The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-28
FROM THE CANAL
Frank Forbes Saw Big Ditch ut
Close Range.
Too Big to Make One Appre-
ciate Proportions.
MERE FIGURES FAIL TO TELL
Natives Are AristOcratic as the
SpaniardS.
But American Town of Balboa
MERE FIGURES FAIL TO TELL
But American Town of Balboa
jolly Place.

Frank Forbes, of w. M. Forbes &
Co, delights to travel in out-of-the-way
places; he once crossed the Atlantic
in cattle ship, and toured the con-
tinent on a bicycle, visiting simply the
rural towns and studying the people
Mr.. Forbes recently returned from a
trip to Panama, and has several in
teresting observations to make. He
spoke of the gigantic dimensions of the
Big Ditch, essentricities and the Pana-
lnaians, advised real estate investments
in the lanai Zone, and compared his
personal views with the descriptions
made by Rex Beach in the book every
one has read, THE Meier Do Well
I'VE left New York on the Prince
Frederick said he, sailed nine days.
and landed at the port of Colon,
town in a swamp. We left Immediate
~ for Panama, then travelled two miles
to the canal zone where the big ditch
is located.
IT'S always its immensely that inn
presses you; one can't realize its gil
gantic proportions by giving dfmen-
s1ens- There is one way of showing
how big it is; the canal isn't, as many
people think, to be filed by the ocean;
it's So feet above the ocean. It. will
be filed from a river-and it will take
just one year to fill it. The three
locks are a mile long, and at the mar
rowest point the canal is 100 feet wide
at the bottom.
Yes, the descriptions in the 'Ne'er
Do Well are excellent. 1 noticed many
phases of the life that Mr.. Beach de
scribes. For instance, many American
boys work as conductors on the Pana-
ma railway-juSt as Kirk Anthony did.
Then 1t is true that the Jamaica ne
groes do most Of the heavy labor. As
for the social set in Panama, its ex-
clusiveness was not in the least exag-
Vn ms Of he or
families, but were invited to none of
their homes. The aristocrats seldom
mix with anyone outside their own par
tfcular clique; most of the rich men
them well, and never allow them to
Ntrou on the streets. We saw lots
on women and all heavily veiled
guess they would have been beautiful
if you could have seen more of them.
Most of the wealthy men in Panama
are in real estate. Land is high, and
three small, undesirable rooms rent for
$45 a month.
Balboa the American Town.
I'm Balboa, an American town two
miles from Panama, it is quite differ
ent; this is a progressive little town,
and quite a place to own property.
Land ought to be a good investment
there.
Zone of the most interesting places
to visit is old Panama. This was dis
cONefSu Dy COLUMBUS anu 1OuHOeQ III
1880 before America was settled; then
was destroyed by pirates. The ruins
are more beautiful than those at
Pcmpeii. for they are picturesquely
covered with green vines and grasses.
Another place of interest is a ba-
mana plantation near Port Limon;
the fruits grow luxuriously in an I'M!
healthy swamp. One can live on ba-
nanas in Panama; {. bunch containing
ten o. fifteen dozen bananas costs
1Sc. The United Fruit company has
bought up everything, so there is no
competition, and the natives are poor;
they're little better than beasts, live
III the swamps, and subsist on fruit
and vegetables. We had a queer ex-
perience in Port Limon, we got stuck
there and couldn't find a place to spend
the night; wandered around most of the