Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1913 — Page 2

FIRST THROUGH the PANAMA CANAL

By E. W. PICKARD

Gblon, C. Z.—l am going to take you through the completed Panama canal on the first vessel to pass across the Isthmus from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific. True, the canal is not yet completed, and will not be for a year or so, but that shall not prevent our making the trip now—on paper. Let us imagine ourselves, then, on an ocean liner approaching the Atlantic or northern entrance of the great canal, prepared to enjoy this initial trip and to wonder at the sights in store for us. In that word "northern” lies the first surprise for many of the passengers who did not know that the canal runs not from east to west, but from northwest to southeast. This seeming anomaly is due to the fact that the Isthmus of Panama here trends almost east and west..

It is still early\ morning when a watchful passenger shouts “Land,” and all who are up rush to the port rail to gaze upon the hilly, jungly coast of the isthmus between Porto Bello and Colon. As the steamship plows swiftly through the waters as blue as ever were those of the Mediterranean a cheer goes up from the deck, for we have caught a glimpse of the Stars and Stripes fluttering above a fringe of cocoanut palms. That marks the location of one of the big forts built to protect the canal in time of war and is on Margarita island, virtually a part of the mainland. Colon, flat and unpicturesque, now comes into view, and directly ahead of us an immense breakwater stretches a mile out from the shore on the right At its land end, on *toro point, is another fort whose great guns are masked by the tropical foliage.

Now we have virtually entered the canal, for the 5(?0-foot channel extends far out from the shore line. At reduced speed we enter Colon harbor and the Bay of Limon and steam past the pretentious Washington hotel, Uncle Sam, proprietor; the docks- 1 of Colon, crowded with shipping from the United States, Europe and many a 'port of Latin America, and the American town of Cristobal on whose water front stands the statue of Columbus sent over long years ago by the Empress Eugenie. Skipping about the bay, looking like long, black water beetles, are the cayukas or native dugouts, and moving lazily before the sea breeze are the little sailing craft in which the queer San Blas Indians are bringing their products to market.

Four miles and a half ye steam through Limon bay and the shores narrow in on our 500-foot channel, etill at tide level. Now look ahead three miles and get a glimpse of the Gatun locks, that tremendous flight of three water steps up which we are to be lifted. In a few minutes we reach the towering dividing wall of concrete, our own power is shut oft and the electric locomotives on the lock walls take us in tow. -Pour of these powerful machines attach their hawsers to our ship, two in front to pull it and two astern to keep it steady and to bring it to a stop when entirely within the lock chamber. The immense gates close silently‘behind us and at once the water begins to flow into the chamber through culverts that have their openings in the concrete floor. iSlowly the vessel rises until it is on a. level with the second chamber, 28 1-3 feet above sea level, when the igate ahead is opened and the electric 100168 movp forward, this time up a heavy grade by means of the center racks in the tracks. Twice this operation is repeated, and now we are at the summit, 85 feet above the sea. The last gate opens and the locomotives pull us into Gatun lake. As our propellers begin to turn again and we steam out into this imjnense artificial lake, a marvelously beautiful landscape is spread before ■ub. The surface of the lake is dotted with islets, once the summits of Tiger hill. Lion hill and a dozen other eminences; on both sides are steep promontories, lovely little peninsulas and deep bays and inlets where the water has spread into the once jungle-filled valleys.

Before we get too far from the Jocks, let us step to the starboard rail and have a look at the Gatun dam, enormous stretch of rock, sand and clay that has formed Gatun lake by Impounding the waters of the Chagres Hver. It is In reality a low ridge, one and a half miles long, built across the valley, and when we are told that it ts nearly half a mile wide at its base, 400 feet wide at the water surface and 100 feet wide at its crest, which is twenty feet above the level of the lake, how utterly ridiculous seem the fears of those alarmists who predicted tne dam would be pushed over by the Chagres in time of flood!

Nearly in the center of the dan we can see the famous spillway .through which pass the surplus waters of the Chagres. It is a concrete lined channel 285 feet wide cut through a hill of rock and across it is built a curved dam of concrete on top of which is a row of regulating gates. Just below the spillway, out of our sight, is the hydroelectric station which supplies power foi*tlw operation of the entire canal and the lighting of the whole zone.

Our channel through the lake —for we still must follow a path indicated by range towers on the shores —is now a thousand feet wide and leads us somewhat tortuously through a maze of islands. Look down as we near some of theip and you will see below the surface the tops of giant trees. For we are sailing over what but a few months ago was the valley of the Chagres, dense with tropic vegetation and dotted with native villages surrounded by banana and cocoanut plantations. Close to the shores the stoutest of the trees still stretch their naked, dead limbs above the water, but before long these, too, will have rotted and fallen, leaving the luxuriant landscape unmarred. Passing over the sites of Bohlo, Frijoles and Chagresito, we now come to the place where Tabernilla once stood, and here both lake and channel narrow down, the latter being first 800, then 700 and finally 500 feet wide. On the hillsides to the right stand a few abandoned houses, all that remains of Mamei, Juan Grande, Gorgona and Matachin, busy places while the canal was building, now covered by the spreading waters. Along the left shore of the channel runs the relocated Panama railway and here at Gamboa it crosses the Chagres river, which our vessel now leaves to enter the far famed Culebra cut. This great gash through the spine of the continent is 300 feet wide at the bottom, but, because of the- tremendous earth slides which cost Uncle Sam so much money and time, its width at the top is astonishing, being half a mile just here opposite the town of Culebra. Beyond, on our left, towers Gold hill, 495 feet above the bottom of the canal. Far up on its rocky slope we discern a streak of white paint which marks the level to which the French company carried its excavations. Nearly opposite is Contractor’s hill, 364 feet high. As. we move between these, the loftiest frills along the route, and pass the location of that notorious “cockroach,” the Cucaracha slide, the Pedro Miguel lock stands before us, white in the noonday sun. This, a single flight lock, is 30 feet high, the highest on the canal. Again we are taken in tow by elec trie mules and in less than half an hour ws have been lowered those 30 feet and steam into another artificial body of water, Miraflores lake, only a mile long. At its southern end we pass the town of Miraflores and enter the locks of the same name, a double flight that lets us down once more to sea level.

The exciting part of the passage is over, but there is yet much of interest to see. Down the broad channel we look clear out onto the glittering waters of the Pacific ocean. Nearer at hand, on the left, Ancon hill raises its verdure-clad summit, and clustered on its slopes we see the many structures of the big hospital, the new administration buildings of the canal and the barracks of the marines. And now, steaming between fllled-ln swamp lands, we come to Balboa, which the government has made into a flue naval station, with an immense dry dock and extensive machine shops, j *

Stretching out from Balboa invo the Pacific is a breakwater, two miles long, which protects the harbor from storms. At its outer end is a cluster of little islands, Naos, Perico, lulebra and Flamenco, and here we pass under the powerful guns that guard the Pacific end of the canal They are mounted high up on the i uismits of these rock islets, rifled canion, one shot from which would sink a battleship, and huge mortars whoso shells can be dropped behind Tobago island 12 miles away in the direction of Japan.

In ten hours we have crossed through the continent and now float on the broad Pacific. As we look back the picturesque city of Panama lies bathed in the light of the westering sun and on the side of Ancon hill shines the big white Tivoli hotel. The sudden night of the tropics is soon to fall, and already, as far back as we can see along,our route and beside the ocean channel, are twinkling the lights that Uncle Sam has set up to guide the world’s commerce through this most wonderful of canals which he has built »

KEEPS SPOON FROM SLIPPING

Simple Device That May Be Made at Home Will Prove of Great Value to the Cook.

When cooking in a stewpan or basin the spoon, unless a large one, has generally got to be taken out and laid aside or else run the risk of its slipping down into the contents every time it is used. To obviate this, the simple device pictured herewith should be used. Consisting merely of a piece of tin. procurable at the tin shop or /cut from a clean tin can, it wants to be three and one-half inches long by tw r o and one-half inches wide. Up

Simple Device for Holding Spoon in Stewpan.

from the lower edge, at a distance of three-fourths of an inch from the sides, two strips, each one-eighth of an inch wide and two inches long, are cut out; this leaves the three pieces now parallel with one another of the same with. These now want to be bent so as to form a clamp that will slip over the rim of the stewpan and hold. Then, by cutting out the small rounded portion near the top, the- handle of the spoon can be dropped into this and so prevented slipping into the bottom of the pan.

QUITE EASY TO MEND CHINA

If Damaged Article Is of Value, Here Are Some Ways by Which It May Be Made Good.

The breaking of, china is an everyday happening in some households, and uifiess the article broken is an ornament of some value no trouble is taken to mend it. Many dishes, however, taay be quite well mended at home, and a very efficient cement can be made .by mixing together into a paste equal quantities of whey of milk and vinegar, powdered quicklime and the white of an egg. The mixture must be well beaten and warmed. Expose the broken edges of the china to heat before applying the cement. A very thin coating is sufficient, and the joint should.be held firmly in place until the cement has dried.

If the dish is only cracked it may be prevented from falling to pieces by painting the crack on the underside with white paint. Cut a piece of tape the length of the crack over one side with white paint and lay it over the crack. Press the tape down till perfectly smooth. Set the dish aside for two or three weeks, when the crack will be perfectly firm. Broken china may also be mended with a paste made of plaster of paris and glue. Use the ordinary bottle of glue mixing one part of the glue with two of water and adding the plaster of paris to it. Ornaments that have come to pieces may also be mended wjth white paint, using the ordinary tubes required for oil painting. Very little is required; and after applying it to the broken edges they should be closely held together for a little, then left for a few hours to dry.

Small Almond Cakes.

One pound powdered sugar, six eggs, beaten very light; one-half pound almonds, blanched and powdered; one-half pound prepared flour. Rosewater, mixed with the almond paste; whip up the whites of the eggs to a meringue with'jialf the sugar; stir in the almond paste. Beat the yolks ten minutes with the remainder of the sugar. Mix all together; add the flour lightly and rapidly. Bake in well-buttered patty tins, or other small tins, very quickly. Turn out as soon as done upon a baking pan, bottom uppermost, that these may dry out. According to the size of the small tins, the number of cakes.

Sponge Pudding.

One pint milk, one-quarter cup flour, one-half cup sugar, five eggs (yolks beaten separately), whites of eggs beaten stiff, one-quarter cup butter. Scald milk, add sugar and flour. Cook till it thickens, then add butter and yolks of eggs. Lastly add whites of eggs. Butter pudding dish, fill with mixture, set in pan of hot water and bake from twenty minutes to half an hour.

Roasted Potatoes.

Pare and wash, and an hour before taking out the roast place the potatoes in the pan. After half an hour turn them and when done they will be a lovely golden brown and sweet as a nut.

Removing Table Marks.

To remove hot water marks from polished tables, make a thin paste with salad oil and salt, place it on the mark and there let ft remain for an hour or so. Then rub well with a soft duster.

Practical Fashions

'This waist has a large box plait down the front and another down the back. The closing is in front The low neck is trimmed with a wide collar and the long sleeves end in a deep cuff. The waist has a tight fitting guimpe. Madras, batiste, voile or other soft material can* be used for this waist. ; l ; The waist pattern (6257) ife cut in sizes 34 to 42 inches bust measure. Medium size requires 2% yards of 36 inch material. To procure this pattern send 10 cents to "Pattern Department,” of this paper. Write name and address plainly, and be sure to give size and number of pattern.

NO. 6257. SIZE NAME— —— t6wn... : —... STREET AND N 0...... STATE——

GIRL’S FROCK.

The frock shown has a yoke front and back. The dress closes at the back and may be made with high or low neck and with long or short sleeves. It may hang free or may be confined at the waist with a sash. Pale blue cashmere is qice for the development of the model, with the cash of black velvet. ♦ The patern (6069) is cut in sizes 6 to 12 years. Medium size will require 2% yards of 36 inch material and 2 yards of satin or velvet ribbon. To procure this pattern send 10 cents to “Pattern Department,” of this paper. Write name and address plainly, and be sure to give size and number of pattern.

NO. 6C :9. SIZE—NAME— - TOWN— ---- STREET AND NO—STATE—

Altering Model to Fit Picture.

In his later years Frederick William, king of Prussia, was sorely afflicted with gout. The twinges of pain aggravated his naturally irascible temper. During the attacks he was accustomed to divert his mind by painting. His models were always soldiers. One day he kept a tall grenadier, posing for a long time. At length the picture was finished. The king turned to the man, and in a terrible voice asked: "What do you think of that?” “The cheeks are redder than mine,” was the hesitating reply. “I’ll soon fix that!” thundered the old king. So he seized his brush, and painted both cheeks of the terrified grenadier a brilliant red.

Telling It'

“I knew by the way our deaf and dumb neighbor was using the sign language that she was happy.” "Why was she happy, do you suppose?" "Because she had a secret on hand.”

Family Trees Defined.

While the family tree of the elephant runs mostly to trunk, that of the chorus girl does nothing of the sort.

Inevitably So.

“There is something funny about that legislative Sill.”' “Of course there’s something funny about it. it’s the joker in it."

No Intoxicating Bliss.

**\s there any osculation permitted at this party?” “No; the pe-rmit says only soft drinks allowed.” H

Not the Same.

“Is that bill going to pass?" “No; it’s going to get the go-by.” -

PLEASE THE CHILDREN

ENJOYABLE-PARTIES THAT MAY . BE EASILY ARRANGED.

Much Liked Affair Has Toys as Its Chief Motif—Brown Paper and Fairy Entertainments Never Grow Stale.

. Many hostesses are harassed by the thought of having to prpvide “something quite new” —something which, without being excessively elaborate and provide a pleasant surprise for both young and old. For children and grown-ups a toy party is a very enjoyable affair. Eaph guest is asked to bring with them a toy. It may be homemade or bought, but anyway the cost must not exceed a sum fixed by the hostess. The toys are all arranged on a table and each guest votes for the most original and the most unoriginal —barring always their own contribution. The donors of the two respective toys receiving most votes each gets a prize, and the whole of the toys are sent to a hospital or some poor children in the name of the whole party:

A brown paper party is also good fun. The guests all wear costumes contrived from brown paper. With a little skill some wonderfully good dresses can be arranged. Br’er rabbit, Eskimo, red Indian, prairie girl, cowboy—there are a few of the most obvious suggestions. For children a fairy party is very attractive. The room should be cleared of ordinary furniture and transformed into a fairy palace. Some painted cardboard, tree branches, tinsel, flowers and twinkling lights skillfully arranged will effect a most realistic transformation. The Invitations should be sent out in the names of the fairies, and the little guests should come as fairies of every clime, and —if liked —characters of well known fairy-tales. In similar way it is possible to give a witch party in a magic cave or a Dutch party in a Dutch Interior, while forethought will suggest other ideas equally attractive and easy “to carry through successfully. When presents are given at a children’s party the following novel idea will be found an attractive method of ■distribution: Cut a cake into slices and on the outside of each slice fasten a present with the name of the intended recipient on a little flag stuck in ths top of each piece. Place the slices in position again and tie the cake around with a broad ribbon to keep it in shape.

Lorgnette Ribbon.

Inch wide ribbons have taken the place of lorgnette chains. The ribbon matches the shade of the gown so that it shall not be prominent yet is edged at both sides witfi a narrow line of white in order that it may be easily distinguished. It is-of the same length as the metal lorgnette chain and at the belt is caught together with a slide matching the mounting of the eye-glasses.

New Effects in Waists.

Plain and fancy crepe waists have the body of the waist and the sleeves made of the plain material, while the trimmings are of the fancy weave. Another combination is white crepe and colored voile, the voile supplying the trimming effects of the waist. Organdies and marquisettes in new open patterns are used with plain voile.

Silk Stockings Again.

One can prolong the life of silk hose many times. Sew a piece of soft silk on the inside of both toe and heel. Soft Japanese wash silk is good. Darn it in around the edge. Also sew a piece of the silk at the top where the garters fasten.

PARASOLS TO SUIT THE HAT

Season’s Styles Especially designed With a View to Millinery Just Now ; Most Popular. Parasols lira., made this year to accommodate the modish small hat on the top of the head, and the big shade hat which will not be discarded. The steep sided parasol illustrated is hardly larger than the hat the large parasol is meant to shade. The little parasol of black and white stripes is especially suitable to carry with the street frock. Black and

white parasols can be carried with w-hite, black and white or. any color combination. The big parasol with blunt tip is suggestive of the paper sunshade of Japan. The square, light handle and the rose fastened smartly on the edge of the parasol are interesting features'. This sort of sunshade will be carried a great deal at the seashore. It

WALKING SUIT.

Sult of pink charmeuse veiled completely by alternating black and white lace, which is fastened in front by straight bows in the color of the underskirt.

ODDITY IN NEW SUNSHADE

Long Handles of Velvet Give Distinctive Appearance to the Parasols Introduced From France.

One of the oddities in the new French sunshades is that they have handles of velvet. These are exceedingly long, after the manner .of those used in the Director!® days, and therefore the velvet is quite conspicuous. It is in a different color from the parasol itself. Vivid cdlors are omitted, but black and white is used a great deal. ' The sunshade itself is not small; on the contrary it is quite large, for these accessories are evidently intended to really keep the sun from the head; although the majority of women will use them folded, more as an ornamental staff than anything else. Already the picturesque women who arrive at a full knowledge of their physical possibilities and limitations and who, therefore, dress with individuality, are securing the longest handled parasols and using them as a means of posturing a la Tosca —you remember the way all the Toscas of the stage have stood with two fingers resting on the knob 'of a long ivory staff twined with roses.

Old Blankets Useful.

To get most benefit out of blan.tets that have become too thin for ordinary wear, wash them, dry them thoroughly and put two or three of them together and cover them with sateen to make quilts. They will have to be buttoned down somewhat like mattresses, quilt fashion, will have to be made across them to hold them <ln shape. A border or sateen frill adds to their attractiveness.

gives protection, which the smaller parasols do not give, to the ’wMess head.

ARRANGING REAL REST ROOM

Apartment That Will Be Appreciated at All Times by the Women of the Household. There are many women who go through life without a dressing use, but there are few who do not long for one. And even when the limited space of a house makes it impossible for the women of the household to have individual boudoirs, there is often one upstairs room which could be made into a sitting room or dressing room for their collective use. It could be supplied with a comfortable couch, where breakfast or other meals could be taken by any one tired or ill, with comfortable chairs for lounging and resting, with good light and a book shelf for magazines and bcoks, witif a writing table or desk, with a well stocked work table, a sewing machine, if it is to be used also as a sewing room, and a pier glass. It could hardly be'equipped with a row of dressing tables, one for eaeh daughter or cousin or aunt or mother, who used it, as these would make it crowded, so the actual dressing would still have to be done in bedrooms. But it would prove a haven where its collective owners could go for help and advice, to see whether their dresses were on as they 6h<mid be, to "get hooked up,” to rest and read and get away from the tediouiness of the bedroom when illness kept them upstairs 1