Panama and the canal . a better road was,greatlv needed. We have all heard of the war between theUnited States and ^Mexico in 1846 and 1847,which gave to the United States New Mexico, RaLoad^™Ari/xjna, and California, and much other landbesides. At that time there were less than nine thousandmiles of railroad in all the United States, and it was im-possible to go from New York even as far west as Chicagoby rail. INIany hundreds of miles of unexplored prairiesand Rocky Alountains lay between Chicago and trails for horses and wagons were very dangerous, thejourney recjuired severa
Panama and the canal . a better road was,greatlv needed. We have all heard of the war between theUnited States and ^Mexico in 1846 and 1847,which gave to the United States New Mexico, RaLoad^™Ari/xjna, and California, and much other landbesides. At that time there were less than nine thousandmiles of railroad in all the United States, and it was im-possible to go from New York even as far west as Chicagoby rail. INIany hundreds of miles of unexplored prairiesand Rocky Alountains lay between Chicago and trails for horses and wagons were very dangerous, thejourney recjuired several months, and hostile Indians wereeverywhere. For government service, for soldiers, and forthe mails an easier route Avas necessary. 98 GOLD SEEKERS We have all heard, too, of the wonderful discovery ofgold in California in 1848, and of the crowds of excitedmen who rushed to the new gold fields. Long caravansof horses and wagons conveyed thousands west from But there were thousands more of the Forty-niners,. Old Fori and Portion of City Wall, Panama. as they were called, who chose to go by ship to the mouthof the Chagres river, then to cross the Isthmus to the Cityof Panama, and thence by ship again up the Pacific coastto San Francisco. There were quite as many dangers bythis route as by the long trails across the western were many shipwrecks on the rough Caribbean sea, PANAMA RAILROAD COMPANY 99 and hundreds IVU sick and died in the hot chmate of theIsthmus. In the sinL!;le year of 1852 live liundred gold-seekcrs died of cholera at Panama. At that time there was no regular line of steamers fromPanama City to San Francisco. \\hen a ship once reachedCalifornia, the crew was likel} to be seized withthe gold fever and to run off to the mines, Icav- „i„1,. °^ ^ing the captain with no one to help him takehis ship Ijack to Panama. Had we searched careful)}, aswe took a promenade on the old sea-wall of the City ofPanama, we might have found many names a
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