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GUATEMALA
THE COUNTRY OF THE FUTURE
[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT DON MANUEL ESTRADA
CABRERA.]
GUATEMALA
THE COUNTRY OF THE FUTURE
A MONOGRAPH
BY
CHARLES M. PEPPER
WASHINGTON, D. C.
1906
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER. PAGE.
I. A Brief Description 9
II. A Progressive President and his Policies 20
III. The Soil and its Riches 30
IV. Trade and Markets 45
V. Climate and Immigration 56
VI. International Relations 64
VII. The Land of Travel and History 70
* * * * *
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Portrait of His Excellency President Don
Manuel Estrada Cabrera Frontispiece
Monument to Columbus opposite 16
President and Members of Cabinet " 24
Vista of Aguna Plantation " 32
Bridge over Motagua River " 40
Street in Escuintla " 60
Plaza of Jocotenango, Guatemala City " 68
Landscape of Guastotoya River " 72
PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
_President and Cabinet._
Senor DON MANUEL ESTRADA CABRERA,
_President of the Republic_.
Senor DON JUAN BARRIOS, M.
_Minister of Foreign Relations_.
Senor DON JUAN J. ARGUETA,
_Minister of Government and Justice_.
Senor DON JOSE FLAMENCO,
_Minister of Public Improvement_ (_Fomento_).
Senor GENERAL DON LUIS MOLINA,
_Minister of War_.
Senor DON GUILLERMO AGUIRRE,
_Minister of the Treasury_.
Senor DON J. ANTONIO MANDUJANO,
_Minister of Public Instruction_.
MINISTER AND CONSULS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Senor DON JORGE MUNOZ,
_Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary,
Highlands, Washington, D. C._
JOAQUIN YELA,
_Consul General, 2 Stone St., New York City_.
D. KINGSLAND,
_Consul General, 1521 N. 11th St., St. Louis, Mo._
FELIPE GALICIA V.,
_Consul General, 421 Market St., San Francisco, Cal._
C. MORTON STEWART, Jr.,
_Consul General, Baltimore, Md._
JULIO NOVELLA,
_Consul General, P. O. Box 1374, New Orleans, La._
SHIRLEY CRAWFORD,
_Consul, Louisville, Ky._
GUSTAVO NIEDERLEIN,
_Consul, Philadelphia, Pa._
EDWIN R. HEATH,
_Consul, 218 Rialto Bldg., Kansas City, Kans._
BENJAMIN PRESTON CLARK,
_Consul, 92 Water St., Boston, Mass._
VICENTE J. VIDAL,
_Vice-Consul, Pensacola, Fla._
MANUEL MARIA SAMA,
_Consul, Mayaguez, P. R._
M. MERROW,
_Consul, Galveston, Texas_.
ANDRES J. BALLIET,
_Consul, Seattle, Wash._
ORMOND W. FOLLIN,
_Consul, San Diego, Cal._
UNITED STATES MINISTER AND CONSULS IN GUATEMALA.
LESLIE COMBS,
_Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary,
Guatemala City_.
ALFRED A. WINSLOW,
_Consul General, Guatemala City_.
WILLIAM OWEN,
_V. & D. Consul General, Guatemala City_.
CARL G. HEITMAN,
_Consular Agent, Champerico_.
EDWARD REED,
_Consular Agent, Livingston_.
SAMUEL WOLFORD,
_Consular Agent, Ocos._
FRANK SIMS SWAN,
_Consular Agent, San Jose de Guatemala_.
CHAPTER I.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION.
The Republic of Guatemala, which name is derived from the Indian word
"Quanhitemallan," signifying "land covered with trees," has been
described as the privileged zone of Central America. This is because of
its resources, its climate, and its accessibility.
The country is easily reached from all directions through its seaports
on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and through its rapidly growing
system of railways. From California, from the neighboring ports of other
Central American countries and from Panama there is regular and reliable
steamship service on the Pacific coast. On the Atlantic or Gulf side
from New York, New Orleans, Galveston and Mobile there is frequent
steamship service, while there is also connection at Colon with English
and German lines. The steamers on the Pacific coast connect at San Jose
with the Guatemala Central Railway, which affords easy means of arriving
at the capital city and the great coffee-raising districts. These are
reached by the branch to Mazatenango, which forms a junction with the
Occidental Railway between Champerico and San Felipe. On the Atlantic
side is Puerto Barrios, which will derive additional importance from the
early completion of the Northern Railway and which will place New
Orleans within five days or less of Guatemala City, Chicago six days,
and New York seven days. Besides the means of communication afforded
jointly by the steamship lines and the railroads at an early date there
will be complete and uninterrupted railway communication with St. Louis
and other points of the Mississippi Valley through Mexico. The means of
communication and transportation are given more fully later on.
Geographically the Republic of Guatemala is the heart of intertropical
America. It is the most northern part of Central America, in shape like
a polygon, with the southern side the longest. It lies approximately
between north latitude 13 deg. and 42' and 17 deg. and 49', and between 88 deg. and
10' and 92 deg. and 30' longitude west of Greenwich. Its area is 50,600
square miles--the greatest length from north to south being 360 and from
east to west 390 miles. The Pacific coast line with indentations is
nearly 400 miles and the Atlantic line about 150 miles in length.
STRIKING PHYSICAL ASPECTS.
In its physical aspects Guatemala is a country of mountains, tropical
forests, lakes and rivers and coast plains. It was described by Humboldt
more than one hundred years ago as extremely fertile and well
cultivated, and this description holds good to-day, though there are
vast areas of rich agricultural land yet open to profitable cultivation
and only awaiting immigration to develop their richness.
The Guatemalan Andes consist of three minor mountain systems. These are
the northern zone, chiefly of denuded cones, 1,500 to 2,000 feet in
height, with plains lying between them; the central zone consisting of
ranges and chains running east and west with many marked elevations
rising from 7,000 to 14,000 feet; and the southern zone consisting of
eruptive chains which culminate in many notable volcanic peaks, some of
which are more than 14,000 feet in height. These are known as the
Cordilleras and they parallel the Pacific Ocean.
There are three river systems emptying respectively into the Gulf of
Mexico, the Atlantic and the Pacific. Some of the streams flowing into
the Gulf of Mexico are navigable by steamboats of light draught.
Of the Atlantic tributaries the principal rivers are the Sarstoon, the
Motagua and the Dulce; the latter empties into the Gulf of Honduras.
Navigation is possible on the Motagua for about 75 miles from the mouth.
The rivers flowing into the Pacific include the Paz, the Suchiate, and
the Patulul. These have their sources in the Andean Cordilleras or the
neighboring highlands. There is also the Michatoya which is navigable
for small boats to its confluence with the Maria Linda. Generally
speaking, a few of the rivers on the southern coast might be made
navigable for short distances with boats of very light draught.
Guatemala has a series of inland lakes which include Izabal, Atitlan,
Amatitlan, which are capable of steam navigation; Peten, Ayarza and
Guija. The largest of these is Lake Izabal, which is 58 miles long by 12
miles in width and which has its outlet through the Dulce River into the
Gulf of Honduras.
The cities and municipal districts having a population of 10,000 and
upwards are as follows:
NAME. POPULATION.
Guatemala City 100,000
Antigua 10,000
Quezaltenango 25,000
Totonicapan 33,000
Coban 23,000
Chiquimula 13,000
Jalapa 13,000
Escuintla 13,000
Salama 13,000
Amatitlan 10,000
Zacapa 12,000
Flores 13,000
Jutiapa 14,000
Huehuetenango 10,000
Retalhuleu 10,000
Solola 15,000
Mazatenango 10,000
San Marcos 10,000
Atitlan 10,000
THE HANDSOME CAPITAL CITY.
Guatemala, the capital, is the largest city in Central America. The
location is unusually healthy, being 5,000 feet above sea level. The
city is laid out on a splendid scale with many fine avenues and parks.
It is improving its system of tramways by changing to electricity as
the motor power. The public buildings are especially notable. Among the
principal ones are the Palaces of the Government, the Presidency, the
Legislative Power, the Judicial Power, the Municipality, and the
Archbishopric; the Cathedral and other magnificent churches; the
Ministry of Public Improvement (Fomento), the Mint, the Conservatory of
Music, the general offices of accounts, of police, and of liquors and
internal revenue; the custom-house, the national institutes of young
men, of young ladies and of the native race, the first of which is
provided with a meteorological observatory; the schools of law,
medicine, engineering, polytechny, and arts; the children's college and
a large number of public schools; the Colon theatre; the registry of
real estate, the national printing-office, the post-office, the National
Museum; the military hospital, and the general hospitals, the asylums
for the insane and for convalescents and invalids; the central and the
Calvary markets; the penitentiary and the artillery, cavalry, and Guard
of Honor and San Francisco barracks; San Jose and Matamoros forts, and a
very large number of other imposing edifices. The American Club, which
has several hundred members, mostly citizens of the United States,
occupies fine quarters.
Some of the parks, plazas, and public drives are adorned with very
beautiful marble or bronze statues. Among the principal ones are the
bronze monument of Christopher Columbus in the central park and the
marble one of the same historic personage in the garden of the Colon
Theatre; that of General J. Rufino Barrios and that of Don Miguel Garcia
Granados in the boulevard of the Reforma; and that of Friar Bartolomew
de Las Casas in the campus of the Institute of the Indian race. The last
three statues are of bronze.
The seaports of Guatemala are of a varied character. Their value grows
every day because of the increased commerce that is resulting from the
development of the country under the industrial policies of President
Estrada Cabrera. On the Atlantic the leading ports are Livingston,
Izabal, Santo Tomas, and Puerto Barrios. Of these Puerto Barrios is
easily first. It lies at the extremity of the Gulf of Amatique, is
spacious and is well protected against winds. As the terminus of the
Guatemalan Northern Railway it is assured of a very extensive trade both
in exports and in imports. Puerto Barrios is not only a receiving and
distributing center for Guatemala, but also for a considerable portion
of the neighboring Republic of Salvador, which has no port on the
Atlantic.
The chief ports on the Pacific side are San Jose, Champerico, and Ocos.
By far the largest amount of business is done through the port of San
Jose, which is the terminus of the Guatemalan Central Railroad. It has
extensive quays and other facilities for navigation.
OCEAN TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
Guatemala is well supplied with ocean transportation facilities, several
of the steamship companies receiving aid from the government. On the
Pacific coast there is the Pacific Mail which maintains a regular
fortnightly service with extra vessels during the coffee season and
which touches at the ports between San Francisco and Panama. The German
line known as the Kosmos puts the Guatemalan ports in communication with
the West Coast of South America as well as with the ports of California
and Mexico. It carries both passengers and freight. There are also
numerous small coasting vessels. It is probable that service will be
resumed by the various Chilean lines which formerly proceeded to San
Francisco, touching at Guatemalan and other ports, but which of recent
years have not gone north of Panama. All the vessels have excellent
passenger accommodations.
From the Atlantic ports there are ships engaged in the fruit trade with
New York and Boston, some of which carry passengers. Usually, however,
passengers prefer to travel by way of New Orleans or Mobile, from either
of which cities every Thursday there is a vessel plying directly to
Puerto Barrios. The most complete service is that maintained by the
United Fruit Company.
In view of the growing development on the Atlantic slope and of the
commerce which is certain to result there is an excellent opportunity
for an increased steamship service with the ports of the United States.
The time could be greatly lessened with advantages both in the
transportation of freight and in the benefit to passengers. The policy
of the government towards steamship lines both as relates to port
charges and to other measures is a most liberal one and every inducement
is offered to engage in furnishing additional facilities, which will
shorten the time between the different points and increase the frequency
of communication.
GROWTH OF RAILROAD SYSTEM.
The railway system of Guatemala under the administration of President
Estrada Cabrera is certain to be the most useful means of developing the
country. Every encouragement is given to capital to engage in railroad
enterprises. The general plan includes both an interoceanic railroad and
links in the intercontinental or north and south lines. No measure of
President Estrada Cabrera's administration has been of greater
importance than his action in securing the completion of the Northern
Railway, which will be open for traffic throughout its entire length by
the end of 1906. This places the capital and the whole interior of the
country in direct communication with Puerto Barrios and insures a very
heavy decrease in the cost of freight both for the agricultural exports
and for the merchandise and other imports. The line runs from Guatemala
City to El Rancho and thence to Puerto Barrios. At various times
concessions were given for building the different sections, but
circumstances caused many of them to be almost abandoned.
In the face of repeated discouragements President Estrada Cabrera took
up the subject with resolute spirit and with the sanction of the
National Assembly made a contract with a syndicate of which the
principals were Sir William C. Van Horne, the celebrated railroad man,
who completed the Canadian Pacific Railway in the face of monumental
difficulties and who subsequently built the Cuba Central Railway; and
Minor C. Keith, of the United Fruit Company, who for a third of a
century had been identified with various successful enterprises in
Central America. Subsequently the Guatemala Central Railway took a share
in the enterprise and also German banking and coffee interests. Under
the contract no export duty is to be laid on agricultural exports
transported over the railroad except coffee and the Company is given the
right to fix its passenger and freight charges on a gold basis. There
were many engineering difficulties to be overcome, the chiefest of which
was the bridging of the Motagua River. The material for this railway
construction was imported principally from the United States, the rails
from Maryland and the bridgework across the Motagua and other rivers
from Pittsburg.
The importance of this Northern Railway to the development of Guatemala
is incalculable. It insures the opening up of a very rich country which
means a great addition to the exports of Guatemala and it also should
bring a large immigration because of the facilities for easy
communication and access to the markets of the United States which it
will afford. With the operation of the Northern Railway in connection
with the Guatemala Central, the country will have a through railway line
from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, 270 miles in length. While the
interior development is the chief benefit of this through railway
system, it is not unlikely that during the years that must pass until
the Panama Canal is completed some of the international traffic which
cannot be accommodated on the railway line across the Isthmus will find
a cheap and expeditious passage across Guatemala.
On the Pacific slope the leading railway system is the Guatemala
Central. It was built by C. P. Huntington and is one of the best
railroads anywhere south of the Rio Grande. Though of narrow gauge the
roadbed was laid for standard gauge, and this change can be made at any
time. Unlike most foreign railways the Guatemala Central maintains the
American system of checking baggage. Its main line and branches cover
the coffee-raising districts of the Pacific coast section of Guatemala.
The Occidental Railroad has about 50 miles of track and the Ocos line 20
miles. Both of these are on the Pacific slope.
COMPREHENSIVE RAILWAY POLICY.
It is worth knowing that while the interoceanic line approaches
completion Guatemala is making decided progress in the links of the
Pan-American or intercontinental north and south trunk line. From a
junction with the Northern a branch will run south to Zacapa and
ultimately will be extended into Salvador. Towards the north there is
only a section of 30 miles to be completed in order to prolong the
Guatemalan system to Ayutla on the border of Mexico and this will be
done as soon as the extension of the Mexican lines to the boundary are
completed. These extensions are to be finished within two years, so it
may reasonably be said that by the end of 1907, if not sooner, a through
railway journey will be possible from San Francisco, Chicago, or New
York to the capital of Guatemala. The importance of this railway
building was shown by Senator Stephen B. Elkins, the chairman of the
Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce, in a speech made at the dinner
given the Pan-American Railway Committee by the Hon. H. G. Davis. In his
speech Senator Elkins said that the freight on coffee, which now
approximates $20 per ton or $1,000 on a carload of 50 tons, would be
cheapened till it came down to $250 per carload, or $5 per ton.
[Illustration: MONUMENT TO COLUMBUS.]
The railroad laws of Guatemala are thus explained in my official report
as Commissioner of the Pan-American Railway:
"The railways of Guatemala are regulated by the provisions of the
Commercial Code and by the general railway law known as Decree No. 566,
dated February 1, 1898. By the terms of this decree persons or companies
seeking franchises are required to submit the plans to the Department of
Fomento; when indorsed by that Department the sanction of the Council of
State is sought, and finally the approval of the National Legislature.
All contracts celebrated by the executive power have to be approved by
the National Legislature. The contracts may be with designated
individuals, with persons acting for others, or for companies that are
to be formed.
"Concessions can be granted with subsidy or without it, guaranteeing or
not the capital which may be invested, with an interest proportionate to
the product. The Government shall include in the estimates the share of
pecuniary responsibilities required for fulfilling the obligation
contracted.
"The State may exempt the enterprise from the payment of every class of
contributions, from the use of stamped paper and fiscal dues, for the
time which it may consider just or opportune, but in every instance the
exemptions shall be specified in the contract.
"The right of eminent domain or expropriation for the benefit of
grantees holding franchises is enforced. The Government also undertakes
to procure uniformity in the gauge and the rails.
"The Government offers every inducement to promote the extension and
development of railroads in the country. The best evidence of its policy
toward legitimate and genuine capital is shown in the terms of the
contract for the completion of the Northern Railroad.
"The engineering difficulties of railroad construction in Guatemala are
not grave, as the lines skirt the foothills of the great agricultural
regions. The immense natural resources, consisting of the products both
of the tropical and the temperate climates, such as coffee, sugar,
tobacco, the cereals; the vast pasturage for live stock; the undeveloped
timber industries, and the unexploited mines, all open up prospects for
profitable traffic."
In addition to its railways Guatemala seeks to maintain a complete
system of highways or cart roads. Among the most important cart roads
which have recently been built or are now under construction, are those
from the capital to San Juan Sacatepequez, San Pedro and San Raymundo.
There is also a cart road between Huehuetenango and Quezaltenango; one
from Coban to Quiche which will join the departments of the north with
the rich western section of the Republic; from Totonicapan to Quiche;
that between Ovejero and Trujillo, which will place in communication the
departments of Jutiapa and Jalapa; that from Tumbador to San Marcos;
that from Solola to Panajachel; that from Chicacao to Nahualate; and
finally the highway from San Jeronimo and Rancho San Augustin, which
will join the department of Baja Verapaz with Zacapa. All these roads
serve as new arteries for the development and the enlargement of
commerce and agriculture and this has been the special care of President
Estrada Cabrera, who has provided the means for opening, wherever
possible, the necessary ways of communication.
Distances between the capital city and the principal points of the
country are as follows:
GUATEMALA TO MILES.
Antigua 27
Chimaltenango 36
Amatitlan 18
Escuintla 431/2
Cuajiniquilapa 42
Solola 90
Totonicapan 111
Quezaltenango 120
Mazatenango 138
Retalhuleu 153
San Marcos 165
Huehuetenango 195
Santa Cruz de Quiche 96
Salama 69
Coban 126
Flores 321
Izabal 216
Zacapa 126
Chiquimula 135
Jalapa 75
Jutiapa 87
POSTAL AND CABLE SERVICE.
The means of facilitating intercourse both among its own people and with
the outside world has always been encouraged by the government of
Guatemala.
The Republic is a member of the International Postal Union. It has an
excellent post-office service, both foreign and domestic. Complete
information is given in the Postal Code of the Republic. During the last
year the number of pieces of mail received in all the offices of the
Republic was nearly 5,000,000, while the mail matter transmitted
amounted to 3,653,000 separate pieces. The telegraph and telephone are
nationalized and are controlled and operated by the Government, though
there are also some private telephone lines in the capital. The national
telegraph lines have a total length of about 5,300 kilometers, 3,290
miles, and the telephone lines of 500 kilometers, 310 miles. The number
of telegrams transmitted in a given year was 1,106,832. The Government
is constantly constructing new lines both for telegraph and telephone
service. At the present time there are nearly 200 telegraph offices and
about 100 telephone offices. The rates both for telegraph and telephone
messages, which are payable in Guatemalan currency, are quite moderate.
A telegram of 10 words to any part of the Republic costs about 5 cents
in gold. The long distance telephone service is at the rate of about 15
cents for a five minutes' conversation.
The cable service is maintained by the Central and South American
Telegraph Company, whose main office is at San Jose. The following are
the charges per word in gold:
Guatemala to points in the United States 55 cts.
" " " Great Britain 80 cts.
" " " France 80 cts.
" " " Germany 80 cts.
" " " Canada 58 cts.
" " " Central America 29 to 32 cts.
" Havana, Cuba 66 cts.
" points in Mexico 31 to 44 cts.
" City of Panama 37 cts.
" City of Colon 47 cts.