

operates the ra.Hroad from Punta Arena to Esparta (No. 3). To preeerve the trade of

California with Punta Arenas it is neces ary that the road from Esparta be extended

to the interior. Otherwi e, when throngh connection ís maue with Port Limoo, upon

the corupletion of the missing link from Cartago, all trade will go by way of Port

Liruon. This is iruportaut toSan Franci co, and ber business men cvnld well alford

to obtaiu from tbe Governmeut of Costa Rica the transfer of tbe liue from Punta

Arenas to Esparta, aou exteuu the same to the interior.

lf,

bowever, the Nicaragua

Canal is to be opened, a11d it is found achisable to follow the line mapped out

Mr.

Menocal in

1885,

I cousider it of utmost im}JOrtance to tbe trade interests of tbe United

tate to ecure a railroad chM·ter from this Government to 1·un said road from tbe

valley of tbe San Carlos River toSan José.

i. o!>served that :Mr. Menocal (see page 26 of bis report) propo esto build a dam

52 fee!i

bi~h

at Ochoa, just below the poiut wbere the í:\an Carlos empLies iuto tbe

San Juan River. The San Carlos is now uavigable, I understand, by srnall boats to

tbe "muelle" (wbarf). sorne 30 mile .

:From this muelle to San J osé is seme 60 or 70

miles.

'Vhen the dam of 5::l feet is buílt at Ochoa the 'an Carlos will be navigable

much higher u p. Tbe San Carloscountry is con Íllered thefinest section of Costa Rica.

The lands are said to be of in xhaustible fertility and well adapted to the gro;dh of

banana , cacao (chocolate lJeau), and cattle. At present there is no ontlet to tbit; sec–

tion aud it ís undeveloped. A grant of lands along tho raiiroad could be mosb prob–

ably obtaíned and would prove valuable, bnt, wbat I consider of far more importance,

would give tbe trade of this country to the United States. The proposed road con–

necting with the canal would connect with steamers going both to port on the At–

lantic and on the Pacific. The

aggre~ate

exports and imports of Costa Rica last year

(1887)

were $11,000,000, of which tbe larger portion. goes to and comes from Europe,

and neces arily so when the ways of communication are owned in Enrope. To illus–

trate: Tho freight on coffee per ton from Punta Arenas to New York is S26.40; to

England, 1:3. From Liruon to New York, $10; from Limon to Englaun, EllOs.

It is

al o greater from Punta Arena· toSan Franci co than to England, thongh I have not

the exact figures.

I think it very important to obtain thb railroad charter to the San

Carlos as soon as possible; otherwíse ít wíll be taken by an English company. Costa

Rica is very anxious to baYe the canal on tbe route of Mr. .M:enocal's survey of

rather than on the new line now being surveyed, and in making arrangements with

her for the former route this railroad charter and grant could be secnred on favora–

ble terma.

may be that an effort will be made by English capital to oecure this or

some other railroad charter at the next Congress, whicb convenes in May.

I have

had sorne slight intimatiou that there i now a project on foot for a survey for a new

railroad by an En<rlísh company, bnt whetber it is in connection with the grant of

the 800,000 acres

land above referred to or another scheme I ha.ve not been able

learn.

I inclose a small map, upon which I have marked the road now being constructed

froru Cartago to Siqnire , the proposed road from Esparta toSan Jo. é, and from the

muelle, on the San Carlos, 1o San José.

(Report by J. Richard Wingfield, U. S. con–

sul, San José, Costa Rica, .March 30, 1888. )

RAILW"AY SYSTEM OF CENTRAL AMERICA.

The late president, Gener::tl Barrios, of Guatemala. (as is President Menendez, of

• alvador), was an carne

friend of the United • tates. Barrios, as does President

Menendez, favored the a!lsimilation of the institntion and business metbods of bis

country to those of the United

tates. Barrio 's a.mbition anii Lhe jealonsy of bis

neigbbors led to war with tbe little Repuhlic of Salvador, which co&t Guatemala a

hnmiliatiug defeat aml Barrios bis life. Throngh bis policy Americana were iudnced

to invest in Guatemalan railways, banks, and cofl'ee autl sngu.r plantations. He pro–

jected and began the construction of

railway from the bay of San Toma , on the

Caribbean Sea, to bis capital, Guatemala City, a di ·tance of

150

ntiles, there to con–

nect with the existing narrow gauge of the Guatemala Central, 75 miles in length,

terruinating on the Pacific at the open road tead of San Jo é. Porty miles of Bar–

rios's tran continen

tal road

, from Puerto Barrios to Guatemala. City, were half fi.nished

when his nntimely

a.th occurred.

Barrios's worthy successor, the vigorous President Barrillos, pursnes the policy of

bis predece sor, favoring the construction of the transisthmian and otber railwa.ys pro–

jected

Guatemala, and notably of thatdesigned to connect the capitals ofGuatemala

and Mexico.

In truth, General Barrillos and other Central American tate men llave

n?t failed to dLcover that no Central American Union is de 'ral>le which may be

pmned togetber with bayonets, and none desirable and endnring can be a.c

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