248 



COSTA RICA. 



Esq., resident in Pern, for the construction of 

 railway from Puerto Liinon, on the Atlantic, 

 to Alajuela, some fifty miles from the Pacific, 

 the lino to pass through the cities of Oartago, 

 San Jose 1 , and Ileredia. The sum of $8,600,000 

 wan to be paid for the road ; and the latter 

 be completed in December, 1874. It is now 

 scarcely possible that the work will be fin- 

 ished at tliat time, although it has been car- 

 ried on with an energy unusual in Central 

 America, 



The contract has since been transferred to 

 Mr. Henry Meiggs Keith, a relative of Mr. 

 Meiggs. 



A Costa Rica journal of December gives a 

 glowing description of the triumphal entry of 

 the locomotive into Cartago, drawing the first 

 passenger-train from San Jose, some of whoso 

 prominent citizens ware in attendance to cele- 

 brate the important event with due civic pomp. 

 A ball was given by the municipality of Car- 

 tago. 



According to a prospectus under date De- 

 cember 15, 1873, the capital at the Banco Na- 

 tional de Costa Rica, Limited, will be $2,000,- 

 000 in 2,000 shares at $1,000 each. 



Telegraphic communication has been estab- 

 lished between the capital at Guanacasto, Lib- 

 ertad, and the central portions of the republic. 



A line of telegraph was also to be laid dur- 

 ing the summer from Cartago to Puerto Li- 

 mon, thus placing the Atlantic and Pacific 

 coasts in instantaneous communication. 



Many important improvements were begun 

 In Sn Jose and other cities of the republic ; 

 common roads were not thrown into the shade 

 by railroads; and the Government shows it- 

 self ready to make liberal appropriations for 

 the development of the material and intellect- 

 ual interests of the country. 



In the province of San Jose there are 28 

 schools, 7 of which are for females. The num- 

 ber of male scholars is 1,070, and of females, 

 430 ; and the total annual expenditure for sal- 

 aries of teachers, etc., amounts to $22,740. 



In the other provinces the number of schools 

 is still smaller than in San Jo6 ; and in all 

 tin- province* there were several schools closed 

 fir want of teachers; notwithstanding, new 

 buildings are now in process of erection for 

 educational purposes. 



Considerable progress is shown in some of 

 the private academies, and . -pec'inlly in those 

 for young ladies, as manifested by the favor- 

 able report of examination, at the end of the 

 year. 



A decree was issued toward the end of 1872, 

 to the effect that dentists, oculists, etc., should 

 not take the title of <i,>rtr mile** they were 

 incorporated witli the Faculty of Medicine of 

 8*n Jote. 



The arrival of 654 coolies, in January, caused 

 great deal of excitement among employers, 

 who were naturally enthusiastic on ; 

 in view of the interest* at stake, as well with 

 regard to the coffee-crop as to the works on 



the railroad, the dearth in the labor market 

 having begun to present itself in a serious 

 shape. 



As to the result of the competition between 

 the coolies and native labor, nothing can be 

 said beyond surmise; the means of judging of 

 their relative merits is by observation. 1'hut 

 the Costa Rican makes a good laborer, then- 

 is no doubt; but, being imbued with a spirit of 

 independence to which his little property (tlie 

 inheritance of this peasantry) gives him claim, 

 his services are not as certainly to be counted 

 upon as those of the enduring and patient, but 

 poorer, Chinese, who are ever ready to comply 

 with the necessities of employers in the ab- 

 sence of the same right to the position to 

 which the Costa Rican aspires through his pos- 

 session of more or less property. 



The opening of Congress took place on May 

 1st, on which occasion the Secretary of For- 

 eign Affairs read the President's message, the 

 most important points of which are here no- 

 ticed. 



The nation is at peace with all foreign powers. 

 The boundary question between Colombia 

 and Costa Rica has been amicably settled. 



A like question, now pending with Nica- 

 ragua, does not seem to be so easily solved. 

 The Executive would greatly prefer to arrive 

 at a friendly settlement ; but Costa ilica can- 

 not, injustice to herself, cede any portion of 

 her territory to a neighboring republic. 



A minister arrived from Guatemala to ob- 

 tain tlio ratification of the treaty of December, 

 1871 ; but, not having the necessary power to 

 act in tlio premises, ho was recalled. 



It is hoped that Costa Rica will, at no far- 

 distant day, take a distinguished place among 

 the nations visited by the Executive during hi* 

 late visit to Europe ; and the day is looked 

 forward to when the Central American it 

 will bo merged into one grand republic. 



The national credit is firmly established 

 abroad, owing to the punctuality with which 

 the nation meets its obligations. 



The revenue of the country has been doubled 

 in direct proportion to the growth of com- 

 merce, and tho population is fast increasing. 

 The bank will be tho treasurer-general and 

 commercial agent of tho Government, from 

 whom it is to receive a loan of $1,000,000 a! 1 1 > 

 per cent, interest, which is tho present capital 

 of shares now in that bank bclon^ini; to the 

 supreme Government. The net proceeds of 

 the national revenue for 1869 say $783,000 

 compared with those of the past year (1872) 

 $1,664,000 corroborates that statement. 

 Tho total revenue for 1870 was $2,518,000, or 

 $850,000 in advance of that of tho year imme- 

 diately preceding; and it may fairly bo ex- 

 pected that the revenue for 1873-'74 will reach 

 if not exceed $3,000,000. It is then asked. If 

 the national income has so rapidly iic-r, :,- <] 

 (lurinj; the construction of tho railroad, what 

 will it be when that work is accomplished ? 

 The so-called monetary panic recently talked 



