The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-08
RESOURCES OF PANAMA
WILL YIELD WEALTH TO
ENERGY AND ENTERPRISE
Isthmus Is Rich in Minerals, Woods
and Fruits, and Its Waters
Teen with Pearls.
NATIVES ARE VERY LAZY
And Commercial and Industrial
Paralysis Prevails Where Pros
perity Should Reign.
AMERICANS ARE NEEDED
Their Developing Genius Could
Convert the County Into a Land
of Milk and Honey.
NATIVES ARE VERY LAZY
AMERICANS ARE NEEDED
rom the Journals Special Commissioners.

PANAMA r. p. Dec 23-From A COM
mercial viewpoint, the isthmus is land
OF almost boundless possibility-for the
right sort OF men. Rich in resources of all
kinds. 1t remains to this day entirely un-
touched by the hand of developing genius
The progress of commercial enterprise has
never penetrated the interior of this coun-
try. where great stretches of plain lie who'll
Iy dormant, and where abound ranges of
low mountains teeming with mineral
wealth. That interior is a place where the
forests brood for well nigh limitless miles
where the vegetation grows with excess.
eloquently testifying to the richness of the
soil. and where wealth is to be won by
the hardy and enterprising in exchange for
minimum amount of labor
rs IL stands to-day, however, Panama
Is a land of absolutely no commercial con-
sequence Its entire commercial activity is
limited 10 the care of the transsthmian
traffic. Everything else of a commercial
nature In the new republic could be wholly
destroyed without imposing upon the world
al large the slightest burden of depriva-
tlOn The fruit trade. which is carried on
from Bocas del TorO, in the extreme west
ern portion, could easily be supplied from
other sources; the pearl fisheries about the
Day or Panama are not of general public
Denent; the cocoanut groves that line the
beaches are not Of sufficient Importance
TO entail any serious loss should they be
destroyed. while the cattIe-raising. rubber
growing and gold-mining industries are in a
condition of such pulling infancy as to be
virtually negligible quantities.
FOR explanation Of this backwardness one
must look in the main to the bIishtins
tbe neeos oS OF colombian administration. Under
the concession which Colombia granted 10
given an absolute monopoly over ali trans
pOrAuOn facilities on the entire isthmian
strlp. Result: the railroad is the only
highway the isthmus there being ex
cept for IL, no thOroughfare over which
SO much as mule cart can be driven
again, Colombia. by the terms of the cat
tle-killine concession, ruined all prospects
IN tnat direction. There was no opportunity
mus while the herder was compelled to nav
lee OF ~ a mead 10 the cOncessiOnaIre for
M sne priv pHrixiisSe OF slaughtering his stock.
colombian government. On level with
these policies has been that of the Pan
ana ANA EaIIroad-a ssI policy in which there has
peen SINE recent mOdificatiOns-of fixing
rates Tor local traffic over it's line at such a
insure as 10 entirely eliminate the POssibil-
lty or money being made from the culti-
walton OF ,ae lana.
y LAZY PEOPLE.
Coupled with these, there must be con-
sdered the natural shiftlessness of the
people and the lack of adequate govern
ment control over the large areas of the
country. The Panamaians are an habitu-
ally lazy people. Ii is too easy for them to
live by building thatched huts for homes
by grubbing in the ground for yuccas and
yarns. which grow wild: trapping birds
and catching FISH for meat. and by going
into the jungle to gather bananas and
oranges for fruit, for them TO think of
eXerting themselves when the only re-
ward would be little more and a wholly
uiappreciated. comfort. From this condi-
ton or slOthfulnesS Colombia never tried
TO raise the people. Rather did she encour-
age them in idleness. for her policy has
been to let out the land To concessionairies
thereby destroying the peoples opportunity
to cultivate IT,
Tnaians will ever so raise themselves above
their present condition Of ideness as TO
properly make Of the resources that
have been laid 81 their door Certainly they
VIII not Go 50 except after a long term of
years ana until after they have had the ed
ucatinS advantage Of examples by more
tnterprisinS races. Utilization of the coun-
try natural resources and the development
OF her commercial possibilities must ac-
cordlngly, wait the advent of men who are
willing 10 labor as pioneers. For such as
these Panama IS a land of golden promise.
for nobody knows. nor can anybody esti-
mate, the extent of the country's possibili-
ties
In its present wild and uncultivated state
1t offers glittering inducements. Here is an
area equal in extent with that of the State
of Indiana. having climate like perpetual
summer; too excessively watered, perhaps
by the enormous annual rainfall. but with a
soil OF incompatible richness and immeas-
urable productive capacity Anythiry grow
able will grow here and grow rapidly-proof
OF this lies In the fact that green timber set
down for fence posts Immediately takes root
and in less than half years time where
meant 10 stand line of fence posts will
be row OF sturdy saplings.
Under these conditions bananas oranges
nd n hEF Nfsnf ~rrrf
abundantly. Along the sandy beaches cocoa
nut trees will reach the bearing stage in
from 1ve TO six years, and thereafter pro-
duce an average OF four nuts month per
tree. and cocoanuts are worth from s25 to
Si5 thousand Rubber trees will begin to
run gum at from six 10 eight years reach
Ing maturity at ten years. and produce an
average OF 81 worth of gum to the tree
Corn grows well, and two crops a year are
possible. the meadows are perpetually green
furnishing a yeaT-rOund grazing for cattle:
n the forest hardwoods Of all sorts abound
and in the mountains are unknown and un-
prospecSed stores or gold, manganese, coal
and other minerals.
Along the coasts tortoises can be caught
and stripped OF their shells at no exDense
greater than that OF going 10 the beach AT
night time and turning them over on their
found than In the streams. BAYS and lagoons
accessible from these coasts Ivory nuts
grow by the millions. and sugar cane can be
raised with little no effort
The bamboo forests are plentiful and the
growth abundant wild orchids grow so
freely ana IN Sucn variety that nOricul-
turist could quickly destroy their rarity i'm
northern climates by showing a little en-
terprise I'm this one. The coral reefs are
unworked: no attempt is made TO quarry
the stone Of the country. and what is even
worse. there Il not a manufactOry of any
sort the entire isthmus.
COMPLETE PARALYSIS PREVAILS.
The scope OF this commercial and indus
trial paralysis can hardly be appreciated by
those who have not been witness to IT,
Complete Is the one word in the English
vocabulary which describes IL. There are a
few traders-Americans-w up and
down the coasts in small sailing vessels
bartering with the natives for cocoanuts
ivory nuts. tortoise shell and similar prod
ucts Near NomDre De DiOs there has been
IAN attempt, almost abandoned now to open
Il manganese mine. One gold mine is I'm
operation, its product $4,000 a month"; suf-
fcing only 20 demonstrate the latent possi-
bilities In that direction in Chirfquf cattle
and fruit are raised Ia a desultory fashion
The pearl fisheries yield enormously under
CONTINUED on PAGE 4. COL 81