Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-02
Misesllansuns Rsadina.
THE ISTHMUs OF PANAMA.
Old As America IL Is q Land Of Ro-
nance and History.

Old As America II Is q Land Of Ro-
nance and History.
| In terms Of modern history Panama
is as old as America itself 1t was WIS.,
tied by Alonzo de Ojeda in 1899 and
coasted by Columbus in 1501-1502. II
was organized by Spain as the Prov
ince of Castillo del ORC in 1909 and
became part Of the Kingdom of New
, Granada 1t remained Spanish terri
tory until 1919, when 1t achieved inde-
pendence from Spain. Since then 1t has
been Cat successive times) q member
Of the Granadian Confederation and
then one of the United States Of Co.
lombia, but asserted its independence
IN 1903 and gained recognition for it
self. The rest Of the story we all know
for ourselves, especially as to the part
our government has played in the car
rying out Of q canal scheme.
Long before Spain explorers set eyes
upon this land, however, there was a
civilized and well-governed order Of
existence in progress in this part Of
the world. Bunched in the minds
eye" as Central America, this vast and
as yet little known land sheltered a
superior race. which has left It's i'm
press in craven records Of their life.
The hieroglyphics Of Central America
are as yet undeciphered to any great
extent. The written records Of the life
Of these ancient civilizations were de-
stroyed by the Spanish priests and the
only key to the riddle is the crude and
brutal chronicles of Spanish soldiers,
who were satisfied to say that "it took
one hundred men all day to throw the
idols into the sea-" Still there remains
many vanished histories yet to be de-
ciphered from the walls, tablets, stat
ues, temples and pyramids Of this old.
old land.
Almost from the moment Of landing
the question Of transit across the 18TH
mus presented itself to the Spanish ex-
plorers, and as early as 1920 an inter-
oceanic canal was suggested. In the
next century Champlain (from whom
Lake Champlain takes its name) again
brought forward this idea, but 1t did
not attract serious attention until the
nineteenth century. After 1928 all
routes for crossing from the Atlantic
to the Pacific oceans were abandoned
except those which have subsequently
kept persistently before the public
the Panama and the Nicaragua routes
The first score in the game went to
the Nicaraguan scheme. After the dis
covery of gold in California In 1S49 an
American company established a pro-
visional transit route by means OF
stage and boat across Nicaragua. This
was subsequently acknowledgements
pally through international complica-
tions. In a sketch of a trip taken by
an artist, Gilbert Gaul. through this
place somewhere about 1881 or 1882.
we find the following interesting note:
1--WE proceeded on our way crossing
the line marked by the Nicaragua Ca
nal company and at last, having
stopped for something to eat, we
reached the site Of the old town OF
Virginia Bay and the landing for the
Vanderbilt Line Of steamers. The piles
of the long piers are yet sticking out
of the water here and there, but the
upper wood work has long ago rotted
away. What was once the street OF
the place is now overgrown with weeds
and the only people are jamaican
negro and his Nicaraguan wife. We
opened the door of the old hotel and
looked into the bar room, once filled
with miners, filibusters, gamblers and
natives, but we met only cloud or
bats, startled by the noise and light.
Following the old road, which
Is about fifteen miles long, we came
to San Juan del Sur, a very small place
is this, at which miners embarked for
California. The window at which they
used to buy tickets and the hole in the
wall, in which they dropped their let
ters for home, can still be seen."
That this route was a favorite dream
with some and that fierce discussions
arose is attested by an old advertise
ment of a book in Godey's Magazine
for the year 184S. The book Is called
california Illustrated" 1t was sent
out by Leary & Co.. 1913 n. I'd street.
Philadelphia. 1t included description
of the two routes, Panama and Mica
ragua. Thus we see that, although the
Bulwer-C Clayton treaty made between
England and America showed to the
world the fact that America had an
eye in that direction, yet the routing
had not fully been decided. and before
It was fully decided Frenchman
named Wyse secured concessions from
the Colombian government for build
ing an inter-oceanic canal. Ferdinand
de Lesseps's interest was solicited and
aroused, as he was justly considered
to be the builder of the sister canal
the Suez.
A scientific congress met in Paris in
May. 1879, and decided upon the Pan
anna route, but the American delegate
did not vote. The Panama company
was then formed and the Wyse conces-
sion purchased. Cost of construction
was estimated at s169,00O,OO0. The
shares were mostly subscribed In
France and the actual work Of con-
struction was begun in October, 1881.
Whoever thinks Of Wyse, or demands
to know his birth and death place?
Yet 1t was his action in securing con-
cession that crystallized the whole
movement and made the canal re-
ality instead of a dream.
The French project was regarded by
the Americans as a violation of the
Monroe Doctrine. In message to
congress President Hayes demanded
that any canal across the Isthmus or
Panama or through any territory In
Central or South America would have
to be subject to. the control of the
United States. Thus early In the game
America showed her hand. In 1883 all
went so we'll that de Lesseps and 9TH
ers Of the promoters predicted that the
canal wouId he Opened in five years.