The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-02-09
GREAT BAGS OF MONEY.
How the Panama Canal LabOrers Get
Then Pay From Uncle sam.

I LACn ray from Uncle sam.
No more interesting scenes could be
/ imagined than those In the various
| camps on the Panama canal when the
| great army Of Iaborers employed by
| the United States government are paid
their wages from a special train fiIled
with mOney-chiefiy bags OF a thou
sand dollars each, Weighing about SO
pounds.
The skilled white laborers and Of
fee employees, about $500 in all, re-
ceive their $250,OOO in much the
same way as ordinary government
clerks are paid in Washington. OF
the labOrerss however, largely jana
lean negroes, there are at present s.
600 at least and they draw about
100000 month in fOrtnightIy pay
ments.
One might think that the pay clerks
in their train load Of specie would
feel uncomfortable among this army
Of dUsly giants, especially when the
train halts in some small tropical
camp and great sacks OF silver are
unIoaded in the jungle
The other day at Panama $4,000
was put on the pay car for the So
called silver men, working at Tab
emilia, San Pablo, Cristobal, Gratun
ana BohiO. Some jamaican colored
police were watching the negro boys
bringing out the sacks Of silver, and
others stood by the wagons while the
money was put on.
sixty exclaimed Mr.. waldrop, the
chief cashier.
A policeman climbed on to each
truck, the whips cracked and OF
went the teams OF mules with the
cashier and pay clerks bringing up
the rear in cabs. Mr.. Waldrop did
not seem to be afraid about leaving
the thOusand-dOIlar bags unguarded
on the railway station, where altoge-
Their there must have been nearly two
tons Of coined silver.
The pay car is, OF course, specially
constructed. and three lines Of labor
ers face its side doors These are
in pairs, and the men climb up on
the car trucks to one OF the double
doors, receive their money, pass out
at the other and leap down
The pay counter runs the entire
length Of the car, close to the doors,
and only one man can stand IN front
Of il at a time. Each applicant pre-
sents a pink pay certificate giving his
number, the amount Of wages due to
him. and the signature OF an official,
who certifies that the bearer is the
proper person to pay and has given
a receipt by signing his name on the
certificate.
For further security the labOrer
shows his diamOnd-shaped metal tag,
with his number stamped on it. This
usually hangs from his belt, but at the
pay counter he holds if up in his left
hand. puts down his certificate, grabs
OF his hat, and holds il out for the
shower Of silver. The pay clerk COM
pares the numbers, glances at the
signature. and then reaches under
the counter and throws rolls Of coin
and loose silver into the extended hat.
The rolls usually contain SIS done
up in packages by Chinese boys whom
the dfsbursing Office, after having
tried white clerks and girls, has found
to be the most rapid and accurate
money counters on the fsthmus. Two
Of them are hampiOns-Chong and
Leon These viii count and roll up
in SIS packages over $4,000 worth
Of silver dollars in a day and never
make a mistake. These two Chinese
boys counted and wrapped millions az
dollars, and not one package has ever
been found wrong. Their pay is about
SIS a month,
The scene IN the travelling pay train
is most interesting. The canal lab
orers are paid at the rate Of eight a
minute at each door, or twenty-fOur
a minute for the entire car. This rate
can be kept up provided no forged or
imperfect certificates are presented.
Forgeries there are OF course, but Of
very stupid kind Thus SO viii be
altered into thirteen in the figures on
the order to pay and not in the re-
ceipt Detection and arrests occur ev-
cry payday