The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-28


Walt Station, Montana OId-timer, for
mer Deer Lodge valley farmer, and at
present Panama planter, is in Mon
tana, returning to Butte for the first
time in 10 years to renew old friend
ships and close up business matters
since he left this state for Central
America in 1911.
While still imbued with an amount Of
enthusiasm for the country of his youth,
Station is one former Montanan at least,
who is honest enough to believe that
the country Of his adoption is the best
on the face Of the earth. He reports
that while away from the Treasure state
he has dabbled in land a bit, much to
his commercial credit, and that while
he held considerable land in Panama a
few years back, at present he has "only
a little garden patch" so to speak, OF
$500 acres. This Panama backyard" he
has devoted to the raising Of hay, cattle,
/ bananas, rice, citrus fruits and lot Of
other little odds and ends Of market
produce, including an exceptional brand
Of coffee.
Luck Played Part
| I'm inclined to think that luck
played a considerable part in my going
| to Panama" said Mr.. Station. "At least
luck seems to have been with me in my
ventures there. I happen to have started
the first irrigation system in the country,
| probably as a lesson on the farms OF
montana, ana bIldI one JllIlB mas QO4l6 y
good deal to make my holdings some OF
| the most valuable in the country"
Going to one Of the richest Of the
! Central American countries, the former
Montana man was fortunate enough to
| make several land deals in territory which
has since been taken over by the United
Fruit company for the raising of bananas.
THE coming of the company there" he
said, has done a lot to make the coun-
try available for the outside. Granting
that we had some Of the best banana
land in the world, the advent OF the
railroad has made it possible for the
planters to get their produce out to the
markets at a greatly increased profit.
Just to give you some idea Of the
prolific nature Of the country, I'll tell
|; you about some Of the products. We
raise 10000 tons Of sugar annually. Rice
on the irrigated plantations rates be-
tween 40 and so bushels to the acre.
The banana crop brings in $75 per acre
per year. We have an annual income Of
35 per cent for our cattle, and by the
way speaking Of cattle, one acre Of
r planted pasture feeds one animal for one
year, due to the fact that we have two
harvest seasons"
All Kinds of Climate
He continued to elaborate in glowing
terms of the prosperity Of the country
and concluded with a resume of the
weather conditions. "On the Panama.
|
4 the temperate zone for $100. While
S tropical crops prosper on the lower lev
2 els, all the products Of a temperate cl1-
mate-peaches, apples, wheat and others
can be raised at a 4,500-foot elevation.
Think Of it," he said. 1--WE never have
to worry about frost and the much ad-
VertiSed rainy season is no nuisance at
all. 1t rains about 4 o'clock every after
noon in the eight months wet season,
but it seldom lasts for more than 80
mi uyn
age eight hours of full sunshine each
day the year around"
e In the interests of the operation of
n the only modern rice plantation in the
d country, Station will combine the pleas
10 lre of a visit to his old home, with the
business of investigating the systems OF
growing employed in California, Texas
and Louisiana. Leaving here, he will
: journey to Seattle and from there to the
Sacramento valley in California, to in
. spect the rice fields. Following his tour
L Of Texas and Louisiana, he will leave
: New Orleans for Panama about Nov. Is
, Wages Going Up
Z An interesting consequence OF the
g $8,0O0000 harbor, highway, railroad and
= plantation development project, now
; under way in Panama, was given by
= Station in a comparison Of wage scales
y and crop prices. Before the project was
= started he said, native laborers were
= getting from so to go cents day. Serv-
= ants got about So a month, with the
= better class help ranging upward to So
= and $12. Now that the development is
: under way, the help gets double and
= more than it did at one time, and the
/ selling price of a nine-hand bunch Of
bananas, formerly a maximum Of 2C
: cents, has been raised to minimum o.
e so cents"
IT Station arrived in New York from Pan
: anna on Sept. 8.
II &.
Isl uoor, E1Iy