Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-01-07
COSTLY IN PANAMA.
washington Government Gets Facts
and Figures to Prove II,


Hlghballs will be pretty expensive in
Panama and Colon when the Ameri-
cans go down there to dig the canal.
because artificial ice costs 1919 cents
pound, and there is special Govern
ment tax on all imported liquors.
There are only few ice factories in
the new republic, and in the past these
have been run as a government monop-
Oily and usually leased to the highest
bidder.
There are some small distilleries
but their product would poison dog
SO the men who have tried it saw.
Since the recent revolution there
this Government has taken a deep in
terest in Panama and Colon, and as a
result Viee-Consul Ehrman at Panama
and Consul Malmros at Colon have
been logged by inc Department of
State to hurry out a report on lust
what there is in the two cities.
Everything in the two cities is told
about in a pamphlet of twelve pases
Issued by the Department of Com
merce. Eight of these pages are de-
voted to statistics of the earnings of
the Panama Railway and a table of ex-
ports and imports.
The commerce of Panama, accord
ing to the report amounts to about
100000 year.
The country has a population of
about 100000.
The principal ports are Colon and
, Panama and they are visited annually
by more than 1000 vessels, which land
over 100000 tons of merchandise
and nearly 100000 passengers. For
fear some misguided person will be-
| lieve that all this passenger traffic and
merchandise is intended for the
lsthmus, the Consuls say that all is in
tended for transfer over the Panama
Railway.
/ 1t costs quite bit of money to
! travel over the Panama Railway.
Two passenger and two freight trains
leave each terminal daily. The trip
takes three hours, and the distance is
/ exactly forty-seven miles. The fares
for passengers with baggage are Tin
gold): First class, $40; second class.
SO; without baggage, 81 and 81.
!, Vice-Consul Ehrman says the bank
ing business is conducted on pretty
much the same lines as elsewhere. but
the rate of exchange for the year aver
ages about $50 per cent.
! The baggage-smasher'' and freight
handler is not over careful in handling
boxes, trunks, ETC., for Mr.. Ehrman
says:
In packing or putting up American
goods Americans have much to learn
both as to the amounts to put in a
package ami as to durability of boxes,
&C."
| England and France buy pearls from
the natives each year amounting to
about 100000.
The United States leads in the mat
ter of trade because of its nearness
and the lower freight rates.
Panama exported to the United
States in 1903 goods worth S193,342, of
which $56,767 was for hides; $49,974,
india rubber; $27,805, cocobolo nuts !;
$16,59S, ivory nuts, and $6,90S, coffee.
The steamship earnings decreased
$125,825 from 1901 because of the UNI
settled conditions.
Regarding the population the report
says: "The population is composed
of various elements, Spanish, Indian,
negro and limited number of persons
from the European countries and the
United States, especially those engag-
ed in commerce and transportation
and the operation of the Panama Rail-
road. A considerable number of the
population is composed of persons
brought to the Isthmus as laborers for
the construction of the canal and their
descendants Since the abolition of
slavery in Jamaica considerable
number of blacks and mulattoes have
settled on the Isthmus as small deal
ers and farmers, and in some villages
on the Atlantic side, they ara said to
be in the majority. AS a result the
English language is much in use, es-
pecially on the Atlantic side. Some of
the native population have retained
their customs, speech and physical
! type, especially those in the western
, part of the province and claim to be
| descendants of the natives found in
| that section by the Standards