The citizen., 1913-08-29

! AS for the Y. NJ. c. A, its work on
the isthmus really deserves chapter
to itself, for it 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 homesickness 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
tanments. The secretaries in charge
| have been exceedingly active in the
1 organization of bowling, baseball, bill
! lizard and other leagues, and the tour
neys are continuous and Of great in
| terest. OF course no intoxicating
! drinks are to be found in these clubs,
but in other respects they are conduct
/ ed on lines so liberal as to be some
times surprising. In one of them, for
| instance, l saw number or young
men and women dancing in the hall, to
the music of phonograph, immediate
! ly after the close OF the Sunday eve
ming religious service. This may have
been an exceptional case, as it was in
one OF the more isolated towns.
In Ancon, Cristobal and some 9th
ers of the larger American towns -four
ishing womens clubs have been main
! tanned, and these were united in a
zone federation which dissolved only
! this year, feeling that its work was
done with the virtual completion of the
canal The clubs have done a great
deal in the way of philanthropy and
study, and many social functions are
given under their auspices.
AS may readily be comprehended,
life for Americans in the zone is
much like life in an American suburb
an town. and it has some of the disad-
yantages of the latter Gossip and So
cial jealousies are prevalent here, as
there. and not few women have been
driven back to the States by them.
Disputes over promotions and the as
signments of living quarters cause bit
terness and arrangements, and OF
course there are innumerable com
plants of undue pull'-in
these matters. In some cases it must
be admitted there has been cause for
these complaints, and, sad to say.
often woman has been the cause Her
influence with certain of the high Of
ficials cannot be doubted, and some
times it has results that are to be de-
plored.
Here is one instance Of the power
exerted by pull" A man for some
years has held a responsible po-
stion with the Panama Railroad com
panv, and who has wife. two daugh-
ters and young son. has been waiting
long for housekeeping quarters, which
are at premium. Two minor clerks
of the railway had been attentive to
the daughters, but, being Objectionable
to the father, we're discouraged, But
the clerks had some influential con
nections, and in revenge have so con-
trived things that the family in ques,
ton has been passed by repeatedly in
the assignment of housekeeping quar-
ters. The father and son live in one
building, the mother and daughters in
another, and all must take their meals
at the hotel.
Naturally, not many of the Amer
leans on the isthmus will remain
there after the completion Of the
canal. A few of the doctors may en-
gage in general practice there-some
already have done so-and some OF
the workmen may find the tropic eli
mate so to their liking that they will
stay. But nearly all are looking rath-
er eagerly to the time when they can
| return to the states. The engineers
and physicians no doubt will find that
the experience they have had will be
invaluable to them in the getting OF
positions and practice when they
come home. But to readjust them
selves to the old conditions of living
may not be easy for the men and
women who have been in the zone for
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