Evening star., 1902-02-01

rate Morgan raided old Panama, loot
ed the houses and destroys what he
could not carry away. the people
took the precaution to retreat to the
end of the spit of land on which the city
is built and erected great stone wall
about the town. On three sides the sea
washes the foot thereof and on the land
side a moat was dug and the drawbridge
was lifted at the first sign Of an approach
Ing enemy. Today the sea wall still stands,
though there are picturesque breaches In
it. but the land wall Is either down or else
has been Incorporated into some building,
for the town has overfiowed its old bound
aries and it is difficult to trace them. These
walls may have seemed impregnable to the
Panamaians of the sixteenth century, but
modern gunnery would make before
breakfast job Of their total destruction.
The important business of the day is done
in the morning. BY II o'clock everyone has
gone to breakfast. The stores are closed,
the streets are deserted and it is o'clock
in the afternoon before there are any signs
of renewed life. The railroad employees and
the foreign element make pretense OF
longer hours, but it is merely pretense af-
ter all, for business proceeds but slowly.
Toward evening the scene becomes quite
animated The parks and plazas are filed
with children and their nurses, well dressed
men and women saunter about. Groups of
men talk business and politics, largely the
iotlCi, illdIly WOTQS ana expressive
gestures. Panama must be free from Co
lomoia. 1T has no connection. Nothing
could be done to stop revolution
why is 1t not free?'
An, the United States protects the SOW
ereignty of Colombia on the isthmus. That
Is why. But for that in thirty days we
would have a new republic. The republic
of Panama"
The streets of Panama are narrow and
crooked Business is done on the ground
floor of the houses. but every one who can
lives upstairs. Many churches are filled
with Worshipers on Sunday and on feast
days. Many more churches are In ruins
from the effects of fire or the attacks of
time upon the soft rock walls and arches.
Regular Church-Goers.
Early on a Sunday morning the church
bells begin to ring and the people are COM
Ing and going from prayers the whole day
long. Before breakfast the Colombian
army, in full dress, which means with
their boots on, goes to church accompa-
MED by the military brass band. The band
takes it's station in the gallery and the $40
or more soldiers, in two columns. enter on
either side of the church. The band fur
nishes the music, and 1t is not bad, but is
far from the character which might be eX-
pected of the occasion. Prayers are said
to the liveliest airs from "Olivette,' Fat
nitza' and other light operas. The effect
Is pretty and novel, but not inspiring of
great awe and reverence. The soldiers re-
main in the church about a half hour and
then return to the barracks. The several
hundred people who have been in the
church also leave. They are mostly wo-
men. and they leave the cathedral and
cross the plaza they are met by a large
crowd of young men, who line the walks
of the park and stand ready to flirt if given
the slightest encouragement The Pana-
maian girls use their eyes very skillfully.
The soldiers of the army Of the United
States of Colombia are fairly likely look
TO-. - L,,% %11ax, u, J
conscripts there is little esprit du corps.
The officers are young men kept out of po-
ltical. mischief by commissions in the army
Their duties are very light and their chief
ambition seems to be new affaire d amour
The police of Panama are uniformed like
the New York finest. An ex-police captain
from New York was employed at hand
some salary to instruct and drill them In
modern police ways, and he seems to have
succeeded fairly well, the Panama po-
liceman, while slight of physique presents
outward]y very neat appearance, and Is
onto every device known to the New York
force for extracting blackmail from VIC
tim. A reform mayor was recently ap-
pointed in Panama and his economics We're
so vigorous that the entire police force
went on strike, and the city was tempo
rarily without protection. An appeal was
made to the governor and the soldiers were
promptly organized into a police patrol and
scattered about the city. They acted
such until compromise was reached and
the blucoatS again resumed their Saunter-
iHgs
The Chinaman is an important factor in
the life of Panama. He owns nearly all the
largest stores and is generally prosperous.
The laundry of Hop Who in the states be-
comes in Panama the "LaVanderia de Hop
Who,' but a rule he leaves such work
to the natives and engages in merchandise
ing. The import duties on luXurieS is very
light and there is much smuggling, SD Jehn
is able to sell many things very cheaply,
compared to prices they bring in the states.
He rides in carriages, lives in good houses
and marries into fair class of native peO-
pie He Is not considered so good us a
white man, but is better than a negro or a
native, and in fact compared to his position
elsewhere in the civilized world his social
and business position in Panama Is quite
enyiable. The Germans do nearly all of the
banking and much of the business of Pan
anna and nearly all of them are married
into the best class of native society. The
head offices of the Panama canal are here
and furnish distinctly French element to
the town, one which lives much to itself,
however, and Is quite exclusive. In all the
humber walks of life the Jamaica negro is
much In evidence.
Panama Climate.
The climate of Panama is not especially
healthy, but it is not SO bad as it's reputa-
ton would lead one to believe. At the
end and at the beginning Of the rainy sea-
son fever is very prevalent and the city is
really never free from it, but If the voy-
aser will observe the ordinary rules of pru-
dence and refrain from drinking the city
water there is little danger of contracting
any disease. During the yellow fever epi-
denies no one knows who is to go next,
and the pernicious malaria Is nearly as
bad. II not worse, in its deadly effects
There Is a constant stream Of travel
through Panama en- route to the west coast
of South America between South America
and the United States and Europe. Several
lines of steamers handle this traffic and the
register of the Grand Central" at Panama
Is as cosmopolitan work as a trip around
the world. Mining interests, rubber, hard
woods and even foreign politics are here
represented, for it is dull day in the
lobby when an ex-ruler Of some country or
other is not sitting in the cafe in exile
from his native land
The employees of the Panama railroad do