The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-18
Living ON The
CANAL ZONE
employees OF THE CANAL ARE
NEITHER ovERWoRkED NOR
UNDERPAID AND LIVE WELL
GENERALLY - FORUM BOOK
TELLS 1T ALL.

(By Willis ]. Abbot, author of Pan
anna and the Canal in Picture and
Prose, copyright, 1913, Syndicate Pub
fishing Co., New York. All rights re-
served.)
Probably it was more a desire for
experience and adventure than any
idea of increased financial returns
that led young Jack Maxon to seek a
job in engineering. on the canal.
Graduated from the engineering de-
Vartment of the state university, with
two years or so of active experience in
the field, Jack was a fair type of
young American-clean. wholesome,
healthy, technically trained, ambitious
for his future but, quite SOLICITORS
about the pleasures of the present, as
becomes a yoth of %.
The job he obtained seemed at the
outset quite ideal. In the states he
could earn about SITS a month. The
day he took his number on the canal
zone he began to draw $3.50 a month.
And that $3.50 was quite as good as
$500 at home. To begin with, he had
no room rent to pay, but was assign
ed comfortable, If not elegant quar-
ters, which were shared by another
man, carefully screened and protected
from all insects with netting, lighted
by electricity, with a shower bath
handy and all ~ianitor or chambermaid
service free. Instead of a boarding
house table or a cheap city restaurant
he took his meals at a commission
hotel at a charge of 80 cents a meal.
People say that the fare could not be
duplicated in the states for IS cents,
but | prefer to quote that statement
rather han to make it on my own
authority. BY taking two meals a day
and making the third of fruit, or a
sandwich at a Y. M. c. A. clubhouse,
he would cut his restaurant charges to
SIS a month; the whole three meals
would come to $27.80, SO, however
voracious his appetite, Bachelor Jacks
charges for food are light, and for
shelter nothing. Clothing troubles him
little: his working clothes of khaki,
and several suits of white cotton duck
will cost him less than one wooden
suit such as he must have up home.
All seasons are alike on the zone and
there is no need of various types Of
hats, overcoats m underwear.
All in all, Bachelor Jack thinks he
has come in for a good thing. More
over, he gets a vacation of forty-two
days. on pay, a sick leave of thirty
days on pay--and the san1tarium on
the island. of Taboga being a very
pleasant resort, few fail to have slight
ailments requiring precisely thirty
days rest-and nine holidays, also
with pay.
But a vision of better things opens
before him-is always spread out be-
fore his enraptured vision. His friend
who came down a year or two before
him and who is earning only a little.
| hit moro f1annaV sets a standard Of
living which arouSes new ambitions in
Jacks mind. His friend is married.
Instead of one room shared with one
or more tired engineers subject to
g%rouches, he has a four-room apart
ment with bath-really a fve-room
fiat, for the broad screened balconies,
shaded by vines, form the real living
room. Instead of eating at the crowd
ed, noisy hotels, he has his quiet din
ing room, and menus dictated by in
dividual taste instead of by the me-
chanical methods of a chief of sub
sistence. Practically everything that
can be lone for the household by Off
cial hands is done free by the COM
mission-free rent, free light, free
~janitor service, free distilled water,
free fuel for c~ooking-the climate
saves that bugbear of married life at
home, the annual coal bill. Moreover,
the fiat or house comes to it's tenant
freely furnished. The equipment sup
piled consists of a range, two kitchen
chairs, a double bed, a mosquito bar,
TWO pillows, a chiffonier, a double
dresser, a double mattress, a dining
table, six dining chairs. a sideboard, a
bedroom mat, two center tables and
three wicker porch chairs.
Housekeepers must buy their own
tableware, bed clothes, light furniture
and bric-a-brac. But here again the
paternal commission comes to the res
cue, for these purchases, and all 9TH
ers needed for utility, comfort or
beauty, are made at the commissary
stores, where goods are sold practic-
ally at cost. Moreover, there is no
Iprotective tariff collected on imported
goods, and it would take another ar
ticle to relate the rhapsodies of the
zone women over the prices at which
they can buy Doulton tableware, Irish
linen, Swiss and Scandinavian deli
catessen, and French products of all
sorts. And finally. to round out the
privileges of married life on the zone,
medical service is free and little Tom
my's ills may be prescribed. for with
out fear of the doctors bill.
So Jack looks from his bachelor
quarters over toward Married Row,
and it looks good to linn. Were he at
home prudence would compel the con-
sideration Of cost. Here the paternal
commission puts a remium on matri-
! mony. Very often. so often, indeed,
? it Is almost the rule, Jack, returns
from his first vacation home with a
wife, or else coming alone is followed
by the girl, and all goes merry as a
t marriage bell.