New-York tribune., 1906-12-18

SLOWED u dine without their coats while in tn.
other they had to put them on. The 30-cent
meal INCLUDED soup, native beef (which was
tood) mashed potatoes, peas, peets, chilli con
c4rne. plum pudding, tea, coffee-each man
having as much OF each dish as he desired On
.ne taple there was bottle Of liquid quinine
tonic. which two-thirds of the guests as was
xlloIlneo' x' used every day. There were neat ia
pieclotns and napkins. The men, who were
taking the meal al about the same time in
cluded railroad men, machinists, shipwrights
ana members Of the office force. The rooms
were clean, comfortable and airy, with MOSQUITO
screens around the outer piazza. I was Informed
by some OF those present that this hotel and
also the other similar hotels were every Satur-
DAY night turned into clubhouses where the
American officials. the school teachers and va
rious employees appeared, bringing their wives,
There being dancing and singing. There was a
piano IN the room, which was informed was
used for the music on these occasions. My meal
was excellent, ana two newspaper correspond
ents who had been the iSthmus several DAYS
they had been getting elsewhere at other gov
ernrnent hotels. One of the employees was q
cousin OF Of the Secret Service men who
was with me. and he stated that the meals had
always been good, but that after a time he grew
tired OF them because they seemed so much
alike
] came 10 the conclusion that speaking gem
orally, there no warrant for complaint about
the food. Doubtless il grows monotonous after
awhile. Any man accus-
No Cause for Com toned 10 handling large
plant About Food. masses OF men knows that
some Of them, even though
otherwise very good men, are sure TO grumble
about something. and usually about their food.
6choolboys college boys and boarders in board
ing houses make similar complaints; do
soldiers and sailors on this very trip, one
OF the warships. seaman came 20 complain TO
the second watch officer about the quality Of
the cocoa at the seamens mess, saying that IL
not sweet enough. 1T pointed to
him that there sugar the table and he
could always put IL in. 10 which he responded
that that the cooks business and not hisl
] think that the complaint TO the food on the
.sthmus has but little moro foundation than
that OF the sailor in question. Moreover,
given 10 understand that one real cause OF com.
plant that at the government hotels no
liquor is served, and some OF the drinking men,
therefore, refused 10 go 10 them. The number
OF men using the government hotels is steadily
increasing.
OF the nineteen or twenty thousand day
laborers employed on the canal, few hundred
are Spaniards. These DO excellent work. Their
foreman told that they
Chinese and did twice as well the
Other Labor. West India laborers. They
keep healthy and diff
Guilty is experienced with them in any way
Some Italian laborers are also employed in con-
nection with the drilling. AS might be expect
&c, with labor high priced at present in
The United States 81 has not so far proved prac.
tcable 10 get any ordinary iaborers from the
UNITED states. The American wage earners on
The isthInus are the highly paid skilled mechan-
ses OF the types mentioned previously. steady
eHort Is being made 10 secure Italians, and es-
peciauy 10 procure more Spaniards because OF
the very satisfactory results that have come
xronl Their employment; and their numbers Will
e ncreasef IS Tar as possible " hsS not