The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-04-15
WondeffuI Change Is
Apparent In Cities of
Panama Canal Zone
ny ROGER w. BABsON.

Ohiy thoot VIM nave Nlbitu SOiOn
and Panama City a dozen or more
years ago can realize the ire
mendous Improvement in the
health conditions and comfort OF
these cities.
When ] was down here a year
ago l was walking along a fine
macadam street in Colon with a
gentleman who told me that eight
years ago the mud and water in
this street was q foot deep.
Said he: THE sidewalks con-
sisted simply of railroad ties
laid crosswise. We would step
from one of these to another to
get out of the water and filth.
One evening | missed my
step, and instead of putting my
left foot on the next railroad tie,
put il directly on the back of
a shark! You have no idea of
the conditions then existing. The
death rate, which now is only
about 16 a thousand, was then
about SO a thousand.
South of Buffalo.
Most people make the mistake
of thinking that South America is
directly south of North America,
and that Panama is south of our
central west.
The truth Is that South Amer
lea is EAST of North America and
Panama City is directly south OF
Buffalo.
In fact, Valparaiso, Chile, on
the west coast Of South America,
! is DIRECTLY south of Boston.
both being approximately on the
10th meridian.
Many people also think that
the canal runs east and west
/ This also Is an error.
When we entered the canal al
Colon we went through the ca
nal southeast to the Pacific
ocean.
This morning l saw the sun
RISE from the Pacific and this
evening II SET ON the Atlantic
side. This Is due to Panama.
being in the shape of a letter
u.s."
Owing to the stragetic location
of Panama and its relation to the
United States government, II
should continually grow in i'm
portance. Its location Is espe-
cially well adapted for trading
purposes, and these opportunities
are today being rapidly seized
by the Chinese.
The location of Panama makes
1t very cosmopolitan place
When walking down the Avenids
Central today counted men OF
at least 12 nationalities.
There were Americans, Eng.
fish and French; there were
Cinnamon with pigtails, Hindus
wearing combs, and real Indians
from the interior; then there
were Spaniards, Germans and
Dutch, together with various
grades and varieties of negroes.
There are even three great
cemeteries in Panama - the
Christian, the Hebrew and the
Chinese-in which graves are
rented rather than sold.
Founded in 1878.
The city of Panama-Balboa
was founded in 1873. In 1873 II
had a population of about 5000
and today 1t has q population OF
about 10000.
The city of Colon-Cristobal
was founded in 1850, when the
Panama railroad was started.
In 1904, when United States
| engineers went there, the popula-
ton was 10000 people, of which
number 1000 lived in houses
perchcd upon stills.
The population today is about
% 400.
The principal industry of Pan
ana seems to be that of trading
In the cities-and of cattle anl
coconnut raising in the country
Peaks of 1000 feet.
Panama has land of all alti
tudes. There is mountain
range of from 1000 to 1000 fee
in height in Darien. In tn,
province of Chirique are noun
tains III 900 feet high.
Although the interior has beer
very little exudored, it is believed
that there are very good minera
deposits.
There also are great timber
tracts and some water power pos
sibilities.
Briefly, ! believe that IL our
government will encourag,
American emigration to Panama
1t has great possibilities fol
those having capital, courage
and character.
Those, however, who lack any
one of these three "C's" should
not 60 to Panama--nor in fac
to any other tropical country.
Roger w. Babson, whose arti
cles ON the West Indies and Pan
anna have attracted attention al
over the United States, has ar
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