The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-12-14

I
following sketch of his trip and the
conditions he found there:
Valparaiso. Chile. Nov. /. 1906.
Editor TINES
Believing a short sketch of our six
weeks trip to this bright and sunny
land would be of interest to many Of
your readers. many Of whom we class
as our friends, I have prepared the
following
/ on Sept. 4, we left Crown Point over
the Panhandle for Washington D. c..
where we remained two days attending
to official matters with the department
Of state, leaving for New York Thurs
day evening. From that time until
Tuesday at p. M we were busy ar
ranging to sail and sight seeing.
| We took the steamer Panama. of the
Panama railroad Iine-a very good
steamer of 500 tons-and arrived at
| Colon the following Monday morning.
on our way down we passed in sight
Of San Salvador Island and imagined
we could see where Columbus landed
somthing over 400 years before Then
later we came in sight Of the east end
! or Cuba where everything seemed
quiet, but we were not sure but what
the revolutionists were raiding over
| the mountains we could see In the dis
lance We also got a glimpse of Haiti
little later on. The steamer was well
filled with passengers for the Isthmus.
We found Colon a very hot and filthy
place save where the Americans have
taken matters in hand and put things
| In shape They have taken full pos
session of one of the suburbs, and made
1t fine healthy place in which to live,
and had just begun to improve the
streets of the town proper preparatory
to paving. Most of the Inhabitants
of the place that we saw ranked well
with their surroundings. They We're
dirty and lazy lot.
| We took the noon train for Panama.
| forty miles away, travelling much
of the time In sight of the new canal.
In many places large forces of men and
! immense dredges were at work loading
long trains of cars with clay and rock.
AS we stopped at one station seven
or eight blasts were discharged in
deep cut near that made the windows
rattle. one could see activity on
! every hand-machfne shops being built
and equipped, railroad tracks and sid
ings being put in, and neat houses
being built
On reaching Panama we were much
surprised to find a city Of $4,000 or
80 600 people with streets paved with
brick finely lighted by electricity, and
a water supply equal to most any in the
states. The Americans have done Won
ders for the place and it is appreciated
for one hears compliments for the Am
erican officials and their work, on every
CNv-
Magoon and other L. S. officials and
found them all in good spirits and con-
fdent of a speedy and satisfactory
completion Of the canal work. Mrs.
Winslow asked Mrs. John stevens. wife
Of the chief engineer in charge Of the
work. how long she expected to stay,
and she said not more than seven
years for I expect the canal VIII be fin
ished before that time.
We were in Panama the week Secrez
tary Of state Elihu Root and party
visited that place, and had the pleas
ure of meeting them as they landed
about two hours before our boat sailed
for the south. The city was elabo-
rately decorated in their honor and
great preparations were made to en-
] terrain them in royal style. We Were
invited to the reception and ball. but
we could not get the boat to wait un-
til the next day.
It was but little warmer in Panama
while we were there than when we left
New York, and DR.. Carter, chief Of the
sanitary department Of the Canal Zone
said to me that there had not been g
case of yellow fever at Panama since
last December. and that the genera,
health of the place was excellent.
We sailed out Of the bay Of Panama
Just as the sun was sinking into tht
Pacific, on the steamer Peru, of the
Pacific Steam Navigation company's
line. a steamer of about 5000 tons
very nicely fitted up for passengers
: We had two fine state rooms about
Sx10, with a door between. situated or
} the promenade deck. For the first
: day out 1t was rather warm. but after
3 that it was cool-most of the time toe
= cool for comfort I feel quite sure yoJ
will have difficulty in believing me
2 when I say that when we crossed The
equator ii was too cool to sit out or
the deck but it was fact and contin-
E ued so most OF the way to Valparaiso
1 wore my overcoat otter when on the
q deck for walk. and slept under two
e heavy wooden blankets and a spread
5 This is on account Of the Antarcti,
: stream that flows W the west coas
e Of South America. Its water at thi:
e time OF the year IS about IS, and as III,
., wind blows constantly with the stream
e the air is about the same temperature
and even seems cooler when the steam
I er is moving at about ten miles pc
4 hour
4 We arrived at Guayaqul. Ecuador
the following Wednesday morning
y after travelling SIS miles. This is .
s city Of 10000 located on the banks o
e a river by the same name, about fort,
g miles from the Pacific. It is one 8
e the worst plague and yellow feve
( spots on the globe, so we did not g,
: ashore. We left in the evening 70
p Cauao. Peru. where we arrived the fol
y lowing Wednesday morning after stop
d ping at several way ports to take Of
e and put off cargo.
We stopped at Callao for three day