28 chapters
8 hour read
Selected Chapters
28 chapters
TO PANAMA AND BACK
TO PANAMA AND BACK
THE RECORD OF AN EXPERIENCE BY HENRY T. BYFORD, M. D. W. B. CONKEY COMPANY CHICAGO Copyright, 1908 , BY Henry T. Byford , M. D. DEDICATED to the Panama Canal Commissioners, who invited the President of the United States to run down and see them dig the Canal while he waited; and to the President, who went to the Canal and found them asleep, and didn’t wait until it was dug. MAP OF PANAMA (click image to enlarge) Part I...
30 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
Chicago to New Orleans—Principally Chicago 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 Illinois Central—Southern Surgical and Gynecological Society at Birmingham, the Mushroom City—The Banquet—Southern Hospitality and Wit—Extracts from Letter Home—Insurance Against Railway Accidents—The North Versus the South—Unveiling of a Statue—The Hahnemann Statue at Washington
14 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
Getting Off 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 Again—The Pilot—Four Miles in Two Hours—The Captain’s Wink—Chicago as a Joke—The Jetty—Unexhilarating Speed—The Zigzag Habit. From New Orleans the United Fruit Company sends a steamer every week to Colón and Bocas del Toro, in Panama, and one to Port Limón, in Costa Rica. Most of the boats are small and better adapted to
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
At Sea 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 Passengers—The Englishman—A Phantom Laugh—The Stewardess—Beef Tea—A Recreation Famine—The Universal Enjoyment—An Old English Table d’Hôte—White Ducks and Rain—Highballs and High Life—Bad Effects of Water—A Temperate Captain and Crew—Scenery and Poetry—How People Get What They Want—The Southern Cross and Others—Advice. From Diary.
20 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
Port Limón 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 Piers—Fruits—Sharks—Christmas Festivities of San José—The Great Flood—Accidents on the Railway—The Graveyard Washout—Two Weeks of Travel to go a Hundred Miles—Ashore—Almost an Accident—Difficult Landing—A Negro with an Irish Brogue—Other Negroes—A Cockney Accent—U. S. Accent—Sun Baths and Shower Baths—The Rainy Season—No
22 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
Colón and the Panama Railway 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 Dinner—A Polyglot Conversation—Steamer Chairs for Beds—Night Sounds and Nauseous Smells—Fresh Air a Magic Remedy—Colón—The Formalities of Landing in the Canal Zone—Passed Through by the Linguistic Englishman—Circular No. 13—Hotel Washington and Its Discomforts—Attractive Grounds—Impossible Lodgings—Sudd
28 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
Panama 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 Railroad Station to the Hotel Centrál—Plaza Centrál—Tips—The Negro in the North and South—Dr. Frank’s Opinion—How the Tropical Negro’s Wants Are Satisfied—Opportunities for Negroes and Mulattoes in the Tropics—Solution of the Race Problem. We are told that Panama is the Indian name for good fishing place, or place aboundi
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
At Gran Hotel Centrál 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 Break up Luxurious Habits—The Temperature—A Walk in the Sun—Baths—Doctor Echeverría’s Appetizer—Effects of Liquor—His Character—The Hotel Food—The Venezuelan Minister—The Custom of Treating—Cigaret Smoking, a Solitary Vice—A Visit to the Home of Señor Arango—Clothing an Injury—Panama Ladies—A Linguistic Defe
30 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII
For Doctors Only 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 Difficulties—Genial and Gentlemanly Doctors—The Buildings Left by the French—Details—Prevalence of Malaria—Drinking Water—Why the People of Panama Ought to be Dead—The Spoiled Child—Why the Eleven O’clock Breakfast is Enjoyable at Ancón—A Specimen Hotel Breakfast. Doctor Echeverría did not appear for a half h
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER IX
A Siesta and Such 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—Its Effectiveness—Horseback Riding—The High-toned Boarding Stable—Effect of Work upon Men and Animals in the Tropics—The Tramp and the Rich Man—Shopping—Tickets for the Bull-fight—Cigaret Smoking and the Habit—The Dusky Maiden—No Fool like an Old Fool—Biased Opinions—The War-cry—Town Gossip—A prescription for a B
18 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER X
About Town 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—The Market—Chinatown—Assortment of Smells—Chinese Style—A Large Stock—The Doctor’s Extravagance—Idleness the Cause of Injudicious Buying—Another Lesson in Siestas—The dolce far niente of It—Another Interruption- -Nada, Nada! —New Year’s Resolutions—The Usual Visit to the Cable Office— Las Lonely Bovedas —Extension of
21 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XI
Town Topics 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 National Lottery—The Cathedral—A Titled Doctor of the Past—Ruins—A Ruin within a Ruin—Business Hours—Baths and Economy of Water—Proposed Improvements. The next two days, Friday and Saturday, were days of waiting for the Sunday bull-fight. Panama is a small city of 20,000 inhabitants and there was nothing doing, as
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XII
The Past and the Present Panama 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—Starvation—Waiting Ambuscaders—Leather Soup—The Miraculous Feeding—Breakfast Food for Those Who Could not Walk—Making a New Road—Repulse of Don Juan’s Cavalry—Repulse of the Cattle—Flanking Movement—Victory—Fire—Booty—The Filibusters Filibustered by Morgan—Great Britain and Captain Dampier—Chance
9 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIII
New Year’s Day and the Sabanas 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 Arango’s Summer Residence—Great Variety of Flowers, Fruits and Foliage—Good Cattle Country—Fire-crackers—The Siesta Hour—A Quiet Funeral—Ho! for the Bull-fight. New Year’s eve I was awakened at midnight by the ringing of the cathedral bells, which, being directly across the plaza and at about the same
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XIV
The Bull-Fight 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, lighted cigarets and began to call out and joke with one another in a manner characteristic of the Spanish bull-fight audience. The arena was a square space located against the side wall of a brick house and enclosed on the other three sides by board fences about six feet high. Opposite the brick wall and com
18 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
The Opening of the Congress Preparations for the Congress—Secretary Calvo—President Icaza’s Hospitality—Arrival of the Western Contingent—Doctors and Drink—Reception by Doctor Amador, President of Panama—The Palacio de Gobierno—Former Presidents and Governors—Mrs. Amador—The President—Revolutions and Their Origin—Opening Exercises of the Congress—Eastern Contingent Absent—The $25,000 Barrel—Speeches by Mr. Wallace, Mr. Robinson, Doctor Gorgas, and Music by the Band—The Panama Railway—Poetry and
14 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
Breakfast and Dinner on the Same Day 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 Hotel Centrál—Menu Translated—Musical Program—Speeches by Experts; One out of Place and One out of Sight—Mixing Wines—Nightcaps at the Club—Too much Dining. On Wednesday we awoke fully fledged members of the $25,000 Pan-American Medical Congress, wondering if from a scientific and assimilativ
9 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
Panama Bay and Paramount Barrett 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 Dinner with Minister Barrett—His Travels and Experiences—He Wheedles One Empress and Amuses Another, Beats Admiral Dewey, Refuses a Harem, Shocks a Female Boarding-school, Suppresses a Revolution, Discourses upon Elephants and Has a Joke Played upon Him—At the Ball—Mr. and Mrs. Wallace—Twenty-f
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
Congress Redivivus 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—All Is Lively Again—Last Business Meeting that Was not the Last—The Great Eastern Report—Another Meeting Voted—Wishing Well of Panama. On Friday morning the congresistas were taken to the Culebra cut to learn how a little mountain could be gnawed in two, and show how a big breakfast could be swallowed. As I
13 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
To See Ourselves as Others See Us Comparisons—Our Countrymen Refined in Feeling but often Inconsiderate in Conduct—Instances of the Latter Quality—Thoughtlessness and Indifference in Public—Gourmands—Three Varieties—The Young or Simple Gourmand—The Acquired or Temperamental Gourmand—The Specialized or Calculating Gourmand—Dangers of Gourmandizing—Evading the Results. During the ride back to Colón on Saturday morning, instead of admiring the scenery I fell into a sort of saturnine revery appropri
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
Accommodations at Colón 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 for the Peculiar Treatment—The Veranda and the Breeze—A Delightful Room to Sleep in—A Healthy Situation at Last—The Shower Bath and “Next”—A Bald-headed Dude in a Three-bedded Room—The Meals—No More Siestas Needed—Gathering Cocoanuts and Throwing Them into the Sea—A Fine Place for Useless Windmills—A Doc
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
Sunday at Colón. 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 Christobal—Cool Breezes—Statue of Columbus—The Entrance to the Canal—Railroad Company’s Hospital—The Turtle Trap—The Bath—The Ladies—The Shark—The Retreat—The Embarrassment—Uncertainty about the Departure of Boats—Crowding a Small Boat—Mistakes and Discomforts—An Unsatisfactory Explanation—Rozhestzensky—Laying in Priva
23 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
After Bananas and Alligators 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 Platform Car—The Big Banana Plantation—About Bananas and Plantains—Jamaica Negroes as Laborers—Beautiful Scenery—The Great Ambuscade of the Little Revolution—Loading at Night—On a Reef all Night—Danger, Modern and Ancient—Saved by Accident Insurance—Return to Almirante Bay—The Hunt Organized—An Excursion
20 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
From Bad to Worse 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 Roommate—A $1,200 Bill for False Labels—Spoiling a Good Article with a Poor Price—Prepared to Fast—The Greatest Mathematician and Gravest Philosopher of Modern Times—Rough Weather—A Ladies’ Man—In Protected Waters—All on Deck—A Sudden Arrival—An Unsuccessful Attempt—A Rolling Ship Gathers no Stoics—A Charge on a Steam
21 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
The Didactics of Seasickness Breaking the Sabbath—Giving up—Humiliation—Beef Tea Versus Coffee—A Disappointed Engineer—English without Grammar—The Lecture—Pathology—She-sickness—A Rebuke—Symptoms—A Homœopathic Cure—The Passive Treatment—A Reproach—Conclusions—A Suggestion and a Vote of Thanks. 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, my stomach broke the Sabba
9 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
The Last Day at Sea and the First on Land 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—A Delicate Question—A Business Meeting—Drawing up Resolutions to Exonerate the Captain—The Eads and Jetties—An Enjoyable Toilet—A Hook Apiece—The Penalty of Early Rising—A Cold Day—Discovery of the Preston—Unfavorable Comparison—New Orleans and Oysters—Absinthe—A Fraudulent Automobile
28 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
Traveling North by Way of the South 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—Missing a Cold Bath—A Strange Stranger—Mobile—The Battle House Restaurant—Patriotic Coffee—Delicacy Versus Flavor—Five-cent Café-au-lait—Milk Versus Cream—Central American Bitter Coffee—Cereal Coffee—The Best Substitute—The Stranger and the Conductor—Compelled to Keep a Saloon in His Own House—
23 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII
Did You Have at Pleasant Trip? 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 to Stay at Home—A Formulated Answer—Its Nauseating Repetition—Talking It over with Another Victim. I arrived at home late in the afternoon tired out mentally by six weeks of discomfort and change of habits, and weakened physically by bodily inactivity and continuous tropical heat. Even the enjoymen
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter