Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-01-28
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Description of the Isthmus.
Old French Days Recalled.
49,

tackled has ever recovered.
Panama and Colon and the country
between them form the deadIiest spot
in the world. No one ventures out of
the house after nightfall, If there has
been the slightest fall Of rain, or if the
atmosphere is at all damp. 1t is death
to do so. Within two hours OF such
exposure, or of getting the least wet,
the dread fever commences, and before
midnight the victim has passed away.
/ crossed the isthmus from ocean to
ocean on foot, walking along the track
of the Panama railroad. In no other
way could l have crossed. The inter
ior is a mass of underbrush so thick
that nothing but reptiles can penetrate
it, The machete of the native some
time enables him to 90 short distances,
hut to an American Of higher and more
civilized attitudes passage is imDOs-
sible. Only a path about a foot vide
alongside the track Of the railroad af
fords foot passage across the isthmus
This jungle is broken by spaces Gov
cred with water the very appearance
Of which provokes a SILVER in the
bTelst of the beholder Green, It's sur
face notified with Shiny, darling Great
ures, stagnant, repulsive, with reptiles
Of loathsOme character summing on the
higher spots, one glance at the sight
tells the history of the fate of the
workmen who tried to dig the canal.
The country is one grand insect nurs-
cry. Everything is named for an in
sect or a reptile. Cockroaches attain
a size and ferocity that is wonderful.
1t is necessary to protect the hands
and feet during sleep to prevent these
creatures eating off the nails to .ne
quick All other varieties flourish and
their nocturnal visits render the life
OF the visitor a burden. 1t took four
days to walk across the AZ miles OF
the isthmus In that journey became
thoroughly familiar with the country
and with the proposed route of the
canal and the work that has been done
on it by the French company.
In my opinion, there is no question
as to the superiority of the MIC ragua
hnitely preferable. That part of Mic
aragua Is a healthy land. where coffee
plantations are numerous and where
| the people can live in health and Sc
| curity. Where the Panama canal will
/ be ! have already tried to tell you; it
is perfect death trap At Colon the
buzzards are so thick they interfere
with the people. They walk sedately
along the street with the passers. they
SIT on the fences, they perch on the
roofs of the houses, and they are in ev-
idence wherever the eye turns People
are buried there 20 in a grave, and it
is common practice for the family of
a deceased person to rent coffin and
take the dead one to the cemetery in
it, and when the funeral is concluded
to return the coffin to the undertaken.
Panama is better than Colon in some
respects. 1t Is pleasanter there when
the breezes blow, and it is perhaps a
little healthier At both places all the
stores close at II o'clock in the morn
ing and remain closed until 2 in the
afternoon, while the inhabitants take
thelr siesta, No work is ever done ia
the middle of the day. and if it is at
ali damp there is none done during the
entire day. To return to the imme-
date subject of the canal. l will say
that parts IF it that are already COM
pleted could be made ready for use in
n short time and with little expense.
What is done was done in mastery
manner, There is nothing shoddy
about it; it is standard construction
IN every respect, But ii viii require
AT the lowest estimate 100000 600 to
reduce culobras to the level of the seq
ana cut q passage through its base. l