The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-06-23
HE PAINTS PANAMA
IN S0MBRE C0lORS
Frederick T. Jones Returns to
Washington with Dismal
Report Of Conditions.
DIFFICULT TO GET AWAY
Fever Stricken Men Keep Working to
Get Money Enough to Pay
for Means CT
Escape.

Washington. June lT.-!Tar from dat
teril,g is the report OF conditions as
they exist for the w~orking!nan on the
Panama canal. brought back to Wash
lngton by Frederick 7. Jones. of 81
Twelfth street, southwest. lit is easy
enough to get into the canal zone" he
said. blu it is an entirely different
matter to get out again. l saw grown
mel break down and cry IKE babies
when the ship / was on pulled out with
out them. One MAJ i heard offer the
teward $50. when he had only s54 30,
and asked nothing except That he DO
allowed to sleep on the deck"
| 1t was less than TWO months ago that
Mr.. Jones, who is a painter by trade.
| received II letter from the Panama
canal commission. notifying him of his
appointment as a foreman of painters
at 500 Il month md asking that he
start for the isthmus at the earliest
possible date. Transportation from
New York would be furnished the letter
said, and on April % he sailed.
$3.50 a Night for a Room.
Il reached Colon on Saturday. April
90 said Mir. Jones yesterday, " and
was told to report at Panama. l went
over to mann at once and at 4 O'Clock
walked into the administration build
ing. There the chief clerk told me 10
hang around until Monday. and after
endless trouble l found a room where
/ could sleep the two nights for So.
White Mar Stands No Chance.
Scores of men from all the trades
are attracted by the promise of an adj
vance In wages to so to the canal zone.
l know 1t was that way with me. !
counted up that 500 a month means
$ 1900 a year. Here in Washington.
as things are now, we painters are
lucky If we have work six months out
of the year and make more than $500.
"When this offer of 500 n month
came and l decided to AXE 1t I told my
mother that l would send her $50 each
month and keep the other $50, and
thought that by working that way for
a year l could have $500 saved"
Mr.. Jones explained that the govern
ment promises each emp:oye or the
great ditch six weeks' annual leave and
one month sick leave. but the annual
leave does not carry pay With it until
after the leave taker' returns to work
at the end of the period. Further than
that the niue. incensed Washington
man declares that no negroes from ia
maica or Costa alternatives of the
tropics, who should be at least partial
ly acclimated-can live in the canal
zone for a year, and that a white man
from the states stands no chance at all.
In the Grip of the Fever.
ut is pitiful." Mr.. Jones declared.
You can see American machinists and
iron moulders all along the line. men
who by their frames you now must
have been we'll built and strong. stag
gering around, scarcely able to walk.
yet working with indomitable will. All
of them are in the grip of the fever.
II not II White man in 100 will you
see who is not walking with the queer,
shutting gait of the Jamaicans. which
indicates nat the fever is weakening
their knees.
"One day l Went into n field hospital
to have a small cut on one of my fin
gers dressed. and while / was there ar,
American machinist crawled rather
than walked in and asked for nuinine.
'Quinine.' the doctor exclaimed. after
n look at him. Why. man, you had
better come into the hosni;al and stay.
mo, 10, no. the sufferer shouted.
I nave only four more days to work
and then I will have enough to so
hOme.'"