Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-06-04

and which is perhaps tae finest pub
lie walk In all Panama. To the
right Of us is the Caribbean. always
stirred to restlessness by the north
wind. and breaking with dull, grating
sound against the shallow beach.
The cocoanut trees sway their long
boughs perpetually. The light from
the moon, barely obscured by the
drifting clouds above, makes walking
pleasant. The streets OF Ch-istobal
are built one behind the other on
this bit OF land, and in such way
that the wind sweeps through and
through them. This part of the town
is where the white people live and a
peep into their residences shows that
though they may complain about the
monotony of life In the camp, they
have at least no reason to say that
they have left all pleasure and COM
fort behind them.
We move u little further on. and
now we pause to admire the lofty
bronze statue OF Columbus which
stands at The entrance of the project
ed canal and steadfastly looks ont
upon the sea. 1t is notable piece
OF work. The great navigator Is por'
trayed In the attitude of protector;
with his right arm he is shielding and
reassrring the startled Indian girl
alo l...lf crouches by his side and
yazea q, caiy as though at some com
| Ing danger. The figures Of man and
woman are larger than life; he win
all the strength and courage and firm
ness of man, she with the rounded
| limbs ana beauty of woman.
We gaze in admiration upon them
| both, taen, turning, we commence ia
pace through the other streets of the
/; white quarter of Christobal. meeting
with hardly any one on our way
Later on we shall learn that 1t is al
ways like this for crowds do moi
| congregate in Christobal. More, near
~ every one leaves his door open dur
ing the night. That little Frencl
house yonder is where | live. and Il
you will examine 1t you will discover
that two OF its doors have been re
moved That does not trouble me
however. for during my residence mere
nothing will be stolen from me.
leave my trunks open all the time
some of my clothes will be hanginl
on the walls for days together. Bu
nothing will be taken; and you vii
find on inquiry that stealing is prac
tically unknown In Christobal. In the
laborers' camp. know, a few incor
rigibles do rob their comrades nov
and then, but even such offences are
not common. In fact You will be toi.
by all the Americans on this Zone
| that the British West Indian coloret
laborer is honest and well behaved
civil and orderly, his chief fault be
ing that he will not work hard.
But now we strike out in another
direction, and In about 10 minutes VIZ
reach the labor quarters of Christie
bal and are soon in the very center o
a Jamaican camp. Outside the lonl
rows of houses score of little fire
are blazing, thus lighting up the sur
rounding darkness and adding
homely and picturesque touch to th
scene. A curious glance reveals tn,
fact that the men are preparing thei
supper; here one is frying an egg
further on something in the nature o
a stew is simmering in pot. Insid,
the houses themselves you find group
of men seated round box and playin.
cards, you find some listening to on,
OF their number playing softly on
flute; you find others in bed. Tnes
beds are canvas cots fixed on to irol
stands which can open and shut a
required. Each stand is about sever
feet high. and has three cots hung ol
either side of it, each cot being 81.
and half feet long by two and nal
wide. They make rough though no
are all occupied the room cannot b.
the most pleasant place in the worl
to sleep In The truth Is tnat t.
house ~ men In one of these room
(Which is the number they are bull
to hold Is a practice which coul
never Ue cOnHlenueu. anu many u
the Americans in the Zone do no
even approve of iron stands. TIA
head of the labor bureau says. how
ever. that the houses which were bull
10 accommodate 30. 40. so or 10 me
were never crowded to their utmos
capacity: and, he adds, IL was prol
able that, as more houses were erec'
ed. the top range of stand cots woul
not be used, save perhaps at the raj
est intervals. In some camps, indeet
they have single army cots for tn
men. and these are as comfortable n
one could well wish. They are til
type Of beds most approved of by tn
sanitary department, but it is contend
ed that they take up too much roor
and that they are often stolen. Tn
stands, therefore. have probably com
to stay. but In any case they are be
: ter than the old French wooden bunki
which were hard, which marlboro
+, vermin, and which mad an odo
stronger than that which Sancho Par
"a attributed to Don Quixote's lad
love.
We now leave the bachelors, an