Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-11
BACK FROM CANAL ZONE.
J. c. Keys, Of ereenviIIe, 8. c, Tells
of the Progress Being Made.

of the Progress Being Made.
well, I'll tell you, the worst thing
about Panama is that they keep a
grave ready and open for you all the
time" said ]. c. Keys, shortly after
he arrived here yesterday from the
canal zone, via New York.
There Is no denying 1t, these
holes in the ground will come into
a fellows mind and as soon as he
experiences the slightest pain or ache,
and when he Is fat on his back
with case Of yellow fever, they
look worse than the bottomless pit
itself"
Mr.. Keys is well known In Green
Vile and his friends were delighted
to welcome him home from the
isthmus, where he holds position
with the United States government.
The sea voyage Of seven days has
restored his health and strength to
a great extent, and from his appear
afce one would never suppose that
he had only been out Of the govern
ment hospital at Ancon ten days,
having recovered from an attack Of
yellow fever In its most severe type.
81 never knew that I had the
disease until I was getting well,
when the doctors told me. had
my suspicious, though, for I knew
something about the treatment. 1t
Is not very pleasant to think about,
but those fellows had cablegrams to
my father all written and ready to
send off announcing the fact that ].
C. Keys was dead. got the better
Of them and the fever, too, and
later sent the message, II sail to-
day." which looked a lot better to
me.
Don't get the idea that the gov
ernment-I mean our government
has anything to do with those open
graves. 1t hasn't. They are there
simple as custom Of peculiar
as buying a lot in cemetery at Pan
anna or Colon is rarely known.
They are not for sale, but to rent.
For a certain sum your bones are
allowed to rest six months. At the
end Of that time, your relatives
and friends must put up another
stipend, or the place will be re-
opened and the cremation process
substituted. That accounts for the
open receptacles, which are used
time and again.
"But with It all Panama is not
80 bad as some have painted 1T
The government Is doing a mighty
work against the fever and in the
course Of time things will be clean,
and no expense Is spared In Its ef-
forts to make the men comfortable.
W. c. Gorgas, the physician who
cleaned up Havana, is in charge.
Thousands of dollars are being spent
in fumigation and disinfection. and
gradually the diseases are being cut
down. The talk of bubonic plague
amounts to nothing. Malarial fever
Is no worse than In this countdy,
and In the end yellow fever will be
practically disposed Of, 1t Is be-
lieved.
Speaking of the work on the canal,
Mr.. Keys said: About seventeen miles
of the canal has been dug so that
launches can traverse 1t. All OF this
was done by the French. The distance
across the isthmus is forty seven miles.
work is now going on at the worst
point, known as Culebra Hill, Where
there has to be cut Of 900 feet In
depth. This Is likely to be the last part
completed. Seven miles have been COM
p!eted from Panama on the Pacinc,
and twelve from ColoiI on the other
side. While the isthmus Is hilly and
mountainous, but few hills will have to
be cut. The labor Is being done by ia
maica negroes"
Asked about the people and the
country, Mr.. Keys said: 1.-The inhabi-
tants are mostly negroes and mulat-
toes. There are some whites, who are
of Spanish descent, and there Is also
show Of Indian blood The better class
are white. and some are we'll educated
and refined. but as a rule the people
are illiterate and immoral. The busi-
IL oil
are a large number Of Chinese mer-
chants who are making money. These
came to work on the canal under the
French. ooo
I'm Panama, which Is city OF 2O,0OO
inhabitants, there Is only one Protes-
tant church. That Is the only one on
the isthmus, so far as I know, with
the exception Of an Episcopal church
at Colon. The rest are Roman Cathonc.
ION the hills the country Is very
healthy. The government has one OF
its hospitals at Ancon, which has an
excellent climate ard Is just back or
the city Of Panama. In the town
garbage cans are used, ana the
streets are regularly cleaned. In
spectors are numerous and sewer
age system is being Installed. Co
Ion, the other terminus OF the rail-
on the Caribbean sea.
when 1t comes to an army and
a police force. the republic Of Pan
anna has them. The soldiers and po-
licemen are one and the same, and
1t takes four to make one good po-
liceman. They used to carry big
guns and swords, but now use night
sticks. Not long ego they. attacked
the Jamaica negroes just for some
thing to do" .... -.
Mr.. Keys has entirely recovered
from the effects Of the fever and has
with him a certificate from the
chief sanitary officer. He is rather
proud of the fact that he Is an
Immune" With a number OF
others he returned from Panama,
coming across the isthmus on the
Panama railroad to Colon, where the
Advance was boarded for the trip
to New York. He will return In six
weeks t. resume his work.-Green-
Vile News.