The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-14

SAI AhAC M AAAS AN
prevailed On the Isthmus when the
French were in possession. In August
1882 the second year of the French
occupancy with a force of 1900 meR,
the death rate was 112 per 1000. In
August, 1905, with a force OF 1900
men,, there were only s deaths or two
thirds OF q man per 1000.
IF we have not, as our critics com
| plain, made "the dirt fly" we have
made the filth fly, and we have made
yellow fever, that supreme terror OF
the tropics, fly SO far from the 18th
mus that 1t will never, let us hope, find
its way back again.
I'VE have established a hospital sys-
tenn which includes a large hospital at
Colon and another at Ancon, and a
| number of smaller hospitals at conve-
| nient points along the line. The one at
Colon is built on piers yer the Allan
tic ocean, and patients there have at
all times the benefit of cool and in
MIGRATING sea air. That at Ancon is
one of the largest and best equipped
in the world, situated on the hull above
| Panama and commanding a superb
view of mountains and sea.
QUARTERS OF EMPLOYEES.
"2nG. In regard to providing quar-
tiers for the employees. The commits
sion inherited from the French Com
pany more than 2,100 buildings, all
in bad condition. During the last car
over 500 of them have been repaired;
two new hotels. three stories high, ond
containing from 50 to GO rooms each,
have been completed, and authority
has been granted for eight others a
portion of which are under construc-
ton a. the present time. Work Is in
progress also On cottages for married
employees and on bachelor quarters.
In this work of construction 2,40O men
are employed and addition carpenters
are being sent oct with every steam
er. This work is being pressed ioc-
ward with the utmost yigOr.
PROVIDING FOOD SUPPLIES.
"3rd. In regard to food supplies. This
was The most serious problem that
confronted us. If We couldn't feed the
men, "" couldn't build the canal. Ow-
ing to the fact that the natives never
look Beyond their present necessities
no surplus food supply ever accumu
lates. This normal condition of no SUI
plus Was greatly intensified by the al
most total failure of the crops for tne
two preceding years, by the abandon
ment by AGRICULTURAL labOrers Of their
farms back in the hills for work on the
canal, where they received higher pay
shorte. hours, and by quarantine
against the port of Panama on account
Of bubonic plague, which prevented the
arrival of food stuff from neighbOring
provinces.
I'VE were thus brought face to face
with the problem of feeding twelve
thousand 02,000) men, with base o.
supplies 1000 miles away
I'VE Immediately arranged to open
local COmmiSSary stores at every i'm
portant labor camp, to provide ness
houses and to furnish food, both cook
ad ana uncooked to all employees at
cost. We cablcd orders to have
steamers equipped with refrigerating
plants: we arranged for the erection OF
q temporary cold storage plant at Co
lon; and we purchased refrigerator
cars Tor immediate shipment to the
Isthmus, thus establishing a line of re-
frigeraIIOn from the markets of rhe
United States to the cOmmissary sta
tons Of the Isthmus. We also pur-
chased from individual lessees the
equipment in existing hotels and as
suTned their management ourselves.
The net result Of these efforts is that
today we are affording to all employ
ees opportunity to obtain an abundant
supply of wholesome food, cooked and
%uncOohed, at reasonable prices. The
silver men-by which l mean the COM
mon labOrers-are being fed fol 80
cents per day, and the gold employees
by which l mean those of the higher
class-at go cents per day, and it is
good food in place of bad. There may
be dispute about the blessing of faint
ed money, but there can be none about
the curse of tainted meat.
OTHER IMPORTANT PROBLEMS.
"Buu in addition to these fundamen-
tai tasks of improving the health con-
ditions on the Isthmus and providing
for the physical comfort and we'll be-
ing of ali classes of employees, anoIh-
er essential preliminary to actual canal
building has been receiving our earnest
attention. | refer to the enlargement
and improvement of our facilities for
. receiving and distributing the immense
j quantities of material and supplies
which will enter into the construction
of the canal, as we'll as into the work
referred to. The ony really valuable
g. instrument essential to canal building
acquired by Our government IN It's pur-
chase from the French was the Panama
railroad. But this instrument, ike all
, the others whose wrecks cover the
Isthmus, had been neglected and it's
equipment allowed to become Obsolete
If the docks, wharves, warehouses, ter
miual yards, locomotives and cars or
tho Panama Railroad had been in
good repair, which they were not, they
still would have been entirely made
quate to properly care for and handle
the small commercial business the road
was transacting. The existing facili-
ties. Door al they were. were rendered
lesa efficient by the entire absence Of
any mechanical appliances on the
docks to assist in receiving Or dis
charging the steamers cargoes. The
negro iaborer was the only power en-
ployed; he was at nee the only hoiS.-
ing machine AMI the only travelling
orano in uco .-oaOipc hon tho ,ou-