The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-10-30

Panama. The first few months / was
here. used candle for light. but
those days are past. Among the
poorer classes in Panama the candle is
still used. Oil is shipped to Panama
in five gallon tin cans and when the
cans have been emptied they form the
larger part of the culinary department
of the poor.
The stores in Panama are run
either by Jews or Chinese. All the
smaller stores are run by the Chinese
where food for the poorer classes is
purchased. The Chinese stores all
look alike and in all of them vicious
rum and liquors manufactured by the
Chinese are for sale. You can never
understand what the word "adultera-
tion' means until you have seen food
stuffs aud liquors that are sold here.
At the entrance of store stands a
barrel resembling an oil barrel and in
this is contained decoction that is
called butter. 1t is claimed to have
been made in Copenhagen. For
months all the butter we had was this
same stuff. but put up in small cans.
The principal food of these people is
rice. fruit and fish. They are to in
fernal lazy to provide enough fish or
fruit. although the same is at their
very door.
Nearly every other store is place
where the vile liquors are sold, and
the average Panamanian seems to
have no other occupation than to sit
around all day and drink wine and
smoke cigarettes. The women of the
lower class are not adverse to the
weed.
The poorer classes have nothing in
their houses from one meal to another
but run to the Chinese stores and get
a small portion of butter. some coffee,
bread. and perhaps little fruit and
this constitutes their meal. There
are more smells to the square inch in
Panama than around stockyard.
Building has been going on in
Panama at great rate and some very
good buildings are being erected. but
on the back streets you will still be
able to find shacks which very much
resemble barrel slaves. goods
boxes and corrugated iron. and out of
such building will step dandy
WHO struts and twirls his measley
moustache as only Greaser can.
The streets before they were paved
by the Americans. had been paved
with cobble stones some two hundred
years ago. and l have my doubts that
same were ever repaired. The Spig-
goties believe themselves to be gent
lemen and that gentlemen never work.
This is the land Of ''manana. - If a
building burns down. they will sit
around for year or so and finally
make up their minds to erect another.
when as a matter of fact the rentals
for one year will pay for building.
! have seen two mighty good fires in
Panama since have been here. but
that they were PUT out too soon is the
only complaints l have to make. 1
hope to see some more good ones or
else general shake up with an
earthquake when / am out of town.
Perhaps you may think am suffer-
ing with indigestion. after reading
the above. but l will say that if am
not. it is no fault of this internal
race. but | am simply talking to you
in a way have felt against them
since. l have been here. They have
no use for an American. and thank
God. we have none or even less than
that. for them. saw one murdered
out in front of this Office last year,
and the only feeling that went through
me when ! saw him getting shot full
of holes was. how much more lead he
would have wasted on him before
falling.
Panama and Colon are under the
supervision of the American Sanitary
Department (thank heaven) and have
become habitable and pretty fair
cities. but there is still room for i'm
provement and also reasons for keep
Ing them under American supervision.
The streets are paved with brick. the
sewers are now throughout the CITY.
the water has been installed in every
house. the streets are lighted with
electricity and the place has taken on
an air to which it was not familiar.
and by reason of all this the natives
consider themselves civilized, but, in
my Judgment. only in appearances.
The old City of Panama stood down
the Bay of Panama some six or seven
miles. but some two hundred wears
ago Morgan the Pirate visited there
and turned things to queens tas tie.
He did not do thing to the city. The
ruins still stand. or rather all that
stands is the tower of the cathedral.
LII L.