Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-09-03

Colon, c. For the American res
ident Of the Canal Zone life is not all
beer and skittles. There Is plenty Of
beer, but have not seen a sklttle here.
Perhaps ! would not have recognized
one II had seen II.
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 slesta Of
two hours, when he disrobes and dozes
in a 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 its 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 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.
II 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 II 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-I 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 othel
tropical products. The layout is tempt
ing, but the purchasing is a task. Sucl
a thing as fixed price is unknown ant
one must bargain diligently or get tn,
worst of it. And the insolence Of tn,
negro women is often commensurate
with their ignorance. The native mea
market Is quite impossible" for whit
people from the United States, for tn
meat, roughly hacked is sold immed
ately after slaughtering, and tn
screening enforced by the America
! sanitary department is rendered inc
, fective by open doors.
The domestic servants employed b
Americans in the zone are almost a
; Jamaican negresses. They are nea
, and clean, but their stupidity usual
,. is monumental. Every detail Of tn
household operations must be drive
into their heads, and their minds seen
), ingly are on the island home they hav
:, left, for their memory is almost n
= and their eyes see little close at han'
= Then, too, after year or so Of serviC
= and saving they begin to think of r
y turning to Jamaica and grow weary
why, Blanche" said one shocke
: housewife, here it is eleven o'cloC
: and the breakfast dishes and kitche
. things not washed, and the ants a
: over them!"
ooh, marin, couldn't do them, T.
so exhausted this morning" wt
, BIanche's reply.
: That's mild sample of what mu
: be contended with.
: Speaking of ants, there is another
the annoyances Of housekeeping in Il
:" tropics. The ants are everywhere,
y unbelievable numbers and most extr
Y ordinary activity, Screens do not ke'
y them out nor insect exterminators di
y courage them. They must simply
endured. II they take fancy to
= nicely growing garden Of young veg
y tables, they cut and carry off all Il
leaves in a night. 1t is the so-callt
u leaf ant that does that. All over Il
isthmus he is to be seen, moving
v professions along well beaten patti
~ each individual carrying a leaf
70 other bit of foliage One day saw
~ long line of them moving through t
70 sparse turf, all carrying tiny red bio
10 SONS cut from a small weed. 1t W
~ a very picturesque miniature parat
y No place and no age has been fr
% from the cockroach, and in Panama
:" grows to an enormous size and spen
- some of his time and energy eati
the covers of bound books.
81 Rust and mould add to the woes
40 the American housekeeper and ma
a. articles she must keep in dry closet
~ in which electric lamps are kept bul
-, -. ing.
q There are not in Panama a gre
80 many Of the old pure-blooded Spani
ny families, whose members possess et
IN cation and refinement, and those Il
OF are there are not especially fond
ne Americans. Consequently there is /
iot much social intercourse between
ep two races. The social activities Of
OF Americans have three general cent?
~ the Tivoli club, the Washington
~ tiIlon club and the Young Mems Chi
al tian association. The first two |
nv, dance organizations and give balls
no ternate fortnights at the Tiyoh no
as :, Ancon and tbe washington hotel