The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-01-14

| We are IN what Is called married
quarters" in distinction from bachelor
| quarters. Bachelors are net supposed
| to keep house you see. However, they
give us some of the privileges of boun.
| Our house has four single beds, three
dry closets, a dining table, buffet,
chairs, four married dressers (for
| married people, instead of chiffoniers
for bachelors) and some small tables
| and wicker chairs. Then we have a
small store in the kitchen and beau
| tiful white enameled refrigerator on
the porch. We are gradually getting
enough dishes and things together to
| do real housekeeping but it is slow
work, and expensive too, though when
we are once started it will be cheaper
than boarding. The teachers at the
other house never pay more than SIS
/, for board and laundry, SO living isn't
! so high when one is careful. Nearly
F, everything is bought from the states,
! and canned. Eggs are forty seven
cents. So our hens are not laying well
| you see, and cold storage at
that. Butter is fcr!y-oeven and other
things are nearly the same as. at
home Flour comes in four pound
sacks, sugar also in small sacks, and
! everything has to be kept covered
! away from the ants and on ice. We
, use canned milk and at first / couldn't
, bear it, but you get used to that as
well as the musty smell everything
+! here has.
| l have been over to Panama shop
! Nhr ,4n a
funny, everything in a tumble and
/. tucked away in boxes and great
many of the stores are owned by
Japanese and Chinese. Panamonion
money is called silver and all the
| colored people are paved il that,
| while our money is called gold! Spig-
goty money (so-called from the ma
| tiyes, saying Speak de English''D
is very much like ours, only the sill
yer dollar is worth fifty cents gold.
| Their fifty cents is twenty-five gold,
etc, and have a grand time trying to
i make change. R.G
! There is one street car line, which
| runs through Panama and Balboa and
several routes and for the rest you
! have to take coaches. They are car
riages drawn by tiny little ponies, and
it seems inhuman to ride after them,
but they draw huge loads and run up
and down hill without ever seeming
to give up, though they often look as
if a breath would blow them over.
l have some very interesting
+, youngsters. They have all Travelled
more or less, and one boy has been
ha Nr1I ic fa+h &c "
army man, and MILFORD has made the
most OF his opportunities. n)i
A party Of us are going down the
Chagres river Christmas day We Will
stay in cabin in the Jungle think
it will be very interesting. am fast
losing track of events, time and
everything else for | don't remember
whether | wrote you Sunday or not,
IS l was gone all day, and was pretty
tired when I got in. I think / wrote
you, that Mr.. Marti was in the
Weather department Here, and fire.
quently has to make trips along the
canal to look after theasub stations
Sunday he took party of US with
him. We took the seven o'clock train
in the morning and went twenty miles
| UP to Gambo and then took the launch
up Gatum Lake for ten to fifteen miles
to Fryoles and fixed the rain gauge.
Then we went UP into the old French
cut and had lunch and then
started back, stopping at another
station on the way. We got home at
seven in the evening and l looked
very red and shiny. The glare of the
&c hor of
first | could scarcely see. Gatum Lake
! is an artificial one, and we went over
the foundations of several old towns
and the old railroad bed There are
! still old palms and other trees growing
:, in the lake, but they are fast dying
off. We saw pelicans, blue cranes and
ether birds. and we took some pic
lures which | hope will be good.
i The family that has been here have
4 just moved cut and we have been
busy the past few days getting set
tied. Out vacation began the seven
], teenth and will continue till Janu-
airy 3. 1t seems very good not to be
crowded and to be getting our own
! meals The hotel is mile, away and
the meals were not very good. The
place is running over with mon and
they, certainly are the limit for staring
at people. Some nights its positively
painful, as there are so few girls
that when we happen to get at the
!, same table with a man his neighbors
! proceed to make life burden for
him. One Of the girls who came last
4 week was vaccinated and it is just
), beginning to work. fine now. She was
out CT school today and the poor girl
], is very blue and lonesome | certainly
am fortunate to have such good
health I seem to be the strongest
one in the house, and | am hoping it
will continue. Miss 3. leaves for
Costa RIGA tomorrow and we cele-
brated little today. Miss Frazier S
mother sent fruit cake, which ar
rived today and we had it and float
inG island dessert. | am house
keeper this month and so far / am
chief cook. / hope a maid will turn
up soon, though l enjoy cooking and
the s'boarders" are very appreciative.
1t does seem funny to think Of you
being so cold. Sometimes I feel that
{, I'd give anything to be cold again.
i ] went to a Sunday school enter
! tainment at the Y. NJ. last night given