The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-17
Items, General and Personal,
Of Interest TO G. P. O. Workers

James Monroe Kreiter. we'll known in
printing circles. in a long and interest
ing letter from, Panama, concludes:
AT Mount Hope is the isthmian print
cry. occupying a building 1872 by 60 feet
with but a single floor. but windowcd in
such extravagant fashion that darkness
comes within only with the twilight.
Then the workday is over. And herein
dwell Halsey, Garrett. and myself and one
Clark. of Ohio, who is officially known
as engineer, but who in reality Is the
pressman, stereotyper, chalk plate manip-
ulator. a genius of the thirty-second de-
gree character, and good fellow with all
his capabilities.
"Halsey is the foreman OF the shop, a
dozen or more black printers comprising
the force IN the composing department
He has my earnest assistance In every
thing looking 10 the efficiency Of the
plant. CARROTS official title is stationery
clerk, having charge OF all and every
thing coming under that head. I need
not say that he is filling the bill with
commendatory worthiness. He seems per-
fectly satisfied, and enjoying the good
fellowship OF a group Of Americans, and
the confidence Of his superiors. he So
Journs in a sphere OF contentedness SO far
as his earning place is concerned.
The genial Halsey is always the same
open-hearted, generous, and considerate
fellow, ever ready TO be charitable, al
ways liberal IN thought as well as purse,
and never anything else but obliging.
But he talks OF leaving the isthmus, al
though his intentions are not seriously
taken. and the prediction is made that he
will be here when the first vessel passes
through the waterway which VIII d.
vorce the Americas and Siamese the
oceans. In connection with the printery
Garrett says that some Of the stock on
hand is in excess OF that in the big print
cry at Washington, and 1t IS all needed.
too.
In a social way. acquaintanceship is
varied as 10 trades people. Naturally
you are closely associated with the clerR.
the stenographcr. the machinist the car
penter the boilermalSer, the pipefltter, the
painter, and so forth They are all here
and usually good fellows They ride on
the same train. room In the same quar-
ters. at the same hotel. and you become
more or less on speaking terms with
them. However, Ike in all places, the
printers are the same selfish people. OF
course, ! am classifying the Americans,
having not yet associated with the black
20 the time required 10 formulate a cor
rect opinion, but the chances are that
they. too are clannish as they understand
the term. AS a rule, Halsey, Garrett
and 1 form a rather unique trio
Garrett and /. by the way, occupy one
room, while Halsey IS CHARTERED only 2Q0
feet away. Yet we visit one another
Halsey is not the polished backcapper
Garrett Is. and the latter unanimously
agrees that he is not yet IN my class.
our sessions are never dull. and when
a given subject is exhausted, Halsey and
Garrett reminIs. and wonderful tales they
reten 20 me, Some are easily absorbed.
while others are rather trying to grasp,
but they are told with enthusiastic
realism.
"OR my return TO the isthmus. had
a most delightful afteen-day voyage. the
Ancon. on which 1 took passage. having
been ordered 10 Barbados Island, in the
West Indies, 10 take on 1900 blacks. IN
der contract 10 work on the canal az 10
cents United States currency, per hour,
ten hours being the maximum for a days
work. Incidentally, / was hve days over
my forty-two days leave. with pay, but
there was so much of interest and In
structiveness that I will never miss the
Extensive preparations are now max
ing by the Panaman government for a
big celebration on Billy CARROTS birth
day He is f1fty-three years old. he says,
and the republic OF Panama Will have
its fifth anniversary Of independence.
hence the preparedness OF the 'spigoty'
people for a good time.
AS the Canal employees, out OF cour-
tesy TO the young republic. Will be given
holiday. Garrett, with the, rest of the
American on the isthmus, VIII enjoy
just one holiday more than government
employees do In the States. with pay.
Billy Is looking forward in anticipation
Of spending the holiday in a manner
becoming a bachelor with his wife in
the States He viii have company. as
Col. Halsey and Fred. Clark are arrang-
Ing 10 have the SWEETEST period In the
years history. Living in anticipation is
as delightful on the isthmus as else
where, ard it is about the one pleasure
which comes TO fellow. When he real
izes its fruition there is some doings.
Perhaps one Of the most difficult labor
problems in the Zone is the restrain an
Irish boss must exercise when a British
subject with II NJ S Victoria on his
hat band applies for work The fine for
striking a black man IN the Zone Is
SO. So You may realize the intense toll
erance OF an Irish foreman But then
there are other labor problems OF a
difficult nature, and some Of them are
truly hard Of solution"
Five monoype operators were yesterday
reduced to the case and assigned 70 the
house OF correction"
John A. Barr lieutenant Of the watch
force. has gone on a vacation of sixty
days. which viii include a trip 10 Illinois
and long stay at Citronella, Ala, where
he has valuable property interests.
Congress at the last session appropri-
ated $4,000 for the printing OF about 1900
old patents which the Public Printer has
prevailed o.. the Patent Office TO have
done at the Government Printing ONCE
and copy for which is now being sent IN.
FRESHMAN Dan Beckwith suffered quite
a serious accident this week in having
his hand pinched in one OF the Harris
presses.
Proofreader Joseph H. Babcock is
highly pleased with the honors attained
by his son. J. T.. jr., the young man
having been elected editor of the East
erner, the Eastern High School journal,
and also president Of the College Club
OF the same school Military honors
have also been bestowed upon young
Babcock in his election as captain Of the
Eastern company OF the Second Battalion.
Other Sons of urfntinR-Offlce men who