GUATEMALA,, THE COUNTRY OF THE FUTURE 



597 



THE SUCCESS 01^ AMERICAN INDUSTRIES 



All of the railroads are owned by an 

 American syndicate and are absolutely 

 TUider American control. From Puerto 

 Barrios, on the Caribbean, the Northern 

 road runs a distance of 224 miles up to 

 the city of Guatemala, the capital. From 

 here starts the Guatemala Central road, 

 extending a distance of 74 miles to the 

 port of San Jose, on the Pacific. The. 

 Guatemala Central Railroad has in all 

 216 miles of road throughout the coun- 

 try, and now in course of construction 

 is a branch line 38 miles in length, to 

 run from the city of Retalhuleu to Ay- 

 utla, on the border of Mexico, to connect 

 directly with the Pan-American road 

 there. In a few months it will be possi- 

 ble to travel by railway from New York 

 city to the capital of Guatemala, 



This country was for centuries the 

 home of the Maya-Quiche Indians, 

 whose history reads like a romance. 

 Cortez, however, after the conquest of 

 Mexico, desiring to extend his power 

 over the country farther south, in 1522 

 sent an invading army under the com- 

 mand of Pedro de Alvarado to subjugate 

 this powerful race. 



Leaving Mexico with some 300 Span- 

 iards and a great number of Mexican 

 Indians, Alvarado fought his way into 

 Guatemala, overcoming all who opposed 

 him, and finally, on July 25, 1524, 

 founded the first Spanish capital under 

 the name of Santiago de los Caballeros 

 (Saint James of the Cavaliers). And so 

 it happened that, in a beautiful valley at 

 the foot of two great volcanoes, "Agua" 

 and "Fuego" (meaning water and fire), 

 was firmly established the Spanish rule 

 which was to last for nearly three cen- 

 turies — that is, until September 15, 1821, 

 when Guatemala became an independent 

 republic. 



This first Spanish city was, however, 

 20 years later, almost completely wiped 

 out of existence by a great flood of water 

 which poured down upon it from Agua. 

 There has been much controversy among 

 scientists as to the origin of this flood. 

 Some claim it to have been the result 

 of a cloudburst, others that it came from 



the crater of the supposedly extinct vol- 

 cano. The former supposition seems to 

 be the most plausible, as research has so 

 far failed to discover traces of a con- 

 siderable body of water ever having ex- 

 isted in the crater. 



The few survivors fled down the val- 

 ley and at a distance of three miles chose 

 the site of a new city, and, in 1542, cour- 

 ageously founded a second capital, now 

 known as Antigua. In time it grew to 

 have a population of 100,000 inhabitants, 

 and became a great center of learning, 

 with many universities, monasteries, and 

 over a hundred churches rich in works of 

 art. Although many times threatened by 

 earthquake shocks more or less severe, it 

 flourished until July 29, 1773, when, 

 without warning, in one minute the 

 proud city was leveled to the ground. 



THE REEOCATION OE GUATEMALANS 

 CAPITAL 



Again the survivors of this second 

 calamity sought refuge farther away 

 from the threatening volcano, and, at 

 a distance of 35 miles, finally settled 

 in the beautiful valley of Las Vacas. 

 Here, at an altitude of 5,000 feet above 

 the sea, surrounded on all sides by soft 

 green hills, behind which loom the im- 

 posing heads of three volcanoes, lies the 

 city of Guatemala, the present capital, 

 founded by the courageous survivors of 

 one of the greatest calamities in the his- 

 tory of any land. 



This typical city of Spanish America 

 is a most interesting and charming place 

 to visit. Coming directly from the land 

 of sky-scrapers, the first impression of it, 

 with its low white buildings, is particu- 

 larly attractive. Here and there is a 

 house tinted a bright pink or a vivid 

 blue, thus varying the monotony of the 

 dazzling white and lending a sort of holi- 

 day look, as though the houses had put 

 on their best gown to welcome the stran- 

 ger. 



The climate is one of perpetual spring, 

 the average temperature being about 70 

 degrees. The summer months bring the 

 heavy rains. 



Although in a land of earthquakes. 



