S ECTICUT. 



COSTA RICA. 



three years, to allow its growth and natural 

 multiplication. The increase of shad also, 

 which has ever been a Connecticut tisli, is 

 helped by the commissioners by artificial 

 propagation. Within three or four weeks in 

 midsummer of 1872, about ninety millions of 

 young shad were sufficiently hatched, and 

 nearly all of them let loose in the Connecticut 

 River. The catching of this fish daring the 

 last season is set down at 600,000, weighing at 

 least two and a half pounds each. The num- 

 ber of those caught in the Connecticut River 

 alone is estimated to have been between 400, 

 000 and 450,000. The contemplated introduc- 

 tion of salmon into the waters of the State has 

 been delayed by the circumstance that tho 

 Holroke Water-Power Company has refused 

 to build a fish-way necessary for that purpose, 

 over their dam at South Hadley. A lawsuit 

 has taken place on the subject ; the matter is 

 now settled, the Supreme Court having de- 

 cided against the company. It was anticipated 

 that the said fish-way would be built without 

 further delay. 



The railroad interest is one of the most im- 

 portant in Connecticut, of which the following 

 is a summary : There are 22 railroad compa- 

 nies in the State, representing 1,268 miles of 

 road, of which 1,163 are in operation, and 868 

 within the State. Since last year's report there 

 have been added 25 miles to the Boston, Hart- 

 ford & Erie road, and sis miles to the Don- 

 bury & Norwalk road. The whole capital 

 stock reported is $44,844,550, and of this $35,- 

 460,117.66 is paid up. The increase of paid- 

 up stock during the year is $4,468,673.40. 

 About 35 per cent, of all the stock and 44 per 

 cent, of the paid-up stock is held in the State. 

 The floating and funded debt of all the roads 

 i-$.VJ7-:. l'i--'.-v'>, :m incrc:is.- .if iiciirly $:M,- 

 600,000, mostly due to the inclusion of the 

 Boston, Hartford & Erie road this year. The 

 whole cost of all roads and equipments is $74,- 

 074,037.40 ; of which about 42 per cent, is paid 

 for, and 58 per cent, is still in indebtedness. 



The average cost of construction and equip- 

 ment per mile is $58,404.12. TWs highest is 

 the " Air Line " which, though only single 

 track, cost $100,401, and the next highest is 

 the New York, New Haven & Hartford, 

 $105,393.95. The least is the Shcpang Valley 

 row). $25,4 1 



There lias been a great Increase in rolling- 

 stock. These are 6,506 men employed, exclu- 

 sive of those engaged in construction, Tho 

 miles traveled by all roads were 5,679,694, a 

 gain of about 600,000. There were 10,184,683 

 passengers carried, and 3,162,473 tons of 



lit. The average cost per mile of o: 

 tin/ the roads was about $6,434.29. This 

 ranges from $18,000 on the New York, New 

 Haven ft Hartford road to $600 on the She- 

 pang. The cost per mile run averages $1.31, 

 the same as in Massachusetts, and tho highest 

 cost was on the New York, New Haven & 

 Hartford road, $1.63. 



The gross earnings for the year were 25 per 

 cent, of the capital stock, and II per cent, of 

 the whole cost of roads and equipment. The 

 net income is 7 per cent, of the whole capita!, 

 and 4} per cent, of the whole cost of roads 

 iiii'l equipment. Passengers yield about 50 

 per cent, of the total earnings. The average 

 rate of fare on all roads is 2.01 cents per mile 

 for passengers, and 4-J cents per mile for freight. 



Concerning fixed rates of fare, the report 

 says it would result in injury to the n.mnmt r. 

 the person most frequently benefited by tho 

 road. The Massachusetts report is quoted to 

 show that there is not only more protit to the 

 road hut also more advantage to the traveling 

 community in the discriminating rates of 

 Massachusetts than in the uniform mileage 

 regulations of New York. 



Eighty-five accidents are reported for the 

 year ; 54 fatal, 31 not fatal. Only one passen- 

 ger was killed, and he by jumping from the 

 cars. Walking on the track and trying to get 

 on moving trains are the two prime causes of 

 accidents. Boys are said to be particularly 

 careless. Tho report says that the broken 

 rail which in January, on the Canal road, 

 wrecked a train near Ives's Station, was anew 

 rail, and was broken by the same truin that 

 was thrown off. 



The military force of the State consists of 

 four thoroughly-appointed regiments. ' Under 

 the system lately introduced, the commutation 

 tax is sufficient to pay all military expenses. 



COSTA RICA (RepeBLioA DE COSTA RICA), 

 an independent state of Central America, ex- 

 tending from latitude 8 to 1 1 5' north, and 

 from longitude 81 20' to 85 53' west, and 

 bounded north by Nicaragua, east by the Ca- 

 ribbean Sea, southeast by the United States 

 of Colombia, and south and west by the Pa- 

 cific Ocean. 



The area of tho republic is estimated at 

 21,493 square miles; although Mr. Blair, lato 

 United States minister to Costa Rica, speaks 

 of the latter (in a communication addr 

 by him to Mr. Fish) as "a country embracing 

 an area of only 5,700 square miles," a > 

 ment which would bo still far below r<-- 

 even granting tho province of Guanacosto to 

 belong to Nicaragua, as claimed by the latter. 



In an official publication under daic.lunol4, 

 1873, it was affirmed that the population of 

 the republic "could not bo less tlum 350,000; " 

 which figure is evidently exaggerated by at 

 least three-sevenths, according to tho calcula- 

 tions of the most reliable authorities. About 

 one-half of the inhabitants are whites; onc- 

 t'oiirth are mestizos; there are some 4,000 Af- 

 ricans. and the remainder are Indians. Tho 

 number of inhabitants of San Jose, the capital, 

 may bo set down at about 26,000. 



Tho territory of tho republic is divided into 

 five provinces Malaria, Cartago, Gn:in:n-asfe, 

 lleredia, and San Jos6; and two comarcat, or 

 districts I'untarenas and l.inmn. 



The President of the republic is General 



