The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-09

side Is genu!ae Murillo, for which
$780, 900.
The bishop of Panama plays an i'm
portant part in the life of this COM
munlty, for he has great influence with
the government and still greater with the
people. He is a jolly looking gentleman,
who does not allow the seventies Of his
religion to interfere with his bodily COM
fort, judging from the comfortable ro-
tundity Of his person. He is a heavy
stockholder in the lottery Ind in other
things which are profitable, and his help
is always needed to get real choice con-
cess1on from the government. the people
of Panama are good church goers. Some
OF the priests take pointers from the
bishop in the science of good living, but
there are others who have that lean and
hungry look which bespeaks asceticism,
perhaps
Early on a Sunday morning the church
bells begin to ring and the people are
coming and going from prayer the whole
day long. Before breakfast the Colom-
bian army, in full dress, which means
with their boots on, goes to church ac-
companied by the military brass band.
The band takes its station in the gallery
and the SEQ or more soldiers, in two col
umns, enter en- either side of the church.
The band furnishes the music, and it is
not bad, but is far from the character
which might be expected of the occasion.
Prayers are said to the liveliest airs from
"Olivette, 'Fatinitza and otner light
operas. The effect is pretty and novel,
but not Inspiring of great awe and rev.
erence. The soldiers remain in the
church about half hour and then re-
turn to the barracks. The several
hundred people who have been in the
church also leave. They are mostly wo-
men, and as they leave the cathedral and
cross the plaza they are met by large
crowd of young men, who line the walks
of the park and stand ready to fiirt if
given the slightest encouragement. The
Panamaian girls use their eyes very
skillfully.
The soldiers of the army of the United
States of Colombia are a fairly likely
looking lot of men, but as they are nearly
all conscripts there is little esprit du
corps. The officers are young men kept
out of political mischief by commissions
in the army. Their duties are very light
and their chief ambition seems to be a
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 handsome salary
to instruct and drill them in modern
police ways, and he seems to have sue
liceman, while slight Of physique, pre-
sents Outwardly a very neat appearance,
and is onto every device known to the
New York force for extracting blackmail
from victim A reform mayor was re-
Gently appointed in Panama and his
economics were so vigorous that the en-
tire police force went on strike aid
the city was temporarily without protec-
ton. An appeal was made to the Gov
ernor and the soldiers were promptly or
ganized into a police patrol and scattered
about the city. They acted as Sucn Until
compromise was reached and the blue
j coats again resumed their Saunterings. It
is comical sight when some big Amer
ican or Britisher attempts to make things
lively in the streets. The police are call
ed upon to arrest him, but Lney have
had experience and never make the at
tempt single handed. Fifteen or twenty
of them are called together. They simply
swarm over the foreigner until he is
buried under the bluecoats and they tri-
umphantly lead away the Goliath, who
has probably crippled several of them be-
fore he was overcome.
The Chinaman is an important factor in
the life of Panama. He owns nearly all
the largest stores and is generally pros
porous. The laundry of Hop who in the
states becomes in Panama the "Lavan-
deria de Hop W1o,'' but as a rule he
leaves such work to the natives and en-
cages in merchandising. The import
duties on luxuries is very light and there
is much smuggling, so John 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 a fair class Of native peo-
pie. He is not considered so good as a
white man, but is better than negro or
a native, and in fact compared to his po-
sitions elsewhere in the civilized world his
social and business position in Panama is
quite enviable. The Germans do nearly
all of the banking and much of the busi-
ness of Panama and nearly all of them