Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-08-28

are there are not especially fond NJ
Americans. Consequently there is not
much social intercourse between the
two races. The social activities Of the
Americans have three general centors
the Tivoli club, the Washington Co
tillon club and the Young Mems Chris.
tian association. The first two are
dance organizations and give balls al
ternate fortnights at the Tivoli hotel
in Ancon and the Washington hotel in
Colon. These affairs are quite formal
and attract the best of the Americans
from all parts of the zone.
AS for the Y. NJ. G. A, its work on
the isthmus really deserves chapter
to itself, for 1t has been one of the big
factors In the successful building Of
the canal. At first It was found i'm.
possible to persuade men from the Uni
ted States to remain long on the 18th.
mus. The pay was good, the work in.
teresting, but inconsistencies found
easy victims and they resigned and
went back to the States in discourag.
ing numbers. Several remedies were
tried. and finally the commission es.
tablished a club house in every zone
town of any size and wisely put them
in charge of the Y. NJ. C A. In these
houses are billiard rooms, bowling al.
leys, gymnasiums, soda fountains, Il.
braries, lounging rooms and dozen
other conveniences, and each house
has a hall large enough for dances and
amateur dramatics and musical enter.
| tainments. The secretaries in charge
have been exceedingly active I'm the
organization of bowling, baseball, bill.
lizard and other leagues, and the tour
neys are continuous and of great in.
terest. or courseN no intoxicating
| drinks are to be found in these clubs,
| but in other respects they are conduct.
ed OH lines so liberal as to be some
times surprising. In one Of them, for
instance, saw number of young
men and women dancing in the hall. 10
the music of phonograph, immediate
ly after the close of the Sunday eve
ming religious service. This may have
been an exceptional case, as 1t was in
one of the more Isolated towns.
In Ancon, Cristobal and some 9th
ers of the larger American towns flour
tanned, and these were united In
zone federation which dissolved only
this year, feeling that its work was
done with the virtual completion Of the
canal. The clubs have done q great
deal in the way of philanthropy and
study, and many social functions are
given under their auspices.
AS may readily be comprehend5d
life for Americans in the zone IS
much like life in an American suburb
an town, and 1t has some OF the disad'
vantages of the latter Gossip and So
cial jealousies are prevalent here, as i
there, and not q few women have been
driven back to the States by them
Disputes over promotions and the as
signments of living quarters cause Dlt
terness and arrangements, and Oh
course there are innumerable com
plants Of undue infiuence-"pulI- IN
these matters. In some cases II mus
be admitted there has been cause ior
these complaints, and, sad to say
often woman has been the cause heF
influence with certain OF the high or
ficials cannot be doubted, and some
times 1t has results that are TO be az
, plored.
| Here is one instance of the power
| exerted by pull" A man for some
years has held a responsible P'
sition with the Panama Railroad col
, pany, and who has a wife, two daugH
tiers and a young son, has been WaluNs1
. long for housekeeping quarters WuH
are at a premium. Two minor cIeIN
I of the railway had been attentive
. the daughters, but, being ob1ectlohaD
to the father. were discouraged
the clerks had some influential
, nections, and in revenge have so CO.
trived things that the family IN que
} ton has been passed by repeatedly
/ the assignment of housekeeplns qua
tiers. The father and son live IN "
, building, the mother and daugh
| another, and all must take their l''
} at the hotel
Naturally, not many of the Au'
, leans on the isthmus will rgm
r there after the completion OF
4 canal A few of the doctors INA!
, gage in general practice there
p already have done so-and SOM =.
) the workmen may find the trop'
. mate 10 to their liking that ih''
. stay. But nearly all are LOOKING
e err eagerly to the time when 'he5 20
S return to the states. The enA.".[ 40
3 and physicians no doubt will mo %, ,D
the experience they have had "|
( invaluable to them in the gelL".
y positions and practice when sor
y come home. But to readJusl , .-
l. selves to the old conditions Of ",..
may not be easy for the men
/ women who have been in the AoD'
b years.