Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-07
Interesting Sketches of Conditions in the
Isthmian Canal Zone
and Unusual Weather
condtn-Remarkable Improvement
he

Carolina; and one forgetting for a mo-
ment his surroundings, feels as though
he were not far away from the sigh
ing pines and fields of cotton and corn
The dry season. which begins about
December first and lasts till some time
in March, is. as the little boy said
about Xmas, "the bestest time O. all
the year" to many Of the people here.
For then the empty functions Of So
ciety are hindered not, and public
events, such as baseball, racings, ten
mis- testings, and picnics are seldom
hurried to a finish or marred by the
sounds of thunder and flash of light
nings that declare that all, no matter
how interested they may be in game,
must hurriedly find shelter or suffer a
drenching. There is seldom more than
a passing shower during the whole OF
the dry season, but during the wet sea-
son it rains nearly every day and
sometimes all day.
All outdoor work on the canal is him
dered to a great extent during the wet
season, for laborers, knowing the dis
comfort as we'll as the danger of get
ting wet here, quickly seek shelter.
Many of those who work with pick and
shovel. carry their umbrellas with them
morning, noon and night, and it is not
an uncommon sight to look out along
the line of the canal and see scores of
umbrellas open and hundreds Of men
crouching for shelter against huge
rocks or under dump cars and steam
shovels. People not infrequently suf-
fer sickness from getting wet in the
tropical rains: so far the comfort as
we'll as the safety they afford. umbrel-
las are much in demand.
Since the more fair and crystal is the
sky,
The uglier seem the clouds that in 1t
fly"
Travel.
Speaking simply, there are many
ways of getting along on the 1sthmus
besides the use of ones feet. One sees
the little brown donkeys that stagger
along under the weight of their bur-
dens as we'll as the weight of their
masters; the faithful and trusty little
pack horses; the honking automobiles
with their smell of gasoline, and the
passenger trains with their burdens of
human freight. 1t Is often more anus
ing than interesting to see how folks
git along and keep movin'," as the
song goes. The masses, however, go
on the trains that are run by the Pan
anna railroad. Every day the cars are
literally packed with almost every type
of humanity, and on Sundays as one
sees folks clinging to the ratings and
standing in every attainable place he
wonders if there is room for just one
more.
On the passenger trains here, there
are no Jim Crow" cars, and any ne
gro who pays first-class fare is ac-
corded the privilege and pleasure of
riding right along wild de white fo'ks,'
even though he be beggar clad in a
ma railroad charges five cents mile
fare on it's road, it makes no effort to
improve it's service. In none of the
cars is a smoker found, and those who
find tobacco smoke unpleasant have to
grin and bear it" till the journey is
over, even though there be score OF
negroes smoking the foul cigarettes
that are sold here.
| Perhaps the best reason that can be
given why the passenger trains are al
ways so crowded that many are forced
to stand as they ride. is that by rail is
the only way to get from one town to
another unless one takes out the weary
miles in walking; for it is, as whole
utterly impossible to go from one town
to another by private conveyance-as
the country is too hillX for travelling by
carriage even if there were any road
ways. Save where, in a few places, the
Isthmian Canal Commission has built
rOadwayS, there is no place for the
wheel Of carriage to go, and it is chief
ly in Panama and Cristobal that any
buggieS or bicycles or automobiles are
seen. But in these. the chief cities OF
the Isthmus, it is no rare sight to see
a native jogging along on his donkey
/ among the numerous cabs and often
giving his poor little beast of burden
a severe kick in the ribs in order tC
urge it out of the way Of the reckless
cab drivers or an auto that goes pant
ing by.
On the Isthmus there is, as in Other
exceedingly hilly countries, much
horseback riding. and there are among
the horses here, all Of which are very
small. some excellent saddlers as wei
as some skillful riders among theil
owners. Many. even from the little
dark-eyed Spanish girls of and II
wears old, even to the American Off
cials seem to find much delight ir
miles of cantering over winding, hilly
roads"
In Ancon. Panama and Cristobal are
some beautiful driveways; but in mos
of the other towns buggy or carriage
of any sort is an unposseSSed thing. IT
Empire. the town that, in poetry, Is
called "the little city of a thousand
hills" there are steps to climb or steps
to descend if one go north, south, cas-
or west. for Empire. which is one o.
the chiefest and prettiest towns OF the
IsthmuS. is built on cluster Of hills
and this cluster of hills is encircle(
with hills. If one walks much here i
is treSome: but If one but saddle nj!
horse and ride over the hills afar ant
across the valleys green, his heart ha:
a touch of the woodland time" and III
feels that there's many a joy for those
who ride.
Farming.
When one who has been to the 18th
mus returns home, he Is frequentl!
asked if there is any farming down OIL
the Isthmus.
Here no whoa -haw" and gee" o