The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-13

got our first glimpse Of the Isthmus OF
Panama. that wonderful little strip OF
earth and rocks which ties together the
two great continents OF North and South
America. At first II was emily thin, hazy
line OF blue In tho western horizon. Then
The blue deepened. We saw low hills rIs-
ing one above another. and little islands
coming Up out of the water along the
shore. A little later we were in sigh. Of
the low houses and the great wharses Of
Colon, with great palm trees which line
the beach at the right shaking their giant
fan-like leaves and apparently waving a
welcome TO us as We came to anchor.
Colon and the Canal.
Colon is intended 10 be the eastern end OF
the Panama canal. l viii treat fully of
this work in another letter after 1 have
gone over the route and have seen the
work wht,h il now being done on the CEN
trail and western end Of the isthmus Here
at Colon you see only the extravaganza OF
the first board OF engineers who almost
ruined a large part of the peasantry Of
France. The town OF Colon. which now
has about 5000 people. was built largely
by the French. and It's beautiful cottages
are now weatheroeaten rusty and rotten
Alphabetically speaking. this is as ragged
place as you can ind on this hemis-
pheTe. Everything is going TO seed There
ia a market house here made Of iron which
would be large enough for Washington
CITY, but there were no: more than ATTY
people IN Il when I visited i; the middle
Of thls morning, and the ram came down
In streams from the ho,es in It's roof OF
corrugated iron. The Panama railroad
seems - own the town. It's tracks run
through the main street and outside OF
them a. the east OF the city II is almost
impossible 70 so 20 any place without
travelling over the rustius ard rotting de-
bris Of cars. drsdges and other machines
which were brough. here at "a cost of mil
Hons sna found TO he worthless. or were
soon allowed 20 become SO. There IL
part OF TIE town known as the French
quarter. This is on a neck 81 land which
was built out 10 form a bTeakwatex at the
eastern mouth OF the canal The most *
pensive houses were erected here the
Wood being broueh, from the United
/ states. Ferdinand De Isesseps had one Of
tfe houses. which cost It is said. about
s'oo1so and his son another almost equally
expensive. soon after landed hired
carriage % highway robber in the shane
o. 81 Jamaica Coachman and drove cut 10
see these houses. They have never been
occupied bat Tor very short periods and
they are now anspiaated The road 90
f2"m Ia through q beautiful grove 81
palms. and the settlement itself p about
as near paradise "a its beautiful green as
auv place upoU this earth The sea
washes IL su either side aua a cool er..x.
alfnust always bows
Some rhtns. tbont the Population
The people here are re 81 tha queer
mixtures that yog sometimes end on the
ouipas}s of civilization. where for some
reason or other money IS o b. made The
@1aTf a which We landed made me thtak
g the docks * New OgleArsA <fne-fey.hs
of the people on IS were mu}attoes or ~
sre@~ and r2oss - them spoke English
"a sth "A curkaNy accent IRE other tenth
~efe Sp2niarsfs- who looked Ike CreoleS
The negroes were from th< Erx3ish island
of @ams3cs. Tbey hsv- come here Ia work
o. ;hc canal, ard seem 20 - about the
@niv propls y 10 can stavd the Fala=raatfc
eifnHir I foun3 l1t q .fcs people a. \
MARKET s5and an tae beach sna photo
SFapae8 ore ~ them as So waz coming
'e~srS me with a bunch - bananas 90
Beg hfsd Then theFe are = lot % I.h{n~=s
here They rau 81 sorts % stores Hct AZ
naeo8y Changers ard 10 I eYn tcsG are
3ssSTss part ~ tha mercantile hssstnsss %
fse iSzhraus
W here the trm-t~rie- THRIVE
A0vanx the cn1rf brssrssves ~ the sstA-
ms a-e those Nsich have 10 10 with fae
cemeteries An8 hosasfa1s bare n~sn fals,
acre sgasn sn& again that I ought - sls!t
/ e-s Asss4sA4s sas sae great sxEae.esy "a