Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-10-03

I
beer, but l have not seen skittle here
! Perhaps l would not have recognized
one if had seen it.
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 a 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. Bullfights 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
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 a ham
a1 do > fCl-e
her food from the branches of trees
that shade her resting place. As
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 70 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
plantains. alligator pears, mangOes, or
anges. cocOanuts and 2 dozen other
tropical products The layout is tempt
ing, but the purchasing is a task. Such
q 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
hot
market is quite impossible" for white
people from the United States. for the
meat, roughly hacked, is sold immedi- !
ltely after slaughtering. and the I
screening enforced by the American {
sanitary department is rendered inef-
ectiye by open doors.
The domestic servants employed by {
americans in the zone are almost all d
amaIcan negresses They are neat /
nd clean. but their stupidity usually s
S monumental Every detail Of the t.
ousehOld operations must be driven C
alto their heads. and their minds seem 2
lgly are ON The island home they have q
aft, for their memory is almost al D.
nd their eyes see little close at hand e
hen. 100. after year 1r SO Of service o
nd saving they begin to .-ink Of rs u
iruius TO Jamaica end grow ''veary
"Nhv Blanche said one shocked IL
7useuife "here if IS eleven o'clock u
nd the breakfast dishes and kitchen
iinEs not washed. ana the ants al el
yer -hem.' SO
"Oh marin. ] couldn't do them I'm ST
exhausted this morning." was pe
anche's reply. tie
That's a mild sample Of what must To-
, contended with. ar
Speaking Of ants, there is another of Of
e annoyances Of housekeeping in the tn
Opics. The ants are everywhere, in to
believable numbers and most extra tn
binary activity. Screens do not keep ne
em out nor insect exterminators dis tri
urage them. They must simply be tic
dured. If they take a fancy to the
,ely growing garden of young vege- ter
1les, they cut and carry off all the bu
ives in a night. 1t is the so-called an
f ant that does that. All over the at
linus he is to be seen, moving in
,cessions along well beaten paths, lea
Ia individual carrying a leaf or tn
Ter bit Of foliage. One day ! saw car
G line of them moving through the gas
rise turf, all carrying tiny red bios air
MS cut from a small weed 1t was the
cry picturesque miniature parade. ma
place and no age has been free sta
IN the cockroach, and in Panama he er
VS. to an enormous size and spends ret
10 Of his time and energy eating and
covers of bound books. the
ust and mould add to the woes Of inv
American housekeeper. and many pos
cles she must keep ia dry closets CON
which electric lamps age kept burn sely
ma.
here ere not IN Panama q great won
~ Of The old puEe-bloodsd Spanish yea