The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1913-09-05

Colon, G. For the American re.
tdent Of the Canal Zone life is not al
beer and skittles. There is plenty @
beer, but have not seen a skittle here
Perhaps would not have recognize
one II had seen it.
The American in a foreign land
not so tenacious of his home custom
as Is the Englishman, and in Panam
he finds himself not only in a tropi
cline but in the midst of civilization
much older than his own. Conse
quently he yields in many particular
to the customs of that cline and tina
civilization. The midday siesta o
two hours, when he disrobes and dozel
In a cool room, the dip in the ocean be
fore dinner and the evening stroll IL
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. Bullf1ghts 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 if possible. For
clothing and standard groceries she
usually goes to the store of the com
missary department, where she can
buy well 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 other
tropical products. The layout is tempt
ing, but the purchasing is task. Such
a thing as a 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.
The domestic servants employed by
Americans in the zone are almost all
Jamaican negresses. They are neat
and clean, but their stupidity usually |
Is monumental. Every detail OF the |
household operations must be driven |
into their heads, and their minds SEEM
lngly are on the island home they have |
left, for their memory is almost nil
and their eyes see little close at hand.
Then, too, after year or so Of service
and saving they begin to think of re-
turning to Jamaica and grow weary"
; "Why, Blanche" said one shocked
here it is eleven o'clock /
and the breakfast dishes and kitchen
things not washed, and the ants all
over them!"
"oh, marin, 1 couldn't do them, I'm
20 exhausted this morning" was
3lanche's reply.
That's a mild sample of what must
be contended with.
Speaking of ants, there is another OF
he annoyances of housekeeping in the
.ropics. The ants are everywhere, sin
Unbelievable numbers and most extra
ordinary activity. Screens do not keep
hem out nor insect exterminators dis.
courage them. They must simply be
If they take a fancy to a
,icely growing garden of young vege.
ables, they cut and carry of all the
caves in a night. It is the so-called
eaf ant that does that. All over the
sthmus he is to be seen, moving in
PROFESSIONS along well beaten paths,
ach individual carrying a leaf OF
,ther bit of foliage. One day saw q
ong line Of them moving through the
parse turf. all carrying tiny red bios.
oms cut from a small weed. It was
very picturesque miniature parade.
10 place and no age has been free
rom the cockroach, and in Panama he
rows to an enormous size and spends
ONE Of his time and energy eating
be covers Of bound books.
Rust and mould add to the woes Of =
he American housekeeper, and many
rticles she must keep in dry closets"
, which electric lamps are kept burn
1g.
There are not in Panama a great