Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-12-13
Trips the Auto Can Make-Tourists
May See Many Interesting Sights,
but Cannot Motor From
Ocean to Ocean.

New York.-Along the trail where
the pirate Morgan and his men made
their way more than 200 years ago.
and where the '49ers who chose the
isthmian route. struggled to reach the
Pacific, the tourist today may jump
into a taxicab and bowl along finely
kept roads for many miles.
The taxi has just made its appear
ance in Panama, writes the Panama
correspondent of the New YORK
Times. The business has started on
with a rush and the vehicles now here
will be added to in a few weeks by
several more which have been or
dered by the local company.
Automobile trips cannot extend all
the way across the isthmus. for there
is no highway from ocean to ocean,
nor is it probable that any such road
will be built in the near future, be-
cause the construction of the Panama
canal has formed lake in the middle
of the isthmus 164 square miles In
area. with broad arms stretching out
in all directions into the hollows be-
tween the hills. Only one location for
such a road is practicable, and that
is along the right of way of the Pana-
ma railroad, which skirts the eastern
side of the lake This would be very
costly construction.
North of this lake, however, toward
| the Atlantic ocean, there is GOOD
locks to the city of Colon. There are
| half dozen motor cars for hire In
| Colon, and 1t is only a matter OF an
hour to take the ride from the city
to Gatun. And 1t is worth while, too
because every inch of the way Is In
teresting, the elimination coming at
Gatun, where the locks and dam are
under construction. and from whose
hill one can see the Atlantic entrance
to the canal. with the dredges at
work there and the water lying be-
yond the roofs Of Colon.
In Colon itself there is a road
along the water front, past the hos
pital, that has a certain quiet charm.
but on the whole that city is tawdry
looking and full Of strange smells,
although it is very clean.
South Of Gatun lake, between the
village Of Gorgona and the city OF
Panama there is a number OF good
highways. each offering some special
inducement for the automobilist
Tourists seem to favor the trip from
the present city to the site OF the old
city of Panama, a distance OF about
seven miles. This is over good
macadam road which runs along the
foot of a low ridge, with rolling saba
mas stretching out toward the bay
Here and there from the top OF some
rise in the highway glimpse OF the
ocean may be obtained. The las
mile of the journey is over the loca
ton of the Gamma Real" or king:
highway. along which the rich trade
of old Panama was carried long ago
Phere is little to see, for Panam;
| was not a large city. as tourists know
towns today probably never number
, ing more than 10000 persons. ant
. within the walls was only a part
: this population. After the pirate Nor
gan captured the city. on Jan. Is
| 1871. the governor burned IL, ant
3 three years later a new town wa
started on the site of the present cit
: of Panama Only a few old masonr,
2 walls. half a dozen beautiful archie
e and an imposing looking tower mar
5 the site of one of the three great eli
a les of the new world three centurie
= ago
:. From the romance of other days I
that of the present is but an hour