The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-15

CULEBRA, T.. Z.-Mucn mas peeH
said and written regarding the con-
struction of the Panama canal, but
one OF the most vital points has been
Overlooked by writer's that have visit
ed this section, and that is the under
taking Of the subsistence department
of supplying food for the bachelors
and laborers of all classes employed
here. as well as food for the families
that have quarters at the different
points along the line OF construction,
SAYS a Culebra dispatch to the Chris
tan Science Monitor. Under this head
also comes clothing and the many
other little necessities of the toilers.
This problem was solved by one OF
the most complete department stores
ever undertaken and which has
brought to such point OF efficiency
that here can be purchased anything
from a pin to an elephant; and for
the convenience of ell a chain of stores
is maintained at the following places:
CristobaI. Toro Point. Porto Bello.
Camp Beird, Gatun. Monte Sirio, Cor
coma. Bias Obispo. Las Cascades, En-
pire. Culebra, Paraiso, Pedro Miguel
Miraflores. Corozal, Balboa and Naos
island. There Is also a small cold stor-
age at Ancon. These stores or COM
missaries are more than department
store, for they are general supply
depot
Meats Good and Not High.
Each morning an order boy visits
the families where commissaries are
located and take orders for everything
in the grocery or cold storage line, TO
be delivered the next morning. At
these places one can get as good a
cut Of meat as can be purchased any
where in the world, and at a less
price than in most places in the
United States. Often the vegetables
are not what they should be. but
when It is considered that they are
shipped 1000 miles, and some of them
in not too good condition when re-
ceived, they are far above the aver
age.
The cold storage plant being locat-
ed at CristobaJ. II was necessary to
make a provision for the supplying
the various commssaries with meats,
vegetables, ice cream. bread, etc,
early each morning, as their refrige-
rators are only large enough to hold
about one days supply, and 10 meet
this demand a cold storage train
leaves Colon daily at 3:30 A. M, to
make these deliveries. Returning i'm
mediately after reaching Panama, this
train picks up the empty refrigerator
cars at the different places and re-
turns them to the cold storage plant
Porto Bello the supplies are delivered
by tug from Cristobal. For Naos is
land by tug from Balboa
There being few places where ice
cream can be purchased, this is man
ufactured and sold. and on Sundays
and holidays 1t Is sold at these stores
from noon until o'clock that all
may have the opportunity of purchas-
ing.
Approaching the fact that most
Americans are putting by their saw
ings for the purchase of homes and
places Of business after they are
through here. this department main
tains, in addition to the grocery and
hardware departments, about as fine
a dry goods department as will be
found In any Of the large cities Here
can be purchased everything that is
necessary In the dry goods line. as
well as the best of Irish linens, Eng
lish tweeds, and fine embroidered
dresses. Also there is kept the very
best Of chinaware. Wedgwood. Royal
Doulton, Minton ware and French cut
glass. as well as cut glass from lead
ing American manufacturers, and q
first class line Of silverware.
To make the service as complete m
possible plants for preparing Hambur-
ger steak and bread crumbs for soup
have been established, as well as 4
fine up-to-date bakery where 5000
loaves Of bread are baked daily. as
well as pies. cakes, and all kinds of
pastry found in any modern bakery.
the bread selling at the commissaries
lat four cents the loaf and the cakes
and pies at a corresponding rate.
To further meet the demands OF
the men employed hero hotels were
established at all places where the
work Ia in progress, where good
meal can be secured for 80 cents by
all employees paying with hotel cou-
pons-all employees are entitled to
them--all others pay so cents. Kitch-
ems and messes were established SO
the laborers could get their meals.
BY kitchen IL meant where laborer
gets three meals for 81 cents. or
. cents the meal. and by a mess
where three meals can be purchased
for 20 cents. or Is LIS cents the
meal. There Is practically no diff
ference in tho food furnished at the
kitchen and the mess. the main Diff
ference being that at the kitchen the
laborer takes his food and goes whore.