Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-04-14

the discovery of America, Panama
next 10 Cartagena, was the richest
and most powerful stronghold Of SPAR
in the New World All the booty
from the western coast of America
was sent to Panama City. Thence il
was carried across the Isthmus on ths
hacks of natives and mules. and ship
ped to Spain from Porto Bello. several
miles up the coast from the present
Atlantic depot of Colon. Across the
lsthmus in those times there was a
fairly good road, paved part of the way
and with bridges over many of the
streams Then with the passing OF
the sea power of Spain came one hun
dred and fifty years of stagnation and
decay on the Isthmus. The great trains
Of gold and silver which had given
Panama prosperity ceased and the
Isthmus was used by only few travel
lers who took 1t as short cut The
discovery of gold in California brought
a partial revival of activity. There was
no railway across the United States.
and many gold seekers and their fol.
lowers preferred to shorten the Jour
ney by crossing Panama rather than to
foot 1t across the prairies and the
high passes of the west or to sail all
the way around Cape Horn. A railroad
was built from Colon to Panama bay
in the early fifties, and has each year
carried an increasing number Of pas.
sengers and larger amount of trade.
From the steamer out in the bay
Colon looks very attractive with its
white houses stretching around the
placid harbor. and the evergreen hills
behind and around 1t. But when the
steamer reaches the pier and the pas
senger lands and begin to walk about,
he becomes exceedingly disguised with
the disillusion. The town and its
1900 people are soon seen. Unlike
Panama and most of the Spanish-Amer-
lean cities, the houses of Colon are
built of wood, and most of them are
shanties; there are only one or two
streets and these are exceedingly
filthy, as the town has no sewerage
system Most of the houses are built
On stakes and are raised several feet
above the ground. All the refuse and
nth from the house is thrown out up.
on the ground. making an indescrib.
able sight and stencil. The people are
not exactly attractive. being a strange
mixture of the red, white, black and
yellow races. a''
Colon is named in honor of Colum.
bus. who discovered the bay in 1902. 1t
was built in 1856 and has been burned
down sevral times. being rebuilt the
last time in 1890 The town was
originally called Aspinwall after one
of the American millionaires who built
the railroad. On spit of land at one
end of the town are two handsome
houses called De Lesseps palaces
which were built to house that famous
engineer and the officers of the Pan.
anna Railway company, In a promi-
nent place stands handsome statue
in memory of Columbus.
During eight menths of the year the
rain pours down every few hours. The
total rainfall in one year at Colon has
been as much as 300 inches; some
times twelve inches of water have
fallen in a single day. During these
months the atmosphere Is conse-
quently exceedingly oppressive. Four
mOlths of the year-May, June, July
and August-form the dry season when
little rain falls. Three months are
healthier and more tolerable
The barber of Colon is always busy
Many steamship lines converge here
bringing passengers and freight from
the United States Europe and South
America. The harbor is exceedingly
good and safe except when norther
Then the ships must put TO sea to
escape being driven ashore. The
plans of the canal commission include
an artificial basin in which vessels
may hide during these storms The
basin is to form the mouth of the
canal. is Ia have bottom width of
500 feet and is 10 he nearly one mile
long.
Nearly 100000 people cross the
lsthmus annually: all are rushing for
some part of the world. and take this
short cut TO save time and money.
About 1000 vessels. large steamers ana
small sailing clippers. put into the two
harbors each year. landing over q mil.
hon tons OF freight which is also being
hurried TO some distant point across
the ocean. Two passenger trains leave
Colon daily for Panama City on the
Pacific A single ticket costs s25 In
gold. and il takes the engine three
hours to pun the train across, although
the distance is only forty-seven miles.
The journey is undressing. rs the
track is over swamps and lagoons,
Here and there are settlements of
wretched houses with matched roofs
and dirt floors. The almost naked
natives. who hang about the train
when IL stops. exist and nothing more.
The climate has Slapped them IF any
energy they ever had; they do 40 work
of any kind from one years end to the