The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-08
the COMPLETION OF Tue CANAL
MENT WHEN BIG DITCH is DUG.

BE THROWN OUT OF EMPLOY
DITCH Is DUG.
continued. ITS not climatic effect
That can't be helped, and, so far as
that goes. believe a careful man car
keep in as good trim here rs any.
where. It's the menta' inertia. I'm
a spoiled baby. and I've lost the powe,
to think for myself"
Then he enlarged somewhat, and
did 1t very soberly and reasonably
too.
He was grieved because he was left
to do so little for himself. The "ben.
evolent despotism" even did his think.
ing for him. was the way he put it
as he recited the encrvation OF hav.
ing no occupation beyond his routine
persistent complaint was that he
could not vote. There is no franchise
on the zone and nothing to be done
With tiff there was.
$50 you were interested in polf.
tics at home. l suppose you always
voted?" -.
No. he had never voted, excep,
once, for alderman. when his part.
ner a for the place. But then-it
is healthy to have the responsibilities
OF citizenship, wen If they are al
lowed to grow moth-eaten and dusty.
The big awakening is coming
when we go back home" was his pre-
diction when the subject of "after-
ward" came up. Its going to be a
lot harder on many of us than we
suppose"
To show what he meant he ex.
planned that all his friends were get
ting better salaries on the isthnrul
than ever before: Inevitably they
would find poorer paid berths after
the canal work ceased. And in the
meantime they and their wives had
acquired extravagant habits; land
it's so much harder to go backward
than forward in the spending game
he wound up.
OF course. all of the $4,000 men
who work under the I. c.. c. won't
leave. Perhaps 1000 of the present
5000 American force will remain,
Roughly speaking. the Panama rail-
road. and future construction and
maintenance work may keep 10, o
of the 10000 laborers of today. The
other 10000 will scatter to the four
winds.
Most of these 10000 are Jamaicans
Doubtless they will be repatriated
for to return them to their native isl.
and seems the only course. And that
vii! be the hardest kind of hard luck,
both for the NEGROES and for Jamaica.
On ne isthmus they have received
the highest wages Of their history
and lived under the best social on
along the line that a Jamaican i'm.
proves fifty per cent after he has
been on the Zone three months, and
has benefited by decent food and a
little training. So the contrast will
DO all the harder. for when they ga
back they will find their native la
Dor markets glutted. and the dread
them to accept starvation pay.
A few thousand may be added to
the army Of hangers-on at Panama
and Colon. making these cities less
agreeable than they are today. Per
haps a few Of the best will become
Panamaian land cultivators-if Pan.
anna will have them. Others will,
drift over Central America; but 1t I.
doubtful IL the southern republic.
will welcome them %effuively.
All in all. the probable fate Of the
canal laborer is not too rosy. If you
were inclined to pessimism you Nigh,
say that their treatment has beer
too excellent; not that they have no,
deserved all they got, but because
1t has spoiled them for all they car
expect in the future.
What will the Americans do? Ev.
erythins-that is the most accurate
answer obtainable. For them. as fol
all the force, there will be no sudden
mastering out. 1t will come gradual.
~. from nov to 1913. in a sort OF
comfort lingering process.
Most OF the married men will come
home. "home" meaning everything
from New Jersey to Seattle. Proftine
by their canal experience, many OF
the engineers will hang out their
shingles. probably in growing west
ern communities. And then there
are the about-to-be.married men,
for there will be a surprising run
the last pay checks are cashed. The
tsthmus has proved a good place in
which a careful fellow can save
up:" also. 1t is just lonely enough,
and remote enough to keep one won.
derfully remote to that only. Re
suits are obvious. Perhars some soft
tropical night a big fellow will show
you her pictures. and tell YOU a BIT
about that Oregon apple orchard
"aAeto thc! dfc going 6Iter the Serv.
ice in the home church next vacation
time.
The. tropics have hold of a lot of
the young fellows. and until they
work it out Of their systems chances
are that they will play the role Of
Tropical Tramp. All in all, a +. +.
Is far from a creature to be despised
and when the southern has thin
ned your blood and the lure Of the
dolce-far.niente cocoanut-land exis-
tence has called you It's not in the
least. remarkable that you feel inclin.
ed to turn your back upon the chill
north and wander q while through
the countries to which your govern.
ment introduced you when It inve,e-
led o from that New York ONCE
and got you down to Panama. Tell
these men who have the love Of the
tropics in their veins about a New
Hampshire blizzard and you give
them a chill there and then. A few
will 20 north as far as our southern