davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

public Of Columbia, along which we
Isthmus Of Panama forms a part, is
distance between ST. Paul and New Or
leans, and wider In some parts than
a Decline from New York to Chicago
1t contains more than 100000 square
miles. 1t is one-sixth the size of the
United States, without Alaska, and it
would make over nine states the size
Of New York or ten as big as Ohio or
Kentucky. The isthmus or department
of Panama has an area almost four
times as big as that of Massachusetts,
and the Colombian state of Cauca is al
most as large as Texas. I have met a
number of Americans and others who
have recently Travelled in many parts
Of Colombia. They tell me the country
is an undeveloped empire, and that a
great part Of it is as yet unexplored.
There are some Americans engaged
in business of one kind or another in
Colombia. Some are in the extreme
north in the Chiriqui lands of the up
per fsthmus, raising coffee, and others
have been buying lands in the Cauca
valley. In1S valley is over the noun
tains, little back of the Pacific. 1t is
several hundred miles long and about
twenty or more miles wide, and it is
said to have some Of the most fertile
lands on the globe. One American,
named Elder, who has recently died, is
said to have left a big fortune made
out of his coffee plantations. I have
heard it said that his income was
100000 year from them; and another
had contract for a railroad upon
which he did so little work that the
Colombian government finally paid a
million dollars to get rid of him. This
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

| cries made in the Knollys house the
| day before or with any of those ques-
| lions which you have been trying to
| solve with me to this time.
That we were engaged more than
| five minutes in this conversation 1 can
| not believe. I have always been eX-
tremely accurate in regard to time yet
good half-hour was lost by me some
| time that morning for which I have
never been able to account. Perhaps
it was spent in the short discussion
, which followed discussion which may
be of interest to you, for that was upon
| the action Of the police.
Nothing came of the INVESTIGATIONS
| made by Mr.. Gryce yesterday, 1 per-
ceive," Mr.. Trohm had remarked, with
some reluctance, as he gathered up his
reins to depart. well, I did not ex-
pect anything. Ho could he hope to
| find anything there?"
How could he indeed? Yet" said I,
determined to allay this one mans sus-
picions at once, which, notwlthstand-
ing the openneSs of his remark, was
still observable in his. tones, you say
that with an air I should hardly expect
from so good neighbor and friend.
Why is that Mr.. Trohm? Surely YOU
do not associate crime with the Knoll
lys?"
Crime? Oh, no, certainly not. No
one could associate crime with the
Knollys. If my tone was at fault, it
IaWas due perhaps to my embarrassment
this meeting, your kindness, the
beauty Of the day and the feeling these
| all call forth. Well, I may be par
doned If my tones are not quite true
In discussing other topics. My thoughts
were with the one I addressed"
Then that tone of doubt was all the
more misplaced" I retorted. II am
so frank I cannot bear innuendo in
others. Besides, Mr.. Trohm, the worst
folly Of this home was laid bare yes
terday in way to set at rest all dark
er suspicious. You knew that Will
liam INDUCED in vivisection. Well, that
that Is bad, but 1T could not be called
criminal. Let us do justice to him.
then, and for, his sisters sake see how
we can re-establish him in the good
graces of the community"
But Mr.. Trohm, who for all our short
acquaintance was not without a very
decided appreciation for certain points
In my character, shook his head and
with smiling air returned:
"You are asking the impossible not
only Of the community, but yourself.
He Is of too rude a mako. The girls
now may recover the esteem they seem
to have lost. but William Why, If
the cause Of those disappearance was
found today, and found at the remotest
end Of this road or even up in the
mountains, where no one seems to
have looked, William would still be
known through all this village as a
rough and cruel man. hav- tried to
stand his friend, but 1t has been
against odds. Miss Butterworth. Even
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

cause of that short look she gave me
before she ventured to speak.
81 am glad" said she, ito see you
looking so bright this morning. We are
all feeling better. now that the incubus
Of secrecy is removed, but 1 still would
not like to think you told what has
happened to US to Mr.. Trohm"
Lucetta," said l. there may be
women of my age who delight in gos-
slipping about family affairs with COM
parative strangers, but l am not that
Kind Of women. Mr.. Trohm, friendly
as he has proved himself and worthy
as he undoubtedly is of your confidence
and trust, will have to learn from
some one else besides me anything
which you may wish to have withheld
from him."
For reply she gave me an impulsive
kiss. Il thought I could trust YOU"
she murmured. Then, with dubious
look, half daring, half shrinking, She
said:
when you come to know and like
US better, you will not care so much to
talk. to neighbors. They never can un-
derstand us or do us justice, Mr.. Trohrn
especially
Late in the afternoon William burst
IN with news from the other end of the
lane.
oucu a. lark! ne cried. "The in
vestigation at Deacon Spears house
had been mere farce, and Just made
them repeat 1t with few frills. They
mad dug up my cellar and they should
dig up his. Oh, the fun it was, The
old fellow kicked, but I had my way.
they couldn't refuse me, You know. I
hadn't refused them. So that mans
cellar had a stir up. They didn't find
anything, but it did me lot of good
and that's something. L do hate that
If he'd killed and buried ten men under
his hearthstone."
There is no harm in Deacon Smear"
said Lucetta quickly.
did they submit Mr.. Trohm's house
to search also?" asked I,oree,,
ashamed of Williams heat and auxio,,s
to avert any further display of it.
Eyes, they went through that too
I was with them. Glad I was too.
say, girls, I could have laughed to see
all the comforts that old bachelor has
about him. Never saw such fix:nss
Why, it's as neat and pretty from tow
to bottom as our old home is not. IT.;
silly, of course, for q man, and I'd
rather live in an old rookery Hike this.
where l can walk from room to room
in muddy boots If ] want to and train
my dogs and live in freedom like tire
man am. Yet couldn't help think
ing it mighty comfortable, too, for an
old fellow like him who likes sucn
things and don't have chick or child
to meddle Why, he had pincushious
on all his bureaus, and they had pins
in thenl."
(To be cos.lnued.)
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03
A COLOMBIAN VILLAGE.

is so sour within some miles of it's
source that 10 fish can live in it, and
it goes by the name OF the Rio Vim
2gre, which means the Vinegar river.
The Magdalena, the chief river of Co.
ombia, corresponds with our Missi p
pi. 1t is more than 1000 miles long.
1t is as wide, but not so deep, as the
Mississippi. but it cuts the country
right in two.
Steamers of light draft sail weekly
from Barranquilla, on the Caribbean
sea, up the Magdalena to Hondo, where
you take mules and climb up to the
great plain of Bogota, on which Bo-
gotta, the Columbian capital, is situat-
ed. Then there are branches of the
Amazon and of other Zig rivers in Col
ombia, so that the country is almost
as we'll watered as China Ten of the
little steamers on the Colombia were
made at Pittsburg and brought from
New York in pieces and here put to-
gether.
BOgota.
Just a word or so about Bogota. 1t
is a town of 100000 inhabitants, and it
has electric lights and q street railroad,
which were put in by Americans. 1t
has a university ninety-five years old,
a national theater, library of $4,000
volumes, an astronomical observatory
and a poorhouse. The town is on a
plain about a half-mile higher up in
the air than Denver, and it's climate
is, am told, much the same. This is
the headquarters Of the army, and the
scene of a revolution now and then.
A Land of Fat Concessions.
It is at Bogota that the president
lives, and here the congress meets. 1t
is here that the fat concessions are
given out. Columbia is land of con-
cessions. 1 have told you of the big
fortunes which Americans have made
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03
CHAPTER XXI.
Relief,

The plan succeeded. Mr.. Gryce's
plans usually do. William went imme-
diately to his room, and in little
while came down and fastened into the
cellar.
Il want to see what mischief they
have DONE" said he.
When he came back his face was
heaming.
"All right" he shouted to his sis
tiers, who had come into the hall to
meet him. Your secrets out, but
There, therer" interposed Loreen,
you had better go UP stairs and pre-
pare for supper. We must eat, Will
Jam, or rather, Miss Butterworth must
eat, whatever our sorrows OF disap-
pointments."
He took tie rebuke with a grunt and
relieved us of his company. Little did
he think as he went whistling up the
stairs that he had Just shown Mr..
Gryce where to search for whatever
might be under the broad sweep of
that cellar bottom.
That night-it was after supper,
which 1 did not eat for all my natural
stoicism-Hannah came rushing in
where we all sat silent, for the girls
showed no disposition to enlarge their
condolences in regard to their mother
and no other topic seemed possible
end, closing the door behind her, said
quickly and with evident chagrin:
Those men are here again. They
say they forgot something. What do
you think It means, Miss Loreen? They
have spades and lanterns and
They are the police, Hannah. II
they forgot something, they have the
right to return. Don't work yourself
UP about that. The secret they have
already found out was our worst. There
is nothing to fear after that" And she
dismissed Hannah, merely bidding her
let us know when the house was quite
clear.
Was she right? Was there nothing
worse for them to fear? I longed tC
leave these trembling sisters, longed tt
join the party below and follow will
them the tiny impressions made by tn;
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

table. In front Of him was revolv-
ing wire basket filed with hollow ivory
| balls, each containing one Of the num-
| bers from l to 10. The basket was
whirled and the boy picked out ball:
The number in it was the thousands Of
the prize, another whirl gave the figure
for the hundreds, a third for the tens
and fourth for the units. The whole
thing was fair enough, only, as the
alcalde, or city, judge, in charge told
me, there was only about one chance in
| five hundred Of a ticket holder drawing
anything. The president Of this COM
| pany is a naturalized American citizen
| named Duque. He is the owner of the
| only paper in Panama and his profits
| from his $4,000 worth of lottery stock
are about $4,000 in silver a year.
There is a chance for a concession
| her for waterworkS. Panama is now
supplied with water by peddlers, who
go about through the streets, seated on
| barrel carts, each of which is pulled by
| a mule. In the wet season the city
| relies on the cisterns. There is, I am
| told, good water in the hills twelve
| miles away, and it could easily be
| piped to the city. Panama has about
| $4,000 people.
Gold Mines of Colombia.
| The idea prevails In the United States
| that the greater part Of South Amer
| lea is low, moist and unhealthful This
| is not SO. There are vast areas here
| which are as salubrious as any part of
| North America. Mr.. Kennedy, an
| American mining engineer who has
| prospected in all parts of our CONT
nent, as we'll as in many parts of this,
| tells me that for every habitable square
| mile in North America there is an
| equally rich and healthful square mile
here, and that south of the equator
| there are vast areas of undeveloped ag-
| rlcultural territory which have not
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

it of the Knollys household. Mother
Jane and the jewels were to be Mr.
Gryce's starting point for future in
vestigation. Should they be mine? ]
thought 1 would take an early stroll
and see
There was silence in the house when
I passed through on my way to the
front door. But that silence had lost its
terrors and the old house It's absorb
ing mystery. Yet it was not robbed of
it's interest. When I realized that AL
thea Knollys, the Althea Of my youth.
had actually breathed this same atmos-
phere with me, and that within a few
days, I felt that no old-time romance
nor any terror which fitting ghost or
stalking apparition might bring could
compare with the wonder of this re-
turn and the strange and thrilling cir
cumstances which had attended it. And
the end was not yet. Peaceful as every
thing looked this morning, I still felt
that the end had not come.
The fact that Saracen was loose in
the yard gave me some slight concern
as l opened the great front door and
looked out. But the control under which
I had held him the day before encour-
aged me in my venture, and after q few
words with Hannah, who was careful
not to let me slip away unnoticed,
boldly stepped forth and took my soli-
tary way down to the gate.
1t was not yet 6, and the grass was
still heavy with dew. AT the gate I
paused. 1 wished to go farther, but Mr..
Gryce's injunction had been imperative
about venturing into the lane alone.
Besides-no, that was not horses
hoof. There could be no one on the road
SO early as this. I was alarming my
self unnecessarily, yet Well, held
my place, a little awkwardly, perhaps,
Self-consciousness is always awkward,
and I could not help being a trif1e self
conscious at a meeting SO unexpected
and But the more 1 attempt to eX-
plain the more confused my expressions
become. so I will just say that by this
very strange chance I was leaning over
the gate when Mr.. Trohm rode up for
the second time and found me there
I did not attempt any excuses He is
gentleman enough to understand that
a woman of my temperament rises ear
ly and must have the morning air. That
he should feel the same necessity is
coincidence natural perhaps, but still
coincidence. So.there was nothing to
be said about it.
But had there been I would not have
spoken, for he seemed so gratified at
finding me enjoying nature at this ear
ly hour that any words from me would
have been quite superfiuous. He did
not dismount-tflat would have been
too marked perhaps-but he stopped
and-well, we have both passed the
| age of romance and what he said can
not be of interest to the general pub
lie, especially as liz did not deal with
the disappearance or with the discov
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

his sisters saw that and showed their
lack of confidence in our friendship.
But [ would like to oblige you"
l knew he ought to go. knew that
if he had fingered only the five minutes
which common courtesy allowed that
curious eyes would be looking from
Loreen's window and that at any min
ute I might expect some interference
from Lucetta, who had read through
this mans forbearanee toward William
the very natural distrust he could not
but feel toward so uncertain a charac-
ter. Yet with such an opportunity to
hand how could / let him go without
another question?
Mr.. Trohm,'' said 7, you have the
kindest heart and the closest lips, but
have you ever thought that Deacon
Spear"
He stopped me with really Mortified
look. Deacon Spears house was gone
through yesterday" SAID he, "as mine
thing against him." he entreated.
Leave that for foolish William" Then
with the most charming return to his
old manner, for felt myself in a mea-
sure rebuked. he lifted his hat and
urged his horse forward. But, having
withdrawn himself a step or two, he
paused and with the slightest gesture
toward the little hut he was facing
added in much lower tone than any
he had yet used: Besides, Deacon
Spear is much too far away from
Mother James cottage. Don't you re-
member that I told you she never
could be got to go more than forty rods
from her own doorstep?" And, break
ing into a quick canter, he rode away
past Mother James cottage, at which
he barely glanced, into the mazes Of
the forest beyond.
I was left to think over his words
and the impossibility of my picking up
any clew other than that given me by
Mr.. Gryce.
I was turning toward the house when
heard a slight noise at my feet. Look
ing down, I encountered the eyes of
Saracen. He was crouching at my side,
and as turned toward him his tail oc-
tually wagged. It was a sight to call
the color up to my cheek; not that sign
of good will, astonishing as that was
considering my feelings toward dogs,
but his being there at all without my
knowing it. That made Amelia Butter
worth blush. That was a sign that no
woman make no exceptions-can lis
ten more than one minute to an agree
able mans expressions of sincere admi-
ration without letting go just little of
her watchfulness. 1t may not be to
her credit, but 1T marks her out as a.
woman, which. after all, is not a thing
to deplore, especially where one has
not really passed the line beyond which
all weakness OF this nature is ridicu-
lous.
Lucetta met me, Just as ! expected,
a. the door. But her words were not
just what l anticipated, perhaps be-
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03
nerican Cocoanut Plantation.

VI qulHlHe tree grows, ana also the
cacao, from which comes our choco-
late.
American COcOanut Plantation.
Along the lowlands Of Colombia there
are plenty of cocoanut trees. The
cocoanuts, you know, grow on a palm
tree. They are to be seen by the bushel
along the Isthmus Of Panama, hanging
close to the stem of the tree, way up
at the top, often as high as thirty feet
above the ground, where the great
palm leaves spring out 1t is only late
ly that men have gone into cocoanut
raising as business, and l am told
that groves of these trees have recently
been planted in Florida. There is a
big cocoanut plantation owned by an
American in partnership with Co.
lombian on the Lighthouse point, just
opposite where the steamers land at
Colon.
The American Is the Mr.. Hyatt. Of
Washington, of whom I have spoken
as being highly connected with the big
manganese mine owned by John K.
Cowen and others. Mr. Hyatt tells me
that the plantation consists of 1,50O
acres and that they have already plant
ed 10000 trees and have about 5000 in
bearing. They are now shipping from
fifteen to twenty thousand nuts a
month to New York, and within three
years from now, when the rest of their
trees will be in fruit, they expect the
orchard to produce $4,000 nuts a month.
Cocoanut trees, you know, bear all the
year around, and the blossoms and the
ripe nuts are on the tree at the same
time. The nuts are not picked. but
drop from the tree when they are ripe.
and the workmen go daily from tree
to tree and pick up the nuts, husk
them. and they are then ready for ship
ment. They bring from $40 to $35 O.
thousand in New York, and the greater
part of this is clear profit.
How COcOanuts Are Raised.
I asked Mr.. Hyatt to tell me some
thing of the expense and management
Of such an orchard. Said he:
ut costs very little to run it. We are
now paying out. all told, only about
$3.50 a month, and our receipts are
from $500 to $500 month You see. the
trees need practically no cultivation,
and after they are once in bearing all
we have to do is to gather and ship the
nuts. We have one part of the planta-
ton which we call the nursery. Here
we raise the young trees. The nuts are
placed on the top of the ground short
distance apart. Within a short time
NNINii AANe HSAioo Jul q oEJiOu HUH one
OF the little eyes or holes which are
found in one end of it,
The sprout shoots up into the air and
a root shoots down into the ground.
Within few months, without any at
tent1on whatever, the sprout grows
from two to three feet high, and it is
then ready for transplanting. This is
done by breaking off the root and put
ting the nut and sprout into a little
hole in the ground just a little deeper
than the thickness of the nut. We
press the earth around it and the plant
ing is done. We set the trees out about
fifteen feet apart. For the first three
years we cut out the brush from around
the trees, but after this they are left
to take care of themselves. They be-
gin to bear at about seven years Of age
and keep on bearing for MANY years.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

"a Boou Tree should drop about seventy
five nuts year, and many of GU do
much better than that
Queer Institutions in Panama.
1 found Panama one of the queer
towns of the world. 1t is like little
city of old Spain, and looking at it
from the harbor it makes you think Of
Venice. The houses along the sea
hang over the water, and the waves
dasn IN some places against their
walls. The streets of Panama wind
in and out, up hill and down. The
houses are close to the narrow side
walks, and every house has an over
hanging porch or gallery extending out
from Its second story, so that you IRE
protected from the sun as you walk
along the streets. The richer classes
live on the upper floors. The ground
floors are given up to the poor and to
the stores.
Few of the ground-fleor rooms have
windows and you can look in the open
door as you pass through the streets
and see all sorts of household ops ra-
tons going on. Here a woman is
combing her hair, there is one sewing.
and little further on one is cutting
up beef for her breakfast stew The
stores have no display windows. and
the goods seem to be piled about with
out regard to show or order. There
are no fixed prices, am told, and most
or the trading is a matter of dickering.
The Grand Central hotel, where l stop
ped, was opposite the Cathedral of
which the soldiers paraded in the
morning and in which the band played
at night.
Sunday In Panama
1 happened to be in Panama on Sun
daV There w a ct
places Of worship in the morning. and
after that the town was run on what
Chicago's young mayor calls "the wide
open" order. Promptly at O'clock The
Panama lottery had it's weekly draw
ing, at a cock fight came off, and at
there was a bull fight inside the ruin
ed walls of one of the great churches
or Panama's past. Five bulls were
tortured and one was killed by the bull
fighter thrusting a sword into it, and.
having missed its heart, pounding and
stabbing it in the back of the neck
while the audience howled with delight.
In the evening the whole town turned
OUT and walked up and down the PIAZZA.
while the band played. There were
many pretty girls among the prone
naders, but each of the respectable
maidens had one or more OF her sisters.
her cousins or her aunts of mature
years with her, and there was neither
flirting nor spooning openly seen.
/ am told that even an engaged cou-
pie are not allowed by the better class
es of Panamanians to go about alone,
and that if one invites his best girl to
the theater he is supposed TO include
all of the ladies of the family in the
invitation. One of the Americans now
on the isthmus when he first came here
gave young Panama lady such an in
vitation and when he arrived at the
house found a party Of thirteen old and
middle-aged women ready to go along
with him and his inamorata The bills
for that night were more than his
weekly salary, and it was only by
chance that he happened to have
enough money with him to pay them.
Frank G. Carpenter.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03
CHAPTER xAxII.

The next morning I rose with the
lark. 1 had slept well, and all my old
vigor had returned. A new problem was
before me. problem which had in
creased in interest since 1t had become
narrowed down by the elimination from
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

Then in some provinces the cinchona
or quinine tree grows, and also the
cacao, from which comes our choco-
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03
Queer InstitutiOns in Panama.

A good tree should drop about seventy
hVe nuts year, and many of Gu do
much better than that.