Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-08

far nothing has been done with it. There
is very little swamp land, although some is
low and marshy. The low lands could all
be turned into sugar plantations and the
ground higher up would serve for raising
coffee and cacao the trees from which the
chocolate comes.
1.-The people," continued Gen. Davis, "do
but little farming. There are, In some
places, patches of sugar cane from which
rum is manufactured A few of the Chi
nese have gardens but the majority of the
Inhabitants of the strip cultivate nothing
whatever, except along the ChagreS, where
some grow bananas. Near Colon and EN-
pfre are two ranches where cattle are rails
ed and small dairies maintained. There
are altogether, perhaps, LOCO cattle in the
zone.
THE Chinese of Colon and Panama act
as fishermen, but fish cost more here than
they do in the United States. There are
some cocoanuts raised near Colon, which
are shipped to New York or New Orleans.
don't think there is any merchantable
timber on our land, and If there are min
eral deposits they have never been discov
cred. Indeed, the only things exported
from the canal strip are cocoanuts and
bananas, and the Panama republic Is now
charging an export tax of cents a bunch
on all bananas sent out
Our American Cousins on the Isthmus.
What is the character of Uncle Sans
new burden at Panama?"
ut is decidedly streaked," replied Gov
ernor Davis. THE population is black.
white and mixed. We have altogether about
10 600 souls on the ten-mile strip. They are
made up of Jamaica negroes. who speak
English, of the offspring of the native ne
groes who formerly belonged to the Span
ish. of some whites and brown Colomb.ans,
and large number of mulattOeS.
Are they hard to control?'
mo. They are generally quiet and or
derby. We have a police of about 100 OFF,
GERS and men, and this serves to keep them
in shape. The officers are Americans. and
their subordinates natives. We have es-
tablished courts throughout the zone, and
each little municipality has its judges and
policemen We have one prosecuting attor-
ney, who also acts as the legal adviser of
the governor, and who can prosecute in all
the courts. He is required to defend the
interests of the United States and of the
zone government in all litigation. l don't
believe in large judiciary for this little
strip of territory. If we have more than
one judge, the others will have nothing to
do. There may be more litigation and
more criminals as the canal work grows
greater. 1t is hardly probably however,
that we shall ever have more than 10000
people, and of these not more than 800
will be Americans. I think the municipal
judge and one superior judge can easily
handle that number
How about jailS?'
I'VE need a good prison, and we expect
to erect one. AS it is now, the municipal
lock-ups are rude and insecure, and there
is no system of feeding the prisoners. If
a criminal has neither family nor friends
he goes hungry. although the alcalde or
mayor may allow a small pittance for food.
Indeed, our police have had to release men
locked up by the alcalde because they had
received no food for two or three days.
Uncle Sans New Towns.
What are the names of the municipali-
ties. and what are they?"
The boundaries of the municipal dis
tricts have not yet been absolutely fixed,
but beginning at the Atlantic ocean the
first is Cristobal, named for the discoverer
of America. This is at the northern end
of the canal adjoining Colon, on a small
tongue of land extending out into Lmon
bay. 1t was reclaimed from the sea by
the French company, and is covered with
buildings which the French erected and
which we are now repairing. 1t is beauti-
full place and has about LOCO popula-
ton. 1t will form one of the chief quar-
tiers for our canal work and will have
many comfortable homes.
Going south along the line of the rail-
road, the next place is Gatun which is also
beautifully located and which has about
eight hundred inhabitants. Beyond that is
Buena Vista, where the dam at Bohio may
be built; it has about 1900 population. The
next county or district is Gorgona with
1900 people, and beyond that Empire, or
Emperador, with 1900. Emperador is
where the marines are station: 1t contains
all of the Culebra cut.
Still further on is the municipality of An
con, where we are now sitting. This forms
the homes of the canal administration at
Panama, including the hospital on the hill
above us. 1t extends to Panama bay on
the south, and also includes the Islands of
Naos, Culebra, Perico and Flamenco which
lie in the bay along the line where the
canal will be entered from the Pacific
ocean. These islands belong to the United
States by special provision of the treaty"
Uncle Sam as House Owner.
Tell me something about the buildings
ON the zone. belonging to the United
States?'
'eThey are scattered all over" replied
Governor Davis. "All the cottages ware
houses and offices which were owned by
the canal company are now ours. There
are at least two thousand of these some
of them little two-story houses not more
than ten feet square, and others great stor-
age sheds three hundred feet long Some
OF the buildings have steel frames. but
most of them are of wood. and all
rooted with galvanized iron. Some are also
walled with galvanized iron. We have in
addition, great hospitals at Panama and
Colon, and in Panama an Office building
three stories high and another fine building
which forms the home of the chief engi-