Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-07-31
PAYING OFF AT PANAMA.
Handling Of the Money for the Work
ers on the Great Isthmian
Canal.

Imagined tnan In Lne NdFiOuS
camps on the Panama canal, when the
great army of laborers employed by
the United States government are PAID
their wages from a special train filled
with money-ehiefiy bags OF $l,OUO
each, Weighing about so pounds. The
skilled white laborers and office en-
ployes, about $500 in all, receive their
pay once a month, amounting to Q
$25O, 900, in much the same way as
ordinary government clerks are paid
In Washington. OF the laborers, how
ever-largely jamaican negroes =
there are at present $4,000 at least, and
they draw about 100000 q month In
fortnightly payments.
One might think that the pay clerks
in their train load of specie would feel
uncomfortable among this army OF
dusky giants, especially when the train
halts in some small tropical camp and
great sacks of silver are unloaded In
the jungle. The other day, writes a
correspondent 1t Panama saw $780,
900 put ON the pay car for the so-called
''siiver men" working at Taberniila,
San Pablo, Cristobal Gatun and Bobio.
Some Jamaican colored police were
watching the negro boys bringing out
the sacks Of silver, and others stood
by the wagons while the money was
put on.
sixty" exclaimed Mr.. Waldrop, the
chief cashier. A policeman climbed
onto each truck, the whips cracked,
and off went the teams of mules with
the cashier and pay clerks bringing
up the rear in cabs. Mr.. Waldrop did
not seem to be afraid about leaving
the $1,000 bags ~unguarded on the rail-
way station, where altogether. there
must have been nearly two tons of
coined silver. 3 The pay car Is, OF
course, specially constructed, and three
lines of laborers face its side doors.
These are in pairs, and the men
climb up or the car trucks to one OF
the double doors, receive their money,
pass out at the other, and leap down.
The pay counter runs the entire
length Of the car, close to the doors,
and only one mar can stand In front
of it at a time. Each applicant pre-
sents a pink pay certificate giving his
number, the amount of wages due to
him, and the signature of an official,
who certifies that the bearer Is the
proper person to pay and has given a
receipt by signing his name on the GER
tificate.
For further security the laborer
shows his diamond-shaped metal tag
with his number stamped on 1t. This
usually hangs from his belt, but at
the pay counter he holds 1t up in his
left hand, puts down his certificate,
grabs off his hat, and holds it out for
the showed of silver. The pay clerk
compares the number, chances at the
signature, and then reaches under the
counter and throws rolls of coin and
loose silver into the extended hat.
The rolls usually contain $25 done
up in packages by Chinese boys whom
the disbursing office, after having
tried white clerks and girls, have
found to be the most rapid and ac-
curate money counters on the isthmus.
L WI VI IuCu1 dI6
and Leon. These will count and roll
up il $25 packages over SIS, 1000 worth
Of silver dollars in a day, and never
make a mistake. These two Chinese
boys have counted and wrapped mil
lions of dollars, and not one package
has ever been found wrong. Their pay
is about $75 a month.
The scene in the travelling pay train
Is most interesting. The canal labor
ers are paid at the rate of eight a
minute at each door. or "a minutes
for the entire car. This rate can be
kept up, provided no forged or imper-
feet certificates are presented. For
geries there are, of course, but of a very
stupid kind. Thus three dollars will
be altered to $13 in the figures on the
order to pay and not in the receipt!
Detection and arrests occur every pay
day.
These Jamaican negroes would
never dream of stealing money from
the pay car in the ordinary way, but
such of them as are not wholly illit-
eIdIc Simply 6iOly III dyln6 W ueIlOH-
strate to their less cultured" breth-
rem what a valuable thing education
is, and how 1t can be turned into
money.
On goes the pay train into the jun
gle at .Tabernilla and Gatun, as we'll
as the smaller camps, where the ne
groes. after getting paid, run scream
ing with delight into the bush, and
play like children or monkeys with
the %glittering silver. The matter of
currency in the isthmus is most in
tricate. Heavy Mexican dollars are
furnished by the Panama government
to the canal paymaster for the ''sil-
yer" men; but the gold men" are
paid on the 4th of every month in
different currency altogether. The
pay certificates are returned to the
divisions for redistribution once more
to the men; and the time books, time
rolls, and pay rolls are sent to the dis
bursting officer to be checked and ex-
amined.
This Official is under heavy bonds.
- AaG-