Panama by H. C. GOODRICH

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 21, 1909

Panama

By H. C. GOODRICH

H. C. GOODRICH

One year ago last May I landed in Colon, with my wife and daughter Mildred. We had heard so much of the unfavorable condition here that it was with a great deal of fear and trembling that we accepted the invitation to come to this field. But the work of improvement was well begun when we came, and has gone steadily forward, till the whole town has been changed from a filthy mud-hole, where diseases of every kind were very common, to a clean, healthy city, with streets well paved and lighted, and well filled with earth from the canal-cut. Old houses have been torn down or rebuilt, and all have been put in the best sanitary condition. And with a good system of sewerage there is but little standing of the water, and that is kept covered with crude oil, so there are no mosquitoes, and very few house-flies. Yellow fever is unknown, and there is very little malaria.

Then the Panama Railway, crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific side, has made this the great business center of the whole West Indian field. A great many ships from America, England, Germany, France, Spain, and from South American ports come into this harbor with cargo and passengers for the Canal Zone or the Pacific coast.

The digging of the canal has brought together thousands of laborers from different nations. The Frenchman, the Spaniard, the Greek, the Chinaman, the negro of the West Indies, and the American, are all here to reap a portion of the benefit from the golden stream that must continually pour into this country till the canal is finished.

This has made Panama a very interesting field of labor, and we have tried to take advantage of conditions to place as many books in the hands of the people as possible. But the conditions for the sale of books and papers are not so favorable as they were several months ago. Much of the canal work, such as house-building and railroad-making, is nearly finished, and, besides, rigid measures of economy are being put in operation all along the line. The wages of the laborers have been cut down, thousands of men have been discharged, and because of this the cry of hard times is heard everywhere.

Still the book work is moving, and our workers are of good courage. The book sales since Jan. 1, 1908, at retail rates, have amounted to $7,812.50 United States currency. This might have been greatly increased if we could have had books, but several cases of books were delayed six and eight months in transit. Yet all arrived safely at last, and now we have plenty of books.

This work has not been followed up as it should have been, as we have no one who could specially labor in the Canal Zone. But we have many faithful brethren and sisters, who are zealous for the Lord's cause, and faithfully do what they can. With God's blessing upon these efforts, during the past year nineteen have been baptized, and ten or twelve are now awaiting baptism in the different churches of the Canal Zone.

There is an opening in several places for labor, but during the rainy season we can not use the tent, and a hall is not to be thought of, as the rent of a room twelve by twelve feet is ten dollars (gold) a month. But we shall soon have a building of our own, where we can give the people of Colon and Cristobal the present truth. A lot was assigned us one year ago by the Panama Railroad Company. Six weeks ago we began the construction of a building thirty by eighty-two feet, two stories high. The front half will be for our chapel, thirty by forty-one feet. The rear, which opens on another street, is to be the home of our Caribbean Watchman

and El Centinela. Above will be four suites of rooms for the workers. This is made necessary because of the excessive rent here. We hope to have this building ready for occupation by the first of January.

There are many calls for evangelical effort all along the Panama railway, but at present we have no one to send. We pray that God will raise up laborers for the Canal Zone.

While visiting Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro some weeks ago, both Mrs. Goodrich and myself contracted malarial fever by staying in a house where one died of the disease. The fever ran very high, and we both became very weak, but we are able now to resume our work, and hope soon, by the blessing of God, to be as strong as ever. We thank the Lord that we are still able to have a part in his work.

Cristobal.