The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-04-05
Panama and Costa Rica

Baptists. He said from what he had seen
OF the work of the Home Mission Board Of
the National Baptist Convention and the
progress it was making, he thought it would
be wise if that could be done He said I'M
der the present conditions there was three
fold prejudice against the Baptist work, or
against the Negroa
First, there was the natural race prejudice
between white and cOlOred in all nations
where they live together;
Secondly, there was naturally religious
prejudice of all denominations against the
Baptists on account of their peculiar doc
trine and apparent selfshness with the or
dinances;
Thirdly, that on the Zone there was ma
tional prejudice, that at present all the
Southern Baptist employees, except Mr..
Wise, were British subjects or Englshmen,
and all of the members of the congregation
were British subjects; that the British flag
was far more prevalent in many instances
than the Stars and Stripes. He could not
say that this was the case, but he said that
this was liable to cause some feeling. Our
time was short with Mr.. Nellis as we had
to catch train for Panama City Arriving
in Panama City, we were again ready for
good dinner.
Saturday, February 18th, we arose early.
AS carriage hire was cheap, we again called
gentleman with his Victoria. Again he
was neither white nor black Mr.. Thor
bourne carried on the conversation. We told
him to tell the gentleman that we wanted
him, his carriage and his horse for one hour
until breakfast was ready. We remember
hearing him say, "Unus PAGES, dotre allis."
Having heard some of that language once
HOfO IL,
gold hence we had our hand in our pocket,
but Mr.. Thorbourne informed us that in
Panama there were only two bad paymas-
ters, one paid before the work was dons and
the other never paid at all. Seating our
selves in the Victoria and ordering the man
to keep up plenty of steam and to use the
lash freely on the little pony and move at
lively gate, we saw great deal of Panama
and overstayed our time by ten or fifteen
minutes, but assured the gentleman that he
was driving big Negro from America and
that he would be called often, he let US off
with the SIPS gold. Having our breakfast
and having asked this same gentleman to
call at ten O'clock we again sat ourselves
in the Victoria and ordered him to drive to
the Ancon post-ofice. Here we saw the
United States flag floating over the post
office and felt very much at home We
rushed to the window and asked if there
was any mail for R. H. Boyd. The gentle
man looked up at us and said call at the
other window. We said to him, eve only
want our mail" He said, "Sir, you are
Negro, and must get your mail where other
Negroes get theirs. Negroes and white
men do not get their mail at the same win
dow" We looked at him and knew that he
was blacker than we were, but wanting our
mail so badly, we obeyed orders and went
around to the window where Negroes called
for their mail, fell in line with the other Ne
groes, called for our mail, and here we were
waited on politely. ffs l,
Again seating ourselves in the Victoria,
we asked this gentleman, neither white nor
black, to drive us to the Administrations Build
ing. On reaching this magnificent building,
on top of hill where we could look over
into the Pacific Ocean, we made Decline
for Gov. H. Thatcher's office. Sending in
our card and our letters Of introduction, the
porter was sent out for us. We were intro
duced to Mr.. G. A. Ninas, chief clerk to
Gov Thatcher. This gentleman is a typi-
cal American and we think Southerner,
but we do not just remember, but we know he
was unusually polite. He talked to us free
ly of all affairs in the states and regretted
very much that Gov. Thatcher was not in,
but assured us that we must not leave the
city or the Zone without seeing Gov. Thatch-
err This gentleman, like the Others said he
was familiar with our work on the Zone
and had watched it with considerable inter.
est, and he knew that Gov. Thatcher was
very much interested in the religious well
fare of the employees of the Zone and that
we must not leave the Zone without calling
on Gov Thatcher, that he would be in the
Office on the next day We discussed all the
conditions. He gave us a report of the
chief engineer of the Zone and answered
many curious questions that had arisen in
our mind and made things very plain. We
apologized for taking so much of his time,
but he assured us that visitors from the
States were always welcome and that they
would spare no pains in trying to explain
everything.
From here we went to the Circuit Court
of the Zone and were introduced to Mr.. w.
Emery. the Clerk of that Court We found