The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-24
SECTION TWO


quicker than you can say Jack Robin
son was in Havana when the girls
IN the balconies were throwing roses
10 me simply because I was an Ameri-
can. and a few months later a waiter in
cafe spilled soup on me for the same
reason. 1T is well 10 allow for con-
siderable shrinkage i'm the enthusiasm
Of these new found frienSs before you
invest several thousand dollars i'm bust
ness among them. Just now the people
OF Panama are going In Cor everything
American. They are putting up AmeTi-
can signs. and swearing BY the yam
KEGS It is a sort of national folly
they are working on Us.
do not wish to appear too skep-
teal, but rather to dissuade those who
think this a great field and rare on
portunity for investment. The Ameri-
can zone is only ten miles wide. and
the individual or concern that goes out
side Of this in a mining enterprise, or
other investment, has the same con-
ditiOns of revolution and petty black
mail to contend with that have always
been characteristic Of these little re-
Pubiies. Until the plans Of the United
states government are made known. q
business venture in almost any com
mercial line would be i'll advised. be-
cause the question OF the governments
maintaining cOmmissary has not been
decided. The Panama railroad has
always had a department of this sort
in order TO avoid the excessive duties
II the Panama government takes off
the duty, or reduces the same 60 a
nominal per cent, il is likely that the
canal commission viii abandon the
idea OF maintaining a cOmmissary. The
history Of the country, when other
things are equal shows that the mer-
chant can supply goods cheaper than
the government This is due. pFnci-
pally, TO the difference I'm wages. gov
eminent app0intees always drawing
salaries which are out of proportion 20
the. services rendered in stores
Chances For the Few.
There are many small lines Of enter
prise that would doubtless do well iu
Panama. The tendency OF the resi-
dents to adopt American styles and
customs might be taken advantage of
by teacher Of English, an American
millineT, a dancing teacher. a music
teacher, q dressmaker. or a hair dresser
and manicure OF course people i'm any
OF these professions would be greatly
handicapped unless they have q knowI-
edge Of Spanish, although they might
get on fairly well by having some one
in their employ who could act as in
terpreter when necessary. But at the
best, all who come here are going =
long ways from home with no great
prospects. All who come before the
canal commission performs its extern
sIve sanitary work are certainly taking
their lives in their hands. Those who
have plenty Of money TO pay for the
best accommodations to be had, VIII run
great risk, and this is the last place on
earth for a poor person to come.
stav AWAY From Panama.
It IS an absolute fact that there is
no place in the world where a rush Of
men, without means, viii prove so
fatal. The usual swarm Of camp fol-
lowers. who have little OF. no money,
but take chances on getting something
to do viii certainly 90 TO their death
if they come TO Panama as it is now.
In the west and north, particularly i'm
the northern gold fields, chances for
work are plentiful, and man can al
ways earn enough to keep him going
until he gets on his feet. But that is
not the case in Panama. A white
nan cannot possibly do manual labor
here, and If he could the wages are
too low for him to live on them. Men
who have been accustomed TO rOuzhing
il in the northern climate cannot live
out Of doors I'm the tropics. Strength
IS no preventative Of sickness. The
fever is no respecter OF persons. It
is true that thousand warnings,
given over and over again, viii not
check the reckless horde which fol-
lows on the heels Of every big move
nent, but it is hoped that some OF
these headsJrong soldiers of fortune
viii listen to reason and stay away
from the isthmUs If they do not pay
heed to the warning, their lives viii
certainly pay the penalty and their
folly will be upon their own heads
The American authorities cannot lend
financial assistance to stranded coun-
trymen, unless they do 50 at the ex-
pense of their own pockets. and their
purses are not long enough for that.
Write it down in big letters that Pan
anna IS a good place to stay away
from.