Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1916-08-18

AtlNG acquired narrow strip
- of land through foreign terri
tory and built, therein the
great Panama canal, Uncle
Sam quite naturally felt that, as the
work neared completion, there also
should be q capital city from which the
strip could be governed and the canal
managed. Therefore he built Balboa.
Balboa is the permanent town at the
southern end Of the canal, Is the seat
of government, the residence of the
governor and the headquarters of ca
nal construction and management. In
short, it is to the Canal Zone what
Washington is to the United States.
Balboa was named in honor Of Vasco
Nunez de Balboa, who, silent, upon
a peak In Darien," first saw the dis
tant waters of the Pacific ocean and
thus became known to history as its
discoverer, writes H. II. Updegraff, in
the st. Louis Republic.
The town of Balboa is not the first
village that Uncle Sam has built along
the route of the canal. 1t probably
will be the last, however. But, unlike
these others, which were no more than
wooden construction camps, Balboa is
permanent in character. 1t Is to last
as long as the canal, which, indeed, is
as long as time itself. There is an
other difference between this new
town, this capital of the Canal Zone,
and the other canal villages, and that
is that much more money has been
and is being spent to make it the most
attractive place of residence on the
entire isthnlus. In fact, It is Uncle
Sans model town.
An American Community.
Notwithstanding its wholly unamer-
can name, Balboa is a thoroughly
American community. Its inhabitants
are all American, for IL was built with
the intention of giving the American
canal workers and operatives an ideal
spot In which to have their homes, in
which to rear their children under
proper American surroundings, and
where 1t would be possible to have
wholesome American atmosphere. The
only foreigners who are part Of the life
In Balboa are the West Indian negro
servants, most Of whom, however, live
elsewhere.
While Balboa is wholly American, 1t
is yet quite unlike any American city
or town Of its size "back home" in the
states. 1t has absolutely no political
atmosphere. 1t is difficult to conceive
an American town, no matter how
small, that has no mayor, no city coun-
Gil, no political boss and hence no
politics. Balboa has none Of these.
The Canal Zone is prohibition terri
tory and, therefore, Balboa has not a
single saloon within it's limits. In this
respect 1t also Is different from a ma
jority of the cities and towns back
home" The poor mans club" Is
wholly unknown, not only because
there are no poor men on the Canal
Zone. but also because they are pro-
hibited. The occasional tippler must
either maintain his own private little
bar In his own home or journey to the
neighboring city of Panama, where the
"cantinas" are both numerous and
well stocked and where everything Is
wide open and the bars never close.
In place of the "poor mans club"
Of the cities ''back home" there is the
spacious building of the Young Mems
Christian association which fills all the
needs of club for the men, meeting
| place for the women's societies and
playhouse fer the children. A separate,
n a..
reserved for each. Not far away Is
the 25-acre athletic field which is now
under construction with a lavishness
and detail such as no politically self
| governed city in the United States can
boast of. 1t was all done without ex-
pense to the population for there are
no taxes to be paid in this model town
of Uncle Sans.
Site Was Once a Swamp.
The site Of Balboa, between Ancon
and Sosa hills. originally was swamp
which was filed in. 1t was chosen be,
cause of its proximity to the huge ma.
chine shops and other canal activities
at the southern end of the waterway
1t also was chosen because it woult
be near the capital city, Panama, OF
the Republic of Panama and would
therefore, place the two capitals int
quick communication. This was neces
sary because of the varied interela
tionship between the two countries du,
to the building and operation of tn,
Panama canal.
Only a small portion. however. 1,