The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1913-08-28

are CQ0T0 are uOL especially lCuu VI
Americans. Consequently there is not
much social intercourse between the
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 Tivoli 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 Y M. G. A., its work ON
the isthmus really deserves chapter
to itself, for it has been one of the big
factors in the successful building OF
the canal. At first it was found Ea-
possible to persuade men from the Uni
ted States to remain long on the 18th
mus. The pay was good, the work iaa-
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 es~
tablished a club house in every zone
town of any size and wisely put them
! IN charge Of the Y. NJ c A. In these
houses are billiard rooms, bowling al
legs, gymnasiums, soda fountains, 1T
hraries, lounging rooms and a dozen
other conveniences, and each house
has a 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
lizard and other leagues, and the tour
neys are continuous and of great I'm.
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, foI
instance, saw a number of young
men and women dancing in the hall, tC
the music of photograph, immediate
" 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 -four
fishing women's clubs have been main
tanned, and these we're united In 9
zone federation which dissolved only
, , this year, feeling that its work was
= done with the virtual completion Of the
= canal. The clubs have done a great
deal in the way of philanthropy and
. study and many social functions are
given under their auspices.
q AS may readily be comprehended
/. life for Americans in the zone Il
q much like life in an American suburb
, an town, and it has some of the dtszd
!. vantages of the latter. Gossip ana SO
cial jealousles are prevalent here, a:
q there, and not a few women have beer
\ driven back to the States by them
+ Disputes over promotions and the as
y signments of living quarters cause but
a terness and arrangements, and
n course there are innumerable com
:. plaints of undue inf1uence-"pulF'-
a these matters. In some cases It mus
II kbe admitted there has been cause TO
, | these complaints, and, sad to say
q often woman has been the cause lie
J. influence with certain of the high OF
- ficials cannot be doubted, and Some
Il times it has results that are to be de
k plored.
n Here is one instance of the pOwe
IL exerted by pull" A man for som
years has held a responsible pc
n sition with the Panama Railroad CON
8 pany, and who has wife, two daugf
tiers and a young son, has been wa1tin
It long for housekeeping quarters, Wf11e
are at a premium. Two minor clerk
If of the railway had been attentive T
e the daughters, but, being obJectloDani
n to the father, were discouraged. bu
a. the clerks had some influential col
70 nections, and in revenge have so cor
s. trived things that the family in ques
,e ton has been passed by repeatedly /
a the assignment of housekeeping qua
e. tiers. The father and son 1--we III On
Le building, the mother and daughters I
ID another, and all must take their meal
le at the hotel.
n Naturally, not many of the Ame1
8, leans on the isthmus will renal
,r there after the completion of tn
a canal. A few of the doctors may CT
le gage in general practice there-som
s. already have done so-and some
Is the workmen may find the tropfc cI
e. mate so to their liking that they wi
e stay. But nearly all are looking ratf
,e er eagerly to the time when they ca
Is return to the states. The engineer
~ and physicians no doubt will find thu
the experience they have had will b
Of invaluable to them in the getting 6
" positions and practice when the
g. come home. But to readjust then
n selves to the old conditions of Twin
may not be easy for the men an
at women who have been in the zone fo
5h years.