Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-08-29

families, whose members possess edu
cation and refinement, and those thai
are there are not especially fond Of
Americans Consequently there is moi
two races. The social activities Of the
Americans have three general centers
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 Tivoi 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 YIN. C. A., it's work on
the isthmus really deserves a chapte4
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 go.
tablished club house in every zone
town Of any size and wisely put them
| In charge of the Y. M. G "A. In these
houses are billiard rooms, bowling al
| leys, gymnasiums, soda fountains, Ii.
hv.0r. nj mir on6 q dnZnn
other conveniences, and each house
has hall large enough for dances and
amateur dramatics and musical enter
| tainments. The secretaries in charge
have been exceedingly active in the
organization of bowling, baseball, bill
| lard 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, / saw number of young
men and women dancing in the hall, to
the music of photograph, 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 flour.
ishing womens clubs have been main.
tanned, and these we're 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 great
deal in the way of philanthropy and
study. and many social functions ara
given under their auspices.
AS may readily be comprehended.
| life for Americans in the zone Il
much like life in an American suburb
an town, and it has some of the disad.
! vantages 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 infiuence-"pull'- Pin
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
fcials cannot be doubted, and some
times it has results that are to be de-
| plored.
l ss avHwt ~ %hn
exerted by pull" A man for some
years has held responsible po-
| sition with the Panama Railroad com.
pany, and who has a wife, two daugh.
tiers and young son, has been waiting
| long for housekeeping quarters, which
are at a 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
i ton has been passed by repeatedly In
| the assignment of housekeeping quar-
tiers. 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 viii:
stay. But nearly all are looking rath,
er eagerly to the time when they car
return to the states. The enginee rs
and physicians no doubt will find tf1a'
the experience they have had viii De
! Invaluable to them in the getting OF
positions and practice when they
come home. Blu. to readjust them
selves to the old conditions Of living
may not be easy for the men ant
women who have been in the zone y
years.