The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-11-04


A flock Of little white boats. each
with single oarsman, puts out from
the shore to meet you like a flock Of
gulls as your little steamer drops
anchor In a bay Of truly Mediterranean
hue. To the travelled visitor the seene
Is irresistibly reminiscent OF some
little port OF southern italy But from
the sea one looks upon towering
hill, bare toward the summit, closely
covered lower down by mango, wild fig
and eieba trees. bordereds Just above
the red roofs OF the little town BY
fringe OF the graceful cocoanut palms.
Then come the houses. row below row.
until they descend 70 the curving
beach, where the. fishing boats are
drawn up out OF reach Of the tide
which rises some twenty feet.
Taboga once shared in the prosperity
of the early Spanish rule, and enjoyed
the honor OF having entertained for
a few days Sir Henry Morgan, whom
England made baronet and coll
onlal governor bysway OF reward for
his exploits. Taboga must have treat
ed him well. for not only did he for
bear 10 sack the town. but so deep
was the devotion paid by him and his
men to certain tuns of excellent wine
there discovered that they let a Span
ish galleon, deep laden with gold and
silver, slip through their fingers
rather than interrupt their drinking
bout.
Just now the wine and ,wassail or
Taboga'i is limited to about six grog-
shops. which seems an over supply
for; the handful Of fishermen who In
habit Its tumble-down novels. Each
bar. too, has Its billiard table and re-
minded one OF Mark Twain's islands
in the South Sea, where the people
earned an. honest living by taking in,
each, others washing, one wonders n
the sole industry or the Tabogans IS
playing billiards. Some OF the boats
at anchor or drawn up on the beach
attest to some prosperity amongst
them that go down to the sea in ships.
One that saw rugged win a fore and
aft sail and jigger was hewn out
of single log like a river cayuco and
had beam exceeding four feet, Be
fore many of the houses were lines
hung with long strips OF fish hanging
out to dry. for il is curious property
of this atmosphere that, despite it's |
it Will cure animal tissues,
both fish and flesh, quickly and with !
out faint ,s
Agriculture in Taboga is limited to
the culture of the pineapple. and the
local variety is SO highly esteemed in
the Panama markets that some meas
ire of prosperity might attend upon
the Tabogons would they but under
take the raising of pines systematical- |
~ and extensively But not they.
Their town was founded in 1549
when. at the instance OF Las Casas. ),
the King of Spain gave freedom to all,
Indian slaves. Taboga was set apart
as a residence for certain part Of
these freedmen. Now. what did the
freedom from slavery mean but free
dom from work? This view was prob
ably held In the sixteenth century and
certainly obtains in Toboga today,
having been enhanced no doubt by
the liberal mixture OF negro blood with
that of the native Indians. II the
grow without to much at
tention we'll and good. They will be
sold and the grog-shops will know
that real money has come into the
town. But as for seriously extend
ing the business-well, that is thing
TO think of for long, long time, and
the thought has not yet ripened.
AS to the part of Taboga in the
economy OF the canal work We have
there a sanitarium inherited from the
French. and used as a place OF con-
valescence for almost recovered pat
tents from the hospitals of the zone
After breathing the clear, soft air.
glaneing at the comfortable quarters
and enjoying to the fullest lunch
costing fifty cents that would put
Rroadway's best to shame, and make
the expensive and, ill-ordered Tivon
dining room seem like 'beanery" in
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