permanent advantage over the Panama lines. A faster passage was one result, of course, attracting both passengers and specie shippers (who lost money with every day gold remained in transit, and who paid a lucrative commission on consignments). But the biggest benefit was the savings Vanderbilt reaped in operational costs. “The route by the Isthmus of Nicaragua is decidedly the most economical route,” declared John A. Buckman,
Economic advantage.
