The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-04-20
rnEPANAMA CANAL.

THE PANAMA CANAL. {
Scenes on the Isthmus --n Dirty Cities -
Progress Of dc Leascps' Work.
The visitor to either Colon or this
place at present viii be surprised with
The great amount Of business and hustle
which is apparent on every side. OF
course, it is dreadfully hot in both
places, but the insatiato greed Of men
FOR money makes them forget health,
and in fact everything else, in tho one
grand rush to accumulate |
wealth. The situatio on on Che |
isthmus to-day may DO briefly |
summed up in tho one ward-gold. You |
hear it everywhere. The lltl0 Jamaica
negro Wha trundles your luggage to tho
hetel Ii not satisfied unless his paws are
crossed with gold, not silver. The ho-
tel keepers--heayeu save the mart--aro
all eager to got as much out Of you rs
they can with the least possible return,
and it seems to your correspondent that
the only aim in life left TO those people
Is 10 fleece all newcomers-honestlyi If
possible, but, II necessary, resort 10 viO-
lence, which, though 1t may result in
murder, Is always overlooked by tho
authorities.
Colon, or Aspinwall, the Atlantic side
of this most wonderful stretch OF terri
tory, Is rightly denonninatea the dirtiest
place on tho globe. / do not think the
most oaptious could award ii 9nything
more deserving, and n walk through
the streets would soon convince tho
most pronounced skeptic that
its honor is rightly con-
ferred. Little wonder can be OK
pressed that the yellow fever makes
such terrible inroads and the death rate
Is SO enormous. Within the past six
months the work on the Panama canal
has thrown into this place over 10000
workmon, composed for the most part
of the most desperate Criminals in the
world, and to venture out after dark ia
ALWAYS attended with great danger.
There arc only three streets in the
place, and these are but narrow little
alleys, into which are huddled the great
number OF pc ,ple mentioned
above. Jamaica negroes, Fronch,
Spanish, Germans, and tho lowest class
OF Americans make up this won
deriul oonglomoration, and IL makes
one think OF the old l"i9p mining days
in California, 80 graphically described
by Brudarek In hts history OF that
state. one OF tho most ludicrOus sights
: seen here N Che army. Since Barrios
announced himself as dictator Ot Gem
trail America a little revolution for q
cent takes place every day, and It IL no
uncommon sight to see tho factions
eone together Titles are cheap hor''
aud tho ragged, barefoOted brayado
who carries i musk0t also sports q d.
tic az long as his rusty gun. The uni
forms are something terrible, and rs
thew are bound To have red la II some
where, either stripe on the sleeve ol
trousers, coat or hat, the general effect
is plcturesQuo. These "sOldiors" AFRO
y constantly employed In supprossing rU
! bellous, which were almost hourly
= They are paid So per month and provide
their own unilorm'
: Tho paramount question IS the canal
v and II th0re exists any doubt as 90 ~
= ultimate completion IL may as we'll b
y dissipated. since the French obtained
control OF the Panama railroad tho'
u have puRhtd the work of tho canui VIII
e great energy. There are now nearly uY
. miles hnHhed on the AspiuWBil side
j. and between tho two points, AsplnWal
!. and This place, thore rs ono continue
y scone Of hard work, and eections or
y contracted for, the whole work 10 bo don
=. inside OF hVu years, oil COURSE mol be
" Ing an engineer, and entirely ignorant
7" che subject OF canals, l send you onl
most reliable persons. Tho estimate
va cost of the canal is put down IN rouu
figures to be $500, 1000, and up to yo'
~ terday tho company had paid out 10
y, labor, machinery, etc, S1-,OOO,OOO. IN
~ tremendous circulation of money ma
" benefited everybody, and as mentiono
~ IN tho first part OF this letter, the who
Oh population TX struggling TO got ricI
A.. There seems to be no lack OF none,
4. la...s l.a.. A H.tl a.
u to-day that the Canal company had
nd his bank over 100000 In gold, and
Ut similar amount on deposit in Colon.
81 One of the greatest drawbacks q
company has vet received was I'm fRl
u statements submitted by the contra
OH tors and approved by the section bOsse
~, Upon this voucher being presented
lhs tho company the money was paid owe
o. and It was ouly few weeks ago that
a was discovered tho company had be-
III defrauded by false measurements to I
"a. extont OF over $lOO,OCO. A commissl
an from France Is here investigating [
subject, and until their report IL ma
I'VE and some action taken, work will
en- temporarily suspended. The Slav
TAT Dredging company, the Same as ha
ro- tho contract TO fin In our flats, Ia
ma seven powerful dredgers here, ga
.u' capable OF eXcavating 5000 metres |
IN u day, but for some unforeseen roas'
\ have not yet put them In ope
I've ton. The line OF canal Will
an low the railroad, and, as the lat
on runs almost parallel with the Ch0gi
the river, therO exists In the minds of ~
non large number Of people the belief q
Wv, during the rainy season, when the ri
lteu risos 80 or moro feet, the canal will
b, seriously damaged, Tho company
Use somo such idea, for Il proposes build
III y network along the entire route,
4 ne whether &c will prevent the evil fear
'out ROMANS 10 Nc seen. All along the |
no OF railroad are seen comm0dious qu
~ ters for tho workmon, aud this the &C
NJ pany put forward AZ another reason
,,, delay. The natives all live In pa
sllis matched huts, aud make II point,
eNl- pooially the female portion, TO wear
lehV little clothing as possible. THAI
~ most radical reform In this direct
WITH IL needed goes without saying, but
ON, tll the canal il completed and civil
ana ton steps in there can be but little h
lere- expressed for the mahogany-colc
sup lasses.
re- The much talked-of yellow fevo
Panama exists In fact, over 20 or 50
,hite every month, and to-day, while at
lille hotel, three men died with fe
I'M These de aths are all among those