The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-16
quakes that might endanger the water

way.
The Place Is Void of Comforts.
Life in a city so void of attractions
must of necessity have drawbacks, and
of these there are a plenty in Panama.
There is here. as ! have already eX-
planned. some social activity; but this
touches only the better class of the
permanent population. For the transit
ent and for the lower classes there is
absolutely nothing of interest. Once
narrow-gauge single-track trolley line
meandered aimlessly about the streets,
but that has fallen into disuse, and as
Panama takes on the quiet of absolute
solitude at shutdown, the place is dull
ness personif1ed. Once in while there
is band concert in one of the plaZaS
III the early hours of the evening-just
across the street from my hotel a
band is at this moment industriously
engaged in trying to murder "Hiawa-
tha." These concerts draw only men,
however. an unwritten law seeming
to drive all women from the streets at
nightfall.
This paucity of Understanding sur
roundings extends to the homes and
hotels. 1t would be a difficult matter
to determine which is the more bar
ren-the home or the hotel. All the
more important ngs-residences
hotels and public structures-are built
in the form of a hollow square. with
balconies facing both the street and
the inner court. All buildings are alike
in several particulars. l have yet 10
find one that is not occupied on It's
ground-foor for commercial purposes,
u popularity which results in making
all residence quarters above ground.
Except in store buildings which have
show windoWs-and these latter are
mean little affairs-the use of glass is
unknown. There are openings for Win
dows, closeable by inside shutters; but
what is the use of wasting money on
window frames and glass panes when
the mercury never goes below so de-
grees, and when there are neither cur
tains, carpets or upholstered furniture
things absolutely unknown hereto
be spoiled by beating rains. Every
house in Panama is alike, too, in the
matter of a water supply-three only
being excepted. In the favored three
there is an attempt at furnishing run
ming water by means of rainwater
tanks and windmills. OF these three
one is the Gran Hotel Central-one of
the worst hostelries in the world, but
the best on this side of the isthmus-
one is the residence of Bishop Jonquito,
The City's Mean Water Supply.
In every other building the water
supply is restricted to what can be
caught and stored in rain barrels and
to what is purchased from the VEN
doris of water, whose barrel carts are
constantly perambulating about the
streets. Just outside the main city,
along the line of the railroad and in
the meanest section of the native sec
ton, is a line of unsightly water holes
dignified by the name of wells. These
holes are unprotected; about them live
the most depraved of the native and
negro inhabitants; the surroundings
are indescribably squalid and filthy;
but this is Panama's only source of
fresh water supply, aside from the
rain water. All day long line of two
wheeled barrel carts, drawn by mules
and ponies no larger than the ponies
of Shetland, joys out to these water
holes. There the barrels are filled,
and returning, the line of carts loses
itself about the streets, where water
is 'hawked" at five cents Colombian
silver) the two-gallon measureful. In
the dry season, when the store of rain
water has ben exhausted, Panama has
to rely uopn these holes. and the price
of water jumps enormously, having
gone as high as 60 cents (silver) a gal
Ion. Is it anv wonder that water is
A luxury in this place; that bathtubs
and shower baths are unknown? "She
is one of the few women in Panama
who uses water instead of powder"
said a young American naval officer
the other day as senorita we'll known
here passed the hotel a remark more
true than poetic, but easily explained
nv what l have said about the city's
water supply.
Such conditions as 1 have described
are too deep-rooted to be easily
changed, though vast improvement
viii quickly follow the application of
American energy. Panama will not,
therefore, ever become a gay capital;
nor will it ever draw sightseers or va
cationists. 1t will, however, become a
rlace of Importance in the commercial
equation, for here will center the adj
illustrative work in connection with
the construction and operation of the
canal. Just now, however, the business
of the place is of little consequence.
Panamaians Live in Hope.
1t is confined almost entirely to sup
plying the staple requirements of the
local population. There are two or
three wholesale dealers who maintain
depots for the distribution of merchan-
disc, but their activity is local. The
pearl nSnerleS, winch are ndndBSu
here but owned in Paris, is the only
commercial enterprise which brings
Panama in contact with the outside
world as a producer, the popular idea
that Panama hats are made here being
entirely fallacious. These hats are
made in Guayaquil Ecuador, 900
miles from Panama, and are more rare
here by far than they are in the states.
The retail trade of the city-except
for the poor and insignificant native
portion-is almost exclusively in the
hands of the French and Chinese the
latter being the most important.
Three steamship companies-the Pacific
Mail, South American and Pacific
Steam vigation-maintain a regular
service to the isthmus Their bust
ness is, however, restricted to trans
isthmian shipments, and since the La
Poca terminal of the railroad is COM
pleted it no longer passes through
panama proper, though this city's
people handle and profit from it.
Such is Panama. city which may
be said to be slowly expiring of in
anition. To-day 1t is poor, dirty,
saualid and pestilential. Tomorrow
its people hope to see it rich, clean.
prosperous and healthy. all their
dreams of a change so complete turn
ing upon their belief that 1.-THE canal
g. fnarr