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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1908)
SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1508, THE MORNING ASTOH IAN. ASTOIUA, OREGQ IV Bananar.Raising;::r::; A' Great'Industry 9 To the writer and no doubt to jilany others, it has . often aecmed strange that the southern continent of tlii hemisphere 1 has no little in terest for the average citizen of the United States. Occasionally article tinve appeared in the 'newspaper! and magazines which have caused a little Cutter of interest in somes quarters but the interest seems to have been fleeting. There has been much talk of Dark est Africa, and explorers galore have followed the famous Stanley and Liv ingstone ' into the dark recesses of that continent until I think I as safe in saying that the continent of Africa is, today better known than our own South America. , I feel sure that there is no quarter of the globe that presents to the im agination so much of romantic and ncntimcntal interest and I might add mmercial Interest, as well as food or speculation in regard to the myi- tcrious. and unknown. . . , Tales of the Spanish Main are still and no doubt will be for many years to come, full of interest to all who read or hear from them. The ex ploits of the early Spanish explorers and settlers and the depredations of the buccaneers certainly furnish enough of romance and tragedy to satisfy the most exacting. One surely cannot read of ihe mag nificent Spanish dream of a great empire in the New Yorld without a thrill of admiration mixed with a good deal of horror at their methods of founding it.' Their ruthless de struction of a civilization, which was in some respects at least, even su perior to their own, always rouses more or less indignation. . Still, after all, there is a tinge of sadness mingled with our indignation when we think of the rapid decadence of the dream, which has perhaps only been equaled by the dccarcnce of the power and influence ot the mother country itself. ... - f Of the origin and history of the early civilization, existing when the Spaniards came, we know little or nothing and there seems to be very little prospect of learning more. Even of the actual present habitants of many parts of the continent we know almost as little. We are familiar to some extent with a narrow belt along the coast of the oldest of the Spanish American settlements, tne may find within an hour s walk or ride, almost primeva idrchti where there is no sign humaa s lnhabitants( much less, civi lizatlon, and the villages of mud and thatch whose inhabitants are almost pure Indians, Although they speak the Spanish language, A few hour's rule up the Sierre mountains takes one into a practically uninhabited wilderness where the tropical jungtc is so dense that the path must be cut most of the way even for a mule train. T I ! .1 . m s reacning me wilderness one travels most of the way over a wild trail cit along the sides of the moun tains, passing at long Intervals, lonely coffee plantations. These are soon passed and the only signs of human life, past or present, are the old In- dian Aztec roads made by laying boulders in rows with their flat sides up, usually two rows of large ones with a row of smaller ones on either side. And all of this within a day's laborious ride up the mountain. I hen what lies within the vast stretches beyond? Of course, the country, on all sides has been penetrated to some distance in a desultory way, but how does the world at large know of it? Scientists from the great museums have made some long trips up the Magdalcna, the Orinoco and the Am azon rivers and of the country along the latter considerable has been writ ten. ... The report comes from the upper stretches of the Orinoco of the vast table land having great fertility and fine climate, teeming with a wealth of plant and animal life, but this is a re port made from a bare book at the edge of the mysterious unknown country beyond, through which prob ably no white man has passed and emerged alive. - bavage beasts, savage men, and deadly fevers have all conspired to curtail the knowledge that has come to the outer world. As-the population of the world in creases, these great garden spots must sooner or later be opened tip and connected with the rest of the world by modern methods of trans portation. This the United Fruit Company has been quietly doing along the and a little of the territory along the 'coast of the Caribbean Sea for a navigable rivers, but I think few real izc how narrow this belt is. It was the writer's privilege to spend a few weeks along the coast of Colombia just at the close of the late civil war in that country, and there is very little here that we are famil- number of years and system has been developed whose magnitude few un rcdstand. '.' Stations have been established from San Marta, Colombia, to Blueficlds, Nicaragua and there are important shipping points at Santa Marta, iaf with as twentieth ccntuary civi-, Colon, Boca del Toro, Tort Limon, lization and culture. Even in the j Grey town, and Blucfields and "I do neighborhood of Santa Marta, one of not know how many more places. To ok Ybun3 j feci' youii in"4 sU "young" keep 'the bl6od purethe stomach rightj the bowels regular, the skm "clear and the eyes bright with .t ' " BEEmmM "'A f r Sold Evryi jr't, tn botes 10c. aa4 rTl i?rmr,i,Li I .""x ""'v fX f I 1 11 III ft? The Kind You llavo Always Bought, and which has been in use for over 30 years, has borne the signature of ana has been made under his per- fiM Bonal supervision since its infancy. All Counterfeits, Imitations and "Just-as-good" are but Experiments that trifle tilth and endanger the health of , Infants and Children Experience against, Experiment Whatever may have been aid' ,of the United Fruit Company as a trust and an oppressor of smaller concerns, it has certainly done great things for the places where its stations have been established and I have yet to hear of a case in these places where unjust discrimination or ' opression has been practiced, while many who are ' in their employ and are doing business with them, speak of them only in the highest terms. ' Perhaps Limon, Costa Rica fs a good example and this has been changed from a little adobe and thatch tropical mudholc, with aw ful health conditions to a clean, mod ern flourishing town, with a small park which is the most beautiful I have'ever seen.'" 12:''''',''' The United Fruit Company's prin cipal industry is of course, raising and shipping bananas, although they handle some other fruit and I think that this' industry which is destined for many years to come,' to be the leading one in that climate. The market for their suit in ihe United States seems to be almost unlimited, and the amount of the fruit consumed is only limited by the supply and price. ' , Some years ago while going from New York to Colombia. I made the acquaintance of Don Quiros, a wealthy Spaniard from San Jose, Costa Rica, who had very large in terests in that city and the surround ing country. Among other things, he owned a banana plantation from which he was shipping about, five thousand bunches of bananas a week to New York upon the boats of the ) United Fruit Company. v , , He told me that some years he had cleared above all expenses, as hisrh as seventy per cent, of the original investment. A profit of from thirty -to fifty per cent, is not at all uncom mon.' ' ' , ' Large profits are made along the coast of Colombia where irrigation is depended upon, but the Isthmian and Central American climate, where there is sufficient rain fall, is better. The amount of this fruit that is shipped to the United States is almost inconceivcable. Ships carrying from ten to thirty thousand bunches are anding daily at New Orleans, Mo- Me, I'hiladclphia, New York and Boston. From their farms at Bocas del Toro alone, the United Fruit Company is shipping three or four such cargoes a week. , . There are perhaps few great in dustries, especially in agricultural lines, about which the general public knows so little as that of raising bananas. Many have a vague mental picture of a grove of trees which live year after year and bear bunch after bunch of bananas, and we often hear the desire expressed to see the fruit ripening upon the trees and to taste the luscious fruit that had riepned as nature intended. In fact, it is con sidered the unpardonable sin to al low iwiH'iw.lw.twiwMwiwliM 7 r f .. , Ilr , t lr n .iiiimum.,!!,,,,,.,-..-,., . . ..i ...i- n irinMi.,,i,l,M,iihi ..mil iTTrmrrfriui:.,. m.ftna.w-r"yi in lnOTuniiririwnn-ritr'lfiiit i:inrfTlrwiIi."iM. - MmmmmxixmtmMmin.nm.mmum'umumwmmii j y r frlUii.. MiXA . , . ., ; , 5. . -Til' If lt'""!3 jsr""J! - 1 ' ' -T-r-1, T. .i I-., 1. .., ., ,,..,, .j f I i? '' ' J ' 3 "3 J J "3 M'J" '''' 11 f ft of 3 1 1 5 5 loo 11 B I ' . ... fa,Ht&ajmtommmimmm iyiiIllSlI"TO and Coal at $5.00 per Ton Cardiff Coal tbli&Co's StbcK at $3.00 Per Share DO YOU REALIZE what $5.00 peal means to every man n Astoria that burns coal? It means cut ting his fuel bill half in two; it also means that more than half the people now burning wood will-' cut their fuel bill nearly half in two by burning CARDIFF COAL. 'This all means a total saving of thousands of dollars to Astorians. ? f , , ( ,"5 '1 ' DO YOU REALIZE when you have an opportunity to buy this stock at $3.00 per share that it will on the most conservative basis "pay 12 per cent on par ($10.00 per share), or more than 40 per cent on ' its present selling price, $3.00 per share. DO YOU REALIZE that in less than 30 days this stock will be selling- for $5.00 per share? WHY? Because we will be shipping and selling coal on both the Portland and Astoria markets; that part of our machinery will be installed and cause the first allottment that was put on the market at $3.00 per share will be sold before the 15th of April DO YOU REALIZE that this this stock will be paying dividends and selling at $10.00 per share or more before the first of the year? Why?. Because we will be shipping hundreds of tons of coal per day before that time; because we have the coal, the market and the 1est and cheapest , transportation in the i world, and last, but not least, .-" " , . ,;, ...r 1 DO YOU REALIZE that you don't realize and won't realize until it is too late what you are passing up if you don't buy this stock at $3.00 per share before the price advances. Well, if yon don't realize it now you will when the opportunity has passed, then you will tell your friends that . you remember when you could have bought Cardiff Coal & Coke Company's stock at $3.00 per share; in fact, you had almost made up your mind to buy it, but you didn't know whether the coal would burn or not because it was so close home. Did you ever see any coal thaf wouldn't bum?-' . : . -i Orders for either Coal or Stock or any information about either will be cheerfully furnished by C. H. CALLANDER, at, the Callander Navigation Co. or J. C. LEE, at the North ern Hotel. :'-!,: "''" V.T '"'.''' SIR ROBERT HART RETIRES. PEKIN, Mar. 27, Sir Robert Hart, who is returning to England after many years at the head of the Chines maritime customs, was received in farewell audience yesterday by, the Emporor and the Dowager Empress of China. Sir Robert has been fully 54 years in the service of the Chinese irovernment. The audience was of o unusual duration; The empress cor dially thanked Sir Robert for his ser vices to the country and made him a number of gifts. The emporor also manifested his appreciation. Best Healer in the World. Rev. F. Starbird, of East Raymond, Maine, says: "I have used Bucklen's a bunch to ripen upon the tree. 'Arnica Salve for several years, on What is GASTOBIA ;f ft- I: Castor! is a harmless substitute for. Castor Oil, Pare goric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It ls'Plsanii. It contains neither Opium, Morphine nor Other J&rcotia substance. Its age is Its guarantee. It destroys Worms And allays Feverlshness. It cures Dlarrhoftft and ,Wind Colic, It relieves Teethlngi Troubles, frirm Cohfitlipatlon und Flatulency; 4 It assimilates the F(K(1, regulates j the fitomach and. Bowels,' giving healthy and natural sleep The Children's Panacea The Mother's Friend .t CEfJUiriE CASTORIA ALWAYO J t The M You Havo Alwayafiought In Uso For Over 30 Years. mc 4INTAWM MHMNVf tf mummv TNtrr. ntw Venn errv. my old army wound, and other obsti nate sores, and find it the best healer in the world. I use it too with great success in my veterinary business." Price 25c at Chas. Rogers & Son's drug store. v'-. ine Danana tree springs trom a great bulk somewhat like a lily bulk 1 a ami a single snoot seldom, it ever bears more than one bunch ' of the fruit. The bulb lives and throws out new shoots or suckers from time to time and often when the bananas are ready to cut from one shoot, another froni the same bulk will be growing up and perhaps in bloom. - After the bananas are cut the shoot is cut down and rots upon the ground. The process of planting a new ba nana grove is, I am sure, quite differ-, ent from what most people imagine. Low, rich soil is usually chosen and this in the tropics is always cov ered with a dense growth of timber. Good banana land , can be purchased for very little, but it costs a good deal more to prepare and plant an acre than the original cost of the land. First a gang of men is sent though with mochettas to cut the rank under growth which unsally grows so thick that it seems as if a rabbit could scarcely force his way through. 'After the undergrowth has been cut down gang of laborers fpllow to do the planting. The banana bulbs are cut into pieces called "bits," each "bit' containing one eye or sprout, the process being similar, in a way, to the cutting of seed potatoes. These "bits" are planted in rows much like a voting orchard and then the remainder of e amerent patterns. jtiUiw-U is the forest is cut down and allowed to t sdld by all good grocers at 10c. per rackage. Do not accept a substitute GIFT TO Y.M. C A. 4 . w CHICAGO, Mar. 27 A contribu tion ot $S,uuu to the anniversary fund of the Young Men's Christian Association, was made yesterday by Mrs. T. B. Blackstone. Announce ment of the gift was made by the citizens advisory committee which is in charge of raising, the $1,000,000 fund. ' Notice to Our Customers We are pleased to announce that Foley's Honey and Tar for coughs, colds and lung troubles is not affected by the National Pure Food and Drug law as it contains no opiates or other harmful drugs, and we recommend it as a safe remedy for children and adults. T. F. Laurin; Owl Drug Store. . " r-'v' .. : IMPIRSONED IN OLD MINE. SPOKANE. March 26.-Paur Em- anuelson and Rasmus Rasmussen, timbermen, were imprisoned by a fall of waste in an abandoned working in the Bunker. Hill and Sullivan mine "at Wardner, Idaho. The men are work ing tonght in an effort to rescue them if they are still alive. I-ane'a, Family Medicine will giv you a digestion tiat will permit yon to eat good things instead of "health foods" of various sorts that are -aa palatable aa hay. . : , - trr .. : r- SAVE A DOCTOR BILL REFUGEES LEAVING. PORT ' AU PRINCE, Mar. 27. The refugees in the various legations in Port Au Prince, to the number of 75, will leave here for Kingston to day on board the oerman cruiser Bremen. All but two of the refugees refused the government's guarantee of safety if they should elect to re turn to their homes. They preferred to live out of the country. ae u. s, gunooat Marietta ar rived here yesterday from Guantan amo. The U. S. cruiser Des Moines has been here for some time past. Sill iralii Jfllsfra, inaiviauauy Momea desserts are now considered the properthlng. The moulds are hard to get outside the large cities, but users 6f JELL-O, The Dainty Dessert, can ' get, them absolutely free. Circular Tin each package explaining and illustrating BY DRINKING BASS' ALE AND GUINESS STOUT WITH YOUR DINNER PUT UP IN. NIPS.) IT IS A SYSTEM BUILDER. RECOM MENDED BY ALL PHYSICIANS. . PRICE, $1.50 PER DOZEN. AMERICAN IMPORTING CO. - ' 589 Coinmercial Street 1 - - STE EL & EMSA RT Electrical Contractors Phone Main 3881.... 426 Bond Street or you will be disappointed. m (Continued on page 7)'