Arizona republican., 1904-02-01
.LlFE oF 1AE CANAL BUILDERS.
Things Apt to Surprise New Arrivals at Panama.


 them at first. It has been said that so- cial 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 people to call on him. He might wait until doomsday as far as the Panamanos were concerned.
 His proper course is to send around his cards to number of fam lilies he wishes to have call upon him. Within a few days they will all call. The obligation is absolutely binding on them, but they need not pay a second call unless they wish to cultivate the mans acquaintance.
 There is hardly any formal calling. 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 throughout 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 TO more help rocking than quicksilver can help moving.
 When you get to know them you will find their hospitality delightful and ab- solutely unbounded. The host places his house and himself entirely at your dis position. and he means it. If you choose to stay month he would be charmed especially if he happened to live on lonely hacienda in the country. But a. young unattached American nut ha l1 lI, twice at a house where there are daughters people will begin to talk: if he calls often some responsible mem Der of the family would be fully justi- fled by local etiquette in asking him his intentions.
 | It 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 maj call described.
 The fair maid will rock shyly in corner of the room, and between her and the young man. like battalion of dragons her mother, maiden aunts and elder sisters will range themselves. 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
 Yes" the hostess admits, it is hot" Another silence. For the time of year." she adds with the air of one who has made great discovery. | Presently one of the maiden aunts hopes that the senor had a good voy- age from America. Receiving an af- | firmative reply she reco Ints with an astonishing amount of detail. her ex- periences of sea sickness on her soli- | tary ocean voyage from Carthagena to Colon.
 | A mulatto servant brings in cups of chocolate and dishes of candies and preserved 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 that it is time to go and he has not a chance to exchange a single word with the girl he really came to see. l A visit becomes more lively and en- tertaining when one grows intimate with the family but as 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. 1 The devotees of rod and gun can ob- tain plenty of exciting sport on the isthmus. The shark fishing in the Bay of Panama is as good as any where else in the world and enormous alliga- tors may be shot on both sides of the ] isthmus.
 The bay Is so full of hammerhead and ground sharks that none of the natives will ever take swim in 1t. Some foreigners used to do so until one of the canal engineers, young Colom- bian named Jules Patterson, was killed some years ago. When his body was recovered it was almost entirely strip ed of flesh.
 That incident led to a war of reprisal on the sharks which Is still kept up hy the Panamanos. Many of them are content with simply catching and kill in them, but the favorite method IS called crucifying.
 The shark is hooked and drawn on deck, care being taken that he shall not bite. He is laid down on boards and his fins are securely nailed thereto in such a way that he cannot use them.
 The tail Is then cut off and then the unfortunate animal is thrown over board. He cannot swim and he can not steer himself. He is helpless and the other members of his own family lpromptly attack and devour him.
 On the isthmus, as in all tropical countries, plenty of vigorous outdoor exercise Is essential to the preserva- tion of health. Riding tennis, hunting, rowing and swimming should be the daily sports of Americans who go down | there.
 In that relaxing climate there is a constant temptation to live the dolce far niente life like the natives but the man who does so feels the heat of the climate far more than his neighbor who goes in for vigorous exercise. l It is best not to work too hard nor for too many hours a day. The siesta should not be missed. The man who tries to do too much on the isthmus will soon end by being unable to do anything.
 Whisky is bad, brandy worse and