The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-03-07
IN THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC.
ON THE BORDER OF ECTA-
 DOR.
Some Reasons Why Uncle Samuel Has So Little Commerce With South AmerIca-Picturesque Scenes


 Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and Courier)
 S. s. ''Sereno," Feb. 2 1908.
 You may search the waters of the world for pleasant sailing without find fling anything more delightful than down the western coast of South Amer 1ca, where one is always sure of sunny weather, tranquil seas and fine steam CTS. Especially is this true during the season of our northern winters-the summertime in these latitudes-when breezes blow cool and invigorating, even directly over the equator, without March gales or the damp chilliness that penetrates to ones marrow on the At lantic.
 Strange to say, not an American keel of any consequence blows the Pacific from Panama to Cape Horn. There are plenty of English, Chilian, German, French, even Italian and Norwegian steamers, in endless rivalry with one another. The American of the north is by no means first on land and sea" in these parts! This is not unaccountable when we consider the reasons that have left Uncle Samuel with so small share of commercial dealings with the Amer icas of the south. The short-sighted policy of the United States Congress in refusing to aid steamship lines, even by payment of moderate sum for carry ing the mails. has much to do with it; for the ventursome capitalist who might invest money in such an enter prise would have to compete with the well subsidized companies of Europe.
 At present the two best lines that send steamers regularly between Pana- ma and Valparaiso are English and Chilian-the former of course to be pre- ferred by people of Anglo-Saxon tastes. By the way, the English company was projected by an American-Mr. William Wheelright, of New York city-on be- half of the United States, about half century ago. He easily secured the ne- cessary concession from the South American powers to ply these waters and then hurried home, expecting no difficulty in raising funds in the United States for carrying out his plans. But neither the merchant princes of the day capitalists nor Congress would give him any financial encouragement;
  land, where wiser government snapped at the chance of securing rich emoluments for all time to come. Sub sequently Mir. Wheelright obtained sub sidies from several of the South Amer ican republics whose ports his steamers enter The natural consequence is that the lions share of passenger traffic, to- gether with the greater portion of Southern Pacific commerce has passed irrevocably into British hands, whose vessels sail every week from Panama to Liverpool, via the Straits of Magel- Ian. The Pacifific Steam Navigation company is to-day one of the largest enterprises of it's kind in the world, owning upwards of seventy first-class steamers and carrying every bit of car go between Europe and South America. For this trade it maintains two sets of steamers-those for still waters be- tween Panama and Valparaiso being large and elegantly appointed, with open decks and airy staterooms, while those designed for the rougher passage across the Atlantic are built for colder weather and heavier seas.
 The distance from Panama to Valpa- raiso is three thousand three hundred and fifteen miles. The trip occupies twenty-five days, and would be tedi- ous one were it not for the fact that hardly half the time is spent at sea, there being no fewer than thirty-eight ports to be visited on the way. Having a virtutl monopoly, you may be sure that Johnny Bulls charges are the ut most that can be obtained. It used to be forty dollars the ton and upwards for freight, and not less than two hun- dred and ninety-seven dollars per capi- ta for passengers, for distance about the same as that between New York and Liverpool. Of late years, however, the Chilian line has made competition so brisk that the rates are somewhat reduced.
 Panama harbor, though lovely to look at, is shallow, rocky and dangerous in- shore, with long black reefs showing their ugly heads above the water. The tide on this side of the isthmus rises from eighteen to twenty-tWo feet, set ting in and running out with so power ful current as to make no child's play of the matter of embarking and disem- barking. It can be accomplished with comparative safety only at half tide and there must be no delay about it, for this is emphatically the time and tide that waits for no man. The Brit ish steamers have their anchorage about seven miles from shore, and you are conveyed thereto in a tender, which is altogether too small for the usual crowd of passengers and mountain of luggage If you and your belongings are not on the spot at the precise mo- ment ready to be hustled pell-mell over the lurching gang plank the instant the little tender bobs up alongside the wharf, you will find yourself in the un- pleasant predicament of the girl whom the poet says he left behind him-com- pelled to wait another week at the risk of your life in fever-haunted Panama, or lose your passage money by patroni- zing another line.
 If getting aboard the tender is bad enough, getting off is infinitely worse over the narrow bridge that spans the heaving sea, between the little craft that bobs about like an egg-shell and the steamer that rocks and rolls with a stately motion all her own, straining