,,guatemala ,,the ,,country ,,of ,,the ,,future ,illustration3 ,,portrait ,,of ,,his ,,excellency ,,president ,,don ,,manuel ,,estrada ,,cabrera4 ,,guatemala ,,the ,,country ,,of ,,the ,,future ,a ,,monograph ,,by ,,charles ,m4 ,,pepper ,,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 #aijf ,,contents4 ,,chapter4 ,,page4 ,i4 ,a ,brief ,description #i ,,ii4 ,a ,progressive ,president and his ,policies #bj ,,iii4 ,the ,soil and its ,riches #cj ,,iv4 ,trade and ,markets #de ,v4 ,climate and ,immigration #ef ,,vi4 ,international ,relations #fd ,,vii4 ,the ,land of ,travel and ,history #gj 99 99 99 99 99 ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,portrait of ,his ,excellency ,president ,don ,manuel ,estrada ,cabrera ,frontispiece ,monument to ,columbus opposite #af ,president and ,members of ,cabinet #bd ,vista of ,aguna ,plantation #cb ,bridge over ,motagua ,river #dj ,street in ,escuintla #fj ,plaza of ,jocotenango1 ,guatemala ,city #fh ,landscape of ,guastotoya ,river #gb ,,public ,,officials4 ,president and ,cabinet4 ,senor ,,don ,,manuel ,,estrada ,,cabrera1 ,president of the ,republic4 ,senor ,,don ,,juan ,,barrios1 ,m4 ,minister of ,foreign ,relations4 ,senor ,,don ,,juan ,j4 ,,argueta1 ,minister of ,government and ,justice4 ,senor ,,don ,,jose ,,flamenco1 ,minister of ,public ,improvement 7,fomento74 ,senor ,,general ,,don ,,luis ,,molina1 ,minister of ,war4 ,senor ,,don ,,guillermo ,,aguirre1 ,minister of the ,treasury4 ,senor ,,don ,j4 ,,antonio ,,mandujano1 ,minister of ,public ,instruction4 ,,minister ,,and ,,consuls ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states4 ,senor ,,don ,,jorge ,,munoz1 ,envoy ,extraordinary and ,minister ,plenipotentiary1 ,highlands1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,,joaquin ,,yela1 ,consul ,general1 #b ,stone ,st41 ,new ,york ,city4 ,d4 ,,kingsland1 ,consul ,general1 #aeba ,n4 #aath ,st41 ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4 ,,felipe ,,galicia ,v41 ,consul ,general1 #dba ,market ,st41 ,san ,francisco1 ,cal4 ,c4 ,,morton ,,stewart1 ,jr41 ,consul ,general1 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,,julio ,,novella1 ,consul ,general1 ,p4 ,o4 ,box #acgd1 ,new ,orleans1 ,la4 ,,shirley ,,crawford1 ,consul1 ,louisville1 ,ky4 ,,gustavo ,,niederlein1 ,consul1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,,edwin ,r4 ,,heath1 ,consul1 #bah ,rialto ,bldg41 ,kansas ,city1 ,kans4 ,,benjamin ,,preston ,,clark1 ,consul1 #ib ,water ,st41 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,,vicente ,j4 ,,vidal1 ,vice-,consul1 ,pensacola1 ,fla4 ,,manuel ,,maria ,,sama1 ,consul1 ,mayaguez1 ,p4 ,r4 ,m4 ,,merrow1 ,consul1 ,galveston1 ,texas4 ,,andres ,j4 ,,balliet1 ,consul1 ,seattle1 ,wash4 ,,ormond ,w4 ,,follin1 ,consul1 ,san ,diego1 ,cal4 ,,united ,,states ,,minister ,,and ,,consuls ,,in ,,guatemala4 ,,leslie ,,combs1 ,envoy ,extraordinary and ,minister ,plenipotentiary1 ,guatemala ,city4 ,,alfred ,a4 ,,winslow1 ,consul ,general1 ,guatemala ,city4 ,,william ,,owen1 ,v4 ,d4 ,consul ,general1 ,guatemala ,city4 ,,carl ,g4 ,,heitman1 ,consular ,agent1 ,champerico4 ,,edward ,,reed1 ,consular ,agent1 ,livingston4 ,,samuel ,,wolford1 ,consular ,agent1 ,ocos4 ,,frank ,,sims ,,swan1 ,consular ,agent1 ,san ,jose de ,guatemala4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,a ,,brief ,,description4 ,the ,republic of ,guatemala1 which name is derived from the ,indian word ,quanhitemallan1 signifying land covered with trees1 has been described as the privileged zone of ,central ,america4 ,this is because of its resources1 its climate1 and its accessibility4 ,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 railways4 ,from ,california1 from the neighboring ports of other ,central ,american countries and from ,panama there is regular and reliable steamship service on the ,pacific coast4 ,on the ,atlantic or ,gulf side from ,new ,york1 ,new ,orleans1 ,galveston and ,mobile there is frequent steamship service1 while there is also connection at ,colon with ,english and ,german lines4 ,the steamers on the ,pacific coast connect at ,san ,jose with the ,guatemala ,central ,railway1 which affords easy means of arriving at the capital city and the great coffee-raising districts4 ,these are reached by the branch to ,mazatenango1 which forms a junction with the ,occidental ,railway between ,champerico and ,san ,felipe4 ,on the ,atlantic side is ,puerto ,barrios1 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 ,city1 ,chicago six days1 and ,new ,york seven days4 ,besides the means of communication afforded jointly by the steamship lines and the railroads at an early date there will be complete and uninterrupted railway communication with ,st4 ,louis and other points of the ,mississippi ,valley through ,mexico4 ,the means of communication and transportation are given more fully later on4 ,geographically the ,republic of ,guatemala is the heart of intertropical ,america4 ,it is the most northern part of ,central ,america1 in shape like a polygon1 with the southern side the longest4 ,it lies approximately between north latitude #ac deg4 and #db' and #ag deg4 and #di'1 and between #hh deg4 and #aj' and #ib deg4 and #cj' longitude west of ,greenwich4 ,its area is #ej1fjj square miles--the greatest length from north to south being #cfj and from east to west #cij miles4 ,the ,pacific coast line with indentations is nearly #djj miles and the ,atlantic line about #aej miles in length4 ,,striking ,,physical ,,aspects4 ,in its physical aspects ,guatemala is a country of mountains1 tropical forests1 lakes and rivers and coast plains4 ,it was described by ,humboldt more than one hundred years ago as extremely fertile and well cultivated1 and this description holds good to-day1 though there are vast areas of rich agricultural land yet open to profitable cultivation and only awaiting immigration to develop their richness4 ,the ,guatemalan ,andes consist of three minor mountain systems4 ,these are the northern zone1 chiefly of denuded cones1 #a1ejj to #b1jjj feet in height1 with plains lying between them2 the central zone consisting of ranges and chains running east and west with many marked elevations rising from #g1jjj to #ad1jjj feet2 and the southern zone consisting of eruptive chains which culminate in many notable volcanic peaks1 some of which are more than #ad1jjj feet in height4 ,these are known as the ,cordilleras and they parallel the ,pacific ,ocean4 ,there are three river systems emptying respectively into the ,gulf of ,mexico1 the ,atlantic and the ,pacific4 ,some of the streams flowing into the ,gulf of ,mexico are navigable by steamboats of light draught4 ,of the ,atlantic tributaries the principal rivers are the ,sarstoon1 the ,motagua and the ,dulce2 the latter empties into the ,gulf of ,honduras4 ,navigation is possible on the ,motagua for about #ge miles from the mouth4 ,the rivers flowing into the ,pacific include the ,paz1 the ,suchiate1 and the ,patulul4 ,these have their sources in the ,andean ,cordilleras or the neighboring highlands4 ,there is also the ,michatoya which is navigable for small boats to its confluence with the ,maria ,linda4 ,generally speaking1 a few of the rivers on the southern coast might be made navigable for short distances with boats of very light draught4 ,guatemala has a series of inland lakes which include ,izabal1 ,atitlan1 ,amatitlan1 which are capable of steam navigation2 ,peten1 ,ayarza and ,guija4 ,the largest of these is ,lake ,izabal1 which is #eh miles long by #ab miles in width and which has its outlet through the ,dulce ,river into the ,gulf of ,honduras4 ,the cities and municipal districts having a population of #aj1jjj and upwards are as follows3 ,,name4 ,,population4 ,guatemala ,city #ajj1jjj ,antigua #aj1jjj ,quezaltenango #be1jjj ,totonicapan #cc1jjj ,coban #bc1jjj ,chiquimula #ac1jjj ,jalapa #ac1jjj ,escuintla #ac1jjj ,salama #ac1jjj ,amatitlan #aj1jjj ,zacapa #ab1jjj ,flores #ac1jjj ,jutiapa #ad1jjj ,huehuetenango #aj1jjj ,retalhuleu #aj1jjj ,solola #ae1jjj ,mazatenango #aj1jjj ,san ,marcos #aj1jjj ,atitlan #aj1jjj ,,the ,,handsome ,,capital ,,city4 ,guatemala1 the capital1 is the largest city in ,central ,america4 ,the location is unusually healthy1 being #e1jjj feet above sea level4 ,the city is laid out on a splendid scale with many fine avenues and parks4 ,it is improving its system of tramways by changing to electricity as the motor power4 ,the public buildings are especially notable4 ,among the principal ones are the ,palaces of the ,government1 the ,presidency1 the ,legislative ,power1 the ,judicial ,power1 the ,municipality1 and the ,archbishopric2 the ,cathedral and other magnificent churches2 the ,ministry of ,public ,improvement 7,fomento71 the ,mint1 the ,conservatory of ,music1 the general offices of accounts1 of police1 and of liquors and internal revenue2 the custom-house1 the national institutes of young men1 of young ladies and of the native race1 the first of which is provided with a meteorological observatory2 the schools of law1 medicine1 engineering1 polytechny1 and arts2 the children's college and a large number of public schools2 the ,colon theatre2 the registry of real estate1 the national printing-office1 the post-office1 the ,national ,museum2 the military hospital1 and the general hospitals1 the asylums for the insane and for convalescents and invalids2 the central and the ,calvary markets2 the penitentiary and the artillery1 cavalry1 and ,guard of ,honor and ,san ,francisco barracks2 ,san ,jose and ,matamoros forts1 and a very large number of other imposing edifices4 ,the ,american ,club1 which has several hundred members1 mostly citizens of the ,united ,states1 occupies fine quarters4 ,some of the parks1 plazas1 and public drives are adorned with very beautiful marble or bronze statues4 ,among the principal 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 ,theatre2 that of ,general ,j4 ,rufino ,barrios and that of ,don ,miguel ,garcia ,granados in the boulevard of the ,reforma2 and that of ,friar ,bartolomew de ,las ,casas in the campus of the ,institute of the ,indian race4 ,the last three statues are of bronze4 ,the seaports of ,guatemala are of a varied character4 ,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 ,cabrera4 ,on the ,atlantic the leading ports are ,livingston1 ,izabal1 ,santo ,tomas1 and ,puerto ,barrios4 ,of these ,puerto ,barrios is easily first4 ,it lies at the extremity of the ,gulf of ,amatique1 is spacious and is well protected against winds4 ,as the terminus of the ,guatemalan ,northern ,railway it is assured of a very extensive trade both in exports and in imports4 ,puerto ,barrios is not only a receiving and distributing center for ,guatemala1 but also for a considerable portion of the neighboring ,republic of ,salvador1 which has no port on the ,atlantic4 ,the chief ports on the ,pacific side are ,san ,jose1 ,champerico1 and ,ocos4 ,by far the largest amount of business is done through the port of ,san ,jose1 which is the terminus of the ,guatemalan ,central ,railroad4 ,it has extensive quays and other facilities for navigation4 ,,ocean ,,transportation ,,facilities4 ,guatemala is well supplied with ocean transportation facilities1 several of the steamship companies receiving aid from the government4 ,on the ,pacific coast there is the ,pacific ,mail which maintains a regular fortnightly service with extra vessels during the coffee season and which touches at the ports between ,san ,francisco and ,panama4 ,the ,german line known as the ,kosmos puts the ,guatemalan ports in communication with the ,west ,coast of ,south ,america as well as with the ports of ,california and ,mexico4 ,it carries both passengers and freight4 ,there are also numerous small coasting vessels4 ,it is probable that service will be resumed by the various ,chilean lines which formerly proceeded to ,san ,francisco1 touching at ,guatemalan and other ports1 but which of recent years have not gone north of ,panama4 ,all the vessels have excellent passenger accommodations4 ,from the ,atlantic ports there are ships engaged in the fruit trade with ,new ,york and ,boston1 some of which carry passengers4 ,usually1 however1 passengers prefer to travel by way of ,new ,orleans or ,mobile1 from either of which cities every ,thursday there is a vessel plying directly to ,puerto ,barrios4 ,the most complete service is that maintained by the ,united ,fruit ,company4 ,in view of the growing development on the ,atlantic slope and of the commerce which is certain to result there is an excellent opportunity for an increased steamship service with the ports of the ,united ,states4 ,the time could be greatly lessened with advantages both in the transportation of freight and in the benefit to passengers4 ,the policy of the government towards steamship lines both as relates to port charges and to other measures is a most liberal one and every inducement is offered to engage in furnishing additional facilities1 which will shorten the time between the different points and increase the frequency of communication4 ,,growth ,,of ,,railroad ,,system4 ,the railway system of ,guatemala under the administration of ,president ,estrada ,cabrera is certain to be the most useful means of developing the country4 ,every encouragement is given to capital to engage in railroad enterprises4 ,the general plan includes both an interoceanic railroad and links in the intercontinental or north and south lines4 ,no measure of ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's administration has been of greater importance than his action in securing the completion of the ,northern ,railway1 which will be open for traffic throughout its entire length by the end of #aijf4 ,this places the capital and the whole interior of the country in direct communication with ,puerto ,barrios and insures a very heavy decrease in the cost of freight both for the agricultural exports and for the merchandise and other imports4 ,the line runs from ,guatemala ,city to ,el ,rancho and thence to ,puerto ,barrios4 ,at various times concessions were given for building the different sections1 but circumstances caused many of them to be almost abandoned4 ,in the face of repeated discouragements ,president ,estrada ,cabrera took up the subject with resolute spirit and with the sanction of the ,national ,assembly made a contract with a syndicate of which the principals were ,sir ,william ,c4 ,van ,horne1 the celebrated railroad man1 who completed the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway in the face of monumental difficulties and who subsequently built the ,cuba ,central ,railway2 and ,minor ,c4 ,keith1 of the ,united ,fruit ,company1 who for a third of a century had been identified with various successful enterprises in ,central ,america4 ,subsequently the ,guatemala ,central ,railway took a share in the enterprise and also ,german banking and coffee interests4 ,under the contract no export duty is to be laid on agricultural exports transported over the railroad except coffee and the ,company is given the right to fix its passenger and freight charges on a gold basis4 ,there were many engineering difficulties to be overcome1 the chiefest of which was the bridging of the ,motagua ,river4 ,the material for this railway construction was imported principally from the ,united ,states1 the rails from ,maryland and the bridgework across the ,motagua and other rivers from ,pittsburg4 ,the importance of this ,northern ,railway to the development of ,guatemala is incalculable4 ,it insures the opening up of a very rich country which means a great addition to the exports of ,guatemala and it also should bring a large immigration because of the facilities for easy communication and access to the markets of the ,united ,states which it will afford4 ,with the operation of the ,northern ,railway in connection with the ,guatemala ,central1 the country will have a through railway line from the ,atlantic to the ,pacific ocean1 #bgj miles in length4 ,while the interior development is the chief benefit of this through railway system1 it is not unlikely that during the years that must pass until the ,panama ,canal is completed some of the international traffic which cannot be accommodated on the railway line across the ,isthmus will find a cheap and expeditious passage across ,guatemala4 ,on the ,pacific slope the leading railway system is the ,guatemala ,central4 ,it was built by ,c4 ,p4 ,huntington and is one of the best railroads anywhere south of the ,rio ,grande4 ,though of narrow gauge the roadbed was laid for standard gauge1 and this change can be made at any time4 ,unlike most foreign railways the ,guatemala ,central maintains the ,american system of checking baggage4 ,its main line and branches cover the coffee-raising districts of the ,pacific coast section of ,guatemala4 ,the ,occidental ,railroad has about #ej miles of track and the ,ocos line #bj miles4 ,both of these are on the ,pacific slope4 ,,comprehensive ,,railway ,,policy4 ,it is worth knowing that while the interoceanic line approaches completion ,guatemala is making decided progress in the links of the ,pan-,american or intercontinental north and south trunk line4 ,from a junction with the ,northern a branch will run south to ,zacapa and ultimately will be extended into ,salvador4 ,towards the north there is only a section of #cj miles to be completed in order to prolong the ,guatemalan system to ,ayutla on the border of ,mexico and this will be done as soon as the extension of the ,mexican lines to the boundary are completed4 ,these extensions are to be finished within two years1 so it may reasonably be said that by the end of #aijg1 if not sooner1 a through railway journey will be possible from ,san ,francisco1 ,chicago1 or ,new ,york to the capital of ,guatemala4 ,the importance of this railway building was shown by ,senator ,stephen ,b4 ,elkins1 the chairman of the ,senate ,committee on ,interstate ,commerce1 in a speech made at the dinner given the ,pan-,american ,railway ,committee by the ,hon4 ,h4 ,g4 ,davis4 ,in his speech ,senator ,elkins said that the freight on coffee1 which now approximates #bj per ton or #a1jjj on a carload of #ej tons1 would be cheapened till it came down to #bej per carload1 or #e per ton4 ,illustration3 ,,monument ,,to ,,columbus4 ,the railroad laws of ,guatemala are thus explained in my official report as ,commissioner of the ,pan-,american ,railway3 ,the railways of ,guatemala are regulated by the provisions of the ,commercial ,code and by the general railway law known as ,decree ,no4 #eff1 dated ,february #a1 #ahih4 ,by the terms of this decree persons or companies seeking franchises are required to submit the plans to the ,department of ,fomento2 when indorsed by that ,department the sanction of the ,council of ,state is sought1 and finally the approval of the ,national ,legislature4 ,all contracts celebrated by the executive power have to be approved by the ,national ,legislature4 ,the contracts may be with designated individuals1 with persons acting for others1 or for companies that are to be formed4 ,concessions can be granted with subsidy or without it1 guaranteeing or not the capital which may be invested1 with an interest proportionate to the product4 ,the ,government shall include in the estimates the share of pecuniary responsibilities required for fulfilling the obligation contracted4 ,the ,state may exempt the enterprise from the payment of every class of contributions1 from the use of stamped paper and fiscal dues1 for the time which it may consider just or opportune1 but in every instance the exemptions shall be specified in the contract4 ,the right of eminent domain or expropriation for the benefit of grantees holding franchises is enforced4 ,the ,government also undertakes to procure uniformity in the gauge and the rails4 ,the ,government offers every inducement to promote the extension and development of railroads in the country4 ,the best evidence of its policy toward legitimate and genuine capital is shown in the terms of the contract for the completion of the ,northern ,railroad4 ,the engineering difficulties of railroad construction in ,guatemala are not grave1 as the lines skirt the foothills of the great agricultural regions4 ,the immense natural resources1 consisting of the products both of the tropical and the temperate climates1 such as coffee1 sugar1 tobacco1 the cereals2 the vast pasturage for live stock2 the undeveloped timber industries1 and the unexploited mines1 all open up prospects for profitable traffic4 ,in addition to its railways ,guatemala seeks to maintain a complete system of highways or cart roads4 ,among the most important cart roads which have recently been built or are now under construction1 are those from the capital to ,san ,juan ,sacatepequez1 ,san ,pedro and ,san ,raymundo4 ,there is also a cart road between ,huehuetenango and ,quezaltenango2 one from ,coban to ,quiche which will join the departments of the north with the rich western section of the ,republic2 from ,totonicapan to ,quiche2 that between ,ovejero and ,trujillo1 which will place in communication the departments of ,jutiapa and ,jalapa2 that from ,tumbador to ,san ,marcos2 that from ,solola to ,panajachel2 that from ,chicacao to ,nahualate2 and finally the highway from ,san ,jeronimo and ,rancho ,san ,augustin1 which will join the department of ,baja ,verapaz with ,zacapa4 ,all these roads serve as new arteries for the development and the enlargement of commerce and agriculture and this has been the special care of ,president ,estrada ,cabrera1 who has provided the means for opening1 wherever possible1 the necessary ways of communication4 ,distances between the capital city and the principal points of the country are as follows3 ,,guatemala ,,to ,,miles4 ,antigua #bg ,chimaltenango #cf ,amatitlan #ah ,escuintla #dca_/b ,cuajiniquilapa #db ,solola #ij ,totonicapan #aaa ,quezaltenango #abj ,mazatenango #ach ,retalhuleu #aec ,san ,marcos #afe ,huehuetenango #aie ,santa ,cruz de ,quiche #if ,salama #fi ,coban #abf ,flores #cba ,izabal #baf ,zacapa #abf ,chiquimula #ace ,jalapa #ge ,jutiapa #hg ,,postal ,,and ,,cable ,,service4 ,the means of facilitating intercourse both among its own people and with the outside world has always been encouraged by the government of ,guatemala4 ,the ,republic is a member of the ,international ,postal ,union4 ,it has an excellent post-office service1 both foreign and domestic4 ,complete information is given in the ,postal ,code of the ,republic4 ,during the last year the number of pieces of mail received in all the offices of the ,republic was nearly #e1jjj1jjj1 while the mail matter transmitted amounted to #c1fec1jjj separate pieces4 ,the telegraph and telephone are nationalized and are controlled and operated by the ,government1 though there are also some private telephone lines in the capital4 ,the national telegraph lines have a total length of about #e1cjj kilometers1 #c1bij miles1 and the telephone lines of #ejj kilometers1 #caj miles4 ,the number of telegrams transmitted in a given year was #a1ajf1hcb4 ,the ,government is constantly constructing new lines both for telegraph and telephone service4 ,at the present time there are nearly #bjj telegraph offices and about #ajj telephone offices4 ,the rates both for telegraph and telephone messages1 which are payable in ,guatemalan currency1 are quite moderate4 ,a telegram of #aj words to any part of the ,republic costs about #e cents in gold4 ,the long distance telephone service is at the rate of about #ae cents for a five minutes' conversation4 ,the cable service is maintained by the ,central and ,south ,american ,telegraph ,company1 whose main office is at ,san ,jose4 ,the following are the charges per word in gold3 ,guatemala to points in the ,united ,states #ee cts4 ,great ,britain #hj cts4 ,france #hj cts4 ,germany #hj cts4 ,canada #eh cts4 ,central ,america #bi to #cb cts4 ,havana1 ,cuba #ff cts4 points in ,mexico #ca to #dd cts4 ,city of ,panama #cg cts4 ,city of ,colon #dg cts4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,a ,,progressive ,,president ,,and ,,his ,,policies4 ,guatemala in order to fulfil its destiny as the country of the future must be assured of stable and progressive government hospitable to foreign capital4 ,to insure these things it is necessary to have the right man at the head of affairs4 ,no one now questions that ,guatemala possesses this advantage in the person of ,manuel ,estrada ,cabrera1 whose term as ,president will not expire till #aiaa4 ,the best test of any public man entrusted with the responsibility of government is the opinion of disinterested foreign observers whose position gives them the opportunity to judge4 ,this opinion was voiced by ,mr4 ,leslie ,combs1 the ,american ,minister ,plenipotentiary to ,guatemala1 on the occasion of a ,new ,year's reception by ,president ,estrada ,cabrera 7#aije71 when the diplomatic corps called on the ,president in a body4 ,speaking for himself and for his colleagues of the ,diplomatic ,corps ,minister ,combs on that occasion said3 ,upon such an occasion as this criticism or compliment would alike be out of place1 but it may be permitted to mention the wonderful development in ,mexico in the past ten years1 the great work now in hand to the south and to predict that ,guatemala in material wealth and well-being has a great future before her4 ,we hope this will be realized in your next administration and that this year will distinctly mark its advent4 ,the wise base their hopes of the future upon their experiences of the past and we look to the peace and order maintained by your administration in the past seven years as a guarantee that your people may expect as much in those that are to follow4 ,we remember that called to your position of responsibility by a tragedy you have firmly held the authority with which you have been entrusted4 ,we remember that by the diplomatic settlement of #aijb1 by arbitration and negotiation1 you have settled all the foreign claims of importance against your government and have given rise to not one yourself4 ,we remember that hardly had the ashes cooled after the terrible disaster of ,santa ,maria when railway spikes were being driven to its base and the ,mazatenango ,railway opened1 that the ,northern ,railway contract seems to guarantee the completion of that highway to the ,atlantic at an early date4 ,these achievements in a period of depression1 in the face of natural phenomena of almost unparalleled destructiveness1 warrant the hope that conditions may enable you to direct the destiny of ,guatemala still further along on the highway to that position all hope she may one day occupy4 ,a noble field lies before you4 ,that you may be able to occupy it to the greatest advantage of your country is our earnest wish4 ,the tribute from ,minister ,combs1 as will be noticed1 especially emphasizes ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's qualities as a man of achievement4 ,that is the keynote of his character1 to do something for his country4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera is a civilian executive4 ,his public life has been that of a lawyer eminent in his profession4 ,,support ,,of ,,liberal ,,principles4 ,in his participation in public affairs ,president ,estrada ,cabrera always has supported liberal principles4 ,it was therefore natural that he should be prominent in the councils of the ,liberal party and should become the leader of that organization4 ,his career has been one to familiarize him with all the departments of the government4 ,he served as ,secretary of ,government and ,justice1 and it was while1 holding this position that in order to investigate a land controversy he went out into the wilderness himself and spent several weeks going over the sections concerning which he desired to be fully informed4 ,the result was that this controversy which had been in dispute for a long term of years was finally settled in the manner most equitable and just for the parties interested4 ,this is the way ,president ,estrada ,cabrera works when the interests of the ,state are involved4 ,in #ahih when ,president-,general ,jose ,maria ,reyna ,barrios was killed1 ,mr4 ,estrada ,cabrera was ,primer ,designado1 the position which corresponds to vice-president in the ,united ,states and under which he became acting ,president until an election could be held4 ,at that election he was chosen ,president by a substantially unanimous vote4 ,an indication of his public policies was given by him when he outlined his programme on coming into the responsibility for the government of ,guatemala during the interim which he served in the character of ,primer ,designado4 ,on that occasion he said3 ,my administration will be brief and of a temporary character1 but not for that reason shall it be left for ,history to demand of me a strict account of my acts during this period4 ,i declare in the most solemn manner before my fellow citizens that ,i wish to hand back the beautiful standard of my country without stain4 ,i desire that the ,constitution1 the sacred repository of our liberties1 be not soiled in my hands4 ,my hope is that all of my compatriots may enjoy the life and public liberties that are rightfully theirs4 ,i wish that all the guaranties may protect them in the moment when they approach the ballot boxes to cast their vote for the person to whom it will be given to direct the destinies of our common country4 ,it was after this declaration and after several months' experience under ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's administration that in ,september1 #ahih1 the people chose him to fill out the full presidential term and then in #aijd re-elected him for the term which will expire in #aiaa4 ,when ,president ,estrada ,cabrera became charged with the full responsibility of power in #ahih1 ,guatemala was in the midst of political complications and of a very severe industrial crisis4 ,his first labor was to insure political tranquillity4 ,when this was accomplished he gave all his energies and his talents to developing the resources of the country and to the improvement of public administration4 ,from this point a recent writer1 confirming the eulogy of ,minister ,combs1 said3 ,guatemala now enjoys unalterable peace4 ,her progress is most notable and instead of investing the public funds exclusively in swords and cannons there have been instituted the annual festival of ,minerva1 the most splendid work of ,estrada ,cabrera as ruler and as patriot1 arousing in this manner in the people the desire for instruction and fostering by all possible means the material progress of the country2 giving facilities and opening new ways to traffic and commerce2 nourishing industries1 science and the arts2 beautifying the cities and villages2 affording to all the advantages of modern improvements and spreading the knowledge of hygiene among the masses4 ,a ,,record ,,of ,,achievement4 ,in a general way the administration of ,president ,estrada ,cabrera has been described as the political emancipation and the administrative emancipation4 ,the former topic will be considered in the explanation of ,guatemala's international relations4 ,the administrative reforms which ,president ,estrada ,cabrera has introduced are numerous4 ,he has reduced in a large measure the public debt and has paid almost entirely the recognized foreign claims incurred by previous administrations1 has given marked impulse to the construction of highways1 bridges1 and other public works2 has systematically fostered agriculture2 has reformed and liberalized the ,civil ,codes and ,proceedings2 has extended the system of posts1 telegraphs1 and telephones2 has established patriotic celebrations of an industrial1 agricultural1 literary and scientific character2 has reorganized the army and the branch of military hygiene1 has enacted rigorous measures of quarantine against yellow fever1 smallpox1 and the bubonic pests2 has enlarged considerably the public schools and the charitable institutions by constructing the fine ,asylum for ,invalids and ,convalescents which bears his name3 has improved the fiscal systems of the municipalities by bringing them to a modern basis1 and has secured special advantages in supplying them with light1 water1 and other municipal necessities4 ,generally it further may be said that ,guatemala owes to ,president ,estrada ,cabrera3 ,the rehabilitation of her railway system4 ,the stability of the legal regimen4 ,important reforms in land holdings in the interest of the small land owners4 ,the institution of closer relations with all the nations of the world and especially with the ,united ,states4 ,the restoration of public credit4 ,a satisfactory immigration policy4 ,the re-establishment and reorganization of the public school system1 and a great variety of other measures which form a solid foundation for the continued development of the country4 ,,popular ,,education ,,promoted4 ,people in the ,united ,states who believe in the ,little ,red ,school ,house as the basis of good citizenship cannot fail to appreciate how thoroughly ,president ,estrada ,cabrera has made primary education a part of his policy4 ,in the midst of his many measures for the material development of the country he never has lost sight of the moral advancement which comes from the school4 ,he believes in education also as the very best means of creating and fostering the national patriotic spirit4 ,during his first term he published a decree relating especially to the education of the youth of the country4 ,he fixed the last ,sunday of ,october of each year for the celebration of a popular festival throughout the ,republic consecrated exclusively to commemorate the education of the youth of the country and requiring that all the directors1 professors1 teachers1 and scholars of all the schools take part in it4 ,this was known as the ,festival of ,minerva4 ,it is a sentimental recognition of the value of education1 and is the complement of the practical steps which have been taken4 ,one of his first measures on coming into the presidency in #ahih was to decree the reopening of the public schools4 ,from that time he exerted himself constantly to elevate their standing by providing them with the best facilities1 by reorganizing them in conformity with the most modern plans1 and in a word by encouraging their extension and their progress in every sense4 ,illustration3 ,,president ,,and ,,members ,,of ,,cabinet4 ,besides the primary schools a system of higher education is supported1 and there are normal schools and various faculties such as those of law1 medicine1 engineering1 etc4 ,especial attention1 however1 has been given to practical education1 that is1 the fitting of the common people for their occupations4 ,there are schools of commerce1 of manual training1 and of agriculture1 as well as an ,institute especially for the native ,indians4 ,on this subject of technical education ,consul ,general of the ,united ,states ,winslow in a special report said3 ,there are few villages in the country where there are no schools4 ,in the city of ,guatemala of late much attention has been given to education1 under the direction of ,president ,manuel ,estrada ,cabrera1 who has done more along this line than any of his predecessors4 ,there are in the city of ,guatemala #be public schools1 #h institutes1 and #c colleges4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera has given much attention to his pet scheme of establishing an industrial school for boys and girls at his own personal expense1 aided by several of the more progressive citizens of ,guatemala city1 where the most improved methods of instruction are to be employed4 ,the ,president has engaged two able educators from the ,united ,states1 and proposes everything shall be up-to-date4 ,the ,boys' ,industrial ,college is in charge of ,prof4 ,y4 ,c4 ,pilgrim1 a well-known educator of ,new ,jersey1 assisted by ,professor ,bellingham and wife1 who have charge of the languages1 and ,professor ,lorenzo de ,clairmont1 who instructs in gymnastics and military tactics4 ,these are assisted by several native teachers4 ,the boys are selected from the best families in the ,republic and are limited to #ej1 and are all required to live in the dormitory4 ,the college buildings are situated in a tract of land of about #fj acres1 convenient to the city1 with a campus where the boys are to be instructed in the modern sports and military tactics as taught at ,west ,point1 and all orders are to be given in the ,english language4 ,the ,girls' ,industrial ,school is in charge of ,miss ,alice ,dufour1 a prominent educator of ,new ,york ,city1 assisted by several native instructors4 ,this institution is located in the city and is to be conducted on the same high plan as the boys' college4 ,the idea is to teach the principles on which the ,american home is founded4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera means these institutions shall be the nucleus around which a solid and up-to-date system of education shall be built for this ,republic4 ,it is his ambition to firmly establish an educational system modeled after that in use in the ,united ,states1 where the watchword shall be industry1 promptness1 and honesty4 ,the ,new ,york ,tribune in a ,washington dispatch had this to say on the same subject3 ,american teachers who went to ,guatemala some time ago at the request of the government are sending back interesting accounts of the progress which that country is making in adopting the educational methods that obtain in the ,united ,states4 ,the newspapers also have a good deal to say on the subject4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera1 who is a progressive man1 for several years has had the ambition to give a new turn to public instruction1 and to make it practical after the system of the ,united ,states4 ,his idea is that the youth of the ,latin-,american countries are especially in need of newer methods1 and of getting away from the metaphysical systems which created a large class of professional men1 for whom there was no room and who were a drawback to material progress4 ,some time ago ,president ,estrada ,cabrera established what was called the practical school1 which combined technical instruction and manual training4 ,a few weeks ago exercises were held at the ,escuela ,practica1 or technical school1 and it is concerning this that the ,new ,york teachers have written so encouragingly4 ,the ,president delivered an address on the value of work and of developing through the schools an aptitude for everyday life4 ,heretofore he said there had been too much theory and too much that was purely professional in the system followed4 ,now that the aspiration of many years had been realized he was hopeful that the experiment would be beneficial in giving a new direction to the national spirit1 and would result in the kind of business training that would fit the ,guatemalan youth for the activities of practical life rather than incline them to the traditions of the past4 ,under the direction of the ,president fields for farm experiments have been established1 and the youth are taught the care of horses and other farm work1 as well as the manual trades4 ,there is special provision made for athletic sports4 ,,system ,,of ,,government ,,explained4 ,the ,government of ,guatemala is republican--democratic and representative--and the supreme power is exercised by three governmental branches1 each independent of the others1 called the legislative power1 the executive power1 and the judicial power4 ,the legislative power is vested in a ,national ,assembly which consists of a single house composed of one deputy for each #bj1jjj inhabitants or fraction of that number exceeding #aj1jjj4 ,the deputies are elected by popular vote for four years1 but one-half of the ,assembly is renewed each two years so that each time that it meets it contains an adequate number of experienced members4 ,annual sessions are held lasting two months1 beginning ,march #a1 but they can be extended one month longer in case of necessity4 ,for the transaction of business during its recesses the ,assembly appoints seven of its members who form a body called the ,permanent ,commission4 ,this commission1 as well as the executive1 can call the ,assembly to meet in extraordinary sessions4 ,the executive power is exercised by the ,president of the ,republic1 who1 for the transaction of public business1 appoints six ,ministers or ,secretaries of ,state1 who have charge of the portfolios of ,foreign ,relations1 ,government and ,justice1 the ,treasury and ,public ,credit1 ,war1 ,public ,works1 and ,public ,instruction4 ,there is also a ,council of ,state1 a purely advisory body1 which is composed of the ,cabinet ,ministers and nine other members1 of whom five are appointed by the ,assembly and four by the ,president4 ,these appointments are for two years4 ,the judicial power is exercised by the courts and judges of the ,republic1 organized as follows3 ,the ,supreme ,court of ,justice1 which sits at the capital of ,guatemala and is composed of the ,president of the ,judicial ,power1 four ,magistrates1 and an ,attorney 7,fiscal74 ,six ,courts or ,tribunals of ,appeals1 composed of three ,magistrates1 of whom one presides1 and an ,attorney 7,fiscal74 ,three of these ,courts sit at the ,capital and one in each of the capitals of the ,departments of ,quezaltenango1 ,alta ,verapaz1 and ,jalapa4 ,the ,magistrates and ,attorneys are elected1 by popular vote4 ,the ,judges of the ,courts of ,first ,instance1 of whom there are six in the ,capital1 three in ,quezaltenango1 two in ,san ,marcos1 and one in each of the remaining ,departments of the ,republic4 ,these ,judges are appointed by the ,executive from three names proposed by the ,supreme ,court of ,justice4 ,finally1 the ,justices of the ,peace who pronounce oral judgments and are elected by the people of the districts in which they exercise their functions4 ,for the exercise of the political1 civil1 and military administration of the country it is divided into twenty-two ,departments1 each of which has a ,governor 7,jefe ,politico7 invested with the executive functions4 ,for the administration of the local affairs of each district there are popularly elected ,municipal ,councils4 ,the service of the members of the ,councils is for one year1 is obligatory for the citizens of the respective districts1 and is not remunerated4 ,the ,constitution of the ,republic gives to all those who live in the country the most ample guaranties of liberty1 equality1 and security of their persons1 their honor1 and their property2 of freedom of movement and of assembly1 of professions1 of industries1 and of commerce2 of the right to dispose of their property1 to address petitions to the authorities and to defend their interests before them2 of liberty of conscience1 inasmuch as there is no official religion2 of the right to freely express their opinions1 whether by speech1 or by writing1 or by means of the press1 without being subject to censure2 of liberty to give or receive instruction1 if they should so prefer1 in private educational establishments2 of the right to have their residences1 their property1 their correspondence1 and other papers respected as inviolable2 of the right of habeas corpus2 of liberty of defence in judicial proceedings1 etc4 ,primary instruction is obligatory1 and that which is sustained by the nation is secular and free4 ,there is no imprisonment for debt4 ,marriage is considered a simple civil contract2 but those who desire can have it solemnized in a religious form4 ,absolute divorce can be obtained in cases defined by the law4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,soil ,,and ,,its ,,riches4 ,the soil of ,guatemala is remarkable in the vast extent and great variety of two classes of products which are unusual within the same degrees of latitude1 that is1 it produces both tropical and temperate staples of agriculture in great profusion4 ,the soil grows coffee1 sugar-cane1 cacao1 bananas1 tobacco1 cotton1 india rubber1 vanilla1 sarsaparilla1 and a long list of medicinal plants1 while it likewise produces the cereals1 wheat and ,indian corn1 which are only found in temperate regions1 giving two and in some places three crops of these annually4 ,there are also endless kinds of valuable hardwood1 mahogany1 rosewood1 ebony1 cedar and the like1 which are especially tropical timber1 and at the same time pine and oak exist in the mountain regions of the interior4 ,besides all this the grasses grown are especially adapted to live stock1 and cattle raising and dairying are very profitable industries4 ,the ,british ,consul ,general in an official report to the ,foreign ,office in ,london had this to say about the capabilities of the soil3 ,the tropical situation of the country1 the proximity of every portion to the sea on both coasts1 the diversity of altitude and consequently of temperature1 combine to make the agricultural capabilities of ,guatemala equal to any in the world4 ,every kind of crop1 from those of the tropical coast regions to those of the cold highlands 7the latter having a climate corresponding with that of northern ,europe in summer7 may be raised4 ,there are districts where even four crops of maize 7,indian corn7 are obtained in one year4 ,it is a common theory that the manures are unnecessary1 as the heavy rains wash down the rich soils from the sides of the mountains and fertilize the plains4 ,the great secret is therefore for the agriculturist to adapt his cultivation to the nature of the soil and climate and his interest would be advanced by a judicious rotation of crops4 ,a breezy description1 though an accurate one1 was given of the soil of ,guatemala by a correspondent of the ,washington ,star4 ,wrote this correspondent3 ,instead of my own impressions of the country ,i would rather give those of a ,north ,carolina business man4 ,he was taking the rest cure by means of a sea voyage to ,san ,francisco and deflected his itinerary for a week's land journey4 ,we traveled together to the capital and also made a trip to the port of ,champerico over the railroad extension which has opened up new and untouched territory4 ,it was his first view of tropical lands except from the ship's deck4 ,on landing at ,san ,jose the ,north ,carolina man looked with awe and admiration as every tourist is bound to do on the dominating volcano peaks ,fuego and ,agua1 ,fire and ,water4 ,but while he never ceased to wonder at the richness of the scenery his practical instincts asserted themselves and he punctuated the information given him about climate1 soil and products with keen observations4 ,he confessed that on the vessel he thought they were 'stringing' him when they told him that the posts for the barbed wire fences just grew1 but when he saw countless miles of trees in straight rows with the wire stretched along the trunks he paid his tribute also to climate and soil4 ,he knew that naturally trees don't grow in straight rows and he found the explanation4 ,the posts are poles cut from the trees' branches and when stuck in the ground they shoot up so rapidly that they soon are trees4 ,the ,north ,carolina observer never got over his wonder at the soil4 ,the railroad cuts gave him a chance to see that it was not surface richness and he easily grasped the explanation4 ,the vegetation grows to a certain height1 then dies away1 rots and forms fresh layers of richness4 ,this process going on for centuries has made the fertility of the land inexhaustible4 ,the utility of volcanic eruptions was new to him and was explained on the trip to ,champerico4 ,this is the great coffee region4 ,it comes within the sphere of influence of the volcano ,santa ,maria4 ,when ,santa ,maria was sprinkling both the sea and land with pumice stone and ashes1 on many of the fincas 7plantations7 there was just enough of this lava soil after the rains had come and washed away the surface of the deposit to renew the productiveness4 ,in another way an idea of the varied products of agricultural industry can be had from an account given in the ,british ,consular reports of a model plantation4 ,this plantation consisted of #c1jjj acres4 ,in a given year it produced #a1bjj1jjj pounds of coffee1 #cjj1jjj pounds of sugar1 #cjj1jjj bottles of the by-product of sugar known as aguardiente or cane rum1 #bb1jjj gallons of milk4 ,two thousand head of cattle were raised4 ,on this plantation from #ijj to #a1cjj laborers were employed4 ,,coffee ,,of ,,world-,,wide ,,fame4 ,as is well known1 ,guatemala's most valuable agricultural product is coffee4 ,the fame of ,guatemala coffee is worldwide and it commands the highest prices4 ,the production in average years is about #gj1ejj1jjj pounds1 though in a recent year it exceeded #hj1jjj1jjj pounds4 ,the most productive regions are in the departments of ,guatemala1 ,amatitlan1 ,sacatepequez1 ,solola1 ,retalhuleu1 ,quezaltenango1 ,san ,marcos1 ,alta ,verapaz1 ,baja ,verapaz1 ,chimaltenango1 ,santa ,rosa and ,escuintla4 ,illustration3 ,,vista ,,of ,,aguna ,,plantation4 ,the altitudes at which the coffee plant is most successfully cultivated are between #a1ejj feet and #e1jjj feet above sea level1 according to the locality and quality of the soil4 ,the temperature at which the greatest productiveness is obtained varies from a minimum of #fj deg4 ,fahrenheit to a maximum of #ij deg4 ,in the lowlands the trees have to be shaded in order to prevent the leaves from being scorched by the heat4 ,there is an abundance of native trees which answers this purpose4 ,occasionally1 too1 bananas are raised in conjunction with coffee since their broad leaves furnish an excellent protection4 ,in districts where the mean altitude is #d1ejj feet a different sort of protection is necessary in order to shelter the coffee leaves from the northern winds which blow during the months of ,december1 ,january1 and ,february4 ,in these high altitudes the ranges of hills form the best natural protection4 ,to bring the coffee plant to full production from five to seven years are required1 though after two years the bush will produce about two pounds of the berry annually4 ,the coffee plants are raised in nurseries and afterwards transplanted to the cafetales or coffee plantations4 ,the critical season for the crop is the blooming period4 ,a heavy rainfall while the trees are in flower will seriously damage the plants by washing away the pollen and thus preventing fructification4 ,this period lasts three or four days when the blossoms fall and the cherry or berry begins to appear4 ,the cherry reaches maturity in ,october and is ready for gathering and pulping1 that is1 for the removal of the outer shell and pulp4 ,after this process it is washed and carried to dry1 spread out in brick paved yards exposed to the sun4 ,the grain is known as pergamino1 or shell coffee1 after the removal of the red pulp1 while it retains the inner white or yellow parchment covering4 ,after this parchment is removed it is known as oro1 clean coffee1 and this is the common commercial term4 ,so many elements enter into the cost of planting and bringing to maturity a coffee plantation that it is difficult to estimate the expenditure necessary to ensure a given profit4 ,experienced coffee growers are guided largely by their knowledge of the local conditions and requirements4 ,however1 a reasonable amount of capital in the beginning is necessary and many investors possessing the capital prefer to buy fincas or plantations that are already producing4 ,the government of ,guatemala lays an export tax of one dollar in gold4 ,germany takes the bulk of the ,guatemala product1 though ,great ,britain is a large buyer and the ,united ,states is receiving larger quantities from year to year4 ,with the increased facilities for transportation there would appear to be an excellent opportunity for dealers to make a specialty of ,guatemala coffee in the ,united ,states1 for the article once introduced would be sure to have an increased consumption4 ,,sugar ,,and ,,other ,,profitable ,,products4 ,in #ahij ,guatemala was producing barely enough sugar for its own consumption4 ,in #aijd it exported #f1jjj1jjj pounds to the ,united ,states4 ,new ,orleans is the nearest market1 though shipments also may be made to ,brooklyn4 ,the product consists of white loaf sugar1 panela or coarse brown cakes1 from which the cane rum is made1 miel or molasses1 and mascabado1 or inferior grades4 ,the sugar cane is of excellent quality and the production is abundant1 especially along the hot coast districts4 ,the departments of ,escuintla1 ,amatitlan1 and ,baja ,verapaz are the districts in which the largest areas are under cultivation4 ,as a rule the small sugar mills are crude and modern machinery has not been introduced to a great extent1 although the largest plantations are already supplied with the latest improvements4 ,with the introduction on a larger scale of modern machinery and the latest processes the sugar industry would be certain to afford satisfactory profits4 ,cacao of a very high quality is produced in ,guatemala and the native article commands much higher prices than that produced in other countries and brought to ,guatemala for sale4 ,the productive regions are the tierras calientes or hot coast lands4 ,the principal cacao producing districts are ,escuintla1 ,suchitepequez1 ,solola1 and ,retalhuleu4 ,the bean is most productive at an altitude of #hjj to #b1jjj feet4 ,in some cases the shrub produces a pound of beans every four months and after reaching maturity it is said to produce without interruption for one hundred years4 ,notwithstanding the superior quality of the ,guatemala cacao the industry has not been carried on systematically1 possibly because five or six years are required to secure the first crop4 ,in the last year the total output was only #cd1jjj pounds1 but the steady demand for cacao and the certainty of good prices justifies the investment of capital which can await five or six years for the first returns4 ,the gathering of the cacao beans requires very little machinery and few laborers4 ,chiefly care must be taken not to hurt the bean or almond when breaking the fruit wherein they are contained4 ,one day of fermentation must then be given to them1 after which they remain exposed to the sun for six or eight days1 when they are ready to be sent to the market4 ,one of the most profitable of future industries in ,guatemala undoubtedly is that of banana culture4 ,there are vast productive regions on the ,atlantic slope and these are certain to be cultivated since the building of the ,northern ,railway insures opening up the lands by giving access to the ,new ,orleans market within the time that is necessary for gathering and shipping the fruit4 ,the annual production is now about #hjj1jjj bunches1 of which one-half are consumed at home and the balance shipped to the ,united ,states4 ,it is estimated that within a year after the ,northern ,railway is completed the shipments to the ,united ,states will exceed #gej1jjj bunches per annum and will soon amount to #a1jjj1jjj bunches4 ,tobacco is produced in a number of districts and there is much suitable soil for it1 but up to this time it has been raised only for local consumption4 ,rice is also produced in the hot coast lands4 ,cotton is grown and experiments have shown that the ,sea ,island cotton thrives in ,guatemala4 ,,rubber ,,cultivation ,,an ,,inviting ,,field4 ,for investments of capital that is willing to wait returns there is no more inviting field than the cultivation of india rubber1 which grows wild in ,guatemala4 ,each year the demand for rubber increases and the price rises4 ,the coast regions where the wild tree flourishes are especially adapted to the cultivation of the product4 ,the subject has been given very careful attention by the ,guatemalan government1 which caused investigation to be made by scientists who were familiar with the native agriculture4 ,the result of these investigations has been published from time to time4 ,the wild gum tree is tall with smooth greenish white bark4 ,the milk which is the mercantile product is contained principally in the fibres which are attached to the woody portion of the tree between it and the bark4 ,the milk contains about #fj of water and other substances1 while the remaining #dj represents the salable product4 ,the climate most appropriate for the growth of the rubber tree is that of the hot coast lands at an altitude not exceeding #a1ejj feet4 ,the yield of the cultivated rubber trees has been estimated as high as three pounds yearly from the sixth year1 but the best authorities do not think that the trees should be tapped before the ninth year and then the grower should be satisfied with an annual yield of two and a half to three pounds of milk1 which will insure one pound of rubber4 ,an estimate of the cost and probable yield of a rubber plantation as made by ,senor ,horta1 a leading authority1 was that a plantation of #ajj1jjj trees would require ten caballerias 7about #a1ajj to #a1bjj acres71 and would have cost after ten years about one dollar per tree4 ,this expense could in part be met by secondary cultivation4 ,according to the calculations one crop after ten years should produce double the amount expended in that time4 ,the government encourages the cultivation of rubber1 a decree having been issued in #ahii which provided that for every #bj1jjj rubber plants of four years of age and planted after the date of the decree the owner should receive one caballeria 7#aab acres7 of uncultivated national land4 ,the government1 however1 does not endorse nor recommend the promotion of rubber plantations by stock companies which seek chiefly to sell the stock among small investors in the ,united ,states4 ,all such schemes should be carefully investigated before the shares are bought and the leading facts in regard to rubber production1 including the necessity of a period of at least ten years for the successful development of a plantation1 should be kept in mind4 ,,bounty ,,for ,,hennequen4 ,the soil of ,guatemala in the opinion of experts is especially adapted to the cultivation of fibre plants of which the most valuable is hennequen or hemp4 ,maguey or wild hennequen grows in various localities1 particularly in the eastern districts1 where there is a large area which it is believed can be brought under profitable cultivation for commercial purposes4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera1 in order to encourage the cultivation of hennequen1 has provided that a bounty shall be paid to the cultivators of the plant1 the scale of payment being graduated according to the size of the plantation4 ,since it takes from four to five years for the plant to mature the cultivators are allowed to receive one-half the bounty two years after the hennequen is planted and the balance at the end of the four years4 ,a bounty is also to be paid for the exportation of each #ajj pounds of hennequen and the machinery necessary on the plantation is to be imported free of duty4 ,as a further inducement to engage in the cultivation of the fibre the natives who produce hennequen are to be exempted from military service in a proportion fixed relatively to the number of acres under cultivation4 ,this experiment with hennequen is especially important in view of the fact that soil which is not suitable for coffee1 sugar cane or cacao is thought to be especially well adapted to this plant4 ,the number of medicinal plants produced in ,guatemala is infinite4 ,one scientist gives a list of #cci1 which includes many balsams and the aromatic plants1 such as sarsaparilla and vanilla4 ,the conditions of vanilla cultivation are similar to those in ,mexico4 ,the vine after five years is in full bearing and will produce from #ae to #dj beans4 ,it is estimated that a five-acre vanilla plantation will yield sufficient income to render its owner independent1 but this is only by the most careful attention in cultivation4 ,,many ,,varieties ,,of ,,valuable ,,wood4 ,there are said to be #aej kinds of ,guatemala wood which are commercially valuable1 and the number of species exceeds #djj4 ,the timber area includes the littoral forests in a narrow belt along the ,pacific and ,atlantic coasts2 the humid forests mixed with the prairie fields which cover the plains from the foot of the ,andean ,cordilleras to the ,pacific2 the moist forests of the hot zone and the temperate zone found along the foothills of the volcanic chain and in the northern and eastern parts of the country2 the humid forests of the cold zone2 the pine and oak forests in the upland plains2 the savannas and chaparral consisting of small trees and bushes2 the savannas with pines along the ,atlantic coast and the savannas of the cold zone on the highest tablelands of the mountain4 ,in the report of the ,intercontinental ,railway ,survey ,lieutenant ,hill gives a list of trees found in southeastern ,guatemala which is another illustration of the varied timber resources of the country4 ,the list is as follows3 ,aconacaste1 conacaste1 guanacaste--a light brown wood rather soft and resembling inferior walnut4 ,amarillo--yellowish1 hard1 plentiful1 strong2 lasts well in water or ground2 used for pillars and girders in native houses4 ,cedro--reddish1 easily worked2 used much for boards1 not very strong1 warps easily4 ,caoba--mahogany4 ,chichipate--hard1 fine-grained2 used in wagon-making4 ,chiche--straight grained2 lasts well above ground4 ,chico--straight grained2 takes high polish4 ,granadillo--dark brown1 strong1 plentiful2 good for construction4 ,guachipilin--good for construction4 ,guapinol--hard1 resembles oak in texture4 ,jicaro--bears gourdlike fruit2 plentiful on llanos1 used in making saddle-trees4 ,laurel--resembles chestnut2 used for furniture4 ,madre cacao--hard1 takes fine polish2 good for posts4 ,mario or ,palo ,colorado--a fine wood somewhat like mahogany4 ,matilishuate--grows large and straight2 used for wagon boxes4 ,mora--dyewood4 ,jocote de ,fraile--handsome wood1 takes high polish4 ,ronron--fine1 hardwood1 takes high polish4 ,tempisque--reddish1 resembles mahogany in weight and texture4 ,volador--fine tree1 tall1 straight trunk2 good for bridges and roofs4 ,with such a vast wealth of timber the importance of the railway projects which open up the forest regions and make the markets of the ,united ,states and ,europe accessible will be appreciated4 ,,encouragement ,,to ,,livestock ,,industries4 ,cattle raising and dairy farming are among the most profitable agricultural industries of ,guatemala1 while horse-breeding also can be made to pay unusually well4 ,the native horse is small but very strong and is tireless4 ,the race horses and others obtained through the crossing with foreign breeds imported from the ,united ,states and from ,spain1 ,england and ,south ,america have given most satisfactory results4 ,dairy farming especially in the vicinity of the cities yields large dividends4 ,the cattle are largely three-quarters or half-bred natives and ,holsteins and ,durhams4 ,the pure native cows give much richer milk than the imported stock1 but they yield a very small quantity4 ,the milk of the thoroughbred imported cows is thin1 owing probably to the unsuitable nature of the fodder1 and thus the half-bred cows are the most profitable4 ,the highlands of the interior afford very fair grazing for cattle throughout the year4 ,the climate is mild and equable and the stock can remain in the pastures from ,january till ,december1 while no losses are suffered from severe weather in winter4 ,most of the country is well watered4 ,the native mules are superior to the horses for long journeys or heavy loads and as a rule they command higher prices4 ,pigs are raised with little difficulty and fetch a high price1 since pork is one of the favorite foods on many of the plantations and in the villages inhabited by ,indians4 ,the hogs are allowed to run loose and feed on nourishing roots1 acorns and maize4 ,the sheep industry is capable of development at the hands of experienced sheep-raisers4 ,there are many flocks and the quality of both the mutton and the wool is capable of improvement4 ,,mines ,,and ,,mining4 ,the mineral riches of ,guatemala1 while not unknown1 may be said to be unexploited4 ,owing to the varied geological formations the belief both of geologists and of practical miners is that they offer a promising field for development4 ,the minerals include quartz and gold1 silver and galenas1 copper1 coal and lignite1 manganese1 asbestos1 graphite1 kaolin1 opals1 slate1 alum1 marble1 silver1 mica1 iron1 sulphur1 lead4 ,the mining archives of colonial days show that between the years #afbg and #ahbj more than #a1cjj mines of gold1 silver1 lead1 copper1 tin1 iron1 and one of quicksilver1 were discovered and worked1 and were a source of great revenue both to the ,church and the ,state4 ,history records that during the earliest ,spanish occupancy of that country enormous quantities of gold and silver were taken from those mines4 ,at one time more than one hundred and fifty very rich mines were worked there4 ,from one group the mint of ,guatemala coined silver to the amount of #dc1jjj1jjj1 besides what was shipped directly to ,europe4 ,illustration3 ,,bridge ,,over ,,motagua ,,river4 ,in an official report made by the ,director of the chemical laboratory to the ,minister of ,finance these statements are made1 based on samples that had been submitted for analysis and which were obtained for the most part in the eastern region of the country4 ,zinc1 copper1 lead1 and silver predominate in these regions1 being generally found in argentiferous blends and galenas1 and sometimes both metals in conjunction with carbonates of copper4 ,the proportion of the lead varies from #bj to #be in the galenas and the blends contain from #ae to #dj of zinc4 ,the proportion of silver varies from #bjj grammes to #g kilos 7#ag pounds71 allowing one to calculate on an average of from #b to #c kilos4 ,the beds extend to the tablelands on which the capital is situated1 stretching as far as the ,department of ,jalapa1 where the lead disappears sometimes completely1 the silver being found alone4 ,the veins stretch to the valley of the ,motagua1 disappearing for some time on the left bank of that river and reappearing again to the north of ,solama1 following a straight line to ,huehuetenango1 although the quantity of silver in this region is less than in the beds in the southeast of the ,republic4 ,copper1 one of the metals which is most abundant in the country1 is generally found in oxicarbonate in beds of sediment4 ,it appears in the neighborhood of the capital and various other points4 ,these beds continue up to the ,mexican frontier along the banks of the river ,salega and round the town of ,cuilco1 but the nature of the metal changes little by little1 passing from the carbonates to oxisulphates mixed with iron and soon the copper disappears altogether4 ,in the eastern region abundant deposits of carbonates of copper are found principally in the ,department of ,chiquimula1 mixed in many cases with other metals such as zinc1 lead1 and silver4 ,lignite of excellent quality is found in beds near the ,atlantic coast1 a very great consideration in the development of mineral industries4 ,captain ,rae of the ,united ,states1 who spent several years in ,guatemala and who wrote authoritatively concerning the mineral resources of the country1 said that he had found near the northwestern frontier large quantities of low grade gold sulphuret ores and also rich lead ores carrying a small percentage of silver as well as some good copper carbonates4 ,he said that the lead ores were of the best clean carbonates1 easily smelted by fuel alone1 and had been rudely exploited principally for the lead they contained4 ,these silver lead mines of low grades of silver were in the vicinity of ,chiantla1 and the belt extended1 he said1 northwest1 breaking out again in heavy deposits bearing silver from #ab to #dj a ton and lead #hj4 ,captain ,rae gave the following further details3 ,still further east in the ,lacodor country are found immense deposits of the same character of ore1 which seemed to lie as if thrown up in volcanic upheavals4 ,in some places the lead is found in small nuggets entirely pure4 ,large deposits of black lead or plumbago exist both north and south of ,huehuetenango of a good class and ready for commerce4 ,auriferous gravel beds are found at different points on the ,rio ,grande in the ,department of ,baja ,verapaz which prospect well for heavy course gold4 ,the working of these beds is confined to the immediate river banks1 done by the natives in a very rude manner1 merely scooping out the choicest streaks of goldbearing gravel and washing it in wooden bowls4 ,these beds seem to be well defined and extend back through the flats to the hills4 ,also some gold formation is found along the ,rio ,platanos and ,vacas two affluents of the ,rio ,grande that flow into it from the south side and nearly opposite to one of these goldbearing gravel beds4 ,further down the river on the north mountain range there exists asbestos in several places and from a surface prospect the texture is of a good variety and free from all foreign substances varying in color from deep gray to snowy white1 the fibres measuring as much as #f inches in length4 ,in the ,department of ,izabal lying on the ,atlantic or gulf coast1 on the lower waters of the ,motagua and ,polichis rivers1 there exists rich and extensive beds of gold placers which have been worked for several years in a primitive way and have yielded a large amount of gold dust4 ,in the foothills of ,livingston stone coal has been found of the lignite variety and said to make good combustible4 ,on the opposite side of the ,gulf of ,dulce from the coal deposits are large deposits of magnetic iron ores1 ranging from #fj to #gj per cent4 of iron4 ,these deposits lie only a few leagues from water communication on the ,gulf and also close to the ,northern ,railway4 ,the following description of the various mineral districts is from ,the ,bristol ,board of ,trade journal3 ,the principal known mining districts of ,guatemala are situated on the eastern boundary1 both to the north and also the south1 in the ,departments of ,chiquimula and ,izabal1 adjoining the ,republic of ,honduras and that of ,salvador4 ,these districts are mountainous1 and1 owing to their complete isolation and lack of communication with the other parts of the ,republic and the difficulty of procuring supplies1 there being at the moment very few roads1 this part is not generally known to the outer world4 ,on the western boundary1 in the ,department of ,huehuetenango and near to ,chiantla1 there are said to be very rich copper mines1 similar to those of ,chiapas1 in ,mexico4 ,these are now being explored1 but so far no copper has been found1 though the district is rich in lead and a small percentage of silver4 ,the assays that have come to hand show #ef per cent4 of lead and #dj ounces per ton of silver4 ,in many other parts of the ,republic mines have been discovered and mining rights secured1 such as at ,san ,cristobal and ,aguil1 in the ,department of ,alta ,verapaz2 near ,rabinal and ,pichec1 in ,baja ,verapaz2 at ,san ,pedro1 in the ,department of ,guatemala2 also at ,mataquescuintla1 in the mines of ,algeria and ,rosario1 in the ,department of ,santa ,rosa2 at ,zalcuapa and ,joyabaj1 on the ,rio ,grande1 in the ,department of ,el ,quiche2 but the only mines that have recently been worked1 and which have given and are giving fair results1 are those of ,quebradas de ,oro1 on the ,river ,bobos1 in the ,department of ,izabal1 where gold has been washed in paying quantities4 ,the district where mines have been denounced 7pre-empted7 and in some instances worked1 lies between the ,rio de ,concepcion to the north and the ,rio de las ,minas to the south2 the mining district alluded to is nearly due east of ,los ,sillones1 on the finca of ,san ,jose4 ,this estate is in the ,department of ,chiquimula1 and a society was formed under the name of ,societe ,horta y ,cia41 which obtained mining rights from the ,government for a term of fifteen years with the right to import free of duty all material1 machinery1 and necessary appliances4 ,but until the present time very little has been done1 owing to the isolated position of these mines and the difficulty of establishing communication1 though the construction of a small line1 which might connect with the ,guatemala or ,northern ,railway at ,chiquimula1 has been under consideration1 but the funds for the carrying out of this project have1 it is understood1 been lacking4 ,this1 if built1 would do away with the transportation difficulty4 ,there is no difficulty in the work of mining in ,guatemala since the climate in the mining regions is temperate and healthful4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,trade ,,and ,,markets4 ,guatemala1 because of its nearness1 is an unusually good market for the products of the ,united ,states4 ,with the increase in the transportation facilities which will result from railway building and other transportation enterprises that will add to the ocean shipping facilities the business should increase greatly if merchants and manufacturers in the ,united ,states choose to take advantage of it4 ,official support is given this view by the reports of the ,american ,consuls in ,guatemala4 ,consul ,general ,winslow has frequently called attention to the advantages which may be obtained4 ,in one report he stated that large quantities of groceries1 flour1 potatoes1 shoes1 drygoods1 and clothing come from the ,united ,states1 but ,germany and ,england seem to have the lead in machinery and hardware4 ,there is surely a fine opening in these latter lines for exporters of the ,united ,states1 but they must be in position to push their goods personally1 to give longer credits1 and to take more pains with packing4 ,in all1 it is safe to say1 there are #h1jjj1jjj of ,american capital invested in ,guatemala and there is an opening for much more1 if it is backed by the right kind of management4 ,in a report1 to the ,british ,foreign ,office in #aije ,mr4 ,hervey1 the ,english ,consul1 stated that as far as actual volume of business was concerned1 as shown in the imports and exports1 there appeared to have been a distinct improvement in the general trade of the country compared with immediately preceding years4 ,the imports were the largest for the past seven years4 ,the revenue of the country showed a great improvement all around1 being1 in fact1 nearly double that of #aijc1 the most important increases being shown in import and export duties1 the former benefiting by the #ej per cent4 of their total payable in gold1 and the latter by the tax of #a gold per quintal which has been collected throughout the year4 ,the outlook for the future was1 the report said1 more favorable than it had been for many years4 ,the completion of the ,guatemala ,northern ,railway would shorten the distance from ,europe and the ,united ,states and promote trade4 ,already ,german and ,british steamers were calling at ,puerto ,barrios in addition to those of the ,united ,fruit ,company4 ,the greater steadiness of exchange and the fall in the gold premium were further factors of importance in restoring confidence4 ,with continued peace1 and with it the prospect of increased labor facilities1 so that the agricultural and mineral wealth to be won from the soil may attain to its fullest development1 brighter days were dawning for ,guatemala4 ,,articles ,,brought ,,from ,,other ,,countries4 ,a general statement regarding the articles which ,guatemala buys abroad and which therefore are of interest to exporters is as follows3 ,the principal imports consist of drygoods1 almost exclusively cotton manufactures1 brought from ,great ,britain1 the ,united ,states1 and ,germany4 ,in this branch ,british manufacture commands the market1 the imports from the ,united ,states and ,germany being relatively small4 ,the more important articles are gray cloths2 bleached shirtings1 #g-h and #i-h prints2 fancy cloths2 gray1 white1 and blue drills2 colored drills2 handkerchiefs2 gray and dyed yarns2 ,turkey red yarns2 sewing cottons2 trimmings2 cotton blankets1 etc4 ,of these goods about #ge per cent4 are of ,british origin1 #ae per cent4 ,american1 and #aj per cent4 ,german4 ,american manufacturers compete chiefly in drills1 denims1 blankets1 prints1 gray cloths1 and bleached shirtings1 while ,german goods imported consist chiefly of drills1 prints1 ,turkey red yarns1 blankets1 and trimmings4 ,woolen goods are not in very great demand2 the principal lines are blankets1 shawls1 braids1 hats1 ,berlin wool1 and but few piece goods4 ,hats are imported mostly from the ,united ,states1 ,germany1 and only a few from the ,united ,kingdom2 shawls from ,germany1 principally2 piece goods from ,germany1 ,france1 and the ,united ,kingdom4 ,silks are not in demand1 excepting floss silks imported from ,china1 ribbons from ,switzerland1 ,france1 and ,germany4 ,regarding hardware generally1 approximately #ej per cent4 is imported from ,germany1 #cj per cent4 from the ,united ,states1 and #bj per cent4 from the ,united ,kingdom4 ,the principal imports from the ,united ,states consist of machetes1 axes1 and hoes1 besides tools generally of the better classes1 corn mills1 plows1 sewing machinery1 outfits for building purposes1 saws1 barbed wire1 files1 screws1 cutlery1 ropes1 brushes1 enameled goods1 paints1 and varnishes and breadstuffs4 ,the imports from the ,united ,kingdom are chiefly composed of galvanized-iron sheets1 galvanized-iron goods1 coffee machinery1 copper sheets1 tin goods1 machetes1 hoes1 sickles1 picks1 pickaxes1 saltpeter1 pans 7used on sugar plantations71 iron sheets1 saws1 padlocks1 cutlery1 saddlery1 bits1 spurs1 brass valves and cocks1 pottery1 cartridges1 also preserves and biscuits4 ,from ,germany are brought all kinds of cheap tools1 machinery1 sewing machines1 cutlery1 machetes1 bar iron1 enameled goods1 pottery1 locks1 screws1 nails1 window glass1 brushes1 paper1 matches1 stearin and ceresin1 part of these goods being also brought from ,belgium and the ,netherlands1 while ,france ships tools for shoemakers' and saddlers' use4 ,the articles which ,guatemala buys in exchange for her coffee1 sugar1 fruits1 woods and other products in the customs classification are divided into three groups2 that is1 articles of prime necessity1 articles of luxury or convenience1 and articles for the industries4 ,the first and most important group includes cotton and woolen goods1 wheat flour1 rice1 corn1 potatoes1 salt1 wax and stearine candles1 matches1 soap1 petroleum1 glass and earthenware1 and kitchen hardware4 ,the second group covers the finer grade of woolens1 silks1 mineral waters1 liquors1 preserves in cans1 manufactured tobacco1 glassware1 porcelain1 toys1 musical instruments1 perfumery1 etc4 ,the third group consists of coal1 woodworking machinery1 cured hides1 raw cotton1 sacks1 lubricating oils1 farm implements and a variety of machinery4 ,,class ,,of ,,imports ,,from ,,the ,,united ,,states4 ,the shipments with which up to this time the ,united ,states has been most successful in furnishing ,guatemala can be understood from a summary of the articles sent out under a consular invoice from various ports4 ,the exportations from the port of ,new ,orleans during a recent year were as follows3 ,,name ,,of ,,articles4 ,,value4 ,linseed oil #afh ,petroleum1 etc4 #b1ecd ,tar #bee ,live animals #e1ddg ,rice #igd ,empty barrels #aaf ,coal #ahe ,cement #dbb ,cistern materials #fdh ,dynamite #bdi ,drugs #a1igb ,hardware #ai1dfh ,cotton goods #de1gcc ,iron bars #cch ,wheat flour #ae1hag ,surgical instruments #bha ,locomotives #g1dfe ,earthenware #a1abb ,manufactured woods1 railroad ties1 etc4 #ee1ggb ,indian corn #af1cce ,malt #dgd ,cable rope #a1hgd ,gentlemen's furnishings #b1gbd ,gasolene motors #bhe ,furniture #feg ,umbrellas #ddd ,provisions #bc1abg ,bridge material #ah1gid ,salt #b1acf ,hats #deb ,whiskey #igh ,shoes #a1eca ,from the port of ,mobile shipments were as follows3 ,wheat flour #aj1aif ,cotton goods #i1iaf ,canned meats #b1ajh ,cornmeal #a1caf ,hardware #hjd ,alimentary conserves #ggg ,butter #fgf ,beer in bottles #egb ,petroleum #ebc ,vegetables #ejg ,coal #dbj ,hay #dje ,dried fish #cgf ,footwear #cfb ,stearine candles #cag ,matches #cjj ,condensed milk #bch ,soap #bbh ,lard #bjf ,fruit preserves #bjd ,cheese #agc ,rice #afh ,miscellaneous food products #a1gjj ,the exports from ,new ,york1 which average about #ge1jjj per month1 are composed chiefly of the following articles3 ,galvanized wire ,lubricating oil ,alimentary articles ,electrical equipments ,betum ,iron pipes ,glassware ,cured hides ,beer ,drugs ,photographic material ,hardware ,cotton goods ,agricultural implements ,soap ,jewelry ,earthenware ,sewing machines ,railway material ,medicines ,typewriters ,miscellaneous machinery ,plated goods ,perfumery ,paper ,petroleum ,watches ,weighing scales ,hats ,whiskey ,chintz ,leather ware ,from the port of ,san ,francisco the annual shipments amount to approximately #a1jjj1jjj4 ,the principal articles are flour1 wheat1 hops1 corn1 barley1 oats1 cotton1 furniture1 machinery1 beers1 wines1 and whiskies4 ,the articles imported at ,san ,francisco are chiefly coffee1 sugar1 cacao1 rubber1 hides and lumber4 ,,how ,,the ,,commerce ,,is ,,divided4 ,while the ,united ,states has a fair share of the trade the proportion is not as large as it might be if systematic efforts were made4 ,in the last year for which statistics are available the foreign commerce of ,guatemala amounted to #ab1eic1jjj1 of which #e1jda1jjj was imports and #g1eeb1jjj exports4 ,germany1 which takes the bulk of the coffee crop1 is the largest consumer4 ,in the year quoted it took #ec4gi of the total exportations from ,guatemala ,north ,america 7chiefly ,united ,states7 #be4hf4 ,england1 #ae4cg1 and ,france #b4d4 ,the exportation of the various countries to ,guatemala in percentage terms was as follows3 ,united ,states #cf4ei2 ,england1 #bb4fb2 ,germany1 #ai4ig2 ,france1 #i4ba2 ,south ,america1 #b4hb2 ,central ,america1 #a4hc2 ,mexico1 #a4fi2 ,spain1 #a4ed2 ,italy1 #a4cb2 ,belgium and ,holland1 #a4bg2 other countries1 #a4ad4 ,in detail the value of the goods imported by ,guatemala in the given year was3 from ,germany1 #a1jai1jjj2 ,united ,states1 #a1ddb1jjj2 ,england1 #a1jch1jjj2 ,france1 #age1jjj2 ,belgium1 #aad1jjj4 ,no other country except the above exported to ,guatemala goods exceeding #ajj1jjj in value4 ,of the exports from ,guatemala1 chiefly coffee1 as previously stated1 ,germany took #c1ejh1jjj2 the ,united ,states #b1bib1jjj2 ,england1 #a1bhb1jjj4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera in his annual message commented on the balance of trade in favor of ,guatemala and expressed himself very hopefully concerning the measures of internal development which could be carried on while the conditions of foreign commerce were so satisfactory4 ,since a portion of the revenue of ,guatemala is raised from the export tax on coffee it is possible to maintain a very moderate schedule of import duties and this is done4 ,the average duty on the group of articles described under the heading of prime necessity is #bc4fg ad valorem4 ,on the second group #cj4hd and on the third group #g4fj4 ,the duties are equitably distributed so as to bear lightly on everything that enters into the industrial upbuilding of the country4 ,moreover1 special concessions are sometimes made on material for railway and other enterprises which enter into the national development4 ,the general rules regarding the application of the tariff are very clear4 ,they are formulated with a view to saving annoyance to shippers and are specific enough to avoid uncertainty4 ,import duties are not high4 ,the list of articles which it is prohibited to import is a short one4 ,the charges for invoices on shipments to ,guatemala are as follows3 ,ship's manifest #aj4jj4 ,validating invoices of from #a to #ajj #g4jj4 #ajj #ejj #aj4jj4 #eja #ajjj #ad4jj4 #ajja #cjjj #af4jj4 #cjja #fjjj #bj4jj4 ,for each additional #ajjj the ,consuls will collect #b4 ,the government officials of ,guatemala and the merchants gave hearty support to the project of an exposition ship or floating exposition which was undertaken on the ,pacific coast in order to display ,american products and manufactures and at the same time familiarize ,american firms with the products of other countries4 ,,exchange ,,and ,,banks4 ,in the conduct of its foreign commerce reasonably long credits are required by the merchants of ,guatemala1 but always under fixed conditions4 ,when the coffee crop is shipped bills on ,europe and on ,new ,york can always be procured at reasonable exchange and the obligations be met in this manner4 ,since the balance of trade is in favor of ,guatemala there is always the certainty of funds for exchange4 ,under ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's administration the banks of the country are subject to a regulation somewhat similar to the national banks of the ,united ,states4 ,various decrees have been issued governing the emission of banknotes4 ,the latest decree institutes a special bank examination project and requires all the financial institutions to give an account of their condition and operations to this ,department4 ,the following statistics as to the leading banks of ,guatemala have been compiled from recent reports3 ,,guatemalan ,,bank 7,,banco ,,de ,,guatemala74 ,capital subscribed and totally paid #b1ejj1jjj #jj ,reserve fund #fee1jjj #jj ,contingent fund #bib1bjh #fg ,fund available for dividends #bjj1jjj #jj ,manager3 ,carlos ,gallusser4 ,,occidental ,,bank 7,,banco ,,de ,,occidente74 ,capital authorized #b1jjj1jjj #jj ,capital paid #a1fej1jjj #jj ,reserve fund #a1bjj1jjj #jj ,contingent fund #a1bjj1jjj #jj ,manager3 ,rufino ,ibarguen4 ,,international ,,bank 7,,banco ,,internacional74 ,capital subscribed and totally paid #b1jjj1jjj #jj ,reserve fund #a1ejg1jjj #jj ,contingent fund #bha1iah #gf ,manager3 ,carlos ,b4 ,pullin4 ,,columbian ,,bank 7,,banco ,,colombiano74 ,capital paid #a1ggf1jjj #jj ,reserve fund #gig1gdg #id ,sinking fund #ded1ahi #hd ,fund available for dividends #fi1bbg #gd ,director3 ,f4 ,l4 de ,villa4 ,,american ,,bank 7,,banco ,,americano74 ,capital authorized #a1bjj1jjj #jj ,manager3 ,a4 ,beckford4 ,,agricultural ,,mortgage ,,bank 7,,banco ,,agricola-,,hipotecario74 ,capital authorized #ab1jjj1jjj #jj ,manager3 ,a4 ,prentice4 ,all these are banks of emission and discount with headquarters in ,guatemala ,city and with branches in the other principal cities of the departments4 ,they also to some degree supply the place of mercantile agencies and report financial standing of individuals1 firms and companies upon solicitation4 ,it is known to be the great ambition of ,president ,estrada ,cabrera to place the finances of ,guatemala on a solid basis during his present term4 ,the rate of exchange under the stability now afforded and the improved industrial and commercial conditions has been steadily falling4 ,a final word concerning the opportunities for ,american enterprise is convincing when it comes from official sources4 ,in one of his reports ,consul ,general ,winslow said3 ,during the past few months the exporters of the ,united ,states have been doing some effective work in this ,republic4 ,there have been several commercial travelers here studying the conditions and taking sample orders4 ,many others have been asking for information from this ,consulate-,general1 which has been able to give valuable information4 ,if this field is properly worked and sufficiently long credit is given1 practically nothing but ,american goods need be found in the markets of ,guatemala1 for they are generally conceded to be the best4 ,this market is worth cultivating1 for the next few years will see great development here4 ,everything points that way1 and the natural resources are great4 ,the opening up of the new railroad to the ,atlantic coast at ,puerto ,barrios will do wonders for the country4 ,more attention is being paid to the packing of goods shipped to this country4 ,it is an important matter and cannot have too much attention on the part of exporters4 ,packages should be very firmly nailed and bound by band iron1 so they would be difficult to open1 as there is much complaint about goods being stolen from boxes in transit4 ,i have had several compliments of late from the custom officers for the way shipments of ,american goods have come packed4 ,it will pay exporters to pack well everything they ship4 ,dollars spent in this line will bring hundreds in profits4 ,this is especially true for ,central ,american ports4 ,supplementary to the above was a report from ,vice-,consul ,general ,owen in which these observations were made3 ,the following drygoods of ,american manufacture are becoming quite popular here3 ,brown cotton1 all grades2 cotton duck1 ,lindale1 up to #f ounces2 light domestics2 long cloth2 gingham2 cotton drill1 checks and stripes 7cheviot72 blue and brown cotton drill2 fancy calicoes and lawns2 cotton ware1 all colors4 ,the piece of #bd yards is the most popular1 although cotton cheviots1 gingham1 etc41 come put up in larger pieces4 ,dress patterns in lawn and calico are frequently imported4 ,it must be borne in mind that the importers of this ,republic are for the greater part ,germans1 and their interest and inclination lead them to trade with the fatherland4 ,england also is preferred over the ,united ,states1 possibly because ,guatemala merchants can more easily identify themselves in ,england and get better credits4 ,american goods therefore are imported only when their quality places them so far ahead of the ,european article that the merchant is almost compelled to have them in stock4 ,the ,american manufacturers should become better acquainted with this trade1 ascertain who are worthy of credit1 and extend it4 ,the long voyage and delay en route compel the importer to ask long credits4 ,it is sometimes two or three months after shipments destined for this city leave the manufacturer before they can be displayed in the store of the importer4 ,the custom duty on about all cotton goods is collected on gross weight of the package4 ,great care should be taken with invoices for custom-house purposes2 the goods must be described in exact phraseology of ,guatemala custom tariff4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,climate ,,and ,,immigration4 ,the population of ,guatemala according to the general census of the ,republic taken at the beginning of #aijd was #a1hdb1jjj4 ,this was the actual enumeration1 but as there were many cases in which a complete account was not possible the inhabitants probably number #b1jjj1jjj4 ,of those enumerated by races #gej1fae were ,ladinos1 and #a1jia1eai were of the aboriginal race4 ,the ,ladinos are the descendants of the white race and of a mixture of ,european and ,indian4 ,the ,indian population is principally engaged in farming and in small commercial enterprises in the interior4 ,the ,ladinos are much more energetic4 ,the natives of the high and cold regions are the most vigorous4 ,for many years it has been the aim of the ,guatemalan government to attract foreign immigration4 ,under ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's administration systematic measures for this purpose have been taken and the policy of encouraging immigrants and colonists1 especially from the ,united ,states1 has become a settled one4 ,practically one-half the fertile territory is yet uncultivated for want of tenants and there are many agricultural industries which require a very small amount of capital while they assure independence to those who follow them4 ,the first question asked is whether the natives of the temperate regions1 ,europeans and ,north ,americans1 can live and work in the climate4 ,the answer is that there are large areas suitable for them where they may engage in coffee-growing1 dairying1 stock-raising and similar occupations4 ,the districts known as the ,highlands or ,los ,altos are at an average elevation of #e1jjj feet and comprise some of the most inviting sections of ,guatemala4 ,the uplands include ,quezaltenango1 ,solola1 ,quiche1 ,huehuetenango1 ,totonicapam1 and ,san ,marcos4 ,,the ,,three ,,zones4 ,usually in describing the country it is divided into three zones4 ,the tierra caliente1 or hot lands1 comprise the coast of the ,atlantic and the ,pacific ocean4 ,the tierra templada1 or temperate zone1 covers the central plains which range from #b1jjj to #e1jjj feet above the sea level4 ,the tierra fria1 or cold zone1 comprises the highlands as noted above4 ,the year is divided into two seasons1 the winter or rainy season lasting from ,may till ,october1 and the dry season4 ,the hottest months are ,march and ,april and the coldest ones ,december and ,january4 ,except along the coast the average temperature throughout the year is about #gb deg4 ,fahrenheit4 ,the climate on the coast is rendered endurable by the refreshing sea breezes which blow for several hours every day4 ,many people who live in the uplands in the rarefied atmosphere find it agreeable and beneficial to their health to spend a few weeks every season on the coast lands4 ,the climate would be hot and moist except for the variations caused by the mountains which oppose themselves not only to the prevailing winds but also in rainfalls to the humidity of the air4 ,the winds are from the east and north1 although along the ,pacific coast there are southern and southwestern winds at certain times in the year4 ,in regard to rainfall the general rule is that the regions confronting the moist winds from the ocean have abundant precipitation while those defended by mountain ranges from the sea winds are dry4 ,the climate taking the country as a whole is an unusually healthy one4 ,fevers are not common and when they exist are confined to the warm and humid coast regions4 ,no peculiar climatic disease exists in ,guatemala and the country rarely suffers from epidemics4 ,this is largely due to the strict sanitary measures which are enforced by the government4 ,a ,,poetical ,,and ,,practical ,,description4 ,the following account of the climate in popular language is given by a well-known authority3 ,the territory of the ,republic belongs to the torrid zone comprised among the intertropical countries which are exempt from the rigorous winters of the countries of ,europe1 ,north and ,south ,america1 and the ,far ,east4 ,the vegetation which droops in the dry season recovers a marvelous exuberance in the season of the rains4 ,in every part it is encountered then rehabited in the most splendid garb of nature4 ,the tropical countries at this period certainly are the motherland of all the plants which are cultivated throughout the world when as in the case of our ,republic there are hot1 temperate and cold zones in which the vegetation is perpetual and flourishes in the regions which possess perennial springs of flowing water to moisten the cultivated lands in the season of the drouths4 ,the knowledge of the climates is of the highest importance for the agriculturist4 ,it is his guide in the experiments for acclimatizing exotic plants which he seeks to introduce into his properties4 ,the climate of a locality varies through the background of the mountains1 through its sloping direction1 its nearness to the sea1 to the lakes1 and to the selvas2 through the direction and the forces of the periodical winds4 ,setting out from the low coastlands and ascending to the regions of the ,altos or highlands1 the naturalist admires successively the exuberant vegetation of the tropics and that of the cold countries4 ,on account of the topography of the territory we have in the different zones of the ,republic different climates characterized by our two seasons--that of the rains1 our winter1 and that of the dryness1 our summer2 characterized too by the intensity of the heat in the low zones of the coasts and by the crisp cold in the high plateaus of our mountains2 by the force and duration of the periodic winds of the ,northwest which in certain regions of the ,republic blow with a violence harmful to agriculture4 ,the temperature in the low zones fluctuates between #bf deg4 and #ce deg4 centigrade1 averaging #bh deg4 ,in the zones ranging from #c1jjj to #e1jjj feet above sea level the temperature fluctuates between #af deg4 and #bd deg41 the average being #bj deg4 to #bb deg4 centigrade4 ,in the high zones or cold lands the temperature varies from #h deg4 to #ae deg41 the medium being #ab deg4 or #ac deg4 ,in these zones from ,december to the end of ,march the temperature drops during the night to #a deg4 centigrade and other times to #c deg4 or #d deg4 ,the rains commence in ,may or ,june and continue until the middle of ,november4 ,they are most violent from ,july to ,october4 ,in the months of ,september and ,october there are sometimes storms and copious rains which last almost continuously from one to two weeks4 ,heavy dews are numerous and at times very copious in the summer in the low zones close to the sea1 the lakes and the big marshes and also in the higher zones through the condensation of the vapors which absorb the sun's rays and become more condensed on reaching the colder regions of the atmosphere4 ,the northeast winds are periodical and blow almost without interruption throughout the summer and with great violence on the coasts of the north and in the eastern sections of the country4 ,the winds on the south coast are much milder and those in the western sections are insignificant4 ,under this drouthlike action the vegetation withers in the hot and dry zones4 ,it flourishes most in the districts which possess perennial springs of running water for fertilizing4 ,in the season of the rains there are strong hurricanes of southern winds which cause damage to agriculture1 but happily they are not frequent4 ,from the description of the varied climates of the ,republic it will be seen that they are adapted to the cultivation of the richest tropical plants and for all the agricultural and industrial produce which is cultivated in the cold and temperate zones of the entire world4 ,besides1 its vegetative season is one of perpetual cultivation1 and in the plantations which possess water for irrigating the cultivated lands three crops a year can be raised in the hot zones as well as the temperate regions1 and two crops of the cereals1 wheat and ,indian corn1 in the cold regions2 that is to say1 the feeding of #cj1jjj1jjj inhabitants is possible besides fruits for a very extensive exportation4 ,,aids ,,to ,,agriculture4 ,in a country so largely agricultural as ,guatemala is the measures for the encouragement of farming may be taken as a means of judging the interest shown by the government4 ,on this point ,president ,estrada ,cabrera in a recent message said3 ,agriculture as the prime factor of our richness has been the object of special attention during the last seven years of my administration4 ,in order to broaden and improve it there has been established in the capital the ,general ,department of ,agriculture and in the districts and municipalities ,boards for the same purpose4 ,this ,department has been authorized to publish a periodical ,the ,bulletin of ,agriculture which is given over exclusively to important farming studies4 ,seeds and plants have been brought from other countries and distributed among our farmers in order to establish new sources of production4 ,strict orders have been issued to secure the cultivation of the largest areas possible and also for establishing common seed grounds4 ,regulations have been made for the exploitation of rubber4 ,in every possible manner the importation of farm tools and agricultural machinery has been facilitated4 ,contracts have been made for the exploitation of the woods in the forests of the north4 ,schools of agriculture have been created in order to further the study of these subjects by the issue of special bulletins under the direction of the ,department of ,agriculture4 ,illustration3 ,,street ,,in ,,escuintla4 ,,leading ,,points ,,of ,,immigration ,,law4 ,a general immigration law was passed several years ago which has been supplemented by other laws since that time4 ,at the outset immigration contracts with the ,chinese are prohibited and the latter are not to be accepted as immigrants4 ,the purpose of this is to insure white immigration and to prevent cheap coolie labor of a temporary character interfering with settlers who wish to establish themselves permanently4 ,immigrants are described as those foreigners having a profession1 occupation or trade1 whether day laborers1 artisans1 workingmen in factories1 farmers or professors1 who give up their own homes to come and settle in ,guatemala and accept their transportation to be paid either by the ,guatemalan government or by an immigration company4 ,immigrants also include the foreigners whose transportation is not paid by the government or by private companies4 ,the wearing apparel and household furniture1 tools1 domestic animals and other possessions of immigrants are entered at the custom-house free of duty4 ,an important provision authorizes the government to grant gratuitously to immigrants lots of public lands in certain districts provided that the immigrants bind themselves to cultivate within two years the third part of the land granted4 ,for this purpose zones of tillable land are set apart in the districts named4 ,immigrants are exempted for a period of four years after their arrival from service in the construction or repair of the public roads and from the payment of municipal taxes4 ,they are also exempted from military service except in the case of foreign war4 ,they enjoy all the rights and privileges granted by law to ,guatemalan citizens4 ,,public ,,lands ,,for ,,settlers4 ,under a general law a body of official engineers was created for surveying and distributing the uncultivated public lands and fixing the prices therefor4 ,the price varies according to the nature of the land1 whether it is for grazing1 raising cereals2 whether capable of raising sugar1 banana1 etc42 whether adapted to coffee and cotton1 or whether it contains forests4 ,public lands may also be granted to immigrants gratuitously4 ,information on these points can be had through correspondence with the ,department of ,agriculture called ,direccion ,general de ,agricultura1 in ,guatemala ,city4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's land policy has been directed especially to prevent great areas from being kept out of cultivation4 ,he has dictated many measures with the purpose of breaking up the huge estates that often are uncultivated for want of capital and making them productive through the encouragement of small capitalists or farmers4 ,the general system of highways and cart roads as well as of the railroads has been devised for this purpose4 ,with regard to colonization and immigration the policy of securing the benefit of the favored soil to settlers has been indicated in the correspondence with various companies and individuals4 ,in a report by the ,director of ,agriculture he declared that immigration from ,north ,america would be very pleasing to ,guatemala and would strengthen the cordial relations existing between the two countries4 ,that the immigrants will be well received he was assured4 ,their practical character would be especially valuable in developing the resources of the country4 ,the ,director1 however1 called attention to the fact that in many places of the country the geological conditions were not similar to the prairies of the ,united ,states where in the beginning very much could be accomplished on a large scale by machinery4 ,in many of the districts open to settlement in ,guatemala much of the work of clearing would have to be done by hand4 ,that is one reason why encouragement is given to the individual settlers instead of to companies4 ,to broaden and strengthen the present immigration law the ,department of ,agriculture has recommended that certain lands be thrown open to settlement on the following conditions3 #a4 ,the government shall make the plan for the colony dividing the lands into lots of one caballeria 7#aab acres74 #b4 ,the settler shall take immediate possession of the lot which is granted him4 #c4 ,the government shall aid the removal of the colonists from their present place of residence to the point where they intend to settle4 ,this aid to be extended under conditions which will insure its repayment4 #d4 ,the colonists on taking possession of their land shall obligate themselves to begin cultivating some of the following articles3 rice1 corn1 beans1 coffee1 cacao1 vanilla1 rubber1 cotton1 hemp1 etc4 #e4 ,the government shall designate from among the colonists some one who shall give general instruction with regard to the farming4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,international ,,relations4 ,friendly relations with all countries1 both neighboring and distant1 is a leading point in ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's programme4 ,the relations of ,guatemala with the ,united ,states are particularly close and cordial4 ,in his annual message ,president ,estrada ,cabrera said3 ,it is well known that the grand ,republic of ,north ,america always has shown the most sympathetic regard for our country and the earnest effort of my government has been to strengthen the ties of friendship which unite the two nations4 ,with this feeling existing there has been achieved during the period since #ahih the most flattering results1 so that it can be confidently stated that never before have the relations between ,guatemala and the ,united ,states reached so great a degree of cordiality as to-day1 and it may be said that never has any cause of discord between the two governments been so remote as now4 ,the death of the illustrious ,president ,mc,kinley1 which was felt so deeply in ,guatemala1 and the advent into the ,presidency of ,mr4 ,roosevelt in no way interrupted the progress of affairs with our ,republic and those which were pending followed their tranquil course towards a satisfactory arrangement4 ,the ,secretary of ,foreign ,relations in his annual report said3 ,motives analogous to those which in foreign governments have caused congratulation over the re-election of ,senor ,estrada ,cabrera as ,president of ,guatemala have made it pleasing that the government of this ,republic on its part could extend its congratulations over the re-election in the ,united ,states and ,mexico respectively of ,messrs4 ,roosevelt and ,diaz1 two eminent statesmen whose conciliatory policies are well known1 as likewise their sympathetic regard for ,guatemala4 ,the continuation of these illustrious personages in power is considered by this government as a guaranty of the increasing cordiality of the relations of ,guatemala with them and it has also enabled at the same time to be placed in evidence with all sincerity the satisfaction which has been produced by their re-election in their respective countries4 ,these are correct statements1 for the sentiment of profound sympathy and admiration which ,president ,estrada ,cabrera and the whole people of ,guatemala entertain for ,president ,roosevelt and for the ,american people are very marked4 ,for ,president ,roosevelt on account of his grand traits of character1 of mentality and of heart and the spirit of humanity1 justice and rectitude which make of him the chief magistrate most conspicuous1 most respected1 most popular and most cherished of the present day2 and for the ,american people on account of their intelligence1 their enterprising disposition and their unceasing labors for progress1 which have gained for them so pre-eminent a place among all the nations of the earth as one of the grandest1 most nourishing and most powerful4 ,,adherence ,,to ,,the ,,hague ,,peace ,,principles4 ,these quotations indicate the sentiment of ,guatemala towards the two countries with which geographically and otherwise it is most closely allied4 ,further evidence of the friendship for the ,united ,states and of the desire to sustain its policies of international peace were afforded in the promptness with which ,president ,roosevelt's suggestion of a second ,peace ,conference in ,the ,hague was accepted4 ,with regard to the ,united ,states the ,secretary of ,foreign ,affairs stated3 ,knowing the importance of our relations with the great ,american nation it was a grateful duty to send a special mission to ,washington with the sole object of congratulating ,president ,roosevelt4 ,for the discharge of this function ,senor ,jorge ,munoz was selected and he discharged it with entire satisfaction to the government4 ,this mission having been disposed of he was accredited permanently as ,envoy ,extraordinary and ,minister ,plenipotentiary4 ,inasmuch as it was not one of the ancient nations of ,europe1 but a young and virile ,republic1 the strongest in ,america1 which launched the project through its distinguished ,president of a second ,hague ,conference to perfect and complete the works of the first one in favor of universal peace1 it is to be hoped that this effort will be seconded by all the countries of the civilized world and that at no distant time when experience shall have shown the deficiencies in the conclusions adopted by previous ,congresses those which may be adopted in the coming ,peace ,conference will be more efficacious for the success of the humanitarian and praiseworthy end which the ,united ,states proposes4 ,guatemala previously had given its adhesion to the principles of arbitration promulgated under ,the ,hague ,convention4 ,it was represented in the ,second ,international ,american ,conference held in ,mexico #aija-aijb1 and the various treaties and recommendations made by that ,conference were ratified or endorsed as in the case of the other signatory governments4 ,the action taken by the government of ,guatemala on the respective conventions and recommendations was officially transmitted to ,senor ,mariscal1 ,secretary of ,foreign ,relations of ,mexico1 in accordance with the resolution of the ,conference4 ,,pecuniary ,,claims ,,arbitration4 ,among the treaties promulgated by the ,pan-,american ,conference in ,mexico was one relating to pecuniary claims4 ,this required the ratification of five governments in order to make it effective4 ,guatemala was one of the first to give its formal adhesion to this convention4 ,this treaty was ratified by the ,united ,states ,senate and promulgated by the ,department of ,state from ,washington in the spring of #aije1 so that ,united ,states citizens can now claim its benefits4 ,the treaty consists of five articles4 ,under its terms the high contracting parties agree to submit to arbitration1 through the ,hague ,court1 all claims for pecuniary loss or damage which may be presented by their respective citizens and which cannot be amicably adjusted through diplomatic channels and when such claims are of sufficient importance to warrant the expenses of arbitration4 ,by virtue of ,article #bf of the convention of ,the ,hague the high contracting parties agree to submit to the decision of the ,permanent ,court of ,arbitration established by that convention all controversies which are the subject-matter of the ,treaty unless both parties should prefer that especial jurisdiction be organized according to ,article #ba4 ,if for any cause the ,permanent ,court of ,the ,hague should not be opened to one or more of the high contracting parties they obligate themselves to stipulate in a special treaty the rules under which the tribunal shall be established as well as its forms of procedure4 ,in #aijb the administration of ,president ,estrada ,cabrera negotiated and the ,national ,assembly ratified an agreement with ,germany1 ,belgium1 ,france1 ,england1 and ,italy1 which disposed of many subjects that had been in controversy4 ,spain1 the ,united ,states and ,mexico did not enter into the agreement because those governments preferred to postpone the claims of their citizens until the industrial crisis was over and the financial conditions were improved4 ,since that time a number of claims have been adjusted satisfactorily4 ,president ,estrada ,cabrera stated in a recent message that there were no claims at the present time which were weighing upon the national treasury4 ,these matters having been arranged satisfactorily he said that no subject had arisen which could alter the friendly relations with the countries of ,europe4 ,this friendship was shown in the tribute paid by the ,diplomatic ,corps on ,new ,year's day4 ,subsequently the governments of ,germany and ,france had shown especial consideration by conferring on the ,president the ,order of the ,red ,eagle and of the ,legion of ,honor respectively4 ,with ,mexico the relations of ,guatemala have been cordial since the boundary dispute was settled in #ahie4 ,recently the commercial relations1 on account of the construction of the ,pan-,american ,railway through ,mexican territory to the ,guatemalan border have required the establishment of various consulates in important places in ,mexico1 and the exequaturs have been granted by the ,mexican government4 ,illustration3 ,,plaza ,,of ,,jocotenango1 ,,guatemala ,,city4 ,,concord ,,in ,,central ,,america4 ,with respect to the neighboring republics of ,central ,america the attitude of ,guatemala has been open and pronounced4 ,it desires to destroy every cause of discord among the ,republics and to maintain a perfect equilibrium4 ,guatemala took part in the conference which was held at ,corinto1 ,nicaragua1 in ,august1 #aijd1 and at which ,salvador1 ,honduras and ,nicaragua also were represented4 ,through its delegate ,president ,estrada ,cabrera's government subscribed to the following declarations3 #a4 ,to maintain peace is the principal objective of our government1 not only because it is a necessity for the various peoples1 but also because it imposes itself as a duty which all ,spanish ,american nationalities should fulfil4 ,for this reason we firmly believe in the proposition to overcome in ,central ,america every obstacle that may stand in the way of peace and we will put forth our strongest efforts to frustrate the schemes of those who seek to sow distrust and jealousy among us impelled as they are by the spirit of ambition or disorder4 #b4 ,the strict compliance with the international compacts which bind us shall be the test to which we submit our acts so that every effort to the contrary will be vain and barren since it is necessary to recognize that the generality of the labors of the enemies of each administration tend to no laudable ends but rather are the work of selfish egotists1 of personal enmities or the aberration of unbalanced judgment4 #c4 ,we do not hesitate then in declaring that whatever scheme of discord1 subversive attempt1 or suggestion which proposes to break our loyal friendship shall receive no support among us because the sincerity and firmness of our relations as representatives of the peoples whom we serve are and always will be affirmed in this solemn agreement1 which we make at the instance of ,central ,america2 an agreement which is the fruit of the efforts we have made as public men on different occasions4 #d4 ,we expect that all good citizens will give us in the sense indicated their patriotic co-operation inspired in ideals of peace and fraternity and contributing by supporting us in this accord to place an end to the discord which the enemies of the public tranquillity cause4 ,and also upholding the liberal and progressive policy which governs our acts4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,travel ,,and ,,history4 ,guatemala is a fascinating country for the traveler and visitor4 ,antiquarians1 deep delvers in the majestic monuments of the long forgotten past1 seek in the myths1 the traditions1 the temples and the ruins the riddles of prehistoric civilization4 ,modern tourists traveling as they will be able to do within a short time by railway from ,new ,york or ,san ,francisco to the very heart of ,guatemala may lose themselves in admiration of the sublime scenery1 the lovely landscapes of valley and mountain lake and forest 7the ,indian name for ,guatemala means abounding in trees71 volcanic caps1 giant outlines1 and cloud-clad craters4 ,everywhere they will encounter that diversity which is the chief attraction of natural scenery4 ,they will find also superimposed on the prehistoric ,indian civilization the charm of ,spanish architecture1 customs1 character and institutions4 ,men of the stamp of ,president ,estrada ,cabrera who are engaged in the material upbuilding and the political progress of the country may prefer to talk of its agriculture and commerce1 its opportunities for the energetic and resourceful people of the northern regions rather than to discuss its picturesque ruins audits fascinating history4 ,yet they would not have these subjects neglected4 ,hence the traveler and the tourist always are welcome1 and whether they be deeply learned scientific investigators or mere birds of passage seeking novelty every provision is made to aid them in their travels4 ,,nature',s ,,bold ,,hand4 ,in the very accurate and complete physiographic description of ,guatemala contained in the report of the ,intercontinental ,railway ,survey the following description is given of the great chain of volcanic cones and peaks which add so greatly to the bold picturesqueness of the country4 ,the ,pacific coast extends generally from the northwest to the southeast4 ,from the sea the ground rises with a very gentle slope inland for almost #be or #cj miles when the country becomes broken by the lava foothills of the volcanoes which extend from one end of the country to the other and which stand like a giant wall between the coast and the interior4 ,beginning at the ,mexican boundary the line of volcanoes extends nearly parallel to the coast4 ,back of this is a plateau limited on the other side by the ,continental ,divide and much broken by spurs which unite the volcanoes with the ,divide and the deep valleys between the spurs4 ,the plateau is drained by rivers which run to the sea through the deep canyons between the volcanoes4 ,the ,continental ,divide begins with the volcano ,tacana and making a semicircular bend to the north and east rises again in the volcano ,tajumulco4 ,from this point its general direction is easterly as far as the ,cerro ,tecpam4 ,tacana and ,tajumulco are the highest points on this are being respectively #ac1ccd and #ac1had feet above sea level4 ,from ,tajumulco to near ,totonicapam the general altitude of the ,divide is about #i1jjj feet1 the most prominent peaks being the ,cerro ,cerchil #aa1hcj feet1 and the ,cerro ,calel #aj1hac feet4 ,from ,totonicapam to ,cerro ,tecpam the general elevation of the ,divide is about #aj1ejj feet with one peak1 the ,cerro ,quiche of #aa1afj feet4 ,from ,cerro ,tecpam #aj1jej feet1 the ,divide turns to the southeast and drops to a general elevation of about #g1jjj feet1 crossing the plateau and rising again in the ,cerro ,santa ,maria ,cauque4 ,following the hills of ,mexico1 it crosses the plain near ,guatemala ,city1 the suburb of ,guarda ,viejo1 #e1jfj feet1 being on the ,divide4 ,the heights of other principal volcanoes are given opposite3 ,acatenango #ac1jab ,fuego #ab1hba ,agua #ab1cjj ,atitlan #aa1hdi ,santa ,maria #aj1ece ,quezaltenango #i1ceh ,pacaya #g1fge ,ipala #f1hja ,chingo #f1jai ,,variety ,,in ,,geological ,,structure4 ,in the geological structure of the country unusual variety of character is shown4 ,the quarternary formation1 aluvium and diluvium1 covers the greater portion of the ,pacific coast from the foot of the mountains to the sea4 ,the same formation is also observed in the neighborhood of ,guatemala ,city1 the valley of the ,passion ,river1 ,puerto ,barrios and various other localities on the ,atlantic ,slope4 ,the tertiary formation and particularly limestone covers the entire ,department of ,peten4 ,furthermore1 limestones and dolomites of the upper cretaceous age are noted from ,la ,libertad toward the ,usumacinta ,river and toward ,british ,honduras4 ,in the localities of ,san ,luis and ,santa ,barbara there are tertiary limestones and sandstones of ,eocene and miocene ages4 ,the limestones and dolomites of the upper cretaceous age are also found in various localities mixed with tertiary limestone and sandstone as well as conglomerates1 dolomites1 and limestones of the lower cretaceous age4 ,in other sections they are mixed with limestones and dolomites of the upper carboniferous age mingled with slate1 sandstone and pudding stone4 ,the latter formation is found in other sections with precarboniferous limestone and also with crystalline limestone of the azoic age4 ,the tertiary formation is followed by an azoic formation of gneiss1 mica slate1 and phylada with large intrusions of granite4 ,a kind of horn-blend slate has been observed in some parts of ,izabal4 ,illustration3 ,,landscape ,,of ,,guastotoya ,,river4 ,the eruptive formations are composed of porphyry in the north and northwest2 of diorite1 obsidian1 rhyolite1 and dacite and of trachyte1 together with basalt1 rhyolite1 obsidian and granite in other sections4 ,the eruptive formations are further composed of basalt in ,pacaya and several other volcanoes2 and mostly of ambesite in the rest of the ,cordilleras and the highlands4 ,for the present-day traveler who is interested in earthquakes and their effects and in the ruins of ,spanish architecture1 nothing more entertaining can be found than a visit to ,la ,antigua1 which can be reached from ,guatemala ,city by a few hours' ride in carriage or on horseback4 ,antigua stretches through the beautiful and fertile valley which in the ,indian language means dry lake because the tradition exists that in prehistoric times there was a fine sheet of water covering the land4 ,the panorama which delights the eye from any elevated point of ,antigua is glorious4 ,the three volcanoes of ,acatenango1 ,agua 7water7 and ,fuego 7fire7 lose their majestic combs in the clouds4 ,in every direction spread fertile fields with an infinite number of coffee and sugar plantations in every state of production4 ,the borders of the city are bathed by two charming rivers1 the ,pensativo and the ,portal4 ,in the immediate neighborhood are hygienic baths of pure crystalline water4 ,,prehistoric ,,ruins ,,and ,,famed ,,lake ,,atitlan4 ,many volumes have been written about the prehistoric ruins of ,guatemala and especially of ,copan4 ,one of the most recent and most sumptuously illustrated is that by ,anne ,cary ,maudslay and ,alfred ,percival ,maudslay entitled ,a ,glimpse at ,guatemala4 ,it was published in ,london4 ,in this book ,professor ,maudslay gives the following description of a visit to the ruins at ,quirigua3 ,the ruins1 which are completely hidden in a thick tropical forest1 stand about three-quarters of a mile from the left bank of the river ,motagua and about five miles from the miserable little village of ,quirigua1 from which they take their name4 ,they consist of numerous square or oblong mounds and terraces varying from six to forty feet in height1 some standing by themselves1 others clustered in irregular groups4 ,most of these mounds were faced with worked stone and were ascended by flights of stone steps4 ,the interest centers in the thirteen large carved monoliths which are arranged irregularly round what were probably the most important plazas4 ,six of these monuments are tall stones measuring three to five feet square and standing fourteen to twenty feet out of the ground4 ,the other five are oblong or rounded blocks of stone shaped so as to represent huge turtles or armadilloes or some such animals4 ,all these monuments are covered with elaborate carving4 ,usually on both back and front of the tall monoliths there is carved a huge human figure standing full face and in a stiff and conventional attitude4 ,the sides of the monuments are covered with tables of hieroglyphs1 most of them in fairly good preservation4 ,in addition to these tables of hieroglyphs there are series of square or cartouches of what appears to be actual picture writing1 each division measuring about eighteen inches square and containing usually two or three grotesque figures of men and animals4 ,the design of these picture writings shows considerable variety and freedom of treatment as compared with that of the large sizes human figures in the execution of which the artist seems to have been bound by conventional rules4 ,the largest of the stone animals is perhaps the most remarkable of all the monuments4 ,its measurement is roughly a cube of eight feet1 it must weigh nearly twenty tons and it rests on three large slabs of stone4 ,it is shaped like a turtle and is covered with a most elaborate and curious ornament and with tables of hieroglyphics and cartouches of picture writing4 ,the greater part of the ornament throughout these carvings is formed from the grotesque representations of the human face or the faces of animals1 the features frequently so greatly exaggerated that it is most difficult to recognize them1 but a careful examination enables one almost invariably to trace back to this facial origin what at first sight appears to be merely conventional scroll work4 ,forms derived from leaves or flowers are altogether absent2 occasional use is made of a plaited ribbon and a very free use of plumes of feathers which are oftenmost gracefully arranged and beautifully carved4 ,the fifteen monuments are divided into two groups2 in one the figures are all those of men1 in the other of women4 ,the same authors give the following vivid description of the famed ,lake ,atitlan3 ,our tent was pitched so close to the precipice that even from my bed ,i had a grand view into the ,lake and could watch the black masses of the volcanoes looming clear-cut and solemn in the moonlight or changing from black to gray in the early dawn2 then a rosy flush would touch the peak of ,atitlan and the light creep down its side1 revealing for a brief half hour every detail of cinder ridge and chasm on its scarred and wounded slopes until with a sudden burst of glory the sun rose above the eastern hills to strike the mirror-like surface of the ,lake and flood the world with warmth and dazzling light4 ,every peak and mountain ridge now stood out clear and sharp against the morning sky1 and only in the shadow of the hills would a fleecy mist hang over the surface of the lake far beneath us2 then almost before the sun had power to drink up these lees of the night from the deep gap between the hills to the south1 a linger of white cloud1 borne up from the seaward slope1 would creep around the peak of ,atitlan only to be dissipated in the cooler air2 but finger followed finger and the mysterious hand never lost its grasp until about noon great billowy clouds rolled up through the gap and the outpost was fairly captured although the crater itself often stood out clear above the cloudy belt4 ,it was not1 however1 until the sun began to lose its power that the real attack commenced and the second column deployed through the gap on the southern flank of ,san ,pedro and then from five o'clock until dark there followed a scene which no pen and no brush could adequately portray4 ,the clouds seemed to be bewitched2 they came down on us in alternate black and sunlit masses1 terrible in their majesty2 then rolled aside to show us all the beauty of a sunset sky1 tints of violet that shaded into pink1 and pink that melted into the clearest blue1 whilst far away beyond the mountain seaward rolled vast billowy masses1 first red and yellow and then pink fading to the softest green4 ,again and again would the clouds roll down upon us1 the mist at times so thick that we could not see beyond a hundred yards2 then just as quickly it would roll away and reveal a completely new phase of this ever shifting scene of beauty4 ,as the sun sank behind ,san ,pedro all turned again to dark and angry purple with contrasts and reflections like the sheen of a shot silk4 ,slowly the mists melted away with the fading daylight1 ,venus hung for a while like a splendid jewel in the air and the mountains turned again to shadowy masses outlined against a crystal sky4 ,,fascinating ,,history ,,through ,,the ,,centuries4 ,historically every period of ,guatemala is fascinating4 ,usually the history of the country is divided into the epochs of the aborigines1 the ,spanish ,conquest1 ,independence1 and the era of liberal governments4 ,across the centuries the path of history can be traced4 ,a book written in the #afth century by one of the aborigines of the time of the ,conquest and called ,popol-,vuh or ,book of the ,people1 speaks of the ,quiches1 vigorous and hardy natives of the soil1 forerunners of the ,guatemalan people as having reached at that time a degree of advance which singled them out from among the other primitive inhabitants of ,america4 ,their religious system was in essence a kind of animal worship whose gods were personified by the fox1 the coyote1 and the wild boar to be soon reemployed through natural evolution by the forces of nature such as the heavens1 the earth1 and the sea4 ,they left as evidences of their worship the multitude of monuments whose imposing ruins are preserved today4 ,pyramids which seem to bear traces of ,egypt and characters indicative of a remote ,asiatic origin2 temples1 such as the ,temple of the ,sun1 of grand architecture2 and the ,palace1 dwelling of the ,king1 a holy being and the ,supreme ,arbiter4 ,the latter is among the most notable of ,american antiquities and it causes admiration through the graduated pyramid1 the triangular vault and the arch forming an harmonious whole4 ,the ,quiche civilization was an advanced one and its government was a theocracy in which the ,high ,priest was both the ,supreme ,governor and inherited the name of the primitive god ,votan4 ,this theocracy was drawn from among the warriors while the people in complete servitude tilled the fields in order to sustain the worship and raise grand monuments and built numerous cities on the borders of the lakes and rivers4 ,agriculture was well advanced4 ,cacao was cultivated with grand ceremonies and maize or ,indian corn which was guarded with profound veneration because according to the ancient tradition man was formed from it4 ,cotton was also grown and brilliant garments woven from it which were dyed with cochineal and pigments formed from various plants4 ,tobacco was cultivated and yucca1 beans1 potatoes1 etc4 ,various textiles were fabricated of the finest quality and many of the palaces and temples were hung with this tapestry4 ,ceramics and various kinds of pottery were manufactured both for use and for ornament4 ,the sciences and the arts were developed4 ,the fame of the ,quiche calendar exists today4 ,the aborigines also understood painting1 sculpture1 and music4 ,they made plumes and cloaks from the feathers of the birds and they wrote upon a paper prepared from the ,amatl4 ,their language was liquid and possessed few inflections4 ,it was the most perfect of the six hundred or more languages which the ,spaniards encountered in the ,isthmus of ,central ,america4 ,they had a literature of their own and from this fragments have been preserved notably the drama ,rabinal ,achi4 ,,spanish ,,conquest ,,and ,,what ,,came ,,after4 ,guatemala was conquered by the ,lieutenant of ,cortez1 ,pedro de ,alvarado4 ,in ,april1 #aebd1 he crowned his series of victories over the ,quiches by routing them on the plains of ,urbina1 capturing and condemning to perish by hanging the two last ,kings of the most powerful monarchy of ,central ,america2 ,oxib-,queh and ,beleheb-,tzy4 ,in ,july of the same year he founded the city of ,guatemala1 although this was not definitely established until ,november1 #aebg4 ,within a few years all the regions of ,central ,america had submitted to the ,spanish ,crown and formed the ,kingdom of ,guatemala1 to the capital of which was transferred in #aedi the ,royal ,audiencia or ,high ,court4 ,guatemala was the head of ,spanish power in ,central ,america under the general term of the ,spanish ,captain ,generalcy for two centuries4 ,during the two hundred and fifty years following the ,conquest the country had three capitals in turn1 all named ,guatemala ,city4 ,the first1 founded by ,alvarado1 was on the very spot where he fought the battle which made him conqueror4 ,the ,indian kings of the ,south having heard of the exploits of ,cortez in ,mexico1 sent an embassy to him which he received with distinction4 ,he sent his favorite ,lieutenant ,alvarado back to take possession4 ,alvarado and his three hundred ,spanish soldiers were nearly a year in making the journey through the forest4 ,when the ,indians opposed him he gave continuous battle and finally conquered4 ,he destroyed their capital1 razed the temple of their idols to the ground1 and built on its site a church4 ,for seventeen years ,alvarado kept the ,indians at work building a new capital on the site of their old one4 ,then came the earthquake which destroyed the place and buried nine-tenths of the inhabitants under the ruins4 ,a new location was found1 but again1 in #aggc1 by the eruption of ,santa ,maria the capital was destroyed4 ,this is the group of picturesque ruins now known as ,la ,antigua4 ,with the destruction of this capital a third and final movement to the splendid situation in the ,hermit ,valley was made and the new capital which is the ,guatemala ,city of today was established4 ,after years of struggle against the ,spanish domination1 beginning in #ahaa1 ,guatemala secured its independence1 which was proclaimed ,september #ae1 #ahba1 when in place of the ,kingdom of ,guatemala there was established ,a nation free and independent of every other nation4 ,the history of subsequent years is interwoven with the events of other ,central ,american countries4 ,after many evolutions and disorders as well as revolutionary changes of government1 the era known as the period of reform and the re-establishment of the liberties of the country began in #ahga4 ,,chapters ,,of ,,recent ,,history4 ,the events which led to the adoption of the liberal ,constitution of #ahgi1 which is today in force1 do not need to be recounted here4 ,general ,justo ,rufino ,barrios1 who had been the leading spirit in the ,liberal revolution1 was a pronounced advocate of the union of all the ,central ,american ,states in a single federal republic4 ,he endeavored to accomplish this against the opposition of ,salvador and was killed at the battle of ,chalchuapa in #ahhe4 ,he was succeeded by ,general ,manuel ,lisandro ,barillas1 who exercised the government from #ahhg to #ahib4 ,after him came ,general ,jose ,maria ,reyna ,barrios1 who during the first four years of his administration gave a good government and worked much for the prosperity of his country4 ,in the last two years1 however1 through the bad counsels of selfish advisers foreign to his government he sought to extend the term of his authority and was resisted by successive revolutions4 ,he was assassinated by a personal enemy of ,european nationality in ,february1 #ahih1 and ,guatemala was then left in the midst of a most disastrous condition1 both industrial and political4 ,it was at this period that ,manuel ,estrada ,cabrera1 the lawyer1 came into power and began the series of administrative reforms and measures for the material development of the country which have so vastly improved the condition of the people1 have re-established credit and given assurance of further progress under continuous peace and tranquillity4 ,it is these beneficial measures which have caused ,president ,estrada ,cabrera to be signalized as the chief of the modern emancipation of ,guatemala in its policies1 in its intellectual and moral advancement1 and as the author of its present progress4 ,under his government order in administration has been secured1 respect for the rights of all1 material development in countless forms1 the general improvement of the people and the most perfect harmony and equity in international relations have been obtained4 ,it is the success of these policies1 which is now assured1 that makes ,guatemala so clearly the country of the future and entitles ,estrada ,cabrera to rank with the most distinguished heads of ,state of the present day4