The San Francisco call., 1895-11-17

destructive to its artificial features, has
rather served to advance its natural claim.
The rows of palm trees which were set out
on both sides of the avenues of the colony
have attained growth and perfection of
beauty without the aid of the landscape
gardener. and the vines and flowers in the
little gardens of the villas have grown in
such exuberance as to do much in places
to hide beneath them the ruin and blemish
which time has made upon the houses
themselves.
at would be utterly absurd to talk at
any length about the isthmus," continued
the speaker. without mentioning the
fever. Although the subject is made light
of by the residents of the isthmus, never
theless the Chagres fever-so named after
the river from the marshes of which it
emanates-is an ever present and menac-
ing terror to the dwellers in Colon. Even
in the literature of the isthmus the fever
is an ever fertile theme. Mr.. Gilbert, the
auditor of the railroad, who is a poet de-
serving of more than local recognition, in
volume just published, continually harps
ON the scourge, and closes one very power
full poem on the subject with the words:
Behind the Chagres (Fever) River
All paths lead straight to hell.
"The line of the Panama railroad from
+ Colon to the Pacific side OF the isthmus
mainly follows the line of the canal, and is
!: through a jungle of such tropical dense
ness that one is instantly impressed by the
fact that the completion of the Panama
canal must be a fierce struggle between
man and nature. Not only must its COM
IspletiOn be very difficult matter, but even
:holding%from month to month the ground
already gained Will in itself be an arduous
task. + -: =,
feSlowly*but surelythe almost irresistible
advance %of. the tropical jungle is obliter-
ating the progress made by the workmen
iii the canal trenches, and nature is claim
+ ing back the territory wrenched from her
for asstfme by: the ingenuity of man. Along
THE railroad :. one sees everywhere the
ruined syestiges of the millions of France.
On the side tracks constructed for the con-
yeyance:of material and paraphernalia to
+ the canal bitches are hundreds of cars
filled with tools and machinery almost
hidden from view. as it were, by rust and
moss, while the tracks and parts of the
ears have sunk into the soft earth OF the
marshes Of the river Chagres. In the main
trench are the huge dredgers, inert and de-
serted, their ironwork covered with rust,
+ the@woodwork rotten and soft, the struct-
ures themselves gradually sinking down.
ward into. the soft, rich bottom.
:'.And amid all this ruin-this represent
/ tation.of an outlay of hundreds of millions
there is absolutely no sign of man. Not
/ Ealaborer occupies a place on the dredges,
and the trenches are as deserted as if the
beasts of the jungle had never had to share
their territory with any living mortal.
Near the Pacific entrance to the canal some
100 or*SO0 men are at work, but these are
merely striving to hold from the encroach-
ment OF nature the work already done.
=: :: :. It isthe opinion of the Panama Rail-
road officials, Colonel Rives and Mr. War
ren, that the canal will ultimately be fin
:ished, but not by the French. 1t will re-
qtlire the uny ielding substantial grit of an
Ang Saxon race to push through an en-:
terprlse filled with such colossal obstacles. !"