The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-11

sleeping OF the effects of tine drug. Some
were negroes and some were Chinese.
did not see a single American. although
[ am told that some are to be found
among the patrons, and that even Ameri-
can women have come 10 the Joints 1
doubt this. I have seen the opium
saloons OF Shanghai and Canton. They
are grand in comparison with these at
Panama, but the glazed eyes and dreamy
looks of the smokers are the same
A City of Caves
The average visitor to the canal leaves
Panama City knowing nothing about It.
II YOU would understand how these PEG
Die really live you must get inside, the
houses and examine the caves which form
the homes of the poor.
Panama Is a queer city. 1t is one III
which a hundred or more families have
all the money, and where the remaining
Thousands earn only enough to keep soul
and body together. The average family
OF the lower classes sleeps in cave on
the first floor; or II on the second. 1t is
over a store and the whole family Will
have but one room. There are thou
sands of families here, each OF which
has only one room and this is so small
that the cooking is done in a common
hall outside II. The kitchen stove Is q
pot of charcoal, put inside box 20
keep off the wind. the box being nailed
to the fence or post of the veranda.
Most of these cave homes have no win
dows, being ventilated by an opening
which runs around the tops of the walls
under the ceiling. There is no plaster
nor paper. The walls are of boards.
painted or not. as the landlord may
order.
I am having my films developed ny
| photographer here whose studio is al
the top of three-story frame building
He tells me that there are more thar
a Thousand men. women and children In
his building and that there are alto.
gether something like two or three hun.
dred rooms. each housing a family.
] have looked into some of the rooms
They are as dark as a pocket and til;
smoke from the cooking in the halls out
side has turned their walls black. Som,
of the rooms are about 10 feet square
They have no ventilation except at tn,
doors.
wood excepting the roof which is o.
galvanized iron. I tremble at the pos
sible loss in case of fire
| asked my photographer as to tht
rents, and was told that they are from
81 to $40 per room per month in gold
Similar rates prevail In the Jamaica ne
gro quarters in New Caledonia. which
I described at the beginning of this let
ter. The rents here are so high ant
the building so cheap that many struc
lures pay in rents every year the cos
of the land and the building. This Il
likewise so In Colon. There is one cara
yansary known as the Coal Chute. which
has 100 rooms. 1t is said to have paid
the cost of It's erection within IA months
The Cave Stores of Panama
IT Is interesting to look at the cave
stores of the isthmus. They are mer,
holes in the wall about 10 feet squar,
and perhaps eight feet in height. Thes
have no windows, facing the street, ane
the door alone gives the light. Often one
of these little store rooms will be tht
home of the family which keeps it. Il
is a store or workshop In the daytim.
and a sleeping place after dark.
AS to work. the idea prevails at home
that these Panamanians are lazy. 7 dc
not find them so. Some kind of house
industry is going on everywhere. In ont
little shop shoemakers will be pounding
away. In another the women and girls
are making lace, while farther on are
cigarmakers, carpenters and blacksmiths
Much of the work is done out on tbs
sidewalks. I see many women sewing on
the edge of the street, and the tailors
bring their chairs out to .se roadway and
stitch In the sun. The most common
store is the petty saloon. Drinks are sold
everywhere, and there are scores of fruit
stores and groceries.
The Lottery Business
There Is ono thing which employs
more people in Panama City perhaps
than any other. and that is the lottery
Its tickets are sold by men, women ano
children on every block of Panama and
Colon. 1t is against the law to sci
them on our canal zone. but the lottery
peddlers roost about the railroad sta
lions and accost the workmen as they
pass through. They do a great bust
ness with the negroes and not a lit
tie with the Americans. The grand
prize Is $4,000 in silver and in addi-
ton there is $4,000 of other prizes
The grand prize has been drawn sew
eral times by Americans, but in most