The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-16
FACTS ABOUT NEW STATE.
Republic OF Panama In Nearly a.
Large as Indiana.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 1.-THE commerce.
of Panama amounts to about s30o0.o0o per
annum. its population to about 100000, and
it's area to 1851 square miles, or nearly
equal TO that Of the State Of Indiana. The
principal ports are Panama, on the Pacific
these ports are visited annually by more
than loo vessels, which land over 1000 900
tons of merchandise and nearly 10000 pas
sengers, Chiefly for transfer ovor the Pana-
ma Railway, forty-seven miles I'm length.
connecting the Pacific port OF Panama with
the Atlantic port OF Colon.
Colon, or Aspinwall. as IL is sometimes
called. has a population Of about 5000 per-
sons. The city OF Panama has a population
OF about $500 1t was founded In 1918.
burned In 1871. and rebuilt In 1873, while
Colon is of much more recent date hav-
ing been founded In 1855.
The population Is composed OF various
elements-Spanish, Indian. negro and a
limited number OF persons from the Eu-
ropean countries and the United States.
especially those engaged in commerce and
transportation and the operation of the
Panama Railway. A considerable number
OF the population is composed OF persons
brought TO the isthmus as laborers for tho
construction OF the canal, and OF their de-
scendants.
OF the commerce OF Panama the United
States supplies a larger share than any
other country. The importations at the
port of Colon during the fiscal year ended
June 80, lS8 as shown by the report OF
the United States consul, amounted TO
q
United States, slls.OSs from France. slls.322
from England, s76.3s6 from Germany. The
figures OF the fiscal year 1903 show a con-
siderable increase from those OF 1902. in
which the value Of the imports at Colon
We're s77s.3i5. OF the t6i4l7s imports from
the United States at Colon in 1903, 500. 7A
was drygoods. $lS93a3 provisions. s5s SO
coal. SIS. 642 lumber. s32 900 kerosene. $40 100
liquors and s3i. $40 hardware. The value OF
the importations from the United States In
1903 exceeded those Of 1902 by about 100000
The exports to the United States from
s75. i32 was bananas, 1880 cocoanuts. si2.-
4T2 turtle shells. 50 400 ivory nuts, So go
hides and 1924 coffee.
From the port OF Panama the exports 70
the United States In the fiscal year 1908
amounted TO sl93.3f2. OF which S5e, 767 was
nuts, sl6.59s ivory nuts. tls.s72 deer skins
and $6S0S coffee. The consul at Panama
states that the imported articles come most
ly from England Germany, France Italy
and the United States, but gives no sta
tistics OF the imports.
Panama Is connected with San Francisco
by a weekly steamer schedule and with
Valparaiso by a weekly steamer schedule.
Two passenger and two freight trains leave
Panama daily for Colon and Colon daily
for Panama The time for passenger trains
over the forty-seven miles of railway IS
three hours.
From Panama there is one cable line
north to American ports and 10 the
south. The actual time consumed In COM
muncating with the United States and re-
ceiving answer is stated by the consul to
be usually about four hours There are
also cable lines from Colon 10 the United
States and Europe.
The money or the country Is silver, the
rate of exchange having averaged during
the past year about 80 per cent.