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| CA | 1919 USPC |
| China Merchants Company | |
| Panama City, Panama | Delivered: Y. Preciado & Co., Panama City, Panama via Frank Lapiedra, NY, NY |
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Frank Lapiedra was in the
import-export business in NYC (11 Broadway). He operated in Panama,
Costa Rica and Nicaragua. "Preciado Panama" was the telegraph cable
address of Y. Preciado & Compañía of Panama City, Panama, with whom
Lapiedra surely traded (they both traded in drugs and medicines,
among other things). Y. Preciado & Ca. had storefront drugstores
and a bookshop in Panama City.
The flag on the right in the chip is the
national flag of the Republic of Panama. The flag on the left was
the flag of the China Merchants Company--sort of a Chinese merchant
navy (aka China Merchants Steam Navigation Company). There were a
lot of Chinese in Panama at this time and a lot of people there were
involved in the China trade (and I'm sure the Canal opened up the
trade quite a bit).
I haven't been able to find out
what the CA stands for, but I think it might refer to a club or
professional organization composed of people involved in the China
trade in Panama (which may have included Preciado since he probably
got Chinese opium for his drug business). Another possibility: the
Canal Zone was divided into two customs districts,
Cristobal
on the Atlantic side and Ancon
on the Pacific side.
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Above right is a page which includes an ad for Y. Preciado & Ca. which has an interesting ad just below it: a Chinese guy named Yip Cang Ming selling opium for export or local consumption. |
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