The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-09
A TROPICAL SHANTY TOWN.
ODD SIGHTS or 4 HhLE DAYS So
JOURN ON THE ISIHMUS.

voyage from New York to the isthmus as ha.
been described In THE Sun. the traveller find,
himself Wide awake for strange sights and
novel adventures. but whether his desires IN
this regard will be satisfied or not depends
eomewhaton luck and somewhat on tho travel.
lers ability to SEQ. Then ono travellers taste
will differ from another. so that the one will be
Interested whore the other will lind everything
dull. But there are some things the traveller
must see at Colombo cannot escape them.
II not easily irritated. he is reasonably certain
to BIO Interested in them.
For instance. there Is the Jamaica negro
At Colon one Is upon the Spanish main. but
one needs to look at the map. or hunt for po-
liceman, to be assured OF tho fact. for Colon ia
atown OF negroes. The negroes do tho long
shore work on tho piers. They climb over the
ships rail at sunrise and take possession OF
donkey engines and tear or matches. aud start
things going in tho hold in a way that is not
merely astonishing: 1t is stunning. II there Is
any one story more frequently told than any
other by the travellers to the Spanish main. 1t
10 that OF the lazy ncger." l think that. on
the whole. this idea Of the Jamaica negro Is
accurately descriptive. but Colon Is au Jycep-
tion to other towns. Tho Yankee ship's first
mate and the Yankee pier boss have found the
Key that will wind up this curious British sub
ject and make him dance. SO to speak. When
the stevedores began to unload the City
OF Para. tho rattle and whrr of 1.-The
donkey elevators. the bang OF boxes. and the
chug Of spools OF bnrbed wire for fences that
were landed, and tho shouts OF those who
showed the goods down the inclined gangway
to the piers combined to dea'en the unaccus-
toned spectator. To the energy OF muscle in
handling tho freight was added an agility OF
tongue In addressing one another that was re-
markable. To shouts they added lmpreca-
tions. and to imprecations the most ferocious
looks. Camera in hand. / approached n group
that seemed likely to cover the pier with blood
at any momeht 1t was apparently an orpor-
tunity to photograph deadly conflict. and ono
not to DO missed. But WAS mistaken. was
still twenty five feet away when the gang dis
covered me. and to a man gathered around.
Say. boss. gimme ten cents said two in a
chorus. but they didn't wait for a reply. Tho
colored foreman saw the Yankee pier super
intendent coming and the way he sent tho
beggars flying to their work was caution to
the whole tribe.
At the picr entrance was Waterman whose
duty il was to keep the passengers from leav-
Ing the pier Just why they were Quarantined
nobody around there would tell but it did not
matter much. for IL piece OF silver rolled
through the rule and let the passengers escape
when thoy wanted TO see the town.
To my mind the town OF Colon is one we'll
worth seeing-as it is now there are few towns
In the world SO we'll worth the attention of an
American citizen. 1t liz n town of shanties and
smoke stained brick walls. The walls show
where block after block Of substantial houses
and stores. two and three stories high. once
stood and any gray healed ider on the cor
ner will tell the brief story of how the ruin was
wrought An infamous scoundre in the town
determined to start Il revolution. lIo had no
moro chance Of success than the Anarchists
had OF overturning the American Government
at the Chicago riot. An American man o war
lay OF the Colon pier. The revolutonist chief
swore he would burn the town and shoot every
American In it. The Americans. finding the
ecoundrel meant to keep his word, begged for
protection but ala not get It: Tho fire was
lying there sent to the American Captain say
Ing; Tell me- YOU need Estr, and III stop mis-
In thirty minutes" THIS British seaman could
not act independently because OF American
ing, and Colon. with tens of thousands OF dol
The Captain Of tho war ship failed in grasp
Ing the situation. but he should not 10
ican people themselves. IL is ut Colon that ORC
frat begins t. soc what the American foreign
south OF the lio Grande River. AS the Ameri-
can first walks down the bridge from the
soaring above him. with its wings spi cad wide
enough to cover him t.. the uttermost PARTS Of
will see the birds neck feathers dr"0p. and
.1er one ,I l09k at tn2Te blurred walls the
hawk. with q king-oird on top OF 1t.
AS was said, Colon IL a shanty town. but the
dIstrtct Of New York Rarely can me ne Ind
anywhere in the world more dlrtresSful homes
buildings have bcep erected in the swamp.
and it Is swamp that is never drg. / was
there early in FEBRUARY. the drycs, part Of tho
yisibl about I he streets and yards. and ItgS.
ducks. AMI ch!c&cns. 9nd, children no less
breeding qualities OF the naturally noXious
locality. Possibly Their" are sanitary rtEula-
tons governing the town, but Lhcrc is no snnI-
that the climate breeds on tho isthmuS. The
climate is tad en"n&h. WIZ IT'S hent 9nd rains.
fever as low as tho caasres. though II stood on
Nnnhnttan IslauG,
the sea, ant when the wind flows the malaria
f. SWEET inland. but tho wind does not always
pours down steadily through Il mot.onless mir.
what is no most Interesting !oature OF the
essn The answer w yp It was ike
all tho answers ono receives from English
speakinG p9opie when ryInE to }ol ma the inter-
looElng al" said No man. Tho chapel up
thc street is a very handsome Istructurr."
went to SEQ tho chapel. 1t was not n bad
little church building. and it DOUBTLESS cost u
lot of money. but it was simply an Episcopal
place OF worship such as can Q found in any
city Of the United states and any village IN
England. man goes 1000 miles to n foreign
land. and when there ass for Interesting
things to look at In reply he j. dirrrto TO u
building thni has not It single square inch Of
surface pecui lar to the country.
The Tact is. the .raycllor who thinks for him
self IL likely to he not little ustOuished al tho
interest his people takoin churches when they
are in n foreign country. In Panama. in sun
Joso Of Costa liica. in MnnaEna-in every other
great town that visited between the Isthmus
and the Rio Grande. at least one American said
to me within tw"nty-tour hours after my ar
rival: Lave you seen the cathedral Z" ono
may listen to that quest ion from "A sincere and
devout follower Of tho Christ with RESPECT nut
when 1t is as kcd by sincere and devout fol-
lower ofthe devil tho case is different.
Then there Is the Colon srhoolhOuse with
its score OF youngsters Most Of these arc
negroes. and will say. proudly. when asked il
they are Columbians:
No, sab. Pse n British subtle. 1.-THE school.
house il u shanty. Dui on the model Of others
that have seen ~ the mine camps OF tho
Nevada and California desert Tho pupils
were droning over their lessons lust as coun;
try children do in the states, when ! stopped
IN tho street to rhotograTh tho building, hut
one saw me and then al necks were craucd 10
Il.