The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-15
CIVILIZATION
On IHE BIHNUS
Daily Life of inhabitants of
Proposed Canal Route
CHILDREN IN THE ARMY
Schools Closed and lnhabi-
tants in DepIorabIe Condition

Colon. March 1.-THE proposed Panama
Canal we usually regard as a problem
for the engineer. We also think very
frequently Of the international and diplo-
matte problems involved in the undertake
ing: but what we less often remember
is that the greatest difficulties are diff
ficulties relating TO the social order which
has been, and is. and will be. here at the
1sthmus.
The physical characteristics Of the 18TH
mus. on which these social conditions
depend are well known. Running in gen.
eral from west TO east with its northern
shore facing the Caribbean Sea, and its
southern shore bordering on the Pacific
Ocean. the Isthmus of Panama has for its
core range of low. well worn hills. River
valley wind in manifold curves among
these hills The main outflow of the
water is northward toward the Carib-
bean; and in this direction the slope of
the ridge Of hills is longest and gentlest
Towards the Pacific the decent is swifter.
These hills are covered with a luxuriant
tropical forest, which has the usual effect
of rendering travel difficult Apart from
the railway, and waterways as the lower
Chagres River. there are still hardly any
roads of any Importance on the lsthmus
outside Of the towns. Mule paths exist
wherever passage to or from planta-
tion makes such means of communica-
ton needful
Into a country thus covered by tropical
jungles. the demands of1he worlds COM
merce have introduced railway and two
considerable terminable towns, on the
two sides of the Isthmus. On the forty
seven miles of railway between these
terminal points one finds stations every
two or three miles, villages of very vari-
Gus characters Going from Colon to-
wards Panama, one passes. for instance,
at the village of Mindi, the large ranch
of a native Colombian Zone Arcea by
name, where there are great clearings,
fine pasture lands and notable herds
OF horses. off beef cattle. and even Of
dairy cattle. At Las Cascade, one passes
within three or four miles Of a very nota-
bic rubber and chocolate plantation. At
Gorgona, well up among the hills, a place
reputed to be, for the Isthmus, healthy
one sees, amidst beautiful surroundings
places where inhabitants of the city of
Panama occasionally come for pleasure
and rest. on the other hand, some OF
the lesser villages along the line with
thatched huts. with population of indie
scribably mixed colOrs, and radical APP
pearance are full of squalor and dirt.
Between stations ones eyes feast for
awhile upon the glories of a tropical
jungle;and then wearied with finding
only the wilderness. look I'm vain for
marks Of cultivation. But wild nature is,
for the most part. unconquered. Near
Colon there are some plantations of i'm
portance along the rivers. Bananas
chocolate. rubber, ana much other tropi-
cal produce come from these plantations
but al such Industries are, comparatively
speaking, still exceptional developments
or the Isthmus
Apart from the plantations villages
some of them Indian onulation some of
them inhabited 10y other stocks. are to be
found on the rivers or along the coast;
but means of communication in the in
terror are apart from the railway and
from the various WATERWAYS. almost lack
Ing. The older trails are often overgrown
an useless.
Upon The basis of the physical condi-
tieas ana the industrial resources thus
susgeetad- one finds built up a social
structgr. .oneisting ~ TWO principal and
ii''''' 9''oi t'- N'''''"S''u po"erS-'he
''''' wa" -'S '''H "t employees ana
II H.'.. ''H'' on 'Ae one hahd' ana
tn Colombian government on the other
h ed
''''" !" edSi'
anu cares
= ''s
-, r.,.... r., ,>-Vs
c. $50 ~ '''''u
dt.,,,,,. ....... 80. ~
:, .t s., rs SeCu'-
l., on bs,a ~, ....., -.
r,-h,. 80 10 s'"',iu Us
h., ,,,,,.,-.,s,. -. "a,
r.. am, '','0U' Pi''-
So - ,,-,.,.,.,.., -. Ap'eS-
di.t.,,,r tb,,s i,--o,.-,,, va
r. ~, -, - -'O, '''e runway
,.l5ti..,l or ....f.7 ,..,...,...... ''l'
tn. 20 imu~,-. The s,nfts,,,,, sc 60,
or fl, chez. so.;,I 49, o'o'''
Ii does mo-. helm r. cf,.iIi-o on. -. :,
colauiz, th.. ..,,,,rr,- -
Western RAILWAYS hav, o,,,o,,,a,io,,,,.
tended 20 improve th, soei.i ,,-,,i.f,.,.
o. the communities II j. .s.,,,...,,..
foreign power
The Colombian Go,e,nr,,r. ~ -.
other hand. poWel.ese IN do r,,-s f,,r -,
sgainst the interests II the rarv-s,. ~
70 collect The rental of ,bs .,,,.,...-.'
ard to insist ,raoa n general rscor,,,,,,,.'
o. it's sovereis1ty and ~ - -.
u.ations IS "a decidedly. ir,,,,,,.-...,,- -
IN The lives OF IN. ro,rr. r., ~
land, where the s.,biegr is l,,-,. -,
his rulers. The frs,,,s-. ,;,-,, ...,,-..'-.-.-
consequently mean much -.
or,s A. ri. -. 4't',S