The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-07-09

:
/ fooled.
"Cocoanut trees in plenty were grow
ing out of the soil heaped up on the
broken machinery, and in plain sight
was what all the people down there
call DE Lesseps' Palace | never saw
such queer foundation for q palace III
all nv life. There were boilers, hoist
ing engines. locomotives and valuable
machinery worth hundreds and thou
sands of dollars thrown in a heap to
make a foundation for a house. I'M
agine a solid structure of wood, three
stories in height, with fifty rooms, and
so built that the large windows and
doors could be opened to let the breezes
blow through; large verandaS, and all
around banana and cocoanut trees, and
you have in your mind the picture
which we saw.
I'VE visited the De Lesseps mansion.
! 1t was in charge of a keeper, and he
| showed us the large Offices, all the sill
verware, the books and furniture and
the household things just as they were
left nineteen years ago by the owner
| The mouth of the Panama canal is
about half a mile in width, and on
either shore there is low shrubbery.
| We found depth of oyer twenty feet
of water at this point. On both banks
could be seen all kinds of derricks and
machinery lying partly in the water.
LAS we journeyed up the river in
| the launch the tropical trees met over
head, and it was not long before we
were in the jungle. Banana planta-
| tons could be seen about a mile apart
| The first Indians we met were friend
~, and they talked to Mr.. Wilcox in
| their Spanish Indian jargon.
I'VE came to places in the canal
where the banks had been washed
down so that there was only a depth
of foot Of water. Our Jamaica darby
| would go overheard. put his shoulder
: against the stern Of the launch and
shove it across the sandbar 200 or 300
! feet Then he came in handy when we
| wanted to 20 ashore. He would pick
/ us up in his arms one after another
/ and wade ashore without any appar-
ent effort.
! LAS we went up the river the In
dams became more wild. They would
peer out from the JUNGLE and as soon
as they saw us would scatter as if we
were going to kill them. One strange
thing was that the women never ran.
They would stand on the banks and
! look at US without moving. Mr.. Will
! cox would talk to the women for a
! few minutes, and then when they
found out that we did not mean to kill
them the men of the camp would come
struggling back and then line up 10
have their pictures .aken. We found
that these Indians were ready TO fight
white men OH sight because of their
bad treatment by the French.
THE one thing that struck me was
the valuable machinery which lined
the banks. rusting. without care.
cannot understand why these things
were not properly cared for, because
| they We're worth millions of dollars
After making our way up the canal
five or six miles more we stopped for
lunch above little native town called
Bocom. That was quaint little place
with Il number of banana plantations
near, and the natives crowded around
our boat us il they had never before
seen naphtha launch. The women
and children would ask questions BY
the hundreds. There was not one OF
them who could understand English
did you find plenty Of water in tho
canal?" was asked.
"Why. yes" replied Captain Coales
THE trouble will be if they make it 1
ship canal there will be too much wa
ter. They will have to build dams a
various points of the Chagres river
Very often our Jamaica darby woult
push the steam launch over n bar, ant
then for half mile there would b'
from fifteen TO twenty feet of water
am for the Panama route for canal
although from scientific standpoint
| don't know very much about sucl
matters.
After lunch we went on up the ca
nal and near the end found many o
the Indians wild. We could not sc
near them at all, and if we started t
1 Al
! tons We were warned that trouble
was brewing. They don't need mucl
TO eat. and they don't wear anything
so it is pretty easy for them 10 sc
along. \ banana tree will bear on
bunch OF bananas, which they sell L
the tyaders for few coins.
We Investigated the canal abou
eighteen miles. and then we landed Il
what is called Culebre cut. Here W.
saw thousand men at work merely
TO keep the title of the canal for tn
company. The Freuchmen hope som'
time to get Il large sum of money fo
their rights. The CUeHre cut is abou
the only high part of the route acroS:
the iSthmus. The whole distance o
high ground through which the cana
would have to be cut is about tiV,
miles. and earth would have 10 b,
taken ont 10 Il depth of loa TO 100 fee
TO allow large ocean steamers 10 &c