The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-11-23
Letter FROM MAH N PANAMA
B. J. DAWSON WRITES OF THE
CANAL COUNTRY.
Saw Bull Fight When American
Jumped in Arena and Fought
With Umbrella

de-tal<en or exceptional men in heroic
work. GoOdIand is there with its rep
resentatiye-
Mr.. Dawson. for about a year in the
employ OF the Rock Island at this
place, clerk to the trainmasteT, re-
Gently accepted the position as chief
clerk in the stOrekeeper's department
with the Panama Railroad company
at Colon, Panama, has written the
following interesting letter to Scotch
Stewart, in which he gives birds
eye view Of that country and its in
habitants:
colon, Panama, Nov. g.
ct will now take my pen in hand to
drop YOU a few lines to let you know
how much Of the canal I have built
since my arrival on the Ismus two
weeks ago. To begin with, I left New
York, Saturday, October 20, at 3 p m,
and 1 will never forget my feelings as
the boat left the pier. / think every
body on the boat had some friend
there to tell good bye, and to waive
at them, but me, and If could have
gotten of I certainly would have
hiked for Kansas. However, I stayed,
and after the first day out I enjoyed
the trip immensely, but say, you know
how a fellow feels after getting
'snOOt' full Of Pat CullinS' hair tOnici
that IS just the way felt the first day;
certainly was sick, and couldn't keep
anything on my stomach but my hand,
but I was not alone in this. There
we're several others / remember about
six Of US standing in a line feeding
the fishes, when some fellow asked me
II my stomach was weak 1 told him
didn't think so, as was throwing it
as far as the rest Of them were, but
eventually I came out OF il, and en-
jOyed it fine
ION our way down we passed Cape
Hatteras, sea very rough, Watling's
island. This, as you know, was for
landed; name has since been changed
by the English. The spot Of landing
is marked by a revolving lighthouse
and is quite pretty sight at night
Cape Maysi, which is an island Of
Cuba, we passed within fifty miles Of
Cuba but did not stop over at any
place coming down The sea was not
so very rough until We struck the
Caribbean sea, and there started that
Spllllng gag agaln-1uSt couldn't keep
It down, but we landed the 26th all o.
X; was vaccinated and permitted to
land, after the doctor had a look at
my tongue
ditiOns are not near what the people
in the states think they are. Here is
2 town about 5000, including Amerf-
cans and every known race on the
globe some Of the streets are paved,
and the United States government is
getting the rest IN shape to pave sew
ers, cutters, and all modern convent
enceS, electric lights, ice plant, laun-
dries and bakeries, all the property
Of the government and operated by
it All the Americans live in CristO-
bal-Canal Zone, which adjOins Colon,
only being separated by the railroad
tracks, but which IS United States
soil; the houses are built along the
beach OF the Caribbean sea, all screen
ed, and shower bath arranged in
each room This being the rainy sea
son the rooms are very damp, and IN
less you keep your clothes aired they
Will mildeW- However, I viii not suf-
fer in this respect as I air mine every
day TO and from work, but say, it is
mighty fine to roll out Of bed morn
ings and step under a nice showed.
I have been cleaner here than have
ever been since my mother used to
wash me The government furnishes
these rooms and every thing free, you
are to only furnish your own linen.
The worst feature Of the whole affair
is the eating, but I guess in time will
be like these nativeS-dOn't eat The
only sickness is among the native Pa
namaiians; it is q rare thing that a
white man dies, but the five sched-
uled passenger trains each bear a hos
pitaI car for Monkey HILL which is
the cemetery. They die from starva-
. ton, or pneumonia, which they con-
tract by staying out at nights without
any shelter. Those that will work
are resting at noon hour instead Of
getting some kind OF nOurishment will
simply crawl under some house and
sleep on the bare wet ground, which
is enough to kill them, but If you
could see them you would wish they
would all die They are the most ig-
nOrant, lazy, dirty class I have ever
stTuck-nOt a bit musical-and after
a fellow stays here awhile they are
not 50 much interesting as a good
l. -
Panamalians Fourth Of July. On these
days they are allowed to go their best;
they all mask, have bull fights, chick
en- fights, and dances out in the public
streets. I attended the bull fight, and
il was a great fake I think the bull
was an old WORKOUT milk COW. This
is the way it appealed to me: Some
SpaniaTd runs out with a big red flag
carrying a stick all trimmed up in
ribbons, with a nail in the end Of it.;
everybody cheers, which sounds like
nothing, then the gate opens and they
drag in the COW; she bellows a couple
Of times and begins to chew her cud,
the guy with the red rag runs up and
shakes it before the COW and she looks
I'D, then we have some more cheer
ing This keeps up for some time and
the COW finally thinks she is being
made q fool Of, or isn't getting the
respect a lady requires, and makes a
lunge at the rag carrier, and he runs
I DEEluQ q DOaEu ana LnEn we EEL some
more hurrahs. This was kept up for
some time when some drunken Ameri-
can jumps into the arena and with an
open umbrella runs the COW out Of the
lot, and then you hear, Run hell out
OF himt Fakep and the thing wound
Up with a little American crap game;
all we lacked was old Niger George
and Conductor Modem to make the
crowd cOmplete-but on the whole the
bull fight was very bum could sit
| here for hours and write you Of the
! crazy things that I have seen, but
| they would seem absurd, but let me
tell you Of the orchestra I witnessed
today. Together with q few Ameri-
cans I went over among the rum
shops, which are run BY Chinese, and
we heard an awful noise I thought
] il was the GOOdland band, but this is
what it turned out to be: Two ma
| tives with iron pipe about 4 bass,
the lids on Of common cans nailed on
each end OF q stick so they would rat
| tie, a piece Of iron bent into the shape
| OF triangle, and a tin fife, and q key
one-half full OF water with some kind
| OF a skin stretched over IL for q drum
| Now you can imagine what kind Of q
sound this would make. Now these
were not kids playing, but full grown
men barefOoted; now that is only one
l instance out OF a hundred. think
I VIII hire them and open a dancing