The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-11

walks are shaded. Then the tailors
bring their chairs out to the roadway,
and one sees women sewing on the edge
of the street. Nearly every other build NV
Ing contains a store, end many OF the 4
stores are workshops Els well. The most
common place Is the pretty saloon. 5
Drinks are sold everywhere and there
are, scores OF little, grocery and fruit
stores.
Among the Pawnbrokers.
Panama has several banks which&do Z
business In the flrge The richest per-
hnps, Is that Of; the Ehrmans the de- Il
scendants Of Henry Ehrman. who died
here some Yeas ago worth about a mil
lion dollars. a,nd next to them. perhaps, r.
the Rrandons, who were bankers to tho a
old Colombian government and who still u
do business with the Panama rcpubltc.}@j
In addition to this many Of the mer-3ss
chants lend money and there are also VI
lpawnbroker1s who give Announcements on 81
watches and other valuables at s per Ss
cent. a month. The pawnbrokers have sS
no balls over their doors as Mt home md NJ
they arc not such shylocks as our dear III
iuncles of,Chatham Street and the Bowery.
I have been to many of these pawn *
5brokerinfg shops, not to borrow. but to b
see II 1 could pick up something In old
plate or jewelry as souYen souvenir OF my
& trip. They have but few antiques Of n
value, but now and then one finds fine
pearl Or n gold chain with flat links OF S
curious shape Such chains were once
made by tho natives jewelers. and they +
are now in great demand among Amerl-5 Hi
cab ladies', who visit the isthmus. Wnen S
Mrs. Secretary Taft was here she bought d
d splendid ono for less than 500, and the
wife Of the chief engineer has another
which would cause any American 4 belle 81
to break the tenth commandment The ~
larger of these chains are big enough
to go around the neck and fall TO the as
waist. They end In n CROSS OF solld
gold which has, doubt not, been blessed
I by the priest. as oil Panama women are g
good Catholics, At one pawnshop was 4
shown n chain OF woven gold. with
gold medallion as n pendant. Tho me- 81
dallion had a score of fine pearls the
whole being topped by pearl as big
around as the end OF the ordinary lead
pencil The price Of this chain was
500 in silver. 1t would certainly be
worth at least four times that in the
United States.
The Canal VS.. Earthquakes.
Ono OF the objections urged against
the building OF the Panama canal has
been that an earthquake may occur which
might ruin the work after It Is COM
pleted, There Is an evidence against
this theory In one OF the old churches
OF Panama The chief engineer. Mr..
w ulitce, pOlTteu IL Oul " me me AOlTeC "a
day It consists OF what is probably
the widest and lowest arch known to
architecture. The arch must be fifty
or sixty feet wide and 1t Is almost horl-
zontal. consisting OF one span without
any support except ut the two ends.
It Is part OF q church built about 200
years ago and now In ruins There are
trees growing inside the church and grass
and bushes have sprouted out OF the
windows high above the street, The
church was planned by u monk architect;
and the true believers say that he was
able to construct this arch only by faith
and prayer. He had planned his build
Ing and had put up the arch only TO
find that 1t fell adown again and again.
At last in despair he spent a night fast
Ing and praying to the Virgin. In his
prayer, he said he was doing his work
for the glory OF God and he begged her
to help him. TIe said that he would put
up the arch, once more and that she
should cause 1t to stand. even though
the remainder OF the churcn might
crumble to pieces. lie did build It, and
1t stood, The rest OF the church was
built over It: the roof WAS put on, and
then a fire occurred which reduced the II
building to ruins. The aroh however.
bolstered up by these prayers. remained
erect. and 40 1t is to this day. Tho
chief engineer says that no such arch
could Withstand the severe shock OF q
great earthquake ana that its existence
Is an evidence that no earthquakes have
occurred here within the past 200 years
which could possibly affect such cons
struction as that planned for the Panama
canal. 3
Panama. by the way, has many on
churches and monasteries here which
are crumbling to pieces or have been
burned Ia the ground. Within IA stones a
throw Of the canal administration nI1d-
ing lie the remains Of what once MAS =
great convent or monastery, ihey cover
almost a ci,y square. and understand
ere for sale at reasonable figure.
FRANK q, CARPENTER.