Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-09-19

Perhaps | would not have recognized
one IL had seen IL.
The American In a foreign land Is
not so tenacious Of his home customs
as is the Englishman, and In Panama
he finds himself not only in tropic
cline but in the midst Of a civilization
much older than his own. Conse-
quently he yields in many particulars
to the customs of that cline and that
civilization. The midday siesta of
two hours, when he disrobes and dozes
in cool room, the dip in the ocean be-
fore dinner and the evening stroll in
the plaza all appeal to him as to the
native and have become a part Of his
life there.
At the same time the influx of north
erners has had it's effect on the Pana-
manians, especially, perhaps. in the
matter of sports. Bullfghts no longer
are to be seen here and cock fighting
has suffered a marked decline. In
place of them the native now enjoys
frequent wrestling matches and prize
fights, INDUCES in tennis to some ex-
tent and has taken kindly to the ma
tional American sport Of baseball.
1t is the American woman on whom
the changed conditions OF life bear
hardest, for housekeeping on the 18TH
mus is attended by many annoyances.
A good many people have the idea that
a woman in the tropics lies in ham,
mock all day and at meal time picks
her food from the branches Of trees
that shade her resting place. AS a
matter OF fact she must do her house
hold shopping as at home. and the do
nestle problem is with her here as
there, only more so IL possible. For
clothing and standard groceries she
usually goes to the store Of the com
missary department. where she can
buy we'll and cheaply. But for fruit
and many of the vegetables there is
the daily trip to the market. In that
spacious building am speaking now
of Colon and Panama-are scores OF
booths and tables, attended by Jamai-
cans, Chinese and native Panamanians,
and piled high with taro. breadfruit,
soursaps, guavas. papayas, bananas,
plantains, alligator pears, mangoes, or
anges, cocoanuts and a dozen other
tropical products. The layout is tempt.
| ing, but the purchasing is task. Such
a thing as fixed price is unknown and
one must bargain diligently or get the
worst of it, And the insolence Of the
negro women is often commensurate
with their ignorance. The native meat
market is quite impossible" for white
people from the United States. for the
meat, roughly hacked, is sold immedi-
ately after slaughtering, and the
screening enforced by the American
sanitary department is rendered inef'
fective by open doors.
I The domestic servants employed by
Americans in the zone are almost all
Jamaican negresses. They are neat
and clean, but their stupidity usually
8 monumental. Every detail Of the
household operations must be driven
into their heads, and their minds seem
ingly are on the island home they have
left, for their memory is almost MI
and their eyes see little close at hand
Then. too, aftef year or so Of service
md saving they begin TO think OF re
urning to Jamaica and grow weary.
why, Blanche" said one shocked
housewife, here 1t Is eleven O'CLOCK
and the breakfast dishes and kitchen
things not washed. and the ants al
over them!"
.
"Oh. marin, couldn't do them. I'm
so exhausted this morning" wal
Blanche's reply.
That's a mild sample Of what mus
be contended with.
| Speaking OF ants, there is another o
he annoyances of housekeeping in tn
tropics. The ants are everywhere, Il
unbelievable numbers and most extra
ordinary activity. Screens do not keel
Them out nor insect exterminators dis
courage them. They must simply b.
endured. II they take fancy to
nicely growing garden Of young vege
tables. they cut and carry of all tn
leaves in a night. II Is the so-calle'
leaf ant that does that All over tn
lsthmus he is to be seen, moving Il
professions along well beaten paths
each individual carrying a leaf o
other bit of foliage. One day saw
long line OF them moving through tn
sparse turf. all carrying tiny red blot
SONS cut from a small weed. 1t wa
a very picturesque miniature parade
No place and no age has been FIRE
from the cockroach, and In Panama h
grows to an enormous size and spend
some of his time and energy eatin
the covers of bound books.
Rust and mould add to the woes
the American housekeeper, and man
articles she must keep in dry closets
in which elect-'c lamps are kept burr
ing.
There are not in Panama grei
many of the old pure-blooded SPANS
families, whose members possess ed
cation and refinement, and those thu
are there are not especially fond
Americans. Consequently there Is NJ
, much social intercourse between Il
/ two races. The social activities OF Il
, Americans have three general cente
j the Tivoli club. the Washington c
D tillon club and the Young Mems Chr
ian association. The first two a
, dance organizations and give balls |
) ternate fortnights at the Tivoli hot
r in Ancon and the Washington hotel
I Cnlen. These affairs are quite form