The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-12-30
PANAMA'5 PERILS.
Disease and Tropic Heat Would Aid
(1uearilla Warfare.
4 COLUMBIAN FROM COLOMBIA
Tells Of the Conditions Of that
Country Which is Causing
So Much Agitation
These Days.

So Much Agitation
These Days.
The Columbia State says Mr.. NJ
Polgreen, now proprietor Of the Ware
One furniture store in Columbia, but
who is a native of the Barbados and
who has spent several years in Cuba
and the Philippines and who worked
two years as laborer on the Panama
canal under the now defunct French
company, says that in case Of war be-
tween this country and Colombia
Uncle Sans soldiers will come In con-
tact with unsanltary and generally
sickly conditions in the enemy's coun-
try that will make the fever and dis
ease laden swamps and river sections
OF Cuba and the Philippines look like
blooming health resorts. He also
speaks of the fine opportunity for al
most endless guerrilla warfare the
marshes and mountain faStnesses and
other Typographical conditions afford
the natives in the Colon bian country.
Mr.. Polgreen has lived Is years in
this country, but before coming here
be spent three years in Cuba and some
time in the Philippines. He worked
under the French company in 1885
and 1886, at Bohio, Tavernilla, Cor
goria, Emparador, Culebra, Laboca,
and lived two months in Panama city.
He says that the canal companJ's
hospital, which was maintained or a
high mountain plateau near the city
OF Panama, was really little more than
a stopping place for the compan7's
enploye patients on their way to the
company cemetery nearby, where tae
victims, according to the numbers on
the little wooden cross placsd at the
head of each grave, numbered thous-
ands even in the short time be was
there. He was himself in the hospital
six times from fever but owing to his
swarthy temperament was able to sur
vive. The Caagres fever (Which de-
rives its name from the Chagres river,
with which the engineers had 50
much trouble 90 account Of its wind
ing across the path Of the canal so
mai times) resembles our Georgetown
hem, crhagic fever, is contracted with
as little apparent provocation and is
as quickly and even more surely fatal.
But yellow fever is always also cpl
demic, though he did not remember
hearing much about smallpox, a.
though that disease prevailed to IN
extent and was Of viru mt tyre.
A rerarka Die case, which as spoke 20
of all over the country at he time,
was that Of al Italian who survived
three attacks of yellow feve,. the last
case reaching the black Vonlit stage.
Yellow fever and Chagres ever I'd
smallpox iDd all the other diseas es
and ccmpl ain5s were treated in the
same wards, which explained the great
number of fatalities. Some OF tle
laborers who hung about the diggin 5s
were lazy aud trifing, the climate :e-
quiring sea rcely any clothes aud Of 10
variety, there being no seasons, and
there being plenty of fruit which gr'W
wild. These men when they feel i'll
were not lowed in the hospital al d
when they died they were carried IN
a board outside the diggings and
dumped ir a hole without ceremo ~
and without regret.
Most Ct ihe natives live in the cit es
and towns and farming is OF the mcSt
desultory Kind, a half acre patch bel lg
cleared aro olnd a cabin here and there
and these places being several mi es
apart. The natives ale lazy, trif1i og
sort, who work for a few days at a
time only when they are hard up Tor
a little cash. Most Of the cultivation
aud the best Of it was done by the
Jamaica negro laborers On the canal
who seemed to stand the climate best.
Florid people are the most susceptible
to the fever and die quicker, the at
tacks following exposure In the ter
rible sun after being wet. And nearly
every day sees both these weather con-
ditionS.
Mr.. Polgreen's experience with the
revolver and machete carrying hot
blooded natives might furnish an IN
teresting sidelight study to some OF
the South Carolina members Of the
legislature who have been so regular
ly failing to solve the 'pistol-toting'
habit. Every male native carries a
machete and a revolver, both buckled
about his waist where they can. be
plainly seen. -,
YES" said Mr.. Polgreen, those
natives are bot blooded, just as other
swarthy southerners are, and they are
densely ignorant and very sensitive
and quick to resent an insult, but |
never witnessed or heard Of any "a
talities resulting from personal di fl
culties, Everybody being armed,
there is little opportunity TO do the
bully stunt. There is practically no
law, but neither is there much chan ce
Of shooting man down without dan
ger OF getting seriously hurt in the
process, although those beastly Span
iards are as treacheiouS as Indians.
Cotton in England.
A dispatch from Manchester, Eng