New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-11
PANAMAN DOMESTIC LIFE.
Conditions an Many Parts Only Little
Removed from SaUagery.

ditons surrounding its living 1t is only few de-
| srees removed from savagery. OF the other
/ IN this particular equation it may be said that
/ hVes under domestic and social conditions
monty found in those countries where the glory OF
spain is memory centuries old. Far up in the
western portion OF the republics domain there
| 1--we some natives who claim TO be the de-
scendants or those whom the Spaniards found
when they discovered and conquered the country
| and who seem to have retained the true native
customs, speech and physical type In that
section. notably in the Province OF Chrtqui.
wei as Porto Bello and Nombre de Dios. to the
eastward OF Colon. the Caribbean coast, there
| live to this day decaying remnants of the old
| Spanish gentility. OF these 1t is hardly worth
while to speak. for they shut off from the
world living such narrow. stunted lives. that they
Weld practically no influence. they
matter of any public concern.
To the eastward of Nombre de Dios. stretching
away for many miles toward the Darien Gulf are
the haunts of the San Bias Indians, a race of
stoclHily built. bullet headed. shock haired abo-
rhymes. dominated by peculiar ideas and marked
by most peculiar traits. These Indians trade a
little with white men. and occasionally small
parties OF them make their way into Colon. bring
ing cocoanuts or tortoise shells for barter; but
the great aim of their existence is TO keep
their blood untainted. To attain this end they
have a hard and fast rule under which their
women never permitted communication with
white men, and their blood from pollution
white absolutely excluded from their
coast at nightfalL The going down of the sun is
a signal for every white man who happens TO be
on this to go aboard ship or stand offshore
during the night in his cayuca il being stated upon
excellent authority that. rgidly is rule n
forced. white has ever slept a night on the
land belonging TO the San Bias Indians.
RAISE BOYS FOR SERVITUDE.
This recognizes dominion its own.
knowledges sovereignty except that own
tribe; yet strange their ways, and careful
as they to preserve their blood from admxture
with that of whites. they realize and appreciate
the benefits of Anglo-Saxon association. Their
method of securing that association is. however.
most peculiar. From the days of their infancy the
youths Of this tribe taught that some day or
other a white will to take them away
and make servants of them. This idea is drilled
into these youngsters until they come TO accept
It matter of and 1T actually works out.
The white visiting the isthmus and wishing
to procure the services of boy into whom the idea
of servituds has been thoroughly drilled has only
to communicate with these Indians The answer
Will be the appearance at the place appointed of
such a San Bias youth. accompanied by his father
of the minor chiefs OF the tribe With very
little pareying the lad will be handed TO the
white man. the only covenant exacted by the Ind
ian being pledge that the boy shall be clothed
and fed. and educated in the English tongue
From that day forth the boy will be servant
TO his master. faithful, obedient. respectful and
willing; but there time when this relation
ship ends. Some time or other the white man will
note the disappearance OF the seTvant-the boy will
have gone his destiny with his tribe. for. while
the youngsters are taught that a white will
take them away. they are taught too that when
they reach the age OF about eighteen they are to
slip away from the white mans homo and return
TO their native coast This they do invariably
working their way back to the isthmus as common
sailors and retoning the tribe. Their fate there
after unpleasant. for upon their they
made minor chiefs or become teachers. So
mon has this practice been for many decades
among the San Bias Indians that to-day the tribe
understands and speaks the English language free
~, and while forbiddng him their coast after sun
| down. is always glad 10 welcome and entertain an
English speaking man during the day. ard to trade
| freely with him. These Indians live IN the most
primitive fashion. observing all their tribal forms
| and ceremonies. and not therefore. 10 be con-
sidered in connection with the actual domestic and
social problems the isthmus.
These problems many and perplexing, by far
the most interesting having do with the ninety
and-nine. This mass of the population is thorough
| ly mongrel; TO it morality. Judged by modern in
pure FLOODED Coionl6lans or spaniards there are
none TO be found In the great body OF the people
TINS mass Is composed OF all races and colors-
| West Indian negroes, indians, muiattoes. Chinese.
ana Siendcd ther boc9 sn or TTeT %ee4e5
racial types and characteristcs have been lost in
a bcwderiuB mixture Living as 1t does. entirely
ennobling influences, this great body of the people
mas qestnerafed hainrty Entl TO-DAY II occupies
bungalows reekng with NTH. built over disease
,0 vile green sc Eo It threads its way in that city
filled with growth of rank vegetation; or where
tho streets solid ground. are Uttered
Under such circumstances one does look for
culture or refinement: nor does wonder that
is that conditions good they are; that
anybody lives. instead of that thousands die
every year.
THE INTERIOR AND AT PANAMA
In the interior between Colon and Panama and
in those parts well away from the railroad, do
nestle and social conditions bad as at Colon
In that portion of this republic the people live IN
meanly built matched novels. or exist as squat
terS'' in the long disused decaying canal COM
pany houses In the villages along the line Of the
forms. the people budding together like bees in
hive. living without thought of hygiene SAINT
tltqn ana in homes so squalid that 1t Is safe
sertion that the meanest negro in the most benght-
ed section OF our own South would not spend a day
In Panama condigons are no better Panama "a
metropolisl is a tumble of SOFT yellow stone adobe
and frame houses of cobblestone streets OF ruined
streets are crooked and narrow and the houses s
are built flush with the sidewalk line In all the
But three Buildings in the place boast the iuxgry
or bo running water The only gardens aside from
have built 'ean-to' shantes within the ruins that
domeiies The chiidren"and here's as in c ehnr
they come in swarmS-live in the streets. breathing
that are Caused by the free dnpng e up p 4 the
thoroughfares of garbage which lies to be beaten
send its nauseatng 9dors and disease breeding
day Here, in Colon. the passerby encounters
women, naked babies. dense clouds of bugs, whole
focks of insinuating turkey buzzards and inevita-
ply. the NANCY monkey the chattering birds and
the fea bitten pigs
It draws its sustenance through the railroad the
money paid out by that institution sufiicing to pro
purchase the limited assortment of edibies it
Steamship interests desuItory interest IN the fish,
nishes if The means for livelihood but in the in