The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-26
SETTING A PACE IN PANAMA

hotel register my nationality as Amer
lean"
At 10 o'clock l went into the big cafe
of the Panazone. Every table was
crowded, so I made my way to the little
platform where Charlie Ward was play
ing the piano. He nodded over his
shoulder at me, and seated myself in
chair behind the screen.
BY the brilliant lights 1 could see
that the throng was almost entirely
made up of solemn faced engineers and
clerks. They sat each stifly in his
chair shoulders tense, eyes steady.
brown hands before them on the table.
They were drinking beer or coca-cola
exclusively. [ perceived but one man
drinking liquor, and he was plainly a
superior executive of some sort, stinu-
lating exhausted nerves. He seemed to
be listening intently to the music which
was rolling out from under the pianist's
skillful fingers.
Suddenly the music stopped with a
crash, and there were mods of approval
but no applause. Almost instantly two
singers rose and raised rollieking
ditty about Panama and the canal.
When 1t ended Charlie came over to me
for his moments rest.
Queer crowd for cafe" remarked.
Nobody laughs or even smiles"
He looked at the clock and groaned.
I've six more hours of this work.
When did these birds dep I de-
manded.
They're only lame, he answered.
The branch broke with EN- this after
noon when they didn't make last weeks
record They're from the Pedro Miguel
division. They expect me and this pi-
ano to make 'sm forget their trouble.
Well. l mustn't let em think too much.
Me back to the keys
For two hours I listened and
watched. Gradually the stern, almost
aseetic faces relaxed. The sinewy hands
ceased to clench, the keen eyes to stare
into the distance. Beer was ordered
in increasing quantities Several
groups drinking coca cola,~ switched
for woment to spirits, and Charlie
Ward turned himself up till the Tilt and
swing and beat of his ragtime seemed
to stir the very floor while the singers
seemed possessed of very devil of
speed and patter They were trying to
hypnotize these obsessed canal diggers
into freedom from painful and absorb
ing thought; they were white faced In
their agonized purpose of giving relief
to tortured souls.
At midnight Ward sat down beside
me for moment, wping the perspira-
ton from his forehead.
We've got EN- going he said husk-
lily I've got to wake 'em up out of
their canal nightmare for sure and
make 'em forget their troubles. It's
up to me- His weary eyes met mine
watch 'em"
He went back to the piano and sat
there moment breathing deeply and
heavily. Then his hands crashed down
on the Keys and I understood what he
had been working up to.
Some day the visitor to the Panama
canal will know that this greatest of
engineering feats was accomplished by
destroying the mental balance of a
hundred thousand Americans by driv-
ing mad the choicest of our race in
contest with memorable time.
What will happen when these men
return to America? / asked myself.
They will move in restless circles
through miserable existence, mad and
in agony. dreaming nights of terrific
accomplishments, unable during the day
to find peace or contentment in ordi-
nary tasks And in all the towns of
all our states men at evening will fe-
verishly demand the barbaric song and
savage minstrelsy which alone can ap-
pease the nerves of the being whose
sane soul is buried in the corcror> 81
Mirahores or lies within the smooth
depth of La Boca-