The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-04-01

Against the Cornwall Among His
Number-views Of Daring Dis
senter.
Bachelors employed by the isthmian
canal commission and living in the ca
nal zone, at Panama. are debating
hcatedly whether they need a curfew
law for protection against the bibu-
lous and convivial among their num-
Der. The suggestion that a curfew law
be established for night roaming bach.
elors on the isthmus came from one
Of the employees living in bachelors
quarters. says a Washington special
correspondent Of the New York Post.
The trouble began when this employee.
who is stationed at Paradise. taking adj
vantage of the canal commissions in
vitation for suggestions looking to the
betterment of the service. made these
two:
First.-The establishment OF q curcew
hour, not later than 10 o'clock in the
evening, when lights In bachelors quar-
tiers should be ~extinguished.
SecOnd.-The absolute prohibition Of the
practice Of bringing liquor into quarters.
The employee added ingenuously in
making the second suggestion that he
did not know whether it was aSairs;
the present regulations to have lipuo.
In bachelors quarters. but II not it
should be-"
In advocating these two meas lrr>
"for the uplift' The employee urged
these easons:
There are many employees OF the com
mission whose duties are both arduous
and eXacting. and at the end Of the days
labor they are in actual need Of undis-
turbed rest to ft them for the duties of
the morrow. When this is denied them
through the action of various roisterers
who periodically make their quarters an
assembly of brawlers whom a respecta-
BILE () saloon keeper would not tolerate
(the writer is aware that whosoever
this shoe pinches will be the loudest In
Reconciliation Of him), 1t Is evident that
the service given to the isthmian canal
commission by all who come within the
zone of their disturbing influence IL not
and cannot be as efficient as it hould be.
For the benefit of dipsomaniacs who
will indulge in stimulants regardless OF
detriment to personal health. and the
writer would not deny them their ''rights'
in this respect, It might be well to estab-
lish canteens in the various towns with
'boozing ken" attachments. where their
orgies could be INDUCED in without dis
turbing those who have no desire to take
part in them and who have rights which
should be respected.
The response was instantaneous and
vivacious. An employee at Culebra
heartily Endorsed the plan, but sug-
gested that the curfew should not be
rung until II o'clock. ELEVEN O'Clock
would suit everybody better than 10
p. H., because those who attend y. NJ.
c. A. classes, tournaments, entertain
ments, lodge meetings and more init
mate rendezvous would be put to u
great deal of Inconvenience If not al,
lowed to turn on lights on retiring"
One seldom thinks of the hordes Of
canal employees returning nightly In
throngs from Y. NJ. c. A. classes.
The Culebra employee wasn't so sure
about the ACCESSIBILITY Of the second
suggestion. He thought 1t would re-
quire the presence of a zone police
man to keep the bachelors from bring
ing whisky into their quarters, but
he added, ut Is to be deplored, to be
sure. that orgies are sometimes in
Obliged In by a coterie of friends, such
practice being, l am sure, against the
existing rules Of the commission,
The habitual drinking Of some OF
the men makes it also very disagree
able for their roommates especially
but such a practice, in my estimation,
cannot be regulated or stopped. what,
eve NEAR the officials may employ
Another employee at Empire. who Is
evidently a sociologist. a vegetarian, q
disciple Of Bernard Shaw and a be
; lever in a p%aternal form Of govern
ment, at ono declared his willingness
to 60 to bed when curfew tolled thu
knell Of parting day. He thinks 1
would Ike perfectly lovely II the EN-
ployees could be made to eat legume.
by official order instead Of meat.
Andrew Bearup, a locomotive en-
gineer. is the only dissenter who ha.
expressed himself publicly. He is full
Of wrath. In blistering words he seek.
to dispel the idea that the bachelo
population Of Paradise consists of in
ebriates and rowdies." Bearup say.
that he has beer a resident of Parais,
for eight months and has not seen
drunken or disordcrly person in tina
station In all that time. He suggest
to the employee who advanced the cur
few plan that If his duties "be so al
duous that it Is necessary for him t
retire with the chickens that he ma,
recuperate his energies for the morrow
I believe that 1t would be policy TO
him to migrate to some other climate
rs he certainly cannot be in perfec
health. AS for taps of curfew.
will say that the majority Of us ar
more than twenty-one years OF age an,
have been severed from our mothers
apron strings a sufficient length O
time to know when we wish to retire,