davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
SOME KL0NDIKE BARBARIANs.
Highly Cultured Men Easily Drop
Into the Ways Of Sav.
from the New York Mall and Express.

From the New York Mall and Express
Strange inconsistencies this rush for gold
produces! Last July, in the States. I at
a ball-the leading society event OF
the season. Between the dances a society
beau came to me and asked for a few min
utes' talk in regard to the Alaska trip. He
left the ball at 3 o'clock and was en- route
at 9. In October, while going up Bonanza,
1 saw a lo%ng-haired, full-bearded man in
weather-beaten, grease-covered suit. shut
fling along with a pickax on his shoulder.
1t was the gentleman from the ball. A lit
tie later I saw a man at a wtndlass In a
costume that is indescribable. Only a few
months previously I had seen him sitting
a dignified, august judge, in next to the
working a few feet of some mans claim
on shares. I have seen a party candidate
fo- county auditor in a prominent city
dealing stud poker in Dawson.
On the trail we met a very agreeable
gentleman from New York, a real estate
broker. He has not been dong anything
since his arrival. Last night I was sur
prised to find he had become a pusher for
one of the SaloonS-that is, he played stud
poker for the house to keep the game
going. Last night when I came home I
found a stranger sitting on my bun He
was dressed in overalls. black with grease,
face was covered with a stiff beard. It
took me a long time to recognize him.
The last time 1 had seen him was at Lake
Linderman. as fresh and fair and well
groomed as If he were out for a prom
enade on Fifth avenue. What q change
camp life and %roughing it had produced!
He had just come down from Stewart
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

earth was thrown in to fill up. One thou
sane Cinnamon were imported for the
work. Within a month a number Of them
had died. and hundreds of the remainder
committed suicide, SO that the station
where they worked is now called Mato-
chine, which means Kill-Chinaman. We
brought down a Brooklyn boy with US who
has the job of station agent at this place.
I would not take the place for the 18TH
mus. I met yesterday a graduate of the
Boston School of Technology, who has come
here to work or the railroad. He told me
he received $50 a month. which was better
than he could do in the States, but that he
had just gotten Up from an attack Of
malarial fever. I met a Baltimore mana
Mr.. Hodges-who is employed in the gen.
eral offices, who told me he had had a
siege of yellow fever last year.. and, in
short, I have found but few Americans
who have not been fever stricken at some
time or other during their stay here. Many
of them say, however, that the isthmus
is no worse han some of our Southern
ports, and that If one takes good care Of
himself there is not much danger. I am
told that of all the foreigners. Americans
stand the climate best, English next, then
French, ard then Italians.
Across the Isthmus by Railroad.
The ride across the isthmus is a delight
full one. The country after you pass the
few miles of lowland on the Atlantic side
rises into many wooded hills. and the dis
tant views make you think of the forest
covered rolling lands of the United States
rather than of the tropics. There are few
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

crows and bluejays are the worst bird rob.
bers, but they can be scared on, especially
with a gun. The human pilferers arc not
50 easily dealt with. The farmers hope Il
that. seeing hat someone Is on guard,
they will go elsewhere and steal from those
not on guard Hence everybody is obliged
to stand guard over everything. Where
the population Is densest the extent to
which this watching must be carried passes
odus sets forth from the village like that
In the early morning to go to the fields to
work. By every path the men. women,
and even children. stream forth. Light
wooden beds. covered with Q layer Of stin
sorghum stalks. arc kept out in the fields
for constant use. A few sorghum stalks
are twisted together ut tho top and q
side. and under such q wretched shelter
sits q toothless old woman all day and
night. Female thieves are common, and no
ono hesitateS to steal from his neighbour.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

steamers who have tickets for Panama are
now charged SO in gold for this railroad
anna is 81 in gold. but III baggage rates
of 3 cents a pound makes this much high
er. as only fifteen pounds are allowed free
An American Institution.
HI Panama railroad is emphatically an
American institution, though the majority
Of the stock is now in the n of the
Panama Canal Company. being. in fact.
about the only valuable asset the ompan
has. The road was built by Americans,
and to-day all Of its officials. including the
ticket agents. conductors and engineers,
come from the United States. 1t Is a gold
en- monument to American pluck and en-
ergy. The concession for it was granted
to an American syndicate in 1850. and this
Included all the right OF way across the
isthmus of Panama. which is, as I told
you. 400 miles long. No one can make even
a wagon road across the isthmus without
road of any kind has been attempted. AS
we went over the railroad Colonel Shaler.
the superintendent. old me that the ma
the edge Of the track were able to do so
only by the suferance Of the company: The
original grant gave the company all the
public lands on the line of the track, and
provided that the ports of Panama and
Colon were to be free ports. This last is
the case to-day. The original concession
was for only fortysnine years. but It has
StifNS oCNiA AZ ~ SoAAS
lions. to ninety-nine years.. during which
the company pays the government $2oO,OO
a year fer the privilege.
1t was begun the isthmus was a miasmatic
wilderness. and the line ran through the
swamps and along the valleys of the Cha
gres and Rio Grande rivers. crossing the
mountain n at an elevation Of 26S feet.
Forty-seven miles Of such road could be
easily and comparatively cheaply built In
the time United Il Wss s ssmpiete ae; S.od ae SSst, 1t By SSef she
to earn money as soon as the first few
miles of track were laid, and when the
road was opened for traffic. in 1856. 1t had
portation, and within four years its earn
ings were more than Its original cost. and
the owners were walking on velvet. Dur
gers. 0 rece fsaa $50. 1000 from e'' that source
alone. It has carried as much as 5oo;oUo
tens Of freight In a year, and within twelve y y
years after 1t was finished 15o.0oO.0OO
from San Francisco to New York. 1t cot
all the gold passengers Of the early sos
who crossed the isthmus, and made them
pay heavily for carrying their gold min
ing outfits in addition to the Us fare.
A Dead Man for Every Tie.
Even at these rates the trip was a cheap
one, for It shortened the danger of the
fevers Which often caught these gold hunt
ers who crossed on foot. The ride by rail
is less than four hours. By mule or on
foot 1t took two or more days. The health
now. During the building of the road the
| company ran a funeral train. and 1t Is said
that there were more deaths than there are
| ties in the entire line. I was talking yes
neral trains. He says they put the dead in
rows. piling one row crosswise on the top
of that beneath it. until the bog hole made
! for the days burial was nearly filed. when
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

palm trees. though you now and then pass
a banana plantation. You go by villages
of matched hutS and the buildings of the
people are everywhere to be seen.
The road runs very smoothly. and the
track is well kept. 1t Is a five-foot gauge
equipped with lignum vitae ties and fifty
s%ix-pound rails. These ties are about the
only ones, except iron, which will with
stand the attack of the wood-eating ants
which are found here. They are from
trees SO small that a tree seldom furnishes
more than one tie, and the wood Is so hard
that spikes cannot be driven into it. Holes
have to be bored for every bolt, and this
n costs about s1.9 in silver. The tele-
graph poles are of iron. All of the rolling
stock comes from the United States. The
in which we rode, was made in Whining
ton, and some of the locomotives came
from Philadelphia. The first class cars
ave wicker seats, like those of some of
our smoking cars. The second class are
built like long street cars, with the seats
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
Selfish Enrlt.hwomen,

Since women will not display considera-
VIII VIII Der PERSIST. despite the gentle hints that that
have been dropped. in the selfish and dis
courteous practice of wearing headgear at
n%neigRRbors' the only course that will be open
at last will be to take drastic measurs and
absolutely compel them to show some
distressing, says the Lady's Pictorial. at
the first Performance of Much Ado About
Nothing at the st. James on Wednesday
of last week to see the contempt with which
an audience Of fashionable women treated
tho courteous little appeal made to them
by the management. It vas printed on q
separate slip and inserted in each pro-
gramme. 30 that there was no overlooking
It, yet not more than half a dozen or SO re-
sponded to 1t. the majority being apparent
thus writing themselves down both selfish
and discourteous.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
The POPULATION TOO GREAT
AWFUL DENSITY OF POPULATION IN
SHANTUNG, CHINA.
Everybody VIII Steal Food-A Per-
petual Night and Day Guard Kept
ON the Crops-HiEhway
Robbery . Business.

In density Of population Shantung ranks
first among the northern provinces Of the
empire, says the Overland China Mail.
Half the province Is more or less
Gus. bu on the plains live from 500 to $500
persons to the square mile. Every village
has some families Of mechanics and artt-
SAM, who own no land Trades unions ex-
list in the germ. and even in branches in
which a bright pupil could learn in a few
months all that a master could teach him
in a lifetime it is necessary to take a three.
being able to set up for himself at the end
of that time. When the apprentice Is at
last free and gets at work, his master or
for an indefinite period. h density Of
population makes it very hard to get a
living in Shantung. There is a large class
Of men who nave neither land nor occupa-
they call it. The lack OF means to support
a family Is no barrier to matrimony in
China, and certainly not in S%hantung. where
Mencius lived. It was he who uttered the
dictum: There are three unflial courses.
but of these not to leave posterity Is the
chief" This view and the uniform pro-
cedure based upon 1t are held to have been
Means of support.
In every village are women and children
who have no visible means of support.
While the husband and father Is away try
ing to sell "hun" what Is his family to live
on? If he sells strength he is doing well
II he gets for his years work his food and
ton strings Of cash, zach string worth less
than a Mexican dollar. It is impossible for
his family to exist on this pittance. II his
wife knows how to weave cotton, and has
a loom, 1t is a clumsy machine. made ages
ago. Often two families possess one loom,
one using it by day and the other by night.
Whenever there is a bad year the loom has
tn hn cold IN hv,Ny TODD orl thA~ <hA -f-I
Of despair settles down. IF o ant catch
up in one step you can't catch up in u
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

head cable liz down to tho cars at the
foot of the mountain, the loaded buckets
carrying back the empties as they go
down. The ore sells in the shape that we
take 1t out without smelling or any other
treatment"
Are there other deposits in the same
II think there are" said Mr.. Hyatt. I'VE
have bought all the land in sight and have
prospectors out all the time. We have dis
covered some new deposits. but nothing
like the first one. In this deposit we have
already gone down 40 feet and are not
yet at the bottom. At the top Of the
mountain the body Of ore is about $50 feet
thick, but 1t widens as 1t goes down, and
we don't know how thick 1t is"
Tho Highest Railroad Fares.
I took a ride with the superintendent over
the Panama railroad yesterday. This road
is n of the best paying pieces of property
IN the world. 1t has made big fortunes for
its owner in the past, and to-day its re-
ceipts are far in excess of the expenditures.
h would you think of paying 500 to
ride from New York to Boston, or $3.50 for
a first class railroad ticket from New York
to Salt Lake City. or $500 to be carried
over the iron tracks across the continent
to San Francisco? Such a rate would be
about 50 cents per mile, and this is just
what the Panama Railroad Company re-
ceived for every passenger 1t carried for
more than thirty years OF its existence.
The length of the road is forty-seven miles,
and the fare up until 1889 was SIS in gold.
All through passengers on the New York
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

ly opened up by Baltimore parties IN the
Atlantic coast, about forty miles above
Colon. The company is now shipping from
1000 to 5000 tons OF manganese a month,
and they have. I am told. over 1000 tons
in sight. n are discovering new deposits
right along. At the present cost of work.
ing their mine. a hundred thousand tons
will net them more than a million dollars.
and this is. It is said. just the beginning
Of their work. Manganese is. you know.
one OF the rarest Of metals. 1t is used in
making fine steel and Is needed in the
manufacture of armor plate and gun forg-
ings, as it makes the metal tougher and
more flexible. There is a little manganese
found in Virginia. Georgia and Arkansas.
but Mr.. J. NJ. Hyatt, the assistant super
intendent Of the mines here. tells me that
We annually produce only about 15:00o tons.
while our consumption Is 10000 tons.
The remainder we buy from Russia and
Guality, from S4 to SIS per ton. 1t lies
here in a great lump or deposit on top Of
o mountain, and is mined much like iron
about "a per ton to get out the ore and land
It in Baltimore. SO that there is a clear
profit OF s. or SO a ton r. or n at the ,s present res 7
month. Within the past year and a half
the company has shipped 24.00o tons. and
1t is now only two years since 1t got pos
capitalized at $4,000. and the chief stock
holders are John K. Cowen Of. the Balti-
more & Ohio railroad; Mr.. Woods. the
president of the Maryland Steel Company.
and Henry Parr Of Baltimore.
How the Mine Wa Found.
Thu story of the mine as told me to-day
IL az follows:
at was discovered" said Mr.. Hyatt. "by
q Spaniard, who showed specimens Of the
ore to a man named Popham. who was a
United States inspector OF customs at
Colon. Popham went to see 1t. He did not
then know manganese from stove backing.
and had nc idea whether the stun was
worth anything or not. He took speci-
ono told him that II there was much Of
the stun II was better than a gold mir
He interested the Baltimore parties, and
they sent experts down to examine ,hnt nth, the
were several thousand tons in sight, and a
company was at once formed to buy the
mine and develop It. This was two years
running from the Port Nombre de Dios.
where our wharves are, to the mines. We
have put up works and are now employ.
ing about 500 men. The superintendent
necticut- He has charge of the works and
I attend to the railroad and shipping"
How did It come that the mine was
not di sc sooner 3 S E The | as zse5x .-r,ers
were great boulders of manganese lying
on the top Of the ground. but I suppose
such prospectors as saw them were look
ing for gold and had no Idea that the stun
was of value"
Something About the Works.
SIS the mining very dificult?"
NO. was the reply. w blast down
the ore with dynamite and load 1t into
buckets which run by gravity on an over
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

day beginning at s a. n. and working unit!
II. Most of them bring their first meal OF
coffee and bread to the track and eat It
is usually made up of rice and a bit of
dried meat, and at / go to work again and
work until 6. when they go homo Tor din
ner.
An American Poet or the Isthmus.
Most of the Americans here are well
educated men. and many of them have
travelled all over North and South Amer
lea. Some have literary ability. and I have
been much interested in q little volume OF
poems by an American named Gilbert.
Here is one which will be appreciated by
any man who has spent much time in the
tropics. It describes the isthmus and
might be entitled
The Land of Perpetual Thirst.
Where the hot winds of summer perpetually blow.
Where the mercury chokes the throat
And the dust is as thick as the hair on a goat;
Where ones mouth Is dry as mummy accurst,
There lieth the land Of perpetual thirst.
The following is more glowing by far
than the reality. The Chagres Is really q
painted. The terrible miasma was at its
worst years ago, when the swamps were
dug up for the canal and railroad. To-day
the isthmus is comparatively healthy:
"Beyond h ChnEres."
Beyond the chagres river
Arc paths that lead to death;
To fevers deadly breezes-
To malaria's poisonous breath!
Beyond the tropic foliage.
Where the alligator waits.
Is the palace Of the devil
His original estates.
Beyond the Chagres river
Are paths fore'e r unknown,
With a spider meath each pebble,
A scorpion meath each stonsI
IT'S here the boa constructor
His fatal banquet holds,
And to his Shiny bosom
His hapless victim folds.
Beyond the Chagres river
Turks the panther in his lair.
Il And ten hundred thousand dangers.
Are in the noxious air.
Behind the trembling leaflets.
Beneath the fallen reeds.
Are the ever-present perils
OF a million different breeds.
Beyond the Chagres river.
IT'S said-the story's old
Are paths that lead to mountains
OF purest virgin gold:
But tits my firm conviction,
Whatever tales they tell.
That beyond the Chagres river
All paths lead straight to hell!
We crossed the Chagres and about a hun
dred other waterways during. the trip and
saw women with little or nothing on them
washing their clothes in the streams. All
washing here Is done with cold water. and
my towels at the hotel are freQently orna-
mented with burs aught from being dried
upon the bushes and weeds.
FRANK G. CARPENTER
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
WONDERFUL STONE GIANT.
Sleep He Would BE 0
Feet High,

About nine miles from the Porta San
Gallo of Florence, on the road to Bologna,
are the remains Of the villa of Pratolino,
built in 1869 by Francesca de Medici, son
of Duke Cosimo l., from the designs of
Bernardo Bouontalenti. for the reception
of Blanca Capello. the Venetian. 1t was her
~favorite place Of residence. says the Scien-
tific American. and here she devoted her
self to magic and the composition of phil
tiers. The place is famous chiefly on ac-
count of the "Apennino." or Jupiter Pluv-
ius," a colossal statue. The statue is, I'M
fortunately, in a ruinous condition. It is
placed at the end of the terrace and faces
the villa II the giant were suddenly to
be endowed with life when he rose, like
RipVan Wrinkle. from his long sleep of 400
years he would be 14 feet tall. The god
crcuches. grasping the rock with one han
while with the other he presses a point of
rock above the head Of a marine monster,
which is still readily d~istinguishable. The
hair and the beard Of the colossus
descend like stalactites on his shoulder
and breast. It Is necessary to be architect
as well as sculptor to execute a work Of
this kind, and Givanni Bologna, the sculp-
tor. shows that he was a great artisan and
artist in constructing so solidly and in
such just proportion this prodigious work.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
BIRDS CHANGED COLUMBUS.
Connection With the War
Question.

AuS0llOns
An American" writes to the New York
Herald a. follows:
In The present strained relation between
this country and Spain. It might be well
to remember that the flight of birds was
tho means Of preventing the Spanish mar
form floating over this land. and saving
the United States from becoming an int.
grail portion Of the Spanish kingdom.
During the voyage of Columbus the MI
grafton Of birds to the southwest attracted
tho attention of his lieutenant, Pinzon.
who advised sailing In that direction Co.
lumbus yielded to the opinion Of his subor.
dinate and steered to the southwest. and
he landed on San Salvador. one Of the b.
hamas.
Had Columbus treated the migration of
the birds with Indifference, or ignored the
opportunities Of Pinzon. he would have pur.
sued hi: original route. and. - q conse-
quence, landed in the vicinity Of the Wiz.
Einia coast, and unfuried thereon the
standard Of Spain, q flag that Il the SYM
Dol Of slavery and the emblem Of tyran-
n.y..
Of birds moro important consequence"
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

running lengthwise under the windows.
I rode for some time second class to see
the people. Half of the passengers were
Jamaica negroes. one-third was made up
of Chinese and the rest were native Colom-
bans. The Chinese were the best dressed
of the lot. and the neatest. AS the Ameri-
can conductor came in 1 asked him as to
his health, and was told that he had been
travelling over the road for seven years and
nae not been sick a day.
The Wages of the Railroad Men.
All wage Of Americans are paid in gold.
and those of the common laborers in silver.
Engineers get s157 a month, conductors
s14S a month and telegraph operators from
SIS to 500. The brakemen are natives, and
they receive sl.75 a day in silver. Common
laborers get from IS to Is cents a day. and
most of those who work on the tracks are
Jamaica negroes. They put in ten hours a
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

river to record a claim. I noticed this
morning that he did not wash. so ac-
This morning his friend L came in,
a perfect tramp in appearance. He had
had his breakfast. but we gave him some
hot cakes and coffee. which he ate with
a rush, and declared to be more enjoy
able than meals he had eaten at the
Grand hotel in Paris. Here were three
university men. but who could have Judged
1t from their appearance? 1t is a short step
from man civilized to man barbaric.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

PANAMA RAILROAD MEN AT WORK.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
BIG MINES ON THE ISTHMUs OWNED
BY BALTIMORE CAPITALISTS.
RIDE ON PANAMA RAILROAD.
THE LINE WHICH HAS MADE MANY
FORTUNES FOR AMERICANA,
II Cost . Life for Every Tie and
Charges the Highest Railroad
Fares I'm the Worid-The
Chagres River and Its
Pretty Waahers.

Copyrighted. 1885. by Frank q. Csrpentsr)
Panama, March 10.-The biggest enter
prise on the Isthmus of Panama, outside
of the canal and the Panama railroad. is
the manganese mine which has been late
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27

And He Seemed Surprised. !,
From the Detroit Free Presa
Landlady-'Mr. Newboarder, will you SAP
grace?"
acknowledgements forfs