The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-04-27

panama Letter, March %, to the N
Y. Commercially
In view of the many anti-adminis.
tration criticisms of the canal pro
ject, it may be well to get some ex-
preston from one who approaches
the isthmus from the South American
side. One must really know all South
America to be able to express an in
telligent judgment on conditions ex-
listing in Panama and Colon and along
the forty-seven miles of the canal zone.
The contrast is so great dropping into
tropical trench from the Northern
civilization and progress Of cities like
New York and San Francisco, to take
the two coast extremes, and to one
who has even some familiarity with
the tropics, the isthmus does not
strike a soothing note.
When a big work OF this character
is going on the immediate surround
ings are not particularly congenial,
and you cannot sit down on the banks
Of certain excavated parts of the ca
nal, any more than you could linger
on the edge of the subway when build
ing in New York and contemplate
any really beautiful picture Coming
up from South America on the west
coast, where had spent great many
months, heard many expressions as
to the canal and the great future for
the west coast countries in the build
ing of it.
Laying Plans for Business.
found NANNY merchants and peo-
pie already laying their plans for bus
mess to be done after the work was
completed. They seem to have no
doubt of it and they had confidence in
the North Americans. Many of these
people were loud in their praises of
work DONE and they had recently
passed through the zone. These
South Americans know well the con-
ditions of climate an labor They
have been up against it" themselves.
to be sure, in smaller things, and they
say what we are doing is being done
properly.
We had many influential Soul b
Americans @ board our steamer, 8
we came around toe point in Param
Gulf and made fast to the wharf ct
Boca. Most OF these mon we've p1acti-
cal, haru headed men, with a Knowl-
edge of the world. Some of them &C.
compsnied ne during more than
careful examination of the situation,
and heard nothing but exp esslons
of establishment at the vast amount #
work accomplished hut as we'll the
system em nloyed and the general sat.
isfactlon expressed 10y Ghe meh tAo...-
selves who were on the work The
.'kIckers' seemed to be on the outside
and among certain sorehsads wbo had
lost job, pe1hars through their own
fault or else from the noisy yellow
journal knockers from up ONE.
The Bi3clow incident I feel justified
ia referring TO, not because the fact
that 1t is still talked ab1ut HIS any
special weight hut principally because
I want to tell story regarding the
co ming of Bigelow' to Colon, and
to express some wonder at the cause of
his sudden char sc of heart. This
l bad a very interesting dis
cussion with Geo A Lockitt, the i
senior paItner OF the finn of the same !
name, having head Office in London
and one of the largest nitrate owners
in Chill. as well as heavy sugar fac
.ors in Perm, about the canal.
He had il November lasr, crossed
ne ls'hmUs, ana was very enthusiastic
IS to results accomplish d. Once IT
vas serious thing for him 70 con-
icer, when fever was SO rife, but
CIV he bad less thought of IT than ho
Guild have in Chile or Peru. He had
ept paper with Mr.. Shonts' S! eecb
nd QUITE sppoved of it. then told
IN Of the criticism OF Nj. BigeloR;
q could not credit that any such state
lents could have been E1ade.
Why, ne said. MI. B1gelOw was !
fell w passenger with me on the ;
oyal mail steamer Trent from ia
,ica to Colon. We both sat at the :
aptain's table and talked good .
cal about the canal, and both Bige- .
w and herated the Captain when .
3 expressed himself as believing that
le canal would not be built Bigelow
as full OF the possibilities OF tine y
heme and his confidence in it. He r
IS rather discursive on the negro :
1estion as bearing on the labor inter %
ts and very strong in his expressions q
,ainst the blacks, but on the caual :,
ALTERS ne was enthusiastic. .,