The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-08-18
CANAL BUILDERS LIFE.
THINGS APT TO SURPRISE NEW
ARRIVALS AT PANAMA.

THINGS APT TO SURPRISE NEW
ARRIVALS AT PANAMA.
People Very Hospitahle There-AIso
Quick to Ask the Unmarried Caller
What His Intentions Are-crucify.
Ing sharks-HeaIth Hints for Amer
leans.
me Americans who 60 to Panama
attracted by the building Of the canal
Will find many things to surprise
them. y
They will probably meet with very
hearty welcome in Panama society,
but the etiquette of that society will
bother them at first. It has been said
that social customs in Colombia are
largely the reverse Of all that obtain
with the Anglo.Saxon races.
The green American might settle
down In his home and wait for peo-
rle to call on him. He might wait
Until doomsday, so far as the Pana-
1nanos were concerned
Ills proper course is to send around
his cards to the families he wishes to
have call upon him. Within a few
days they will all call. The obliga-
ton is absolutely binding on them, but
they need not pay a second call I'M
less they wish to cultivate the mans
acquaintance.
There is hardly any Informal cal
ing. You must notify people during
the day that you are going to call on
them in the evening, which is the
proper time.
The hostess and her daughters will
sit in rocking chairs and rock them
selves to and fro violently through
out the call. Do not imagine that this
is discourtesy on their part; it is just
a habit They always sit in rocking
chairs except at meals, and they can
no more help rocking than quicksilver
can help moving.
When you get to know them you
will find their hospitality delightful
and absolutely unbounded. The host
places himself and his house entirely
at your disposition, and he means it.
If you choose to stay a month, he
would be charmed, especially if he
happened to live on lonely hacienda
in the country.
But young, unattached American
must be wary. If he calls more than
twice at a house where there are
daughters people will begin to talk; if
he calls often, some responsible men,
Der OF the family would be fully justi-
fed by local etiquette in asking him
his intentions.
1t would be simply outrageous for
him to take girl of good family out
for a walk in the evening. If he wants
to see her at all, he must pay the for
NAL call described.
The fair maid will rock shyly in a
corner of the room, and between her
and the young man, like a battalion Of
dragons, her mother, maiden aunts
and elder sisters will range them
selves.
After greetings have been exchanged
and everybody has settled down COM
fortably to rock there will ensue an
awkward silence Then the young
American, driven to desperation, will
venture the brilliant remark that it
is hot weather.
Eyes," the hostesses admits ct is
hot" Another silence. For the time
of year." she adds, with the air of
one who has made a great discovery.
Presently, one of the maiden aunts
hopes that the senior had a good voy-
age from America. Receiving an
affirmative reply she recounts, with
an astonishing amount of detail, her
experience Of sea sickness on her
solitary ocean voyage from Carthagena
to Colon.
A servant brings in cups Of choco-
late and dishes Of candies and pre-
served fruits. This leads to a long
discussion of the kind of candies eaten
in the United States.
When that discussion dies out at
last for lack Of fuel, the American
finds it is time to go, and he has not
chance to exchange a single word
with the girl he really came to see.
A visit becomes more lively and en-
tertaining when one grows intimate
with the family, but as a general rule
the dragons do not relax their severe
vigilance.
There is no lack of amusements, for
the Panamanos are fond of dancing,
concerts, operas and theatrical per-
formances. Cock fights, bull fights and
lotteries are also considered by them
essential to happy life.
The devotees of rod and gun can
obtain plenty of exciting sport on the
isthmus. The shark fishing in the bay
of Panama is as good as anywhere else
in the world, and enormous alligators
may be shot on both sides of the 18TH
mus.
The bay is SO full of hammerhead
and ground sharks that. none of the
natives will ever take swim in it.
Some foreigners used to do so until
one of the canal engineers, a young
ro1orohion ronoo1 Tu1oo DoftorcCn