Part 1 (1/2)

Guatemala, the country of the future.

by Charles M. Pepper.

CHAPTER I.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION.

The Republic of Guatemala, which name is derived from the Indian word ”Quanhitemallan,” signifying ”land covered with trees,” has been described as the privileged zone of Central America. This is because of its resources, its climate, and its accessibility.

The country is easily reached from all directions through its seaports on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and through its rapidly growing system of railways. From California, from the neighboring ports of other Central American countries and from Panama there is regular and reliable steams.h.i.+p service on the Pacific coast. On the Atlantic or Gulf side from New York, New Orleans, Galveston and Mobile there is frequent steams.h.i.+p service, while there is also connection at Colon with English and German lines. The steamers on the Pacific coast connect at San Jose with the Guatemala Central Railway, which affords easy means of arriving at the capital city and the great coffee-raising districts. These are reached by the branch to Mazatenango, which forms a junction with the Occidental Railway between Champerico and San Felipe. On the Atlantic side is Puerto Barrios, which will derive additional importance from the early completion of the Northern Railway and which will place New Orleans within five days or less of Guatemala City, Chicago six days, and New York seven days. Besides the means of communication afforded jointly by the steams.h.i.+p lines and the railroads at an early date there will be complete and uninterrupted railway communication with St. Louis and other points of the Mississippi Valley through Mexico. The means of communication and transportation are given more fully later on.

Geographically the Republic of Guatemala is the heart of intertropical America. It is the most northern part of Central America, in shape like a polygon, with the southern side the longest. It lies approximately between north lat.i.tude 13 and 42' and 17 and 49', and between 88 and 10' and 92 and 30' longitude west of Greenwich. Its area is 50,600 square miles--the greatest length from north to south being 360 and from east to west 390 miles. The Pacific coast line with indentations is nearly 400 miles and the Atlantic line about 150 miles in length.

STRIKING PHYSICAL ASPECTS.

In its physical aspects Guatemala is a country of mountains, tropical forests, lakes and rivers and coast plains. It was described by Humboldt more than one hundred years ago as extremely fertile and well cultivated, and this description holds good to-day, though there are vast areas of rich agricultural land yet open to profitable cultivation and only awaiting immigration to develop their richness.

The Guatemalan Andes consist of three minor mountain systems. These are the northern zone, chiefly of denuded cones, 1,500 to 2,000 feet in height, with plains lying between them; the central zone consisting of ranges and chains running east and west with many marked elevations rising from 7,000 to 14,000 feet; and the southern zone consisting of eruptive chains which culminate in many notable volcanic peaks, some of which are more than 14,000 feet in height. These are known as the Cordilleras and they parallel the Pacific Ocean.

There are three river systems emptying respectively into the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and the Pacific. Some of the streams flowing into the Gulf of Mexico are navigable by steamboats of light draught.

Of the Atlantic tributaries the princ.i.p.al rivers are the Sarstoon, the Motagua and the Dulce; the latter empties into the Gulf of Honduras.

Navigation is possible on the Motagua for about 75 miles from the mouth.

The rivers flowing into the Pacific include the Paz, the Suchiate, and the Patulul. These have their sources in the Andean Cordilleras or the neighboring highlands. There is also the Michatoya which is navigable for small boats to its confluence with the Maria Linda. Generally speaking, a few of the rivers on the southern coast might be made navigable for short distances with boats of very light draught.

Guatemala has a series of inland lakes which include Izabal, At.i.tlan, Amat.i.tlan, which are capable of steam navigation; Peten, Ayarza and Guija. The largest of these is Lake Izabal, which is 58 miles long by 12 miles in width and which has its outlet through the Dulce River into the Gulf of Honduras.

The cities and munic.i.p.al districts having a population of 10,000 and upwards are as follows:

NAME. POPULATION.

Guatemala City 100,000 Antigua 10,000 Quezaltenango 25,000 Totonicapan 33,000 Coban 23,000 Chiquimula 13,000 Jalapa 13,000 Escuintla 13,000 Salama 13,000 Amat.i.tlan 10,000 Zacapa 12,000 Flores 13,000 Jutiapa 14,000 Huehuetenango 10,000 Retalhuleu 10,000 Solola 15,000 Mazatenango 10,000 San Marcos 10,000 At.i.tlan 10,000

THE HANDSOME CAPITAL CITY.

Guatemala, the capital, is the largest city in Central America. The location is unusually healthy, being 5,000 feet above sea level. The city is laid out on a splendid scale with many fine avenues and parks.

It is improving its system of tramways by changing to electricity as the motor power. The public buildings are especially notable. Among the princ.i.p.al ones are the Palaces of the Government, the Presidency, the Legislative Power, the Judicial Power, the Munic.i.p.ality, and the Archbishopric; the Cathedral and other magnificent churches; the Ministry of Public Improvement (Fomento), the Mint, the Conservatory of Music, the general offices of accounts, of police, and of liquors and internal revenue; the custom-house, the national inst.i.tutes of young men, of young ladies and of the native race, the first of which is provided with a meteorological observatory; the schools of law, medicine, engineering, polytechny, and arts; the children's college and a large number of public schools; the Colon theatre; the registry of real estate, the national printing-office, the post-office, the National Museum; the military hospital, and the general hospitals, the asylums for the insane and for convalescents and invalids; the central and the Calvary markets; the penitentiary and the artillery, cavalry, and Guard of Honor and San Francis...o...b..rracks; San Jose and Matamoros forts, and a very large number of other imposing edifices. The American Club, which has several hundred members, mostly citizens of the United States, occupies fine quarters.

Some of the parks, plazas, and public drives are adorned with very beautiful marble or bronze statues. Among the princ.i.p.al ones are the bronze monument of Christopher Columbus in the central park and the marble one of the same historic personage in the garden of the Colon Theatre; that of General J. Rufino Barrios and that of Don Miguel Garcia Granados in the boulevard of the Reforma; and that of Friar Bartolomew de Las Casas in the campus of the Inst.i.tute of the Indian race. The last three statues are of bronze.

The seaports of Guatemala are of a varied character. Their value grows every day because of the increased commerce that is resulting from the development of the country under the industrial policies of President Estrada Cabrera. On the Atlantic the leading ports are Livingston, Izabal, Santo Tomas, and Puerto Barrios. Of these Puerto Barrios is easily first. It lies at the extremity of the Gulf of Amatique, is s.p.a.cious and is well protected against winds. As the terminus of the Guatemalan Northern Railway it is a.s.sured of a very extensive trade both in exports and in imports. Puerto Barrios is not only a receiving and distributing center for Guatemala, but also for a considerable portion of the neighboring Republic of Salvador, which has no port on the Atlantic.

The chief ports on the Pacific side are San Jose, Champerico, and Ocos.

By far the largest amount of business is done through the port of San Jose, which is the terminus of the Guatemalan Central Railroad. It has extensive quays and other facilities for navigation.

OCEAN TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.