SJN JOSE 25 



Streets, "Calles" running north and south, "Avenidas" 

 running east and west. The two main thoroughfares, the 

 Calle Central and the Avenida Central, divided the city 

 into four quarters; the Calles were numbered i, 2, 3, etc., east 

 or west from the Calle Central, correspondingly the Avenidas 

 I, 2, 3, etc., north or south from the Avenida Central. The 

 streets and many buildings were lighted by electricity. The 

 Calle Central and the Avenida Central contained many of 

 the shops and other important edifices and in 1909-10 were 

 traversed by lines of electric cars with overhead wires. At 

 the same time the ox-cart was still almost exclusively in use 

 for all kinds of hauling, including the carriage of the trav- 

 eler's trunks to his hotel and formed a striking contrast to 

 the bustling "trolley" as they passed each other. Coming 

 from Cartago to San Jose one day in February, P. found the 

 street by the railroad station, from the opposite curb to 

 the adjoining freight station, filled with ox-carts taking away 

 or bringing goods. Never had he seen so many. In addition 

 to the electric cars there were many two-horse carriages for 

 hire in the streets, which were much patronized. 



In the northeastern quarter were the station of the Atlantic 

 railroad, the custom house (Aduana), the National Park 

 with Its group of statuary commemorating the defeat of the 

 American filibuster Walker by Costa Ricans In 1857 (an 

 event which assumes large proportions In the national his- 

 tories), the tall iron building occupied in our time by the 

 Escuelas Superiores, and the Parque Morazan. All these 

 lay within three blocks to the north of the Avenida Central. 



In the outskirts of the northwestern quadrant was the 

 imposing and finely situated penitentiary; in the portion 

 nearer the center of the city the various Government offices 

 and the Post Office (Correo). The method of distributing 

 postage stamps and postal cards was quite a novelty to the 

 traveler from the north. The Government did not Issue or 



