THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: AUGUST 25, 1912.
3-B
Sidelights on the Isthmus of Interest to Tourists
(Copyright, 1512. by Frank Q. Carpenter.)
picTfictT Canal Zone, Pan-
I I ama. Strange things at Pan
I m I ama! We have plenty of them,
t I Qnf1 li'ltinh mn1.-a r.a'
eyes bulge out like saucers.
This Is the heart of the tropics
and the sun works like a dynamo. Never-
tl-.ele s I have here se;n boys snowballing
at noonday. They had real snow an-1
were pluggln? away at each other under
the cocoanut palms. Tropical plants
were growlnj luxuiiantly about them and
o'.chids hung frcm the porches of a gov
ernment bul.c'lng nearby. The snow came
from the cold storage plant, and it was
made up of the ice shavings of Unoli
Sam's factory. The government is now
making several thousand tons of ice
every month, and It can turn out 400 gal
ions of Ice cream a day. It sends out
an icy cold storage train every morning,
and ice cream 'Is sold at such rates that
every canal family can have it Sunday
and, if it will, several times during tho
week.
Streams Which Flow Oil.
Another strange thing is the streams
which flow oil.. We have hundreds of
them on the zone. They are coated
with scum, and the scum is petroleum.
You look about in vain for derricks
and fkowlng gas wells. There Is noth
ing of the kind. The oil comes from
the sanitary department, and it is sup
plied ' by i an army which coats every
stream. This is to kill .the mosquitoes,
and' the means of furnishing it are va
rious. In some places It leaks out of
reservoirs from pipes which drip, drip,
drip oil ' all day - and all night. In
others the oil Is from machines which
spray it over the vegetation and into
the steams, and in still other places
from great tin cans made for the pur
pose, which are hung over the ponds,
dripping only so much at. a time. All
this is to fight the mosquito, the little
beast being hunted as though he were
a Hon or a tiger on the banks of ' an
East Indian river.
Fruits of the Isthmus.
. What would you think of a fruit which
contains so much pepsin that it will digest
buckwheat cakes, welsh rarebit and
greasy pork' chops? ' We have it down
here. : It looks like a muskmelon and It
grows at the top of a tree not unlike a
tfmall palm. This fruit Is the 'papaya and
you may have It any morning at almost
any hotel. It is eaten with sugar or salt,
I find it delicious.
And then we have alligator pears as
W 5 as your fist and as green as new peas,
a hey have a hard outer shell, which, when
cut through, shows a flesh of pale .green
or white as soft as butter and of an ole
rginous taste. Dress this fruit with
rait, pepper and vinegar, and it makes a
delicious salad which melts In . your
mouth. You may buy alligator pears in
New York at 50 cents or upward apiece,
but they are' not so good as those of the
isthumus which you can have almost for
the asking.
And then our grapefruit. Those we eat
here come from. Jamaica, , and are far
better than any raised in the states. They
are sweeter and Juicier and their qutnlne
like flavor Just suits the stomach. Wei
have delicious bananas from Bocus .del
Toro and ripe pineapples from the Island
of Taboga which you can eat with a
spoon. ' We have mangoes fit for a queen
and have .fresh vegetables all the year
round. Moreover, Uncle Sam Is weekly
shipping down apples, pears and all the
products of the temperate zone, and we
have also tropical vegetables . such , as
yucca, chayotes and yams. Indeed, the
average 'man's table" at Panama has a
greater variety that It could have at
home. . , . , , i i .
One always thinks of cold countries as
the ; only ones ' fit . for hunting. Strange
to say, Panama Is a land of game and
wild fowl. The country is as rough as
the Alleghany mountains, . and it is full
of deer, wild hogs, and one may now
and then meet a tapir. The tapir is a
kind of cross, as far as looks are con
cerhed, between a hog, a horse and an
elephant. ' : It has a nose ' which Is al
most a trunk. It has. hoofs. like a horse,
save that they end In sharp toes. Its
tall Is like that of a pig and it is often
the size of a stocky pony, measuring
about a yard and a half from the ground
to its shoulder. One of Uncle Sam's
zone Judges who spends his vacations
hunting, tells me he shot a number of
these beasts and that the meat Is de
licious. He has shot scores of deer, and
as for wild ducks, I see great flocks of
them every time I pass the now fast
rising lake at Gatun. Back from the
canal zone, where the population is
scanty, there is plenty of game, and
venison is frequently served at the hotels
of Colon and Panama.
One of the strange kinds pt wild beasts
seen In the markets Is the iguana. What
would you think of eating a lizard!
Well, that Is what the Iguana is. It is
a lizard as big as a cat with a coat of
hard scales covering its back. Its flesh
tastes like spring chicken. It Is de
licious and compares In some respects
with the diamond back terrapin from
the waters of Chesapeake bay.
Vegetation of Panama.
You have heard that Panama is a
Jungle and your idea of the isthmus Is
perhaps a mighty palm garden. There
are plenty of palms, but there are als
other trees of a hundred varieties. There
are great forests of hardwoods, with
palms here and there scattered through
them. There are scores of plantB the
namts of which are not known , to the
ordinary traveler and many of which are
new to the botanists.
There are a'so plants ar.d woods which
the Indians use for medicinal purposes,
tome of which-are practically unknown
to cur. pharmacists. Tire caU'iuc wo-d
will stop blood, and the Indians use It
lor all kinds of cuts. T-ey say that It,
will even stop hemorrhages If one takes
fcolj of it, ar.d that by dusting some pow
der from It over a cut "the Wood "will
cease running.
There 'is another tree here which is
an antidote for snake poison, and a
plant the Juice of which Is an emetic
that will turn the strongest stomach In
side uut. I know a zone ofilc'al who had
heard of this plant and wished to test
It. He was out hunting with a friend
and the two agreed that they would each
drink a cup of tea made of the Juice.
It was sweet and easily swallowed. A
moment later, however, toth men made
a rush for the door. and. as the engineer
said, they thought that their boots, were
coming up through their throat.
A little farther south are trees from
the bark of which the Indians make
blankets and the straw . which Is woven
Into Panama hats.
Like the Cradle of Moses.
The Isthmus of Panama has the papy
rus plant, similar to that which formed
the cradle of little Moses when he lay
in the bullrushes,' and to that of which
the paper used by the ancient Egyptains
t Mr .rr' y'
it
y4A. - ln.tr I
Mm.
Jo
fa;
GOOD TAZZR3 Z'o
A
: s
"CABS COST W7 CEJTTS A TRIP'
was made. ' There are great beds of
papyrus to.be seen from the cars on thd
ride across . the Isthmus. It is a Ions
reed with a tassel-like head which grows
In the' swamps. It is one of the chief
plants of the upper Nile, and I have
seen vast tracts of it in the lower parts
of the Sudan,. , i
Another queer .thing, according to- our
American notions, Is - the, grass of the
isthmus. We usually look ;. upon this
country as nothing but Jungle. The truth
Is there are great pasture lands in the
Panama republic, ; and within a . mile's
ride of the TIvoll hotel at Ancon one may
enter a landscape which is not unlike
parts of Ohio and Indiana. These aro
the savannas,' a rolling country covered
with grass, upon which herds, of cattle
are feeding. The cattle are rounded up
by the ' Panamanian ' cowboys on horse
back; and the scenes are not unlike thoie
of the Argentine pampas. The northern
part of the Panama republic is largely
of this nature and Is devoted to grazing,
having large herds of -cattle.
GorKeona Flowers of Sweet Perfume.
I have frequently seen It stated that
the flowers of the isthmus do not smell.
This is not true of the most of thpm.
There are. many which gjva forth a de
licious . perfume and load the air with
their , scent. . , .:
Indeed, Panama Is a land . of flowers.
There are great trees of red, yellow, and
blue, which may be seen from the cars
on the way across the Isthmus, and
orchids and other, air plants by the thou
sands ' hang from the branches. They
clothe the limbs and trunks of dead trees
and maka them altvei
Mr. Gudger, Uncle Sam's chief Justice
of the canal zone, has a vine covering
the. porch of his house near the Tlvoli
hotel. This vine bears 'a yellow flower
which looks like a rose. 'The Justice calls
It the Tlvoli vine. Just below this place
Is a tree which bears leaves green on top
and. rust red beneath.' When the sun
strikes them the under sides of the leaves
shine 'like burnished copper, and they
look; as though - they were, dusted with
gold mixed with a copper alloy. -j
I have already written ' of the orchid
collections of the women of ther'isthmus.
Nearly- every one 'Of prominence has her
veranda loaded, with them and many pro
duce flowers of- exquisite- beauty. Others
of the women run to ferns, having every
variety from those whose fronds "are as
fine and silky as the hair of a baby to
great trees, the branches of which extend
out at' the top like an', umbrella and
shade 'many square feet.-' ; .
- Queer Tonrtsta at Panama.
Among the -queer ' things of the -Canal
Cone - are the people who are - rushing
down here to see It. Some stay but a day
and others go through on the rubber
neck trains which give a panoramio-vlcwJ
of each 'of the works ; In the space of
two hours. The ' Ignorance ; of some .of
these tourists to geographical matters is
astounding. One woman who passed
through last week was alarmed as - to
the probable "effect the cutting through
of ..the. canal, might ..have .on. our..., he ml;
sphere. She wanted to know1 what would
become of South America when it was
let loose' and asked" whether ' or" -'not It
would drop- off and be lost when the
great' gorge was cut through.
Another engineer gave me today a con
versation which he had. Just overheard
between two rival women tourists. One
had spent the ' day -at Culebra cut and
the other had been at the Gatun dam.
Each-'was triumphantly boasting about
the wonders she-had beheld and trying
to 6'iitdo the other. For. a time " It was
nip :- and ' tuck , until "finally :. the first
woman' said: i
"Well, I' have seen something that you
have not seen. I have seen Colonel Goe
thal's ccr, ' called the Yellow Devil, in
which he goes around the works and I
even saw Colonel Goethals himself."
"Well who Is Colonel Goethals?" asked
the other woman.
"I don't know," replied the first', "but
anyhow, he owns that car."
-Another tourist of the feminine sex
came - here with- a notebook, and? upon
landing started In to take down every
thing she heard. ' She first drove to Cris
tobal, -and there accosted Colonel Eugene
Wilson', Uhb' has, charge of Uncle - Sam's
hotels and all the commicary arrange
ments, with this question:
"Where is the Isthmus of Panama I
have come all the way from New England
and I want to see It I suppose It I
that pqlnt over there." And with that
she directed ' her umbrella toward the
lighthouse on the Toro breakwater.
"Xo, madam,1' replied the genial colonel,
that Is not the whole Isthmus of Panama.
to sleep on the floor. ' Uncle Sam has
made some additions to the TIvoll dur
ing the past season,' and the Panama.
Railway company is .'putting up a J4W.0O')
notel at Colon. Any one who thinks of
visiting Panama should write and en
gage rooms .before band, and that enough
in advance to have some- prospect of gat
ting them. Otherwise ho Is table to be
forced to remain on his steamer and per
haps -leave without visiting -the places
he most wants to see.
Points For Travelers.
I have recently received many letters
as to the cost of 'seeing the canal and
the time needed for the, trip. As to the
cost It Is comparatively ..ctle, oflslde the
steamship passage from New York or
New Orleans, and the steamship rates
are not high. The tilp from New York to
Colon cost $7j, and from New Orleans
the first-class fare Is $25 less. There are
a number of good lines.1 Uncle Sam has
the steamers of the Panama railway,
which, I am told, are by no means the
best. And then ' there ' is the Hamburg
American company and tne Royal Mall,
and last-but not least" are the ships of
the.'Unlted 'Fruit company. All of theses
go from New York, and most of therri
stop at Cuba or . Jamaica, giving you a
taste of those Islands on the way.
The United Fruit companyas also a
line of .steamers, two every week, from
New Orleans to Colon.' These ships make
the trip In two days less than via New
York to Colon; and the seas are more
likely to be fmooth. Moreover, one of
the freight steamers each week calls at
Puf rto Larrios, Guatemala, and Port Ll
mon. Cost Rica, and some even : take in
Boca del-Toro, the great banana port at
the northern and of the Panama republic.
The. vessels of all the lines. are fairly
comfortable. They are ships of 5,000 tons
or more and the meals are good. .
-Hotela-ou the Iathinns. "
Landing' at Panama tho average trav
eler 'will do" well not to stop at Colon or
Christobal,- but1 go direct ' across the
isthmus by ' railroad to the Tivoll hotel
at Ancon, or to' some hotel at Panama.
The Tlvoli Is by far the best,- and, as it
belongs to the United States government,
it is managed on the principle of first
borne first served. The hotel is kept' on
the American plan that Is, there Is one
charge for both rooms and board. The
price for a single room for one person
is $3 a day and ;upward, but by putting
more than ono In a room this rate is
shaded, and It Is' possible' to stop for $4
a day or even less if ono stays for some
time. The i ordinary rate, however, Is fa
and more, "and a room wltiv bath will cost
at least that. ' The hotel has good bath
ing arrangements and baths are not
charged extra. ' '.' i. .'
: In addition to this are the hotels In
Panama City. There Is the old Central,
which Is miserably poor in comparison
with the Tlvoli. It Is run on the Span'sh
plan, but so far it has had so much travel
that there have been few inducements to
put In Improvements. There Is now a
new hotel near the station and others will
probably.be erected. The. rates at these
hotels are less than at the Tlvoli.
Outside your hotel there Is little to
spend. The fares on-tho railroads are 6
cents a mile, but the distances are short,
the cabs at Colon and Panama cost only
10 cents gold for a. trip , or 11 per hour.
The oar'riages aro second-hand victorias,
with dlnneri bells at the front under the
bed, which he drivers ring with tholr
feet to keep the street traffic out of tha
way. The negro drivers are less impudent
than our cabbies at home, although, they
will get all they can, Irrespective o the
tariff.
' If ypu should be traveling along the
line of the canal you can get your meals
with employes of 'Uncle Sam's hotels at
a cost oi w cepis eacu, miu mmo oit
little restaurants at Colon and Panama
where food Is cheap.
' . . .Time Needed.
One should allow at least three weeks
from. New York or New Orleans for the
canal trip, with, perhaps, four days less
from New Orleans. It will take you ten
days or two weeks to go from your port
to Colon and return, one week each way.
You will need at least a week for the
isthmus. One whole day or two should bo
spent at the Gatun dam. and that. Is
little enough. The mighty dam should
be gone over from one end to the other
end trips alonz the canal out to the At
lantic should be taken and then there
are the great locks and gates, which are
worth a day. A second day should be de
voted to the . Culebra, cut... watching the
drilling for dynamite and the mighty ex
plosions;' the steam- shovel and the ' air
compressing machines; and. the endless
rivers of 'earth and rocks should be fol
lowed on .the Lldgefwood cars down to
W Bailey..
Sanatorium
This Institution is the onlr on
to tha central west with separate
buildings situated Id their own
.ample grounds, yet entirely
distinct and rendering It possible
to classify cases. The one building
being fitted for and devoted to the
treatment of noncontagious and
nonmental diseases, no others be
ing admitted. The o(her Rest
Cottage, being designed for and
devoted to the exclusive treatment
of select mental cases, requiring
for a time watchful cart and spe
cial curbing.
HeaUhand Beauty Answers
BY MRS. MAE MART YN'
; Maude W.: The mussy, "stringy" con
dition of your hair Is due to the use of
soap and liquid shampoos containing
'free" alkali. You can -quickly correct
this condition by shampooing with can
throx, a teauyoonful ot which dissolved
in a cup ot not water Is ampie for a thor
ough cleansing. The canthrox mixture
thoroughly tlls&ulvvs uutt ana danuruit
and neutralize oxters on. Rinsing
leavta hair and stalp wonderfully clean
and tv, tit, and Um hair dries quickiy,
with an tven, rich color. Nottiing equals
canthrox lor restoring the brnlianco and
silky riun.nets to tho huir.
It Is only 'a part of it .v The isthmus is
the great neck of land which connects Gcrlrudo B.: I know of nothing bet
tho two continents of. North arfd South ter to pi otett tho complexion during suin
Amerlca " '" mer tn,l P,tt"' Jirmax lotion. This
" : A. K . . .. , . ,," '. U made, oy tfiimng z tuaspoontuis glycer
'Oh, 1.4 that so, replied the lady, busily j 111f inl0 pint wltt-h hazel (or hut water),
writing. .'T thank you so much, but you j trn adumg 4 ouuets hpuimax. This is
Bee I come from New Hampshire and I
waiit to know." " J 1
Seeliut the Isthmnn.'
I do not know how many tourist tho
invisible .-ien on ana Imparts a deliuiit-
ful lint to- tne ekiu. tou will find the
spurmux lotion lino for banishing tan,
freckles, ulliiiKSS of the skin and other
complexion disfigurements. The'spurmax
. . j ... ,, L- luuon win noi joi mini pcrapiraton,
canal has had this year., but it has run. ftmUu use overcomes tne need oi powder
high Into "th'e thousands. Tho Panama
Herald, In a reeefi t issue, says that a few
years ago the tourists came In couples
and-a llttlo later' in scores, .bufthey are
row coming In hundreds and thousands.
A single excursion boat, with two or three
hundred "Cookie". Is not uncommon, and
we are having parties of hundreds representing-
boards of - trade, chambers of
commerce and other' business organiza
tions. We Have' elifbs df dentists, doctors
and electrical englnfers who swoop down
without . notice ' and . load the hotels.
Crowds are coming from England and
Germany, and next winter the prospect !s
that the visitors wlli be. far more, than
can be taken care. of.
During -my stay 'here the hotels have
been crowded. , There have often been a
dozen men on cots In the room opposite
mine, -and at times - the public - parlors
have been fenced off and guests have had
or rouge.
; Mayine-l,.: - The dust-laden air of sum
mer is hurtful to the eyes,, and to banish
tho smart and to, restore tho youthful
sparkle you should put 2 'or 3 drops of
a crystos tonic In eucli eye daily. This
harmless crystos eye tonic is made by dis
solving an ounce crytstos in a pint cold,
clear water. This IS fine wr granulated
lids and to take out sorenesj and In
flammation, its use In a great benefit to
the eyes, and often overcomes the neces
sity tor wearing glasses.
A. B. C: No, vaseline will not stop
the hair from falling out. Shampoo with
canthrox (see enswer to Mauoe w'.), and
ufee this qulnzoln tonic: To Mi pint alco
hol add 1 ounce quinzoin, tnen ht pint
water. Rub a little well Into the scalp
frequently and the hair will stop falling
out. Nothing equals the qulnzoln tonic
to stop Irritation and correct scalp and
hair troubles. The regular use of this
qulnzoln hair-tonic will Induce an abund
ance of silky, fluffy hair.
Clara 8.: An oily skin Is the result of
powder-clogged pores. Discard powder,
iouge and greasy creams and use this
plain almozoln cream-Jelly, and your skin
will grow clear smooth and velvety;
Stir 2 teaspoonfuis glycerine into pint
cold water, then add 1 ounce almozoln.
After this is dissolved apply generously
and rub In well. Pimples and black
heads yield to this simple treatment and
fine lines and hollows vanish as IT by
magic. You will find a spurmax lotion
excellent to use In connection. For recipe,
eo answer to Gertrude B.
Marlon: Ypu will find great relief
after taking parnotls, because It dis
solves the fatty tissues gently and leaves
no 111 after effects., To prepare, dissolve
i ounces paruotls in IVi pints hot water,
then take a tabitspoontul before each
meul. This is a safe, certain method for
taking off fat,, and when the desired
weight Is reached, the flesh Is left firm
and the skin )s free from wrinkles.
No vigorous excerclse nor disagreeable
dieting is required when this treatment
Is employed.
Melba M.. Liver spots and nlmnles In
dicate Impure blood and you should take
a' kardene tonic to expel this poisonous
matter. You can prepare this tonic at
home by adding 1 ounce kardene to V4
Clnt alcohol, then Vi cupful Huxar and
hot water to- make a quart. Take, a
tablespoonful before each meal and your
blood will soon be pure and rich. This
kardene tonic is unsurpassed as a body
builder and strength-River, and taking It
frequently saves doctor's bills.
B. C: Try pyroxln for this eyebrows.
Rubbing It on with finger end makes
them come In thick and beautiful. Your
stubby eyelashes will grow long and
silky -If you apply pyroxln at lash roots
with forefinger and thumb. Don't get
any pyroxln where no hair is wanted.
Mrs. II.: Make a paste with a little
powdered delatone and water to eover
the hairs not wanted. Let remain ! ft I
minutes, then rub off, wash the skin, and
the hairs have vanished. The deiatone
treatment Is harmless and seldom re
quires repeating, except in aggravated
cases.
Ret.d Mrs. Martyn'e book, "Beauty." $3.
-Adv.
the dumps. All of the above places can
be visited on the rubber-neck trains,
which are run for tourists at il a trip.
A day should be spent on the water at
the Pacific end of the canal, going out
to the islands, where the fortifications are
being erected, and another day can be
devoted to Balboa. At that place they are
building up the ground for a city and the
handling of the earth and rock may be
seen. They are also constructing the dry
dock arid the terminals.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.'
Key to the Situation Bee Advertising.
NO ONE STRONGER THAN HIS STOMACH.
The oelcbrsted Dr. Abernethy of London wts firmly of the opinion that disor- j
den of the storroch were the most proliho source of human ailments in general. A .
recent medical writer says: "every feeling, emotion and affection reports at the'
stomach (through the system of nerves) and the stomach is affected accordingly.
It is the vital center of the body ." He continues, " so we may be!
said to live (tkreugh) the stomach." He goes on to show that the stomach is';
the viral center of the body. For weak stomachs and the consequent indigestion
or dyspepsia, and the multitude of various diseases which result therefrom, no
medioine can be better suited at a curative agent than j
Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery
" Several months ago I suffered from a severe pain right,
tinder the breast-bone," writes Mrs. G. M. Mubkkn, of
Corona, Calif. " Had suffered from it, off and on, for sev
eral years. I also suffered from heart-burn, did not know;
what was tho matter with me. I tried several rvdlcinea
hut they did fee no good. Finally, I was told it was myt!
liver. I did nrt dare to cat as it mado me worse. When
ever I swallowed anything it seemed that I would faint it
hurt so. I grew verv thin and weak from not eating. Waa
told to take Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery. I tooko,
sflve bottlcof it, and could feel myself fretting better from
- tne ursi oose. l rotiai eat a iw.ie wiiiiom paiu nu giow
and can ao a uiir
and have put on'
sufferers write to Dr.
Pierce. Ho has my undylns gratitude."
em?f 'T3?7n2& stronu fast. Today I am strong and well 8
'"'IWif iG day's work with case. Can eat everything i
Cr ?7T flesh wonderfully. I will say to all suffer
Mils. MtUKKN.
lWeiaY f '.Sill V ft
: VT". 9 I ( if TV 1
I Because OU) AO has all the goodness f w in X I
!!J that master brewere can put Into It '' - 1
health strength and the real PuurX.Jl' fli , I
Utat SAIWSXJSJ VVS Willi U9 UHUWklll T ' t Nv'' J
II 048trlHid Ambsr Bottle T 'Ui' vv4
3 II
Nothinz Mdre itet.ne
After a Day of Work or Play
Because OL9 AOS has all the goodness
that master brewers can put Into It 4
health, strength ana the real pleasure-'
that always goes with the drinking of
good beer ,
SUrlllztd Ambsr Bottle T
family Trade EtappUsd y f;
WILLIAM JETTER -asoa
K. gtreet . C
TelePhoa Sonta set V
OonaoU Bloffs "Old Ao"
ISia Bontk Sth Btrtet, Faoae seas
IMS
OKAXA
HUGO Is. BILZ
1384 Bonflas Street, Fhoas Soaf.
JETTER BREWIIIQ CO.
, Boutb Omaha Vehraaka.
ill 1i
laUslUlnsiWUi
ll . ' .lill I jmilSII Til ' '
Order from any of the following Omaha distributors:
Hi Her Liquor Co, Courtocy & Co. John Nittler
1309 riAVAM STBSST.
Phone Douglas 1341.
Phone lad. A-3341..
17TH AKD DOUOLAS 8TBSETS.
Phone Douglas 647.
Phone lad. A-181S. '
rhone Douglas 1889.
Phone Ind. p.1877.
2E
