The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-06-22
HON. BILL" MURRAY TELLS OF
HIS CRUISE THROUGH PANAMA
CANAL AND DOWN WEST COAST

A cruise through the Panama canal
and along the western coast or soul''
America Is told In the third OF
series of letters received from former
Congressman william Ii. Murray OF
Tishomingo.
-''r following Is his letter
Sea-Off the Coast OF Equador'
May 10, 1919,
Editor Daily Ardmorcite;
We were completely water pounu
on the Canal Zone from May To a.
owing 10 a dock strike and other dock
troubles. At last at a. m. yesterday
we were directed to have our baggage
ready for inspection. At 10 o'clock the
s. :. Huasco pronounced NoSco'
sailed into the canal. I SHALL attempt
no description OF these stupendous
works. since such would require cuts
diagrams. etc, for specialized journal
lil,c the Scientific American, to make
,hc descriptions understood To close
aul shut the six gates required seven
.,s each, 50 it was 2:S0 p. m
vc were through the Forty
milo stretch of the canal. On
Co.. Pacific shore for several miles
,,cre many islands very smal! and ior
tho most part, of rock.
The whole of this tropical region Is
40 filled with the strange and wonder
.rl. and almost supernatural, that the
old timer measures the stranger
.redulty and starts in 10 fill il. Hence
in all my letters you vii! find TWO
methods of cxprcsson--"I saw ana
ut is said" or "They told me"
People who take voyages are of two
classes; daring mon Of business, ana
men and wnI,lcn hunting for thrills
and possessing tn" money to pay lor
tliom OF this latter class are lunN'
heads with two inches of gristle called
brain. or with skulls filled with red
meat; Thcir lack OF any knowledge
OF science marks them as prey for the
old sea dogs, who enjoy GivinG them
thrills 10 take back home. ! express
ed th:s to the captain of the ship, who
stated he Is British.
He gave me an incident in point on
my observation. lie said: II had four
of them on board. ] tied red string
a.ross my field glass and told them
10 lock through toward the horizon
and zee :he Equator. The old woman
looked and hcgan to call her daughters
TO come and lool;. Al the same time
she said, isn't it grand never saw
it before" This is the explanation
of how so many big snake stories get
into publication, and even into our
biographies of South America. a
quarter of a century ago, I'll wager
in Victoria
and Gandeloop counties in Texas as
can be found on any spot of ground
the same size in the world.
Anyway my observation has taught
me to measure the imagination of the
story teller who is wanting to relate
a fish flood, or a snake story.
"Niet Up with Ships Mate"
An hour later, | met up with the
ships first mate. He looked me over
and began by telling me of an island
in the Pacific-"a mere mole hill of
volcanic ash upon which was a large
turtle, so large that he cannot be ta-
ken to a boat alive" He then warmed
up to his subject right-"That turtle
is doubtless 1000 years old. 1t is
known to be 300 years old, for a ship
making that island 800 years ago cut
the name of the ship on the turtles
back. Since then every ship stopping
there has carved its name in like mtn-
ner. giving the date" He paused for
reply.
1 said, Had that been a fish or
snake story l should positively dis
pute it. but as turtle story, | am
IL
Then he looked half serious and
said "Now III give you the real stuff
on snakes" This he declared to be
Honest to -God-truth."
He began They have in many
parts of South America a snake that
will crawl in bed with a woman with
a young baby and nurse at the moth |
er's breast. at the same time sticking
its tail in the baby's mouth SO as to
keep it quiet
l told him this was worthy of my |.
putting into my travels.
"And if you don't give them as
true" said he, the public won't like |
your book and it will have little sale"
Today neither the captain nor the /
first mate has offered me any infor- !
nation OF the tropics, although l talk /
ed to each of them an hour or more |,
last evening. The only information !
about these regions l regard as true !
ut all, vouchsafed by either was an |
expression of the captain, as follows: !
Pointing TO the coast of Columbia a |
few miles away he observed, "A man |
may buy all that land be wants for !
five cents an acre--let him bug q /
league Of 1t or more, ana he can at
pnce invest all the rest of his money !
IN medicine"
In this ] am inclined TO believe he |
had not called upon his imagination. |
,l3ut since l heard that story on the /
snakes method of keeping the baby /
jtuiet. mcthnks. l see right now back ;
home. .ho political snake sucking the |
public teat ana appeasing the public !
~ letting il have It's tail for sugar !
1eat. So rs you read these letters re |
ltIei;ihei that when 1 say "it is said"
or Il am told" | never saw it and do |
lot vouch for it.
There nc bell is ringing-on this |
boat we eat about every hour and