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CARLETON, WILLIAM. 



for higher education take rank with the best 

 in the country. The University of California 

 has, in the autumn of 1869, opened its doors to 

 all comers who can pass its preliminary exami- 

 nations, without fee of any kind for tuition, 

 being the first absolutely free college in the 

 world. The advantages it offers, though of 

 course not in all respects equal to those of the 

 older and more am ply-endowed universities of 

 the East, are yet of such a character that the 

 student, who is in earnest to acquire an educa- 

 tion, will find the facilities for attaining it 

 above the average of our younger colleges. 



CANDIA, or CRETE. See TURKEY. 



CARLETON, WILLIAM, an Irish novelist of 

 remarkable ability, born in Clogher (or, accord- 

 ing to Chambers, Prillisk), County Tyrone, Ire- 

 land, in 1798 ; died in Dublin, January 30, 1869. 

 He was the son of a tenant farmer in comfort- 

 able circumstances, a man of more than ordi- 

 nary intelligence, and remarkably familiar with 

 the prejudices, the sympathies, superstitions, 

 and legends of the Irish peasantry. The early 

 education of young Carleton was meagre and 

 desultory, being obtained in part from his 

 father's teachings, and in part from a hedge- 

 school, but his father was desirous to have him 

 educated for the priesthood, and he was ac- 

 cordingly sent at the age of seventeen to a 

 school at Glasslough, kept by a relative who 

 was a priest. Here, while acting as an usher, 

 he picked up a tolerable acquaintance with 

 Latin, and a considerable acquaintance with 

 English literature. At the age of nineteen, he 

 left this school, and after leading a sort of 

 vagabond life for some years, writing occasion- 

 ally for the papers, and having abandoned all 

 idea of the priesthood, and all regard for Catholi- 

 cism, he repaired to Dublin with but three shil- 

 lings in his pocket, and sought to obtain a live- 

 lihood by his pen. He wrote first a contro- 

 versial story, published by a Protestant society, 

 which gained him some fame ; but his " Traits 

 and Stories of the Irish Peasantry," the first 

 series of which appeared in 1830, gave him his 

 first considerable reputation. Their freshness 

 of style pleased the public and won the favor 

 of the critics. A second series, equally popular 

 with the first, appeared in 1832, and Carleton 

 became thenceforth for some years a regular 

 contributor to the Dublin University Maga- 

 zine, the Dublin Penny Journal, and other 

 periodicals. His "Fardorougha the Miser," 

 one of his most powerful novels, appeared in 

 1839, and in 1841 he published three volumes 

 of stories, mostly of pathetic interest, but in- 

 cluding his fine humorous sketch of "The 

 Misfortunes of Barney Branagan," which was 

 very popular. In 1845 appeared his " Valen- 

 tine McClutchy," a half-political novel, defend- 

 ing the Irish Catholic clergy, and advocating 

 the repeal of the Union. To this followed 

 " Rody the Rover," 1846 ; " The Black Proph- 

 ,et," 184T; "The Tithe Proctor," all politi- 

 cal and partisan novels, but exhibiting in a 

 marked degree his genius. " Willy Reilly," in 



CENTRAL AMERICA. 



three volumes, was published in 1855, and 

 " The Evil Eye " in 1860. While other writers 

 have been more or less successful in depicting 

 many phases of Irish life, William Carleton is 

 the only writer who has presented with exact- 

 ness, and a thorough insight into its peculiari- 

 ties, the real character of the Irish peasant, 

 with whom he seemed to be in perfect sym- 



Sathy. His merits as a writer, notwithstand- 

 ig his partisanship, were so thoroughly appre- 

 ciated by the British Government, that he was 

 awarded a literary pension of 200 a year. For 

 some years past he had been unable to write. 



CENTRAL AMERICA. There are at pres- 

 ent in Central America five independent re- 

 publics: Costa Rica, Guatemala, San Salva- 

 dor, Nicaragua, and Honduras. 



The area and population of the five repub- 

 lics, in 1869, were as follows : 



1. Costa Rica. This republic is one of the 

 best governed in Central America. The in- 

 habitants are industrious and prosperous, and 

 internal strife, the curse of Spanish America, 

 is less known than in most of the other States. 

 Its new constitution seems to be quite a liberal 

 one, except in relation to the law on liberty of 

 the press. Jesus Jimenez has been elected to 

 the presidency for the term 1869 to 1872. The 

 Government has entered into a contract with 

 several citizens of the United States for the 

 construction (of an interoceanic railroad from 

 Simon Bay to the Gulf of Nicoya. The capital 

 was to be $10,000,000, divided into shares of 

 $100 each. The company was to commence 

 work within three months after the ratification 

 of the contract ; the first thirty miles of the 

 road were to be completed eighteen months 

 from the date of the ratification, and the re- 

 mainder in five years. The Government, in 

 aid of the enterprise, was to issue bonds, pay- 

 able forty years after the completion of the 

 road, in United States currency, drawing an 

 annual interest of eight per cent. 



2. Guatemala. The industrial and agricul- 

 tural interests of Guatemala are highly pros- 

 perous, owing to the peace and tranquillity 

 which this republic has so long enjoyed. The 

 cultivation of indigo and sugar has received 

 the special attention of the Government. 



A very large commerce is carried on with 

 San Francisco, and an effort is being made to 

 establish a line of steamers between the ports 

 of Central America and California. The re- 

 duction of ten per cent, on the dues on foreign 

 merchandise imported through the ports of 

 Izabal and Santo Thomas will be continued 

 for six years longer. 



