Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-12-20

#@~f&@@%rEg -
EMPLOYEES who have been inspecting
honses where the stegomyia mosquito
IS TO he found, and destroying its
larvae and breeding places, and do
ing similar work in extermlnatln3
the malarial mosquitoes.
improvements in Panama and Colon.
The sanitation work In the cities
ef. Panama and Colon has been just
as important as in the Zone Itself,
and in many respects much more dit
fcult; because it was necessary to
deal with the already existing popu,
lation which naturally had scant
sympathy with revolutionary changes
the value Of which they were for a
long time. not able to perceive.
No Cause for Complaint About Food.
Iscaine to the CONCLUSION that.
speaking generally, there was no war
rant for complaint about the food.
Doubtless it grows monotonous after
awhile. Any man accustomed to
handling large masses of lei knows
that some of them, even though 9th
erwise very good men, are sure t.
grumble about something, and usual
" about their food.
Quarters Good and Satisfactory.
The white Americans are employed
some of them in office work, but the
majority In handling the great steam
shovels, as engineers and conductors
on the dirt trains, as mechanics in tho
great repair shops, as carpenters and
time-keepers, 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 be-
having precisely as the American
small boy and small girl behave at
home. @
Food Supplies-A 30-Cent Meal.
The housewives purchase their sup
plies directly, or through their hus-
bands, from the commissary stores Of
the commission. All to whom I spoke
agreed that the supplies were excel
lent, 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 investigation I did
not feel that this complaint was we'll
founded. The married men ate at
home. The unmarried men some
times ate at private boarding houses,
or private messes, but more often,
Judging by the answer Of those
whom I -questioned,at the government
canteens or hotels where the meal
costs 30 cents to each employee. This
3O-cept meal struck me as being as
good a meal as we get in the United
States at the ordinary hotel in which
a 50-cent meal is provided.
Here Mr.. Roosevelt speaks of the
Chinese and negro laborers, showing
how each class lives and that they are
properly housed and cared for and
further that both classes are salts
fed.
Recreation and Amusement.
One of the greatest needs at pres
ent is to provide amusements both
for the white and the black. The
Young Mems Christian Association
is trying to do good work and should
be III every way encouraged. But the
government should do the main work
[ have specifically called the atten.
ton Of the commission to this mat.
ter, and something has been accom-
plished already. Anything done fol
the welfare of the men adds to theil
efficiency and money devoted to tina
purpose is therefore properly to b,
considered as spent in building tn,
canal. 1t is imperatively necessar,
to provide ample recreation ans
amusement if the men arc to be KEEP
well and healthy. 1 call the specia
attention Of Congress to this need.
Work of Construction.
The work is now going on with
vigor and efficiency pleasant to- wit
ness. The three big, problems Of tn
canal are the La Boca dams, the Ga
tun dam and the Cu1ebra cut. TIL,
Culebra cut must be made, ar1how
but OF course changes as to the dams
Oh at least as to the locks adiacen
to the dams, may still occur. The L;
Boca dams offer no particular prob
lem, the bottom material being S
good that there is a practical eel
tainty, not merely as to what can b
achieved, but as to the time o
achievement. The Gatun dam offer
the most serious problem which W
have to solve; and yet the ablest me
on the isthmus believe that this prot
lem is certain Of solution along tn
lines proposed; although, Of course,
necessitates great toll, energy and II
telligence, and although equally, Q
course, there will be some little lis
IN connection with the work.
The Culebra Cut.
The Culebra cut does not offer sue
great risks; that is, the damage liabl
to occur from occasional land slidI