Zone Policeman 88

Overview

Franck, who had supported himself as a teacher prior to the success of his first travelogue, took a three-month job on the Canal Zone Police force, helping to patrol the workers assigned to the Panama Canal Zone. There, he helped keep peace as plain-clothesman but also served administrative duties, including as a census enumerator.

Reception

The book was generally critically well received. The American Review of Reviews lauded the author as "a born story-teller and a born tramp", the combination of which gives "something worth while" to the reader; "In this book, which is full of speaking pictures, the reader gets not only a picture of the Canal Zone as seen by the curious tourist in a hurry, but the life and spirit of all the great engineering country." The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, in its review, agreed that "his account is chiefly notable for its intimate picture of the men who handle the steam shovels, tamp the dynamite cartridges, build the concrete locks, and run the never-ending procession of earth trains. He has seen them under all conditions, and his observations, tinged as they always are, with genuine humor, strike a human note, especially when he recounts his experiences among the West Indians."

By contrast, Preferred List of Books for Township and High School Libraries in the State of Michigan described the book as "entertaining", but said that "[h]is impressions are very definite, his experiences well told, but as a whole, the book makes a rather slight contribution and has little if any permanent value."

References

References

1. Shaw, Albert. (1913). "The American review of reviews". Review of Reviews.
2. (July 9, 1916). "With authors and publishers". New York Times.
3. University of the State of New York City State Library. (1917). "Bibliography, Volume 5, Issues 51-60". University of the State of New York.
4. (April 27, 1913). "A ZONE POLICEMAN; Mr. Franck Gives the Panama Canal's Human Side". New York Times.
5. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. (1914). "Among our books: a selected list of new books in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Volume 18". Carnegie Library.
6. Michigan. Dept. of Public Instruction. (1915). "Preferred list of books for township and high school libraries in the state of Michigan". Michigan Dept. of Public Instruction.