To Panama and back

When I made up my mind to go to Panama, I could find no guide book. I had to depend for information upon the advertising matter of the United Fruit Company, and upon the experie...

Chicago as a Starting Point and Business Center for Panama--How Food is Manufactured--Chicago Modesty--Report of the Commercial Club’s Commission--Chicago the Center of Culture-...

The United Fruit Company’s Ships--Delay--Brushing up in Spanish--Getting off--The Musical Engineer--Spilling Soup--Threatened Arson--A Resolve Never to Take Too Much Liquor Agai...

The Weather--Packing the Stomach--A Diatribe on Cooks and Cooking--Uncooked Food as a Diet--Survival of the Fittest--New England Diet--First Impressions and Facts--The Passenger...

Christmas Eve--Heat as a Stimulant--Essentials to a Good Sleeper--Sheltering Reefs--Flying-Fish--Port Limón--View of the Island and Town from the Ship--A Sailing Vessel--The Pie...

Getting Aboard the Italian Steamship--A Life on the Ocean Wave--W. J. Bryan’s Opinion--The Steerage--A Many-tongued Englishman and Champagne Cider--The S. S. Limonians and Dinne...

Origin of the Name Panama--Suggestions for Change of Name--Enlightening a Cab Driver--Scalping in the United States--A Cure for Obesity--Shirking--Description of Road from the R...

El Gran Hotel Centrál--Its Plan--Prices--Two in a Room--Church Ruins as Boarding-houses--The Hotel Furniture--Advantage of Two in a Room--Primitive Service--The Plumbing--How to...

Barber Shops and Disease--Chance for a Trust and a Public Benefaction--Tropical Hotel Clerk from Canada--A Visit to the Hospital at Ancón--Beautiful Location--Housekeeping under...

Preparations for a Panama Siesta--Barricading the Door--Interruption--Waiting for the End--Obliged to Get up--Opening the Box of Water--A Fatal Tip--An Imitation College Yell--I...

Early Breakfast--The “Gentleman of the Eggs” Again--How to Eat the Juice of an Orange--Panama Shops--Chinese Silks and Curios--Purchases--Trying to Beat Down a Chinaman’s Price-...

Waiting for the Bull-fight--Daily Newspapers--Death from Yellow Fever--Fate of Mr. Dingler’s Family--Doctor Echeverría Receives the Cablegram at Last--Walks to the Seashore--The...

A Visit Planned and Given Up--Difficulties--Buccaneer Henry Morgan and President Don Juan Perez de Guzman--Story of Morgan’s Expedition against Panama--Prayers Versus Prowess--S...

Cathedral Bells--The Bawl after the Ball--Ringing in the New Year--Unique Chimes--The Musical Score--A Drive to the Sabanas--The Suburban Highway--Natives--Open Prairie--Señor A...

We arrived at the amphitheater a little before four o’clock and found everything cheerful and lively as befitted the occasion. Men and boys came in rapidly, took their seats, li...

Preparations for the Congress--Secretary Calvo--President Icaza’s Hospitality--Arrival of the Western Contingent--Doctors and Drink--Reception by Doctor Amador, President of Pan...

Lively Coffee--Eleven O’clock Breakfast on the Prairies--Appetizers Wasted--Music by the Band--The National Hymn and Its Composer--Laying up for a Rainy Season--The Banquet at H...

An Excursion to the Island of Toboga--Panama from the Sea--A Picturesque Village--A Delightful Stroll to the Sanatorium--A Banquet Aboard--We Return Refreshed and Invigorated--A...

Visit to the Culebra Cut--Culebra Ridge--Trying to Learn of Time of Departure of Boats--Yellow Fever Causes Stampede--The Eastern Contingent Arrives and Visits President Amador-...

Comparisons--Our Countrymen Refined in Feeling but often Inconsiderate in Conduct--Instances of the Latter Quality--Thoughtlessness and Indifference in Public--Gourmands--Three...

Arrival--Queer Methods of the Manager of Washington Hotel--Driving People Away--The Astor Hotel and the Swiss Hotel--The Town Noises--Advantages of the Washington Hotel--Reason...

Colón’s Architecture--Trying to Procure Information about Ships--The Brighton and the Preston--Had to Give It up--The Cab Ride on the Beach--The Canal Zone--Picturesque Christob...

A Rough Ride--Wild Scenery along the Reefs--A Devoted Wife--A Recommendation for the Prevention of Divorces--A Guide with the Sleeping Sickness--An Exhilarating Ride on a Platfo...

Out of Provisions--Shopping for Wet Goods in the Dark--Mud and Rain--Artistic Imitation of Jamaica Cigars--Smoking for Fair Weather--A Stoic Doctor--Ingratitude--A Model Roommat...

During the first day of the “norther” both the ship and myself came through without any but threatened accidents, although neither of us was seaworthy. The next morning, however...

A Bad Headache and a Bitter Dose--A Poem--The Singing Cherubs--A Sign of Fair Weather--Promised Feasting--Eating Oneself into Premature Old Age, and Starving into a Ripe Old Age...

Off for Chicago--Trying a Southern Railway--The Sleeping-car Mattress, One of the Luxuries of the World--Courting Sleep--Astonishing Discovery of Daylight--Spurious Insomnia--Mi...

Home at Last--Too much Tropics--The Hold-up--Explaining about It at Home, per Telephone, at the Hospital, at the Office--The Time of My Life--An Exhausting Office Hour--Easier t...