The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-11-22

VERYONE has heard of Colon,
- the Atlantic terminal Of the
Panama canal, and of Cristo-
bal, the American colony locat-
ed in the Canal Zone; but how many
of you know that they are twin towns
located on the Island of ManzanillO
and named for Columbus? In the Span
ish language Christopher Is "Cristobap
and Columbus would be "Colon"-sO
Cristobal Colon really is christopher
Columbus"
Approaching Colon harbor you no
tice two long lines projecting out into
Limon bay; these are the east and
west breakwaters, built Of massive ce-
ment blocks and piles driven down
many feet into the water. They pro-
tect the harbor from the heavy storms
and "nOrthers" that sweep along the
coast, writes Alice Sims MacQueen In
the Los Angeles Times.
Passing between the breakwaters
the New Washington hotel on Colon
beach, owned and built by the United
States government, first attracts your
attention, then your boat comes to a
stop and q government health officer
comes aboard to inspect the passen-
gers before they land. After this ex-
animation you slowly pull up to an
enormous concrete pier, one Of five,
and you are In Cristobal, Canal Zone
where Uncle Sans workers on the At
In In ciI 90 Ay
On the dock the customs officer in
, spects your baggage. This ordeal be-
ing over you try to decide which of
the dilapidated looking coaches with
most apt to carry you safely to the
hotel. There being no choice you take
the first. Jingle, jangle! loudly peals
a bell. No, 1t Is not the fire depart
ment, but your driver warning the
crowd that he is coming while your
poor old steed does his best at run.
Along Roosevelt Avenue.
Out past the new Terminal building
OF the Panama Railroad company you
drive into a street lined with wonder
full coconut palm trees. This Is
palm" or Roosevelt" avenue, and be-
fore the big docks and office buildings
were erected In Cristobal it was the
choice residence section of the town,
commanding an uninterrupted view out
over the changeable waters of the Ca
ribbean sea, north toward homeland.
The big deserted-lOoking building at
your left is the offices of the Hamburg
American Steamship line, little used
since the European war; next is the
United Fruit company's building. while
last of all is the American fire station,
with its big white horses peering out
of their stalls as you pass. All this
looks quite homelike, save the palms,
but wait until you cross the railroad
track into Colon, where you see the
big cOmmissary that furnishes Ameri-
cans with everything from shoes to
Christmas turkey and then it is just
Colon, smelly, quaint native Colon,
with her hundred different races and
numberless types, her sweltering
streets and alluring Hindoo and Chi
nese shops.
You turn corner and line of state
ly royal palms gives you dignified
greeting. This is Slifer park, where
the native Panamanians and others
gather several times week to listen
to the band and gossip. For no Span
ish city is complete without "ParQue
Central" and band, no matter how
poor nor how small both the city and
the band may be. At the end of the
park is the Washington hotel. 1t is of
Spanish architecture, with wide veran-
das looking out to sea. There is a
garden on all sides, where palms, love-
ly red hibiscus and roses grow in
abundance. A sea wall runs along the