The Washington herald., 1908-07-19

AtA--D----4 @-4lllseElleilLS 10Y Ale people IN
these words Col GoethaIs. the chairman
and chief engineer of the canal. summed
up the situation with reference 20 the en-
tertainment Of the canal employees. He
added that Congress had beea asked to
provide additional clubhouses and funds
for this purpose. but that It had seen fit
20 ignore the demand
It does not take one long 70 discover
the truth OF the assertion Of Col GOethals
for himself. At CTistobaI, Gorgona. En-
pire. and Culebra they have 7. NJ. C. A.
clubhOuses- Wherever these are. they
have become the dominant factor in the
social side OF isthmian life. They pro
vide good, healthy entertainment for the
people vet to one American settlement
that has clubhouse. there are three
that have none In the towns where ghere
are no clubhouses about the only thing
the men can do Is 10 go 10 the nearest sa-
loon and drink bad liquor And this they
usually do IN the four towns where the
\ n c. 4 clubhouses are located bar
room receipts fell of about 70 per cent
within short tine after the cIubhouses
were opened. Before the clubhouses were
Dullt the saloon was the only general
meeting place available The Isthmian
canal Commission hotels had no Hobbies.
the Offices were closed after business
hours and men being gregarious crea-
lures and wanting to meet and talk.
went. perforce. 10 these drinking places.
II made no difference that the beer was
nat and cost . cents per bottle. OF that
the whisky was bad and cost Is cents for
a good-sized thimbleful OF IL Neither did
X make any difference that no chairs OF
tables were allowed in the places. Even
at the cost OF standing up half the night
Ihey would meet TO talk matters over.
When the 7. II. c. A. rooms we're
opened, practical men were placed at
their head One would not think Of card
playing and dancing at Y. NJ c. a. in
the States. but both are 10 be found in
association homes on the 1sthmus- Bowl
ing alleys. biIliard-rooms. gymnasiums.
and other places for entertainment were
established in the buildings. Bowling
teams were organized. billiard and pool
contests were started. Eymnastic fnstruc-
ton was given. pleasant reading-rooms.
with complete supply Of leading news
papers and periodicals., together with a
large array Of trade journals, were pro
FAaaE4H 1VAl ADllLE1llaG were DISH
and IN general the places were made more
attractive than any other spot in the
town
The result has been the practical deser-
uo1 OF the saloons. The bowling alleys
are busy every evening. and some Of the
most spirited contests ever witnessed may
by seen on these alleys. There are a
number Of teams in each y ". c. A.
town and these usually settle their own
httse contests and then tackle the cham
pi0ns from the other towns There ;s
something doing when these championship
games are rolled IN the course OF a
single month there are more than 5.Ooo
ooWling games rolled az the Y NJ C. A
alleys Some l8-0ee games OF billiards and
pool are played per month That the soda
fountains are appreciated IS shown by
the fact that the monthly income from
them Is not far from $3.50 The total
mem noershlp IN the associations Is nearly
l7s, OF almost One-third OF the force OF
Americans on the isthmus. They have
camera, chess. checker. minstrel. and
music clubs.
The night schools at the Y. ". c. A
are pretty vel patronized by the new
arrivals on the isthmus. but there Is a
species Of lazy bug in that climate which
after he has been there for a year. makes
a man want 20 rest whenever he IS OF
duty Going 70 night school -ecomes an
intolerable bore by that time. and so YOU
ind very few men IN attendance who
have been on the isthmus more than a
year. The study Of Spanish Is the one
thing which night school pupils do not
give up until they have mastered the
subject For, besides the satisfaction OF
being able to talk with native Pana-
manians and the Spaniards who are in
the Zone. there is hope OF a reward. An
employe who can pass an examination in
Spanish stands pretty good show Of
getting promotion in the service Be
sides. the fellow who has grit enough ~
carry through a course Of study on the
isthmus. with its enervating climate. Is
pretty sure TO climb the ladder Of success
wherever he goes.
There is some enthusiasm on The fs+hr,,,s
over basketball Empire holds the south
American championship IN this popular
sport Baseball Is as much the national
game on the isthmus as Il is IN the
states and some good playing is seen on
the diamonds at Culebra. Empire and
Aneon- Culebra and Empire are the
strongest baseball towns and there is
strong rivalry between them When they
play a championship series. there il as
e
Championship contest between the White
Sox and the Cubs or between the Ath-
leucs and the Giants And as for money
changing hands, they have the game al Z
home beaten 10 a standstiH.
During the last dry season there was 2
big game between the two teams. and
some fellows put Up every cent they had /
themselves and as much more as they
could borrow One fellow from CuIebra /
borrowed from every friend he had. and
when the game was over he was such a /
winner that he took six months vaca-
ton in the States without pay. The clas-
sic sporting event Of the isthuus. how 1
ever is the Eemi-Occasional game be
tween the has beens" and the never 4
vases Everybody turns out 10 see that. 4
Patriotism runs high on the fsthmus on 1
ihe Fourth The celebrations held here
last week were Of a high order. and for
and fun there was nothing in
The States that could outcIass them The
day at Ancon was something 10 talk
about They had band concerts. foot
aces, sack races, potato races. catching
he creased pig. and every other. sort Of
sport that funmakers can cOniure IN for
= Fourth Of July. The Panama Raflroad /
-an free trains the whole day long. and
-or once you could go from the Atlantic
10 the Pacific without money and without
price And almost everybody went. Aft
II II was all over men who had taken
part In some Of the greatest Fourth OF
July ceieDrauOns n the States would tell
you, without hesitation. that they had
lad one OF the times OF their lives The
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