The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1906-12-21

the conditions as regards sickness and
the death rate compare favorably with
United States. Especial care has been
devoted to minimizing the risk due to the
presence OF those species Of mosquitoes
malarial and yellow fevers In all the
settlements, the little temporary towns
or cities composed OF the white and black
there in the tropic jungle as the needs
of the work dictate, the utmost care is
exercised to keep the conditions healthy
bitches which in removing the water
have removed the breeding places Of the
cut away for AMOR Considerable oe SPACE senE,e arouns
the habitations, thus destroying the
places in which the mosquitoes take shell
are In evidence in every settlement, and,
together with the invariable presence OF
mosquito screens around the piazzas, and
speak of the careful fumigation that has
gone on In all infected houses doubtless
explain the extraordinary absence of
a single mosquito, and this not OF the
dangerous species, was seen by any
member of our party during my three
taken by the inspectors of the health de-
partment to secure cleanliness In the
houses and proper hygienic conditions OF
30 water-closets, both those used by the
white employees and those used by the
colored laborerS. In almost every case L
case did find them really bad. In this
case, affecting q settlement of unmar-
ried white employees. | found them very
inherited from the French company and
were being used temporarily while other
buildings were in the course Of construc-
ton; and right near the defective water
closet a new and excellent closet with a
good sewer pipe was in process Of con-
struction and nearly finished. Neverthe-
1Aa hi v,<Nt NknA CO. Al
bad condition had been allowed to pre-
vail. Temporary accommo ida tions, even
IL only such as soldiers use when camped
in the field, should have been provided.
Orders to this effect were issued. / ap-
pend the report of DR.. Gorgas on the in
cident: l was struck. however, by the
every other where complaint was made
which proved to have any justification
whatever 1t appeared that steps had al;
complained OF. and that the trouble was
mainly due to the extreme difficulty, and
often impossibility. of providing in every
numbers Of employees. Generally the pro-
vision Is made in advance, but 1t Is not
possible that this should always be the
period Of time during which the condi-
tions are unsatisfactory, until remedy
can be provided; but never found a
case where the remedy was not being
provided as speedily as possible.
Unjust Criticism.
Care and forethought have been exer-
cised by the commission, and nothing has
reflected more credit upon them than
their refusal either to go ahead too fast
or to be deferred by the fear Of criticism
from not going ahead fast enough. 1t Is
curious to note the fact that many of
the most severe critics of the commission
criticise them for precisely opposite rea-
work work i is not ~ in more % advanced % condis se
tion, while the others complain that 1t has
been rushed with such haste that there
has been insufficient preparation for the
hygiene and comfort Of the employees.
AS a matter of fact neither criticism is
just. 1t would have been impossible to
gone. for such quickness would have
meant insufficient preparation. On the
other hand, to refuse to do anything un-
been met would have caused wholly un-
warranted delay The right course to
follow was exactly the course which has
ton was made in advance. the hygienic
conditions in especial being made as
nearly perfect as possible; while on the
other hand there has been no timid re-
fusal to push forward the work because
of inability to anticipate every possible
emergency. for, OF course, many defects
system in actual practice.
Inasmuch as so many both of the white
and colored employees have brought their
families with them, schools have been
established, the school service being un-
der Mr.. O'Connor. For the white pupils
white American teachers are employed;
for the colored pupils there are also some
white American teachers, one Spanish
teacher, and one colored American teach
er, most of them being colored teachers
from Jamaica, Barbados and st. Lucia.
The schoolrooms were good, and II was
| a pleasant thing to see the pride that the
teachers were taking in their work and
their pupils
Chinese and Other Labor.
OF the 1900 or 10000 day laborers
| employed on the canal a few hundred
are Spaniards. These do excellent
work. Their foreman told me that
they did twice as well as the West