Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-30
MAGOON TALKS OF
PANAMA AFFAIRS
BIGEL0W'S VISIT BRIEF AND
HE SAW LITTLE
Says Conditions Are HeaIthful, Except
for MaIaria-penles Stories Re-
gardlng Women Imported
From Martinique
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Jan. 20.-Gov Charles
u. Magoon of the Panama canal zone,
who arrived here from Colon yester-
t. p. shonts, chairman of the canal
commission at the waldorf-Astoria
last night. Later he talked with re-
porters and It developed that his view
and Poultney Bigelow's of the condi-
by Mr.. Bigelow in a recent published
article, differ widely. He said:
"Mr. Bigelows visit was very brief.
He reached Colon at 10 o'clock in the
morning on Thanksgiving day, caught
a train that landed him in Panama
city at o'clock, remained there an
hour and a half and returned to Colon.
He left the isthmus next day at 2:10
o'clock / understand that he spoke
of the manner in which the work was
going forward and spoke of seeing la
borers at work. AS a matter of fact,
he was at Panama on holiday, when
no one worked, so in that respect he
is mistaken.
IL was appointed in April" con-
tinued the governor, land went down
there in May This is the first time I
nave DepU DdCk. AS TO WneLneT CDe
country Is healthy, / suppose my own
appearance might afford some indica-
ton"
Mr. Magoon smiled as he said this.
He is more than six feet in height and
weighs more than 200 pounds. He has
fine tropical tan and is the picture
of health.
"'The only illness I have had down
there" he continued, was rather
-
reaching the isthmus. There was no
epidemic of yellow fever when 1 ar
rived, but it was suppressed. The
measures adopted to combat it by the
sanitarians have driven it out, 1 be-
lieve.
'I believe malaria on the isthmus
Is very bad. 1t is a common disease.
and, of course, immunity is not ac-
quired 1t is not so severe, however,
as the malaria which developed in
some of the western states, such as
Michigan and Illinois, when they were
first opened up.
Concerning the Mosquitoes
"The stegoymia, as the yellow fever
breeding mosquitoes are named, de-
velop in habitations, and are attacked
in the towns by fumigation. The ano-
pheles, the malaria breeding mosqui-
and are attacked with great success
by draining. A great deal of oil is
also used. 1t is our ultimate object to
drain strip half a mile wide clear
across the isthmus to reduce the prop
agation to a minimum"
Gov. Magoon said that there are now
about $4,000 laborers engaged in the
canal work and 10000 other employees.
In reply to a question concerning the
al nj Of fcfh I,o
governor said:
II have no hesitation in saying that
there is not a house of public gambling
or of ill-fafne in the canal zone; there
have not been any such, nor will
there be.
"The stories concerning the 2S0 Mar
Unique women now in the zone are dis
credited by the conduct Of the women
themselves. They have been watched
by the police all the time since their
arrival There have been no arrests
and no complaints about them. OF the
whole number, 100 are living with men
whom they declare to be their hus-
bands. They are attending to their
ordinary household duties, as would
women Of their own class in any peace
full community. The majority of the
remaining 120 are employed as domes-
tic servants in the households of resi-
dents of the canal district. Some of
them are in the employ of clergymen.
Importation of Luxurles
Governor Magoon was asked about
the reported importation into Panama
at the expense Of the United States
government of silver candelabra and
other fine house fiXings.
"The Panama railroad commissioners
import and sell such things as they
desire to handle" he said. They are
not bought with government money at
ALL There is no doubt they did i'm
port 1000 suit cases. If anything is
needed in that country to pack things
in it is suit case. People wear col
lars, cuffs and neckties there as else
where, and they are to be bought, as
are perfumes and the like.
Regarding the work ON the canal. ]
can only say it speaks for itself. That
is outside my province. The men are
all busy. They are paid from IA to &c
cents an hour. The men are housed in
cleanly barracks. with 500 cubic feet
of breathing space for each. From
twenty-five to thirty negroes are housed
in one building. More white men are
allowed in a single building, but the
buildings are larger. They sleep in
sanitary cots, some of them double
deckers. The floors In the new build
ings are all water tight, most of them
being of cement.
1T was necessary at first to use the
old buildings used by the French. They
were first repaired, however. More new
barracks are going up all the time
and 1t will not be long before the old
ones will be abandoned"