The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-21
PRESIDENTS TRIP TO PANAMA
Continued from 9th Page.l

ever. which the average man VINO
STAYS at home in the United States
probably likewise holds IS regards him
sell. | append figures of the wages
paid, so that the congress can judge
he matter for itself. Later / shall con-
fer on the subject with certain repre-
sentative labor men here in the InlLed
States, az well as going over with Mr..
stevens, the comparative wages paid
On the zone and at home; and | nay
then communicate my findings 70 the
canal committees of the two houses.
QUARTERS GOOD AND SATISFAC-
TORY
The white Americans are employed,
some of them in office work, but the
majority in handling the great steam
novels, as engineers and conductors on
the dirt trains, a. machlnists in the
great repair shops, as carpenters and
rime-keepers,1 superintendent, and
fOremen Of divisions and Of gangs, and
so on and so on. Many Of them have
brought down their wives and families;
and the children when not in school
are running about and behaving pre-
cisely as the American boy and small
girl behave at home. The bachelors
among the employees live, sometimes
in small separate houses, sometimes in
large houses; quarters being furnished
free to all the men, married and I'M
married. Usually the bachelors sleep
TWO in a room. as they would do in
this | found a few cases
where three were in a room; and | was
told Ct. althO l did not see, large
rOO-rs in which four were sleeping; for
if IS not possible in what is really a
vast system Of construction camps al
WAYS to provide ia advance as ample
house room as the commission intend
Later 10 give. In II case, where the
house was an old French house with a
leak in the roof, I did net think the ac-
concentrations were good But IN
every other case among the scores OF
houses | entered at random, the accom-
mCdatiOn9 were good: ever room was
neat and clean. usually having books
magaZincs. and small ornaments: and
in short just such a O as a Sc-f-Te-
speeding craftsman would be glad to
live in at home. The quarters for he
married people were even better.
Doubtless there must be here and there
a married couple who. with or without
reason. a~e not cOntentef with their
house on the Isthmus; but | never hao-
pened to strike such a couple. The
wives OF the steam-shOvel men, engi-
neers, machiniSts, and carpenters into
whose houses | went, all with one &C
cord exprest their pleasure in their
home life and surroundings. Indeed l
do not think they could Ave done
otherwise. The houses themselves
were excellent-bathrooms, sitting
-;ou,o ,-a haIrocnoOr hnino all
that could be desired In every house
which / happened to enter the mistre IS
of the heme was evidently a go I'd
Americabn housewife and helpmeet,
who had given to the home life that
touch of attractiveness which, OF
course, the bachelor quarters neither
had nor could have.
FOOD SUPPLIES. A THIRTY-CENT
MEAL.
The housewives purchase their sup
plies directly. or thru husbands, from
the eommissary stores OF the commits
sion. All to whom | spoke agreed that
the supplies were excellent, and all but
two stated that there was no complaint
to be made; these two complained that
the prices were excessive as compared
to the prices in the states. On Invest
CATION | did not feel that this conf
plant was we'll founded The married
men ate at home. The unmarried men
sometimes ate at private boarding
houses, or private messes, but more Of
ten, Judging by the answers of those
whom / questioned, at the government
canteens or hotels where the meals
costs 80 cents to each employee. This
30-cent meal struck me as being as
good q meal as we get in the United
States at the ordinary hotel in which
a 6o-cent meal is provided. Three
fourths of the men whom | questioned
stated that the meals furnished at
these government hotels were good, the
remaining one-fourth that they were
not good. / myself tOok dinner at the
La Boa government hotel, no warming
whatever having been given of my com.
ing. There were two rooms as gen
orally in theSA hotels In one the
employees were allowed 10 dine With
out their coats. Whit in the other they
had to put them on The 50-Ccnt mea
included soup, native beef (which va:
good. mashed potatoes. peas heets
chili con caTne, pl3Tn -iuHln@ Yea
eOffee-each ma having as much O
each dish as ne GesiinL. On the tabl
there was a bottle o. liquid qulrln|
tonic, which two-thirds of the guests
as was informed used every day
There were neat tdb!eCi0th5 and nap
kins. The men, who were taking III
meal at or about the SAM time III
Guided railroad men, MIC ln!siS, snip
wrights, and meu,beTS % the 0ft1c'
force. The rooms were clean, comfort
able. and airy, with mosquito sclcen
around the outer piazza was In
formed by some of those present tha
his hotel, and also the other sirlila
hotels. were every Saturday nigh
turned into clubhouses where tn
American officials, the schcol-tctchers
and various employees. appeared
bringing their wi"es there bein
Sancing and singing. There was
alamo in the room, which | was in