The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-07

the canal project will be much nearer,
but from the writer's observations, it
looks as tho many good men will be
sacrificed to the swamps and jungles Of
the isthmus. ~ -
&c., Natives Troublesome.
The negroes of Panama and Jamaica
are the LATEST and most slovenly, type
Of creature that ever claimed kin to
the human race thru a slight similarity
Of image. They have made more
trouble in the digging of the canal I'M
der the old regime than almost any
other cause. There are perhaps 5000 Of
them still at work on the job, all Of
them sick Of the work and yet too lazy
to throw it up and 60 somewhere else.
Their wages average much less than a
dollar day and the effect Of the ener-
waiting climate and the lesson. of the
$4,000 graves of victims to the .isthmian
climate, in sight. Of which they work, is
rapidly demoralizing them. ~. ss15f
In Cristobal Colon and Panama there
is some little attempt at social gaiety..
Many semi. wealthy Spaniards who have
emigrated from Cuba, Mexico and the
South American republics have settled
in these. cities and become the
"grandees'' Of the neighborhood
They are commonly a somewhat ignor-
ant and gross set; but have established
an aristocracy Of their own, and
already some little signs of education
are manifest among the best of them.
The canal commission has nothing but
hindrance to expect from the men Of
this class. They are there to feed off
the land for the benefit Of themselves
alone, and anything they can coin out
of the project they consider legitimate
Espoil, due them onx4aeeount. Of their
foresight in settling down in the canal
zone.sa 49, U.s. r. ::
E: What the, Commission Found.
! The first discouragement to the engi-
neers who were sent down to look over
the ground by the United States canal
commission must have come with their
first glimpse Of the chaos left behind
/ by De Lesseps and the New French
+ Panama Canal company.
The exact length Of the canal as now
7 laid out is 1919 miles, of which seven
teenz on the Atlantic side and, eight
and one half on the Pacific side are thru
low, marshy ground. !, The remainder
is more or less elevated. The French
companies Sexcavated about 800O0,OO0
cubic: yards of earth, Or four-ffths Of
the total dug at Suez. Extensive as
L this cutting and digging has been,
about half being available for the pres
lent enterprise, yet it seems like a few
spade uls ms proportion to the work
lying before the commission:
f. At every point the extravaganza of
| the officials in charge Of former efforts
is apparent. Lack Of system, unbusi-
nesslike methods, un,favorable condi-
! tions, insufficient preparation, and
/ downright % hard-luck crop out on
every hand. The graves of 5000 work
men, negroes, Americans, Frenchmen
ard Germans, men engaged in all
classes Of work, line the hillsides and
the conditions under which the work
! : have to be overcome before its success
full completion.
All along the fifty miles Of the route
Of the canal is strewn machinery where
it was dropped when the last French
company stopped work. Much Of this
| is we'll housed, but the profusion al
valuable machines lying around every.
where without guaru or care Of any
sort is amazing to the practical Amer:
lean. There were actually over $685.
900, 900 worth Of these machines, $780,
600 worth to the mile, lying in every
conceivable position and locality. All
enormous dredge, woSth several hun.
dred Thousand dollars, was discovered
at one point, resting peacefully on tor
of a small hill. How it ever got there
is one of the unso1vable mysteries of