The St. Louis Republic., 1903-11-22
their farms are vel.

sections on the coast their farms are well
kept and are generally profitable.
They raise coffee in abundance, and Its
leuality is of the best. They raise fruits of
! cocoanuts, which they export in large
quantities. Rubber is also another of the
main staples of the land. In addition to
these Panama does an extensive trade in
copaiba balsa-n, sarsaparilla. heron or
garza feathers, ivory nuts. hides and deer
skins, hardwoods. fustic pearl shells and
pearls and salt.
This extensive agricultural and natural
product finds its way. easily to the sea-
coast, where 1t is shipped abroad by a
| number of lines. The harbors of Colon
| trade.
At Colon the regular lines that send
ships there at stated and frequent inter-
walls are the Panama Railroad and Steam
Packet Company, the Hamburg American
Line. the French TRANSATLANTIC Line. the
italian Transatlantic Line. the Spanish
Line, which runs from Havana to Colon,
| and the Leyiand Line.
On the Panama SIDE of the isthmus the
Pacific Steam Navigation Company, with
Line, with coast and through transporta-
ton, and the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
paany form the major part Of the ship
ping.
In addition to these there are always n
large number Of tramp steamers who are
taking or discharging cargo, and a number
of fruit lines that run to nearby cities
on the American coast. Besides all this,
these ports are ports of call for all war
ships that cruise in their neighborhood
so that it Is rare that there is not from
five to ten big ships in the harbors. be-
sides large number Of small sailing
craft.
RECENT CIVIC UPHEAvAL.
At Panama. as well as Colon, there has
recently been civic upheaval and the
police and fire brigade equipment has been
improved. says the Brooklyn Eagle. The
water supplies of the towns are very un-
satisfactory at present, and one of the
promises made by the revolutionary lead
ers is that they will be improved at once.
At present the method Of securing water
for every purpose is from wells on the
premises or from water carriers who visit
the springs in the adjacent country and
convey large supplies Of the precious fluid
to the cities on the backs of burros or in
water carts.
At Panama there are three important
clubs. the most patronized being the Com
mercial Cub and the International Club.
both OF which have large and beautifully
furnished homes. These are the places
where the business men congregate at the
time for siesta. and in the cool parlors
conduct much CT their business.
The architecture of the towns is similar
to that of all Spanish American cities.
Every CitS Is ulViueu lnlO pidZdS, anu w
the edge Of every plaza is large church;
These churches are built of brick and
stone. They are usually very large. and
the open plaza in front of them gives bet
ter views of their architectural beauties in
Northern cities. where as a rule the only
view that can be obtained of the churches
Is slanting one from up or down the
street.
There was reason for building these
churches SO beyond the merely esthetic
one Of giving good view of their beau
Of refuge for the citizens in case of war
or the arrival of freeboOterS in the earlier
days of the isthmus. They were built
solid so that they would Withstand the
bombardment of cannon, and they were
built on the plazas so that the defenders
where the enemy could not lurk.
AROUSED BY TOCSIN.
When the tocsin sounded every citizen,
accompanied by his family, would rush to
the nearest church. with his arms and
ammunition. and many desperate stand
was made against the aggressors. Some
OF the bloodiest tales of the revolution IN
which Colombia threw off the yoke of
Spain center In these churches.
These Panama towns are a delight to
the artist. Bizarre, picturesque, romantic.
dngy. dirty, beautiful warm-colored and
quaint. there is something to attract the
the buildings run through every tint of
red. green. yellow. pink. gray and brown.
Many of them are century or two old.
and everyw here the sun has toned the
cclors SO that they blend and shade into
each other by .fmperceptible gradation.
Then back. of the buildings are the trees
and the flowers. with their intense tones
of green. brown and all colors Of the rain.
bow. Through these dart many-colored
birds and butterflies and everywhere is the
little red monkey. which seems a part OF
the life Of the isthmus.
Its people expect great things from their
Independence. but first of all they expect
the canal. When that Is built they feel
that they will be close to the millennium.