26 A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



sell stamps, etc., but gave a concession to do this to some 

 agency, at that time the Banco de Costa Rica, formerly 

 to the Banco Anglo-Costaricense. The Bank made a con- 

 tract with engravers in England or in the United States to 

 print certain quantities of stamps of different denominations 

 as approved by the Government. A percentage of the face 

 value of the stamps was paid by the Bank to the Govern- 

 ment in return for the concession and this sum largely paid 

 the expenses of the Post Office Department. The Bank sold 

 the stamps to anyone who wanted them, a discount of 6 per 

 cent being given on sales amounting to 25 colones (^11.62+) 

 or more, so that a person buying 25 colones' worth of stamps 

 from the Bank paid only 233^ colones for them. Many 

 storekeepers throughout the country bought stamps at this 

 discount and retailed them, at face value of course, making 

 a little more than 6 per cent on the transaction. It was not 

 part of the duty of postmasters to sell stamps, although 

 they might undertake it like other shopkeepers if they chose 

 to do so; before we knew this we were astonished at being 

 unable at times to buy stamps at the Cartago Post Office. 

 Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, etc.) could be mailed 

 free to points on railroads in Costa Rica, as part of a policy 

 to extend knowledge and diffuse information. 



In the southwestern quadrant was the Plaza Central, 

 whose border of fig-trees, represented in many pictures, had 

 been removed previous to our visit, giving the square a barer 

 and more open appearance than is usually to be found in such 

 places. On the east side of this Plaza was the Cathedral, on 

 the north side the principal barracks. This quadrant con- 

 tains also several hotels of which the Imperial was most fre- 

 quented by foreigners, the Banco de Costa Rica and the 

 Gothic church of La Merced with a single spire over the main 

 (west) entrance and another over the junction of nave and 

 transepts. Nearby were the large hospital of San Juan de 



