The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-08
New York Evening Post. J

New York Evening Post.)
What next:a" says Jones. the tran.
sit man. to Smith, the steam shov.
clcr. down at Panama.
For today is rapidly becoming to.
morrow on the zone. and tomorrow
therell he no canal york to keep the
h%ighly-paid little army on the 18th.
mus.
1t may come as a surprise to the
folks up north, but almost before they
are aware OF it their canal will BE-
done and they'll have to look around
for something else to worry about and
brag about.
The end of the big undertaking is
in sight. and year. Just four cen.
turtles after Balboa took the first
ships across the American continent
the Panama canal will be completed
and other ships will be able I o fol.
low in the historic wake of those ole
pioneering Spanish gallcys of 1913
the transcontinental trip in a vastly
different manner from their predeces.
Sors.
Instead Of being carried piecemea'
on the backs of ship-driven slaves
through the miasmic mires Of the low.
land swamps and owe the ragged
heights of the isthmian cordilleras
they will glide delightfully."- through
these same swamps-or the places
drains dried them up-under thcil
own steam. in a man-made waterway
wider than the combined length OF
all of Balboa's ships. and thence will
be lifted by gigantic locks up the
slopes where the slaves of old toiled
finally passing through the Culebra
gap in the continental divide. and
emerging onto the waters Of that
southern sea" of yesterday, the Pa.
citic of today.
The canal army il or it's last cam.
mastering Il are under way. Which
is why Smith and Jones discuss to.
morrow. Normally. the problems OF
today are quite sufficient to occupy
the full attention OF healthy cana
diggers. But the home stretch spirit
is in the air. and the men are plan
ming what they will do after the water
is let into their handiwork and the
final goal is reached.
Whitehead Sunday morning dilettantes
at the University club in Panama, and
the chances are you'll find them dis.
cussing what they mean to do after
the canal work shuts down.
If YOU are not adverse to a rough.
and-tumble tug boat trip. stray out
to Porto Bello. twenty-odd miles down
quarry rock for Gatun concrete work
and disturb the final resting place OF
the ~sea-roving Drake with the rattle
of their steam shovels. There. on the
balcony of the Young Mems Christian
association building. which juts ou
over tha waters Of the exquisite little
bay. quite probably the boys will he
weighing the pros and cons Of TAX:
ing a chance" in South America. And
no doubt the group of pajamaed hus.
kies you see on the screened balcony
OF h quarters at Empire, on your
return trip. will be talking over Ore.
gon orchard possibilities as they LOAF
meditatively after the end-of-the-day
shower bath.
The young fellows are beginning to
stretch their legs and to look around
emerald Panamanian sabannas. The
older ones. and the married men, tall
quietly of home affairs up in tho
states"
Lord. but won't fresh apple pic
and Gods country cider taste good!'
said n fellow whom the back homo
New England magnet was pulling
. hhu HE llllIe WIZ, WIN HdN
stood two tropical wet seasons. chin.
ed in with a word or two about the
down east crullers she could make
once h had the chance.
They don't seem to taste right
down here" she added. She herself
looked far from right" They had
foregone their six weeks vacation trir
where one little girl wal reaping the
benefits OF snowballing and an ex.
cellent American education.
Uncle Sam has done more for hi.
tsthmian construction army than per.
haps any other great employer evel
attempted. OF course. it all has beer
a matter Of business. for in the ole
tation as a pest hole. 1t was necessar,
to offer inducements to get men. AND
even today. when the isthmus is re.
garded as almost a health resort
nearly half the ONCE forces change II
the curse of a year.
Pay is from rs to 100 per cen
higher than for similar work in the
mental announcement. the men or
the job receive many other aids which
go toward making life Is livable a,
life can be made nine degrees above
the equator and 1000 miles from
home. Among these may be number.
ed an annual six weeks vacation, with
pay. free hospital attention. the priv.
ileges Of the commissary low prices
free quarters and light. and a host OF
other paternal attentions that range
from governmentally supported club
houses to minor matters, like band
concerts.
Yet there IL complaint. II 10 not
of receiving o little. but Of having
too much done for them. that makes
the gr0wlers growl. They growl good
naturedly, almost w~himsically, but yet
they groWl.
i've been here three years and
feel like champagne that's stood un-
corked in the sumo left" said
a man who had a brain and Il good
] record.
ono 7 doo,< mac. h.u =.