The Republic of Costa Rica

by Gustavo Niederlein

Industries.—The scarcity of working people and the absence of capital were formerly the greatest barriers to the progress of industry, while at the same time the abundance and relative cheapness of imported articles rendered useless all attempts at home production.

In regard to industrial and manufacturing establishments and workshops, there were in 1892:

842	in the	Province of	San José.
700	”	”	Alajuela.
193	”	”	Cartago.
272	”	”	Heredia.
187	”	”	Guanacaste.
89	”	Comarca de	Puntarenas.
20	”	”	Limon.
2303

Distribution of industrial and manufacturing establishments in Costa Rica.

Key to column headings:
A = San Jose. D = Heredia. G = Limon.
B = Alajuela. E = Guanacaste.
C = Cartago. F = Puntarenas. T = Total.
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	T
Iron foundries	2	..	1	..	..	..	1	4
Blacksmith-shops	25	11	5	7	9	9	2	68
Gunsmith-shops	3	1	..	..	1	2	..	7
Flour-mills	1	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Soap factories	5	..	1	1	..	..	..	7
Breweries	3	..	1	..	..	..	..	4
Ice Factories	2	..	..	..	..	1	..	3
Distilleries	1	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Brick and tile factories	22	29	34	4	18	2	..	109
Fine brick-yards	2	..	..	..	..	..	..	2
Lime-kilns	7	12	10	1	3	1	..	34
Cartridge factories	1	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Sugar factories	1	6	2	..	..	..	..	9
Sawmills	16	35	9	6	4	1	3	74
Coffee-mills	80	75	16	85	..	..	..	256
Iron sugar-mills	205	154	32	46	10	2	..	449
Wooden sugar-mills	248	258	21	13	82	17	..	639
Marble yards	1	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Stone-cutting yards	1	1	1	..	..	..	..	3
Carpenter-shops	31	28	8	37	19	15	3	141
Cabinet-shops	5	2	3	1	..	2	..	13
Tailor-shops	25	13	10	17	14	7	3	89
Tanneries	9	5	3	5	16	..	1	39
Shoemaker-shops	38	17	9	16	12	8	3	103
Barber-shops	17	9	3	12	4	6	2	53
Saddleries	11	8	5	1	4	..	..	29
Bakeries	22	7	3	3	2	7	1	45
Confectioners	5	1	..	1	..	..	..	7
Drug stores	15	16	8	9	4	5	1	58
Dyeing establishments	5	5	..	2	1	1	..	14
Photograph galleries	3	..	..	..	..	..	..	3
Printing establishments	9	1	..	..	..	..	..	10
Lithographers	1	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Book binderies	4	..	..	..	..	..	..	4
Watchmakers	7	1	4	3	..	..	..	15
Silversmiths	4	5	4	2	4	3	..	22
Candle factories	5	..	..	..	..	..	..	5
Total	842	700	193	272	207	89	20	2323

There are in San José the San José Foundry and the National Workshop, which contributed greatly to the progress of mechanical arts, iron manufactures, cabinet work, machinery, implements, farming utensils, tools, etc.

There also exist a silk and cotton factory, manufacturing fine articles like shawls, scarfs, wraps, in the favorite colors of the people; also an ice factory, a shoe factory and a flour-mill.

Among the miscellaneous companies we have to mention the Agency Company for unloading and loading vessels, capital 200,000 pesos; San José Market Company, capital 215,000 pesos; Cartago Market Company, capital 100,000 pesos; Heredia Market Company, capital 100,000 pesos; Monte de Aguacate Mining Company, capital 500,000 pesos; La Trinidad Mining Company, capital 250,000 pesos; Costa Rica House Construction Company, capital 250,000 pesos; Costa Rica Pacific Gold Mining Company, Limited; Electric Light Company.

XII.
FINANCE AND BANKING.

The revenue of the Government of Costa Rica is derived from custom-house duties, revenue stamps and stamped paper, liquor monopoly, tobacco revenue, coffee tax, sale of public lands, tax for registering property, tax on slaughtering live stock, etc.