The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-10-26
OF WORK
ON PANAMA
CANAL
Former Floridian Says ia
maiean Negroes Are
@ Worthless.

Harry l.. Russell. a former resident
of Jacksonville, who worked on the
Times-t'nion In 1926. when Cnaries II.
Jones was edi,or, mas recently arrived
in the city and is spending some little
ti,rG here before returning to the
lst5mus of Panama, where for num-
Der of years he has been connected in
various capacities. says the Jackson
vile Times-U Union.
The life OF Mr. Russell has been an
eventful one. When the Spanish
American war was brewing nc was
warrant machinist on board the
United States battleship Maine, and
says he was on board that vessel
when she was blown up in Havana.
hsrbor, on February, Is, 1898. He
lived on the Pacific coast for awhile
and was married out there He says
that his wife and child were killed
in San Francisco du; ing the earth
quake that did such damage there
last April. He returned from the
Panama canal zone about three
months ago and has undergone an
operation, in the Stapleton hospital on
Staten Island, N Y, for appendicitis.
Shortly after his return to the
states, and long before the Isthmian
Canal Commission announced its de-
cision in regard to letting out the
work of constructing the canal 10 con-
tractors. Mr.. Russell gave the Boston
Herald long interview on conditions
on the canal zone, in which he stated
that il the canal was ever dug, it
would be by contractors and not by
government labor.
He also declared at that time, and
still insists, that Chinese coolie labor
is the only labor that will ever be Sc
cured that will giys satisfaction on
the canal zone.
In speaking of the canal and the
work generally to a Times Union re-
porter last night Mr. Russell said that
there has been practically nothing
| done since the Americans took hold.
He said that the vast majority of la
DOrers employed are Jamaica negroes
! and that they are not at all salts
| factory. Al
| Worthless Jamaica Negroes.
There is absolutely no comparison
between the American negro and the
Jamaica negro" said Mr.. Russell
THE Jamaica negro is lazy, no &C.
count, and is always pulled up with
the feeling that he is a British sub,
ject. The average amount of real
work gotten out of jamaica negro
in one day Is about one hour. He is
an impudent, contemplate niger,
and cannot be depended upon for any.
thing. When the French company
withdrew from the isthmus many
Thousands of these worthless Jamaica
negroes were left stranded and the
British government had to provide
transportation to Jamaica. Now
there are thousands of them again in
the canal zone, but the government re-
quires each laborer leaving Jamaica
TO deposit, before he leaves, an
amount sufficient to defray the ex
pense Of returning, so that in case the
dear black subject gets stranded he
will really be paying his own fare
when the government sends him back
to his native isle.
Gorgas' Good Work.
Col. Gorgas, the surgeon In charge
OF the sanitary work of the canal
zcne, is doing great work; in fact
about the only real work that Is being
done there. He Is getting the zone in
a sanitary condition and when the
contractors take hold and start to
push the work of actually digging the
canal, the conditions will be far ahead
OF what they are at present.
IF contractor, such as John B.
Mcdonald OF New York, the man who
built the great subway, will take hold
OF the canal work, and put Chinese la
horers at work he will be able to cut
the canal in reasonable time, but II
the government tries to do the work,
it win be forty years, or more before
a respectable showing is made"
| Capt. Stanton Is There.
Mr. Russell saws thar ha knovo