Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-22
FIVE MONTHS AT cULEBRA.
Experience Of Virginia Carpenter In
Panama.

| rived today from New York was 8
young man from this vicinity who
went to the canal zone about five
months ago as foreman Of force OF
carpenters engaged in erecting quar-
ters at Culebra. In response to ques-
tions, he gave some interesting infor-
nation regarding conditions in
the canal zone up to June 4th, the
date on which he sailed. He talked
freely but asked that his name be moi
used.
'I stood a civil service examination
at Norfolk last January" said my in
formant, land sailed for New York
the government furnishing transpor-
tation to the isthmus and pay at the
rate Of fifty-seven cents to sixty-f1ve
cents an hour-eight hours a day,
| with time and a half for overtime
Sundays and holidays-beginning
when we left New York. We reach
ed Colon in the afternoon, after a
voyage Of seven days, and went to
work at Culebra next morning. Our
regular hours were from to II and
from 1 to 5, two hours being taken
In the middle Of the day. Shortly
after going to work was made fore
man of gang Of carpenters, my pay
being increased from fifty-seven to
sixty-five cents an hour. At this rate,
counting over time, / averaged about
1852 a month, but this Is not near as
much as 1t seems, for expenses are
high. The most ordinary sort of
board costs $50 a month-in fact II
was the worst grub I ever ate-laun-
dry from $6 to So, and this Is not ALL
The negro women who do the wash
ing put the clothes on rocks beside
a stream and beat them with stick
It Is a good shirt that will survive
more than three such washings-
most Of them are worn out after one
or two experiences. A 10-cent piece
Of tobacco here cost fifty cents In
Panama. Ice Is sold at ten cents a
pound by dealers, but canal employees
ran secure it from the commissary
at two cents The Commissary also
furnishes many other things at rea-
sonable rates, but when one goes to
trade with the merchants, the great
er part Of whom are Chinese, every
thing is high-priced."
Little Work on Canal.
what has been done there in the
way Of actually digging the canal?'
was asked.
VERY little SAID the foreman.
Mine steam shovels and good-sized
force Of men are at work In the cut,
moving a good deal Of dirt, but II
makes but little showing over what
the French had accomplished. Guile
bra cut, which is through the noun
tain Of that name, will be 500 feet
deep, about eighty feet wide at the
bottom and a mile wide at the top
The cut proper extends for seven OF
eight miles, or will when completed
At present the excavation Is about
200 feet deep for a distance Of two
miles. The soil is exceedingly rocky
through the mountains and much
blasting Is necessary-it sounds like
cannonading sometimes, when they
set off a lot Of shot at once"
How about accidents-do many
men get killed In the works?"
IT think about twenty-five white
men have been killed at Culebra since
went there. A good many smash
ups of engines and cars Of dirt trains
occur in and about the cut"
What did the force Of carpenters
at Culebra accomplish in the five
months you spent there?" I asked.
Twenty Houses In Five Months.
1--WE built about twenty comfortable
dwelling houses and when I left on
June End, some fifteen others were
under way. When I first arrived
there were some white men and about
100 Jamaica negro carpenters al
work. We built ordinary frame
houses, rather rough. but none OF
them ceiled All, however, were
screened to keep out Insects. Al
times we would run out Of material
and then the negro carpenters would
be laid off. The men from the states
had to be provided with work all the
time or paid the same as though they
were at work"
when are you going back?" the
foreman was asked.
Not at ALL was the reply. u
have had enough. I am on on SIX
weeks leave Of absence, but it's nc
more canal work for me-"
| you are disappointed then"
Yes, very much. The worst fea-
ture Is the climate. Sanitary condi-
tions at Colon and Panama are very
bad. but the United States govern.
ment Is cleaning up both towns, and
will in time have them In good condi'
ton. I spent two days-June 3rd and
4th-at Colon and 1t was then In ar
awful condition, despite the drainage
and other work in progress. NOW
Culebra. the headquarters Of the ca
nal administration, Is in the highest
ground of the zone. thirty-four mile:
from Colon and thirteen miles from
Panama and 1t is perhaps as healthy
as it can be made. When one gets VI
in the morning, he finds his clothes
thoroughly wet from heavy dew, ever
though he lives in a good house. II
short time it becomes very warm
and but for the constant breeze white
men could not live there. At night
double blanket Is generally necessary
for comfort. I spent eleven days IT
the hospital while I was on the 18TH
mus, and it was necessary to take
medicine all the time. There Is
hospital car attached to the passenger
trains on the Panama railroad, ano
it is filled with sick on nearly every
trip. 1 never heard how many died
as nothing Of the kind was allowed
to get out, as it might tend to frighter
the men at work. The most Of the
| deatbs are among the jamaican ne