Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-06


chaaics. namely, carpenters, plumbers.
painters and others Men Of a higher rank-
such as chiefs Of departments. CHIEF clerks.
ETC., will have better accommodations and
more furniture.
How Our Married Men Will Live.
The married mechanics and their families
will have good accommodations. Many OF
the French cottages are now occupied BY
them, and those which have been repaired
are comfortable Each cottage has sew
eral large rooms with wide windows
and doors. The walls. as is the case with
nearly all the buildings here. are OF wood
painted in bright colors, no plaster or paper
being used. A common type Of building is
a one-story cottage, containing two rooms
and kitchen, with verandas at the front
and back and a shower bath in the rear.
The rooms are 12x14; the partitions do not
extend clear to the roof, in order to provide
plenty of air, lattice work reaching from
the top of the wall to the ceiling All such
buildings, including the old French cot
tages. rest high up from the ground on
concrete posts. giving free air circulation
under the floors
The next grade of houses Is intended fer
the married foresnen and clerks. These
are also OF one story and cost about 81, 500
apiece to build. Each Is As feet long and
10 feet wide with a 6-foot veranda running
around three sides. Each contains living
room, bed room, bath room. servants
room, pantry and kitchen. The rooms are
large and the houses comfortable. A still
better class have an extra bed room. Such
houses will be occupied by clerks with
large families
In addition to these some two-story cot
tages are now being built which have liv-
ing and dining rooms on the first floor and
bed rooms above. Such houses will have
porches. top and bottom, and the upper
portion will be SO screened that the family
can sit out of doors during the evening
The quarters for the officers hpt-
ter than those already mentioned. some OF
them having six rooms with furniture to
correspond to the houses. All the houses
will have shower baths and all will be sup
piled with cold water.
Cooking and Eating.
AS to the cooking ana eating arrange
nents. the bachelor quarters will have
kitchens and dining rooms. which will be
run on the contract system. each man pay
ing his own proportion Of the actual cost.
Contracts for supplying the board for such
quarters will be let out to the lowest re-
sponsible bidders and each man will pay
his share of the contract price. If be
chooses. however he need not eat in the
quarters. There will be canteens outside
and man can go where he pleases. The
canteens will be OF different grades. At
some meals will cost much more than at
others. and one can accommodate his stom-
ach to his pocket. There will also be cof-
fee houses where man may buy what he
pleases and pay for what he orders. The
present rate for board at Culebra Is, I am
told, just about IS per week.
The New Commissariat.
"As to those who wish to keep house and
board themselves. the commission will soon
have commissary department like that
found at our army posts. This will be in
charge of Paymaster E. c. Tobey. the chief
OF materials and supplies. and 1t will result
in the men and their families getting their
food and clothing as low, IL not lower, than
the same things could be bought in the
United States. This department will import
all sorts OF American provisions and the
other necessities of life and will furnish
them to the men at little over their actual
cost. including that Of managing the de-
partment. 1t is probable that fresh meat
Will be sent down from America and kept
In cold storage here. and that the commits
sarlat may also furnish Ice and vegetables.
Cost Of Provisions at Panama.
At present nearly every good thing eaten
at Panama comes from abroad The
isthmial soil is good and the climate such
that almost anything can be raised; but we
get our sweet potatoes from Peru. Irish
potatoes and cabbages from New York, and
other vegetables from New Orleans. Ev-
erything Is high. Chickens. for instance
cost 10 cents each, and eggs about 80 cents
dozen. Eggs are sold in the markets in
couples, two being wrapped up in a corn
husk with strings about the middle and
at the ends to keep them from breaking
Fish are to be had in great variety and
comparatively cheap. Fresh meat is dear
and poor in comparison with that of the
United States
Tropical fruits are delicious and CHEAP
One can buy a pineapple for 7 cents and a
cocoanut for cents, while bananas cost
l cent each. One of the best fruits here is
the papaya. 1t looks like a cross between
a muskmelon and a gigantic cucumber. and
when cut open shows a rich yellow fiesh
Inc papaya Is eaten with a spoon: it is
much liked for breakfast or dessert. It.
grows at the top of little tree being at
tached by stem directly to the trunk
AS 10 servants. they are comparatively
cheap here, but by no means so good as
our servants at home l know of one lady
who has a girl come in for half of each
day. 1t Is her duty to cook the dinner and
clean UP the house. and her 1uaeeS aro ss