Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-26
CONDITIONS AS THEY ARE
ON The iSTnMUS OF PANAMA
CONTINUED from page One.)

home to their beautiful Jamaica. TO
their Martinique. or their Trinidad.
Such conditions do not prevail there,
they say.
And yet We wonder taye, even has il
been officially denied) that these ne
groe have been returning TO their ma
tive islands in ever increasing num-
bers. The Royal mail steamship Atra-
to. which sailed from Colon last week.
brought approximately 1000 negro la
borers. and took away nearly 500 ne
groes who had given up working on the
isthmus as a bad io5. Others would
go. they tell me. but they cannon get
enough money together for their return
passage. Mr.. Parker. the agent of the
Royal Mail Steamship line at Colon.
told me today that he estimated the
departures of negro labofers during the
past few months would aggregate 80
per cent of the arrivals. OF course,
the so per cent that remain will ulti-
mately bring the number of laborerS
up To- the amount required. but ii is
true that they are leaving the isthmus
in goodly numbers, a condition which
has been denied repeatedly.
Returning to the question of SANTA
ton. | made a visit 10 Cristobal. That
portion of the town occupied by the Of
ficials of the canal commission and the
railroad resembles a dainty corner in
some fanciful fairyland. Ii seems hard
ly real. Pretty little houses here and
there with dear little porches and ham
mocks and lounging chairs. and all the
proverbial comforts of home. OF course.
Cristobal is delightful place for them.
However. | disresarded the gilded way
and followed the back streets 10 Fox
river Again we have that remarkable
contrast, that transition, that evolution
from the sublime TO the slime.
Originally. Colon was on the island
of Manzanillo but the Panama rail
road which you must remember now
belongs to Uncle Sam. found il neceS
Sary to build a right of way and road
bed across the swamp that separated
the island from the mainland This
stretch of swamp was known as Fox
river. though why such a pretty ami
NAL should have its name attached to
such a filthy place | am at a loss to
know. No sooner had the road bed
been completed than the shylock land
lords obtained leases from the Panama
railroad and proceeded to build low
rambling and rickety shacks out over
the swamps. How thoughtful of the
landlords. YOU will say. or perchance.
how considerate and commendable of
the Panama railroad. But that IS
neither here nor there.
| ventured into one of these novels.
1t had eight rooms. each about ten
feet square. its pine boards stranger
both to plane and paint They were
accessible by a wavering porch built
Of pieces of boxes and other wooden
refuse. The house was supported on
piles driven into the vile-smeling
swamp. Back of the howell was an out
house. used in common by the tenants,
and the OdorS emanating therefrom
we're sickening. In the soft muck of
the swamp a thousand land crabs were
wriggling as if even they were dis
tressed in such environment. Two OF
three little. children balanced them
selves on the edge of the unprotected
DOItH 10 prevent ldIllIS neauIOIS lulO
The swamp A stray dog looked in upon
the scene. shook his head and wander
ed away. And yet these rooms are
renting at the rate of $40 silver per
month. or $40 gold per month for the
entire miserable shack of eight rooms
Forty dollars gold per month will pro-
cure an excellent residence in any
american city. with the alluring attri-
Lutte of ALI modern improvements"
end no such swamp as this within 1000
miles. Another wave of that admins
trative hand would sweep these novels
into firewood and would house the ne
gro tenants on the nearby healthful
hills
With the smell of this place still
clinging to my clothes land il will
cling to my memory for many many
moons), | sought out the health officer
in charge. DR.. Sumner Coolidge. He
was leaning back comfortably in a big
arm chair. in the administration build
ing. facing the pretty coral-studded
beach, where the Atlantic for centuries
has kissed the sands with the silver
tongues that break from its flowing
All SpOl anu thC hCdith vi
ficer was most healthful The sea
breeze was refreshing after the heavi,
ly laden zephyrs from Fox river
DR.. Coolidge listened while | unfold
ed my sad story. Then he smiled:
"An offensive odor is not necessarily
said he. "Of course. if
you or | had 10 live there he contin
ued, while the cold chills chased them
selves up and down my back even at
the thought, I'VE might, eventually. lose
our appetites. and in this way be more
prone to disease But the negroes
why. they have been there ever since
the Americans purchased the canal
zone. and the death rate is no greater
than in any other portion of Cristobal
or Colon Besides. these negroes are
used TO living in that manner at home
Now. TO be scientific, we must dag