The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-16
POINTSFROM PANAMA
Life in the Land of 'Plenty of
Fish"
BUSINESS OF WATER CARRIERS.
On the Esplanade-The Church of San Dom.
ingo-The Great Lottery Scheme
Pizarro's Expeditions.

a. L,
lal correspondence of THE HERALD. l.
More than anywhere else in the two con
tinents, this section shows how hard an
last the Young America of the north i
treading on the heels of the older Americ
of the south. 'sNew'' Panama. as il !
called, was found in 1S73 within two year
after the destruction of the old town, an,
Still shows abundant evidences of its Cas-
lillian origin. There are ancient casa
OF Moorish architecture. as sedate. drows,
and heavily picturesque as any in Grenad;
or old CASTLE, central courts enclosed
within their enormously thick walls. iron
barred easements,
WITH FOLDING DOORS OF SOLID WOOD
in lieu of windows and awninp.shadef
corridors and verandas; while sandwiches
between them are Young American hotels
stores, saloons, barber-shops and boarding
houses, Haunting gaudy signs in red anf
gold inscribed, "Free Lunch Every Day. {,
Ten Cents Shave" Boston Baked Beans
and Clam Chowder," ETC.
For over two hundred years the sleepy
Old place had never an inn, not until the
California gold fever of 1S47 lS49 broucb,
thousands of travellers this way, and then
they sprang up by the score. Now the
number of hotels is reduced to two or three
OF the better class, and as many more of
inferior grades; ranging in price from 50 tn
s. so per diem
Tnough surrounded on three sides by the
sea- Panamais y '''e
WALLED LIKE A FEUDAL CITY
because the eynerian,.a Of -. g.. -
TIE buccaneers had been so disastrous that
tney neglected no means of defense for the
new capital. The wall, which is now mar
TALLY destroyed and overgrown bv bushes
was originally from twenty to forty feet
nlgn, with moat and bastions on it's land
iace, oaGtlements and towers at frequent
intervals and mounted with MANY pieces of
cannon. In the early days it was an eff
iec0ual safeguard against ordinary attack.
out would be of little use against modern
munitions of warfare. The builders who
nad lately lost all at the hands Of pirates
spent so much money in the construction
OF THIS wall that at last the Spanish hin,
wrote to inquire whether the wall of the
expensive colony were being made of gold
or of silver. s'oi0
The Indian word Panama signifies
plenty OF fish" and had been bestowed
upon the locality long before the arrival of
the Span!ards For more than two cen
cities in the New World, the kew fo the
Paclhc, and the great distributing centre
between Europe and the rich countries n:
Southern America. When the treasure
gaueons came sailing into its harbor from
Lima ana valparaiso, laden with the wealth
OF conquered nations Ito be sent on mule.
PACK across the 1sthmus to Porto Relic
where the feet waited to conway i ~
SPAR }, the old town blossomed ont of SC
pest. Then its harbor was crowded with
SHIPS from many lands, and its streets with
wealthy merchants, Castilian crandeas
gorgeously uniformed officers of the army |
ana the government-the flower and chiv-
airy of New Spain; while balls, bull fights
gaming ana excuses Of all kinds We're the |
order of the hour
But there have been checks to Panarna.s
prosperity, not least among them heinz
several confagrations and innulnarahle
ylsltat.ons of pestilence. Before the wear
1896, the town was twice almost totally
destroyed by fire and from that veer 70
1867 its population seldom exceeded ( oo1
Inc vast hoatlng population that went
through during the feverish DAYS of 1910
could nardly be counted to Panama's credit
with the completion of the Isthmian rail
way, a second era of permanent prosperity
began; and now its population NAV safeiy
be reckoned at q. 900.
Like al Spanish American cities its cen
IA.
fountain and flowers, surrounded by the
most important edifices of church and
state. Straight through the middle of it
runs La Gala dc las MOnjas, or
''sTREET OF THE NUNS"
which sacrilegious Yankees now call Ma n
street. The Palace of the Bishop, faces {
Panama's plaza; and the Cabildo. or gov II
eminent house. where all the business of {
the municipality is conducted. A big q
american MOTEL occupies one side Of it and 1
directly opposite, beyond the flowers and I
the fountain, is the great cathedral whose Y
twin towers are said to be the talest on
the continent, so tail that they indicate to O
vessels far out at sea the entrance To the | C
bay and port. 5
This famous sanctury is almost fac C
slmlle OF the grand cathedral in the City t
OF Mexico, being built of stone and stuc s
coed adobe, at least 200 feet long by $50 feet G
deep, with floor Of square red bricks and y
roof supported by four rows of massive d
columns. Inside there are the usual affairs il
and shrlnes, pictures, confessionals burn. Y
ng candles, ct cetera: but outside there is h
marked difference. its towers being set a
With lnnumerable round plaques of glass d
hat glitter in the sunshine like so MANY "
koh-l-noors, while standing along its il
acade, each in his niche, is row of colos a
'al saints, all painted dark green 81
There are half a dozen or more other Q
of course, all Roman Catholic. "
I'D most of them ante-dating the present G.
century. The theatre, an enormous struc- ia
ure, occupies al
AN OLD CONVENT, hi
within whose quiet cloisters, during two m
hundred years, black-robed nuns lived in v;
'rivations and prayer. Verify, this is an OF
ge of contrasts! Three years ago it was in
pened for its present use by Sara Bern bl
ardt, in series of her inimitable perform tn
noes.
Among other prominent buildings NAV m
e mentioned the magnificent headquarters pl
the defunct Canal company and the gov en-
rnors palace, which commands charm an
1g view of the bay and Its green islands or
he educational institutions of the CITY tn
omprise several schools conducted by the by
uns; the Coleiio Esperanto Hope Col M
,ge) for girls, is directed and taught by nc
sachers from the United States: the Col sV
jio del Isthmo for boys; and two or three an
rivate schools of lower grades. The most til
nportant newspapers published in Pan n.
ma are the Gdcetd O1fcidl, the government
ryan; the Star and Herald. issued daily in an
panish, French and English. with two
eekly editions; and the Chronistd, Span of
b sheet. VI
Unfortunately for Panama, there is no 50 .
ystem of public waterworks, though an a
Iueduct has long been talked Of The in ~,
are still supplied in the same nv
amer as were their ancestors genera ~ ~
ons ago, by carriers going from house to r.,
)use. p
ap
THE BUSINESS OF wATER-cARRIERs tn
,scends from father and son. and Yields a tn
living, the only capital re- SCI
Tired being donkey and two wooden div
II Ivy fho dr,,1x nr