Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1912 — DOWN IN PANAMA [ARTICLE]

DOWN IN PANAMA

Unexplored Country of the San Bias ■ r! ■ " 1 *j ' - •- -H Mysterious Land Forbidden to White Men Peopled by Savage and Warlike Natives, Where N 4 One Dare* Go. New York. —“Looking for the smoking room, hombre?” asked the comfortable looking old gentleman Iq the white linen tuxedo, according to Panama correspondent. The uncomfortable looking young man in white flannels shook bis head. “I’m looking for the way out,” he replied. “This isn’t Panama; It’s Dupont Circle, Washington, D. C.” Within the 10th infantry band pounded out “Our Director,” while bronze engineers, soldiers of fortune and once proud naval lieutenants begged pupils of the zone high school for half an extra. Estimate the v distance between the awkwardest fourteen-year old and the local Mrs. Hawksbee and you can figure out how far the young North American in white flannels found himself from the center of the stage be holds so firmly In musical comedy. “Neat time I come down here I’ll bring a dress suit,” he said. - “They always do, the second time,” said the old gentleman soothingly. "Sit down and cool off. Ten years ago we danced In pajamas and watched the government revolve every twen-ty-four hours, but now we’re nice and civilized."

“My son,” added the gray haired isthmian, ‘Tve heard that farewell romance an<| last frontier wish since before you were weaned. But there are plenty of last frontiers In this world that will last a good while and you’re sitting on one of .them right now. “The country I mean lies partly in the republic of Panama, partly In the republic of Colombia, and doesn’t give ad — for either of them. It begins within thirty miles of where we are sitting and runs for 400 miles or so down into South America. Just how far I can’t tell you, for no white man has ever made the trip.” “Region too unhealthful?” “For our kind, yes. Fall of little hot drafts from behind trees. And then word Is passed out to your friends that the senor died of Chagres fever, with no witnesses to the contrary." "But who does ail this murdering?” "They call them the San Bias In. dlans. And I shouldn’t call them murderers If I were you until I’d heard the whole story. "When the Spaniards hit these parts in the old days it was h—l for the naYou needn’t Took any further than the wood cuts in any edition of Las Casas to learn that. “The first governor of Panama, Pedrarlas too. stepping past that window with that pretty trained nurse from Ancon hospital—has a million murders to his discredit, and he and the other conqulstadores wiped out every native tribe but one. This outfit living in a country that is Satan’s pet hothouse and soon getting hold of smuggled firearms, managed to keep their independence. They are as free today as before Columbus came over and as exclusive as Tibet before Youngbusband's expedition. '■ "Nobbdy 'KffOwr lloirnum erous thi sjr are, for the census taker has never called. In appearance they are stocky little chaps not much above five feet high, with big round heads and coarse black hair.