Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-18

as maChtniStS In the great repair shops. ds
carpenters and timekeepers. supsrinten-
dents, 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 m
school are running about and behaving pre-
cisely as the American small boy and girl
behave at home. The bachelors among the
employees live, sometimes in small sep
arate houses, sometimes in large houses;
quarters being furnished free to all the
men, married and unmarried Usually the
bachelors sleep two in a room, as they
would do in this country. l found few
cases where three we're in room; and l
was told Of although I did not see, large
rooms in which four were sleeping; for 1t
is not possible in what is really a vast
system OF construction camps always to
provide in advance as ample house room
as the commission intend later to give.
In one case, where the house was an old
French house with a leak in the roof,
did not think the accommodations were
good. But in other cases, among the scores
Of houses l entered at random, the ac-
commoda tions were good; every room was
neat and clean, usually having books mag
azines, and small ornaments; and in short
4 just such a room as a self-respecting
craftsman would be glad to live in at
| home. The quarters for the married peo-
/ pie were even better Doubtless there must
/ be here and there a married couple who,
with or without reason, are not contented
with their house on the isthmus; but 1
never happened TO strike such a couple.
! The wives Of the steam shovel men, engt-
! neers, machinists and carpenters into whose
| houses l went, all with one accord ex-
! pressed their pleasure in their home life
| and surroundings. Indeed, 1 do not think
| they could have done otherwise. The
| houses themselves were excellent-bath
room, sitting room, piazza and bed rooms
being all that could be desired. In every
| house which l happened to enter the mis-
tress of the home was evidently a good
American housewife and helpmate, who
had given to the home life that touch of
| attractveness which, of course, the bache-
Tor quarters neither had nor could have.
Food Supplies.
The housewives purchase their supplies
directly or through their husbands, from
the commissary stores of the commission
All to whom I spoke agreed that the sup
plies 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 investigation 1 did not feel that
this complaint was well founded The mar
ried men ate at home. The unmarried men
sometimes ate at private boarding houses,
or private messes, but more often judging
by the answers of those whom l questioned,
at the government canteens or hotels where
the meal costs 80 cents to each employe.
This 3O-cent meal struck me as being as
good meal as we get in the United States
at the ordinary hotel in which a 5O-cent
meal is provided. Three-fourths OF the men
whom 1 questioned stated that the meals
furnished at these government hotels were
good, the remaining one-fourth that they
were not good. 1 myself took dinner a the
La Boca government hotel, no warming
whatever having been given Of my coming.
There were two rooms, as generally in
these hotels. In one the employees were al
lowed to dine without their coats, while in
the other they had to put them on. The 30
cent meal included soup, native beef
(Which was good) mashed potatoes peas,
beets, chilli con carne, plum pudding tea,
coffee-each man having as much of each
dish as he desired On the table there was
bottle Of liquid quinine tonic which two
thirds of the guests, as l was informed,
used every day There were neat table
cloths and napkins. The men, who were
taking the meal at or about the same time
included railroad men, machlnists, ship
wrights and members OF the office force
The rooms were clean, comfortable and
airy, with mosquito screens around the
outer piazza. l was informed by some OF
those present that this hotel, and also the
other similar hotels were every Saturday
night turned into club houses where the
American officials, the school teachers and
various employees appeared, bringing theii
wives there being dancing and singing
There was a piano in the room, which
was informed was used for the music or
these occasions. My meal was excellent
and two newspaper correspondents who haC
been on the isthmus several days Informed
me that it was precisely like the meals they
had been getting elsewhere at other govern
ment hotels.
Chinese and other Labor
. or the 1900 or 5000 day laborers EN-
: ployed on the canal a few hundred ar,
Spaniards. These do excellent work. TheI
- foreman told me that they did twice al
e well as the West India laborers. They
1 keep healthy and no difficulty is experienced
( with them in any way Some Italian le
e borers are also employed in connection will
e the drilling. AS might be expected. will
labor as high priced as at presen. in tn,
e United States. 1t has not so far proved
+ practicable 20 get any ordinary laborer
e from the United States. The American
) wage workers on the sthmus are tn
l. highly paid skilled mechanics Of the type
l mentioned previously. steady effort {
J. being made to secure Italians, and espe
e cially to procure more Spaniards. becaus
Of the very satisfactory results that hav
come from their employment, and thei
# numbers win be increased as far as posi-
j. BILE. 1t has not proved possible, however
d to get them in anything like the number
d needed for the work, and from present ap
k pearances we shall in the main have L
It rely, for the ordinary unskilled work. partl
r. upon colored laborers from the West Indies
n partly upon Chinese labor. It certainl
e ought to be unnecessary to point out tina
i the American workingman in the Unite
It States has no concern whatever in tn
r question as to whether the rough work o
l the isthmus, which Is performed by alien
Ne in any event. is done by aliens from on
3; country with a black skin or bv allen
II from another country with a yellow skir
m Our business is to dig the canal as Ell
g fciently and as quickly as possible Pre-
r vided always that nothing is done that
10 inhumane 20 any laborers, and nothin
" that interferes with the wages OF or lower
ar the standard Of living of our own worl
le men. Having in view this principle. I hay
10 arranged to try several thousand Chimes